My Corolla GR2 Sports 2l died today

[Louie]

Hi Guys

My vehicle expired in a Sainsburys car park today. Basically i think its a flat Battery as i cannot lock it using the fob and pressing the power button achieves nothing. Alarmingly i can only lock the driver side door and the rear passengers but not the front passenger door using the supplied key. I am currently waiting for the RAC man who might be able to give me more of a clue. Prior to the car breaking down i received a host of confusing messages on the dash stating this and that was not working. I took the opportunity to speak to my dealer about this unfortunate incident and he stated that they have been inundated with this problem in the last month or so. He stated that a Toyota Hybrid should be driven for at least a week or you may get problems. So if you store your car for more than a week you may have to call a breakdown man. More to follow.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Toyota issued advice during lockdown on Battery maintenance, some of which applies to infrequent use for periods, etc:

 

[King Crimson]

You hadn't driven your car for a week and it died?

[Louie]

HI Guys

I drive my hybrid at least two or three times week and not just into the local town. At the moment the breakdown guys are going to do a lift on to a flatbed as the car's gears are locked due to no power so you cant just drag or push the car. It will be interesting what my dealer has to say when the car is delivered tomorrow for him to have a look at it.

I will keep you posted on the car's progress.

 

[duncerduncs]

Sorry to hear of your problems, I would ask your dealer to update your multimedia unit to the latest firmware.  There is an update that stops a phantom Battery drain on the 12v Battery from the media unit.  

Hope you get it sorted 👍

 

[King Crimson]

I hope my dealer has done this update. Which build is the latest firmware? 

[Louie]

Hi Guys

The RAC guy has delivered the car back home but the dash is lit up like a an Xmas tree with warning signs and the car starts but its not driveable so its going to the dealer tomorrow. We shall see then what exactly is going on.

 

[Velvet--Glove]

13 hours ago, King Crimson said:

I hope my dealer has done this update. Which build is the latest firmware? 

I don't have the version numbers off hand for you but I will just mention that the update takes some time to do so to anyone who still needs this doing do be prepared for this.

I had my car's first service a couple of weeks ago, which took an hour and 20 mins while I waited. I asked about the software update (I'm still on the original 2019 first version) and was told this can't be done while being serviced so it has to be done afterwards. The update takes a further 90 minutes. As the wait that day was already so tedious I didn't bother getting that done and will wait for the next service when maybe I can leave the car with them for the day and get a courtesy car.

[Timmon]

Bad luck Louie. It sounds like something else is going on other than a flat 12 volt Battery to me, but these cars are so complex, what do I know.

I'm amazed if the CVT selector is powered by the 12 volt Battery. I thought it mainly looked after the computer and displays/ equipment, lights, entertainment, alarm, locking etc, not the functions that surround the drive train.

Yes, please do let us know. Hope it gets fixed quickly for you.

[duncerduncs]

On 7/21/2020 at 9:29 PM, King Crimson said:

I hope my dealer has done this update. Which build is the latest firmware? 

Audio is 1075

Navigation is 1140 (note, this is different to the map software. This software is currently at 2020 v1)

It's the navigation update which fixes the Battery drain 👍 

 

[King Crimson]

My car didn't come with navigation, so am i safe? 

[Louie]

My car is now ready to be picked up and here is what the dealer has told me.

1. The reason the car died is because there was not enough juice in the small 12v Battery and i flogged it to death using my iPhone while parked up with engine turned off  ridiculous !

2. The 12v Battery is very small in capacity and this operates the starting motor etc. so has to be in tip top condition all the time for your Hybrid to be  reliable.

3. The solar trickle charger i purchased recommended by the AA cannot be used with the on board diagnostics in this  model so you have to pop the bonnet etc ridiculous !

5. In order to keep this car running without any problems is to drive it or run the engine for at least an hour once a week ??

6. if you are sitting in your car waiting for someone its a bad idea to be using the multimedia system without the engine running as it kills your tiny 12v Battery.

7. Last but not least if you breakdown and you need a tow the car must be loaded on to a low loader why ? if the car is pulled with the front wheels of the ground this confuses the Toyota Hybrid system and you end up with xmas tree display with a multitude of warnings when you attempt to start and drive the car when its deposited on the ground.

8. I have in writing from Toyota UK that this car is totally unsuitable for short distance journeys because the capacity of the 12v battery is inadequate for anything else but longish journeys on a regular basis.

 

[bigblock]

20 minutes ago, Louie said:

My car is now ready to be picked up and here is what the dealer has told me.

1. The reason the car died is because there was not enough juice in the small 12v battery and i flogged it to death using my iphone while parked up with engine turned off  ridiculous !

2. The 12v battery is very small in capacity and this operates the starting motor etc. so has to be in tip top condition all the time for your Hybrid to be  reliable.

3. The solar trickle charger i purchased recommended by the AA cannot be used with the on board diagnostics in this  model so you have to pop the bonnet etc ridiculous !

5. In order to keep this car running without any problems is to drive it or run the engine for at least an hour once a week ??

