My Aurion battery flat

[drewy]

Hi guys, got a problem. My Aurion's battery is flat. The problem is that my car is parked head first into the garage. I tried to use the shift lock button to get the car out of Park, but the shift lock button does not even press down ( I have tried all possible combinations with pressing foot break, releasing foot break, key in/out etc).

Could someone please tell me how to use the shift lock button so I can put the car into Neutral so I can push the car out of the garage so I can join some jumper cables to it?

Much appreciated.

[drewy]

Can someone please tell me whether they are able to press down their shift lock buttong and what sequence did you follow to press it down?

I really need help on this as my car is now stuck in a single garage head in and I can not get a long enough jumper cable to start up the dead battery with another car.

Thanks.

[le.vinh.zr]

Have you tried pressing the brake while you press shift lock?

Vinh

[DJKOR]

Sequence. There is none. You simply press the 'Shift Lock' button till it sits flush with the trim around it, and while it is held down, you move the gear selector where you need it to go. I do this many times and have no issues. Sounds like something is either jammed or broken. If you can, pull the centre trim off and you can access the button on the gear selector by pushing it down with a pen or something. Follow the first five steps here, then you should be able to figure out the rest.

[chicken]

in my corolla, i had to turn the key all the way to "start" to be able to use the shift lock button... maybe a security thing i dunno

[drewy]

Hi guys. thanks for the tips. Had to call RACV to change my flat battery today. Shift lock key still can not be depressed, so will try to open up the centre console.

I am trying to figure out why the battery got drained. I am pretty sure I didn't leave any lights on inside. I recently had an AUSPACK unit installed, and just wondering whether if it wasn't connected properly, whether this could drain the battery?

Anyone else have any experience with their Aurion battery unexplicably drain to zero?

[dave262]

If you have the constant +12v line and the ACC +12v line mixed up, you could very quickly drain the battery. It would essentially be the same as leaving the radio going constantly even when the car is off. It could also be a door or the boot left slightly ajar for an extended period (leaving the door light on).

Does the radio work with the keys not in the ignition? That would point to mixed up wiring on the auspack unit.

[httttt]

Sequence. There is none. You simply press the 'Shift Lock' button till it sits flush with the trim around it, and while it is held down, you move the gear selector where you need it to go.

Does that mean, you have to hold down the Shift Lock button your self? or will it click flush?

I have never needed to use the shift lock. But when pushed, mine has never clicked flush with the trim.

Edited June 26, 2009 by Hidden Taco

[DJKOR]

Does that mean, you have to hold down the Shift Lock button your self? or will it click flush?

I have never needed to use the shift lock. But when pushed, mine has never clicked flush with the trim.

The 'shift lock' button is spring loaded. Without pushing on the gear selector, you simply push down on the 'shift lock' button, and while holding it down, you then take the gear selector out of park. My 'shift lock' button can easily be pushed till it sits flush with he surrounding trim. If you don't need to push it as far, then so be it. It's not rocket science.

[drewy]

If you have the constant +12v line and the ACC +12v line mixed up, you could very quickly drain the battery. It would essentially be the same as leaving the radio going constantly even when the car is off. It could also be a door or the boot left slightly ajar for an extended period (leaving the door light on).

Does the radio work with the keys not in the ignition? That would point to mixed up wiring on the auspack unit.

No, the radio does not work if I do not have keys in the ignition. That means that the wiring is correct?

[DJKOR]

No, the radio does not work if I do not have keys in the ignition. That means that the wiring is correct?

That would be correct. I highly doubt the Auspack unit will be at fault. It's pre-wired and plug-and-play. With that said though, there was always the possibility of a fault.

The only thing I could think of that would drain your battery flat like that would be your headlights left on. The thing is with the Aurion is that one you turn your car off and open the drivers door, your headlights will turn off automatically. The only way to leave them on is if you turn them on AFTER you turn the car off and leave them on. Otherwise, the only other thing that could drain your battery is if you manually turned on the dome light and/or left your map lights on, but this can take a little bit of time away from your car to completely kill the battery.

Leaving a door open and leaving your dome light to 'DOOR' would not usually kill you battery since the Aurion has a power save feature in that after 30 minutes of opening a door, if there is no activity and the dome light/door light is still on, it will automatically turn off.

[Steven]

another possibility is that it may have simply been the battery's time. They don't last forever.

