New battery failing, or is there more to it?

I love people that will spend hundreds of dollars (us or cdn) on tires, lifts... etc. but lose their minds over a $100 consumable item. First off, the one that came with your truck is one of two or three mass produced brands from Johnson Controls or Exide. Second off, the OEM one has a warranty period like any other so bring it into a dealer and get it replaced for free or at least prorated. Don't like the dealer option, buy one with the longest warranty.

 

Because it's the cool thing to do.

If a Yellow top goes bad people will say....oh, just a fluke.

Johnson Controls produces millions of batteries a year for Toyota and a few fail here and there (sometimes due to owner stupidity). People just pile on....stock batteries are garbage.

Same thing as don't use a Fram oil filter, 0/20 oil is too thin, 0/40 is too thick and never change your transmission fluid. People just repeat what they've heard

 

The Fram junk claims do not apply to our trucks.

 

Best $10 you can spend on a filter. The Ultra is as good as it gets.

 

That's got to be an old pic, Way too clean for a 2nd gen!

 

Yeah, another 'for what it's worth' ... My wife's Forester original battery lasted for 12 years .. (Panasonic also) and we have 0 degrees to -20 for about 3 months a year, pretty consistent. I was pretty amazed just at that actually.
My other rigs ... Especially the plow truck, cuz I need that to START when I need it ... I've always replaced those with 'top-shelf' Interstate batteries (Like $150.00 each now days) and I'm lucky to get 4 .. Maybe 5 .. Years out of them.

 

Update: Truck wouldn't start again this morning (rapid clicking sound), so gave it a jump and took it back to the dealer. They said they needed to do a full charge of the battery and then test it. After they did (took about an hour) they confirmed that the battery was bad and replaced it. I did mention the potential of a parasitic draw and they said they couldn't find any evidence of that, but if it happens again they'll get a Toyota engineer to work on it.

Thanks to all the helpful people who replied.

 

Even back in the 70's my dad told me that the worst thing you can do to a battery is to NOT use it. I have no doubts about that.

 

Damn that engine compartment looks fresh.

 

Glad to hear and also glad to hear that Toyota is taking care of it. A bit of a PITA, but .. I don't care the who/what/brand/etc .. Sometimes you get a bad apple. It could be on a $100K Mercedes, or a $10K Kia. Shit happens.

 

Almost 6 years old. I try to keep it clean.

 

Taken 2 weeks ago. This is how it looks right now. Recent OC accounts for the different filter.

 

Yeah, I agree with the engineers knowing what they're doing .. No Doubt ... Sadly, they have no control over 3rd-party parts being installed on new rigs ... Like batteries (Just an example, IDK) maybe being manufactured in, Say Mexico, where Quality Control is a little more... Not The Best....

 

Oh here we go again. Prove it. Prove that because the truck is assembled in Mexico that it's somehow inferior. The Baja plant has actually been producing Tacomas quite a bit longer than the Texas plant

 

Wow man, thats clean. Im guessing you dont go offroad much? My engine bay looks like shit compared to yours. About 80% of my driving is on pavement.

 

I dont know, there is a shitload of TW members with mexican made tacos and they seem to be holding up just like a toyota should.