Rav4 Battery

[happydaze]

I have a 2001 RAV4 GX and it has been sluggish at starting recently. My local agent has checked the vehicle and says that all is ok, despite the fact that it stuggles to turn over when it is cold. I am told that I am not doing enough miles to charge the Battery (20 to 30 miles every two to three days). I have been told to use the car every day to ensure good starting. Does any one else have any experience?

Steve

[stevetubbyturbo]

I have a 2001 RAV4 GX and it has been sluggish at starting recently. My local agent has checked the vehicle and says that all is ok, despite the fact that it stuggles to turn over when it is cold.  I am told that I am not doing enough miles to charge the battery (20 to 30 miles every two to three days).  I have been told to use the car every day to ensure good starting. Does any one else have any experience?

Steve

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Hi Steve

Im no Rav4 expert but it could be you just have a Battery thats on its way out and it may be time foe a replacement.

HTH

Steve

[happydaze]

That's what I thought, but they have already charged me over £90 for a new one only a couple of months ago. They also told me that in winter, if you leave the vehicle without use for more than a few days, it is unlikely to have enough power in the Battery to start due to the high drain with current models!

[stevetubbyturbo]

That's what I thought, but they have already charged me over £90 for a new one only a couple of months ago.  They also told me that in winter, if you leave the vehicle without use for more than a few days, it is unlikely to have enough power in the battery to start due to the high drain with current models!

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Ive known batterys to one day start the car and be fine then get a cold snap and the Battery is as dead as a DoDo.

My advice to you would be get a new Battery as the one you have is 4 years old and possibly get a heavy duty one as a few extra AH would help cranking on those colder mornings.

Steve

[stevetubbyturbo]

That's what I thought, but they have already charged me over £90 for a new one only a couple of months ago.  They also told me that in winter, if you leave the vehicle without use for more than a few days, it is unlikely to have enough power in the battery to start due to the high drain with current models!

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sorry mate i didnt read your last correctly (DOH) if your Battery was changed just a few months ago it would be unlikely to be the Battery but its been known for new batterys to fail in cold conditions.

Do you have an anything in the car which would use power over night? or have you a glove box light and make sure it turns off when the box closes.

I would check all your conections to your starter motor making sure they are clean and tight and check the teminals and leads are clean and tight on your Battery.

I would then put a multimeter across the battery and see if the altinator is charging it.

If all above is ok change the battery for a heavy duty and then if the problem presists then start looking at other areas.

HTH

Steve

[happydaze]

Thanks for that. The dealer has checked all that and told me their compuerised diagnostics haven't found anything wrong. I think I will get an independant auto-electrician to do a full check. I can't believe that Toyota would market a vehicle that needed to be driven every day to keep the Battery charged - but that's in effect what the dealership are saying!

[Uncle Bob]

Agree with the above posts,that your Battery has past its best, may i suggest you don't go for a main dealer Battery but get a better one that has a 4 year or lifetime warrenty.

A Bosch Asia Silver is the way to go, i recently fitted one to my IS200, and it only cost about £48.00 :) ......

http://www.boschautoparts.co.uk/pcBatt1.asp?c=2&d=1

Look up dealer locator .

[stevetubbyturbo]

Agree with the above posts,that your battery has past its best, may i suggest you don't go for a main dealer battery but get a better one that has a 4 year or lifetime warrenty.

        A Bosch Asia Silver is the way to go, i recently fitted one to my IS200, and it only cost about £48.00 :) ......

   

    http://www.boschautoparts.co.uk/pcBatt1.asp?c=2&d=1 

Look up dealer locator  .

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As above quote dont the Battery from the dealer it will be over priced also if your car no longer has a warrenty i wouldn,t take it to a main dealer for anything or only as a last resort as i have heard some right horror storys of people taking their cars to main dealers as half of them aint got a clue (this is only my opinion)

It could be the case that the dealer took your car in and could'nt find a fault with the car so to justify their time they fitted you with a Battery and gave charged you for a diagnostic which they never did.

As for them saying to you that the car has be started every day to keep the Battery charged is a load of TOSH my MR2 has'nt been started for 5 weeks and i went out to it this morning and it started first time no problems.

Get a heavy duty battery and give it a go and get it from one of these Motor Factor Places it will be half price of a dealer and see if that sorts it, and if you get any more problems im sure there are loads of people on here he can help and give you some idea of whats up.

Let me know how you get on

Steve

[sparkydog]

If you take your vehicle to your local auto parts store , they will be able to put a test on the Battery to see if you have a faulty cell within the Battery itself ,even if its a new unit , if that tests ok , borrow a heavy duty ampmeter and see what the vehicle is using "at rest" with nothing switched on , It should only be a few milliamps not much higher, you may have a relay etc that is faulty and not switching off SD