Corolla Touring Sport Excel 2.0 - Another flat battery

[BeckyDay]

Hi all, 

hoping for some help. I've left the Corolla Hybrid on the driveway as i'm working from home currently. It hasn't moved for a couple of weeks (i now know that is a mistake) and the Battery is dead. I can open the drivers door, but nothing on the dashboard. I've opened the bonnet and i can see what looks like a Battery, but no normal connectors (just charged the Kia Cee'd - so have a rough idea what i'm looking for on a traditional car). 

The 12v Battery MAY be in the boot (manual has two diagrams), but the boot is locked and wont open and i can't find a manual release catch?! 

Any ideas? 

Thanks kindly

Becky

[Gerg]

Hi Becky,

In (seemingly) every Toyota hybrid so far, there is a 'jump start point' inside the fuse box under the bonnet, regardless of where the Battery is, I believe. 

Just this morning there was this post for an older Auris, but the information will be largely the same.  So worth a read, someone with your exact car will post soon to give very specific details, I'm sure!

This will all be in the owners manual, but not necessarily the abbreviated paper copy that comes with the car these days.  The full one is available for free for download from the Toyota website. https://www.toyota-europe.com/tme#/my-toyota/eManual

Once you've got  a small amount of charge into the 12v Battery the car will turn 'on' with the key/button.  In 'system ready' mode, the other battery (the traction battery), completely takes over powering the car, so everything will work and the 12v Battery will slowly start to be charged, but only until you turn the car off again, obviously. 

As the 12v battery will still be nearly flat.  An overnight charge on a trickle charger is the best bet here.  Or a very long drive, speed is unimportant, the charge speed will be the same, even when the car is stationary in traffic, or in 'EV' mode.

[Rosgoe]

I thought there was a Manual release on the hatch is it not behind a small plastic cover that you prise out of the main hatch cover, I  am sure I read it in the manual.

seems to me that the 2.0 corolla’s seem to suffer more with 12 v Battery issues I wonder is it because they are AGM batteries because they are in the boot. I have had no problems with my 1.8 corolla it is a lead acid Battery and I have left that in the garage for 10 days without use.

ironically when I had the auris that used to go flat and that Battery was in the boot.

 

[Ian.S]

The Battery in my 2020 2.0 TS is a normal low maintenance lead acid in the boot. 

[Gray86]

I’ve a 2020 2.0 TS. I trickle charged mine last week to keep it topped up. I opened the bonnet, opened the fuse box (right hand side of engine bay), lifted red flip cover to reveal the ‘live’ connection, and connected to live and a negative to piece of metal on the strut tower behind the fuse box. Didn’t open the boot to do the charging at all. 
 

I’d recommend investing in a CTEC MXS 5.0 charger - they are fantastic. 
 

https://www.tayna.co.uk/battery-chargers/ctek/mxs5-0/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlLGG6uKR7gIVt4BQBh3LJQigEAQYAyABEgJ37fD_BwE

 

[BeckyDay]

Thank you all for contributions so far. 

I've located the positive connection in the front (in the fuse box) and connected a 12v ring charger to it.. (what i'd used to power the Kia... it immediately set off the alarm, but then everything seemed to die (did i blow something?) - although i then tried to trickle some charge into it, but the lights kept flickering(so hopefully no damage - but no real joy.

I then tried with jump cables from another car, but nothing happened. Struggled to locate a -ve connection to connect to (eventually just clamped to a neutral location. 

I also tried to trickle the 12v Battery in the boot...but again, just got some sort of flickering lights - and nothing improved. I didn't try to jump from another 12v though in the boot yet. 

If anyone else has any other experiences, then i'd love to hear about them.

 

Just FYI - the charger i have got is below

https://www.screwfix.com/p/ring-rcb208-8a-car-battery-charger-12v/58809?tc=IT6&ds_kid=92700046638549236&ds_rl=1243318&ds_rl=1241687&ds_rl=1245250&ds_rl=1245250&gclid=CjwKCAiAr6-ABhAfEiwADO4sfWfxMY0RZdedl7-sVftFJ5CA01Gc-0kNBu18vFoUoV42tgZ38qgaoRoCt6YQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

Not sure if i can do damage to a hybrid Battery system with this?

 

 

[TonyHSD]

1 hour ago, Gray86 said:

I’ve a 2020 2.0 TS. I trickle charged mine last week to keep it topped up. I opened the bonnet, opened the fuse box (right hand side of engine bay), lifted red flip cover to reveal the ‘live’ connection, and connected to live and a negative to piece of metal on the strut tower behind the fuse box. Didn’t open the boot to do the charging at all. 
 

