OEM battery went to 5 years 8 months

if U dont mind let me take a few...........

decades ago before was much known & understand

‘ trickle chargers ‘ were the standard..........thats what U had

it was available.................. it was what U used

by example ( not the only type on the market + ‘ Battery Tender '

I have 8-9 vehicles so some get driven more than others

by design the ‘ Tenders ‘ charge at a good rate.........no more than the batt can replenish

(some shops have those industrial strength charger that will ' boil ‘ a BATT ‘ ESSENTIALLY RUINING IT )

THEN the Tender rests...............allowing the Batt to absorb the charge ( typically called the ‘ float ‘ )

when the voltage goes down usually 2-3 volts it charges again ( usually 11.5 to 14.5 )

over a period o time it charges then rests essentially keeping the batt HEALTHY !!!!

a trickle charger keeps a constant 12volts at a very amp CONSTANTLY

that can Long Run ‘ BURN “ the batt

actually takes life out o the batt...........true it will charge..........crank short term have U up & running
( yet taking longevity out o the batt )

U wont have to buy a batt today...................yet U will soon

short hops say after work on the way home..............not unusual to do several things diff locations

what happens the alt on vehicle does NOT have the opportunity to replace ALL the Cranking Amps

at wawa.......hooters & walgreens on the way home

parked in driveway overnight the batt rests yet does NOT recharge

crank up in morning + plus SLOW commute batt is still in deficit

primary most batts dont last long

they seldom get the charge + rest day in day out..............they typically in shortfall

 

Still on my original as far as I know. My truck was first or put into service in 2016. I purchased it last year. No records of any battery replacements.

 

You have an interesting writing style, I'll give you that. My apologies if I'm a bit obtuse, but I can't figure out what your primary point is. Can you executive summarize your recommendation in one sentence? Battery Tender brand is ok? Don't use trickle chargers?

 

My wifes 2012 camry still has the original battery and my previous 6 year old siverado still had the original battery when I traded it in for my taco

 

My oem delco battery that came in my 2001 tundra lasted 10 years before it went tapioca. I expect this tacoma battery to last at least 1/2 that and no less.

 

My OEM battery lasted 3.5 years. Autozone "tested" it for me after a couple slow-to-starts and said it was a good battery. I had just installed my front/anytime camera so I thought I screwed the wiring up somehow to cause excessive battery drain. I needed to get two separate jump starts but still believed it was due to my mod install.

Then I went in for an alignment after slamming into a pothole and someone finally told me the battery was bad.

 

you can get Toyota true start batteries at a good price.

https://partsbarn.sunnysidetoyota.com/search?search_str=battery

 

My only replacement choice would be a deka battery. I can get them for near cost from my buddies garage...plus their a dam good battery.

 

I have always thought that if Panasonic started selling batteries in the US that they would put everyone else out of business.

 

I have my original in my ‘13

Just replaced the Panasonic in the ‘14 4R at 90k with a Diehard AGM.

When taking the Panasonic core back i realized the levels were low so i probably could have filled, recharged, and got a few more years out of it. Panasonic makes a great battery.

ive had great luck with the AGM batteries, worth the extra cost.

 

They make decent audio/video remote batteries for their home electronics, but so does sony.

 

Another vote for Deka. My OEM Tacoma battery made it just under 4 years.

 

When buying or using a battery charger, make sure that it is "Fully Automatic". A Fully Automatic battery charger will turn itself off once the battery is fully charged and emit no charge. Then over time as the battery discharges the Fully Automatic charger will sense this and turn itself back on and charge up the battery.

I have a '93 MR2 that I take off the road each winter and pull the battery. It gets hooked up to a 1.5v automatic trickle charger. The battery has lasted about 15+ years and counting of seasonal use.

 

I have a Topdon

$45 BT100 Schumacher BT-100 Battery Load Tester and Voltmeter - 100 Amp

BT100 off Amazon for $50. It will test your battery, charging system, and starter. It gives you a 'state of health' of the battery to give you a good idea of how long the battery has left. I use it pretty regularly so could justify the cost.

As far as batteries go, they're all made by 2 or 3 companies. Go with whatever gives you the best warranty for the price. I've had the best luck with Toyota Truestart and the Costco brand AGM batteries. Both of those lasted 8+ years in the hot Texas heat. Skip the spiral plate AGMs made by Optima (red/yellow/blue tops) they moved production down to MX and they are no better than anything you can buy at the local parts store any more.

 

The first thing to check with a seemingly failing battery is the battery cable to battery post connection. A light coasting of dielectric grease on the battery post and clamp is a good idea as well.

 

Someone already mentioned it, but there are only 3 manufacturers of automotive batteries in the US outside of the AGM ones. Johnson Controls, Exide, and East Penn. Those first 2 have most of the market, and they likely make many of the AGM ones you'll find as well. Whatever is printed on the outside of the battery is just branding. Best to go with a convenient place to make an exchange and get credit if it doesn't make it through the warranty period. And make sure your cables and charging system are in good order, and don't let it get low on water.

 

Nothing crazy, I live in the CA east bay area. During the winter times I drive every weekend up into the Sierra Mountains to the Snowparks to Snowmobile. I started noticing the battery get very weak cold starting at the snowparks. I decided it was time to upgrade the battery before it went out completely. It likely would've lasted still but I did not want to chance it.

 

Thank you

 

Bit off topic, but I learned about these in a battery thread on here, and just thought I would pay it forward.

If you have additional wires you need to attach, the knuconceptz ultimate terminals have a lot of flexibility and I think they clean up the area nicely.