Hi all,
Last week the 12V auxiliary battery of my Toyota Auris Hybrid (2011) was flat. I recharged it and the car starts again, but the battery might need a replacement soon, as it is 5 years old.
The battery type number is "S46B24R" which is an AGM battery. A replacement is very expensive, € 250.
So I looked for cheaper, non-AGM replacements with the same size, footprint (B00), charge capacity (45Ah), pole location (+ to the left) and pole type (JIS) and found this one:
http://www.varta-automotive.com/en-gb/products/automotive/blue-dynamic/545-157-033/
It costs only € 66, almost 1/4 of the AGM battery price, while still being of the EFB type (2x longer life span compared to a normal lead acid battery, according to Varta).
So my question is: can I safely use a non-AGM battery in my Auris?
I've done two afternoons searching online as to WHY the Toyota Auris Hybrid (and Prius 3th gen) has AGM instead of a normal battery, but I cannot find a definite answer. Some considerations:
- AGM is designed for safety because it is sealed and doesn't spill acids in case of overcharging. This is important in the Auris Hybrid because the battery is located in the interior of the car (in the trunk). However, the above-mentioned cheaper Varta 545157033 also is sealed. And in addition, there's a vent hose connected to the 12V battery in my Auris to lead any Hydrogen gasses directly to the outside of the car. The hose probably doesn't fit to the Varta battery but that shouldn't be too hard to solve.
- AGM is designed to handle higher load peak currents. But this can't be the reason that Toyota chose for an AGM battery because the Auris Hybrid gives lower peak currents than a non-hybrid car (the engine is cranked from the high-voltage battery, not from the 12V auxiliary battery)
- Even if the life span of the non-AGM in a hybrid car would only be 2 years instead of 5 years for an AGM battery, it still is less expensive in the long run.
I hope you can help me with this. Thanks!
Mark