I’d recommend investing in a CTEC MXS 5.0 charger - they are fantastic. 
 

https://www.tayna.co.uk/battery-chargers/ctek/mxs5-0/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlLGG6uKR7gIVt4BQBh3LJQigEAQYAyABEgJ37fD_BwE

 

But this is what Toyota recommended not to do, charging Battery only directly connected, and best out of the car, the risk of frying something expensive not worth the try IMO. This should be used only for to jump start the car, it’s ok though you can do it but someone else may use wrong charge this way and kills it’s car., that’s my point 👍

[Gray86]

1 hour ago, TonyHSD said:

But this is what Toyota recommended not to do, charging battery only directly connected, and best out of the car, the risk of frying something expensive not worth the try IMO. This should be used only for to jump start the car, it’s ok though you can do it but someone else may use wrong charge this way and kills it’s car., that’s my point 👍

The instructions for the charger suggest it’s best to leave it in the car, plus removing it wipes the ECU’s learned values. If I was using a less ‘clever’ charger, I’d definitely remove it. 
 

I just had a quick look through the lengthy owners manual, which isn’t helpful as it only mentions either charging through driving, or jump starting (which it suggests using the live block in the fuse box). It doesn’t make mention to using a trickle charger. The CTEC charger constantly monitors the Battery and will stop is something is awry. 
 

as far as I understand the live socket in the fuse box is just that - a live link to the Battery, and nothing more. 
 

EDIT: attached photo which suggests the Live socket is fine for inputting power to the battery 

[Gerg]

15 hours ago, BeckyDay said:

I also tried to trickle the 12v battery in the boot...but again, just got some sort of flickering lights - and nothing improved. I didn't try to jump from another 12v though in the boot yet. 

Hi,

I don't know your car like an owner would, I just have the previous model, so my points are not so Corolla-specific.

There are a couple of general battery/charger quirks to note, though:

If the Battery is really flat (below around 7.5 volts), then a 'smart'  battery charger will usually not try to charge the Battery - it doesn't 'see' the Battery as a viable candidate for charging, or even that it is connected at all.  In this case, an old-style 'dumb(?)' battery charger can sometimes revive the battery to the point where a 'smart' charger will start to work.

I'm assuming that the flickering lights that you've mentioned are on the battery charger's display.  If so, it could be that the battery is in such a bad state that the 'smart' charger is putting power into a battery that has so little capacity, initially at least, that the battery voltage climbs near instantly to full, the charger then stops, and the voltage then collapses as no real charge has revived the battery, only for the whole cycle to start again in quick succession.  Hence the flickering lights.  But I'm not familiar with your Ring battery charger, and if it has that level of sophistication, or not. Again, an old-school battery charger might get you out of this loop (or a jump-start off another battery), so that your Ring charger can then take over.

I think it might be worth trying, very briefly, the Ring charger on the Kia again to check it is still working ok, although I am sure that this is not going to be an issue.

You originally got in the car with the mechanical key, I take it?

[hayalgoparati1878]

hi becky did you get to the bottom of ot in the end, would love to know what happened?

[BeckyDay]

So to update... finally gave up and called the AA. Guy came round and clipped on at the front and it jumped immediately. I realised that when i tried to jump from the Kia i'd got the cables in the wrong place (jump cables wouldn't fit a la toyota diagram (only trickle cables would). I then left it on ready for 30m

However, i then left it for 3-4 days and its gone flat again. 

I've jumped it successfully now from the Kia - so at least i can get it started again. But when i switched it off - the Battery was still virtually dead and so wouldn't restart again.

I had options - jump from Kia again - or try to trickle. Figured i'd go with option 2(trickle) as i can leave it trickling on the drive - whereas if i leave it in "ready" mode i have to stay with it.

 

The only problem is that when i trickle-charge - the sidelights flash rapidly and then cut out and the charger stops charging for 30 seconds before starting again and lights flashing again. this happened 3-4 times. I've made sure now that the ignition is not on - and will leave the trickle charger for a few hours - just to see what happens. Have a feeling that 12v Battery is virtually dead - and so needs a large recharge, but if the trickle charger is sparking it into life but then systems switch on i think it might take all the charge and i'll be in a permanent dead loop.

Will advise after 4-5 hours of trickling - as to whether i've broken something 😄

 

 

 

 

[Gray86]

Some trickle chargers have a recondition function, which helps to revitalise severely depleted batteries - if yours has that, maybe try that?

 

I've trickle charged mine and not had the lights flash - that suggests something isn’t right, possibly with the vehicles electrics. 

[FROSTYBALLS]

For future reference have a look at Toyota's recommendations for Battery maintenance during lockdown which also applies for periods of little use. Posted on the Club in April 2020.

