Battery

[rambler]

hi folks

i normally live on the rav4 forum...but my mum has a 07 yaris 1.3 'zinc' ,she has had it for about 2 years now.

it has covered an enormous 20'000 miles (in her retirement)

just latley,she reckons she has noticed a significant drop in the batteries 'omph' to start it on cold morning starts. :o

am i right is saying,once engine is running,even if every thing is used..ie,rear de-mister,heater,lights...etc,etc...is Battery still being fully charged by alternator?

and about 20 mins of engine running without anything else being used,should re-plenish batteries power

i know that it takes a considerable amount of power from the Battery to start an engine,you may only get two - three separate attempts at starting.

but once its running,it should be re-charging.....full stop

and would an original Battery be covered on under the 3 year warranty ( i personally say entire vehicle is covered)

any replies would be grateful

rambler

[Jamesbelfast]

Could be either a Battery or alternator problem and I would expect the Battery to be covered under warranty - after all I can walk into the likes of good old halfrauds and buy one with such a warranty.

Take the car to Mr T and complain be nice but firm and stand your ground.:)

[rambler]

Could be either a battery or alternator problem and I would expect the battery to be covered under warranty - after all I can walk into the likes of good old halfrauds and buy one with such a warranty.

Take the car to Mr T and complain be nice but firm and stand your ground.:)

hi james

yes,she will be taking her 'lovely' yaris to local colchester dealership in new year for an assesment.....only trouble is the 'staff' on the service desk there are usually less then helpful.

i'll go along with her if need be,but im suprised that she 'may' have an alternator fault.

anyway a visit to dealers it will be....see what happens

cheers

[reece]

This time of year the Battery on any car will take a bashing. Sub zero temperatures, short days so headlights are needed more often. Rear screen, heaters etc will use power, combine that with short journeys then maybe you have answered your own question.

My advice would be to give it a good run during a clear sunny day, short trips will kill it in this weather.

[Raeman]

Have to agree with Reece on this. The Battery on my Yaris seems to be getting a little tired now and sometimes it is a bit hesitant on these cold days.

I usually give it a run up the M6 to a junction or 2, and back again occasionally giving it a proper work out and it does the car a world of good, gets rid of any condensation in the engine/exhaust system and gives the Battery more life.

Maybe you shoud "Borrow" it and give it a bit of a work out, it won't do it any harm!

[rambler]

Have to agree with Reece on this. The battery on my Yaris seems to be getting a little tired now and sometimes it is a bit hesitant on these cold days.

I usually give it a run up the M6 to a junction or 2, and back again occasionally giving it a proper work out and it does the car a world of good, gets rid of any condensation in the engine/exhaust system and gives the battery more life.

Maybe you shoud "Borrow" it and give it a bit of a work out, it won't do it any harm!

hi raeman

i currently live with her,as too expensive to move out.....,and its lovely here,very peaceful and quiet

i drove her to the 'cotswolds' in it a few weeks ago for a 'long weekend',...i wanted to give it a 'darn good thrashing'

but she wouldnt let me drive over 60...ish,even on A14 :( :(

the yaris only really does local short trips to relatives,and being driven typically like an 'old granny'

anyway...as i type she is on phone to Mr T to get a worn tyre sorted,battery tested....and a recall from may this year finally done.

see what happens...........

[Yaristotle]

First of all (as described in the Owner's Manual) check the Battery indicator colour.

Green: good

Black: charging necessary

White: Have Battery checked and prepare to bend Barclaycard.

Suggest to your mum that she uses a lower gear for some of her driving – the engine will rev more and therefore will recharge the Battery more quickly. Failing that (and if the battery looks as if it is in risk of becoming flat) it might be worth getting one of these for about £50.

[Chris81]

I wouldn't believe the indicator on the Battery itself. Mine was showing green but like the OP mine was struggling to start and having had the Battery checked it was found to be down on 'oomph', despite the car being taken for regular good runs out.

I'm guessing the Battery on the OP's car will show as a bit lacking and as it's under 3 years old it should be under warrantly still. If you buy a new battery from Mr T it will have a 3 year warranty on it, though I suspect in both cases that's only for manufacturing defect and if you drive the car for 2 minutes every day for 2 years then it fails they'll probably tell you you're not covered.

[Yaristotle]

Fair enough, but the indicator has always been accurate in my experience. You could try using a multimeter across the terminals – a properly charged Battery should read 12.4 – 12.7 volts. If you test with the engine running you should get a reading of around 14.4volts, if the alternator is charging correctly. The thing here, though, is that you are only measuring continuity, not for the batteries ability to pass a high current load as would be required when you start up. For this to be measured you would require a drop test on the Battery at your local garage.

Maybe, like the OP’s mum, the prevalence of “low Battery performance” complaints is indicative of much shorter journeys being undertaken these days. If so, then surely it is fair to say that the vehicles are not being used as the manufacturers intended.

If you buy a new battery from Mr T it will have a 3 year warranty on it, though I suspect in both cases that's only for manufacturing defect and if you drive the car for 2 minutes every day for 2 years then it fails they'll probably tell you you're not covered.

I think Mr T would have a point. ;)

[rambler]

hi folks

been reading your posts,...thanks for input....,reminded me of the kind of driver she is ! !

she took me somewhere recently,and where we went, i would normally take major roads 'A' & 'B'roads etc.....

but she took the country lanes way(took forever,but was much quieter & traffic free),but she rarely came out of 4th gear,even at junctions,..down to about 15-20mph...taken in 4th!!!....i remember the engine labouring quite badly. :(

you cant tell'em can you......im 38,she is 66...ish :!Removed!:...bless

still she is having 2 new front tyres fitted tomorow (dunlops),tracking & Battery tested,and at a local garage who ive known for years and years.

with Mr T,we had to book a tracking & Battery test....2 WEEKS ! !....crazy

so hopefully all we sorted tomorow

[Raeman]

Sounds like it needs a damn good thrashing that car!

