12v battery maintenance, issues, etc.

[HughA]

If the 12 volt Battery goes flat after a couple of days of non use there is something wrong. Either the Battery has come to the end of it's natural life or there's a parasitic drain somewhere. My 2015 hybrid is still on it's original Battery and has never let me down even though the car often sits idle for 3 or 4 days and rarely gets a long run.

[Catlover]

2 hours ago, preperationlaunch said:

Toyota do a replacement 12v battery under fixed price servicing for 105 quid. I couldn't buy the battery on it's own anywhere for less than that.

That's fitted with a wash and vacuum to boot. You can book it online or through their app.

An AGM Battery is more than that, if he needs an AGM, but a dealer may do a good deal.

[Catlover]

8 hours ago, BanburyMan said:

I have this issue on an older Yaris Hybrid.  

It is absolutely infuriating.  It makes the car completely unreliable as you never know whether it will start after not being used for a couple of days.  

Toyota dealers don't want to know.

Is your 12v the original?  If so, it likely it’s come to the end of its useful life (it’s now entered it’s useless life 😄)

[preperationlaunch]

1 hour ago, Catlover said:

An AGM battery is more than that, if he needs an AGM, but a dealer may do a good deal.

Nope. That was for an AGM Battery, booked through the MyT app. I booked on the Monday and had an appointment on the Wednesday. 

The service manager was surprised too, it would’ve been about £190 without the fixed price servicing.

Note, I’ve no servicing plans or anything on the car. It is just the price Toyota charge. 

[preperationlaunch]

3 hours ago, flash22 said:

It depends on the dealer as they are franchised dealers in the South like to screw every penny out of you, there are still supply issues

the Hybrid uses an AGM battery, so more than likely not covered under that deal

It was covered. You book it based on the reg or VIN of the car, which then shows you the various options including hybrid health checks. So the system knows it’s a hybrid.

You can book for any participating dealer through MyToyota. 

I got mine done a few weeks ago. 

[TonyHSD]

Amazon has 15% off solar car chargers. Just ordered one for myself. If anyone interested. 
https://www.amazon.co.uk/AA-Essentials-AA1432-Battery-Charger/dp/B084M5ZL5L/ref=sr_1_6?crid=39V2XP1ATFN47&keywords=solar%2Bbattery%2Bcharger&qid=1649863122&sprefix=Solar%2Bbat%2Caps%2C73&sr=8-6&th=1

[Dala]

When you connect it, please let us know what voltage this 4.8W panel gives. thanks
I assume that the actual supplied current will be 120-160 mA

[Dala]

today driven 50 km - about 60 minutes
20 minutes 14.4V
40 minutes 13V

day ride without lights
smart recharging + high parasitic consumption DCM will soon kill 12V 35Ah car Battery
KIA technicians recommend 100% recharging of car batteries with an external charger for hybrids twice a month

[Roy124]

Dala, that's what I read.  Given that requirement suggests a charger should be provided. 

Toyota work around is putting it in Ready mode.  

I think a charger is a lesser PITA 

[Dala]

problem solving ?
lithium batteries would fit in size

https://www.mightymaxbattery.com/shop/lifepo4/ml35-12li-12v-35ah-deep-cycle-lithium-battery/

https://www.lithiumion-batteries.com/products/12-volt-lithium-batteries/chargex-12v-35ah-lithium-battery.php

https://www.sears.com/mighty-max-battery-ml35-12li101-mighty-max-12v/p-A065207506

[Cyker]

Tempting but gosh those prices, and also as the car isn't designed for lithium 12V I'm a little worried about whether it might overcharge them which has much worse consequences in a lithium pack than a lead-acid one!

Plus it doesn't solve the original problem, i.e. not getting enough charge into the Battery in the first place due to lack of use.

I am surprised more manufacturers don't design lithium batteries in tho' as that is a significant weight saving (And thus higher mpg and lower CO2!)

But then this is sector where they will take away your spare-wheel, citing CO2 and mpg, but then put 87" rims on the car... what is logic!

 

[idlemarvel]

Sad to hear this is still an issue.  The only time I ever called out the AA for the nearly 12 years I had my Prius was because the wretched 12v Battery had gone flat.  All they did was jump start it with a portable power pack so I bought one for myself and kept that charged.  Looks like I should keep that for my Yaris.  Agree with earlier comment that Toyota should give you warning that the 12v Battery is low rather than letting you find out the hard way.

