Flat battery

[AurionX2]

It was the alternator, replaced it and everything is back to normal now. But the replacement job is an Absolute Royal PITA. Hopefully I'll never, ever have to do it again. We chose not to remove the fans assembly, only disconnected the upper coolant hoses and pulled the radiator forward as much as we could. Big mistake, by doing this we really struggled with the lack of space around the alternator and I also had to disconnect the A/C line underneath to be able to access the bracket that supports it. At least now I have good charge, more than 5litres of new coolant and a freshly regassed aircon system ($120 additional expense).

[Tony Prodigy]

Hey Adrian, sorry to hear you had to go through all that, but at least it's fixed now and should be good for a very long time.

I did suspect the alternator and am a little bit surprised it had failed on a 2013 car. It's not really that old either. Perhaps some contamination had entered the alternator ?

When I wash my engine bay I always cover mine with a plastic bag to keep it dry, not to say that this is what occurred in your case. Just saying.

Is it possible that the alternator can ingest moisture when driving through rain ?.  Not sure how much of it would be subject to the incoming air stream nor have I inspected mine after having driven in rainy conditions. 

Maybe the lacquer on the windings was  a little thin in some spots or the reg just gave up.

How much did you pay for a replacement alternator ? Did you get a new one or 2nd hand ?

[campbeam]

6 hours ago, AurionX2 said:

It was the alternator, replaced it and everything is back to normal now. But the replacement job is an Absolute Royal PITA. Hopefully I'll never, ever have to do it again. We chose not to remove the fans assembly, only disconnected the upper coolant hoses and pulled the radiator forward as much as we could. Big mistake, by doing this we really struggled with the lack of space around the alternator and I also had to disconnect the A/C line underneath to be able to access the bracket that supports it. At least now I have good charge, more than 5litres of new coolant and a freshly regassed aircon system ($120 additional expense).

Thank you for sharing your experience. Definitely agree that replacing the alternator on the Aurion is time consuming and not so simple. I followed the process in this Youtube video except that I drained the radiator first before disconnecting the radiator hose.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAgFfeWbaMQ  

Even with the fan assembly removed, it is a juggling act for both the removal and installation of the alternator. I was also able to access the bolt on that bracket without having to disconnect an A/C line.

Because it is not a simple bolt off and bolt on procedure, it is worth paying the extra for a quality alternator.

 

[AurionX2]

Tony, the alternator went on my 2008 Aurion. Should it die on my wife's 2013 car I'd get HER to do the replacement job, can't wait to see her struggling with undoing the lower bolt behind the wheel well with 2 different socket of different lengths and 3 ratchets! The alternator is aftermarket, bought for just under $300 from Auto8 in Wangaratta, Vic. Came with 5 years warranty, should hopefully last at least double that 🙂

Edited June 30, 2020 by AurionX2

[campbeam]

15 hours ago, AurionX2 said:

The alternator is aftermarket, bought for just under $300 from Auto8 in Wangaratta, Vic. Came with 5 years warranty, should hopefully last at least double that

Alternator on my Oct. 2006 Aurion went after 207500km. Sounds like I bought from the same eBay seller back in March 2019. Supplied alternator ended up being the OEX brand 

Still going strong and currently getting a workout recharging a recent flat battery from my standby Aurion.  

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Brand-New-Alternator-for-Toyota-Aurion-GSV40R-3-5L-Petrol-2GR-FE-10-06-03-12/111372269393?fits=Model%3AAurion&hash=item19ee4df751:g:GqMAAOSwGhpe8gvH

[ZZT86]

Why are the alternators to Aurion dying at such an early age ? Seems strange. I would certainly recommend avoiding charging a flat battery with the cars own alternator to avoid stressing it out & shortening its life.

[AurionX2]

8 hours ago, campbeam said:

Alternator on my Oct. 2006 Aurion went after 207500km. Sounds like I bought from the same eBay seller back in March 2019. Supplied alternator ended up being the OEX brand 

Still going strong and currently getting a workout recharging a recent flat battery from my standby Aurion.  

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Brand-New-Alternator-for-Toyota-Aurion-GSV40R-3-5L-Petrol-2GR-FE-10-06-03-12/111372269393?fits=Model%3AAurion&hash=item19ee4df751:g:GqMAAOSwGhpe8gvH

Yep, that's the one I bought.