6. if you are sitting in your car waiting for someone its a bad idea to be using the multimedia system without the engine running as it kills your tiny 12v battery.

7. Last but not least if you breakdown and you need a tow the car must be loaded on to a low loader why ? if the car is pulled with the front wheels of the ground this confuses the Toyota Hybrid system and you end up with xmas tree display with a multitude of warnings when you attempt to start and drive the car when its deposited on the ground.

8. I have in writing from Toyota UK that this car is totally unsuitable for short distance journeys because the capacity of the 12v battery is inadequate for anything else but longish journeys on a regular basis.

 

Sounds like the dealer's got it right. Not sure about answer 3 as I would not entertain a solar trickle charge myself. If you only drive short journeys constantly then maybe a Toyota Hybrid is not for you. It's a known fact the 12v Battery will get weak if the engine is not in ready mode when parked up with things turned on. I never do that.

[FROSTYBALLS]

12 minutes ago, bigblock said:

if you are sitting in your car waiting for someone its a bad idea to be using the multimedia system without the engine running as it kills your tiny 12v battery.

On our i20, the multimedia unit stays on when the ignition is turned off, and goes off when you open the driver's door, unless the unit is manually turned off. When the ignition goes off, we get a message stating not to use the multimedia unit without the engine running. So it isn't only hybrids that may have this issue.

[bigblock]

1 hour ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

On our i20, the multimedia unit stays on when the ignition is turned off, and goes off when you open the driver's door, unless the unit is manually turned off. When the ignition goes off, we get a message stating not to use the multimedia unit without the engine running. So it isn't only hybrids that may have this issue.

My Father has a Kia Ceed and if the radio is on with ignition off it will come up with a message stating Battery is low please start engine. This is only 5 mins with radio left on. Surely Toyota should have a similar system in place for hybrids with a little 12v Battery by now.

[Malcster]

If you just park it up with the hybrid system still on it will fire the engine accordingly when required sounds like you you had it in accessory position 

It is true re solar charger they can't be back charged through the aux socket

Not sure how short a journey you have but my mum does 5 miles a day in her Yaris hybrid with no issues 

[MagicBoy]

2 hours ago, Louie said:

My car is now ready to be picked up and here is what the dealer has told me.

1. The reason the car died is because there was not enough juice in the small 12v battery and i flogged it to death using my iphone while parked up with engine turned off  ridiculous !

2. The 12v battery is very small in capacity and this operates the starting motor etc. so has to be in tip top condition all the time for your Hybrid to be  reliable.

3. The solar trickle charger i purchased recommended by the AA cannot be used with the on board diagnostics in this  model so you have to pop the bonnet etc ridiculous !

5. In order to keep this car running without any problems is to drive it or run the engine for at least an hour once a week ??

6. if you are sitting in your car waiting for someone its a bad idea to be using the multimedia system without the engine running as it kills your tiny 12v battery.

7. Last but not least if you breakdown and you need a tow the car must be loaded on to a low loader why ? if the car is pulled with the front wheels of the ground this confuses the Toyota Hybrid system and you end up with xmas tree display with a multitude of warnings when you attempt to start and drive the car when its deposited on the ground.

8. I have in writing from Toyota UK that this car is totally unsuitable for short distance journeys because the capacity of the 12v battery is inadequate for anything else but longish journeys on a regular basis.

 

2 is incorrect. The 12v Battery powers the Hybrid System computers. Once they're booted up and car is in Ready mode the hybrid Battery puts power into the motor/generator to start the internal combustion engine. The hybrid Battery also recharges the 12v battery when in Ready mode.

I don't believe 8 for a second. You're putting words in Toyota's mouth.

I don't quite see the palaver this is generating. If you're parked up waiting for someone then put the gearbox in park and leave the car in ready mode. It'll only start the combustion engine when necessary. Turn the AC off and it'll chime in less often.

[Leo63]

The drain on the 12v Battery is possible to do with telematics which the Corolla has linked to your My Toyota app as it works similar to a vehicle tracker which also puts a drain on the 12v Battery

[Louie]

Hi Guys 

Many thanks for all your comments.

I have the car back and notice there is a new graphics on my speedo display which shows the Battery being charged by the engine.??

So that i can get myself out of a hole if i break down again i am looking around for an instant charger but there is a silly problem here.

The Battery is in the boot and the hatch back door cannot be unlocked manually unless you crawl into the boot space having dropped the rear seats and releasing the catch something i dont intend to do. Dont forget with a dead Battery you have to manually unlock the driver side door and manually release the locks on all the other doors.

When i acquired the vehicle from my dealer as to my driving habits and i stated that i do less than 10k a year so at no time was i told this model is unsuitable for short journeys. The strange thing here is that i have the car for nearly 7 months and it was totally reliable and even during the plague 

i would just drive the car out of sheer boredom to get essential food and medication rather than have it delivered so you cant blame Covid19 on all this.

According to the main dealer you cannot use the OBD for trickle charging in this model.

I was not able to speak to the main dealer techies today regarding any firmware upgrades that have been made so guess its a Monday phone call.

