Leaving a C-HR standing

[Stokesy65]

Hi all, I’m new to the group so forgive me if this question has been asked before.

We currently live in Greece but we are moving back permanently to the UK at the end of June. I managed to get a great deal on a new C-HR and am flying back to the UK at the beginning of May to pick it up. The car will then be stored from 14th May until we get back on the 30th June. So this means it will be standing unused for nearly 7 weeks. I can get my son to start the car but I really don’t want him driving it!!!

Have any of you got any advice on what I should do regarding the Battery etc? Will it be ok to leave it for this long? I’ve never owned a Toyota or a hybrid before so I have no idea!

Thanks for any advice given I really do appreciate it!

Dave…. 

[philip42h]

There is a risk that the 12V auxiliary Battery will run flat with the car just standing for that length of time - which won't do the Battery any good.

Your best bet would be to leave the car connected to a smart charger to trickle charge the 12V auxiliary Battery - if that is practical / possible?

Failing that, get your son to put the car into Ready mode for about an hour each week. That's what Toyota recommend but in reality, you should get away with rather less ... 😉

In Ready mode, the car will maintain the auxiliary battery and the engine will start and run periodically for a short time to maintain the traction battery.

[Stokesy65]

9 minutes ago, philip42h said:

There is a risk that the 12V auxiliary battery will run flat with the car just standing for that length of time - which won't do the battery any good.

Your best bet would be to leave the car connected to a smart charger to trickle charge the 12V auxiliary battery - if that is practical / possible?

Failing that, get your son to put the car into Ready mode for about an hour each week. That's what Toyota recommend but in reality, you should get away with rather less ... 😉

In Ready mode, the car will maintain the auxiliary battery and the engine will start and run periodically for a short time to maintain the traction battery.

Thanks Philip….
Ok, I’m now going to show how little I know about hybrids! You say leave the car connected to a smart charger to charge the auxiliary Battery. Is this the main Battery or the Battery that allows to run in electric mode? 
 

If this isn’t possible you say to get my son to put the car in ready mode. I have no idea what you mean! Will have to sit in the car for an hour each week??

please forgive me for being so ignorant about Hybrids… When I lived in England I only ever had company cars so I only had to drive them!

Dave

[philip42h]

40 minutes ago, Stokesy65 said:

Ok, I’m now going to show how little I know about hybrids!

Is this the main battery or the battery that allows to run in electric mode? 

Well demonstrated! 🙂 

Old fashioned cars had a decent sized 12V starter Battery - used to drive a starter motor to get the engine started and then recharged via an alternator.

Our hybrids have done away with the starter motor and alternator altogether. Instead, there is a relatively powerful traction Battery that drives one or more electric motors to move the car in EV mode and automatically start the ICE as and when needed. (So that traction Battery is both the "main" battery and the one "that allows to run in electric mode".)

We don't need a traditional starter battery at all - but we do need a 'small' 12V auxiliary battery to keep the car's electronic systems 'alive' while it is switched Off. And, obviously when you think about it, that auxiliary battery will run flat if we leave the car switched Off for long enough - two or three weeks isn't a problem; seven weeks may be long enough.

The 12V auxiliary battery is recharged (from the traction battery) while the car is On - i.e. in Ready mode. And Toyota recommend that the car be left in Ready mode (On) for an hour each week to compensate for standing the rest of the time.

Whether your son needs to sit in the car while it is in Ready mode will depend on where the car is laid-up. If it's parked on the street in a higher crime area then 'yes' that would be advisable. If is on a private drive where it can be reasonably watched then you/he could largely leave it to its own devices.

In Ready mode the engine will run periodically so it's best not done in a closed garage. But if it's in a closed garage the smart trickle charge would be a far better option anyway.

[Stokesy65]

8 hours ago, philip42h said:

Well demonstrated! 🙂

Thanks Philip! I did say I have no idea…

That easy explanation has made it clear! I’ll look into getting a trickle charger..,

Thanks again,

Dave

[Max_Headroom]

13 hours ago, philip42h said:

The 12V auxiliary battery is recharged (from the traction battery) while the car is On - i.e. in Ready mode. And Toyota recommend that the car be left in Ready mode (On) for an hour each week to compensate for standing the rest of the time.

As the op has admitted he doesn't know how these cars work so I will add driving the car a decent distance once a week should be enough to stop you having problems you don't need to leave it sat in ready mode that is for owners that don't or cannot drive regularly. 

You can buy a small jump pack that you leave in the glove box which will get you going should your Battery go flat. 

[Stokesy65]

2 hours ago, Max_Headroom said:

As the op has admitted he doesn't know how these cars work so I will add driving the car a decent distance once a week should be enough to stop you having problems you don't need to leave it sat in ready mode that is for owners that don't or cannot drive regularly. 