[Spo2]

1 hour ago, idlemarvel said:

Sad to hear this is still an issue.  The only time I ever called out the AA for the nearly 12 years I had my Prius was because the wretched 12v battery had gone flat.  All they did was jump start it with a portable power pack so I bought one for myself and kept that charged.  Looks like I should keep that for my Yaris.  Agree with earlier comment that Toyota should give you warning that the 12v battery is low rather than letting you find out the hard way.

May be a suggest in the app so that they can include Battery warning messages 

[Dala]

The lithium Battery capacity is independent of the discharge rate.

[Roy124]

On 4/29/2022 at 9:21 PM, Spo2 said:

May be a suggest in the app so that they can include battery warning messages 

The kit exists, Google 12v bluetooth Battery monitor.  Its about £27 and seems to work.  Its weakness appears to be range probably because it is inside a metal box 😁. 

To integrate something like this into the App would need Toyota to wire in a device and have the system connected via the Servers to the App.  Be a bit more than £27. 

It would probably be one more system to drain the Battery battery and need a push command to alert you.  I suppose it could use a voltage trigger, say 10v, before waking up. 

[Dala]

Pandora alarm
automatic engine start according to Battery voltage to be charged
Too bad the Toyota Yaris 2020 doesn't work 😞

[Roy124]

Dala, not exactly useful in UK where you must be in attendance.  Also a bit iffy in a locked garage😁

Very useful in deepest Canada where you either plug the car into a charger/sump heater or simply keep it running through lunch hour. 

[Dala]

Today I made another measurement:

The car did not drive for 2 days, Battery test before today's ride:
before pressing the POWER switch - 12.1V
"ACCESSORIES" - 11.8V
“IGNITION ON” - 11.6V

90 minutes in the morning without lights:
10 minutes of 14.4V charging
80 minutes charging 12.8V

evening drive 50 minutes with lights:
50 minutes of 14.4V charging

Another solution is to drive only with the lights on
: -DD

 

[Roy124]

Dala, that 12.1v might have been a drop about 0.5v.

Try measuring each morning for a number of days without switching on. 

[Dala]

- if smart charging in the yaris charges the car Battery only 12.8 V for 80% of the ride + consumption of parasitic current,
this way the car Battery can never be recharged to 100%

- the car Battery voltage is also affected by the outside temperature

 

[Cyker]

Huh, that's interesting... thanks for your data gathering so far!

[BarneyBy]

The good news is Toyota have replaced the Battery in my brothers Yaris Hybrid.But he is still unsure every morning whether in the morning it will start.So far all good.

[TonyHSD]

55 minutes ago, BarneyBy said:

The good news is Toyota have replaced the Battery in my brothers Yaris Hybrid.But he is still unsure every morning whether in the morning it will start.So far all good.

If you are not a regular user of the car you can buy something like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B093V384KK?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_BTXY3Q0ZCZ75CKB6DV5K, plug it in and you can monitor Battery voltage easily, once you see voltage drops below  11v while the car is in starting process you can hook up external Battery charger like ctek 5 for example and leave it connected for as long as the charger needs to fully charge your Battery. Doing so once a month and most likely you will never have to worry about flat battery again. 👍

[Dala]

I also recommend
I use a similar voltmeter
it is not possible to know the voltage value when starting the hybrid - it is very fast
but it can be found out via "ACCESSORIES" and "IGNITION ON"
I bought a Battery tester to find out the starting voltage
It is also possible to test the connected car Battery in the car

[russd1971]

On 2/5/2022 at 12:50 PM, Catlover said:

Photos of the CTEX 5. This is what you get in the box, including a bag to put the unit in.

The crocodile clips go across the connection battery terminals, but as the 12v battery in a Yaris hybrid is under the rear set the 2nd connectors may be more suitable. They permananlty screw into the battery terminals and out of the seat somewhere where it can be tucked up when not in use. On the main CTEK 5 unityou can choose what program you want ie motorcycle or car, AGM battery, Recon option. Easy to use, 8 steps in total.

The battery in a Yaris Hybrid is under the rear seat (in the passenger area) so is an AGM type

Thanks for posting the photos of this. The only thing that slightly concerns me is that in the manual it says "If recharging with the 12-volt Battery installed on the vehicle, be sure to disconnect the ground cable." I presume that this is to isolate the Battery and is pretty standard when charging any Battery in situ, and people charge their batteries like that all the time. But is it actually not that important to worry about?

Did you install the eyelet connectors and have you had any problems recharging with a CTEK? Pretty sure this is the route I would go down if the above isn't an issue.

I can see in the new manual they show an access door to unscrew under the rear seat without requiring lifting the actual seat. However, I'm not sure how easy it would be to attach the eyelet connectors without lifting the seat?