This is terrific advice and precise instructions ! Thanks for doing this - I did exactly the same upgrade yesterday and followed the instructions precisely - the entire job took less than two hours.
IMPORTANT NOTE: My Group 24 battery is working fine (and so much better than my OEM battery). However, I've discovered that an even better upgrade would have been a Group 34N battery. According to the Walmart specs on 6/1/2020, the group 34N battery: is about 1 inch shorter than the group 24 battery actually costs a bit less than the Group 24 battery but is actually 100 cold ccranking amps stronger than the group 24 battery Here's a link to the group 34N battery I'm referring to: www.walmart.com/ip/EverStart-Maxx-Lead-Acid-Automotive-Battery-Group-Size-34N/16795242 Also, here's another VERY useful tip I've discovered. If you have your headlights set to AUTO, then drive into a dark spot (causing the auto headlights to come on) and then soon move into a bright spot (again with the headlights still shining) and then turn the car off but leave the keys in the ignition....those headlights will stay on continuously until it depletes your battery. Here's the exact scenario when I last had it happen to me. Was packing up stuff from a camping trip. Backed the Outback into a shaded area under some trees to load up some heavier items, auto lights came on, loaded the stuff up and moved back into bright daylight, turned the car off but left the keys in the ignition. with the car sitting out in the bright sunlight with its front end away from us, I really wasn't able to easily see it's lit taillights. The AUTO headlights stayed on and ran the battery down. As a general rule anymore, if I'm going to be camping or elsewise getting into and out of the car a lot, I leave the AUTO setting of the headlights turned off. On a positive note, I have found that interior lights will automatically turn off after about 15-20 minutes of being on should you accidentally leave a card door slightly ajar!.
There is a second reason for battery problems. If you monitor the battery voltage from before you start the car until 1/2 hour after it starts, you will see the voltage begin at app. 12.8v then rise to app. 13.8for 20 min. than drop back to 12.6 - 12.8v. where it will remain until the car is re-started. The battery is no longer being charged unless the headlights or a similar load is turned on, when the voltage will go back up, indicating it is charging. If you make a long trip during the day (no lights) the battery can go dead, leaving the headlight switch on AUTO should keep the battery charged. Installing a larger battery will reduce the severity of the problem.
The battery ideas very good. As far as tires from the manufacture, I immediately had the tires that came with our new car replaced with Continentals. . Our entire family has them. They last long time. Excellent ride.
I replaced the wimpy battery in my 2018 2.5L Outback with a Optima OPT8016-103 D34M BlueTop Starting and Deep Cycle Marine Battery with little modification. BTW, the Optima weighs about 10 lbs MORE at approximately the same physical size of the original! More lead guts inside! I had these batteries in other vehicles and got 10 years plus out of them. Expensive, but they worked for me.
Yup, got a Redtop for mine and all has been good, even the Redtop died after 3+ years but just charged it and hook it up to trickle charger and good to go.s Redtop fits fine, its taller than stock but same width.
Thanks for this video. Upgrading the battery will definitely help, but will not solve all problems. I have a few videos on my channel describing the causes for the battery to fail prematurely. I'm also going in for an ECM update and will post results after having that done.
That is true. However, I also figured out that the main issue was the headlights staying on indefinitely (or till they ran the battery down) in some unusual and rarely occurring cases. I additionally installed a little alarm onto the battery to let me know when it dropped below around 11.5volts. Between that alarm and the higher capacity battery, I never encountered the issue again. Alas though, I sold the Outback at the peek of the used car shortage in 2021 and got a really good price for it. ☺
6:25 no need to remove the clip from the battery holder bracket if your just doing a quick swap. If you loosen and remove the ground terminal from the battery post you can easily lay the battery stay bracket plate aside as you swap out the battery. If you intend to clean the stay bracket and or paint it that's the only reason to remove the cable clip to completely free it from the car... 👍🤙😃
Thanks for the video. My recently purchased 2013 Subaru Outback with original battery has been slow starting in the cold (Minnesota), so I went to Walmart today and had them put in the same EverStart Maxx 24 battery you're using.
Well, I'm glad you enjoyed the video. My sons lived in Red Wing, Minnesota for a while so I fully understand the winter weather you can have. The group 24 battery will definitely give you a lot more cranking ability than that meager OEM battery. Thanks for watching!
Yes, the memory saver battery was very helpful. I made it from some parts I already had. I now have it for any future battery maintenance task I might do.
There's a fix for the open hatch dead battery -- Subaru created a new gate controller that doesn't suck power when it's open. it has a 15 minute time out or thereabouts that discontinues the drain. Ask your dealer about it. For me, Subaru America covered most of the cost of that repair, as the original was a defect given the intended use of these vehicles.
I have a 2017 Legacy Sport, bought it used Sept. 2019 at Ruge's Chevrolet, a marvelous car dealership that I recommend, they were fair, honest and I got a great deal on it. Anyway, I have started to have low battery issues with the OEM installed. So, this video is very helpful, thank you!
Thanks for the tip... have a Subaru 2016 Outback... since fall of 2015.. .battery is starting to give me issues, even though it tests OK. Found a carguru forum with other 2016 Outback users complaining of battery drain. Am looking at replacing the OEM stock battery with either Optima Red Top or Odyssey 25-PC1400 battery. Hope this will improve things, especially cold Canadian weather starts. Cheers.
Gotcha! Yes, when I replace a battery, I usually install the biggest battery that will fit and that I can buy for a reasonable price. It gives me piece of mind to know that I have plenty of cranking power for whatever situation I'm in.
