12v battery maintenance, issues, etc.

[Max_Headroom]

47 minutes ago, dannyboy413 said:

Does it work okay?

I tested it with my mustimeter and it was showing the same reading, i am not too bothered about the temperature as its inside the car so not important but interesting all the same 4c outside today 18c in the car. 

[Derek.w]

I am more interested in what current is drawn when all systems are in sleep mode!.

[Chas G]

It would be good to put a decent recording ammeter on the Battery to see what it's drawing in all the different scenarios. 

[Dala]

3 minutes ago, Chas G said:

It would be good to put a decent recording ammeter on the battery to see what it's drawing in all the different scenarios. 

I agree
the one used by toyota is broken 😏

[Wilder]

Hello everyone. In the 18 months that I've had my 2021 Yaris Hybrid, it's been back to the dealer 5 times with flat batteries. It's had two new 12V batteries, the last was 5 days ago. In the 5 days since I had the new Battery, I've done 1 x 45 minute drive (back from the dealer), 2 x 40 minute drives, and 2 x 15 minute ones, and had to jump-start it from my Noco Battery pack twice. I was about to go out again but the dash is now saying NOT READY TO DRIVE.  Before I try to resolve it by jumping it again, is this just a pre-going-flat message or a clue that something else might be underlying all the issues? The dealer has run all the checks many times and says there's nothing wrong with it and have only replaced the Battery as a goodwill gesture - they think it's my driving (which is usually much as above and I don't do tiny trips). I know there's a lot on here about the battery but I haven't found the answer to this one, so thank you very much to anyone who can advise and big apologies if I've missed the answer elsewhere on here.

Is this really regular experience for hybrid owners? I can honestly say that in my 35 years of driving I've never been so frequently inconvenienced by a car and wish I could give it back but it's under Toyota Finance.

[Joby1]

Hello Wilder

In the past 24 months I’ve had to call Toyota Assistant 7 times to jump start my 2020 plate Yaris Hybrid (bought May 2021, previously a demo car). I’ve been back to the local dealer numerous times and they kept the car for a week in Sept 2023 to test for Battery drainage etc. No cause found. The dealer fitted a new Battery as a gesture of goodwill in April 2023. In the past 4 weeks the latest Battery has gone dead a further twice, even with a trickle charger in place. On New Year’s Day I purchased a NOCO jump start as I couldn’t face waiting for 3-4.5 hours again for Toyota Assistance/AA to attend further instances. The battery went dead for the 8th time last Friday - NOCO started it. 

My car is now with the dealer. They accept my driving amount is not the issue. I understand they have submitted a technical report to Toyota UK and have said they are committed to finding a solution to the recurring dead battery.

I’m at the end of my tether with the car - which is really sad having previously been a very satisfied Yaris owner for many years with previous models. 

I have shared details of the forum with the dealer to highlight my experience is not an isolated example (I started this thread in Jan 2021). I have also shared details of the Yuasa battery. 

It would be helpful to hear how your case progresses. 
 

[Wilder]

Thank you, Jo. What a frustrating story and not at all encouraging. I'll certainly keep the forum updated with any progress. I'm just waiting for a callback from my dealer, but they admitted last time that mine was a far-from-isolated case. 

Good luck with yours...

 

[Joby1]

Good luck too. 

[Jumpman]

Hey all, i need a new Battery for my 2016 Yaris III and want to get the Varta C22 (12V 54AH 470CCA type 012)

I understand the extra AH/CCA shouldn't be a problem?

The dimentions are correct, but im wondering if the top clamp will fit/hold it in place ok? The Battery looks to have and angled edge at the front top (see pic) right where the clamp will want a square edge, hope that makes sense! It'll be my fist Battery change 😉

 

 

 

[Mojo1010]

7 hours ago, Wilder said:

Hello everyone. In the 18 months that I've had my 2021 Yaris Hybrid, it's been back to the dealer 5 times with flat batteries. It's had two new 12V batteries, the last was 5 days ago. In the 5 days since I had the new battery, I've done 1 x 45 minute drive (back from the dealer), 2 x 40 minute drives, and 2 x 15 minute ones, and had to jump-start it from my Noco battery pack twice. I was about to go out again but the dash is now saying NOT READY TO DRIVE.  Before I try to resolve it by jumping it again, is this just a pre-going-flat message or a clue that something else might be underlying all the issues? The dealer has run all the checks many times and says there's nothing wrong with it and have only replaced the battery as a goodwill gesture - they think it's my driving (which is usually much as above and I don't do tiny trips). I know there's a lot on here about the battery but I haven't found the answer to this one, so thank you very much to anyone who can advise and big apologies if I've missed the answer elsewhere on here.

