Ready Mode

[marlinleg]

Hello I have been reading on this forum about 12  volt Battery and a comment about the hybrid system charging the 12 v Battery when the cars in  Ready Mode

whats ready mode , I have a Rav 4 excel hybrid .
Thank you and a happy new yrear 

[TonyHSD]

Hi, ready mode is when you press start button and your car comes to life ready to be driven. There should be a small green light on the dash showing “Ready”. 
Regards 

[marlinleg]

Thanks Tonyhsd

[iain123]

Hello

I do not own a Toyota but a friend has a new Yaris Hybrid.

Ready Mode. is that the car idling on petrol or ready to engage the electric motor.

The problem is the friend does not drive the car enougth and therefore flat Battery or both battaries are flat.

Toyota advise to "run" car in ready mode for 60 minutes each week if the car is not used very little use. So if both battries are flat does ready mode for 60 minutes mean the car idling on the petrol engine.

If this is the case leading me to say what waste of fuel pollution.

regards

iain

[FROSTYBALLS]

It is unlikely the hybrid Battery would be flat. In ready mode, the 12v Battery will charge from the hybrid system, and the engine may run for a few minutes every so often, but won't be running for the full 60 minutes.

Ideally your friend should be using the car more often or for longer.

[forkingabout]

I always leave the vehicle in ready mode if I'm sitting in it listening to the radio for example, let the hybrid system look after itself & not run the 12 volt Battery down by using accessory mode.

[Derek.w]

The car has a HV Battery display so its safe to drop 3 or 4 bars from full.

The 12 volt Battery will need to be charged from a wall outlet to keep it healthy use a smart charger or a solar panel charger if outside and in the sun at least in the summer.

 

[Roy124]

Iain, does your friend have a power source near the car?  A smart Battery charger would be a good investment whether they have a hybrid or any other car. 

If no power a solar panel charger plugged into the OBD port would be a good alternative. 

[Cyker]

The traction/high voltage Battery is completely disconnected when the car is off so you won't need to worry about that; You'd probably have to leave it for several years for that to discharge, and it'd be likely the rest of the car would have more pressing problems in that case (e.g. becoming a new tenement for the local rodent population)!

The 12v Battery will discharge as it continues to power all the standby systems; You can extend it by disabling the keyless/'smart' entry system, but the only real 'fix' is get a trickle-charger.

TBH if they use the car so infrequently, they might be better off with an AygoX or an Up! - The Yaris Mk4 is a very expensive car to not use!! I've left mine for up to 2 weeks with no problems, but mine's a workhorse so when it is getting used it's getting used a lot!

[TonyHSD]

16 hours ago, iain123 said:

Hello

I do not own a Toyota but a friend has a new Yaris Hybrid.

Ready Mode. is that the car idling on petrol or ready to engage the electric motor.

The problem is the friend does not drive the car enougth and therefore flat battery or both battaries are flat.

Toyota advise to "run" car in ready mode for 60 minutes each week if the car is not used very little use. So if both battries are flat does ready mode for 60 minutes mean the car idling on the petrol engine.

If this is the case leading me to say what waste of fuel pollution.

regards

iain

Hi,  

simply said “ready mode” is when you start the car and be ready to drive. Make sure the car is in gear P, parking brake engaged and all electric accessories like heating, radio, AC, everything been turned off. You will need to remain seated in the car though or if you have gated driveway you can leave the car ON and be around it. Do not do ready mode in closed garage or underground parking. Engine will kick in every now and then to recharge the hybrid Battery while the hybrid Battery will recharge the 12v Battery. The suggestion with smart chargers are better option than ready mode though. 

[iain123]

Hello Forum thankyou for all the repliees

The owner of the Yaris Hybrid is in their early 80's and lives in  block of flats the parnets of  a good friend. The Yaris was only very recently bought on a lease from Toyota, i believe of the type of a Personal contrsact purchase and its not a cheap lease.

From  the posts it seems it is the small 12 volt Battery that is the culprit

And if a power socket is near the car to trickle charge or solar panel.

And switching  off smart entry system may help b12v battery  some.

Not sure if there is a power socket ...in flats car park...

However i think as the car owners are 80+ and they just want  a simple life, not sure how they will feel about having to charge regularly as the solution.

My friend was not at  Toyota when  their parents leased the Yaris car, due to the purchaser age retired etc i would thought Toyota sales should asked how many miles they drive a week and that  would ruled out  a Hybrid as suitable...I would not have know the 12v Battery needed millage or charging. Unfortunately their VW Polo had develeped a fault with automatic  transmission that would cost suprisingly £6000 to fixleading to the yaris lease. So they have car  problems

Not sure as i have never bougt a new car or had a lease etc if Toyota would  allow a  change to an all petrol model.

regards

iain

 

[FROSTYBALLS]

Rather than the sales staff being 'Toyota', they would be employed by the dealer (eg. Steven Eagell, etc). 

If the couple had gone into the dealer saying they wanted a Yaris, why would the sales staff question what they said they wanted? At the end of the day we don't know the details of the visit, what was discussed, etc, including whether usage was part of the discussion.

In the UK, non-hybrid versions of the Yaris aren't part of Toyota GB's line up, so if the parents wanted to change for a petrol non-hybrid, the choice would solely be the Aygo X, which is available in either manual of auto. If they do wish to change, they would need to discuss the issue with the dealer - and presumably it would be best for your friend to attend at this time as well. 