Thank you for making this detailed video helping other people. I have 20 years in car business and feel guilty not doing same thing. Subaru is a great car but not perfect. They save money in replaceable parts as tires, battery size, but provide a big enough battery tray that fits up to 700 CCA battery. Another thing is to keep an eye at oil level. If you check every month it is good enough. I own a 2015 Subaru Outback 2.5 L (which I bought to get rid of 2014 Audi A4), and I like this car very much. It is simple, very easy to take care off, economical, high safety rating and the best 4 X 4 you can get. .. and not loaded with space shuttle software as my 2014 Audi A 4 Quattro B8 that for no reason blocked the steering wheel, displayed the message steering system failure do not drive the car, blocked the traffic Toyed the car home and ... the next day worked again, if this isn't enough the faulty codes appears and disappears like ghosts. I want to get rid of Audi, but they removed the electric (after run) coolant pump (Recall 19N4) promised to install for FREE a new one, under Safety Recall 19O2. , and forgot to replace It with a new one, and now 6 months later I cannot auction my Audi A 4, because a standard equipment has been removed by Audi, creating a material history for this car. Regarding the Subaru wheels, because I live in the snow belt area, solved the Tire problem ordering from Tire Rack a set of 4 wheels with Blizak snow tires mounted and balanced for $570. If temperature is over 40 F I use original wheels with All Season Continental Tires. Replaced a maxx everstart 24 battery not maintenance free. In May and October I check and fill the electrolyte to the mark, in the cells, with the distilled Water. The Subaru I bought used from Copart, with a dead battery, and with badly corroded positive terminal. To replace it I used a Memory Saver, powering the electric system with a memory saver via OBD2 Port and another Car Battery. Another alternative is using in serial 3 Li-on 3.7 V Cells (18650 3000 mAh) in a 3 cell battery holder with a cable and clamps to power the system via engine compartment if there is no need for terminal replacement. It is a great video. Thank You.
Yeah, I saw that little trick somewhere else and thought it a great idea ...... plus, I alreay had the battery, so why not use it. Thanks for watching. ☺
2015. The factory battery lasted 2 years. Replaced with a G25 Optima. That lasted 3 years. Went with a G24 after that, no problem since. They use the G24 so they only have to buy one battery across their lineup. Side benefit, my battery dealer carries G24 for $99.
I have the Outback 3.6r and it came with a group 25 battery with 550 cold cranking amps. As for tires all automakers these days use cheap garbage tires. I’ve never replaced the tires on any brand car I’ve owned with the same tires it came with new. The Perrelli cinturato p7 tires are a nice match for the Outbacks. They give you a bit better road handling.
Yeah, I pretty much agree. Th eonly car who's foctory tires I liked was a 2004 Accord Coupe that I bought. It Had factory installed Michelin MXV4 tires installed. Fantastic tires.. FWIW, I replaced my Subara Outback tires with 80,000 mile rated Michelin Defender tires and am REALLY satisfied with them.
Just looking at buying a scan tool. One is very comprehensive and allows registration of a new battery but only if it's the same type and capacity. Fond this quite annoying. This leads me to assume that Subaru might need to re-programme the system to recognise a higher capacity battery. This may only be useful for determining the stop / start protocols (Australia) but I recon it's worth talking to the dealer only ??? you know they'll want to charge you something.
Great Video, I just replaced mine with an AutoZone Duralast Gold 24, 750 CCA battery in my 2016 Subaru Outback 2.5L. The original had 1 dead cell and 5 shorted cells; Subaru installing too small a battery for all the electronics onboard. I notified my Subaru Dealership and got No Response? Why? Duralast Gold crapped out after 3 years, Replaced it with a Red Top battery 9 July 2023 and am still playing hell with the starting sequence!
@@stephen4966 I just did this exact same Group 25 to Group 24 battery swap on my 2.5 '17 last week...before I came across this video! Bought the very same battery at Walmart as well. No problems whatsoever. I left the battery cozy off though -- I live on Long Island NY, and it does get cold sometimes, but usually hovers between 30-45 degrees all winter these days and wasn't too concerned about the battery getting too cold. And I didn't know about the memory saver...THAT would have been helpful. Was a PITA having to research and reset the power windows!
@@mess0965 Yep, Same thing happened to me. Dealership replaced orig battery and it was dead after 1.3 years. Subaru makes good cars, not sure why they are so particular about putting in cheap quality batteries.
Yes, I know what you mean. I replaced my tires with Michelin defenders and m immensely satisfied with them. Not only are they quieter and smoother riding, they have much better traction on hills and off road.
I replaced my 2018 Outback’s OEM Bridgestone’s at 24K miles with Michelin CrossClimate Tires as well. I feel like they are the tires the car should have came with. I also went through two Subaru OEM batteries, the dealer replaced the first. The second was junk, leaking almost immediately. I just replaced that one with a Optima red top at called it a day.
I wonder if the bean counters was involved in the decision to put smaller lower capacity battery to save a few dollars, also a cheaper oil filter. The tray for battery is already designed for larger unit. I replace mine after 14 months with higher capacity in the 2016 outback . My 2016 Impreza had a Panasonic battery and higher guality oil filter. This vehicle model was last assembled in Japan.
