Dead Car

[Matt2503]

Went to my Yaris Hybrid tonight after not using it for 3 weeks and the car is completely dead. Nothing, no power what so ever. The doors didn't unlock remotely and when I put the key in the ignition there was nothing at all that came on.

I'm assuming that if the 12v Battery was flat then something would come on ie interior lights, dash lights, etc.

So is it a main fuse that has gone? Or have all the batteries completely discharged in 3 weeks?

The Battery levels were high when I last used it.

Thanks in advance. 

[FROSTYBALLS]

Could the interior light have been left on?

[Matt2503]

99.9% sure it wasn't but I will check tomorrow morning. But even if it was there would some power left in the Battery, no?

[FROSTYBALLS]

3 minutes ago, Matt2503 said:

99.9% sure it wasn't but I will check tomorrow morning. But even if it was there would some power left in the battery, no?

After three weeks ....

[Cyker]

It's a very common problem - The 12v batteries in the various HSD models are known to be a weak point.

We had loads of posts last year from Prius and Auris people who'd left their HSD's for a couple of weeks only to find the 12v Battery had completely died and they couldn't switch the car on.


The problem is the 12v Battery in HSDs is MUCH smaller than it is in a normal car - Toyota figured everything could be powered off the traction Battery so a full 12v battery wasn't needed as its only job is to power the ECU when the car is off so the remote central locking works, and also to cut in the traction battery isolation relay to power up the rest of the car.

Unfortunately it appears they underestimated the off-line power draw of the ECU and remote central locking.

It's particularly annoying as your traction battery probably still has quite a good charge; It's just the tiny 12v battery that's dead, but since you need that to power up the traction battery... It doesn't even take much to get the car to turn on; Theoretically you could string eight 1.5v batteries together to make 12v and connect it to the right place and it'll power the ECU long enough for you to put the car in Ready mode and engage the traction battery! :lol: (Disclaimer: I take no responsibility if you try this and it blows your car up)


It's pretty easy to sort out; Just connect some other car's 12v battery (Or a booster pack) to the appropriate places (RTFM!) and that'll power the 12v circuits and allow you to put the car in Ready mode, which engages the traction battery. Then you can leave it in Ready mode for a while (Or go for a hoon :naughty:) so it can charge the 12v battery back up.

(NB: Depending on how badly drained your 12v battery is, you may need a new one as Toyota were using normal car starter batteries instead of deep-cycle batteries in the HSDs, and draining a starter battery below 50% will damage it pretty badly.)

In the future, it might be worth investing in a 12v trickle-charger or portable jump pack if you're going to leave your HSD unused for long periods of time. Disconnecting the 12v battery while it's not being used is also an option.

[Matt2503]

99.9% sure?!

Well it turns out that I did leave the drivers courtesy light on! (Douchebag)

So have removed the Battery and am now charging it. The only problem in getting the Battery out from the back seat is that when the car is dead I can't unlock the doors from the inside so only had access from the drivers door. It's probably quite funny seeing a grown man clamber around inside tiny Yaris trying to remove a Battery from underneath the back seat :)

Thanks for all your help guys!

[Gands]

Just bought a used Yaris hybrid.  I will be away for 10 weeks during winter 2016-7 and was thinking of buying a solar trickle charger to keep the 12v Battery alive while I'm away.  Does anyone know whether plugging a trickle charger into the 12v dashboard socket will charge the Battery when the car is powered off and the car is locked?  If so, has anyone tried this and can they recommend a suitable charger?

[alan333]

1 hour ago, Gands said:

Does anyone know whether plugging a trickle charger into the 12v dashboard socket will charge the battery when the car is powered off and the car is locked?  If so, has anyone tried this and can they recommend a suitable charger?

Check if the cig lighter/dashboard socket works with ignition off and car locked - if it does then it'll probably work, but if it doesn't then there isn't a direct connection to the Battery so it won't charge.

Check out motorcycle trickle chargers - you hard wire a short length of cable with a plug on the end to the car Battery, then plug in the charger as you wish.

[MEP's Yaris GS]

4 hours ago, Gands said:

Just bought a used Yaris hybrid.  I will be away for 10 weeks during winter 2016-7 and was thinking of buying a solar trickle charger to keep the 12v battery alive while I'm away.  Does anyone know whether plugging a trickle charger into the 12v dashboard socket will charge the battery when the car is powered off and the car is locked?  If so, has anyone tried this and can they recommend a suitable charger?

Into the power aux no, as its ignition switched.

However you can plug it in via the OBD port now, which is constantly live I believe :)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Solar-Panel-Battery-Charger-OBD-ll-Cable-FREE-DELVERY-/252321244570?hash=item3abf84a59a:g:I94AAOSwvgdW5~oX

[ZoomzoomVroomvroom]

14 hours ago, alan333 said:

Check if the cig lighter/dashboard socket works with ignition off and car locked - if it does then it'll probably work, but if it doesn't then there isn't a direct connection to the battery so it won't charge.

Check out motorcycle trickle chargers - you hard wire a short length of cable with a plug on the end to the car battery, then plug in the charger as you wish.

What Alan said - use a motorcycle trickle charger.

 

Easy to install (effortless) and very easy and convenient to leave on charge while you leave the car alone. Oxford make a pretty decent one.

 

Also just in general if you leave your alone you should get it on a trickle charger - your Battery will thank you for it 

[Gands]

Thanks to all who have replied.  I'm off to the shops to buy a solar trickle charger that comes with an OBDII connector as standard.  Very impressed with the willingness of fellow owners to help a "newbie"!

[MEP's Yaris GS]

18 minutes ago, Gands said:

Thanks to all who have replied.  I'm off to the shops to buy a solar trickle charger that comes with an OBDII connector as standard.  Very impressed with the willingness of fellow owners to help a "newbie"!

Your welcome.

Just don't do what I done last April, leave the car parked at Gatwick for a week, solar maintainer connected and interior light on - Battery still ends up as flat as a pancake haha!

[Anthony Poli]

Hi,

One other thing not to do, is leave an OBD dongle plugged in while the car is sat all weekend.  ;-)

Just one learn you don't want to learn on a dark frosty Monday morning. At the time I wondered why ready failed to light up. 

Will keep a jump stater in the boot next time I leave the car while on holiday. 

[eyemdee]

Just as a matter of interest, my Hybrid has been parked outside the house for the last 7 weeks while I have been in hospital/unable to drive it. I went out to check it on Tuesday and the READY light came on at the first push of the button.

I did worry that the Battery may be flat but on reading the manual there is a terminal under the bonnet in the high voltage fuse box which allows a connection to another vehicle Battery (or charger) to recharge it without removing it from under the seats.

[Anthony Poli]

20 minutes ago, eyemdee said:

Just as a matter of interest, my Hybrid has been parked outside the house for the last 7 weeks while I have been in hospital/unable to drive it. I went out to check it on Tuesday and the READY light came on at the first push of the button.

I did worry that the battery may be flat but on reading the manual there is a terminal under the bonnet in the high voltage fuse box which allows a connection to another vehicle battery (or charger) to recharge it without removing it from under the seats.

Yes your right, just some prefer to take the Battery out to recharge it fully and try to restore as much capacity as possible. To charge the Battery from flat took over 12 hours, would take longer charging it up whilst in the car.