Magic Boy all the information i have had is not from me but from a registered Toyota main dealer e.g. small capacity 12v battery and this car being unsuitable for regular short journeys and does not the dealer speak on behalf of Toyota  or have i got that wrong. Also i dont sit in any vehicle with the AC on as i am aware of the power drain this causes. I have driven a mix of motorbikes and cars for the last 60 years so have some mechanical knowledge of how things work except for Hybrids but i am slowly getting there so i do appreciate any helpful remarks.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Under 10,000 a year doesn't necessarily equate to regular short journeys, and the Government's National Travel Survey in 2015 gave the average annual mileage covered by a UK motorist was 7,900 miles. If you had said that you only do short journeys, that could have given a different answer.

On 7/24/2020 at 3:30 PM, Louie said:

8. I have in writing from Toyota UK that this car is totally unsuitable for short distance journeys because the capacity of the 12v battery is inadequate for anything else but longish journeys on a regular basis.

 

26 minutes ago, Louie said:

all the information i have had is not from me but from a registered Toyota main dealer e.g. small capacity 12v battery and this car being unsuitable for regular short journeys and does not the dealer speak on behalf of Toyota  or have i got that wrong.

Different story here. Initially you said you had in writing from Toyota UK the car's unsuitability for short journeys, and then you say that a!l the information is from a Toyota dealer. The views of a dealer, whatever the marque, may not coincide with those of the importer.

[bigblock]

47 minutes ago, Louie said:

Hi Guys 

Many thanks for all your comments.

I have the car back and notice there is a new graphics on my speedo display which shows the battery being charged by the engine.??

So that i can get myself out of a hole if i break down again i am looking around for an instant charger but there is a silly problem here.

The battery is in the boot and the hatch back door cannot be unlocked manually unless you crawl into the boot space having dropped the rear seats and releasing the catch something i dont intend to do. Dont forget with a dead battery you have to manually unlock the driver side door and manually release the locks on all the other doors.

When i acquired the vehicle from my dealer as to my driving habits and i stated that i do less than 10k a year so at no time was i told this model is unsuitable for short journeys. The strange thing here is that i have the car for nearly 7 months and it was totally reliable and even during the plague 

i would just drive the car out of sheer boredom to get essential food and medication rather than have it delivered so you cant blame Covid19 on all this.

According to the main dealer you cannot use the OBD for trickle charging in this model.

I was not able to speak to the main dealer techies today regarding any firmware upgrades that have been made so guess its a Monday phone call.

Magic Boy all the information i have had is not from me but from a registered Toyota main dealer e.g. small capacity 12v battery and this car being unsuitable for regular short journeys and does not the dealer speak on behalf of Toyota  or have i got that wrong. Also i dont sit in any vehicle with the AC on as i am aware of the power drain this causes. I have driven a mix of motorbikes and cars for the last 60 years so have some mechanical knowledge of how things work except for Hybrids but i am slowly getting there so i do appreciate any helpful remarks.

Louie there really is no need to go looking for an instant charger or anything like that. The golden rule is always have the vehicle in ready mode when parked up then you can listen to the radio and have the aircon on all day if you want. It's that simple. You can't drain the 12v Battery and infact it will get a charge when required if you wait long enough when parked up.

[Leo63]

Hi if your Battery is dead in the 2 litre. You need to unlock the drivers door with the emergency key then open thebonnet and open the fuse box next to the air filter box and you will then need to lift the red cover and then attach the positive jump cable to the metal terminal and attach the negative jump cable to a unpainted metal which is away from any moving parts. These instructions can be found in the owners manual on pages 180 / 181 and 182 there is no need to fold down the rear seats to get to the Battery in the boot to jump start the car.

[Louie]

Hi Guys

Many thanks for your comments and suggestions much appreciated i wish i could buy you all a round of beers.

I have posted an image that has mysteriously appeared on the speedo in the centre that was not there before
the break down service has anyone any ideas ? Its basically a Battery and an engine image showing when its being charged the purpose being ?? perhaps a  warning to show your Battery is getting low ? 

The first RAC guy could not do anything with the front Battery and i sat there while he tried and the main dealer has subsequently  stated it has to be carried out using the battery located in the boot hence my silly comments about crawling about in the boot space 🤣  I previously had to abandon the vehicle and the second RAC guy was able to start the car and tow it home  and i have no idea how he was able to do that as i was sitting at home awaiting the outcome.  So now has Toyota changed something in the GR Sports Corolla 2l e.g. the battery locations? or is someone having a laugh ? or is the dealer just clueless i think its now the latter judging from all the all your comments evidenced by the the fact that the dealer got the spec of the car wrong when i first purchased it. Anyway thank you guys for your input i feel a bit more confident in driving this vehicle now perhaps it was much ado about nothing 😂

[duncerduncs]

That's the energy display showing when the engine and the traction Battery are working, it's not the 12v Battery.

I think the thing to take from the whole experience is that you need to leave the car in P (in Ready mode) to avoid the 12v Battery becoming drained 👍

There is no reason to fear doing short journeys only!

[RabButler]

Press the up/down/left/right buttons on the left hand steering wheel control and you will change the display in your speedometer.