Very likely a bean counter issue. Plus the lighter battery helps a smidge with fuel economy. In all seriousness though...I must be getting quite old because it seems even new bigger batteries just don't last like they used too...give em 5 years and ya need to swap it for a new one....and that's especially true for OEM factory batteries! ☺
My 2018 Legacy battery(25size) just died. Of course it was literally less then 30days outside of the warranty period.. Sigh. The car only has 17k miles on it. Subaru wanted $160 to replace the battery(36mos warranty). I was like uh no, I think I can do better then that. I went up to Costco and got an Interstate for $95 with a 42mos warranty. On top of that, I'll get $15back when I bring the old 1(core) back to them. So it'll wind up being half the price of what Subaru would of charged me, with a better warranty backed up by Costco's top shelf customer service. The lesson here is definitely shop around if you can
Yeah, you sound about like me.... you know what a battery 'should' cost and not afraid to get and install one from some other place than the dealership! ☺
That dealer sucks, my 12 year old Legacy had a brake line go out. This had been the subject of a recall, which I had done after I bought the car used. Subaru offered to pay for most of the repair in that 12 year old car. Dealers are independent, sone are better than others.
CCA is not an accurate indication of how long you can keep the doors open. The battery tray is easily long enough for a Group 24, the swap is trivial. For anyone reading this, Subaru has a recall to update firmware turning the 3G dataradio off now the 3G network has been turned off. The 3G radio can run your battery down in a couple days trying to connect to its mother ship.
After 2 years, my wife 2015 Outback kept having problem of not able to start the car in very cold weather and always right after about an hour of driving. The 350 CCA is way too low for cold weather. I replaced it with Interstate one with 550 CCA from Costco and haven't have any problem since. Anything below 450 CCA, for a 4 cylinders engine, in northern states are pretty much useless; Subaru really cut corner on the battery
Subaru upped their game in this regard it seems. My 2019 3.6R Touring was delivered with a Group 25 E7 82110 AJ10A battery rated for 490 CCA. Maybe that's standard for the H6, but it still seems a little underwhelming. It has only failed once; I left a map light on while the car was in the airport garage for five days. Nevertheless, I just replaced it with an Optima Yellow Top Group 34/78 (has those potentially handy side posts as well the top posts), and the "cozy" slipped right on with no modification. None of the included adapters were needed. I did have to coax/tweak the positive terminal connections and cover slightly to accommodate the placement of the post (not as close to the edge). The Yellow Top is rated at 750 CCA plus 120 minutes of reserve capacity carrying a 25-amp draw. Twice the price of the EverStart Maxx, but I like that reserve capacity figure a lot.
Well, this weekend I discovered that Toyota plays the same game. Our top end Sienna MiniVan has a lowly 520CCA group 24 battery in it. We've never had any issues with the weaker battery until this weekend when it went totally dead within a few minutes of trying to charge a cell phone battery bank while camping. But oh well, it is a 2015 van, so the battery is likely about due for replacement anyway. I'm gonna replace it with an EverStartMax this evening.
When I bought my 2016 Outback 3.6R I looked under the hood, at the battery and noticed that the tray was significantly bigger than the battery. 10 or 15 lbs of weight "saved", and EPA mpg numbers. Tell 'em that in Minnesota or Montana on bitter cold, sub-zero mornings. You can get a insulated battery jacket like the GM 10246636 Battery Insulator (it's got cutouts for side terminals but it'll fit a Group 24 battery case anyway).
@@patrickgroll2046 My X2Power (aka Northstar) SLI24AGMDP is 57 lbs on the scale. I think that's 12 or 13 more lbs than the OEM battery that came in the car new. The 24 fit the tray almost perfectly just like the 24 in the video.
Yes, I've discovered that an even better upgrade would have been a Group 34N battery. According to the Walmart specs on 6/1/2020, the group 34N battery: is about 1 inch shorter than the group 24 battery actually costs a bit less than the Group 24 battery but is actually 100 cold cranking amps stronger than the group 24 battery
Exactly! I'm not sure if I've ever even played a single CD in the player. But the CD slot makes a really good shelf for holding my Pixel 2 phone and listening to podcasts over bluetooth!
The Subaru OEM is a trash battery. My 2017 Outback battery died three times and Subaru replaced it with 550 CCA and it’s barely acceptable. I am planning to buy a heavy duty AGM battery.
As I understand it myself, all group 24 batteries are exactly the same size. I'm sure if you do a internet search for group 24 battery dimensions, you can find what size it is.
@@ccupp2 Thank you for your kind reply. I just subscribed and gave you a 👍. The 24F fits nicely and can be secured into the existing 24 battery space, and Yes, you are correct, the battery posts are on the opposite side of the battery, but the positive and negative cables both reach and can be properly connected to the corresponding battery posts, positive to positive, and negative to negative. I have also been told the 24 and 24F both have the same ratings, just opposite side battery posts. Does this additional information make the 24F a fit for my car?
@@dr.j6747 It does sound like the 24F would work if you,ve assured the cables are long enough and that you can place hot on hot and negative on negative.That having been said, why wouldn't you merely use the factory OEM style 24 battery?
@@ccupp2 Thank you again for your kind reply, and that's a great question. 👍 At the time I purchased the 24F, I could not find an Ever Start 24 (which is what I had in my Suzuki as a replacement for the original battery) , and an O'Riely brand, was much more costly. So I took a chance on the 24F as the shape and size looked virtually identical to my 24. BUT the 24F has since been sitting unused, in my house for about 2+ years, so I need to test it, to make sure it's still good, before installing it. Do you have any RUclips videos showing how to install a new battery WITHOUT losing all the preset radio stations? Thank you again! 👌
@@dr.j6747 You merely need to keep 12 volts of dc power connected to the battery terminals while you very carefully swap out the batteries. Around the 5 minute area of the video, I show how I did this.
I’m having the drain issue on a 2015 Outback I purchased in June of last year. Great car and love it but in November when the temps started to fall in Georgia the battery died. Had it charged and was fine for a bout 2 weeks when it died again. Purchased another C25 battery with 550CCA, which died the next day. Had it charged next day and it died again so they replaced the battery which has been fine for about 3 weeks. Died again yesterday. I’m guessing I need to install the 24 battery you mentioned. Shops say I need to do a draw test which can be expensive. Frustrating! Thanks for the video.
