Battery and Brake Discs

[Jimota]

The threads for Battery problems and rusty brake discs for the Yaris Cross have generated a lot of interest with forum members and some of the exchanges have been quite lively and robust.  I have a very basic understanding of how cars work but the hybrid system is completely new to me and now wish to share my experiences and observations on the subjects.

Some of you may be aware that I spent the last 5 weeks in Australia while my Yaris Cross was parked outside my home exposed to snow, sleet, rain, wind and sub zero temperatures.  Prior to going on holiday I arranged for my son to put the car into ready mode a couple of weeks apart but he only managed to do it on one occasion.

On my return home I did a walk round the car and carried out a visual check to see if there were any problems.  Immediately my attention was drawn to the amount of surface rust which had accumulated on all four brake discs.  My previous 2 cars were prone to surface rust on the discs but this was the heaviest deposit I have ever seen.  However, this the longest time I have ever left a car exposed to extreme weather.  On starting the car, the engine went immediately into ready mode and there were no warning lights illuminated or any problems identified.  Moving off,  there was a loud rasping noise but the brakes weren’t seized or causing any issues.  Once I got onto a very quiet country road I increased the speed and very lightly applied my left foot to the brake at the same time.  I continued to do this for some time and eventually the rasping noise disappeared.  Continued to drive for over 20 miles with occasionally applying my left foot to the foot brake while still accelerating.  I find this is the best way to remove any rust rather than slamming on the anchors at speed.  Wish I had taken some before and after photos of the discs as they were nice and shiny again on returning home.

When I bought my Yaris Cross, nobody at the dealership gave me any information about the need to put the car into ready mode if it was going to be left for extended periods.  It is only through this excellent forum that I found out about the procedure and I thank all the members who have contributed on the subject.

Hope my comments help others who have doubts about about Battery reliability and rusty brake discs but I can only say that in my case, the Yaris Cross is an excellent car and have complete confidence in it’s reliability.

Cheers

[TonyHSD]

Thank you for sharing your experience 👍

Good  tip about how to clean them too. 
Gentle but continues braking does better job then slamming on the brakes. 
Battery been in good shape before you left the car and the ready mode obviously helped too. 
I am about to leave my car next month for long period of time without use and will be installing a new brakes on the rear and service the rest. For the duration without use I had ordered these covers and will be adding to the wheels. Also a small AA car solar charger to keep Battery alive.
Petrol E10 additive its on order and will make sure I have this in my tank too. 👌
Here my preparations in links that might be helpful too: : 

Wynn's 38911 Specialist E10 Petrol Fuel Protector Makes E10 Safe For All Petrol Engines https://amzn.eu/d/1hdHcSl

Aebitsry Tire Covers for RV Wheel,(4 Pack) Motorhome Wheel Covers Waterproof 420D Oxford Cloth,Sun UV Tires Protector for Trailer,Camper,Van,Universal Fits 24"to 32"Car Tire Diameter (Black, 24"-26") https://amzn.eu/d/aquMi4b 

Roaduserdirect Packages AA Car Solar Powered Battery Charger Car Van Caravan https://amzn.eu/d/8qkNB67

 

 

[Cyker]

That's great Jimota, some more real world experience, which basically tallies with it being more or less the same as a 'normal' car  

Even my old diesel would have rusty discs after only a fortnight of non-use if it rained, with the lovely bright orange rust that you get, and the fact that yours lasted 5 weeks with only one 'maintenance charge' and no Battery problems is very reassuring

[Jimota]

Should have mentioned that after taking delivery of my car at the tail end of December and leaving home at the end of February, I had only covered 980 miles in two months.  My mileage will increase over the coming months but it shows that my relatively low use of the car did not cause any problems with the Battery.  

 

[Dala]

in my opinion toyota changed turkish 12v car Battery

[anchorman]

10 hours ago, Jimota said:

The threads for battery problems and rusty brake discs for the Yaris Cross have generated a lot of interest with forum members and some of the exchanges have been quite lively and robust.  I have a very basic understanding of how cars work but the hybrid system is completely new to me and now wish to share my experiences and observations on the subjects.

