Forgive me. My knowledge of cars is limited. Also, I'm not sure if this is in the right place. My car had starter battery trouble. I left my door open, like an idiot. I had AAA come out to jump it. He told me I needed a new battery. He gave me a AAA battery optima installed in my car. I was told by the guy at AAA that I was getting a better deal. For about $240, I got a battery vs is the $360 I would pay at the dealership. He mentioned the original Prius battery can be explosive if not "aired out" due to the amount of liquid in the battery. Wondering if the AAA battery optima is okay for the Prius? I trust AAA, but I hope I didn't make a mistake getting this battery. I hope it will be the optimal battery for the car. Thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
welcome to priuschat. the optima is a fine battery any you can be reassured that you won't likely have any further problems. as for his advice on the toyota battery, i think he's out in left field with that kind of talk. it does have a vent tube running from the battery to outside, but it is in no way 'dangerous'. all the best!
I have a Optima battery and I'm glad I made the switch! Some people here on PriusChat will debate if the Optima is really that much better when compared to the standard Prius starting battery. For me it was a matter of simple economics, buy the Optima at a lower price and install it myself, or buy a toyota battery from the dealership for a higher price and install it myself... so I chose the Optima.
you got a good battery. more power than the toyota battery. the optima battery also has a vent hole which should be connected to the vent tube.
AutoZone carries the Optima YellowTop for the Prius. If you search online you can sometimes find a coupon for AutoZone and save $20-$40 off of the normal $200 price.
Forgiven. Any car battery can generate gas (Hydrogen?) if it is overcharged. When a battery lives under the hood it just vents into the engine compartment and the gas drifts away. The Prius battery lives inside the car and shares the same air you do. Makes it awkward if it needs to vent, kind of like having a dog with digestive issues sitting in the car 8-( The manufacturers deal with this by making batteries that have a little hose on the top. This hose plugs to a little vent near the battery and the gas (if there ever should be any) goes out somewhere around the right rear tire, drifts away. I have an Optima. Works for me.
