Toyota corolla 1.8 hybrid 2020. Flat battery problem, replacement of...

[Hibird]

4 minutes ago, TonyHSD said:

Couldn’t agreed more about the battery on new cars. I think the best practice in this case if the new car owner it’s not about to drive a lot to properly charge the battery with external charger prior to its regular use. 👍 

About the solar chargers, did they not have a charge controller built in, if not they can well overcharge and cause even fire? 

Here are my thoughts on suitable solar panels:

All solar panels are rated in a way that is hopless if using the panel behind a windscreen (which I am)

I personally would avoid anything with a cheap and nasty chinese charge controller included.

In my experience a 20w panel may manage about 600ma max behind the windscreen on a nice sunny UK day perhaps 1amp NOT through a windscreen.

So a 10w may manage 300ma, 5w 150ma etc and all much less on cloudy days

So a cheap 5w panel through the windscreen will never overcharge or even charge that 12v Battery so does not need a charge controller but are fitted with a blocking diode to prevent Battery dishcharge when there is no sun ie overnight.

So my 20w panel needs a charge controller and I have a good one that I have total confidence in.

I have accepted I need to take measures to look after that 12v Battery I just wish the dealer network also felt the same way.

 

 

[Hibird]

13 minutes ago, Chris Nutt said:

In the "olden days" (1980's and 90's..) some new vehicles came with a "transit link" in the main fuse box which was pulled when the car was in storage or transit. It disconnected all uneccessary electrics to prevent the problem we now see on hybrids when they are unused for just a few weeks. I changed the battery on my used 1.8TS after a few weeks of ownership as the voltage measurements were indicating a very weak battery that was not holding a charge. Not something you should have to do on a car only two years old. As the vehicle had a decent mileage on it when purchased (23K) it was probably not caused by lack of use, but more likely by the design of the vehicles' electrical and charging system.

I believe some manufactures vehicles are fitted with a Battery isolator switch during long transit periods ie at sea. These switches are removed and recycled back to the vehicle manufacturer for reuse. I have no knowledge of what policy Toyota has in place to protect batteries during long periods of shipment or storage.

[Dala]

5 hours ago, Hibird said:

Here are my thoughts on suitable solar panels:

All solar panels are rated in a way that is hopless if using the panel behind a windscreen (which I am)

I personally would avoid anything with a cheap and nasty chinese charge controller included.

In my experience a 20w panel may manage about 600ma max behind the windscreen on a nice sunny UK day perhaps 1amp NOT through a windscreen.

So a 10w may manage 300ma, 5w 150ma etc and all much less on cloudy days

So a cheap 5w panel through the windscreen will never overcharge or even charge that 12v battery so does not need a charge controller but are fitted with a blocking diode to prevent battery dishcharge when there is no sun ie overnight.

So my 20w panel needs a charge controller and I have a good one that I have total confidence in.

I have accepted I need to take measures to look after that 12v battery I just wish the dealer network also felt the same way.

 

 

I recommend tilting the solar collector
will work better
my collector is located about 1 cm below the windshield

- 20w with smart microprocessor control
- LED indication of Battery status
- pulse output current 3-5A
- maximum panel output current 1.67A
- charging from 1V
- less than 0.5 mA when monitored

No risk of overcharging
Spark suppression

I have no problem recharging the Battery from 12.3 to 12.6 per day in the sun

during charging I checked the voltage - maximum 13.7V
The sun shines on the my car for a total of 6 hours at this time of year
Less charging occurs even if the sun is not shining directly on the panel

If I calculate correctly it is about 30% or 10.5A / day

 

[Roy124]

One issue with these panels though is stowing them.  You can't just sling them on the back seat. 

Another aspect is Valet Parking and your reliance on the parking company to mount and plug in the panel with the car facing south, especially in winter. 