Some of you may be aware that I spent the last 5 weeks in Australia while my Yaris Cross was parked outside my home exposed to snow, sleet, rain, wind and sub zero temperatures.  Prior to going on holiday I arranged for my son to put the car into ready mode a couple of weeks apart but he only managed to do it on one occasion.

On my return home I did a walk round the car and carried out a visual check to see if there were any problems.  Immediately my attention was drawn to the amount of surface rust which had accumulated on all four brake discs.  My previous 2 cars were prone to surface rust on the discs but this was the heaviest deposit I have ever seen.  However, this the longest time I have ever left a car exposed to extreme weather.  On starting the car, the engine went immediately into ready mode and there were no warning lights illuminated or any problems identified.  Moving off,  there was a loud rasping noise but the brakes weren’t seized or causing any issues.  Once I got onto a very quiet country road I increased the speed and very lightly applied my left foot to the brake at the same time.  I continued to do this for some time and eventually the rasping noise disappeared.  Continued to drive for over 20 miles with occasionally applying my left foot to the foot brake while still accelerating.  I find this is the best way to remove any rust rather than slamming on the anchors at speed.  Wish I had taken some before and after photos of the discs as they were nice and shiny again on returning home.

When I bought my Yaris Cross, nobody at the dealership gave me any information about the need to put the car into ready mode if it was going to be left for extended periods.  It is only through this excellent forum that I found out about the procedure and I thank all the members who have contributed on the subject.

Hope my comments help others who have doubts about about battery reliability and rusty brake discs but I can only say that in my case, the Yaris Cross is an excellent car and have complete confidence in it’s reliability.

Cheers

You do know that while you were sunning yourself down under we had to go fetch your car out of the Firth of Clyde where it had floated into the path of a submarine.  It’s been horrible here - wettest since the earth cooled down according to the news.  

[Jimota]

All you have to do is dress properly for the prevailing conditions.  As an example, I usually wear a string vest in summer when sunbathing and a short sleeve t shirt in winter.  Rain is a particular problem for me as my hair goes really curly when it gets wet so I have to wear a rainmate.  It’s called the Shirley Temple look.  I also wear lightweight shorts in the summer but if the temperature drops below zero I’ll wear a second set of khaki shorts underneath.  I even have a pair of fur lined open toe and heel sandals.

Hottest temperature I’ve ever encountered was 48 degrees in Western Australia.  People were dropping all over the place with heat exhaustion but my faithful string vest kept me fresh as a daisy.

[Tintaglia]

Re rusting brake discs- I remember noticing back in the early seventies that old brake discs left in our pile for the scrap man would rust in the pattern of that night's rain drops.  Unless the discs are in a poor state a few good presses (ignore the noise) will clean them up. 

Interesting to hear about the brake and throttle together technique, that was always used in my time for a quick 'bed in'  of new pads so customers didn't experience the squidgy first few presses, but many modern cars (including my 1.33) will not allow this and simply cut the throttle if you press it at the same time as the brake.  I'm sure rally and other race cars are programmed to allow old school 'tow and heeling'.   

[Cyker]

Yeah, while it's still that fresh bright orange surface rust it will come off fairly easily; It's when it starts getting that darker brown rust that's really dug in when it becomes a problem!!

[TonyHSD]

Got these wheel covers of Amazon and they look very good in person. I haven’t tried them yet as the car is dirty but I will clean it and try them next week. Will update will new pictures. I have not bought the charger yet, I have tried the wynns E10 additive in the fuel, no difference noted but will do again when leaving the car without use for longer. 👍

[tfc]

Don't  forget your brake pad friction materials will probably contain copper and metal shavings so that won't help the disc's when they get splashed with rain droplets so I wouldn't worry to much about , plus it also depends on the quantity of the metal  the disc's are made of.