 

[bigblock]

I have had Toyota Hybrids for the last 5 years and I make it my number one priority to not let the 12v Battery go flat. I have never entertained the use of any of these fancy so called 'intelligent Battery chargers'. I will not use such a thing a £30,000+ vehicle even if they do work. It's just my personal opinion but you really don't know what harm is being done on these high tech vehicles. Toyota's recommendations is what I use. Ready mode every time and regularly. Never had a problem.

 

[Gray86]

On 1/30/2021 at 6:30 PM, bigblock said:

I have had Toyota Hybrids for the last 5 years and I make it my number one priority to not let the 12v battery go flat. I have never entertained the use of any of these fancy so called 'intelligent battery chargers'. I will not use such a thing a £30,000+ vehicle even if they do work. It's just my personal opinion but you really don't know what harm is being done on these high tech vehicles. Toyota's recommendations is what I use. Ready mode every time and regularly. Never had a problem.

 

There really isn’t any cause for concern with modern computerised chargers - the one I use (and highly recommend) is a recommended product (and supplied with) many new Ferrari’s. If it’s good enough for sensitive Italian electronics, on a £200k+ car, it’s good enough for a Toyota. 

I wouldn’t buy something cheap that wasn’t properly tried, tested & recommended.

For people who either can’t justify an hourly drive each week, or afford to sit in their car for an hour, it’s a great alternative. 

irrespective of lockdowns, a good Battery charger will prolong the life of a Battery and are good practise to use from time to time.  

have a read of the blurb & reviews here if you are in doubt: https://www.tayna.co.uk/battery-chargers/ctek/mxs5-0/reviews/

[bigblock]

On 1/30/2021 at 9:24 PM, Gray86 said:

There really isn’t any cause for concern with modern computerised chargers - the one I use (and highly recommend) is a recommended product (and supplied with) many new Ferrari’s. If it’s good enough for sensitive Italian electronics, on a £200k+ car, it’s good enough for a Toyota. 
 

I wouldn’t buy something cheap that wasn’t properly tried, tested & recommended.
 

For people who either can’t justify an hourly drive each week, or afford to sit in their car for an hour, it’s a great alternative. 
 

irrespective of lockdowns, a good battery charger will prolong the life of a battery and are good practise to use from time to time.  
 

have a read of the blurb & reviews here if you are in doubt: https://www.tayna.co.uk/battery-chargers/ctek/mxs5-0/reviews/

Thanks for the link Graeme. It looks a nice bit of kit and I will keep it in mind. Hopefully I won't have to resort to a charger as I've never let the 12v Battery get so low as to use one yet. 

[Fru-T-Bunn]

Hi all,

This is my first post so please be gentle!

I presently own a 2009 Yaris, which I have owned from new - it has proved to be an exceptionally reliable little workhorse and certainly confirms Toyota's reputation for reliability.

I have been stalking these forums for some considerable time trying to gain as much knowledge as possible about the Corolla Hybrid, its pros and cons and the personal experiences of owners - bad and good.

The pros do most certainly seem to outway the cons by a considerable margin and the numerous youtube videos I have watched tend to be overwhelmingly positive about the Corolla Hybrid.

I am seriously considering buying one as a replacement for my Yaris, primarily because I want something a bit bigger, more comfortable, quieter and refined. The fact that it is possible to drive through built-up areas in EV mode and not pollute the lungs of my fellow citizens is a big positive to me.

However, I am distinctly concerned about the many, many cases of flat 12v batteries I have read about, not just here but on numerous other forums.

I am obviously aware of the effect that cold weather and infrequent use can have on these batteries and I also understand that running the car in ready mode for an hour a week is sufficient to keep the Battery alive. But my concern is very specific - I travel a lot by air (not at the moment obviously) and leave my Yaris at the airport for 7-10 days on a very regular basis. I have never returned to my car, even after being away for 14 days, and suffered a flat Battery. I am concerned that this could change if I swap my trusted Yaris for this new Corolla.

Perhaps others here could reassure me, one way or another, as to the viability of leaving it for prolonged periods of time at an airport car park and not returning to a flat Battery.

Thanks in advance.

[Roy124]

On 1/23/2021 at 6:05 PM, BeckyDay said:

Thank you all for contributions so far. 

I've located the positive connection in the front (in the fuse box) and connected a 12v ring charger to it.. (what i'd used to power the Kia... it immediately set off the alarm, but then everything seemed to die (did i blow something?) - although i then tried to trickle some charge into it, but the lights kept flickering(so hopefully no damage - but no real joy.

I then tried with jump cables from another car, but nothing happened. Struggled to locate a -ve connection to connect to (eventually just clamped to a neutral location. 

I also tried to trickle the 12v battery in the boot...but again, just got some sort of flickering lights - and nothing improved. I didn't try to jump from another 12v though in the boot yet. 