Is this really regular experience for hybrid owners? I can honestly say that in my 35 years of driving I've never been so frequently inconvenienced by a car and wish I could give it back but it's under Toyota Finance.

I would probably check to see if the Battery looks new, or that the new Battery were left depleted before installation. Your driving is a good amount of time, that isn't the issue. 

[Dala]

winter will be tough for my car Battery

[anchorman]

19 hours ago, Wilder said:

Hello everyone. In the 18 months that I've had my 2021 Yaris Hybrid, it's been back to the dealer 5 times with flat batteries. It's had two new 12V batteries, the last was 5 days ago. In the 5 days since I had the new battery, I've done 1 x 45 minute drive (back from the dealer), 2 x 40 minute drives, and 2 x 15 minute ones, and had to jump-start it from my Noco battery pack twice. I was about to go out again but the dash is now saying NOT READY TO DRIVE.  Before I try to resolve it by jumping it again, is this just a pre-going-flat message or a clue that something else might be underlying all the issues? The dealer has run all the checks many times and says there's nothing wrong with it and have only replaced the battery as a goodwill gesture - they think it's my driving (which is usually much as above and I don't do tiny trips). I know there's a lot on here about the battery but I haven't found the answer to this one, so thank you very much to anyone who can advise and big apologies if I've missed the answer elsewhere on here.

Is this really regular experience for hybrid owners? I can honestly say that in my 35 years of driving I've never been so frequently inconvenienced by a car and wish I could give it back but it's under Toyota Finance.

 

17 hours ago, Joby1 said:

Hello Wilder

In the past 24 months I’ve had to call Toyota Assistant 7 times to jump start my 2020 plate Yaris Hybrid (bought May 2021, previously a demo car). I’ve been back to the local dealer numerous times and they kept the car for a week in Sept 2023 to test for battery drainage etc. No cause found. The dealer fitted a new battery as a gesture of goodwill in April 2023. In the past 4 weeks the latest battery has gone dead a further twice, even with a trickle charger in place. On New Year’s Day I purchased a NOCO jump start as I couldn’t face waiting for 3-4.5 hours again for Toyota Assistance/AA to attend further instances. The battery went dead for the 8th time last Friday - NOCO started it. 

My car is now with the dealer. They accept my driving amount is not the issue. I understand they have submitted a technical report to Toyota UK and have said they are committed to finding a solution to the recurring dead battery.

I’m at the end of my tether with the car - which is really sad having previously been a very satisfied Yaris owner for many years with previous models. 

I have shared details of the forum with the dealer to highlight my experience is not an isolated example (I started this thread in Jan 2021). I have also shared details of the Yuasa battery. 

It would be helpful to hear how your case progresses. 
 

The solution for both of you will cost £80 and be the end of all your problems.  

[Wilder]

 

2 hours ago, anchorman said:

 

The solution for both of you will cost £80 and be the end of all your problems.  

Thank you - I'll talk to them about it when I take it back today

[Chas G]

Apologies for 3 daft questions but does a yaris cross

1. Need a stop/ start Battery? I ask because I have been looking at Halfords Battery replacement with a 

Yuasa HSB202 Part no YBX5202  45AH cca 440 amps  175mm×175mm×190mm. Supply and fit £117.69

2. Will there be problems resetting the computer system after the Battery has been fitted?

3. Would I be better just asking Steven Eagell to fit a bigger capacity battery

thanks

Chas

 

 

[Roy124]

3. Yes

2. Probably not.

1. No.  A stop/start Battery kicking a starter motor into life is one thing.  Your Toyota Battery merely has to power a few electrical items and let the system look after the rest.

