In Need Of A New Battery

[SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS]

HI GUYS

Had my 2006 corolla 1.6 SR for 3 months now and encountered my 1st glitch...minor i suppose...admittedly i didint take the car out anywhere this weekend...been hybernating in lol! But this morning it wouldnt start...i've never encountered this problem before believe it or not...but i knew not to press on the accelerator incase i flooded the engine...it eventually started after about 25 seconds and i made it to work on time lol!

My question is do you guys think i might have done any damage to the "engine" or "alternator" or "starter motor" because it was quite a struggle to start? Before leaving work it was a little hesitant at 1st but started up a lot quicker!

Also how can you tell if its defo the Battery at fault? And can anyone advise which is the best Battery to buy that is sort of HEAVY DUTY? Im thinking of investing in a good Battery that will last longer as im planning on keeping the car for a few years to come hopefully. Halfords recommend Bosch S4.

I rang Eurocarparts earlier...1st question they asked is if my car is made in the Uk or Japan? Apparently you get different types of battery for each? I dont know the answer to that so how do i find out?

Please help guys....Thanks

Sammy

[CorollaD4D]

firstly if you stand beside your driver side front wheel and look in the top left corner of your windscreen there is usually a sticker telling where the car was made. however if my knowledge is correct then they asked a silly question because all of the facelift corolla were assembled in the uk hence why i feel "they don't make em like they use to" the jap assembled cars had reliability in a league of their own. these days it seems if bob in the factory was having a sh*t day your car can develop faults later in life lol.

back to your original question i would tend to go with Bosch or another reputable make for the Battery don't skimp on the Battery cos it's the only thing that can start your car and potentially save your ***** later down the line. for a car made in 2006 the Battery shouldn't go my car has the original battery and is from 2004 my battery is still going strong even though i have over 1500watts rms of music power in the car too. check your alternator is correctly charging the battery no point spending ££ on a new battery only for the fault to reoccur.

definitely get the fault properly looked at and diagnosed by a mechanic before just rushing to buy a new battery. your lil problem will have caused to additional problems to the engine altenator or battery other than the one already present.

you said it started up better after work since the battery had time to charge (while you drove the car to work) suggesting it is a prob with your battery however having not driven the car over the weekend personally i would hesitate in saying the battery needs replacing. it's been cold and your car hasnt been driven so im of the opinion your car was bound to give you some grief this morning?

also with stuff like radio, heater, rear demist places a lot of stress on the battery so it may have just been wanting a decent charge which it got on the way to your workplace.

[nrgizerbunny]

Bosch, Yuasa, varta, exide all suggested.

The original Delphi Battery in my car lasted 3 years, was replaced with a Bosch silver plus.

[richard.c]

HI GUYS

Had my 2006 corolla 1.6 SR for 3 months now and encountered my 1st glitch...minor i suppose...admittedly i didint take the car out anywhere this weekend...been hybernating in lol! But this morning it wouldnt start...i've never encountered this problem before believe it or not...but i knew not to press on the accelerator incase i flooded the engine...it eventually started after about 25 seconds and i made it to work on time lol!

My question is do you guys think i might have done any damage to the "engine" or "alternator" or "starter motor" because it was quite a struggle to start? Before leaving work it was a little hesitant at 1st but started up a lot quicker!

Also how can you tell if its defo the battery at fault? And can anyone advise which is the best battery to buy that is sort of HEAVY DUTY? Im thinking of investing in a good battery that will last longer as im planning on keeping the car for a few years to come hopefully. Halfords recommend Bosch S4.

I rang Eurocarparts earlier...1st question they asked is if my car is made in the Uk or Japan? Apparently you get different types of battery for each? I dont know the answer to that so how do i find out?

Please help guys....Thanks

Sammy

Hi Sam,

To follow on from CorollaD4Ds good advice.

Does sound like the Battery has just run down - though batteries can expire sooner or later - typical life around 5 years though this can vary.

Doubt anything could be damaged -just sounds horrible with the slow grinding / turnover

Mine is fitted with a Delphi (factory fit I assume ) - it has a little viewing circle in the top so you can check on its state of charge.

