BigRedSwitch

I used to run my 2015 Auris Hybrid at 36 psi but have now dropped it to 33psi as I found 36psi a bit too hard and uncomfortble.

Thank you Tony - I think you've hit the nail on the head!

Belay that request! I'm an idiot - I've just been out to the car and discovered that the steering wheel can be adjusted telescopically and I think I've found a seat height that suits me.

Hi. I'm beginning to find my Auris a bit cramped and I want a car with a bit more space for the driver. I'd like the steerng wheel to be higher than on my Auris and I'd like it to be telescopic as well. Does a Corolla fit the bill or is the steering wheel still just up and down? I'd like the seating to be higher too - in the Auris the higher you set the seat then the steering wheel becomes too close to my thighs. Thanks.

My 12v battery was failing but Mr T didn't want to know. Bought a CTEK MXS 5.0 battery charger and after a few uses of the "reconditioning" option I think my battery may is a bit better but what has made a REAL difference is disabling the "smart locking" feature. I think it was Gerg who told me how much battery power this feature was contuinually using - I don't recall the exact numbers but it was about twice as much as using the key fob buttons. If it wasn't Gerg then my apologies to whom it was who told me! You can easily make this change using the car's SETUP button on the head unit and follow the menu options.

Just thought it worth mentioning here that Toyota say that you can't/mustn't/shouldn't fit a towbar to a MkII Hybrid Auris.

Thanks very much Gerg. On my car, 'Setup' is a selection from the Touch and Go head unit and not a physical button. What I hadn't done before was select the 'Vehicle/Customization' option which would have taken me to the 'Turn off Keyless Locking' option. All done now and I look forward to a healthier battery. Thanks again.

Just checked my car and I couldn't find any way to turn off the keyless door locking - was this perhaps for post-2015 cars?

I took my car, under warranty, for an investigation by Mr T into the 12v battery not holding charge. I don't think much investigation occurred but when it was returned I was told that "all the cells were ok" and that they'd given it a top-up charge. I was both surprised and disappointed that no fault had been found. Anyway, the point I want to raise is that they had buckled up the rear seatbelts; why would they do this? Is there any history of unbuckled seatbelts being a possible parasitic drain which together with the quoted 0.055 amps is enough to cause the battery to discharge over a short time?

No idea. Seems strange to me but that's what i saw on a Youtube video from CTEK.

Yes, you can charge the battery without removing the terminals if you have a battery charger that prevents "feedback", according to the manual of my CTEK MXS 5.0 charger. I do it on my hybrid. Do not connect the negative lead from the charger to the negative battery pole, instead connect it to ground via the car body; I use a luggage tiedown loop in the boot. I'd have doubts abour a dedicated motorcycle charger being powerful enough to handle a car battery.

Thanks Tony. What you describe is what I've been doing but because of the security risk and the long term prospect of no motoring (I'm 70+ so can't venture out) I thought taking the battery out and putting it on my CTEK MXS 5.0 charger would be a smart move.. Dean: Thanks but sounds far too gymnastic for me. I've not noticed an access panel - I will take a look tomorrow.

I want to remove the 12v battery to put it on trickle charge but I'd like to know if the mechanical key will lock/unlock all the doors, particularly the rear door! Can anyone help? Thanks.

I'm making progress. Initially, I connected my charger to the battery terminals but nothing seemed to be happening, then I tried with the charger's negative clamp to the top of the suspension unit but that was no good - i guess they are somehow insulated from the body somehow. Then I found the answer - use the luggage tie-downs in the boot. The full recharge cycle completed! Still, only showing 12.1v resting charge so I'm giving it another cycle to see if there is a cumulative effect. So why didn't using the charger clamps on the battery terminals work??

Here's what CTEK have told me: "In a deeply discharged battery or a battery that has not been used in weeks, starting electrolyte separate and the acid begins to fall and stored on the ground because the acid is heavier than water. Because the acid is no longer evenly mixed in the electrolyte to the active battery plates, weakened battery capacity. Battery plates upper part, where the electrolyte is too thin, malfunctioning, and at the bottom, where it is too thick. This leads to various problems including increased corrosion, erosion and sulfation and low battery." This seems to fit the bill, except substitute "days" for "weeks" in my case.