Solar charger for my Yaris hybrid 2021. Advice please.

[BugsyB]

Hi, 

I am new to this forum although I been lurking here for some time. I have owned my Yaris since April 21 and am generally pleased with it. 
 
I have recently purchased a Toyota Proace camper and intend using the Yaris less in the coming year. I have always noticed that I loose about a volt on my Yaris Battery after three or four four days without using it and either use the trick of leaving it switched on on the drive with a steering wheel lock attached or trickle charge it from the garage for six hours to bring it back to about 13 volts.

I won’t be able to leave it in the garage on trickle charge whilst away so wondered about a solar charger plugged into the EOBD socket under the dash. 

I was in Toyota Norwich yesterday for a recall update on the Yaris and noticed a Ring Solar charger they were selling in their display cabinet. The service manager said it was only a 1.9 watt Solar unit and they wanted 40 pound for it plus connector. I decided to leave it until I had done more research. 

Does anyone on this forum use a similar device for their hybrid car suffering similar drains on their unused Toyota batteries. Has anyone had a problem with the electrics after a long term Solar connection via this port.

thanks.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Moved to the Yaris club for more responses.

[Catlover]

You could remove the Battery from the car and trickle charge at a more convenient place.  Or disconnect the Battery terminals and leave in the car or take indoors. Only takes minutes.          
Have a look on eBay. I seen AA solar panels for about £30 but you would still need the OEBD plug.

[Big_D]

I remember reading an article about Ring automotive solar chargers and OBD plugs being used on Toyota. If I remember correctly it was somewhere on https://mag.toyota.co.uk/ and they mentioned the Ring RSP240 along with the ring OBD connector which can be bought from Halfords. 

I've since looked for the article using their search facility but can't seem to find it.

 

[TonyHSD]

Here perhaps this comes with obd port. 
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Aa-Automobile-Association-Battery-Charger/dp/B07MMP4QBT/ref=sr_1_23?crid=RDUMVX25AGR8&keywords=car+solar+battery+charger&qid=1644668335&quartzVehicle=29-10519&replacementKeywords=car+solar+battery&sprefix=Car+sol%2Caps%2C189&sr=8-23 or this one 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/AA-Essentials-AA1432-Battery-Charger/dp/B084M5ZL5L/ref=pd_rhf_dp_s_pd_crcd_1/260-8523044-9905868?pd_rd_w=CUBmG&pf_rd_p=04c46816-8561-488b-9445-40da0379af9c&pf_rd_r=46D8AH9PFTE4P5V8ZNJ0&pd_rd_r=ad36df8d-3e2a-403a-9c1f-9b1e4be1a3b4&pd_rd_wg=0lLyO&pd_rd_i=B084M5ZL5L&th=1

👍

[Stopeter44]

I keep poking at this subject. A solar charger is a limited option for me, because the car spends 98% or more of its time parked in the garage. 

My mileage is about 1000km per month, the car gets a series of 20 min runs several times a week, but rarely gets more than 30 mins continuous. The car is new. I sent a message to CTEK to see if their chargers will work through the OBD port, but no response yet.

Has anybody fitted a permanent connection to the Yaris IV Battery (under the rear seat behind the driver (RHD)) ? The space looks a bit tight from the diagram in the manual.

[Jasper.]

This is exactly what I'm trying to do , the earth terminal at the Battery is easy to get to , it's the positive terminal that's the issue. It would be easy with the seat base removed but i can't fathom out how to remove it ?

[TonyHSD]

31 minutes ago, Stopeter44 said:

I keep poking at this subject. A solar charger is a limited option for me, because the car spends 98% or more of its time parked in the garage. 

My mileage is about 1000km per month, the car gets a series of 20 min runs several times a week, but rarely gets more than 30 mins continuous. The car is new. I sent a message to CTEK to see if their chargers will work through the OBD port, but no response yet.

Has anybody fitted a permanent connection to the Yaris IV battery (under the rear seat behind the driver (RHD)) ? The space looks a bit tight from the diagram in the manual.

Your mileage is good and enough imo , perhaps you may no need to worry about the Battery of yet and only if you have an issue then can do a next step with charging. 20-30 min each time is ON is perfectly fine. 👍

[Stopeter44]

59 minutes ago, Jasper. said:

This is exactly what I'm trying to do , the earth terminal at the battery is easy to get to , it's the positive terminal that's the issue. It would be easy with the seat base removed but i can't fathom out how to remove it ?

There's a post somewhere about lifting the back seat, I think it's either @Devon Aygo or @flash22 that posted it.

[Stopeter44]

Here it is from @Devon Aygo :

https://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/204001-2021-yaris-battery/?do=findComment&comment=1606878

 

[Jasper.]

Thank you,  I read that and tried briefly but I thought I'd end up breaking something. A photo showing the attachment points would really help..

