Jump to content
LegacyGT.com

Gen 6 Battery Replacement Info


Recommended Posts

On 12/31/2022 at 6:57 AM, Max Capacity said:

Seems "gizmoprof" only has one post.  Just saying, our 18' sat outside here in northeast CT since we bought it Oct 2017. The has sat for a number of days in the cold Winter days, has never failed to start on the OEM, until she left a map light on. The car didn't sit inside until Jan 22 when the new garage was ready for cars.

Again, when the battery was replaced June 2022 the car had 26,000 miles. 

I wonder why some have issues with getting only a couple of years out of a battery...? 

many moons ago when my buddy had bought a '13 accord brand new and i met up with him for some lunch to check it out, we were sitting in his car hanging out, key on engine off and "all that electronic crap" was on of course.  The 30-45 minutes we sat there killed the battery and he was not able to start it, brand new car with a piece of shit battery i tell ya what. 🙄

My '17 had a battery installed just prior to me picking it up last october, but... that's normal lifespan for a car battery. Mine even needed the charging logic update so it'd spent all its life not knowing how to charge the battery, tsk tsk.  We just went through some abnormally cold weather, days in a row not going above freezing with nights in the teens and it started every time I needed it to.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I replaced the OE battery in my 2017 Legacy 2.5i Limited Jan 2022 with a Costco Interstate Group 25. Today I replaced the year old battery under Costco's 3 year warranty. I had to have the old battery jumped twice in 2.5 weeks after the car sat undriven for 2-3 days. (Warranty scam alert: they refunded my money for the old battery, then charged me for the replacement which is $10 more. FYI, a class-action lawsuit has been filed against Costco over their battery warranty.)

Edited by Rocktman
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
On 2/3/2023 at 5:14 PM, Rocktman said:

I replaced the OE battery in my 2017 Legacy 2.5i Limited Jan 2022 with a Costco Interstate Group 25. Today I replaced the year old battery under Costco's 3 year warranty. I had to have the old battery jumped twice in 2.5 weeks after the car sat undriven for 2-3 days. (Warranty scam alert: they refunded my money for the old battery, then charged me for the replacement which is $10 more. FYI, a class-action lawsuit has been filed against Costco over their battery warranty.)

I think you should take your receipts to the Tire/Battery center and get your $10 back since you did return the old battery. I just bought my first battery from Costco, and got $10 back after returning the old one. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/3/2023 at 4:14 PM, Rocktman said:

... Warranty scam alert: they refunded my money for the old battery, then charged me for the replacement which is $10 more ...

No scam here. This is common industry practice, especially in a time of rapidly rising wholesale prices and narrow profit margins. Think of it this way: Your "old" battery cost you nothing.

"If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there." ~ The Cheshire Cat (Alice in Wonderland)

spacer.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Had my battery replaced last week in my 2018 2.5i under the Subaru Battery replacement settlement program.  It covered the battery but not the replacement battery terminal that was damaged severely by corrosion.  Still, only cost $40, so better than having to buy a new battery. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Replaced my group 25 Duracell from Sam's Club that died at a little over 4 years of use with a group 34 Duracell. With the included spacer piece, it fit the tray with plenty of room and was the same height as the group 25.  At $130, you can't get anything even remotely near this price in my area with the next cheapest options costing $100 more. 3-year warranty is icing on the cake!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

To anyone stressing about the spacer for a group 34 battery to match the OEM battery height, don't worry about it.

We installed a DieHard Platinum group 34 size (34-AGM) and it dropped in just fine. The bracket tightened down fine, the bolts are just at the bottom of travel. 2017 Legacy 2.5i.

Edited by Antimatter85
Add car model
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/16/2023 at 9:02 AM, Antimatter85 said:

To anyone stressing about the spacer for a group 34 battery to match the OEM battery height, don't worry about it.

Maybe; maybe not. Some Legacy/Outback owners have reported the same results as you, but others have reported that they needed a small shim to fully secure their Group 34 battery. I wouldn't "worry" about it, but using a manufacturer-supplied battery spacer removes any doubt. What you do not want is for your battery to be loose enough to rattle around in its mount. Your car, your choice.