Simple test to check its charging ok - turn your headlights on - the beam will be poor-ish, start the engine and rev it at about 2000rpm, you should see them turn a lot brighter as the alternator is passing current to the Battery.

The other test, connect a voltmeter across the batteries terminals it should read 10 to 12v DC , start the engine at 2000rpm again, you should see about 14 to 14.5v if the alternator is working ok.

If you look at the VIN sticker on the passanger side door pillar it will probably say Toyota Europe , same as mine.

What to do, first remove and clean the Battery terminals, they might be corroded so stopping the power getting in.

You could try recharging the battery, if you have access to a charger and see how it goes - it might just be your short journeys and heavy load in the dark that is draining things.

Alternativley buy a good brand battery, my suppliers always suggest fitting a higher amperage than the oringinal factory fitted one - lots of reasons why -would be better for your driving anyway - make sure the supplier guarantees it will physically fit the car.

Only had a battery let go on me once - had to use the recovery folk - since then I have always carried one of these, or simialar and it did save me when the avensis battery started to fail - but that was 10 years old !

My link

[man-bing]

Just another brand to throw into this topic is Optima Battery, i've had mine nearly a year now, and can't say much has gone wrong with it yet

Pic of my old Battery, original and lasted 7.5yrs

Pic of my Optima Battery

[madvinegar]

My advise is to get an OEM Battery from a TOYOTA dealer. They have 3 years guarantee and their characteristics fit exactly your car... It is not good to get a more powerful or a less powerful Battery than the OEM one as it may damage your alternator or starter.

[wangtastic]

I have an 52 plate rolla e12 and it's still running strong on it's Battery. And that's with a 300w rms audio set up too.

I think as other's have said it's down to weather and being left over the weekend

[richard.c]

It is not good to get a more powerful or a less powerful battery than the OEM one as it may damage your alternator or starter.

Hi,

Well would agree that fitting a lower amperage Battery is a bad idea as it will just wear out /run down so much quicker.

As for fitting a more powerful / higher amperage Battery - well don't take my word for it, just use a site like Halfords and key in your reg number and they tell you what batteries will fit you car.

They will list the Standard Battery - for my car that 54Amps 530Amps Crank.

They also list a Heavy duty version at 63Amps 610Amps crank giving about a 20% increase on the standard one - Bosch and Halfords own label shown.

They would never be able to recommend a heavy duty version if it could damage anything.

So to my orignial point, assuming Sam just has a failing battery and she does a lot of short trips then a HD battery would seem the better option.

[SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS]

THANKS Guys...corollad4d...Richard.c...Man-bing...Madvinegar...and others...really appreciate the advice from you all! Well today was another story altogether...managed to start up my baby yesterday BUT today she just wasnt having it...lets just say i had a lonely 2 mile walk to work lol and i was late! I left the car at home and got my other half to ring the breakdown guys...he came within the hour as promised...he checked the starter & alternator and they were fine...infact he even said the Battery was fine...as new and in excellent condition!!! His verdict was because of our short journeys it just needed a good long charge and said being of a basic type of Battery this can happen when the weather is sooooo cold! He did agree that a better quality/brand of Battery would help in this weather....And sooooo

Yes i went to Eurocarparts after work and bought myself a new Bosch S4 battery which they highly recommended for my car...coldstart crank 540A and 60AH...+4 year guarantee...£59.00...He also mentioned the Bosch S5 which has coldstart crank 600A and 61AH +5 year guarantee at £79.00 but he thought this would be a little too powerful for my needs although i liked the look of it lol!!!

Now im a likkle worried after what Madvinegar commented "My advise is to get an OEM battery from a TOYOTA dealer. They have 3 years guarantee and their characteristics fit exactly your car... It is not good to get a more powerful or a less powerful battery than the OEM one as it may damage your alternator or starter"

The original Delphi Freedeom (oem) battery in the car now seems to be working fine right NOW after he jump started it and i took it for a 10 minute drive...but what if it happens again? The Bosch looks right for the job...but is it too powerful though? The original Delphi battery i think has a coldstart crank of 330A and 40AH. If i decide to fit the new Bosch battery...how can i store the Delphi battery so that i may use it again one day in future???

