My Corolla GR2 Sports 2l died today

[MagicBoy]

1 hour ago, duncerduncs said:

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!

At least three people have said this now. Make sense Louie?

[Roger F]

My 2 litre hatchback has done only 900 miles since I purchased it in March. Very short journeys of only a few miles. In lockdown I did charge the 12 volt with my c tek trickle charger a couple of times as it sat for a few weeks. I leave it in park and ready now and again and run for some minutes and had no problems.

[AndrueC]

It doesn't take that much to drain a car Battery. I once drained my Jazz by leaving the interior light on overnight and that was a normal size Battery (albeit designed for idle stop functionality). I can imagine that an hour of running the multimedia system could significantly deplete any Battery.

https://www.quora.com/How-long-can-I-run-my-cars-stereo-system-before-I-drain-the-battery-Assume-the-typical-battery-in-a-typical-new-mid-sized-sedan-on-auxiliary-power

 

[BugsyBobCat]

I am currently stuck in sainsbury's multistorey awaiting roadside to come and give us a jump. Left wife and kids in car whilst I went in to pick up a bicycle helmet for my daughter. 10 mins audio and aircon running. Not enough power left to even lock the doors. This is the 5th time I have had to call roadside since getting car in Feb. Tried a solar trickle charger it didn't work. Bought a booster but it never had enough juice to turn the car over.Had original Battery replaced. Another sunday ruined, this shouldn't happen with a new car. Dealer refusing to look at it anymore. I love this car but for 30k I should be able to leave my family in a comfortable environment for 10 blumming minutes! 🤨

[Louie]

I am now  beginning to feel now like a classroom dunce ☹️so i shall now put on a pointed hat and stand in the corner of my garage for a while so that i can take in all the stupid things i have done so far. This means i could be in that corner for a while but i do have a handy crate of lager stashed in their somewhere (Covid stock) to drink my troubles away. Oh and just before a fade away into obscurity has anyone used Rain-X on their  windscreen and also on your house windows brilliant product.

[Nicolai]

Despite loads of 1 - 5 miles journeys, I've never had this problem with my Auris. Only thing was the dealer told me a few days ago, when car was in for service, that They'd put a charger on my 12 volt as it was needed. I've never run out and not been able to start the car though. Dealer told me the 12 volts have memory effects? Perhaps the 12 volts in the Corollas have less capacity (although, why would they have)?

[duncerduncs]

3 hours ago, Louie said:

I am now  beginning to feel now like a classroom dunce ☹️so i shall now put on a pointed hat and stand in the corner of my garage for a while so that i can take in all the stupid things i have done so far. This means i could be in that corner for a while but i do have a handy crate of lager stashed in their somewhere (Covid stock) to drink my troubles away. Oh and just before a fade away into obscurity has anyone used Rain-X on their  windscreen and also on your house windows brilliant product.

No need to feel like that, you just need to adapt yourself to the uniqueness to owning a Toyota Hybrid!  Due to the COVID restrictions, I watch my Sons' kick boxing from the car.  I just place the car into Park and sit there in EV mode whilst listening to my Amazon music.  I often put the car into Eco mode to turn the air con down which seems to let the car stay in EV mode for longer... 

[FROSTYBALLS]

3 hours ago, BugsyBobCat said:

I am currently stuck in sainsbury's multistorey awaiting roadside to come and give us a jump. Left wife and kids in car whilst I went in to pick up a bicycle helmet for my daughter. 10 mins audio and aircon running. Not enough power left to even lock the doors. This is the 5th time I have had to call roadside since getting car in Feb. Tried a solar trickle charger it didn't work. Bought a booster but it never had enough juice to turn the car over.Had original battery replaced. Another sunday ruined, this shouldn't happen with a new car. Dealer refusing to look at it anymore. I love this car but for 30k I should be able to leave my family in a comfortable environment for 10 blumming minutes! 🤨

To be honest you're lucky that the AA came out five times, as their terms and conditions state that they won't come out for repeat call outs for the same fault (delivery of Toyota Roadside Assistance is the responsibility of the AA). 

[duncerduncs]

3 hours ago, BugsyBobCat said:

I am currently stuck in sainsbury's multistorey awaiting roadside to come and give us a jump. Left wife and kids in car whilst I went in to pick up a bicycle helmet for my daughter. 10 mins audio and aircon running. Not enough power left to even lock the doors. This is the 5th time I have had to call roadside since getting car in Feb. Tried a solar trickle charger it didn't work. Bought a booster but it never had enough juice to turn the car over.Had original battery replaced. Another sunday ruined, this shouldn't happen with a new car. Dealer refusing to look at it anymore. I love this car but for 30k I should be able to leave my family in a comfortable environment for 10 blumming minutes! 🤨

Is the car left in 'Ready'?  Leaving it any other setting will cause the 12v to drain and not allow the hybrid system to restart.

[FROSTYBALLS]

3 hours ago, Louie said:

I am now  beginning to feel now like a classroom dunce ☹️so i shall now put on a pointed hat and stand in the corner of my garage for a while so that i can take in all the stupid things i have done so far. This means i could be in that corner for a while but i do have a handy crate of lager stashed in their somewhere (Covid stock) to drink my troubles away. Oh and just before a fade away into obscurity has anyone used Rain-X on their  windscreen and also on your house windows brilliant product.

You're new to Toyotas and hybrids, so you are still on a learning curve. Contributions to the forums are always welcome, no matter how serious or trivial. 'Carry On Contributing'.

[Malcster]

4 hours ago, Louie said:

I. Oh and just before a fade away into obscurity has anyone used Rain-X on their  windscreen and also on your house windows brilliant product.