1 hour ago, ZZT86 said:

Why are the alternators to Aurion dying at such an early age ? Seems strange. I would certainly recommend avoiding charging a flat battery with the cars own alternator to avoid stressing it out & shortening its life.

Early ones were having issues, iirc Denso have 2 different part codes for this alternator, they've changed the code in 2008 and the revised version is the supposedly better one. My Aurion was built in 12/2007

[campbeam]

On 6/6/2020 at 8:17 AM, campbeam said:

SuperCheapAuto is having a 1 day only sale 06.06.2020 with 30% discount on Century Batteries.

55D23LMF is reduced from $200 to $140

75D23LMF is reduced from $240 to $168

Super Cheap Auto have started their Boxing Day Sale early. Century Battery Sale prices the same as quoted back in June 2020.

Club members can get an extra 5% off for today only 24.12.2020.

[Tony Prodigy]

4 hours ago, campbeam said:

Super Cheap Auto have started their Boxing Day Sale early. Century Battery Sale prices the same as quoted back in June 2020.

Club members can get an extra 5% off for today only 24.12.2020.

 

The only saving grace was the club discount. The rest was a case of pffft.. 

Very disappointing Supercheap Auto 

[nzzr6]

i'm at 152,000 kms and assuming its still the original alternator. Not looking forward to this job when it comes up 

[donnot]

7 hours ago, nzzr6 said:

i'm at 152,000 kms and assuming its still the original alternator. Not looking forward to this job when it comes up 

Should be fine for a while longer. The water pump is what you need to keep an eye on - mine went out ~155k and it seems to be common at ~150 😄. 

[campbeam]

On 6/6/2020 at 8:17 AM, campbeam said:

SuperCheapAuto is having a 1 day only sale 06.06.2020 with 30% discount on Century Batteries.

55D23LMF is reduced from $200 to $140

75D23LMF is reduced from $240 to $168

Current AutoBarn catalogue ends this Sunday 06.03.2022. RRP is the same but only 25% discount.

I did a comparison and the NS70L MF battery has better specifications than the 75D23L MF. However, the warranty period is only 20 mths vs 40 mths.

Hopefully a 30% discount sale offer will appear in the next few months.

[Tony Prodigy]

Hey Guys,

An update for this post has me thinking I might have to start looking to replace the battery again. Battery was replaced July 24th 2017 !.
Sheesh, how time flies !!

So 5 years and a few months later, that same Century battery has been flawless till now. 

Just a small niggle the other morning when I went to start it. There was the slightest dip on the initial turn of the starter which had me thinking it might be time to keep an eye on things and start looking for a replacement.

Another point to mention is the negative terminal post is weeping electrolyte, evidenced by the blueish powder residue forming around the base of the post. It'ss leaking from the case around the post base. I've been trying to keep it at bay, washing down with hot water and reapplying a coat of terminal protectant so the battery clamp doesn't corrode along with it.
I forgot to get a pic, but you get the idea.

So 5 years isn't bad I guess for a car which lives outside mostly and is used daily.

Nothing else to report other than the oil service and brake check.

Checked and adjusted tyre pressures and inspected tyre wear since they were replaced a while back. Tyre wear is pretty even this time around compared to the several times Bob Jane Tyres did the alignment. Their "so called" alignment had me seeing premature edge wear and feathering, which leads me to be suspicious if in fact they actually did an alignment or not and still charged me for it.

The guys who did it recently, and I have to say impressed me the most, didn't even use a fancy tech gadget like the big guys do. They did it the old fashioned way, which in hindsight had me thinking how dodgy, but in actual fact, the alignment has never been better AND, I'm not seeing the tyre degradation as previously mentioned. So kudos to them for doing a great job. I will definitely be going back there.

There are other items on the agenda but will wait until my shed is built. I'll have the proper space and equipment to be able to far better service my cars and when that time arrives, i'll be able to go more in depth with all aspects of service requirements. It's getting hard working on the ground, especially when it comes to the Transmission service, so the new shed and car lift I am desperately waiting for will be a welcome change.

I'll update you again soon.

Cheers everyone 

 

[Tony Prodigy]

Ended up getting a new Century Battery from SCA a few days back. They had them on special and I was able to get the exact same one (55D23L) for $146, down from $208.

I'll keep an eye on the existing one and swap it out when the need arises. At the very least, I won't be stuck if it happens to cack itself.