Sorry to bore you all...i hope not to have to worry about more than a battery in the near future...hope my corolla lives up to that rock solid reputation lol! Takecare all

Regards...Sammy

[richard.c]

THANKS Guys...corollad4d...Richard.c...Man-bing...Madvinegar...and others...really appreciate the advice from you all! Well today was another story altogether...managed to start up my baby yesterday BUT today she just wasnt having it...lets just say i had a lonely 2 mile walk to work lol and i was late! I left the car at home and got my other half to ring the breakdown guys...he came within the hour as promised...he checked the starter & alternator and they were fine...infact he even said the battery was fine...as new and in excellent condition!!! His verdict was because of our short journeys it just needed a good long charge and said being of a basic type of battery this can happen when the weather is sooooo cold! He did agree that a better quality/brand of battery would help in this weather....And sooooo

Yes i went to Eurocarparts after work and bought myself a new Bosch S4 battery which they highly recommended for my car...coldstart crank 540A and 60AH...+4 year guarantee...£59.00...He also mentioned the Bosch S5 which has coldstart crank 600A and 61AH +5 year guarantee at £79.00 but he thought this would be a little too powerful for my needs although i liked the look of it lol!!!

Now im a likkle worried after what Madvinegar commented "My advise is to get an OEM battery from a TOYOTA dealer. They have 3 years guarantee and their characteristics fit exactly your car... It is not good to get a more powerful or a less powerful battery than the OEM one as it may damage your alternator or starter"

The original Delphi Freedeom (oem) battery in the car now seems to be working fine right NOW after he jump started it and i took it for a 10 minute drive...but what if it happens again? The Bosch looks right for the job...but is it too powerful though? The original Delphi battery i think has a coldstart crank of 330A and 40AH. If i decide to fit the new Bosch battery...how can i store the Delphi battery so that i may use it again one day in future???

Sorry to bore you all...i hope not to have to worry about more than a battery in the near future...hope my corolla lives up to that rock solid reputation lol! Takecare all

Regards...Sammy

Hi Sam,

Well sounds like you got a good price on the Bosch Battery - decent 4 year guarantee - just keep the receipt safe.

Think you have answered your own point about the higher amperage batteries being safe - if you were the seller would you risk telling your customers to fit the wrong stuff - of course not, doubly confimed by your recovery guys comments and the post I put up just before this.

As for keeping your Delphi Battery - keep it somewhere frost free and give it a charge up every three months or so, but do put something on it to electrically insulate the two terminals, anything dropping onto them could burn you or cause a fire.

Even with a newer, bigger, better Battery you my still discharge it with your heavy loads to why not get one of those jump starter batteries I mentioned yesterday, some even come with a tyre inflator built in - a nice pressy for xmas.

[CorollaD4D]

as far as my experience is concerned your new Battery will be fine it won't damage any other components. saying that im not a mechanic i just have lots of experience day to day dealing with/running corollas and their issues.

[madvinegar]

Just for your information the alternator and the Battery are in some short of balance between them. Otherwise one of them would get damaged. What do I mean? I mean that a Battery of 45ah is built to work with an alternator of 40amper and vise versa. If you put a big Battery with the same alternator, you "overload" the alternator and at some point it may be damaged.

Now, if you have an alternator of 80amper and the battery is 40 or 45ah, the only thing that you will achieve is to boil the battery.

These two are like "communicating vessels" if you recall from school.

If you have more needs in consuming electrical power (i.e. a heavy sound system) then it is better to put an alternator of 60 or 80ah combined with the correct more powerful battery.

I have made a research myself some time ago and it all came down that if you do not need a bigger battery, just stay with the OEM one.

I am just saying my opinion here. Other than that I really hope you never have any battery problem again in the future no matter what kind of battery you will end up putting in your car.

As for the "sellers" some times they would say anything to sell their product... Just kidding...

[richard.c]

Just for your information the alternator and the battery are in some short of balance between them. Otherwise one of them would get damaged. What do I mean? I mean that a battery of 45ah is built to work with an alternator of 40amper and vise versa. If you put a big battery with the same alternator, you "overload" the alternator and at some point it may be damaged.

Now, if you have an alternator of 80amper and the battery is 40 or 45ah, the only thing that you will achieve is to boil the battery.

