12v battery maintenance, issues, etc.

[Cyker]

The CTEK chargers are generally well-regarded and will look after themselves. They won't just cook themselves of overcharge the Battery. If Shmee150 can trust his fleet of supercars to them, I'm sure it will be fine.

But you're going from a Merc.... to a Yaris??  

I think that alone will take a lot of getting used to!!!!  

[Roy124]

I think you might be missing the point.  Spain gets hot regardless of the charger.  The solar panel on top of a car port would keep the Battery topped up.  It does not even require direct sunlight to work.

[Expat_Yaris]

Many thanks for the replies, I'm still positive about getting the car so will find the solution that works best. 

To answer Cyker's concern about moving from a Merc to a Yaris. The Merc is a 20 years old A class, I'm sure El Yaris will more than match it for size and features! 

Roy is correct that the heat and humidity in the garage is my main concern about the Ctek, its been over 40 degrees with 90% humidity at times! However I will give it a test over the winter months next year, assuming El Yaris arrives by then. 

I will probably have to do a mix and match of Ctek and solar charging depending on the time of year and how long it will be left inactive. 

[Roy124]

2 hours ago, Expat_Yaris said:

I will probably have to do a mix and match of Ctek and solar charging depending on the time of year and how long it will be left inactive. 

I got my garage to hard wire a CTEK tail to the Battery with the socket just accessible by the read seat.  This is more convenient than using the clip on connection as that requires removing the appropriate fuse box cover and clipping on the the Positive terminal.

[Bassa]

Anyone with a Yaris Crossover 22 having problems with the car not starting?
I have heard  that if you do not do mileage of over 7,000 miles per annum, roughly twenty/thirty miles per day the 12volt Battery will not take enough charge.  Therefore,  not really suitable for low mileage users, (3,000/4000) annual mileage, or around town running. 
Out of the twelve months I’ve had my car, it’s spent three months over this time in Toyota garage. 
The courtesy new car I’ve had for four weeks, guess what, it failed to start! 
On another site I read that it cannot be left for two weeks parking whilst on holiday without a dead Battery on return.

I ask, should I have been informed on purchase that the car may not be suitable for low use mileage? 

 

 

[Mikw]

I think you'll be ok if you put it in ready mode for 60 mins about once a week.

[Gray86]

If you have a driveway or garage, give it a quick charge with a CTEK MXS 5.0 charger. Really easy to connect up, and doesn’t need to be on charge all the time, every couple of weeks in winter, perhaps every month in summer. Charges in around 5hrs and can be left on whilst you go on holiday or leave the car for prolonged periods. 

[FROSTYBALLS]

Similar topics merged.

[Roy124]

Bazza, lots of advice here, all sound and the best advice depends on where you keep your car: garage, carport, open drive, in the street etc. 

Then how you actually drive.  How long in time (not mileage) is any one trip.  When you go on holiday how long in time is your journey before the holiday. 

These all create your user profile.  Your dealer should have found out how you use your car and briefed you on Battery care. 

When I bought my first Toyota the dealer asked if 8,000 miles per annum was OK for the future value calculation. I asked for 12,000.  He raised his eyes but we would have done 12k apart from Covid.  Present car is at 6k in under 7 months. 

[APS]

On 3/1/2023 at 8:09 AM, Expat_Yaris said:

Roy is correct that the heat and humidity in the garage is my main concern about the Ctek, its been over 40 degrees with 90% humidity at times! However I will give it a test over the winter months next year, assuming El Yaris arrives by then. 

The chargers from CTEK are IP65 rated, so will cope with both splash (rain) and dust. Humidity will not be an issue. They (at least the MXS 5.0) also have temperature compensation that reduces the charge power at higher temperatures. It is rated to operate at between -20 and +50 degrees. That's the stated spec, then there will most likely be a broad margin of tolerance as well.

[CPN]

16 hours ago, Bassa said:

I have heard  that if you do not do mileage of over 7,000 miles per annum, roughly twenty/thirty miles per day the 12volt battery will not take enough charge.  Therefore,  not really suitable for low mileage users, (3,000/4000) annual mileage, or around town running.

Mine is a Yaris (same drivetrain) and it has just completed 8,156 miles after 2½ years of ownership/motoring which makes our annual mileage 3,262ish (at the low end of the 3000/4000 miles quoted) and we have never had a starting problem. So, I guess that blows that theory out of the water so to speak... 😉

[Roy124]

• Colin, true to a point.  It is the quality of the time powered up rather than the simple mileage driven.

Mileage is a simple measurable quantity.  What matters is how you achieve that.  Not prempting you, but one user might leave the car in Ready more at each opportunity whereas another may switch off.  The latter was the norm for many years - car stopped, engine off, ignition off.

[CPN]

36 minutes ago, Roy124 said:

• Colin, true to a point.  It is the quality of the time powered up rather than the simple mileage driven.

Mileage is a simple measurable quantity.  What matters is how you achieve that.  Not prempting you, but one user might leave the car in Ready more at each opportunity whereas another may switch off.  The latter was the norm for many years - car stopped, engine off, ignition off.