[flash22]

Not sure if its the same as the mk3

About half way down the page

Yaris cross diagram (click to enlarge)

[Kental]

Can you connect a CTEK trickle charger to the jump points under the bonnet?  Asking with interest as I have a CTEK MXS 5.0. I thought the Yaris Battery was not compatible, what sort of Battery is the 12v Battery?

[Catlover]

CTEX will connect to "standard" wet type batteries and the AGM type, which still has acid but absorbed in the mat.  If you have a CTEX5  you will read in the manual and see a setting on the device for AGM type batteries.  In the Yaris 4,because Battery is within the cab area I would expect it to be an AGM Battery. Does the car manualsay what type Battery it is?

[Kental]

1 hour ago, Catlover said:

CTEX will connect to "standard" wet type batteries and the AGM type, which still has acid but absorbed in the mat.  If you have a CTEX5  you will read in the manual and see a setting on the device for AGM type batteries.  In the Yaris 4,because battery is within the cab area I would expect it to be an AGM battery. Does the car manualsay what type battery it is?

It just says a suitable one.

[Catlover]

Ok, I just been on You Tube, watched a video “ Toyota Yaris Hybrid 12v Battery Replacement”, managed to stop the video, get the Battery details, checked the spec on internet and it is a 35Ah AGM Battery.  Use ONLY an AGM battery for safety reasons.
The video also showed how to remove back seat to get at 12v battery.

[Jasper.]

4 minutes ago, Catlover said:

Ok, I just been on You Tube, watched a video “ Toyota Yaris Hybrid 12v Battery Replacement”, managed to stop the video, get the battery details, checked the spec on internet and it is a 35Ah AGM battery.  Use ONLY an AGM battery for safety reasons.
The video also showed how to remove back seat to get at 12v battery.

Hi Catlover , 

Any chance of a link to the video please ?

Thanks in anticipation..

[Catlover]

Here you are

[Jasper.]

Thank you , I'm assuming the seat removal is the same on a MK4..?

[Catlover]

Try it.   I am learning as I go along…… and I have a Prius with the 12v Battery under the bonnet, not a Yaris.

[Dala]

Great video, thanks
Interesting information in time 0:37:
the car Battery voltage never drops below 11.7V, because at that moment the hybrid Battery automatically starts charging it 
Therefore, I could never measure a value less than 11.7V when the car stood motionless for a long time

[preperationlaunch]

I think he may be incorrect, as the hybrid Battery is disconnected unless the car is in Ready mode. That's fundamentally why you can't start the car if the 12v Battery is flat. There isn't enough power to engage the contactors to connect the high-voltage Battery.

In ready mode, the DC-DC converter is putting out approx 14.4v to the battery.

[Dala]

The system ensures that the discharge level does not fall below a certain minimum (approximately 30%).

If the traction Battery is sufficiently charged, the system could automatically charge the 12V auxiliary car Battery if it drops to 11.7V. 

He may be right 

[preperationlaunch]

The 30% is for the traction Battery. At that stage, the engine kicks in to charge the Battery.

That has no bearing on the state of the 12V Battery. If the car isn't in ready mode, the DC-DC converter and HV battery are physically disconnected from eachother.

Some EVs will actually engage the main pack to charge the 12v battery occasionally, you can spot a Leaf doing it when it's unplugged and one of the charge LEDs starts blinking. However, that's a 24kWh or greater pack, the overall impact of that will be minimal on the HV battery.

In a Yaris, the HV pack on a mk4 is 0.7kWh, the 12v battery assuming it's still the 35Ah model is 0.42kWh.

[G4MHJ]

Hi

I had a 2019 Mk 3 Excel with no 12v Battery issues.  I then went to a buy a 2021 Mk and that Battery has been no end of trouble.  I love the car but in the 15 months that I have owned it I have needed to call the AA FOUR times.  On the first occasion I drove the car to get petrol and I was left stranded on the forecourt.  The dealer advised that I should get an overnight Battery test with them which I did.  The result was that the battery was ok.  They suggested, due to low mileage (6000 miles from new) that I purchased a Ring Solar charger with a ODB2 lead.  I have this connected with an inline ODB2 switch but I am really unsure if I can keep this connected or not.  After my fourth failure I wrote to Toyota GB as the dealership were not prepared too do very much and they suggested if the battery failed again I should jump start the car and travel at least 50 miles to fully charge the battery!!.  Toyota GB got back to me and a few days later the dealership rang me to arrange a new battery to be fitted.  This has now been done and I will have to wait and see if this cures the problem.  The Excel model has additional electronics to other variants such as auto retractable mirrors and Keyless entry and no doubt this draws more current.  One wonders whether the battery on the Excel is of a higher capacity but probably not.  I have also established that the C-HR model suffers from similar battery issues.