Yaris 2015 problem

[Lynnywooh4]

Really hope someone can help, not helpful that this has happened in the current climate. 
 

I have a 2015 Yaris and haven’t been using it as much lately. I went to start it on weds and it wouldn’t turn over and start. No lights to indicate what it is on the dash. I then turned the ignition key and the display screen almost looked like it had reset screen. It had some kind of timer so I waited until it had finished and thankfully it started with a bit of a struggle. All radio channels/settings wiped.  I’ve been starting it each day but it’s happened again this morning. 
 

Logically I’m thinking it’s the Battery but it’s spluttering a bit and sounds like it’s not ticking over as it should; after a few minutes its better. I’m keeping it going for a bit but can’t drive it about and I don’t know if that would solve it anyway. Not being a mechanic I have no clue and I know most are now shut 😞

 

Any advice from Toyota savvy drivers/mechanics appreciated. Thanks. 

[TonyHSD]

Hi, as per your description all those strange for you events are actually what happens to a car when not been in use for some time. Your battery was discharged  and all of the engine oil was completely drained into the oil sump leaving engine top without lubrication. My recommendation is to keep going to your car on weekly basis and start the engine and let it running for 30-40 min with radio off, ac off and heating fun set at position 1, just to keep it spinning but not consuming much of electricity. Before you do this you can check oil level, and general look under the bonnet. If you have a tyre pressure gage and compressor you can check your tyres pressure and correct them just to keep everything in order, ready for once the ban is over. If you have space on the street or driveway drive the car forward and reverse few times to make the brakes move a bit. 
Stay safe 

Regards 

[FROSTYBALLS]

Moved to the Yaris club.

[Mooly]

If the Battery voltage falls to low then a point will be reached where the ECU (the engine management system) does what is effectively a 'global reset'... a bit like pulling the mains plug out on a piece of equipment and then reconnecting.

When this happens the engine needs to relearn all the optimal parameters for correct running which is all done automatically but does take a little time. This also happens when you replace the Battery. Ideally and following a reset you should do a cold start (engine cold) and let it idle for two or three minutes and then just drive for a decent distance in mixed speed conditions. It may take a couple of days to get fully 'optimised' so that it is idling correctly.

If your Battery is suspect then it needs checking/replacing but first check that the terminals are tight and the clamps not loose. A good battery should hold decent charge even with relatively little actual use (driving). 

 

[Stevie J]

Every car Battery has a finite lifespan, which is on average, 4 years, after which most are on borrowed time, and after 5 - 6 years will be at the point of being unreliable.

At 5 years old, your Yaris will probably still have the original factory fit Varta Battery (I say this as my mother has a Dec 2014 Yaris 1.33) and this will be in need of replacement, especially if the car is now not being driven very much so it can recharge sufficiently. All cars these days use Battery power even when they are not running to keep the ancilliary electronics functioning, such as the ecu, remote central locking etc, so if you have an old battery, it cannot take much time before it loses enough charge to drop below the point needed to start the car.

If the car is being kept in a garage, I would firstly replace the battery (about £100) and then use a battery charger / maintainer to keep the battery topped up during the time the car is not being used. If the car is on a driveway, you can just take the charger out to it once a week and leave it on for about 10 hours to keep the battery charge up.

Its important that even a new battery is kept top up charged every week if the car is not being used, as a period of a month or so of the car not being started can often discharge a fully charged battery.

[scannerman]

Cars can sometimes suffer from what's called a parasitic draw, basically its equivalent to leaving a light on when you lock and leave the car. A common one was in a boot or trunk as americans call it, light comes on when open, its supposed to go out when shut but how do you know. Look on YouTube, a good source for problem solving. But in your case, at 4 years, the Battery is at the end of its life. Although it may not be the specific problem here, changing for a new one is something you're going to need to do soon and it may be the problem. I get mine from Halfords, think I paid last year, £64 with a 4 year warranty.

[Mooly]

All I'll say on Battery life is that my Auris Battery is over 10yrs old now and still good. I know its good because I have done a sustained current draw test by turning on hradlights, foglights and heated window as well as operating all the windows. I've left it with lights and heated window on for some cosiderable time as a test while monitoring the voltage.

All good.

The Battery on our old 2003 Corolla was replaced at around 10 years old because of a suspicion of a leak.

The replacement Toyota battery is fine and still fitted. Although it has done a lot more mileage this last 6 months, the previous two or three years saw it doing less than a 1000 in a year and sometimes it stood for two weeks in winter without being started, The battery never gave any concern at all.