Battery Has Discharged!

[sanzomat]

To have the key 1.5m away when keyless unlocking must mean holding the keys in one outstretched arm whilst reaching out for the door handle with the other - you'd look a bit like DaVinci's vitruvius man! I've found the key needs to be closer than that - sometimes if its in my back pocket it doesn't unlock so I have to turn my rear a bit closer to the door! Was the same with previous Renault cars with the "hands free unlocking"

It interesting that you can't have the key by one door and unlock the other - e.g if my wife and I both approach the car and she gets to the passenger door before I get to the drivers door, if I'm the only one with a key about my person she can't unlock it even when I'm right by my door.

[RunningInPleasePass]

With the Auris it seems to sense the key when it's about 1.5 metres away, you can tell because the interior lights come on.

[RunningInPleasePass]

Update.

My car has now been with the dealer three weeks, waiting to have a new Battery fitted, it seems almost beyond belief that Toyota can't source a Battery for a car made in this country.

Not heard from the dealer now for over two weeks and Toyota Customer Relations for over a week, I suppose it is difficult for them to phone me to only to tell me that they have done nothing.

My thoughts on dealing with Toyota and Toyota Dealers, they seem to be very helpful without actually doing anything, the customer is a long way from being their main priority, if their system takes forever to source a Battery that's hard luck and you will just have to wait.

I'm going to have a go at getting in touch with the CEO of Toyota and asking him for his thoughts on my dealing with his company.

I'll keep you informed of my progress.

[Dasbob]

Good luck! be surprised if you get the CEO mind.

Currently apprehensive about my car, going to not drive it tomorrow and see if it works monday, then do the same next weekend.

[RunningInPleasePass]

Emailed the CEO of Toyota UK this morning, my complaint was handed over to Customer Relations who have just phoned to tell me my car has now been repaired and is ready for collection, is that just a coincidence or just good timing?

So, after nearly four weeks I have my car back with a new Battery. (Kwick Fit have nothing to worry about there!)

When I collected it, it had been cleaned and the petrol tank filled, but no paperwork changed hands, and I must admit I never thought about it at the time, just being glad to have my car back, but that seems strange?

I will just have to see how it is now, I just hope it starts reliably from now on.

My opinion of Toyota is at rock bottom at the moment, so this car will now have to work very hard to alter my view, time will tell.

[Peter Sale]

I suspect they have removed the Battery from a new car instead of waiting for Santa to deliver one !

[RunningInPleasePass]

I suspect they have removed the battery from a new car instead of waiting for Santa to deliver one !

You may be right Peter, the guy who handed the car over to me insisted that it had been fitted with a new Battery that had arrived from Japan on Saturday, either way it has taken nearly 4 weeks to get my car back, so much for the fabled Toyota customer relations.

[Yolina]

Emailed the CEO of Toyota UK this morning, my complaint was handed over to Customer Relations who have just phoned to tell me my car has now been repaired and is ready for collection, is that just a coincidence or just good timing?

So, after nearly four weeks I have my car back with a new battery. (Kwick Fit have nothing to worry about there!)

Glad it's finally fixed :)

[timberwolf]

I think it is normal, if you aren't paying the bill then you don't get to see the invoice - as it is either internal billing within the dealer, or billing between the dealer and Toyota GB.

It did feel strange when I had a complaint about servicing and I did not get a receipt for the rework, but perhaps I felt the invoice was proof they had done the work?

[johalareewi]

Interestingly, you don't get a service invoice when you have a Mr T service plan either because they invoice the insurance company who underwrite the service plan. I have to ask for a copy invoice each time so I can see what was done, and have a copy for my file.

[sanzomat]

With the Auris it seems to sense the key when it's about 1.5 metres away, you can tell because the interior lights come on.

Now the days are getting shorter I've noticed this on my Prius Plus too - quite cool that the interior lights come on as you walk up to the car!

[RunningInPleasePass]

Hopefully, to end my flat Battery saga:

I've just received a nice letter from Toyota Customer Services to apologise for the concerns caused by my new cars flat Battery, also enclosed was a voucher for my first 10,000 mile service.

I hope this will be the end of it, and I can settle down to trust this car to start without problems, on the upside I've learnt a bit about Battery technology!

[Dasbob]

Well thats nice of them, i hope i get the same :P

Its D - Day for me tomorrow, not driven the car since friday night, it was okay last weekend but then i did have the first weekend after they gave me a full charge with it being fine (although i did drive it 300 miles on the saturday).

Lets see and hope!

[Dasbob]

Tada! it worked fine... although i have been parking the car round the front of the house at weekends (this based on a loose theory of mine that it might be something to do with the man who has a garage behind where my car is parked and often and seems to be working on things like his own Jet Engine.... and might have something drawing power)

My other theory is that when i picked the car up it was not in Eco mode (i have always driven 100% in eco mode)... so i have kept it out of eco mode since i got it, over the next few weeks i am going to try parking round the back and also driving in eco mode... if all is fine then, then it was the Battery for sure :)

fingers crossed and all that :)

[Yolina]

Yay

Have to say that I don't manually stick it in Eco mode, mine usually stays in "normal" - the only time I've used Eco was the few days we had snow in London last year.

[RunningInPleasePass]

I must agree, I've not used ECO mode, apart from just to try it, used PWR mode a few times to power up long hills, a bit noisy, but it certainly doe's the job.