Cars need a good hooning everynow & then, it really DOES do them a world of good, especially if it does small runs all week and never gets properly warm!

Tell HER to read these responses and give YOU the keys! :P

I know exactly what you mean tho...can't tell em anything ect... ;)

[Rumbly]

Winter does tend to show up any deficiencies in the Battery department (this winter has been pretty cold), as far as the Battery is concerned it's a multiple whammy when temperature drops.

Battery available capacity is reduced.

Engines require more power to crank.

Engine can require more cranking to start.

Running with heater, heated glass, lights etc. will mean you need to run for longer to re-charge the battery to full capacity.

Batteries left in a discharged state will be damaged and lose capaity.

3 years seems like a pretty short service life for a good quality battery, so I'd think it has been damaged in some way and now has reduced capacity.

The most obvious thing i can think of is short journey and infrequent use where the battery is seldom if ever getting charged to full capacity. This will result in damage and reduced capacity. Now that the battery capacity is further reduced by the cold, and the capacity required to start the engine is increased, the problem is showing up.

If the battery is damaged and has permanently lost capacity thrashing the car mercilessly for 500 miles won't fix it, charging it for a month won't fix it.

First port of call is probably Mr T and see if you can claim the warranty.

Personally I'd probably charge it with a "smart" charger matched to the battery type and see what happens ... If at all possible do not ever use a cheap unregulated trickle charger .. IMO it's false economy .. if it's left on for too long it'll damage your battery or even kill it stone dead. If you really must use one set an alarm so you remember to disconnect it or better still use a timer on it.

IMO its a good idea for infrequently used and low mileage vehicles to use a good quality float charger connected whenever the vehicle is not in use. Or failing that to have the battery fully charged via a good quality charger matched to the battery type at least once evey two weeks.

Just as a bit of info, not really relevant but just thought I'd mention it .... electrolyte in batteries with less than around 40% charge freeze at about -17 degrees C .... fully discharged batteries freeze at about -7 degrees C.

[Madasafish]

"3 years seems like a pretty short service life for a good quality Battery, so I'd think it has been damaged in some way and now has reduced capacity."

Based on my experience of my wife's Peugeot 106 diesel - owned from new - used ONLY on short journeys (1mile!) - and now 17 years old,,, 3 years is THE Battery life you would expect. All hers have died in the winter after their third year.. 2 under warranty.

I got fed up and bought a calcium Battery from:

http://www.performancebatteries.co.uk/find...rs#battery_info

two years ago. So far it has survived.

(She has owned the car from new and so far it has covered 47k miles in 17 years...)

Edit: I drive it once a month - about 10 miles.. hard to clear it out . We never charge the battery from an external charger (unless it will not start)

[Rumbly]

"3 years seems like a pretty short service life for a good quality battery, so I'd think it has been damaged in some way and now has reduced capacity."

Based on my experience of my wife's Peugeot 106 diesel - owned from new - used ONLY on short journeys (1mile!) - and now 17 years old,,, 3 years is THE battery life you would expect. All hers have died in the winter after their third year.. 2 under warranty.

I got fed up and bought a calcium battery from:

http://www.performancebatteries.co.uk/find...rs#battery_info

two years ago. So far it has survived.

(She has owned the car from new and so far it has covered 47k miles in 17 years...)

Edit: I drive it once a month - about 10 miles.. hard to clear it out . We never charge the battery from an external charger (unless it will not start)

My owned from new 1996 diesel Peugeot 306 DT original Battery lasted for approx 6 years and the replacement (best quality i could get from Halfrauds) is still going, car is now 13 years + 3 months old (I no longer own the car but I know the lad I sold it to). I have a fairly infrequently used Ducati motorcycle with an over 7 (i've had it for 7 years it's the same Battery as when i bought it) year old Battery which still fires it up ok, it's always on a float charger when not in use.

I'd recon using a float charger whenever not in use would likely extend your wife's car battery life considerably.

I'm not sure 10 miles once a month is enough to even fully charge the battery??

[reece]

Maybe you should consider buying a heavy duty Battery with more amps, the one that’s for the Stop/Start Yaris or the diesel version, it will have more boost.

[rambler]

hi folks

well we (she) had the 2 new front tyres fitted...job done

local garage (who i trust totally),say the Battery still holds 97.4 % of charge..so should be ok ;)

BUT.....mother was told to change gear at junctions(dont take them at 15-20mph in 4th) with engine labouring :( ,change down and use the other lower gears,...allow the vvti to rev!!!....its what its designed to do

i have just had Battery renewed in my 52 reg d4d rav4,did have 550amp....now got 750amp ,for those cold cold mornings....kicks that engine into life nice and easy.

only just fits onto Battery tray though !

anyway....HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL

rambler

[Richard Davies]

I've still got the same Battery in my car that was in when I bought it 2nd hand just under 3 years ago.

For the first 2 years it had a lot of cold starts in the winter while I was commuting 10 miles each working day, along with some weekend days out.

For most of the last year it's been mainly used at weekends only due to me moving within walking distance of work.

Since my girlfriend moved a few months ago I've been driving to see her every 2 weeks or so, which is a 90 mile round trip mostly on motorways with a few miles on A roads.

The only trouble I've had Battery was not long after I got the car when the terminal worked slightly loose but was easily tightened, & when I left the inside light on & ran the Battery down.

A few hours on a trickle charger was enough to get it to start, & after a few miles driving it's not given any more trouble.

Diesels tend to have heavy duty batteries as the engines need more power to crank them round, along with powering the heating plugs.