Well my drain issues were NEVER anything like yours. Yes, I'd agree that a draw down test might be needed.....or at a minimum a good free charging and battery condition test from an automotive parts dealer.
I'm not sure myself. Subaru apparently did since it left the factory with one. However, I believe it is the only car that I've owned that had a cozy around the battery. I already had the stuff on hand to enlarge it with, so it was no big deal for me to do so.
I had a yard sign from a politician that was made from a kind of plastic cardboard stuff. I cut it to fit, contact cemented tin foil in the outside and viola! Battery cozy! I would guess any sign shop would have this stuff in their dumpster or would give you a chunk.
I noticed the 6 cylinder outback has a different battery than the 4 cylinder. I was wondering if the larger tray was for the 6 but your solution looks good and I will go for it since I know 24's are readily available.
All this time to swap out a battery that is in plain site? As for the battery going dead...sounds like some of it was due to you. However, where do you live means a lot on how long a battery will last.
Yes, early in the video I actually spoke of a few battery drainage moments that were due, in part, to me. And yes, simply changing it out would have been much quicker than making a video about how to UPGRADE the existing battery to a larger and higher capacity one. Apparently you have never created a training video, but thanks for watching anyway. ☺
The battery is holding up great. In all honesty though, this sorta thing is kinda hard to gauge. You have to keep in mind that the battery was only going dead under a specific scenario. That scenario is IF you have a door open and the interior dome lights are set to auto AND the headlights are set to AUTO position AND the outdoor lighting is dim enough to trigger the auto headlight sensor AND if you have the key inserted in the ignition. When this happens, the marginal factory battery would go dead pretty fast because the headlights and interior lights will stay on continuously. To clarify, the key merely has to be in the ignition....i.e. the ignition does NOT have to be in the ACCESSORY or ON position. All three times I've had this happen, I moved the car to some parking spot and was then working at the back of the car with the hatchback door open. In each case, because I was at the back of the car, I was unaware that the headlights were staying on continuously. To summarize, I truly feel that the headlights should not stay on continuously in these scenarios....i.e. perhaps they could stay on for a minute or two and then go off....but they really should not be staying on continuously.
Great video. This is the Great Subaru dirty little secret! I have a 2021😮 Forester with a Group 35 - 550 CCA battery and it went belly up after 2 years. Dealer insists the battery is good and wants me to get atrickle charger installed. I will NEVER buy Subaru again! The bean counters and lawyers have ruined a vreat car company.
I have a 2018 Outback with eyesight and lots of other stuff. It goes dead every time I dont drive it often and since its a POS in winter, already been stuck twice in snow so I drive the 2006 Outback with manual trans. The 2018 is a really nice road car, but Subaru ,fuck off ,with your all wheel drive system and also dead batteries.
@Ern Cooper I've got a 2010 Grand Sport Vette, batteries in these c6's will go dead in about 2 - 3 weeks if you don't drive them, no matter what time of the year. I have to leave it on a battery tender 24/7 365.
This is terrific advice and precise instructions ! Thanks for doing this - I did exactly the same upgrade yesterday and followed the instructions precisely - the entire job took less than two hours.
Thank you for the positive feedback.
IMPORTANT NOTE: My Group 24 battery is working fine (and so much better than my OEM battery). However, I've discovered that an even better upgrade would have been a Group 34N battery. According to the Walmart specs on 6/1/2020, the group 34N battery:
is about 1 inch shorter than the group 24 battery
actually costs a bit less than the Group 24 battery
but is actually 100 cold ccranking amps stronger than the group 24 battery
Here's a link to the group 34N battery I'm referring to: www.walmart.com/ip/EverStart-Maxx-Lead-Acid-Automotive-Battery-Group-Size-34N/16795242
Also, here's another VERY useful tip I've discovered. If you have your headlights set to AUTO, then drive into a dark spot (causing the auto headlights to come on) and then soon move into a bright spot (again with the headlights still shining) and then turn the car off but leave the keys in the ignition....those headlights will stay on continuously until it depletes your battery. Here's the exact scenario when I last had it happen to me. Was packing up stuff from a camping trip. Backed the Outback into a shaded area under some trees to load up some heavier items, auto lights came on, loaded the stuff up and moved back into bright daylight, turned the car off but left the keys in the ignition. with the car sitting out in the bright sunlight with its front end away from us, I really wasn't able to easily see it's lit taillights. The AUTO headlights stayed on and ran the battery down. As a general rule anymore, if I'm going to be camping or elsewise getting into and out of the car a lot, I leave the AUTO setting of the headlights turned off. On a positive note, I have found that interior lights will automatically turn off after about 15-20 minutes of being on should you accidentally leave a card door slightly ajar!.
I put a group 34 in last week.
@@mess0965 Great! Yes, if I was doing the replacement again, I'd get the 34N battery for it's higher power.
Excellent video. Will want to look into the group 34N when it's time to replace my orig. 2017 Outback battery.
Thank you!
@@richardseaman4787 You're very welcome... glad you enjoyed the video.
I look at both CCA and reserved minutes. I'd go with the higher reserved minutes.
There is a second reason for battery problems. If you monitor the battery voltage from before you start the car until 1/2 hour after it starts, you will see the voltage begin at app. 12.8v then rise to app. 13.8for 20 min. than drop back to 12.6 - 12.8v. where it will remain until the car is re-started. The battery is no longer being charged unless the headlights or a similar load is turned on, when the voltage will go back up, indicating it is charging. If you make a long trip during the day (no lights) the battery can go dead, leaving the headlight switch on AUTO should keep the battery charged. Installing a larger battery will reduce the severity of the problem.