I am nervous about flattening the Battery, at the moment:

I leave the key out of range when I wash it, to avoid the doors unlocking.

I turn it to READY mode when I use the 12v sockets to vacuum it out and inflate tyres, in fact I have just bought a 240v vacuum.

I leave it in READY mode if I sit in the car with the radio on.

I leave the key out of range while I work in the garden near the car.

I'm sure I'm going over the top here, but as I say I'm a little nervous!

[Peter Sale]

Hopefully with time your confidence will return and there will be no need for paranoia !

If it makes you feel better though, I do all the things you mention except the bit about working in the garden. I don't normally do many miles though so feel I need to be careful.

[leccyman]

Hi there, should you find you do have a HV Battery problem i can help, I have a successfull grid charging system which i put together for my Honda it works terrifickly well restores to full SOC state of charge, I could modify it easily for a Prius if you would like to volunteer as a guinea pig please contact me.

Also please see my previous posts entitled An offer to prius owners

All the Best

Leccyman

[geo13647]

Well! That's mine broke too.

Went out this morning, no power, no lights, no locks working. Both keys just flash when you press the buttons.

3 months old & 1500 miles, and now a flat Battery, how crap is that?

One cool night, & the Battery is goosed, or something else is badly wrong.

Now need to go and argue with mr T.

This is the first time since the 1980's that I've had a Battery problem with no advance warning.

Was out on Sunday, and the scanguage was showing the usual 14.7v, no indication that there was an issue.

Mr T really needs to get his charging circuits sorted.

**update**

The service assistant came along & jump started the car.

I drove it along to the garage, was getting the usual 14.7v on scanguage.

When I stopped & switched off @ the garage, the static voltage dropped to 11.2v before the scanguage

Shutdown.

Me, I suspect a duff cell in the battery, or just a poor cheap quality one.

Wonder what mr T will say?

The HV battery had a SoC of 62% so it looks like the charging inverter is just ***** poor.

They really need to get that sorted.

G...

[RunningInPleasePass]

Sorry to hear about your Battery problem, it really is a downer when your nice shiny new car lets you down.

I think the thing about these 12 volt batteries Toyota use for hybrids is there only just good enough for the job, if there not 101% they will let you down.

Have you done anything recently that could have drained the Battery, once it's been flattened I think the car is unable to get it back to full strength and you need either a new Battery or to re-charge it with one of those hi-tech chargers.

The dealer will charge it up for you and tell you it tests out okay but I'm not sure it will not let you down again, try and get a new battery from them.

[geo13647]

Sure is a bit of a pest, luckily I was just getting something out of the car, and not actually needed to go anywhere.

The only electrical extras that run in the car are the scanguage and a front view camera that is powered by the ciggy lighter socket.

Very rarely are there any other additional electrical consumers used, and certainly not in the past week.

I even have the interior lights permanently off.

It looks like the method of charging the 12v Battery from the HV via an inverter is badly under-specced, and the Battery is just plain poor.

Interesting to see what mr T finally does on this design fault.

G...

[barrycoll]

It could well be the Scanguage that is adding to the problem...

I have an IQ, that have fitted with an aftermarket Head Up Display

http://hud-e.com/shop/page/1?sessid=7BCluy6kTnnicybOxfqGSOnYKpHWZ9JOh0qaKRddwHsQpsKzXJMNuep3xSRKT82m&shop_param=

...when this HUD is left plugged into OBD socket, it remains Live even when all else is shut down.....so my wife manage to flatten this non hybrid Battery when chatting to a friend in the car with lights left on Auto and the ignition Off

[Dasbob]

Sounds pretty rubbish, did you use eco mode? .... i still have not dared use it ...slowly moving back to my old way of driving weekend by weekend.

I found complaining directly to Toyota Customer Relations (email from website) is a handy way to get things moving, chances are if the problem continues they will get involved any way.

A recall looks quite likely at this rate...

[RunningInPleasePass]

I'm sure this problem is caused by the Battery being too small.

If you look at the Lexus Owners site you will find the same problem discussed by RX owners, and it seems Toyota solved it with by fitting a larger Battery when the model was updated.

http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/43199-battery-failure/

I think if your unlucky and the Battery fitted in the factory is not 100% it will go flat even if your very careful, it seems something of a black art to test a battery, so when you take it to the dealer he will report it as testing okay in good faith.

The only real solution is to fit a bigger capacity battery, that way even if the battery fitted on your car at manufacture is not 100% it will still be good enough to do the job, but of course a bigger battery will not fit in the existing place and to accommodate it would mean a redesign of the boot, perhaps in a few years when they give this car a facelift!

Kevin

[geo13647]

Ok, so back along to the dealer, car not ready.

Diagnosis - Battery has faulty cell. Needs new Battery.

Now waiting on mr T to authorise the warranty repair, before they can order a new Battery. :(

Going to get a loan car tomorrow, as they have no idea yet how long it will take.

Re scangauge, used the same one in my iQ for 4 years with no problems, it seems to shut off ok.

A larger capacity battery would be good, but don't think that's the main issue.

The art of charging from an inverter, still seems to need a bit more R&D.

As it doesn't need a deep cycle battery, fitting a properly specced leisure battery would be the best option,

But they would need to reprogram the charging ccts.

So, result! Well sort of, quick diagnosis, they actually agreed with me that the battery was suspect before they inspected it.

Tomorrow will tell.

G...