Optima battery and installation kit for Prius 2000 to 2003

Our free shipping is UPS ground(to the Southwest) or Priority Mail (2 to 3 days). If you need the battery as soon as possible let us know in the order comments or call us at 818 364-9810.

In a hurry? You can call us at 818 364 9810 up to 6:30pm. If we are in and can get your products out for you we will!

The Federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975 prohibits a manufacture from curtailing warranty coverage due to after market parts unless it can be demonstrated that they caused the problem. (For more information click here and scroll down go to paragraphs under "Tie-In Sales" Provisions.)

This sealed battery is designed to go in a trunk and utilizes absorbed glass mat technology. This advanced battery has no free liquid because it is absorbed into the glass mat. Consequently, there is no acid that can spill into the trunk. It also has attachments for a vent hose so any gases are vented outside of the car. The battery does not normally emit gases but can do so with heavy over charging with pressure building up and the valves in the batteries releasing. This should not normally never occur because the Prius high voltage to low voltage converter puts out around 13.75 volts. 13.75 volts is the voltage the battery puts out at no load and at that voltage the battery can not be overcharged and it is the maintenance voltage for the battery. However if one cell shorts out or the voltage unexpected goes high gassing can occur. If gassing does occur the gas passes through the vent tube. Our Prius kit includes a connector so you can connect the Toyota vent hose to the battery. The 12 volt battery is not used to crank the gasoline engine in the Prius but it does supply all the 12 volts circuitry which includes all of the computers in your car. If this battery fails, the computers will not start and the Prius will not start. A weak battery can also pull the 12 volts power down to a lower voltage. This can cause problems with all of the computers that control your car. (When I had a problem with my car the first thing the dealer insisted I do was replace the battery. The problem was caused by something else but the battery was weak.)

Because this battery does not start the engine in the Prius it can be used after it's output has seriously declined and at least three users have told me that their Prius now gets better mileage with the new battery. One told me that getting a new battery restored his mileage back to the original mileage he was getting when the car was brand new and another told me that he is now getting better mileage then he did originally. Here is the third owner's comments who installed the Miata battery: "All installed and working GREAT! My mileage has jumped amazingly (>10 mpg). Would have saved considerable amount of money by replacing earlier. Thanks again for being there." (for another similar story go to the bottom of this page.)

So if you 12 volt battery is weak it could also be affecting your gas mileage because your Prius is wasting energy trying to recharge a battery that will not take a charge.

Another user had let the 12 volt battery degrade to a point that he had to turn the ignition on and off four or more times to start the car. He told me his gas engine would never shut down when he was driving.

In short, if your 12 volt battery is four or five years old we recommend you replace the battery. The normal battery life is four to five years.

Prius battery test procedure for all Prius Cars 2000 to 20008

Here is a battery test you can perform on a Prius battery that is easy to do.

However, this test requires no tools, is easy to do and will give you some idea of the state of your battery. You can also perform this test after the car has been parked for a while to see how well the battery holds up under the drain from the security system, clock, memory chips etc.

• Do this test after you have driven the car for at least 30 minutes. This will give the battery a chance to be fully charged.
• Put the transmission in Park.
• Turn ignition switch to off.
• Engage the parking break
• (2000 to 2003)Turn ignition switch to Accesory. (do not start the engine)
• Push Display button. (2000 to 2003)Top rocker to the right of the radio 2004+ top button to left of screen - "DISPLAY" will now appear in the upper left corner of your screen.)
  
  
• Push on the upper left(1) of the display just inside the box, withdraw, push on the lower left of the display(2) and withdraw. (see picture) Do this three times. Keep trying till the screen changes. If the word "Display" in the upper left hand corner of the screen goes away hit the display switch again.
  
• Push on Menu in upper right of display screen.
• Push on Display Check
• Push on Vehicle Signal Check
• You will see the 12 volt voltage displayed.
• With no electrical accessories on including lights the voltage should be fluctuate between 12.2 and 11.9. The lower the voltage, the less of a charge your battery currently has. If the voltage is low do not proceed as the load test might totally discharge your battery. (If you see a voltage around 13.5-13.8 you are seeing voltage from the high voltage battery being converted to around 13.5-13.8 in an attempt to recharge your battery. This normally does not occur till after you start the engine but might occur earlier if the battery is very drained.)
• You can also test the battery by turning on the headlights, rear window heater and the heater fan. For a new battery the voltage would be around 11.3. If the voltage drops below 10.2 it should definitely be replaced. For voltages in between the lower the voltage, the lower current charge of your battery.
• Note: If in doubt disconnect the 12 volt battery completely (start with the negative post to avoid shorting the battery) and hook it up to a battery tester.