The battery ideas very good. As far as tires from the manufacture, I immediately had the tires that came with our new car replaced with Continentals. . Our entire family has them. They last long time. Excellent ride.
Well, I'm more of a Michellin tire person......but glad to hear the great feedback on the Continentals.....good info to have for sure.
I replaced the wimpy battery in my 2018 2.5L Outback with a Optima OPT8016-103 D34M BlueTop Starting and Deep Cycle Marine Battery with little modification. BTW, the Optima weighs about 10 lbs MORE at approximately the same physical size of the original! More lead guts inside! I had these batteries in other vehicles and got 10 years plus out of them. Expensive, but they worked for me.
Yup, got a Redtop for mine and all has been good, even the Redtop died after 3+ years but just charged it and hook it up to trickle charger and good to go.s Redtop fits fine, its taller than stock but same width.
Thanks for this video. Upgrading the battery will definitely help, but will not solve all problems. I have a few videos on my channel describing the causes for the battery to fail prematurely. I'm also going in for an ECM update and will post results after having that done.
That is true. However, I also figured out that the main issue was the headlights staying on indefinitely (or till they ran the battery down) in some unusual and rarely occurring cases. I additionally installed a little alarm onto the battery to let me know when it dropped below around 11.5volts. Between that alarm and the higher capacity battery, I never encountered the issue again. Alas though, I sold the Outback at the peek of the used car shortage in 2021 and got a really good price for it. ☺
6:25 no need to remove the clip from the battery holder bracket if your just doing a quick swap. If you loosen and remove the ground terminal from the battery post you can easily lay the battery stay bracket plate aside as you swap out the battery. If you intend to clean the stay bracket and or paint it that's the only reason to remove the cable clip to completely free it from the car... 👍🤙😃
Thanks for the video. My recently purchased 2013 Subaru Outback with original battery has been slow starting in the cold (Minnesota), so I went to Walmart today and had them put in the same EverStart Maxx 24 battery you're using.
Well, I'm glad you enjoyed the video. My sons lived in Red Wing, Minnesota for a while so I fully understand the winter weather you can have. The group 24 battery will definitely give you a lot more cranking ability than that meager OEM battery. Thanks for watching!
Consumer Reports rates many of the Ever Start batteries as BEST BUY.
The number one rule when working on an automotive electrical system i.e., battery, always remove watches. rings, jewelry!
Thank you for the detailed step-by-step description, in place of the "Memory Saver Cable".
Yes, the memory saver battery was very helpful. I made it from some parts I already had. I now have it for any future battery maintenance task I might do.
Got a 2017 outback. First thing that I had to replace was the shitty tires followed by the crappy lawn mower battery. Went with a group 34 battery.
Yeah, I understand why...both OEM items are not very good . I'm riding on 80,000 mile warrantied Michelin Defender tires now!
How did the 34 battery fit?
There's a fix for the open hatch dead battery -- Subaru created a new gate controller that doesn't suck power when it's open. it has a 15 minute time out or thereabouts that discontinues the drain. Ask your dealer about it. For me, Subaru America covered most of the cost of that repair, as the original was a defect given the intended use of these vehicles.
I have a 2017 Legacy Sport, bought it used Sept. 2019 at Ruge's Chevrolet, a marvelous car dealership that I recommend, they were fair, honest and I got a great deal on it. Anyway, I have started to have low battery issues with the OEM installed. So, this video is very helpful, thank you!
You're very welcome. Glad the video helps.
Thanks for the tip... have a Subaru 2016 Outback... since fall of 2015.. .battery is starting to give me issues, even though it tests OK. Found a carguru forum with other 2016 Outback users complaining of battery drain. Am looking at replacing the OEM stock battery with either Optima Red Top or Odyssey 25-PC1400 battery. Hope this will improve things, especially cold Canadian weather starts. Cheers.
Gotcha! Yes, when I replace a battery, I usually install the biggest battery that will fit and that I can buy for a reasonable price. It gives me piece of mind to know that I have plenty of cranking power for whatever situation I'm in.
Thank you for making this detailed video helping other people. I have 20 years in car business and feel guilty not doing same thing. Subaru is a great car but not perfect. They save money in replaceable parts as tires, battery size, but provide a big enough battery tray that fits up to 700 CCA battery. Another thing is to keep an eye at oil level. If you check every month it is good enough. I own a 2015 Subaru Outback 2.5 L (which I bought to get rid of 2014 Audi A4), and I like this car very much. It is simple, very easy to take care off, economical, high safety rating and the best 4 X 4 you can get. .. and not loaded with space shuttle software as my 2014 Audi A 4 Quattro B8 that for no reason blocked the steering wheel, displayed the message steering system failure do not drive the car, blocked the traffic Toyed the car home and ... the next day worked again, if this isn't enough the faulty codes appears and disappears like ghosts. I want to get rid of Audi, but they removed the electric (after run) coolant pump (Recall 19N4) promised to install for FREE a new one, under Safety Recall 19O2. , and forgot to replace It with a new one, and now 6 months later I cannot auction my Audi A 4, because a standard equipment has been removed by Audi, creating a material history for this car. Regarding the Subaru wheels, because I live in the snow belt area, solved the Tire problem ordering from Tire Rack a set of 4 wheels with Blizak snow tires mounted and balanced for $570. If temperature is over 40 F I use original wheels with All Season Continental Tires.
Replaced a maxx everstart 24 battery not maintenance free. In May and October I check and fill the electrolyte to the mark, in the cells, with the distilled Water.