[00UCH]

Get a big dry cell :P

[Speedz]

how much those dry cells sets you back...?

300 bucks? tempting to put one into the Yaris :P

[drewy]

No, the radio does not work if I do not have keys in the ignition. That means that the wiring is correct?

That would be correct. I highly doubt the Auspack unit will be at fault. It's pre-wired and plug-and-play. With that said though, there was always the possibility of a fault.

The only thing I could think of that would drain your battery flat like that would be your headlights left on. The thing is with the Aurion is that one you turn your car off and open the drivers door, your headlights will turn off automatically. The only way to leave them on is if you turn them on AFTER you turn the car off and leave them on. Otherwise, the only other thing that could drain your battery is if you manually turned on the dome light and/or left your map lights on, but this can take a little bit of time away from your car to completely kill the battery.

Leaving a door open and leaving your dome light to 'DOOR' would not usually kill you battery since the Aurion has a power save feature in that after 30 minutes of opening a door, if there is no activity and the dome light/door light is still on, it will automatically turn off.

I remember when the installer was installing the AUSPACK unit, he found a connection that was removed from the stock head unit, which did not have any place to be plugged into the AUSPACK unit. Did you guys find this as well with your own AUSPACK unit installation? Could leaving an extra connector "unconnected" cause the battery to drain?

[DJKOR]

I remember when the installer was installing the AUSPACK unit, he found a connection that was removed from the stock head unit, which did not have any place to be plugged into the AUSPACK unit. Did you guys find this as well with your own AUSPACK unit installation? Could leaving an extra connector "unconnected" cause the battery to drain?

The only plug that I came across that was not plugged into the Auspack unit was the secondary FM antenna. It's not required however and will do no harm not having it plugged in.

With respect to the Auspack unit, or any other head unit in the Aurion for that matter, not plugging in all the connections will not create any extra power drain.

[dave262]

If you have a multimeter, it might be an idea to check the voltage of the battery when the car is off, and check again with the car running. Although unlikely, there could be a fault with either the battery or the charging circuit.

Although it might seem like a silly question, what made you suspect the battery was flat? I have seen situations where a loose connection to a starter motor would prevent a car from starting with symptoms similar to a flat battery. A poor connection from the battery lead to the terminals could also cause problems with starting and using the accessories (radio etc).

[drewy]

If you have a multimeter, it might be an idea to check the voltage of the battery when the car is off, and check again with the car running. Although unlikely, there could be a fault with either the battery or the charging circuit.

Although it might seem like a silly question, what made you suspect the battery was flat? I have seen situations where a loose connection to a starter motor would prevent a car from starting with symptoms similar to a flat battery. A poor connection from the battery lead to the terminals could also cause problems with starting and using the accessories (radio etc).

My battery was flat 'cause - remote wouldn't work, could not start car, map lights no light etc. Eventually had to get RACV to change to a new battery as he said jumping the car could risk destroying the electrical components. It is disappointing 'cause the car is only less than 2 years old and batteries in a newish car are meant to last longer than that!

[Kmg]

My battery was flat 'cause - remote wouldn't work, could not start car, map lights no light etc. Eventually had to get RACV to change to a new battery as he said jumping the car could risk destroying the electrical components. It is disappointing 'cause the car is only less than 2 years old and batteries in a newish car are meant to last longer than that!

How much did RACV charge you for a new battery? I don't suppose battery replacement is included in Roadside service. Unless you want to use you car immediately. you can purchase a battery charger from Kmart and recharge it for at least 12 hours (depends on the model of your charger, check the charger manual and 'battery flat section' of your Aurion manual for electricity output). It cost a lot less than a new battery and I see no reason to replace a car battery since it is flat, not dead.

It is also a good idea to check you battery fluid level every year because battery fluid checking is not included in car servicing. I had a fluid dried battery on my previous Camry only a few months after servicing from Toyota dealer and my car mechanic friend told me they will only check battery output level during car servicing. Your battery passes the test if it has a minimum output. Since battery is not included in car warranty, they do not care if your battery is dying or not.

When battery fluid is dried out and you can see the metals, it is dead; it won't revive even if you refill battery fluid into it. On your regular maintenance, fill distilled water in when the fluid is getting low. Do not charge battery too often and dilute battery fluid too much because it will lower battery life. With proper maintenance, you battery should last for at least 3-4 years before a replacement is needed.

Edited June 29, 2009 by Kmg