These two are like "communicating vessels" if you recall from school.

If you have more needs in consuming electrical power (i.e. a heavy sound system) then it is better to put an alternator of 60 or 80ah combined with the correct more powerful battery.

I have made a research myself some time ago and it all came down that if you do not need a bigger battery, just stay with the OEM one.

I am just saying my opinion here. Other than that I really hope you never have any battery problem again in the future no matter what kind of battery you will end up putting in your car.

As for the "sellers" some times they would say anything to sell their product... Just kidding...

Hi,

While I am not going to disagree with your science lessons, but to attach that principle to the modern cars charging system is taking things a bit too literally and think you are needlessly frightening Sam and folk off making the right choice of car Battery.

If a big retailer like Halfords say I can use a HD Battery in my car and it then blows my alternator /electrics I can sue Halfords and get plenty of money from them for selling me the wrong Battery.

Why do manufactures produce HD versions of there standard batteries if not to fit in the same car as the standard battery ..?

Have a look at this link which clearly explains the modern charging system - here's a snippet.

My link

Current demand and flow:

If you have an alternator that can produce 120 amps of current (max) and the the total current demand from the electrical accessories (including the battery) is only 20 amps, the alternator will only produce the necessary current (20 amps) to maintain the target voltage (which is determined by the alternator's internal voltage regulator). Remember that the alternator monitors the electrical system's voltage. If the voltage starts to fall below the target voltage (approximately 13.8 volts depending on the alternator's design), the alternator produces more current to keep the voltage up. When the demand for current is low, the full current capacity of the alternator is not used/produced (a 120 amp alternator does not continuously produce 120 amps unless there is a sufficient current draw).

[madvinegar]

Don't take it wrong. It is not a science lesson and I do not wish to frighten anyone. It is merely my opinion after a small research I have made.

As I explained I believe that manufacturers produce HD versions of their standard batteries so as to use them if you need more electric power in your car i.e. if you install a heavy sound system with amplifiers, bass boxes etc. If the car is "stock" I see no reason in getting a more powerful Battery. This is just my understanding...

And one more thing. Is Sam's car within guarantee? Will the TOYOTA dealer accept to fix within guarantee Sam's car (or any car within guarantee) in case an electrical problem arises (i.e. to the alternator) if he sees that the Battery of the car is not an OEM one and the new Battery has different characteristics from what TOYOTA manufacturer suggests for this specific car? Just a thought...

We don't have Halfords here in Greece (but I have heard of them through TV commercials when I come to my flat in London), and they seem like a well respected company so I suppose Sam has no reason not to trust them.

Again, Sam I apologize if I have worried or frightened you. It was not my intention by any means...

P.S.: The VIN code of the Japan made corollas starts with JTD while for UK made corollas starts with SB.

[CorollaD4D]

like i said im no expert on the electrical side but i do know that my sound system is roughly in the region of 1500watts rms i've used several different types of Battery in the past, some bigger than oem rating some smaller than oem rating and never had any trouble with altenator malfunctioning/whining etc. i must also add i have done the big 3 wiring upgrade maybe this is the reason my altenator is still alive.

my brothers vag mk 4 tdi has an orion hcca spl sub in it and he's running over 3000watts rms with stock Battery and altenator just with big 3 upgrade, caps and some other bits and bobs. admitedly he won't be getting the full juice the amp can chuck out but point being electrical systems are more resilient that it may first appear.

anyhow i dont really wanna argue with anyone Sam can read our posts/opinions and decide for herself :)

[madvinegar]

No one is arguing. We are just expressing our thoughts!

[acetip]

Just for your information the alternator and the battery are in some short of balance between them. Otherwise one of them would get damaged. What do I mean? I mean that a battery of 45ah is built to work with an alternator of 40amper and vise versa. If you put a big battery with the same alternator, you "overload" the alternator and at some point it may be damaged.

Now, if you have an alternator of 80amper and the battery is 40 or 45ah, the only thing that you will achieve is to boil the battery.

These two are like "communicating vessels" if you recall from school.

If you have more needs in consuming electrical power (i.e. a heavy sound system) then it is better to put an alternator of 60 or 80ah combined with the correct more powerful battery.