You can buy a small jump pack that you leave in the glove box which will get you going should your battery go flat. 

 

2 hours ago, Max_Headroom said:

As the op has admitted he doesn't know how these cars work so I will add driving the car a decent distance once a week should be enough to stop you having problems you don't need to leave it sat in ready mode that is for owners that don't or cannot drive regularly. 

Max, that will be me as the car will be sat on the drive for 7 weeks until we get back from Greece… I just don’t want to damage the Battery by letting it go completely flat…

Dave

[TonyHSD]

5 hours ago, Stokesy65 said:

 

Max, that will be me as the car will be sat on the drive for 7 weeks until we get back from Greece… I just don’t want to damage the battery by letting it go completely flat…

Dave

Hi Dave, 

another opportunity for you is to buy a solar powered Battery charger that connects via obd 2 port located under steering wheel on the right side. 
Park the car on your drive towards the sun ☀️, place the charger onto dashboard and connect to the obd port, job done. Just don’t forget to unplug before you start the car on your return. 
Here an example of these chargers , I had one before but never needed to use and returned before I even tried but many finds it works fine . 
AA 12 V Car Solar Battery Trickle Charger, AA1432 - for Vehicles and Caravans - Battery Connectors Included, Solar 4.8W, Black https://amzn.eu/d/6oWsHxk

[Max_Headroom]

7 hours ago, Stokesy65 said:

Max, that will be me as the car will be sat on the drive for 7 weeks until we get back from Greece… I just don’t want to damage the battery by letting it go completely flat…

Dave

I think the solar panel Tony has suggested will do the job for you and the beauty is no trailing wires from the 240v socket etc.

[Stokesy65]

1 hour ago, TonyHSD said:

Hi Dave, 

another opportunity for you is to buy a solar powered battery charger that connects via obd 2 port located under steering wheel on the right side. 
Park the car on your drive towards the sun ☀️, place the charger onto dashboard and connect to the obd port, job done. Just don’t forget to unplug before you start the car on your return. 
Here an example of these chargers , I had one before but never needed to use and returned before I even tried but many finds it works fine . 
AA 12 V Car Solar Battery Trickle Charger, AA1432 - for Vehicles and Caravans - Battery Connectors Included, Solar 4.8W, Black https://amzn.eu/d/6oWsHxk

Thanks Tony, I’ve looked at those. Do you just leave it on the dash or does it have to be outside the car? In the description it says it isn’t waterproof and later it says it is!

[Max_Headroom]

2 hours ago, Stokesy65 said:

Thanks Tony, I’ve looked at those. Do you just leave it on the dash or does it have to be outside the car? In the description it says it isn’t waterproof and later it says it is!

Leave it on the dash as that is what most owners here do,  i assume its waterproof so you can use it when outside (camping) to charge your phone etc.

[TonyHSD]

Yes, for inside use I believe. This panel is large size and will stay perfectly on the dashboard top. I personally never used one , but my neighbour did and it saved their new Battery. In cloudy days those doesn’t work much , however when sunny they are good. 👍

[Marjan]

On 3/12/2024 at 4:11 PM, Stokesy65 said:

Hi all, I’m new to the group so forgive me if this question has been asked before.

We currently live in Greece but we are moving back permanently to the UK at the end of June. I managed to get a great deal on a new C-HR and am flying back to the UK at the beginning of May to pick it up. The car will then be stored from 14th May until we get back on the 30th June. So this means it will be standing unused for nearly 7 weeks. I can get my son to start the car but I really don’t want him driving it!!!

Have any of you got any advice on what I should do regarding the battery etc? Will it be ok to leave it for this long? I’ve never owned a Toyota or a hybrid before so I have no idea!

Thanks for any advice given I really do appreciate it!

Dave…. 

If the Battery of your car is in good shape then don't worry. 
I left my C-HR sleeping for 2 months(vacation)and everything was fine👍 The winter here is less severe than UK,but stil is 2 months passed without using the car. 

Edited March 16 by Marjan
Additional text added

[Max_Headroom]

4 hours ago, Marjan said:

I left my C-HR sleeping for 2 months(vacation)and everything was fine👍 The winter here is less severe than UK,but stil is 2 months passed without using the car. 

I think you were very lucky there are hundreds of posts in these forums on the subject and the majority have problems after the car has stood for a few days not months. 

[Marjan]

2 hours ago, Max_Headroom said:

I think you were very lucky there are hundreds of posts in these forums on the subject and the majority have problems after the car has stood for a few days not months. 