The Subaru I bought used from Copart, with a dead battery, and with badly corroded positive terminal. To replace it I used a Memory Saver, powering the electric system with a memory saver via OBD2 Port and another Car Battery. Another alternative is using in serial 3 Li-on 3.7 V Cells (18650 3000 mAh) in a 3 cell battery holder with a cable and clamps to power the system via engine compartment if there is no need for terminal replacement.
It is a great video. Thank You.
You are very welcome. Thank you for your personal insight of Subaru's too! ☺
Arbaches Glaukus has
I love the use of the RC heli LiPo to maintain electronics settings!
Yeah, I saw that little trick somewhere else and thought it a great idea ...... plus, I alreay had the battery, so why not use it. Thanks for watching. ☺
2015. The factory battery lasted 2 years. Replaced with a G25 Optima. That lasted 3 years. Went with a G24 after that, no problem since. They use the G24 so they only have to buy one battery across their lineup. Side benefit, my battery dealer carries G24 for $99.
I did something similar I went with the Oddysey group 35 at 1100 CCA works fine and has a 3 hour reserve cost was about $259
I have the Outback 3.6r and it came with a group 25 battery with 550 cold cranking amps. As for tires all automakers these days use cheap garbage tires. I’ve never replaced the tires on any brand car I’ve owned with the same tires it came with new. The Perrelli cinturato p7 tires are a nice match for the Outbacks. They give you a bit better road handling.
Yeah, I pretty much agree. Th eonly car who's foctory tires I liked was a 2004 Accord Coupe that I bought. It Had factory installed Michelin MXV4 tires installed. Fantastic tires.. FWIW, I replaced my Subara Outback tires with 80,000 mile rated Michelin Defender tires and am REALLY satisfied with them.
@@ccupp2 Michelin does make some great tires!
Just looking at buying a scan tool. One is very comprehensive and allows registration of a new battery but only if it's the same type and capacity. Fond this quite annoying. This leads me to assume that Subaru might need to re-programme the system to recognise a higher capacity battery. This may only be useful for determining the stop / start protocols (Australia) but I recon it's worth talking to the dealer only ??? you know they'll want to charge you something.
Great Video, I just replaced mine with an AutoZone Duralast Gold 24, 750 CCA battery in my 2016 Subaru Outback 2.5L. The original had 1 dead cell and 5 shorted cells; Subaru installing too small a battery for all the electronics onboard. I notified my Subaru Dealership and got No Response? Why? Duralast Gold crapped out after 3 years, Replaced it with a Red Top battery 9 July 2023 and am still playing hell with the starting sequence!
My original battery was replaced by the dealership 1.5 years in. It also had a defective cell.
Can I do the same for a 2017 and how much CCA to use?
@@stephen4966 I just did this exact same Group 25 to Group 24 battery swap on my 2.5 '17 last week...before I came across this video! Bought the very same battery at Walmart as well. No problems whatsoever. I left the battery cozy off though -- I live on Long Island NY, and it does get cold sometimes, but usually hovers between 30-45 degrees all winter these days and wasn't too concerned about the battery getting too cold.
And I didn't know about the memory saver...THAT would have been helpful. Was a PITA having to research and reset the power windows!
@@mess0965 Yep, Same thing happened to me. Dealership replaced orig battery and it was dead after 1.3 years. Subaru makes good cars, not sure why they are so particular about putting in cheap quality batteries.
We upgraded to a Group 24 AGM Battery; built with a Fiberglass Housing and Fiberglass / Copper Internal Parts to withstand hard backwoods driving!
Thank you very much
I replaced the stock tires with Michelin CrossClimate and they are excellent.
Yes, I know what you mean. I replaced my tires with Michelin defenders and m immensely satisfied with them. Not only are they quieter and smoother riding, they have much better traction on hills and off road.
I replaced my 2018 Outback’s OEM Bridgestone’s at 24K miles with Michelin CrossClimate Tires as well. I feel like they are the tires the car should have came with.
I also went through two Subaru OEM batteries, the dealer replaced the first. The second was junk, leaking almost immediately. I just replaced that one with a Optima red top at called it a day.
Have you noticed a drop in MPG? I have heard of this happening to some folks, but it might just be postings from Bridgestone marketing people.
@@fubartotale3389
Yes, my MPG did drop about 2 MPG.
I now have CrossClimate2's and the MPG's did improve.
I wonder if the bean counters was involved in the decision to put smaller lower capacity battery to save a few dollars, also a cheaper oil filter. The tray for battery is already designed for larger unit. I replace mine after 14 months with higher capacity in the 2016 outback . My 2016 Impreza had a Panasonic battery and higher guality oil filter. This vehicle model was last assembled in Japan.
Very likely a bean counter issue. Plus the lighter battery helps a smidge with fuel economy. In all seriousness though...I must be getting quite old because it seems even new bigger batteries just don't last like they used too...give em 5 years and ya need to swap it for a new one....and that's especially true for OEM factory batteries! ☺
My 2018 Legacy battery(25size) just died. Of course it was literally less then 30days outside of the warranty period.. Sigh. The car only has 17k miles on it. Subaru wanted $160 to replace the battery(36mos warranty). I was like uh no, I think I can do better then that. I went up to Costco and got an Interstate for $95 with a 42mos warranty. On top of that, I'll get $15back when I bring the old 1(core) back to them. So it'll wind up being half the price of what Subaru would of charged me, with a better warranty backed up by Costco's top shelf customer service. The lesson here is definitely shop around if you can
Yeah, you sound about like me.... you know what a battery 'should' cost and not afraid to get and install one from some other place than the dealership! ☺
That dealer sucks, my 12 year old Legacy had a brake line go out.
