Best battery

My stock battery is sounding a bit weak in my 2020, any suggestions on a replacement?

 

Whatever’s the best price and/or warranty that meets spec. I’d want to buy the same Panasonic battery if I could but alas, we’re stuck with what, two, three manufacturers making all the batteries that are available to us Americans?

 

Depends on your needs. AGM is going to have more capacity and better cold weather performance. But really whatever battery Costco or Walmart are selling. Batteries aren't made to the same quality these days, having a good warranty with a reliable company should be a strong selling point. When it does inevitably fail again just warranty it out and be back on the road with nothing out of pocket.

 

This Monday I installed a regular Walmart lead-acid battery. It has 750CCA, way more than factory battery.

I'd love to have AGM battery but 4runner factory charging is not enough to charge AGM. (Atleast per charging requirements posted on batteries like Duracell AGM or Optima ). Also not interested in installing voltage booster in my 4runner to charge an AGM battery.

 

Yeah I overlooked the charging voltage when I picked up a yellowtop optima 2 years ago, to be fair I did run it dead a couple times but I had to get a warranty replacement a month or 2 ago. I have the gm diode on the alt s fuse now and so far so good, will be curious to see how long this one lasts.

 

I originally got an Odyssey 24F AGM which was one of the better and had good capacity, but i drive too little to truly charge it most of the time so i switched to a Duralast Gold AGM which is easier to fully charge with my short commute.

I also added a voltage booster and that has helped a lot and works perfect. Its the Arclightleds booster with 3 settings OEM/+.5v/+1.0v

 

Have you tested the battery or had it tested? Have you been maintaining the battery?

Batteries used to be inexpensive but in the past couple of years they've gone through the roof. Vehicles use the battery to start, then the alternator takes over and provides all the volts/amps needed to operate it. If your battery is not staying charged you should check the voltage coming off the alternator to make sure that's not the problem.

I buy Toyota, Duracell/Deka (from East Penn) or Interstate batteries. I've had good luck with these brands for many years, in my cars and boat. The current battery (Toyota Trustart 84 month) in my T4R was bought in 11/2015 and has never failed me. (It replaced the Panasonic that came in the T4R in 10/2003, which I still have and still holds a 75% charge.

Keep the plates covered, don't run the battery down and learn a little about wet cell batteries to get the most out of them.

 

Honestly just stock if you’re mostly stock.

 

Does the dealer not have the same Panasonic battery?

 

The Panasonic that came with my 2004 in 10/2003 lasted until 2015 but I still have it (holds a 75% charge). I went to the dealership and asked and the parts guy said "I wish we could get them in the US". I got a Toyota Trustart and that's still what I'm using. It's been a lot of years but I still don't see the Panasonic wet cell as available.

 

I use Costco when the factory one lays down, outstanding warranty.

 

Only if you count what's in new vehicles!

 

Walmart or Costco if it's a pavement princess. AGM if you go off-road (AGM batteries are sealed, so acid doesn't spill out at higher angles). I like Optima Red Top because it's lighter while still providing the same or better CCA rating than the stock battery.

 

I put EverStart Platinum AGM a month ago after original went bad after 4.5years. So far so good. I guess I'll find out in few years if it was worth it.

 

I also have costco.

 

Welcome!

 

Not in my experience. The OEM Panasonic in my '03 lasted for a surprisingly long time. But, when I went to replace it, all they had was some Toyota rebranded Diehard or something.

I'm not even sure if my '19 came with a Panasonic. But, it definitely didn’t last as long.

I'm not sure if it's due to more parasitic drain in newer vehicles, but it seems like batteries just don't last as long as they used to.

 

Toyota batteries were made by Interstate, then Johnson Controls and now they make their own at a plant in North Carolina (TBMNC). They are building a battery plant in North Carolina but that's for the hybrids and electrics. The Trustart battery comes with an 84 month warranty. That's 7 years of service, prorated after 2 years. I've never had to use it. Mine always last longer than that.

Many years ago, as a UPS driver, I delivered to a Johnson Controls battery plant. Down the line came Die Hard, Amoco, Shell and many other brands. You can Google and find which company makes a battery brand and usually where the plant is located. I've use Deka batteries in my boat and sometimes my cars. Deka makes the Duracell batteries sold at Batteries Plus Bulbs stores and the NAPA brand as well. The company is East Penn Manufacturing and they have a company history write up on their website. I've had good service from them. They were in my Ranger bass boat when I bought it.

From my experience, the top AGM battery is Lifeline AGM. They are very expensive but I've had 2 in my Airstream trailer since 2014 and the ones I took out are in my garage as backups. They are group 24 and cost $260 each in 2014. Now they are $400 each.

 

If picking up a new battery of any brand, off the shelf, best to bring a multimeter with you. If you are set on a certain brand/type, check the the volts of what is available on the shelf and select the one with the highest volts. That way you end up with the best of 'X' brand and you can do your best to avoid the lemons.

 

No matter what the volts are, what's more important is how long that battery has been sitting on the shelf. Without charge / discharge activity wet cells will sulfate quickly. All batteries have a date code on them. You want a battery that's been there no longer than 3 months maximum but optimally, within 30 days of the day you are shopping for one. If you know the brand your going after you can Google and find out if they have a code for the date or if it's just a normal date stamped on it.

 

Sure, check the date, but that's a number without enough substance. I'd buy a Feb 2024 at 12.4V, over a Sept 2024 at 12.3V.

 

Battery voltages can vary by a half a volt just by ambient temperature variation. Even a 12.5 volt battery can have 1 or more dead cells. It's not a good indication of battery health. A better test would be testing the battery under a load, but I doubt they would let you do that in a store. Like I said, plates sulfate after just a few months of sitting idle on a shelf. Don't buy any battery that is dated more than 3 months from your shopping date; newer is always better.

 

Welcome from Wisconsin! I don't know who makes batteries for Kubota, but the battery in my Kubota tractor has been around since 2007.. still works.