To tell you the truth,I expected nothing else than flat Battery 🔋 Because two motnths(59 days to be precise) is a very long time to not use the car. Pleasantly surprised that was working just fine. The temperature was between 0 and 12(some days) degrees. Average was around 10 during the day.

Hmmm,maybe my type of us helped who knows. Or maybe toyota tweaked some stuff,so the Battery stays in good shape for more long. 

[TonyHSD]

Lol two months it’s impressive. 
I left mine for up to 4 weeks previously  but now I will be worried to repeat that., more than two weeks maybe three and it will need a good charge or perhaps a new Battery, but that’s to be expected from a 13.5 years old Battery.
I don’t know if any owners has changed their hybrid Battery before their  12v battery but I did exactly that recently. 

[Roker]

On 3/13/2024 at 3:41 PM, Max_Headroom said:

I think the solar panel Tony has suggested will do the job for you and the beauty is no trailing wires from the 240v socket etc.

Can the Battery be disconnected to prevent the parasitic currents running the Battery down. If you use a solar charger doing this you will have to connect direct to the disconnected Battery

[Max_Headroom]

No because some systems need to be powered all the time leaving the Battery in place and using the solar panel is the way to go.

[Marjan]

On 3/17/2024 at 5:10 PM, Max_Headroom said:

No because some systems need to be powered all the time leaving the battery in place and using the solar panel is the way to go.

Then how is possible that my car survived 2 moths sleep?

[philip42h]

1 hour ago, Marjan said:

Then how is possible that my car survived 2 moths sleep?

There are any number of possibilities:

• You were just lucky - a new Battery fully charged will survive longer than an older partially charged one.
• The electronics in later models may consume less power on standby than earlier ones.
• You stored the car in a garage unlocked - the power consumed by a security system will be greater when the car is locked and the security system is active.

Just possibilities ... we probably can't know for sure why yours survived for so long, but I doubt that you are complaining about it ... 😉

[Marjan]

6 hours ago, philip42h said:

There are any number of possibilities:

• You were just lucky - a new battery fully charged will survive longer than an older partially charged one.
• The electronics in later models may consume less power on standby than earlier ones.
• You stored the car in a garage unlocked - the power consumed by a security system will be greater when the car is locked and the security system is active.

Just possibilities ... we probably can't know for sure why yours survived for so long, but I doubt that you are complaining about it ... 😉

1. Well the car was 2 months old before i left and the Battery was of course new. 

2. Parked outside under the roof and locked. No alarm installed. 
 

3. Not complaining at all. Just very surprised that my CHR worked just fine. 
I expected dead Battery 100%

Hmmm,maybe new battery+ some minor changes inside the car=less consumption,brought me to happy ending 😄
 

 

[APS]

Why would it not be possible to disconnect/remove the auxiliary Battery from the car? Yes, many things will be reset, alarm and tracker disabled (unless it has integrated backup), but the traction Battery should be isolated when the car is off anyway and not drain itself anywhere near as quick as the 12V Battery. 

Removing the battery would mean you don't have to trickle charge it (not for two months anyway) and act as bit of theft protection.

@Stokesy65Dave - I'm not suggesting you do this. I'm mostly curious if this could be another option. 

 

[Stokesy65]

1 hour ago, APS said:

Why would it not be possible to disconnect/remove the auxiliary battery from the car? Yes, many things will be reset, alarm and tracker disabled (unless it has integrated backup), but the traction battery should be isolated when the car is off anyway and not drain itself anywhere near as quick as the 12V battery. 

Removing the battery would mean you don't have to trickle charge it (not for two months anyway) and act as bit of theft protection.

@Stokesy65Dave - I'm not suggesting you do this. I'm mostly curious if this could be another option. 

 

I live on a main road. So disconnecting the Battery (alarm and tracker) would be a no. I’ve purchased a solar trickle charger now so will connect that when it’s time…

 

Thanks for your input though. Got to admit this group has been great!

[CassUK]

Jumping on this thread - I’ve never owned a Hybrid before and have a new C-HR GR Sport on order. I also have a motorhome which is stored under cover (essentially a locked shed).
 

My intention is to leave the car in the covered storage when we are away in the motorhome, possibly for a couple of months at a time. Obviously a solar charger won’t work under cover and although I have a CTEK charger connected to the motorhome starter Battery to keep it topped up as there is parasitic drain on the starter Battery (alarm), I’m not sure the storage facility would like my car st start up and run unattended 🤔

Any thoughts or recommendations as to the best solution here 🤷‍♂️

[Big_D]

You should be able to connect the C-TEK charger to keep the Battery charged. The car won’t start on it’s own. This will only happen if you have the car in Ready mode, using the hybrid Battery to charge the 12v system. You’ll be fine.