Wow thank you so much. I’m someone who picked one of these up for $225 and it’s giving me the replace battery signal. You are such a life saver and I’m going to be ordering a battery. Thanks again!
Joe, Given the slight change in battery capacity, it made sense to reset and formally tell the system to start fresh. Been all good now for many months.
Owned this unit for years love it only on my second battery. seems to me all the newer units are BIC lighters when they die there trash. this one just keeps going. ill but another if i can find it
At the end you mention updating the software. What are the benefits of that? And are there instructions some place? Thanks, goal zero’s website atm is lacking cuz they have stopped selling it.
Billy, at the time I had read that with a battery replacement it’s advised to reset the software but can’t recall if that was somewhere on the goal zero website or elsewhere.
Thanks for the video Matt. Followed your lead and replaced my battery, but the blue light keeps flashing and my screen keeps blinking when charging. Any thought on what could be the problem?
Don’t know for sure, I’d probably pull the battery, check to make sure no wires came loose elsewhere in the case, install the battery making sure connections at both posts are snug and reset the software on the Yeti again. You might also check for help here: community.goalzero.com good luck!
Logan, I looked into it a while back and found this: www.mightymaxbattery.com/shop/lifepo4/12v-35ah-u1-lithium-replacement-battery-for-goal-zero-yeti-400-solar-generator/ If you want more usable capacity you could also add another 35ah battery connected to the Anderson PP connectors on your Yeti 400. good luck with your project!
Thanks, glad it was helpful. I guess it’s been over 3 years since I posted the video, and the battery is holding up nicely. I am considering upgrading to a larger system with more capacity, but this Yeti has given me many years of service.
Those batteries are actually the same capacity. The original ritar one states C10 is 33AH and C20 is 35AH. For the one you listed they state on their site that it's C20 35AH. So for both if it takes 20 hours to discharge you'll get 35AH.
The original battery in my Yeti 400 was 33aH, the replacement I used in the same form factor was 35aH which yields slightly more potential energy. Either way the point of the video was to demonstrate that it’s easy to replace the battery if it is aging. Hope your battery transplant was a success.
@@MattsGarageMiscDIY I appreciate the video, found it looking for the original battery model number instead of cracking mine open. Wanted to see if power sonic made a battery that fits in(they're great for longevity), but I needed the correct model number to get accurate dimensions. Going external instead. At my work we have an 8 year old power sonic that still has the same CCA and a similar capacity as when we got it. We've been swapping all batteries we use to theirs for that reason. Thanks for making this. I just looked into both batteries and saw they are rated the exact same, so just wanted to point it out. Both are rated C20 35AH, but ritar chose to list the C10(10 hour discharge) capacity on the batt and vmax chose to list C20(20 hour discharge) capacity. It's a deceptive tactic that vmax is using that is commonly used by the battery industry. Probably the newer batt is giving relative higher power numbers, eg the original sat for a time before being sold and had degredation or just general differences. Even new batts labeled the same aren't exactly the same. When I installed solar off grid setups the difference between lead acids manufactured at the same time by the same manufacturer was high enough that an equalization charge was required each month to prevent individual cell damage. Ritar ratings: www.ritarpower.com/uploads/ueditor/spec/RA12-33.pdf Vmax Ratings: www.vmaxtanks.com/V35-857-Deep-Cycle-High-performance-AGM-Battery-_p_41.html Both are 20 hour discharge 35 amp hour, that's all I was trying to point out.
@@fratermus5502 yup, unfortunately don’t have both in front of me anymore to compare, but hopefully if you need to replace a Yeti 400 battery, this still helps you with a battery that fits.
I just looked and 2 years ago I paid $109.99 + tax on Amazon. The battery is holding up well so far. Current pricing on this battery has gone up just a little.
It would try to charge plugged in or hooked to my 100w solar panel, but within a day or two the battery would be at half charge or less. (unable to hold a charge)
My Yeti is not charging. I can’t tell by the video, is the blue ring on the charging plug supposed to light up? Mine does not and I am wondering if my problem is with the charging cord.
No I believe that is just the blue led on the unit casting a glow. I almost never use the supplied cord as my preferred method of charging is via my 100w Renogy solar panel.
As long as it fits. In my video the replacement battery is 12v 35Ah, it fit nicely has held up well for almost 3 years and counting. If you are chaining a second battery externally via the Anderson Powerpole connectors, use a battery that is an exact spec match to the internal battery. Good luck.