This had been the subject of a recall, which I had done after I bought the car used.
Subaru offered to pay for most of the repair in that 12 year old car.
Dealers are independent, sone are better than others.
Did you ever check for a parasitic draw? If yes, what did you find?
CCA is not an accurate indication of how long you can keep the doors open. The battery tray is easily long enough for a Group 24, the swap is trivial.
For anyone reading this, Subaru has a recall to update firmware turning the 3G dataradio off now the 3G network has been turned off. The 3G radio can run your battery down in a couple days trying to connect to its mother ship.
After 2 years, my wife 2015 Outback kept having problem of not able to start the car in very cold weather and always right after about an hour of driving. The 350 CCA is way too low for cold weather. I replaced it with Interstate one with 550 CCA from Costco and haven't have any problem since. Anything below 450 CCA, for a 4 cylinders engine, in northern states are pretty much useless; Subaru really cut corner on the battery
The high side of the cozy faces towards the outside of the vehicle (near the washer fluid reservoir.)
Yes, I had figured that out and positioned the cozy properly after making the video. Thanks for watching and the feedback though. ☺
Subaru upped their game in this regard it seems. My 2019 3.6R Touring was delivered with a Group 25 E7 82110 AJ10A battery rated for 490 CCA. Maybe that's standard for the H6, but it still seems a little underwhelming. It has only failed once; I left a map light on while the car was in the airport garage for five days. Nevertheless, I just replaced it with an Optima Yellow Top Group 34/78 (has those potentially handy side posts as well the top posts), and the "cozy" slipped right on with no modification. None of the included adapters were needed. I did have to coax/tweak the positive terminal connections and cover slightly to accommodate the placement of the post (not as close to the edge). The Yellow Top is rated at 750 CCA plus 120 minutes of reserve capacity carrying a 25-amp draw. Twice the price of the EverStart Maxx, but I like that reserve capacity figure a lot.
Well, this weekend I discovered that Toyota plays the same game. Our top end Sienna MiniVan has a lowly 520CCA group 24 battery in it. We've never had any issues with the weaker battery until this weekend when it went totally dead within a few minutes of trying to charge a cell phone battery bank while camping. But oh well, it is a 2015 van, so the battery is likely about due for replacement anyway. I'm gonna replace it with an EverStartMax this evening.
@@ccupp2 Check the fit of a Group 34...
My 2024 Outback came with a 660 cca battery.
Clear presentation especially the memory saver device.ATB.
The Delco Group 25 has 625 CCA not 356 as you car was equipped. No need for any modification on my 2015 Outback just a different brand.
When I bought my 2016 Outback 3.6R I looked under the hood, at the battery and noticed that the tray was significantly bigger than the battery. 10 or 15 lbs of weight "saved", and EPA mpg numbers. Tell 'em that in Minnesota or Montana on bitter cold, sub-zero mornings.
You can get a insulated battery jacket like the GM 10246636 Battery Insulator (it's got cutouts for side terminals but it'll fit a Group 24 battery case anyway).
I put in a 24 and it didn't feel any heavier than the 25. Is it really 15#? That surprises me
@@patrickgroll2046 My X2Power (aka Northstar) SLI24AGMDP is 57 lbs on the scale. I think that's 12 or 13 more lbs than the OEM battery that came in the car new. The 24 fit the tray almost perfectly just like the 24 in the video.
Yup i put a stronger one on my dads highlander battery and it works awesome way better then the original cca.
Thanks, great info. Going to do this tomorrow.
Thanks for the feedback. Good luck on your battery swap!
I ran with a NAPA The Legend Premium AGM Battery BCI No. 75,BCI No. 86 640 A ($200)!
I have a 16 outbreak and have no problems
You must drive your car every day... on short trips... I just bought my third battery ... It has 880 cca ...
They have a free software update to help with recharging btw.
I have issues with my 2019 Forester, was it under warranty?
@@kushp4934 3 years for original warranty. If you got it CPO then there's a 7 year/100k mile on the power train.
Group 34 will work too.
Yes, I've discovered that an even better upgrade would have been a Group 34N battery. According to the Walmart specs on 6/1/2020, the group 34N battery:
is about 1 inch shorter than the group 24 battery
actually costs a bit less than the Group 24 battery
but is actually 100 cold cranking amps stronger than the group 24 battery
Thank you for the battery tips... one thing over the CD port....what is it...?
That's just a simple cell phone holder that I created with my 3D printer. It just slides into the CD slot and holds my pixel 2 XL phone
@@ccupp2 It's 2020 what's a CD? LOL!!!
Exactly! I'm not sure if I've ever even played a single CD in the player. But the CD slot makes a really good shelf for holding my Pixel 2 phone and listening to podcasts over bluetooth!
My Subaru OEM just croaked 3 years old.
The Subaru OEM is a trash battery. My 2017 Outback battery died three times and Subaru replaced it with 550 CCA and it’s barely acceptable. I am planning to buy a heavy duty AGM battery.
Thanks for the video! Do you know what size of Group24 battery? L x W x H
I have same as your car. I will try group34 battery.
As I understand it myself, all group 24 batteries are exactly the same size. I'm sure if you do a internet search for group 24 battery dimensions, you can find what size it is.
just tell them to put the biggest battery in that fits.... I have 880 cca (as of Yesterday)
I drive a Suzuki, it had a 24 battery. Can I replace it with an Ever Start 24F?
As best I know....not likely. I believe the connecting post are switched oppositely on a 24F.