[Dala]

For Valet Parking, it would be advisable to order a roof modification from Toyota 😄

[Hibird]

11 hours ago, Dala said:

I recommend tilting the solar collector
will work better
my collector is located about 1 cm below the windshield

- 20w with smart microprocessor control
- LED indication of battery status
- pulse output current 3-5A
- maximum panel output current 1.67A
- charging from 1V
- less than 0.5 mA when monitored

No risk of overcharging
Spark suppression

I have no problem recharging the battery from 12.3 to 12.6 per day in the sun

during charging I checked the voltage - maximum 13.7V
The sun shines on the my car for a total of 6 hours at this time of year
Less charging occurs even if the sun is not shining directly on the panel

If I calculate correctly it is about 30% or 10.5A / day

 

 

Great post Dala you clearly understand what is needed ... what charge controller are you using I settled on a Victron MPPT75/10 which is complete overkill power handling wise but has great customization options and control accuracy.

[Roy124]

Dala, not withstanding, EV can have solar panels though their charge input is very modest.  Parked up for a fortnight holiday however you might get a good benefit. 

Found a link that suggested 10 days in full Sun to charge a Prius.  Bit of an expensive option right now and a sod if valet parking was in a barn or under a tree 😁

[soldays]

Thanks for your replies guys! my father had a 1959 ford Anglia as well!

Back to matters at hand. I live in a third floor apartment hence trickle charge not possible.

I have an allocated parking slot, where the sun never shines on the front screen🙁 and of course tinted windows especially around the back.

I was interested in one replier who used a solar charger. Is it likely to work in my scenario as above     and       is there an adaptor available to plug into the OBD? (since the auxiliary cigarette lighter is off with ignition off).

Looking forward to the replies.

 

[Hibird]

I have no experience of using a solar panel through tinted windows although I am sure they will take their toll on available solar power. I think you would need at least a 20w panel but even that may not hit the mark. I have used a OBD adapter plug on a Yaris not ideal as it is not really user friendly for daily use but it works. A lot of these OBD adapters use SAE connectors and on the ones I have seen the male exposed terminal is 12 Live not the greatest choice from a design point of view so take care. At least the OBD is a fused supply.

I have my system connected direct to the Battery via suitable fuses, I am sure sure how easy that would be on a Corolla.

I would advise proper consideration of using a charge controller as perhaps those tinted windows are less of an problem than I think they may be !

Hope all this may be of some help to you.

[Roy124]

Nigel, can you park the other way around? 

[soldays]

Still out of the sun - behind a three storey building on North face!!

I do have a high quality lithium (500amp) booster charger which obviously works, but I don't fancy using it regularly, hence the post.

This begs another question, would the booster eventually weaken the Battery?

You have to decide how much money to throw at this.

[Roy124]

So a rear window tint is actually irrelevant.

Then as the booster will be in parallel and effectively will split the voltage like 12+6 giving you 9.

But boosters are really just for jumping, you then need to bring the 12v Battery up by charging one way or the other. 

[Dala]

13 hours ago, Hibird said:

Great post Dala you clearly understand what is needed ... what charge controller are you using I settled on a Victron MPPT75/10 which is complete overkill power handling wise but has great customization options and control accuracy.

I use a controller from the solar panel manufacturer

https://youtu.be/MHR3z1NZp2U

[Michael L]

I too had an Anglia in the sixties - pale blue. But more to the pointy on this thread, if I leave my Corolla at an airport for three weeks, how likely is it that the Battery will be flat when I return?

[FROSTYBALLS]

15 minutes ago, Michael L said:

I leave my Corolla at an airport for three weeks, how likely is it that the battery will be flat when I return?

Depends on how the car is used. If it frequently does only short journeys, it may have an issue, but if otherwise, it may be OK.

[Kental]

Top spec 2012 Prius had a small solar panel in roof, from memory it powered the ac if parked in sun.

[TonyHSD]

1 hour ago, Michael L said:

I too had an Anglia in the sixties - pale blue. But more to the pointy on this thread, if I leave my Corolla at an airport for three weeks, how likely is it that the battery will be flat when I return?

