Has anyone had experience using the Battery Minder unit made by VDC Electronics Inc. to maintain the 12 volt system??
Jay likes those units. I have a "battery tender". Both are nice and provide confidence, but I didn't need my battery tender last winter. It sat forlorn on the garage wall, unused.
Ditto. If you drive it at least 20 minutes each week regardless of the weather, no worries. If the battery is about to die because of age or abuse then you need a new battery, not a tender.
I use them on all my equipment, batteries seem to last forever (Over 6 years, no issues, on the tractor and pickup at the hobby farm) I had trouble the first winter with my Prius. Dark gloomy winter days, headlights always on due to it being dark so early, Max Heat, constant electric defrost, etc. My commute was around 15-20 mins one way, apparently not enough for the constant voltage source to keep up Some forum members in cold climates have reported similar issues I first used my VDC before leaving for an extended business trip, almost 6 weeks. I removed the 12 vdc battery from my Prius and left it hooked up inside to the VDC. I had to return after 3 weeks due to my mother suddenly passing away. Put the battery back in the Prius, and it behaved like new. So I hooked up the harness that comes with the kit and now get into the habit of always leaving my vehicles plugged into the VDC at least overnight When you consider the cost of a replacement Prius battery, and if you have a garage to plug into, they make sense If you search around I have posted a lot of information on the Prius 12 vdc battery and my VDC kit. I do have one correction about battery charging though A prior TSB Toyota wanted us to use a fully automatic battery charger made by Associated. They have superceded this with a fancy new automatic battery charger/tester made by Midtronics, called the GR8-1100 Battery Diagnostic Station - Midtronics Apparently, this fancy-schmancy unit offers automatic temperature compensation. So does VDC's newest home charger, a lot cheaper than the Midtronics one 12 Volt 2-4 or 8 Amp BatteryMINDer Charger and Maintainer I may sell my Prius this summer and get an '08. At least the 12 vdc battery is in top condition
Can somebody tell me what type of 12V battery is in the 08 Prius? Is it a gel battery? Maintenance free? Couldn't find that in the handbook.
It's supposed to be a sealed AGM. There is a vent tube connection that leads to the exterior of the car. You cannot pop a normal battery in there, that would be dangerous. I've had my 12 vdc battery out a few times. It's pretty small, think motorcycle battery size. Despite the claim of AGM, I can clearly see free electrolyte moving around inside A Mazda Miata battery will work with minor modification, and Optima now has a sealed battery that will work. Forum member Hobbit and Darrell have posted on their adventures of replacing the 12 vdc battery
Hi Jay, I assume that your car does not have the Smart Entry/Smart Start feature. If it did, it would have the larger 12V GS battery with a black case, so you would not be able to see inside! It is strange that some owners are able to hear (by shaking the battery) or see liquid electrolyte in the translucent white case battery while others, with the same exterior markings on the battery, do not. (For example, I believe that the batteries in my 2001 and 2004 are both AGM; the 2001 had no free liquid inside and I could see the fuzzy mats between the plates when I opened up the top. With the 2004, I shook it and did not hear any fluid.) How is it possible for a Japanese battery company to make some AGM and some wet cell batteries that all have the same exterior appearance?? Regarding Mazda Miata, that battery has terminal polarity suitable for the Classic. If that battery is used with 2G, it will have to be mounted so that the terminals are close to the fender, which is not a safe practice in the event the car is hit on that fender.
Patrick Argh still very tired and jetlagged from the business trip. I slept 16 hours last night. Yes, my Prius has SKS. Substitute "hear" for "see" and it's a bit closer to what I was intending to type If I tilt my battery about 45 degrees either way, then return it to normal horizontal plane, I hear a soft gurgle Hmmm maybe I'm coming down with something. Feel the need for another nappy. The cats will be thrilled jay