_____ is Optima red top battery _____ is Optima yellow top battery

soc-% state of charge ocv - open circuit voltage for deep cycle

soc ocv
100 13.18
90 13.01
80 12.83
70 12.65 (The 2001 to 2003 Prius has a drain of .035 ampere hours 2 weeks = 11.76 ampere hours [=0.035 amps *24 hours*14 days]or 31%)
60 12.46
50 12.28
40 12.08
30 11.89
20 11.68
10 11.48
0 11.27 Look at the graph! A battery chemically configured to take deep discharges (yellow top) has 7.5x(300/40) the life compared to the red top!

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From the manufacture:



The unique design of the SPIRALCELL TECHNOLOGY. provides many features not available in ordinary batteries. The following is a summary

SPIRALCELL TECHNOLOGY PROVIDES: More plate surface, closer plate spacing, ability to use high purity lead. RESULTING IN: Low internal resistance. This low internal resistance gives you more power in a smaller box, ability to recharge much faster and higher cleaner voltage characteristics during discharge

Immobilized plates (locked in place). RESULTING IN: Improved vibration resistance, no shedding of active paste material, lower gradual loss of power and capacity as the battery ages. This gives you a battery that lasts longer and performs better throughout its life.

• Voltage 12 (12v or 12 volts)
• Amp Hour 38
• CCA* 450 (Cold Cranking Amps)
• Shipped fully charged ready to install
• Maintenance-Free
• Valve-regulated absorbed glass mat (AGM) eliminates acid spills and terminal corrosion.
• Vent hose holes for emergencies in case the battery is heavily overcharged. (You need a connector and plug that we provide with our installation kit)
• More than 15 times the vibration resistance of an ordinary battery.
• Last up to twice as long
• Length 8.9" and 9.15" at top cover
• Width 4.5" and 4.9" at top cover
• Height 9" including posts
• Weight 28lbs
• Warranty: 3 year exchange, excludes damage due to misuse or neglect, improper charging or improper application of battery
• Free shipping to all 48 states from Kansas. Just select the shipping method "Free to 48 states for $50 order"

Since the 12 volt battery does not start the gasoline engine you can still use the car with a very weak battery. So much so that at least three Classic Prius users have told me that their Prius now gets better mileage with the new battery. I am now starting to get these stories from 2004 + owners also for example:

"The MPG skyrocketed in my car after the battery replacement. I was getting 37mpg on the freeway and now its over 48mpg. Thank God!"

So if your 12 volt battery is very weak and your MPG has deteriorated a weak battery could also be affecting your gas mileage. (Your Prius is wasting energy trying to recharge a battery that will not take a charge!)

Prius battery test procedure for 2004 to 2010 Prius Cars

Included is our installation kit which includes all the parts you need and detailed installation instructions.

You will need a vise large crescent wrench or a vise grip, a 10MM wrench, a 10mm socket, 12mm wrench or socket, a socket extender, some tape, and a 1/2 inch wrench or 1/2 inch deep socket. You have to follow the normal precautions of disconnecting the negative battery connector first and connecting it last or your can short the positive connector to any exposed metal in the car. If you follow the detailed instructions, that come with the installation kit, you will not short out the battery but you may want to buy the kit and have your battery professionally installed.

2000 to 2003 Prius Optima Battery Customer comments:

"Got my battery and installation kit yesterday. Put it in today. Worked perfectly. I probably spent about an hour doing it. A lot of that was the double setup and cleanup because I went to the grocery store for my test ride. The installation instructions helped a lot. I consider myself a fair hand with a tool but it would never have occurred to me to put a mat down for my knees. Thanks.

All in all, extremely happy with the battery and installation kit. Customer service is great too." C. H., Stafford, VA

Please Note: California Proposition 65 Warning Battery posts, terminal, and related accessories contain lead and lead compounds, chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and reproductive harm. Wash hands after handling.

Availability: Usually ships the same business day. Optima battery and installation kit for Prius 2000 to 2003 Optima-Pr-Cls  List price: US$239.81  Sale price: US$161.00