A larger capacity Battery however will last longer than a smaller one given the same parasitic drainage. 

[Alan993]

Our Yaris Cross AWD was bought in April 2023 and has 3,000 miles on the clock.

We have experienced numerous dead Battery situations and called out the AA before investing in a 12v Battery pack. My wife struggles using this on a cold morning so I contacted the dealer. He suggested we buy a solar panel charger for £82 but as it discharges mainly overnight that would be useless. Last Friday the Dealer had it overnight and did a "deep Charge" giving it a clean bill of health on Saturday. Sunday we did a 100 mile round trip to give it a good charge and upon return home the Battery showed 99% however the next morning it was down to 55% and after being parked for another 24 hours down to 28%. This week we did another run of 60 miles getting the battery to 68% but this morning it showed 21%. We are using a Battery Monitor 2 to check battery status.

The dealer now wants the car for 2 days to investigate.

Is the car Fit for Purpose?

[FROSTYBALLS]

Similar topics merged.

3,000 miles in around 9 months - the low mileage, the fact the Battery has gone flat numerous times are both contributory factors to the Battery issues, and the Battery not holding its charge signifies some damage to the battery probably due to the number of times it has gone flat.

As regards battery maintenance, see the first post of this topic.

[Sunflowers]

Hello, I am wondering if anyone might be able to give me some advice as I am really struggling at the moment. Please bear with me because I am by no means a car expert - and I won’t be offended if you suggest something to me that feels obvious to you, as it might have passed me by! 

I have a 2021 Toyota Yaris Hybrid Icon that I purchased earlier in the year from an approved used dealer. I have loved the car in general and had no issues with it. However, in October I was in hospital and was too unwell to drive the car or even go out to switch it on for a couple of weeks - the Battery then went flat and wouldn’t start (I understand that this was the result of me not using the car). After this, the car went for a service at a reputable dealer and they did an overnight charge of the Battery. The dealer tested the Battery and indicated that it was in a good condition after the overnight charge had been completed and that I shouldn’t expect any further problems. The car was then running fine but I have just gone to start my car today and it has a flat battery again and won’t start. It is strange to me because I only just used the car yesterday and it worked absolutely fine. I have read the threads here and understand that this might be a recurring issue for hybrid Yaris owners but I just wanted to ask for advice. My questions are as follows: 

In your opinion, what is the best course of action I can take to prevent the flat battery from recurring? Are my options to buy a charger and charge the car once a week, or turn the car on and leave it in ready mode on the driveway for 1 hour per week? 
If the best option is to use a charger, what sort of charger do you recommend? I have seen trickle chargers and CTEC chargers recommended here. 
In your opinion, when is the battery going flat not considered normal? I understand that the battery went flat after I was in hospital because I had not used it for many weeks. However, I was flabbergasted today when the battery was flat as it had been running fine all week. If I were to go away on holiday for a week and the car were not to be used, could I expected to come home to a car with a flat battery every time? Or if I had a week where I only did short journeys into town and back every day, would it be expected that the battery might go flat? 
Are there any kits you would recommend I keep so that I can jump start the car in an emergency or is this not recommended?
Thanks for any help you can provide, I really do appreciate it because I’m stuck in a very rural area with a tiny newborn baby and no public transport so am very keen to understand what I need to do to get it sorted. 

[Alan993]

Hi, the link doesn’t work!

[Chas G]

Yaris Cross - on Sunday afternoon I put Battery on charge until Monday morning. I left it for a few minutes after charging and checked the voltage which showed 12.97 volts which rather surprised me as i dont recall it ever showing more than 12.6 volts before.

I have checked it every day since then and the voltage had slowly dropped to 12.4 volts yesterday after sitting for 2 1/2 days and 1 trip to the doctor a mile away.

Just been to Watford 8.5 miles, did my shopping, drove home 8.5 miles, unloaded my shopping and then checked the voltage expecting to see it at about 12.3ish but it was 12.7 volts. Its never done that before.

Very odd. It's like something has woken up and decided to start behaving properly again.

[Chas G]

@Alan993 after all your repeated flat Battery issues I would get it replaced.

Its odd that your Battery loses so much charge overnight after being charged on a 100 mile run which presumably took a couple of hours.

