Battery change

My truck has been lugging when trying to start in the morning since it's gotten cold out. It was time to change the battery. I wanted to get an Interstate from Costco for $120 but it's an hour away and I don't have a membership. Once you add that all up it puts the battery up to $200. I was able to get a Napa battery for 150 with a coupon code. I checked other retailers and no others would except savings codes. While changing it, I noticed the battery was a Toyota factory battery. My trucks a 2017 so I looked for a date. I found a date on of 8-11-2016. That is a hell of a long time for a battery. I'm hoping to get 5 years out of my new one.

 

My recollection is not always perfect, but I think I only put one battery in my '06 TRD OR AC manual. Had it for 15 years!
I suspect battery life is influenced by your driving habits. One daily R/T of 50-60 miles puts less demand on a battery (my typical) than would 2-3 daily short hops to the store/bank/post office & back.
Batteries have never been an issue with any of my previous Toyotas.

 

Wow, you did well on that. My stock ‘16 lasted 2 years. Costco batteries in all our vehicles as needed. Once you go Costco, you can’t go back.

 

10 years on factory. 8 and counting on the replacement. 5 would be a failure in my book

 

I replaced my OEM just the other day. It was still turning over the engine just fine but was reading 12.28v and we are expecting -30 this week so I changed it. I’m gonna use it to run my diesel heater.

I got the land of the Kirk kind:

 

The factory battery in our 08 FJ was a Panasonic I changed in fall of 2016. Didn’t find a date but build date for the FJ was April 2008.

It still started fine, but was cranking slower

 

Original batteries are starting an engine with all component's in top notch condition and should last longer than a replacement.

 

if i plan to keep the vehicle i change batteries around 5-6 years. other than a honda foreman ATV, i do not recall ever having a battery fail on any vehicle at less than 5 years.

the inconvenience that is inevitable when the battery fails is not worth prolonging the $120 expense, to me.

i have had good luck with napa batteries and is one of two or three brands that i typically buy. i do not have a costco or walmart close by.

 

My '22 TRD Sport still only has 6300 miles, thanks to the pandemic and working from home. My factory battery went dead two or three weeks ago since I haven't been driving it enough. Called AAA, and they came right out and installed the battery without turning the truck off. They did a complete charging system check as well.

 

I work at a shop that installs cranes on new semi trucks. We get brand new KW trucks all the time. Matter a fact, we are a top 30 KW new truck customer. We have trouble with batteries dying consistently. Even with the main battery shut off. For whatever reason, Since covid, the automotive batteries have been crap.

 

Wait, Ama changed your battery with the vehicle running??

 

I have heard there is a tool that needs installed while changing your battery so the car has constant voltage.

 

makes me feel better about my 5 year old battery. I guess ill keep running it for 2 more years if possible. I used to think 5 years was good.

 

Some shops keep power to vehicle to prevent modules from powering down and losing their strategies/radio presets.

 

Ahhh okay they used a power maintainer, that makes sense. I thought you meant they started your truck and did a hot change while the engine was running.

 

I changed the battery on the wifes Subaru Forrester after I took a small mower/motorcycle battery and hooked it to the main cables with alligator clips. No power loss. Worked like a charm.

 

Yup, year six on mine and it wouldn't start without a boost, so I decided it was time too.

 

Yeah, I've always connected a battery charger, set on 3 amps to the terminals... Removed terminals while keeping a sandwich bag over the positive cable, then changed out the battery. Always worked for me also.

 

I’ve been driving for 37 years and I remember buying maybe 3 batteries and one of them was for my boat. I don’t replace one unless it fails to start the car and there is no evidence of something draining the battery.

I have however jump started numerous cars. These days you can simply carry a jump box with you. I also tend to own cars with manual transmissions that can be push started.

 

Pretty much like when I was in high school. LOL!