Kim, as I recall the original battery was about 4.5 years old when I replaced it in this video. It had periods when it was not used as regularly and would slowly discharge as you would expect. After the installation I did plug in the Yeti to fully top off the battery. Typically all of my charging is via a 100w Renogy solar panel. Since replacing the battery I am much more attentive to not let it discharge too much between uses. Hope that helps.
@@Kimhjortsbjerg keep your eye on it and do your best to make sure you don’t let it discharge too much between uses. When the time comes to replace it you’ll know exactly what to do :)
Has anyone tried replacing the battery in the Yeto 400 with a much bigger AGM battery? I have a tool box and a brand new 12v AGM and was wondering if this computer and setup could handle it simply by moving the wiring and circuits to a new box. Sorry if this is a stupid question, I'm not that knowledgeable with this stuff.
I’ve wondered about this too. The components of this system will have limitations, and I’m not sure they would be modular in a friendly enough way to transfer/mount to your own box. There are many videos on TH-cam showing how to build your own more robust version.
Wow thank you so much. I’m someone who picked one of these up for $225 and it’s giving me the replace battery signal. You are such a life saver and I’m going to be ordering a battery. Thanks again!
I like your suggestion of finding a used, possibly dead unit, and swapping out the battery. Great walk through.
I thought the same thing. Great way to get one of these for a fraction of the price
Very nice video. Loved it. Best thing is their was a lot of instruction and information. And NO annoying loud music
Why did you reset software?
Joe, Given the slight change in battery capacity, it made sense to reset and formally tell the system to start fresh. Been all good now for many months.
Thank you for the walkthrough!
Great video, my battery is quirky after 3 years. You make replacing look easy.
And living in the Netherlands my Allen wrenches are metric 😄
thanks. I hope you can order a replacement battery and find some Allen head wrenches that fit!
Owned this unit for years love it only on my second battery. seems to me all the newer units are BIC lighters when they die there trash. this one just keeps going. ill but another if i can find it
I wish it had more capacity but mine is still going on this 2nd battery I installed nearly 4 years ago.
At the end you mention updating the software. What are the benefits of that? And are there instructions some place? Thanks, goal zero’s website atm is lacking cuz they have stopped selling it.
Billy, at the time I had read that with a battery replacement it’s advised to reset the software but can’t recall if that was somewhere on the goal zero website or elsewhere.
Thanks for the video Matt. Followed your lead and replaced my battery, but the blue light keeps flashing and my screen keeps blinking when charging. Any thought on what could be the problem?
Don’t know for sure, I’d probably pull the battery, check to make sure no wires came loose elsewhere in the case, install the battery making sure connections at both posts are snug and reset the software on the Yeti again. You might also check for help here: community.goalzero.com good luck!
hello there
do you think it would be possible to fit a lithium battery into the older models as a upgrade?
Logan, I looked into it a while back and found this:
www.mightymaxbattery.com/shop/lifepo4/12v-35ah-u1-lithium-replacement-battery-for-goal-zero-yeti-400-solar-generator/
If you want more usable capacity you could also add another 35ah battery connected to the Anderson PP connectors on your Yeti 400. good luck with your project!
@@MattsGarageMiscDIY thanks so much 🙏
Late response, but no. The charging circuits of the Yeti 400 SLA is not compatible with lithium batteries.
@@sojourner57 thanks
Hey Matt. Thank you for posting such an easy to understand video. Have you been pleased with the VMAX battery? Is it still going strong? Thanks again.
Thanks, glad it was helpful. I guess it’s been over 3 years since I posted the video, and the battery is holding up nicely. I am considering upgrading to a larger system with more capacity, but this Yeti has given me many years of service.
Those batteries are actually the same capacity. The original ritar one states C10 is 33AH and C20 is 35AH. For the one you listed they state on their site that it's C20 35AH. So for both if it takes 20 hours to discharge you'll get 35AH.
The original battery in my Yeti 400 was 33aH, the replacement I used in the same form factor was 35aH which yields slightly more potential energy. Either way the point of the video was to demonstrate that it’s easy to replace the battery if it is aging. Hope your battery transplant was a success.
@@MattsGarageMiscDIY
I appreciate the video, found it looking for the original battery model number instead of cracking mine open. Wanted to see if power sonic made a battery that fits in(they're great for longevity), but I needed the correct model number to get accurate dimensions. Going external instead. At my work we have an 8 year old power sonic that still has the same CCA and a similar capacity as when we got it. We've been swapping all batteries we use to theirs for that reason.
