Battery dying. Upgrade suggestions?

Forgive my ignorance as i ask this question:

What battery maintenance are you referring to?

My batter started corroding from the positive terminal about a year into its ownership (bought it with 4 miles on it from the dealership) and the most I’ve done was just clean off that corrosion so it has a good connection.

 

Battery maintenance is not complicated, you check and clean the terminals, then seal around where the post meets the case to help prevent future corrosion. You check the water level on the cells and adjust as needed, also put it on a trickle charger, or a deep charge.
The alternator is giving it a quick surface charge sure, but an occasional long deep trickle charge helps its battery life. At least just for me

 

Should keep on eye on it, that is one old ass battery. Really is a testament to Optima quality though.

 

thanks.

i've actually not modified anything: i replaced my dogshit stock 12v 24F lead acid battery (when it died) with a more robust 12v 24F sealed lead acid battery. i've been running an isolated voltage tracker on that battery since i installed it. it's now been a year and a half — two winters — since then, and i've had no problems so far. the battery still charges up and holds voltage like new, as expected.

when my ecu/ecm blows up, i'll be sure to make a post about it.

 

For what it's worth, I've bought nothing but Interstates for the last 10+ years. Have always been happy with them. Not cheap, but....
I have one ... 7 years old in my van ... Sat all winter in sub-zero temps for 4 months. Fired right up the other day.

 

I got lucky. in 2019 mine was a 5 year replacment.

 

Factory battery is known trash. Failures in the first 1-3 years are common and reported all over the forums.

 

And just how do you keep it charged? Did you replace the stock alternator? Many, many posts of this forum and others stating the reason(s) why you wasted your $$ without a charging system modification.

 

I have everything stock atm, been running this battery for a few months now. Some other dude ran it for few years without no problem. You can get a OVtune for the battery, I'm working with my tuner for that ATM.

 

Good batteries are not a waste of money. The 3rd gen does not need any charging system modification.

I've had my AGM for 17 months. After the truck is off for 20 minutes, the voltage at the battery is 12.9~13.1 volts(depending on the outside temp).

This is a fully charged battery voltage.

 

I disagree with the above user, no disrespect. I'm certain our trucks stock battery which the factory sources from Interstate are junk, so any replacement is an improvement.

Having said that, due to the nature of my work, I power a lot of electronics at my remote work site and need high power flood light systems due to the remote sites I need to access often. I bootup cell towers with my truck in the middle of no where and have CSM electronics as well as use power tools.
And earlier this year, the sun went down by 4pm and the work site was pitch black and I often needed to run powerful flood lamps to light up the site.
With more electronics, equipments you power while truck on, lights, etc we add to the truck, the more Amps of current is drawn and the truck has to deliver to meet your need. Your battery is only supplemental when the motor/truck is running. It is not what is providing the current to meet your load. It's the alternators job.
On my truck, I have an AM high output 270 Amp alternator to meet the load requirements from DC Power Inc because the electrical engineers and company doing the work knew changing batteries won't provide me the power.
If you have tow pkg, then your truck's alternator is max rated to deliver 130 Amps, but that' is not at hot idle, but running at max speed and is upper max of its safe operating output. Non tow pkg alternators are only ~89 Amps if I am not mistaken.

Now, if your truck is OFF, the alternator is not running and the sole source of energy is your battery.
99% of the time, folks with common sense won't be running refrigerators and lights and blast music with their truck off. Chiefly because you don't know when it's going to drain below a threshold to provide CCA for your starter to start the truck.
Most of the time, the battery is merely used to start your truck. And the stock battery, or any other battery is more than capable of meeting that need.

Again, what is your application and purpose here? Just some after market pod lights and a nice sound system? Your stock alternator/charging system is more than enough then. I don't see how changing your battery helps unless you want lights ON and play music with truck OFF. If you want to do this, you can pay $450 for an expensive AGM 31 battery to perhaps blast music for 30 minutes more while engine is off. I wouldn't recommend it. Is it worth it? Ask yourselves, do you really need an expensive battery to start your truck? If answer is yes to last two questions, then you should upgrade your battery.

 

I have an X2 Power 27F AGM battery from Batteries plus. It's a store branded Northstar. Great warranty on them. I have Baja Designs ditch and fog lights to go with a 60L fridge. I've gone 3 days without having to hookup solar or run the truck. Highly recommend. Never got close to getting down to 50% which is the lowest you ever want to get AGM batteries down to. Weather was 70-40 degrees for reference.

On another note. If you go with an AGM battery then you have to do either of two things due to the increase voltage it needs that a stock truck cant do:
1. Increase the battery charge voltage via a tuner since its controlled by the ECU. I got it done from a local guy when he did my OVTune
2. Periodically charge the battery with a battery charger to top it off.

 

Also, I had to order a second gen battery tray to fit the 27F. Part number

$58 744310C020 TOYOTA Genuine (74431-0C020) Battery Tray

744310C020. It's like 30 bucks.

 

What did you increase your battery charge voltage to? I am most likely going this route and will be getting a tune shortly so correct the horrendous shifting this truck does and sluggish acceleration

 

in case you want to see a bunch more info and examples: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/vf-tuner-for-the-3-5l-tacoma-agm-tuning.689652/

 

He bumped it to 14.5 but every battery has a different range. It will clearly state it on the battery

 

Example

 

I think it's 14.5 or something like that for Group 31F batteries. Most VF flashers know the correct setting, so when you go see them who's preparing your ECU tune, they'll take care of it.

 

Didn't mean to say that the battery upgrade in and of itself is a waste of money, it's a waste of money if you don't make the required voltage modification required to properly charge an AGM battery.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-northstar-agm-battery-voltage-booster-upgrade.604478/