Use aquapel 

It's a little more difficult not apply than rain X 

But last between 6-9 months between applications 

At 40mph+ in normal/heavy rain you don't normally need wipers

Not so in light drizzle or slow speed 

[AndrueC]

I used to use Rain-X many years ago. It was good but I eventually decided that it was too much faff applying it. Ten minutes to apply then go back in an hour and another ten minutes to buff the streaks out.

[Timmon]

There does seem to be a theme here on the 12 volt Battery, that it's capacity may be a bit small.

The instruction to keep the car in ready when using the accessories when parked, is now fully understood. The need to fire up the car and sit with it for an hour a week while it does it's thing is understood (although you don't need to do this with a normal car, as long as the Battery is charged when you last used it). 

What is not understood is that if you do leave the car for 3 weeks in a long stay car park, while you enjoy a trip abroad (assuming we will be able to again sometime), what you do to stop the car discharging. Disconnect the Battery before you leave for departures?

It will not always be possible to start the car every week, I feel the car should last 3 to 4 weeks unattended, and be OK, like a standard car.

Glad you got sorted Louie, and that it was nothing serious. We live and learn, these cars are pretty complex, you will soon be an expert.

[FROSTYBALLS]

It isn't just the Corolla hybrid that has a small 12v Battery - the same applies to other models. 

Some owners (eg Auris, Yaris, etc) have used solar chargers to get around leaving the car for a period due to holidays, etc, but whether these are suitable for the current Corolla, don't know.

[Timmon]

10 minutes ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

It isn't just the Corolla hybrid that has a small 12v battery - the same applies to other models. 

Some owners (eg Auris, Yaris, etc) have used solar chargers to get around leaving the car for a period due to holidays, etc, but whether these are suitable for the current Corolla, don't know.

Maybe as Leo63   said, a solar charger could be connected to terminals in the fuse box. I wonder why Toyota are fitting these small batteries, if it is also a problem with Auris and Yaris. So it is a known problem. I'm sure a greater capacity would give greater happiness. I for one will be worried if I go away, especially if I have to use a remote park as I did in Luton Airport. They offer to bring the car to meet you when you return, not sure they would offer to call the AA first.

[AndrueC]

And for what it's worth elderly Jazz owners are often advised to get a solar trickle charger. I reckon modern cars just have batteries with a smaller capacity. Pottering to town once a week is just not enough for a lot of cars. Now that I no longer need to commute (yay) I should probably bear this in mind.

[King Crimson]

Why keep the car in the accesory mode? Just leave it on ready mode, the engine will come in once in a while and that's about it you won't waste much gasoline anyway.

[vonkhaled]

I try to use the EV mode when I need to wait in the car for someone or something when parked, when the Battery is low the engine will kick in for little while and charge it up. If I don't want the engine to come on, I usuallt just turn the car off when EV mode is very low and use the radio mode only until the car cuts the power to keep the 12v level in check. 

Knock on wood, but over 36000 km, I've never had any issues with the 12v Battery. The longest i've left the car stationary was for 8 days when I went abroad. 

[bigblock]

Do the Toyota dealers go round all their used hybrids that are sitting on the fourcourts for weeks on end and start them all in 'ready mode' and leave them running for a while?. Do they keep an eye on the situation with 12v batteries going flat on the forecourts? 

[FROSTYBALLS]

33 minutes ago, bigblock said:

Do the Toyota dealers go round all their used hybrids that are sitting on the fourcourts for weeks on end and start them all in 'ready mode' and leave them running for a while?. Do they keep an eye on the situation with 12v batteries going flat on the forecourts? 

Possibly not. Would have thought they would only check the charge on the 12v when the vehicle is serviced prior to sale. Same with MOT's only being done when the car is sold, etc.

Remember a few years ago when we were due to road test a Verso (petrol). We asked to be shown how the two rows of rear seats folded on the one in the showroom - they couldn't open the tailgate due to the Battery being flat. 

[Gerg]

 

18 hours ago, Timmon said:

if it is also a problem with Auris and Yaris. So it is a known problem.

On the Auris Excel, the 12v Battery drain when the car is parked, can be reduced substantially by turning off the 'keyless' door opening feature, via a dash menu option.  I measured this loading on our Auris, the current draw after 20+ minutes (which is the time needed for the car computers to properly go to 'sleep'), was reduced from 50mA to 20mA.  Perhaps this is similar in the Corolla?

But, do note that in the Auris, turning off the keyless door opening also turns off the keyless ignition, so you need a different procedure to turn the car 'on' - basically, you hold the key fob against the dash 'start' button, instead of simply having the key fob in the car somewhere.

The key fob 'lock' and 'unlock' buttons still work just as normal.

[PACorolla]

9 hours ago, bigblock said:

Do the Toyota dealers go round all their used hybrids that are sitting on the fourcourts for weeks on end and start them all in 'ready mode' and leave them running for a while?. Do they keep an eye on the situation with 12v batteries going flat on the forecourts? 

My 2L Excel was  the showroom car and it was hooked up to a Battery charger. 

My car was left for 4 weeks during lockdown in my garage after which i moved it on to the drive  and left it with ignition  on in P. Had no trouble starting engine.

[Stuey1]

Hi guys totally finding that the Battery drains quick needs a top up every 2 weeks, I, m running a, charger which bolts directly to the Battery with a green amber red led its shows lot time red goes, down quickly off of green after changed.... So 2 things a bigger Battery or a solar charger directly to battery with inline fuse and Thermal cut off... Batterys only last 3 years in new cars and when they have I always upgrade mist cars, are 380amh should be min 420 hope this helps... 

[Nicolai]

Is the capacity of the 12 volt in the Corolla less than that in a 2013 Auris? My Battery has never been drained. Low, yes, but not never drained.