I have made a research myself some time ago and it all came down that if you do not need a bigger battery, just stay with the OEM one.

I am just saying my opinion here. Other than that I really hope you never have any battery problem again in the future no matter what kind of battery you will end up putting in your car.

As for the "sellers" some times they would say anything to sell their product... Just kidding...

fitting a heavy duty Battery is going to do no harm to the electrics on a car.its not going effect antyhing.

done it on several cars.a 12volt Battery if its oem or heavy duty will still only be 12volts.a hesvy duty battry gives more amps per hour than a oem Battery,your alternator is more than capable to handle this.

[richard.c]

Hi Sam,

Well plenty of opinions to go at there, but am sure your new Battery will be fine.

The reason for this post is that I just remembered you said the other weekend you had replaced your drivebelt - which of course drives the alternator.

If the new belt is too slack it may slip ( often gives out a squeal on start up or setting off ) and so not drive the alternator round properly which soon results in the Battery going flat.

Sure you will have followed the manual when replacing it, but might be worth rechecking incase anything has slackened off.

[SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS]

Hi Sam,

Well plenty of opinions to go at there, but am sure your new battery will be fine.

The reason for this post is that I just remembered you said the other weekend you had replaced your drivebelt - which of course drives the alternator.

If the new belt is too slack it may slip ( often gives out a squeal on start up or setting off ) and so not drive the alternator round properly which soon results in the battery going flat.

Sure you will have followed the manual when replacing it, but might be worth rechecking incase anything has slackened off.

Hi Rich

Firstly thank you to you and ALL that left there valuable comments...it made very interesting reading indeed! I am yet to fit my new Battery...just too darn cold to undo a nut lol!!! I'll do it this weekend. My car started up at the flick of a switch this morning...the old Battery obviously has life left in it still so i'll make sure i store it away safely with the terminals covered up safely & securely. I'll let you guys know how i get on with the new Battery.

Rich its funny how you mentioned the drive belt...i did think of that last night and went out to check the tension of the belt and its fine...not slipping/squealing at all...it looks and feels a lot more solid than the old one...worth replacing as they're pretty cheap anyway! Thanks for mentioning it though.

So whats your new project diy jobs planned for your car?

Sammy

p/s...i am considering investing in a battery jump starter unit...im saving up for other things 1st...gonna have to be last on my list unfortunately lol!

[eddieinvader]

Some mad things going on here, just replace with a heavy duty Battery always have done on all the cars I have owned in 22 years of driving it never causes any problems

[madvinegar]

Some mad things going on here,

It has to match my nickname! mad things + madvinegar...

LoL !!! :D

[SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS]

Hi Rich.C

Just walked in after fitting my new Bosch Battery...Firstly attepting to undo a simple 10m nut is a damn mission in this weather lol!!! Anyways after a bit of tinkering and modifications of the Battery bracket i was all done! starting up seems a lot more positive now...but time will tell. Heu just an update...Took my car to the dealers the other day...stopped on the off chance just to show them my old Battery since its oem and im having start problems and they confirmed it was the wrong battery to start with...its a 40A and i should have a 60A...so that explains it all!

A question for you matey...Do we have an EGR valve on our engines that we can clean like others on here talk about???

Also re the rear fog light...i noticed only the drivers side lights up...which i think is normal...but i checked the passenger side thinking i'd install a bulb for hell sakes as it would look better but theres like a blanking plate? Can it be removed and would it be legal to install a bulb??? Please let me know your thoughts all!

Regards...Sammy

[eddieinvader]

Can it be removed and would it be legal to install a bulb??? Please let me know your thoughts all!

There are people on here that have done just this, the holder will take a bulb and you will need to drill out the blank and also run a wire from the side that has the bulb to begin with as the circut does not go to where there is a blank.

[richard.c]

Hi Rich.C

Just walked in after fitting my new Bosch battery...Firstly attepting to undo a simple 10m nut is a damn mission in this weather lol!!! Anyways after a bit of tinkering and modifications of the battery bracket i was all done! starting up seems a lot more positive now...but time will tell. Heu just an update...Took my car to the dealers the other day...stopped on the off chance just to show them my old battery since its oem and im having start problems and they confirmed it was the wrong battery to start with...its a 40A and i should have a 60A...so that explains it all!

