[KuddlKat]

I was making up a maintenance record with relevant info and got to the battery. I know it isn't going to need replaced for many years, but I wanted to have it documented in advance.

Online auto parts stores list it as Size Group H5, with most having Cold Cranking Amps ratings of 600+. Looking at the label on my battery, it looks like it is 345 CCA. Is this right or am I just reading the visible label wrong? I know it has to be a model that can be vented to outside since in the hybrids it is located inside the cabin. Are there lower-rated batteries being made for hybrids that I'm just not seeing?

 

[rdgrimes]

Its a puny little thing. In normal use you should expect to replace it after 4-5 years. There's a good argument for replacing it even if it seems fine. There are a lot of batteries sold that claim to be compatible, though the Toyota battery is often recommended as the best choice. Bottom line is to plan on spending $200-300. CCA ratings have no meaning since it doesn't crank anything.

 

[Ravvydoog19]

Its a puny little thing. In normal use you should expect to replace it after 4-5 years. There's a good argument for replacing it even if it seems fine. There are a lot of batteries sold that claim to be compatible, though the Toyota battery is often recommended as the best choice. Bottom line is to plan on spending $200-300. CCA ratings have no meaning since it doesn't crank anything.

I was told this by a Toyota tech about the 12 volt battery of my 07 Camry hybrid. I drove that car 3 more years before trading it in and never had a hiccup. Thats a damn pricey battery to just replace for no real significant reason.
FWIW, that was a Panasonic factory battery as I recall.

 

[rdgrimes]

A 12 batt that is losing its juice can and will cause a whole host of weird issues up to and including just failing to boot the HV system. So replacing it on spec makes a lot of sense if you have better things to be doing than trouble-shooting a dodgy 12v. A lot depends on how its used, and even a single episode of completely draining it will shorten the life a lot.