Battery Opinions - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

The Wolf · 01-02-2005, 09:55 PM

Been searching TN for about an hour, and am still not sure.... Problem is, I need a new battery. Mine can no longer hold a charge. I've been looking at the local auto parts stores. I have a Pioneer headunit and an MTX 421D (358W RMS) powering 2 MTX 12's and can't decided if I should go with a regular battery or splurge for an Optima Yellowtop. Money's tight at the moment, so I don't really want to spend $160+ for a Yellowtop..... I don't have plans to expand my system much, maybe another amp for my front components, and that's about it. Any suggestions? I'm doing more searching at local stores tomorrow, and plan to buy by Tuesday.

The Wolf · 01-02-2005, 10:18 PM

My dying battery is a Diehard Weatherhandler, actually. Descent battery, but it'd be nice to get rid of my dimming problem....

amber00dak · 01-03-2005, 02:21 AM

if you swap what you got for an Optima, it wont eliminate the dimming problem. you need a cap or possibly better connections/wires for that.

if you usually dont play the system with the engine off, only driving, id say get a Diehard Gold. they have an awesome battery and sears is everywhere so its easy to find a place should something happen.

if you listen to the system with the engine off alot, i say go for the Optima. gonna cost you about 50 bucks more than the Diehard, (assuming you get atleast the Yellowtop, more if you go with the Bluetop) but it will be able to handle being drained repeatedly.

Optimas are good batteries, but unless you are gonna make use of their features, you just gonna be wasting cash

eddiem67 · 01-03-2005, 11:22 AM

dimming problem with 300 watts? something wrong here. do you run your stereo alot with the car off? if you do, then get the optima, if you only run your system while driving, a standard battery should be suffice.

The Wolf · 01-03-2005, 12:03 PM

I've always had noticeable dimming in my Camry. Even back when I only had a 170W amp, it was noticeable. One thing I've noticed, too, is that I can dim the lights at night by simply rolling the windows up or down or pressing the door lock button. I don't listen to the system with the car off much, so I'll probably go with somebody's "gold" battery (most likely Auto Zone).

eddiem67 · 01-03-2005, 12:19 PM

Sounds to me that you might have a faulty alternator then, should have it checked. That is the reason for so much dimming and a failed battery.

The Wolf · 01-03-2005, 09:29 PM

The dead battery has nothing to do with a bad alt; I know that for a fact. The dead battery is due to the fact that it's 5 years old. It's been having issues holding a charge, and now I've had a chance to confirm and do something about it. If the battery were 1 or 2 years old, I'd definitely look at the alt. And if it was failing, wouldn't it have died over 2 years ago (when I first got the Camry)? I've always had this problem, and I had Advanced Auto check the alternator, and it's OK. I did get another battery today: Walmart's Everstart for $40. I've looked into a high-output alt, and they're around $220-$240 at Mr. Alternator. Another q.... doesn't the stock alt only produce 75 amps or so?

amber00dak · 01-03-2005, 09:33 PM

just like the battery, an alternator can go at anytime. a dead battery could very well be due to a bad alt. if the thing isnt charging like it should, the cars electronic system will be depending on the battery for its power. ultimately leading to failure

Tommy · 01-03-2005, 09:53 PM

ive got a system 3 times as large as yours in my gen2, and i used to have problems with dimming and such, but i replaced my alternator with a rebuilt OEM one and got a regular battery from pep boys and now my problems are gone. i just got the mid grade battery, so it was like $60 or somthing.

eddiem67 · 01-04-2005, 10:31 AM

All Im saying is that 3-400 watts should cause no dimming whatsoever. If you feel your alt is good, and you now have a new bat, I'd suggest upgrading your big 3, that should eliminate dimming, and allow your battery more juice for charging.

The Wolf · 01-04-2005, 07:25 PM

Quote:

All Im saying is that 3-400 watts should cause no dimming whatsoever. If you feel your alt is good, and you now have a new bat, I'd suggest upgrading your big 3, that should eliminate dimming, and allow your battery more juice for charging.

I'll agree with that. I've looked into doing the big 3, and probably will sometime this semester (maybe spring break). Sorry if I came off harsh.

Quote:

ive got a system 3 times as large as yours in my gen2, and i used to have problems with dimming and such, but i replaced my alternator with a rebuilt OEM one and got a regular battery from pep boys and now my problems are gone.

Where did you get your rebuilt alt at? And how many amps does it produce, if it's more than stock?

562camry · 01-10-2005, 01:09 AM

jus get a yellowtop and a cap u should be fine

eddiem67 · 01-10-2005, 10:52 AM

Caps are worthless

Pineapple · 01-10-2005, 11:32 AM

^Agree, only for show.

Fix ground wire for dimming problem. The car use chasis metal for ground. With the car get old, rust build up and increase resistant. Run some 4ga-8ga ground in engine bay and into the car and trunk will make everything runs better.

562camry · 01-10-2005, 09:15 PM

u need caps if ur gonna run some heavy power so when u guys are running more then 1 amp and pushing more then 1 sub get back at me, u cant make the alt do all the work