Dead battery (again) 2006 LX. Options? (8 Viewers)

[dealmaker]

2006 LX with 160k 156k miles on it.
Noticed there's a spate of electrical issue posts here lately, including mine, which I'm hoping is a battery at the end of its useful life.
If it is the battery, 1. Is this normal battery life expectancy (see notes below). 2. What battery does the Hive recommend for longevity and reliability, without being insanely overpriced (cost/benefit analysis). Go with the Costco Interstate AGM battery (it's not the "right" size, though)?? My plan is to gift my built '04 4Runner to my kid and to repo this LX from the wifeand get her a RAV4, so I want to have some peace of mind that this LX won't die in the middle of nowhere and be as reliable as my 4Runner is.

Installed Costo/Interstate battery in Sept. 2020 at 130,000 miles.
Previous battery was Sears in 2015 at ~95k miles.
My 2006 LX has 160k miles, and is on it's third alternator (Toyota reman) as of Jan 2022 at 138k miles.
It's on its 3rd alternator (Toyota reman) as of Jan 2022 at 138k miles. I'd like to think it'll last longer than 3 yrs.
The 2nd alternator was installed June 2012 at 67k miles
Thanks in advance for any advice and recommendations offered.
Update: I realized the negative terminal connection was a little loose. The thick felt terminal protector that I put under the positive/negative conections were preventing the negative terminal from sitting lower and getting a good grip on the terminal, so I removed that felt thing.

Photo for attention.

 

[rexington14]

3 alternators doesn't sound right. My 05 with similar mileage is still on the original alternator. Does the battery die if it sits a few days to a week? Check for parasitic draw with a multimeter. I had a parasitic draw I traced to the radio fuse and ultimately the 6 cd changer connection buried under the center console (my CD player didn't work anyways).

Hard to go wrong with a 27F from Costco if you are a member there.

 

[dealmaker]

3 alternators doesn't sound right. My 05 with similar mileage is still on the original alternator. Does the battery die if it sits a few days to a week? Check for parasitic draw with a multimeter. I had a parasitic draw I traced to the radio fuse and ultimately the 6 cd changer connection buried under the center console (my CD player didn't work anyways).

Hard to go wrong with a 27F from Costco if you are a member there.

I agree that being on my 3rd alternator (all OEM) on a mall cruiser LX is weird. Could very well be that the local trusted independent Toyota / Lexus shop where used to go operates a little too quick and dirty for my likes. I think he got spoiled with all the rich beach people (which I'm not) never questioning his work, which I started to do a few yrs ago. Checked for parasitic draw earlier today by disconnecting the negative terminal, and couldn't find any, with the LX both locked and unlocked via the key FOB. Could be that my neighbor didn't have the meter set right, but in his defense we did use his, and my, meters, so I should probably look for a write-up on doing that to ensure it's being doe the correct way. BTW I have the OEM disc changer in the center console, too.

Will probably be getting another 27F from Costco tomorrow. Was debating on getting their 24F AGM battery but will likely pass on the AGM.

 

[AARONTLC]

I agree that being on my 3rd alternator (all OEM) on a mall cruiser LX is weird. Could very well be that the local trusted independent Toyota / Lexus shop where used to go operates a little too quick and dirty for my likes. I think he got spoiled with all the rich beach people (which I'm not) never questioning his work, which I started to do a few yrs ago. Checked for parasitic draw earlier today by disconnecting the negative terminal, and couldn't find any, with the LX both locked and unlocked via the key FOB. Could be that my neighbor didn't have the meter set right, but in his defense we did use his, and my, meters, so I should probably look for a write-up on doing that to ensure it's being doe the correct way. BTW I have the OEM disc changer in the center console, too.

Will probably be getting another 27F from Costco tomorrow. Was debating on getting their 24F AGM battery but will likely pass on the AGM.

5 years sounds about right. You can take it over to auto zone and get a free battery test. I usually don’t notice my batteries going bad until the beginning of winter.