Thanks for making this. I just looked into both batteries and saw they are rated the exact same, so just wanted to point it out. Both are rated C20 35AH, but ritar chose to list the C10(10 hour discharge) capacity on the batt and vmax chose to list C20(20 hour discharge) capacity. It's a deceptive tactic that vmax is using that is commonly used by the battery industry. Probably the newer batt is giving relative higher power numbers, eg the original sat for a time before being sold and had degredation or just general differences. Even new batts labeled the same aren't exactly the same. When I installed solar off grid setups the difference between lead acids manufactured at the same time by the same manufacturer was high enough that an equalization charge was required each month to prevent individual cell damage.
Ritar ratings: www.ritarpower.com/uploads/ueditor/spec/RA12-33.pdf
Vmax Ratings: www.vmaxtanks.com/V35-857-Deep-Cycle-High-performance-AGM-Battery-_p_41.html
Both are 20 hour discharge 35 amp hour, that's all I was trying to point out.
@@MattsGarageMiscDIY
He's saying they are apples-to-apples 35Ah according to the relevant spec.
@@fratermus5502 yup, unfortunately don’t have both in front of me anymore to compare, but hopefully if you need to replace a Yeti 400 battery, this still helps you with a battery that fits.
Hey, nice video, thumbs up 👍. What did you pay for the battery?
I just looked and 2 years ago I paid $109.99 + tax on Amazon. The battery is holding up well so far. Current pricing on this battery has gone up just a little.
Not sure if you will see this but I replaced my battery and the display still doesn’t come on. Any tips?
Bravo good job replacement
Does it matter the order in which you re-attache the three wires for each positive and negative port or is it just get them on as best you can?
Emily, sorry for the tardy reply, shouldn’t matter other than tucking everything in so the lid fits. take your time.
@@MattsGarageMiscDIY thank you!
I just found two of these in a dumpster yesterday.
Score! Hopefully all they need is fresh batteries...
@@MattsGarageMiscDIY
After a quick test, one battery still has some life and one needs replacement.
Question ? So when the battery is no longer holding charge . When plugging in the charger the light won’t indicate that is charging ?
It would try to charge plugged in or hooked to my 100w solar panel, but within a day or two the battery would be at half charge or less. (unable to hold a charge)
My Yeti is not charging. I can’t tell by the video, is the blue ring on the charging plug supposed to light up? Mine does not and I am wondering if my problem is with the charging cord.
No I believe that is just the blue led on the unit casting a glow. I almost never use the supplied cord as my preferred method of charging is via my 100w Renogy solar panel.
The battery of my yetti 400 is 33 ah... can I put one with more amperage? Thank you
As long as it fits. In my video the replacement battery is 12v 35Ah, it fit nicely has held up well for almost 3 years and counting. If you are chaining a second battery externally via the Anderson Powerpole connectors, use a battery that is an exact spec match to the internal battery. Good luck.
@@MattsGarageMiscDIY Thank you very much, I will. Greetings from Chile.
do you know if solar still charges it?
Absolutely, that’s how I charge mine. I use a Renogy 100w panel, the new battery charges great and holds a charge as expected.
How old is the battery ? Did you charge it fully ?
Kim, as I recall the original battery was about 4.5 years old when I replaced it in this video. It had periods when it was not used as regularly and would slowly discharge as you would expect. After the installation I did plug in the Yeti to fully top off the battery. Typically all of my charging is via a 100w Renogy solar panel. Since replacing the battery I am much more attentive to not let it discharge too much between uses. Hope that helps.
Thank you very much , my own battery is about 2 years so that means that i have a few years left !
@@Kimhjortsbjerg keep your eye on it and do your best to make sure you don’t let it discharge too much between uses. When the time comes to replace it you’ll know exactly what to do :)
Has anyone tried replacing the battery in the Yeto 400 with a much bigger AGM battery? I have a tool box and a brand new 12v AGM and was wondering if this computer and setup could handle it simply by moving the wiring and circuits to a new box. Sorry if this is a stupid question, I'm not that knowledgeable with this stuff.
I’ve wondered about this too. The components of this system will have limitations, and I’m not sure they would be modular in a friendly enough way to transfer/mount to your own box. There are many videos on TH-cam showing how to build your own more robust version.
The Yeti 400 has two inputs where you can add two more identical batteries for triple the run time.
Nice 📹 video
I just picked up 3 of them brand new for $27.00 each .
paid $100 for a new set of 4
@@neomis0119 Where did you get these?
Can you change to lithium battery