@@ccupp2 Thank you for your kind reply. I just subscribed and gave you a 👍. The 24F fits nicely and can be secured into the existing 24 battery space, and Yes, you are correct, the battery posts are on the opposite side of the battery, but the positive and negative cables both reach and can be properly connected to the corresponding battery posts, positive to positive, and negative to negative. I have also been told the 24 and 24F both have the same ratings, just opposite side battery posts. Does this additional information make the 24F a fit for my car?
@@dr.j6747 It does sound like the 24F would work if you,ve assured the cables are long enough and that you can place hot on hot and negative on negative.That having been said, why wouldn't you merely use the factory OEM style 24 battery?
@@ccupp2 Thank you again for your kind reply, and that's a great question. 👍 At the time I purchased the 24F, I could not find an Ever Start 24 (which is what I had in my Suzuki as a replacement for the original battery) , and an O'Riely brand, was much more costly. So I took a chance on the 24F as the shape and size looked virtually identical to my 24. BUT the 24F has since been sitting unused, in my house for about 2+ years, so I need to test it, to make sure it's still good, before installing it. Do you have any RUclips videos showing how to install a new battery WITHOUT losing all the preset radio stations? Thank you again! 👌
@@dr.j6747 You merely need to keep 12 volts of dc power connected to the battery terminals while you very carefully swap out the batteries. Around the 5 minute area of the video, I show how I did this.
How about the very sub-standard GPS?
I don't have the navigation package. Plus, even if I had it, I prefer Google Maps running on my cell phone.
I’m having the drain issue on a 2015 Outback I purchased in June of last year. Great car and love it but in November when the temps started to fall in Georgia the battery died. Had it charged and was fine for a bout 2 weeks when it died again. Purchased another C25 battery with 550CCA, which died the next day. Had it charged next day and it died again so they replaced the battery which has been fine for about 3 weeks. Died again yesterday. I’m guessing I need to install the 24 battery you mentioned. Shops say I need to do a draw test which can be expensive. Frustrating! Thanks for the video.
Well my drain issues were NEVER anything like yours. Yes, I'd agree that a draw down test might be needed.....or at a minimum a good free charging and battery condition test from an automotive parts dealer.
search google Subaru parasitic draw (dcm 9) fuse for starlink
Thanks for the video buddy, I got a 24 goona pop it in tomorrow. You think the battery cozy is really that important?
I'm not sure myself. Subaru apparently did since it left the factory with one. However, I believe it is the only car that I've owned that had a cozy around the battery. I already had the stuff on hand to enlarge it with, so it was no big deal for me to do so.
I had a yard sign from a politician that was made from a kind of plastic cardboard stuff.
I cut it to fit, contact cemented tin foil in the outside and viola! Battery cozy!
I would guess any sign shop would have this stuff in their dumpster or would give you a chunk.
Would this work on 2019 Outback???
I "" so......but have never owned a 2019 Outback to confirm it with. ☺
I noticed the 6 cylinder outback has a different battery than the 4 cylinder. I was wondering if the larger tray was for the 6 but your solution looks good and I will go for it since I know 24's are readily available.
Yes, a group 24 battery is very easy to find with a relatively large cold cranking amp capacity too.
All this time to swap out a battery that is in plain site? As for the battery going dead...sounds like some of it was due to you. However, where do you live means a lot on how long a battery will last.
Yes, early in the video I actually spoke of a few battery drainage moments that were due, in part, to me. And yes, simply changing it out would have been much quicker than making a video about how to UPGRADE the existing battery to a larger and higher capacity one. Apparently you have never created a training video, but thanks for watching anyway. ☺
How is the battery holding up on the battery drain?
The battery is holding up great. In all honesty though, this sorta thing is kinda hard to gauge. You have to keep in mind that the battery was only going dead under a specific scenario. That scenario is IF you have a door open and the interior dome lights are set to auto AND the headlights are set to AUTO position AND the outdoor lighting is dim enough to trigger the auto headlight sensor AND if you have the key inserted in the ignition. When this happens, the marginal factory battery would go dead pretty fast because the headlights and interior lights will stay on continuously. To clarify, the key merely has to be in the ignition....i.e. the ignition does NOT have to be in the ACCESSORY or ON position. All three times I've had this happen, I moved the car to some parking spot and was then working at the back of the car with the hatchback door open. In each case, because I was at the back of the car, I was unaware that the headlights were staying on continuously. To summarize, I truly feel that the headlights should not stay on continuously in these scenarios....i.e. perhaps they could stay on for a minute or two and then go off....but they really should not be staying on continuously.
My 13 Legacy 3.6R came with a 480CCA batt I mean the biggest engine Subaru makes and they put a 480CCA WTH Toyota runs a 580cca on their v6!
Yeah, its kinida shocking how little capacity the OEM battery is.
Great video. This is the Great Subaru dirty little secret! I have a 2021😮 Forester with a Group 35 - 550 CCA battery and it went belly up after 2 years. Dealer insists the battery is good and wants me to get atrickle charger installed. I will NEVER buy Subaru again! The bean counters and lawyers have ruined a vreat car company.
I have a 2018 Outback with eyesight and lots of other stuff. It goes dead every time I dont drive it often and since its a POS in winter, already been stuck twice in snow so I drive the 2006 Outback with manual trans. The 2018 is a really nice road car, but Subaru ,fuck off ,with your all wheel drive system and also dead batteries.
@Ern Cooper I've got a 2010 Grand Sport Vette, batteries in these c6's will go dead in about 2 - 3 weeks if you don't drive them, no matter what time of the year. I have to leave it on a battery tender 24/7 365.
Well most new cars come with subpar batteries and tires.
Unfortunately, yes they do!