Thanks for posting. This is good information to keep in mind. I would not have expected those symptoms from a low battery.

The hybrid 12 volt battery does not really do much, and is pretty easy service. My experience with a non hybrid is that battery life is about 6 years. These hybrid batteries never "start" the car, and really should last much longer. The only thing unique about them is that they are not vented. Or at least the one in the 2012 is not vented. That means they have to absorb any gas generated when they charged. If they are charged too fast the gas generated can damage them. Toyota recommends that charging current be no higher than 5 amps.

So, it is possible that the jump start incident took a toll on your battery. It likely would have seen much more than 5 amps charging at least for a short while, when you jumped it. If circumstances allow, and often they don't if you are stranded, it would be better to slowly charge the dead battery with a small charger of 3 amps or so. It will take some time, but should avoid permanent damage to the battery.

 

Groan... Here I am a few years later... Glad I remembered this thread! I just ordered the Optima Red Top D35 to replace my now defunct Panasonic in my 2007 TCH. It figures it would crap out on me now, just as I was about to trade him in at the end of the week...

5 years old and 54,440 miles.. Poof!

 

If it is not too late, I would suggest using the D34 Yellow Top, or the 34M Blue Top. They are intended and warranted for deep cycle use. The Red Top is not. Check dimensions though to be sure the 34's will fit, as they are a little larger. The spec sheet has the following warning for the Red Top:

"These batteries are designed for engine starting applications. They are not recommended or warranted for use in deep cycle applications."

The battery in the TCH does not start the vehicle, it only provides power to the 12 volt accessories.

 

Ron,

The red top for use in a Camry will be fine. Our batteries are not used as a deep cycle battery (think hours trolling in a boat without charging). Our batteries stay maintained by the system and are never allowed to discharge like a deep cycle would be. The red top will just have a lot of cranking amps available that will not be used in the Camry.

 

I apologize for taking so long to respond to this thread. I usually try to taper my activity in conversations prior to the SEMA show, but I understand older threads do bubble back up from time to time.

fagerlie, if you are relying on your vehicle's charging system to fully-recharge a deeply-discharged battery, you are putting a tremendous strain on that charging system, which could lead to premature failure (far more expensive than replacing a battery). If your battery is deeply-discharged, it should be fully-charged with a battery charger as soon as possible. Relying on the vehicle's charging system can lead to a cycle of dead batteries and jump-starts, until either one or the other fails.

Batteries will typically have a surface charge after charging, that will dissipate over 12-24 hours. Fully-charged, most batteries should measure at least about 12.6 volts. We recommend typical alternator output when a vehicle is running to be in the range of about 13.7-14.7 volts.

Our D34 YellowTop is typically cheaper than our D34M BlueTop and the YellowTop will have the longer warranty of the two. If you buy a new battery and charger from us at the same time, we'll add a year of warranty coverage to your battery.

crray43, I agree with Ron AKA about the voltmeter. The $10 you spend on a voltmeter will more than pay for itself the first time it saves you from replacing a battery that has only been deeply-discharged. They are very easy to use and offer more accurate measurements directly at the battery terminals, than dash-mounted gauges.

Randy, while I'm glad to hear we're your battery of choice when it comes time to buy a replacement, if you are getting ready to trade your vehicle in, I would probably suggest buying a less expensive and perhaps even the least-expensive battery you can find. If your dealership notices you just put in a new Optima battery and gives you more money on your trade-in because of it, please let me know.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.fb.com/optimabatteries

 

"So far so good - even though the car sat outside for 4 months last winter without being run at all...

BTW - It started as though I had shut it off the day before..."

This is the deep cycle that owners need to be concerned about. TCH batteries are not used to start the vehicle. Battery makers are faced with compromises when they design a battery. It can be designed to slowly discharge and then be slowly recharged (deep cycle). Or it can be designed to start, and be rapidly charged -- conventional vehicle starting. Also on a conventional vehicle compromises are made to make it deliver lots of amps in cold weather so the vehicle starts -- CCA.

The TCH battery is designed to be slowly discharged and recharged slowly. This is so the gas formed can be absorbed inside the battery, and allows the battery to be non vented, or limited in venting.

If you leave the battery sitting for a very long time -- like months and do not disconnect it, it will discharge slowly. That is OK. However, when you start it up it will charge rapidly and that is when you are likely to damage the non vented gel or AGM style battery. The better option is to slowly trickle charge the battery back up to full charge before you start it. Toyota says to limit charging amps to 5 maximum.

 

Hi guys,

Well, I did the install and all appears to be well at this point.
Since I have drawn such great value from this forum over the years, I want to share some pictures that I took of the process and a couple of tidbits that I think might be handy to know.

The sticker on top of the battery with part number (SC25A) and CCA Info etc:
DF09009F-F6A7-4DF6-9480-B4F8BD555E74-7476-00000B9B99A3021E.jpg


The batteries are slightly different in size, but the Optima came with a spacer that snaps on the bottom of the battery.
Below are the without/with spacer
7F6D109A-2189-45C9-9B13-4D050ECC4C86-7476-00000B9BA7D2D5E0.jpg
7C9EAD91-8009-4C19-8D2E-8107DCA90018-7476-00000B9BB6DD86AF.jpg
You can also see the nipple that the factory vent hose connects to. I confess that I made no attempt to make a vent port on the Optima. The hose was tucked out of the way in the battery compartment.

The Optima is shorter in overall length but that is not as bad as being too long.
The original Panasonic battery was a snug fit length wise and you can see that the battery tray has a well defined end that you will need to bend / re-shape if you install a longer battery
C65E18B2-81B8-48A0-A690-5EFB6D4B0200-7476-00000B9B8F3D5AF8.jpg
B676C280-5272-4129-A8A4-A21000AB04C9-7476-00000B9BCCA4ABE0.jpg

This is a picture of the bottom of the temp sensor embedded in the hot glue that the factory used to adhere it to the battery - it is a little more than 1/4" thick with the glue:
8944AA7F-4E5E-4CFC-A43E-40EA10CC9896-7476-00000B9B84DBCFD2.jpg

While I don't have a picture of it, the battery retention strap has a relief in it about 1-3/4" wide and a tad less than 1/4" deep. That part of the strap is over the center of the battery and a perfect spot for the temp sensor.
When I first started tightening down the strap, I felt that it might be putting a bit too much pressure on the temp sensor, so I cut a narrow strip of wood that was 1/4" thick and put that long side of the temp sensor. Note that you need to have the sensor side down against the battery case.

Final installation picture:
940DC78D-F953-4A27-A3CE-B36F7D9BDE90-7476-00000B9BC101675D.jpg

I'll let you know if I find any troubles with this install, but I believe it should be just fine.

 

Jim,

Thanks for your valuable input to the forums here...

BTW, I have 6 yellow top batteries in my electric motorcycle..

IMG_4011.jpg

IMG_4014.jpg

 

Hey Ron, thanks for the valuable input.. The TCH only sat for about 3 weeks this time and it was dead as a door-nail..

 

A comment and a question. I don't think the vent is a big deal. The 2012 Toyota supplied battery has no vent. And, unless I missed it, it has no temperature sensor either. Toyota must have decided that neither issue was a real concern. An AGM type battery should not gas.

My question is about issues getting the vehicle running again after a dead battery event, or replacing the battery. There are some internet stories circulating that if you don't maintain voltage to the control system when you switch batteries the on board computers blow their brains. Did you have any problems getting the car started again, and/or clearing any trouble lights that may have come up? Curious as to whether these stories are based in fact, or just another internet myth that dies hard.