I disabled the keyless entry, took out the dash cam and confirmed that my car is not connected to Mytoyota to minimise voltage loss when the car isn't being used.

[FROSTYBALLS]

2 hours ago, Alan993 said:

Hi, the link doesn’t work!

Toyota GB changed the link - OK now

[Dezzer21]

Bought one of these today quite a bit chunkier than I thought it would be and the leads very short.I went when Lidl opened they only had 4 went after dinner they had all gone spent a few hours charging hope it works ok🤞.

[Derek.w]

If the Battery going flat in just one day then its time for a New Battery!.

Use a smart Battery charger at least once a week if you do 2 or 3 short runs then recharge it when you arrive home.

Recharge when voltage is showing 50% that around 12.3 or 12.2 volts(it will still start at this voltage it just to stop the battery sulphurising & loosing capacity)

Battery for Yaris MK4 are but you can find others.

Varta blue dynamic   544 401 042 or B 36 44AH 440 amps

Yuasa HSB202 Part no YBX5202  45AH cca 440 amps

Bosch S4 000  544 401 042  44Ah 420 amps.

You can also turn off follow me home lights.

If you always in & out of the boot with door open frequantly disconnect its boot light.

I(f you have auto-lights then turn the sensor setting town to its lowest (saves headlights comming on if you close to buildings in broad daylight. (No effect on night time driving.)

[Roy124]

@Sunflowers 

I don't think you have been answered directly:

After this, the car went for a service at a reputable dealer and they did an overnight charge of the Battery. The dealer tested the Battery and indicated that it was in a good condition after the overnight charge had been completed and that I shouldn’t expect any further problems.

He was being ingenuous as after the Battery had first gone flat there was already irrecoverable damage.  Not damage that would be immediately fatal.

The car was then running fine but I have just gone to start my car today and it has a flat battery again and won’t start. It is strange to me because I only just used the car yesterday and it worked absolutely fine.

While the car had been running fine you haven't said what journeys you had done.  The critical detail is time in Ready mode.  If, for instance, you did numerous short time journeys and switched off at each stop you will be using more power from the battery than the HV DCDC Converter puts back. 

In your opinion, what is the best course of action I can take to prevent the flat battery from recurring? Are my options to buy a charger and charge the car once a week, or turn the car on and leave it in ready mode on the driveway for 1 hour per week? 

You probably won't prevent the flat battery from recurring but it will need increasing care and may still fail when you least expect it.

If the best option is to use a charger, what sort of charger do you recommend? I have seen trickle chargers and CTEC chargers recommended here.

I use a CTEK charger, others use NoCo.  Either are good.  As far as these go, better than using a cheap Chinese knock off copy.

The 'no cost' option is indeed putting the car into Ready mode as you say.  Minimise other power consumers during this period, in particular switch of the Air Con.

I have read the threads here and understand that this might be a recurring issue for hybrid Yaris owners 

Not just Yaris, though other makes tackle the issue in different ways.

If I were to go away on holiday for a week and the car were not to be used, could I expected to come home to a car with a flat battery every time?

Every time, not at all, but with your current battery I suggest a near certainty as the damage has been done and your experience supports its imminent failure.

Or if I had a week where I only did short journeys into town and back every day, would it be expected that the battery might go flat? 

Probably, though it does depend on 'short', but every start sees the battery voltage drop by 1v before recovering.  Into town every day suggests 8 starts which require increasing time to allow the battery to be recharged.

Are there any kits you would recommend I keep so that I can jump start the car in an emergency or is this not recommended?

Yes, unlike the requirement for assured quality with the mains chargers, you can get an inexpensive jumper pack from Amazon or wherever.  All it has to do is provide sufficient power to operate the computers and switch the contactors for the HV battery to take over.  My pack has held an over 75% states of charge for several months.  

This link is for a typical inexpensive pack from Amazon.  It is not a recommendation but simply an illustration:

Amazon.co.uk : 12v 24v jumper pack

Or this one:

Portable 12V Car Battery Jump Starter Power Bank Pack Vehicle Charger 20000mAh ♘ | eBay

I have had a similar one, with was about £25 but over 2 years ago.