A question for you matey...Do we have an EGR valve on our engines that we can clean like others on here talk about???

Also re the rear fog light...i noticed only the drivers side lights up...which i think is normal...but i checked the passenger side thinking i'd install a bulb for hell sakes as it would look better but theres like a blanking plate? Can it be removed and would it be legal to install a bulb??? Please let me know your thoughts all!

Regards...Sammy

Hi Sam,

Just got in with the falling snow following behind me on the motorway - think it will be thick with snow in the morning ~!

Well my Delphi Battery is the 40 amp type - and when I removed the leads to clean the terminals it was clear it had been on the car for years.

If you look at Halfords site the bog standard Battery they list is 45A for the petrol Corolla , just that its much more normal to replace the original Battery with a 60a type - thats why I mentioned getting a higher amperage one originally.

Probably your battery has failed a little early and your short journeys / cold weather has helped it on its way - if they lasted so much longer why don't all batteries come with a 5 year gtee.

Only one other thing it could be, if you unknowingly left something on all night - with the keys out can you leave anything on .... ??

Don't think that mechanic can have serviced many Corollas.....

ERG valves are diesel only parts.

As eddieinvader just mentioned there is a thread on this forum on how to fit a bulb to it - like you had looked at the plate but could see it needed a bit of work so left it for now as other things need doing first.

[SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS]

Hi Rich.C

Just walked in after fitting my new Bosch battery...Firstly attepting to undo a simple 10m nut is a damn mission in this weather lol!!! Anyways after a bit of tinkering and modifications of the battery bracket i was all done! starting up seems a lot more positive now...but time will tell. Heu just an update...Took my car to the dealers the other day...stopped on the off chance just to show them my old battery since its oem and im having start problems and they confirmed it was the wrong battery to start with...its a 40A and i should have a 60A...so that explains it all!

A question for you matey...Do we have an EGR valve on our engines that we can clean like others on here talk about???

Also re the rear fog light...i noticed only the drivers side lights up...which i think is normal...but i checked the passenger side thinking i'd install a bulb for hell sakes as it would look better but theres like a blanking plate? Can it be removed and would it be legal to install a bulb??? Please let me know your thoughts all!

Regards...Sammy

Hi Sam,

Just got in with the falling snow following behind me on the motorway - think it will be thick with snow in the morning ~!

Well my Delphi Battery is the 40 amp type - and when I removed the leads to clean the terminals it was clear it had been on the car for years.

If you look at Halfords site the bog standard Battery they list is 45A for the petrol Corolla , just that its much more normal to replace the original Battery with a 60a type - thats why I mentioned getting a higher amperage one originally.

Probably your battery has failed a little early and your short journeys / cold weather has helped it on its way - if they lasted so much longer why don't all batteries come with a 5 year gtee.

Only one other thing it could be, if you unknowingly left something on all night - with the keys out can you leave anything on .... ??

Don't think that mechanic can have serviced many Corollas.....

ERG valves are diesel only parts.

As eddieinvader just mentioned there is a thread on this forum on how to fit a bulb to it - like you had looked at the plate but could see it needed a bit of work so left it for now as other things need doing first.

THANKS Rich...it makes sense re the battery amperage now! I must say i do have better start ups, i feel a lot more re-assured each morning lol!

Please do let me know if you ever get around to figuring out how to get the fog light on the left to work...i dont feel too confident re tapping into wires etc, i thought i could just remove that black cover thing...put a bulb in...and it would work...obviously not...i'll leave it till summer now hey lol!

Oh oh oh and before i forget...im thinking of buying all 4 discs and pads before VAT goes up in January...Toyota stealers are way too expensive so i've been ringing around...found "NIPP-PARTS" and "BLUE PRINT" at reasobale prices but all these spares outlets keep asking me to bring in a disc and pad for front & rear to match them up as apparently you get 2 types of disc and pad??? Now how can they expect you to remove them just to show them? what do i do? My discs/pads are okay for now but will need replacing shortly as previously mentioned...hmmm...bit of a dialemma hey lol! Takecare

Sammy