If anyone else has any other experiences, then i'd love to hear about them.

 

Just FYI - the charger i have got is below

https://www.screwfix.com/p/ring-rcb208-8a-car-battery-charger-12v/58809?tc=IT6&ds_kid=92700046638549236&ds_rl=1243318&ds_rl=1241687&ds_rl=1245250&ds_rl=1245250&gclid=CjwKCAiAr6-ABhAfEiwADO4sfWfxMY0RZdedl7-sVftFJ5CA01Gc-0kNBu18vFoUoV42tgZ38qgaoRoCt6YQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

Not sure if i can do damage to a hybrid battery system with this?

 

 

Becky, been there, done that.  I think the problem is a conflict between your charger/jump leads and the main Battery.  On a working system you press the Start button, the system activates the electronics and the hybrid Battery comes online and charges the 12v Battery.  If as you found the 12v battery is discharged and you connect a charger to the 12v battery that is sufficient to start the system and you get some responses like the lights flickering as the hybrid battery tries to take over.

At this point I speculate that there is a conflict and some form of feedback which aborts the charge.  Rather than leave the system energised you must press the Start button and shut the car down.  Now your charger will take over and recharge the 12v battery.  Before you next try a start disconnect the charger/jump power.  If you get a READY light you are good to go.  The hybrid will be recharging the 12v battery and the petrol engine will start to keep the hybrid charged up.

My garage will be doing a battery check at my service next month.  My battery is currently losing about 0.5v/24 hrs but provided I get the ready light I am told it is good to go.

[Roy124]

FRU T BUNN, that is my concern too.  One possibility might be to carry one of those portable battery/compressor packs.  In the event that you found a flat Battery you could then open the door with the manual key, open the bonnet and connect your leads.  You would have to wait for a few minutes while it boosts the 12v Battery (You might even be able to energise the system straight away I haven't tried that as I don't have such a Battery yet).

I wait for comments from more experienced and knowledgeable members.

[Fru-T-Bunn]

ROY124 - Thanks for your comment - that's an interesting idea. I have to confess to knowing nothing at all about these Battery packs you refer to but I would appreciate more info about them as it looks like a viable solution. Thanks very much.

[Roy124]

https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/top-tech-3-in1-12ah-booster-jump-pack-with-tyre-inflator-529771211?gclid=Cj0KCQiA6t6ABhDMARIsAONIYyzGuvAZqu8MQKPa9OIJcqhVSehqhdxwKvXJaszkkfCfjYHJYhkSqjkaAt8XEALw_wcB

Here is one.  I had a look alike for a good number of years then its Battery failed.  It was not enough to actually jump start a 2.2l Diesel but I think it is really designed to charge the car Battery for a period of time, say at least 15 minutes rather than the massive starter packs that a garage will use.  Its other uses are the light and the compressor and they were the main reason I had it.  

On my Mercedes I had a charger point in the boot and would keep it plugged in and charging whenever I drove the Merc.  The compressor was much more convenient than going to a garage forecourt.

[Fru-T-Bunn]

ROY124 - thanks for that link. That looks very interesting - I could certainly live with sitting for 15 minutes or so in an airport car park, as opposed to waiting for many hours for AA/RAC to turn up! The tyre compressor is an added bonus! Cheers, that's certainly making buying a Corolla Hybrid a much more viable proposition!

[Parts-King]

I work at a dealership. I drive 40 miles a day in a Hybrid Corolla. In Dec I had covid, and was off work 14 days, I never even started the car when I was off, it started first time. The problem comes when people only do a few miles a week, and don't do sufficient miles (or 60 mins in ready per week) so the car never has chance to charge, if you run the car (or charge in ready mode) then you really don't have a worry. We always check mileage from when we last saw the car, you can bet it will be only 2-3K per annum

 

[Roy124]

Have a side by side comparison between the Yaris and Corolla.  I rejected the Yaris as I could not see the front and it didn't have parking sensors.  I think the new one does.  Have a look at the luggage capacity as the Corolla is not that large either.  We always have the rear seats folded forward.  Ask what there differences are between hybrid batteries and EV range.

I did a quick look the other day and I think the Yaris hybrid batter is 25% greater capacity.  Does that translate to greater EV range amd better consumption?  The Corolla has a greater top speed at 110 mph as  if you would dare. (I had no issues with a Mercedes E class at 105 but not sure I would take these to 100).  The Yaris however has a faster acceleration to 60.  Specification wise I think a 2021 Yaris is very similar to a 2020 Corolla.

[Roy124]

Parts-King, I guess 

Quote

"off work 14 days, I never even started the car when I was off, it started first time" 

provides the answer.  A good run to an airport or cruise terminal should leave it well charged.