 

[iain123]

Thank you for replying

Yes I should remebered Toyota Dealership, i think it was look at the Toyota website and lease i believe arranged by Toyota and i have never bought a car from a main dealer...

Thank you for clarafying the only realy viable petrol is the smaller Aygo i had a look  at the Toyota website including diesel no small family petrol or diesel cars.

I do not know if they went to the dealer and said they wanted a Yaris from the outset                    And not sure if my friends knows either. Toyota has a good reputation, probably why they went to the Toyota dealer.

I do think sales have some responsability. The world is becoming increasingy complex due technology one group particularly effected being the elderly. It would be a very simple and quick question to ask how many mile do you drive a week/month .Also a lease quotes are based partly around millage. Most 80+ are not working or wizzing about.

Maybe as the dealer did not have anything suiyable a small family petrol or diesel, they endup with a hybrid.  And if they have charging point in their carpark can arrange one, a more exspensive plug in hybrid would been more suitable as easier to use. The idea of the lease rather than out right purchase was to simplify matters eg maintenance. Seems like either they drive more regularly or trickle charge mains or solar or change if its possible to Aygo or used petrol.

My another friend wanted to buy a car and offered to pay the dealer in physical cash they could not accomidate money laudering i suspect...So sales have procedures to go through.

But the Toyata dealer was unable to say they do not have suitable car to enderly couple.

[FROSTYBALLS]

But again as neither you nor your friend were present when the parents ordered the car, you don't actually know what was discussed .....

[Derek.w]

It a lot easier just to try a solar panel providing it in a area that can capture some sunlight on most days for lets say 2 hours or more.

[Cyker]

I've been finding dealers have been very reluctant to take payment in cash, and I've realized it's because they get a substantial kickback for getting people onto lease/PCP finance deals.

It's a good hint as currently, if you agree to such a deal, you should absolutely haggle the price down further, as the mere act of signing onto a PCP should net at least a grand off the price, if not more!, due to this kickback they get.

My dealer's sales department generally get it quite easy from what I see; People generally come to them with the car and spec in mind, as I did, and they basically just have to process the order. They may give a brief tour of the vehicle, or organize a test drive, or go through what they have in stock, but they don't really have to do much convincing. (Certainly not like the kind of high-pressure hard-sell tactics I've experienced at e.g. Carcraft! That's a place I'll never go near ever again!!)

I'm not even sure they are aware of things like the 12v Battery issue , as most of them don't seem very technical, so I can imagine them selling a vehicle as suitable for low use due to that lack of awareness.

 

[iain123]

Just now, FROSTYBALLS said:

But again as neither you nor your friend were present when the parents ordered the car, you don't actually know what was discussed .....

I did say Maybe, as below

"Maybe" as the dealer did not have anything suiyable a small family petrol or diesel, they endup with a hybrid. 

i agree i do not know what was discussed or the lack of what sales told them

Makes me think you work in sales or are close to some who does.

[iain123]

Just now, Derek.w said:

It a lot easier just to try a solar panel providing it in a area that can capture some sunlight on most days for lets say 2 hours or more.

This is the solution i think i would use, a pernament lead to the Battery and a unpluggable regulator and solar panel, but not sure how the new owners would see this after paying a lease deposit of £4000 and considerable monthly payment.

[iain123]

Cyker thank you for your reply

and explenation on PCP being lucrative for the dealer

1, i said "Maybe as the dealer did not have anything suitable a small family petrol or diesel, they endup with a hybrid.", a bit harsh as the car could be suitable/made suitable , but Toyota in reality does not do a small family petrol or diesel only car it appears in the UK.

2, You reply "I'm not even sure they are aware of things like the 12v Battery issue , as most of them don't seem very technical, so I can imagine them selling a vehicle as suitable for low use due to that lack of awareness."

2 Seems another plausable explenation

but after seeing this owners forum Battery issues are common in these new hybrids, so a sales person after a few weeks or months should be aware, if not told earlier by their employer.

I do not think Toyota would be impressed with either 1 or 2 if these were fact.

 

[FROSTYBALLS]

1 hour ago, iain123 said:

Makes me think you work in sales or are close to some who does.

I have no connection with the motor trade, although I was in procurement (buying not sales) in a totally different sector before retiring. 

Making assumptions as to what the parents said or may or may not have been told doesn't really help.

[forkingabout]

5 hours ago, iain123 said:

but Toyota in reality does not do a small family petrol or diesel only car it appears in the UK.

A diesel would be totally unsuitable for the usage outlined - low mileage use would soon block the DPF filter up costing £ to repair. 

[iain123]

4 hours ago, forkingabout said:

A diesel would be totally unsuitable for the usage outlined - low mileage use would soon block the DPF filter up costing £ to repair. 

Very true comment about a diesel, the dpf filter needs a regular high speed run burn off the soot

my car is old vw diesel, so i  should  known  better

personaly i do  not find the  dpf much of a problem and i do not go far

[Derek.w]

Low milage on any car regardless of make and you need to keep a eye on the 12 volt Battery or one day it going tobe flat.

Hybrids just suffer more because of no alternator

 Alternators charging systems still suffer but charging output is higher than a DC to DC converter.

At the moment my 20amp solar panel wont charge the Battery because the sun is blocked out by trees & a garage but will work later on in the year when the sun is higher in the sky.