If it’s me and if the car has not been in regular use prior to my holiday, day or two before that I will connect the 12v Battery to a proper charger at home like ctek or similar and will fully charge it then I will leave it at the airport and not worry at all. 

[Taxizzzzz]

I needed to replace my stock 12v Battery in 2019 Corolla after it died. Was advised by Battery sellers Tanya that a 012 code Battery would fit and be fine but I actually just grabbed one from Toyota for £70 and was a little surprised to see that it was a “beefed up” version with higher AH rating so hopefully hopefully will last longer than the original.

[Hibird]

On 4/24/2022 at 10:18 PM, Dala said:

I use a controller from the solar panel manufacturer

https://youtu.be/MHR3z1NZp2U

Thanks for that, I have ordered one today and will enjoy evaluating it's potential performance.

[Alan Th]

Today I had to call out the recovery services as my 2:0L Toyota Corolla Sports Touring wouldn’t start. I was sure it was a Battery issue as the auto wipers struggled to sweep across the window as I pressed the power button. It turned out to be correct. What is quite amazing is that the car is just 3 months old and the diagnosis was a new Battery required. I hope that this isn’t going to be a continuing problem. I have covered approximately 1500 miles using the car on average 3 times every week. Has anyone else had a similar issue?

[TonyHSD]

2 hours ago, Alan Th said:

Today I had to call out the recovery services as my 2:0L Toyota Corolla Sports Touring wouldn’t start. I was sure it was a battery issue as the auto wipers struggled to sweep across the window as I pressed the power button. It turned out to be correct. What is quite amazing is that the car is just 3 months old and the diagnosis was a new battery required. I hope that this isn’t going to be a continuing problem. I have covered approximately 1500 miles using the car on average 3 times every week. Has anyone else had a similar issue?

Hi Alan, 

it seems like you’ve been using the car on short trips mostly which isn’t the best for your 12v Battery. You have to argue with Toyota for warranty replacement and as soon as you have a new Battery fitted next step will be to invest in a good quality smart charger and charge the Battery once a month. If you do that you will be fine for long time, if not then likely to need another new battery every year or two. Keeping the car in ready mode (ON) for longer time when driving, seating and waiting for someone without using any radio etc will also help extend the life of your 12v battery. Unfortunately these days many if not all latest cars has this low battery issues and particularly those with less use. 

[Mojo1010]

2 hours ago, Alan Th said:

Today I had to call out the recovery services as my 2:0L Toyota Corolla Sports Touring wouldn’t start. I was sure it was a battery issue as the auto wipers struggled to sweep across the window as I pressed the power button. It turned out to be correct. What is quite amazing is that the car is just 3 months old and the diagnosis was a new battery required. I hope that this isn’t going to be a continuing problem. I have covered approximately 1500 miles using the car on average 3 times every week. Has anyone else had a similar issue?

Maybe the Battery were discharged before car reached you. See how the car perform once a new Battery are in place. Sometimes its a low voltage drain somewhere. Let see what your dealer say. Certainly when I get my new car towards end of this year, hope this doesn't happen. I will know it's not usage, as I drive for at least 2 hours a week, no issue with car Battery in all the cars i'd owned. 

[Alan Th]

Thanks for the advice. You are correct in that most of my journeys are quite short. I already have a smart charger I bought when I had issues with a previous car. Will top up the Battery monthly as you suggested. Thanks 

[TonyHSD]

1 hour ago, Mojo1010 said:

Maybe the battery were discharged before car reached you. See how the car perform once a new battery are in place. Sometimes its a low voltage drain somewhere. Let see what your dealer say. Certainly when I get my new car towards end of this year, hope this doesn't happen. I will know it's not usage, as I drive for at least 2 hours a week, no issue with car battery in all the cars i'd owned. 

If it’s me I will fully charge the Battery next day after delivery/collection just to be in the safe side and save myself future trouble. You are right that some cars gets flat Battery even before been delivered to theirs first owners. 👍

[Cyker]

Just go on a 2 hour bender on your favourite roads straight after collection!