"If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there." ~ The Cheshire Cat (Alice in Wonderland)

spacer.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I've had bad luck with batteries for my 2015 3.6; replaced it after two years. Three times! (Life was busy and I wasn't paying attention.) Just after the free replacement window closed I needed a jump, one year after the last replacement. This (finally!) made me look at my battery history and I learned about the battery settlement.

I also bumped into the pulse technology that purports to increase battery longevity. In an effort to end my two-year cycle, I installed a $50 unit on the car that pulses the battery (Power Pulse 12V Desulfator PP-12-L). I choose this company because they originated the technology. I don't know if it will really do any good but I wanted to mention it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Fred H said:

I also bumped into the pulse technology that purports to increase battery longevity. In an effort to end my two-year cycle, I installed a $50 unit on the car that pulses the battery ... I don't know if it will really do any good but I wanted to mention it.

It may or may not "do any good," but a pulse-type charger should ONLY be used with the battery disconnected from the car's electrical system. The narrow, high-voltage pulses intended to de-sulfate the battery can damage the many electronic modules used throughout modern vehicles ... including our Subarus. Subaru of America has even posted memos to this effect in their dealer tech publications.

"If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there." ~ The Cheshire Cat (Alice in Wonderland)

spacer.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you. I’ll take it off — and accept the likelihood that my every-two-year battery replacement history will continue. I like the car enough that it’s worth it. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interestingly, I found the most complete information on my battery issue by asking on an audio site. They pointed me to an Outback thread that blamed Subaru turning off the alternator periodically to save gas and an unreliable entry to sleep mode. Here are the two threads:

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/car-battery-pulsing.45687/#post-1629036

https://www.subaruoutback.org/threads/2017-outback-battery-issue-lack-of-starlink-subscription-cause.531683/page-2

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...

Late to the party and looking for clarity here... I have a Legacy 2.5i. 

Should I still be aimed to get a Group Size 25 battery or am I best to get a Size 34?  I ran into a Service Bulletin that has me wary because it says the newly recommended battery is "bigger in size" but doesn't specify more than that.
Just trying to make sens of this so I can move forward with replacing the battery.

 

Service Bulletin: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2023/MC-10240111-0001.pdf

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, theonlyBuster said:

Late to the party and looking for clarity here... I have a Legacy 2.5i. 

Should I still be aimed to get a Group Size 25 battery or am I best to get a Size 34?  I ran into a Service Bulletin that has me wary because it says the newly recommended battery is "bigger in size" but doesn't specify more than that.
Just trying to make sens of this so I can move forward with replacing the battery.

 

Service Bulletin: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2023/MC-10240111-0001.pdf

Get the Size 34. you can get the newer heatshield, or macguyver/duct-tape the older one to fit the 34.  nearly double the CCA. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/8/2023 at 4:51 AM, theonlyBuster said:

Should I still be aimed to get a Group Size 25 battery or am I best to get a Size 34? ... Just trying to make sens of this so I can move forward with replacing the battery.

As stated previously in this thread, the following three BCI battery sizes are suitable "drop-in" replacements for the OEM battery in 2015-2019 Legacys (and Outbacks):

  • Group 25 ... OE equivalent
  • Group 34 (NOT 34R) ... higher capacity than Group 25
  • Group 24 (NOT 24F) ... higher capacity than Group 25

"If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there." ~ The Cheshire Cat (Alice in Wonderland)

spacer.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Here's what I put in my 18' Outback 3.6R.  You can also measure the space you have for a battery, then go to the store display of batteries, find the highest CCA battery that will fit in your space with posts in the correct spot. Buy that one.

 

DSCN0018.JPG

 

I'm sure I've posted this link before, but here it is again.

https://www.subaruoutback.org/threads/gen5-replacing-the-original-battery-with-better.391217/page-112#post-6430377

  • Like 1

305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD).  CHECK your oil, these cars use it.

 

Engine Build - Click Here

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use