Good point and well made. In actual fact, there are many times when we both go out together and, since my wife has nothing to get out of the car for, I leave the car with her sat in it while I do a quick errand and during those times, I leave the car on and in Ready Mode... I'm sure that all those odd times add up to help the car out...

[Cyker]

Yeah it's a bit more complicated than just miles per year as it's more about time on in Ready mode. The mileage is just a simplified way to quantify it, but you could be doing low miles in a city, and due to crawling through 2mph average speed traffic for most of it, that would give the car ample time to put charge into the 12v Battery!

The advice Toyota published to keep the 12v Battery healthy (i.e. 30 mins on Ready mode) during lock down is still valid.

[Dala]

Cloudy today, I tried plugging in a 20W solar panel

  

[Bassa]

6 hours ago, CPN said:

Mine is a Yaris (same drivetrain) and it has just completed 8,156 miles after 2½ years of ownership/motoring which makes our annual mileage 3,262ish (at the low end of the 3000/4000 miles quoted) and we have never had a starting problem. So, I guess that blows that theory out of the water so to speak... 😉

Is yours a Yaris Cross 22?   You will see from other posts that solar panels and jump leads are being purchased as ‘add on’s’ to boost the Battery. 
I think the Battery design on this model may be different.

I did not buy a brand new car to buy ‘add on’s’ to keep the Battery going. 
It has been reported on posts that this model will not stand for one/two weeks without the battery going flat whilst on holiday. 
I am sure this is not the case with other models. I.e Lexus (same company) 

infact I know this as we have a  five year old hybrid Lexus we have NEVER had battery problems and has stood for, in some cases, four weeks whilst on holidays. Since retirement stands for days whilst using the YARIS CROSS to keep up the miles. 
I love this Yaris Cross it is a lovely car, but it’s let me down. 
 

 

[Bassa]

See Dala on post above re solar panel. I trust Dala will give info on the outcome. 

[Bassa]

3 hours ago, Dala said:

Cloudy today, I tried plugging in a 20W solar panel

  

 

[Bassa]

Interested how this panel works, looking forward to see how it performs. 

[CPN]

4 hours ago, Bassa said:

Is yours a Yaris Cross 22?   You will see from other posts that solar panels and jump leads are being purchased as ‘add on’s’ to boost the battery. 
I think the battery design on this model may be different.

It's not. The Mk4 Yaris has an identical drivetrain and Battery pack as your Yaris Cross has. (mine was one of the first Mk4's produced in 2020)

4 hours ago, Bassa said:

I did not buy a brand new car to buy ‘add on’s’ to keep the battery going. 
It has been reported on posts that this model will not stand for one/two weeks without the battery going flat whilst on holiday.

I've already disproved that with my car several times but yes, I also have a solar panel and CTek charger but I have not needed to use either "in anger" yet... 

4 hours ago, Bassa said:

I love this Yaris Cross it is a lovely car, but it’s let me down. 

Sorry to hear that you feel that way... 

[anchorman]

11 hours ago, Bassa said:

 

I love this Yaris Cross it is a lovely car, but it’s let me down. 
 

 

Why, did it fail to start?

[Roy124]

Bazza, I think your are blaming the wrong thing.  It is not a faulty Battery but the parasitic drain from the car.  The solutions covered here are Battery care but not because of the Battery itself. 

A bigger battery is only a palliative and may solve some issues but if the underlying problem is parasitic drain and insufficient recharge time there will be issues in future. 

You may not have a problem after a 2 week holiday.  You may not have a problem after a period of low usage.  However unknown to you that battery may be running below 12v and not 12.4v.  Then one day it fails. 

I suggest most people, in most circumstances, will never have a problem. 

[Roy124]

Having been bitten with a flat Battery about 3 times I decided be prepared. 

I had a voltmeter and was able to convince the garage to change the Battery under warranty. 

I bought a charger. 

I bought a jumper pack. 

I bought a Battery monitor. 

These are one-off purchases and in all about £100 or so. They all transfer car to car. 

In my circumstances a solar charger would be the least effective item. 

I have used the jumper pack once when my Corolla battery went flat on 8 days. 

The battery monitor was a recent purchase for this car and has been most instructive in how the 12v system operates. 

[Mojo1010]

Mk3 Yaris here coming to 7 years on original Battery, not once it fail to start. It's not the Battery to blame in majority of these cases. More of not enough being in ready mode to maintain it. 

I do not have any of the chargers stuff. A member has fitted a 45ah Battery, that will help, though it still need to be charged up enough with usage or eternally with very limited usage. My car sometimes sit for 3-4 days, then it will be driven for 2 hours or more for work/leisure, that is more than enough to keep it maintained. 

[Bassa]

19 hours ago, CPN said:

Good point and well made. In actual fact, there are many times when we both go out together and, since my wife has nothing to get out of the car for, I leave the car with her sat in it while I do a quick errand and during those times, I leave the car on and in Ready Mode... I'm sure that all those odd times add up to help the car out...

Thanks all, I have picked us some really useful information on this site, especially leaving it in ready mode, which my partner did today whilst I was on hospital appointment.  Let’s hope I have no more problem.  Thanks, I really would not have know about this simple way to charge the Battery. 👍