12v battery maintenance, issues, etc.

[Derek.w]

Just a reminder my 12 volt Battery is fitted with what looks like distilled water top up screw caps not that I have checked the fluid level.

[anchorman]

I just stick the ctek on the Battery jump point in the fuse box now and again.  At holiday time I can turn the plug on and off remotely.   

[IT Troll]

I thought you weren't meant to charge through the fuse box. Or does that not matter with a maintenance/conditioning type charger?

[Cyker]

20 hours ago, Derek.w said:

Just a reminder my 12 volt battery is fitted with what looks like distilled water top up screw caps not that I have checked the fluid level.

Are you sure? Most modern lead acid batteries shouldn't need topping up...! They're usually sealed for safety reasons!

They might be emergency vents - The X may not be for a screwdriver, but a weak point, so if unsafe pressures build up in the Battery too quickly for the normal valve to relieve, it can burst the vent cap instead instead of the Battery exploding.

(NB: Just theorizing - I don't even know if that's still a thing on modern batteries as usually they just a have the pressure release valve. I haven't seen a car Battery that needed to be topped up with distilled water for a very long time tho'...!)

 

[Rhymes with Paris]

In 1981, I was part of a bunch of brickys who went to Denmark to build sports centres and squash courts.

What the hell has Denmark building got to do with exploding batteries you quite justifiably may wonder.

We took 2 newish company Lada estate cars and a ratty old transit on the ferry and headed for the land of Vikings.

The first job was in Slagelse, when the brickwork was completed on that we headed over to Jutland on another ferry and the Middlefarht bridge to Viborg.

On the way one of the Ladas Battery did explode, I had thought that exploding car batteries were a bit of a myth before this.

Mind you, the precisely engineered Russian version of recycled Fiats was only around 2 grand brand new then.

I can't remember if they were buy one get one free then though.

 

[Derek.w]

Battery is fitted with a breather tube at one side going under the floor ( you dont want the vapers inside the cabin) the opposite side has a bung plug in it. If it was to go over pressure then the bung plug will be pushed out but for that to happen the vent tube must be blocked.

Well thats my theory.

[anchorman]

20 hours ago, IT Troll said:

I thought you weren't meant to charge through the fuse box. Or does that not matter with a maintenance/conditioning type charger?

The fuse box terminal is just a remote or convenient connection to the 12v Battery.  You can use it to jump start the 12v Battery so using a ctek isn’t going to harm.   You must not use it to jump start another vehicle from your own car’s 12v Battery.

[IT Troll]

7 hours ago, anchorman said:

You must not use it to jump start another vehicle from your own car’s 12v battery.

Ah yes, apologies, that was the bit I was misremembering.

[Max_Headroom]

 

How to start a hybrid with a small power pack.

 

 

[Dala]

I went through the Ramblin Watters videos :
video start 6:00
voltage drop to 11.5V when the brake is pressed
further drop to 11.4V at start
the biggest drop in the car Battery voltage is when you step on the brake pedal - 0.5V

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU_FAcpd_Mg&t=360s

[Max_Headroom]

59 minutes ago, Dala said:

I went through the Ramblin Watters videos :

Sorry for wasting your time the video was posted to show that you don't need a huge jump pack to get the car started you only need one to with enough grunt to power the 12v Battery,  this video was not aimed at people who know about how these cars work it's for the ones that don't!

[Roy124]

13 hours ago, anchorman said:

You must not use it to jump start another vehicle from your own car’s 12v battery.

The point being that a conventional jump start requires the donner car to provide sufficient power to turn over the starter motor of the other car. 

That said, I don't see why one hybrid could not power another hybrid. 

[anchorman]

1 hour ago, Roy124 said:

The point being that a conventional jump start requires the donner car to provide sufficient power to turn over the starter motor of the other car. 

That said, I don't see why one hybrid could not power another hybrid. 

I know Roy 😉

[Dala]

2 hours ago, Max_Headroom said:

Sorry for wasting your time the video was posted to show that you don't need a huge jump pack to get the car started you only need one to with enough grunt to power the 12v battery,  this video was not aimed at people who know about how these cars work it's for the ones that don't!

but this video is not about starting - this is another video about measuring car Battery voltage

[Max_Headroom]

18 hours ago, Dala said:

but this video is not about starting - this is another video about measuring car battery voltage

He shows how to jump the car here and the video title is "Jump your Prius"

At 2:46 - "Hit the power button and it looks like its firing back up"

 

 

[Dala]

10 minutes ago, Max_Headroom said:

He shows how to jump the car here and the video title is "Jump your Prius"

At 2:46 - "Hit the power button and it looks like its firing back up"

Ramblin Watters has more videos on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/c/RamblinWatters/videos
 

[loz8]

this subject was brought up on Auris forum,on that model the fuse box terminal has one live side to it.Watch out that jumper or charger live clamp is live to that side of the jaw,some are live wired to both sides of jaw [clamp] if a stranger to the car they can make that mistake,Clamp on ,nothing happens.

[TruBlu]

On 9/24/2022 at 7:30 PM, Cyker said:

I noticed it's a Dynamic  so it might be worth turning off the Smart/Keyless entry system when it's not going to be used for a while to see if that helps with the drain.

Thanks for mentioning this. I have now been deactivating the smart entry key and according to the manual this should help by not depleting the battery in the key and most importantly the 12V battery. So far the voltage reading has remained at 11.5V to 12V after 4 days of no driving, lets see how it goes

 

 

[AisinW]

There is not much difference by turning the smartkey off besides security reason when we are in vacation. My Battery is almost 7 years old but never fail to start the car even after 1 week in garage with smart key on. 

The CR2032 Battery last about 4-5 years in the remote unit qnd it cost 30 pence each. 

Any jump starter pack will work because it only need 60Amp, just buy known brand and won't suddenly combust. 

[Hybrid21]

4 minutes ago, AisinW said:

 

The CR2032 battery last about 4-5 years in the remote unit qnd it cost 30 pence each. 

 

Where do you get your CR2032 batteries for 30 pence each John ?  😀

[TonyHSD]

9 minutes ago, Hybrid21 said:

Where do you get your CR2032 batteries for 30 pence each John ?  😀

Here, no joke 😂👌

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/293424476790?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=nzcajojqqxo&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=p34UK1z2T4m&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
 

I will probably not gonna buy any of them but at 29p each might make a bargain deal. 👌

[Hybrid21]

Well done Tony, I stand to be corrected, and apologies John if I doubted your figures  😃

You learn something every time you read this forum 👍

[AisinW]

Aldi and LIDL sold it for less than £2 for 6 peaces and they are as good as any CR2032. what surprises me is how bad Energeizer CR2032, less capacity than Battery with 1/5 price. 

 

 

[Hybrid21]

Cheers John 👍

[Dala]

Has anyone measured the standby current draw from the car Battery in the yaris hybrid?