Rx400h

[Gryphon]

Well those two batteries sure do look alike except for a little sticker on one.

My guess: Lexus removed the sticker and check my electrolyte at my 5000K service. A wise choice in Arizona where almost all batteries need occasional water regardless of how they are labeled.

Tom

[BillyShaft]

...also am interested in what lexus says and if people really think a more expensive battery is better, my oem battery has no reserve and has left me stranded a couple times the last week. (yes i do travel with jumper cables now and a portable starter) i have a new van for work so with cheap gas...

Dood! I carry my portable starter in my F150 ghetto-sled, but that should be unnecessary in your 400h!

I use an Optima battery in my Jeep Rubicon because it has a winch (the winch pulls a couple hundred amps under load)and on-board air (OBA pulls up to 30 amps). The RX400 is very much like my Jeep in that it has higher than normal cycle loads on the battery because of all the DC motor driven accessories. Both the RX400h and my Jeep will trash a standard battery...standard batteries simply are not designed for this load cycle.

If I ever replace the battery in the wife's RX400h, I will be installing an Optima.

The Optima is built specifically to deep-cycle over and over again without damaging the capacity. The RX400h is a special vehicle and like off-roaders, they have non-typical electrical needs.

The best place I have found for buying an Optima battery is Costco. They are $20-$30 cheaper than anywhere else and Costco's no-questions-asked replacement warranty rules.

This is only my opinion, but I would not hesitate to spend the extra money on an Optima...I guarantee you can quit carrying around that charger if you do.

~Brian

EDIT--- hmm, after reading other posts about what you guys in-the-know are saying about the function of the aux battery, perhaps loading is not the factor so much as the trickle charging/discharging. I wonder if maybe a marine-rated Optima battery might be a better choice than the yellow top...the marine batteries are supposed to be better at resisting damage from trickle discharges.

[RX400h]

The Yellow top IS a marine-type battery in that it is designed for deep discharges. A standard battery should be okay with trickle discharges as long as they don't occur over too long a time frame. That being said, I must also mention that our 3.5+ year-old OEM battery is doing great. I do not think that the battery is undersized, but certainly, temps in Arizona are not common in most other states or countries.......

[katzjamr]

Shaft, thanks for the advice on the optima, i think that is the way i will be going if santa brings me extra money for xmas, otherwise with cheap gas ill just leave the ignition on 24/7 and let it charge itself. (just kidding)

[BillyShaft]

I know that optima makes a Blue top battery with a white body that is supposed to be for "marine" use (as we all know, every boating accessory must be blue/white )

Honestly, I haven't looked into it too much as the Jeep boards have done all the nauseating research on our application.

I am still marveling that our "maintenance free" batteries require adding distilled water. Maybe they should be called "low-maintenance" batteries?