2010 ES 350

Short Version:

Looking to replace car battery. Should I get OEM or buy aftermarket? If aftermarket, then what would you folks suggest?

Long Version:

Car has been parked since last year. I start the engine and drive it atleast once a week, around the block. Keeping up with oil changes based on 6 month interval.

I started noticing (about a month ago), the car battery was flat by the time I started it the week following a driven. Once boosted, the car would start every day unless there was a break of 3 to 4 days.

As it stands, the battery will be flat the morning following a drive. The car locks/unlocks, all the electronics work fine (no dim light or distorted speaker sound associated with severely depleted battery) but the engine will not crank.

The car was purchased used and so I'm not quite sure if the battery has been replaced since new. The battery is the original Lexus battery based on the part number and Lexus/toyota labels though the date is not marked. It's safe to say the battery was never replaced as many would not buy an OEM battery on account of costing a fair sum more than non OEM. Given it is the oroginal battery, I'm impressed that it lasted ~11 years in Canada given the variation in temperatures and climate.

I'm debating if buying an original Toyota battery is a good call as opposed to buying equally good or better aftermarket ones. I don't want to waste money though I also don't want to cut cost and buy subpar battery that will not last long or give me trouble in the future.

I plan on connecting a trickle charger to the battery once replaced. Alternatively, I can wait till the car will be in use and just boost the current battery every time I need to get the engine running and fluids circulated. Is this going to harm the electronics in anyway? The battery is already toast as far as we know.

Thanks for reading and taking the time to respond.

Cheers!

 

Aftermarket. The OEM battery is not as good as a better aftermarket battery. You should maintain your battery rather than let it drop to a low charge.
Costco if you are a member, otherwise any large chain auto parts store will have brand-name batteries with good warranties.

Using a battery maintainer or tender is better than a trickle charger. It will not hurt anything and will help your battery last longer in your situation. I have one which works great and is smarter than a trickle charger as it knows how to keep the battery at its optimum level and when to stop charging when the battery is full etc.

 

I've had good luck with Autozone batteries. Usually get the best (longest life) model in the direct replacement series. they seem to be good and last a long time.

 

Noted, thanks for the advice.

I will look into options available to me here in Canada. I do have Costco membership, though based in past experience, Canadian stores don't always carry products or brands carried by their US counterparts.

As it stands, the Lexus won't be used for atleast another 4 to 5 months. It is also parked on the driveway (outside) so connecting a battery tender may not be an option.

Should I wait until the car us back in regular use before getting a new battery? Would boosting the current battery every week for a drive around the block harm the electronics or the car itself? I don't mind getting a new battery now though I feel that it will degrade a fair but over the course if 4 to 5 months due to minimal usage.

 

No Autozone here unfortunately. I'll try to source it from Amazon or a third party distributor. Canadian Tire usually carries Motomaster products which are a hit or a miss.

 

I've been using nothing but Optima batteries for my five Toyota and Lexus vehicles. They are expensive, and somewhat quirky, but have enough great qualities to make up for the quirks.

Toyota's batteries are good too. My Tundra had the cold weather package, which included a larger battery, in it lasted 12 years! I replaced it with an Interstate battery that lasted about five years, and finally replaced it with an Optima red top. In hind sight, I should have gone with a yellow top. The yellow tops have more reserve power, once drained. My ES and SC430 have yellow tops.

Consumer Reports really likes the Odyssey brand batteries and they are a little less $ than the Optimas, but harder to find. I've only seen them on line.

 

Realistically speaking, all batteries are the same, only few manufactures make them. Any major brand is fine. I'd be more concerned that battery is fresh (very recent manufacture date).

 

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If you've only been driving the car several miles per week, it doesn't have enough time to fully re-charge the battery back up. Not mentioning that the oil doesn't have enough time to heat up fully and there may be more traces of contaminates that won't be burned off. It would be better to just leave the car parked with the battery maintainer on (example, Battery Tender brand) all the time and not start the engine until you are going some distance other than just to make the engine run. I have used Optima brand batteries, but some have had problems, so I now just use Odyssey batteries which, although they cost up to twice as much as normal flooded batteries, will last a lot longer in non-starting situations. Doing this will also negate the need to change oil so much if the car isn't even started for long periods.

In fact, if you disconnect the negative post, you can leave it off any battery maintainer for half a year and then when re-hooked up will start the car like brand new with the Odyssey. (I say disconnect so as to cancel any parasitic drain on the battery. Of course, then you'd probably have to re-set a number of controls on your dash.)

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I changed my ES battery recently and everything has been running good. It is an interstate battery from Costco with a 3 year warranty. It cost $100 after tax. I priced around and that was the cheapest. The duralast from autozone with a three year warranty was about $180 (less cranking amps that Interstate) and walmart had the everstart for about $130. From what I understand, there is only one or two manufactureres who supply most of the aftermarket battery brands. Whatever you choose, just check the date on the battery and make sure it isn't older than a month.

 

Since you are parking outside you should get a solar battery maintainer. This is a solar panel that sits on the dash and you run a wire to the battery. I have one and it works great. I just loaned it to a friend who is going away for a couple of months. They are readily available on Amazon or eBay etc for less than $40.
I run the power cord to the corner of the hood, then along the seam by the front pillar and into the car via the door opening, it will not hurt it when you close the door on it, it is very small. You can hardly see it.

You should also be putting gas stabilizer in your gas tank if it is sitting that much.

 

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Solar powered charger. Good idea!

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