 

[campbeam]

I had the dreaded flat battery this morning and temperature was 8C. This was my Century NS70L MF battery purchased back in June 2019. Age and 3 days of short distance driving would have been the contributing factors. When connected to the battery charger, it registered 12.5V and fully recharged within less than 30 minutes. All OK at lunchtime so did not go battery shopping at that time. Finally decided to buy a new battery rather than wait and see until Saturday morning.

I was initially considering the following:

Century 55 D23L MF RRP$230 ; Century 75 D23L MF RRP$274 ; Century NS70L MF RRP$284

Unfortunately, SuperCheap Auto was not having a 25% discount battery sale, so next looked at AutoBarn.

After some research, ended up selecting and buying the SuperCharge Gold Plus Truck Battery - MF80D26L at $194 reduced from RRP$259

Specifications of 720 CCA and 80 AH. I was also expecting a 36 month warranty but my local AutoBarn had the latest version which comes with a 50 month warranty for passenger vehicles.

https://autobarn.com.au/ab/Autobarn-Category/Shop-our-Full-Ranges-by-Brand-|-Autobarn/Supercharge/SuperCharge-Gold-Plus-Truck-Battery---MF80D26L/p/EL04501

https://www.supercharge.com.au/4wd-battery/supercharge-goldplus-4wd/  

[Tony Prodigy]

Flat batteries are a pain. They get you out of nowhere sometimes. I ended up purchasing a battery booster device too, and what a great thing it's been. It's saved me several times trying to start various machines that have sat around.

It seems the general lifespan for your typical battery is around 5 years or so these days.

The 55D23L with 540CC is plenty enough I reckon. My car starts effortlessly, so I really can't justify a higher CC battery to be honest.

I did end up swapping out the leaky post battery with that spare new one I purchased last November. It kept playing on my mind, especially when you see the powdery residue trying to eat the battery terminal clamp. I have since retired it to the garage where it sits on a trolley with 4 other batteries doing time on individual C-Tek chargers.  I keep them trickle charged for best health.

Pictured here are 4, but have added another since, so 5.

[campbeam]

My Century NS70L MF battery was actually purchased back in May 2017 and went flat again Saturday so the new SuperCharge Gold Plus Truck Battery - MF80D26L has now been fitted.

My Century 75 D23L MF battery was purchased in June 2019 and it now needs to be re-charged. 

Looks like I am going to have some fun over the next few weeks/months using my C-Tek charger to try and rejuvenate the NS70L MF battery.

 

[Tony Prodigy]

13 hours ago, campbeam said:

My Century NS70L MF battery was actually purchased back in May 2017 and went flat again Saturday

Was this after a recharge or a jump start and subsequent drive ?
Have you checked the charging volts with the engine running Ash ? Do you still have the original alternator in it ?

13 hours ago, campbeam said:

MF80D26L has now been fitted.

I think this will serve you well. Less stress on it during start up. Your climate up there is also pretty forgiving too. You winter cold start ups are akin to a spring morning in Sydney.

13 hours ago, campbeam said:

Looks like I am going to have some fun over the next few weeks/months using my C-Tek charger to try and rejuvenate the NS70L MF battery.

I reckon it will come good. Can't remember which C-Tek you have, but if it has the "recondition" feature, this will help desulphate the battery for better longevity. 

Sulphation is the biggest cause of battery degradation and failure and it can't hurt to attach a C-Tek Comfort connect to you battery and give it a trickle charge for those periods when you don't use the vehicle all that much.

 

[campbeam]

14 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

Was this after a recharge or a jump start and subsequent drive ?
Have you checked the charging volts with the engine running Ash ? Do you still have the original alternator in it ?

I think this will serve you well. Less stress on it during start up. Your climate up there is also pretty forgiving too. You winter cold start ups are akin to a spring morning in Sydney.

I reckon it will come good. Can't remember which C-Tek you have, but if it has the "recondition" feature, this will help desulphate the battery for better longevity. 

Sulphation is the biggest cause of battery degradation and failure and it can't hurt to attach a C-Tek Comfort connect to you battery and give it a trickle charge for those periods when you don't use the vehicle all that much.

 

Recharge and subsequent drive. Certainly did check the charging voltage 13.5V or 13.7V. Original alternator has been replaced May 2019.

I have the CTEK MXS 7.0 Looks like I have not been using the recondition mode, only normal mode. Currently got the CTEK connected to the NS70L MF battery which was purchased June 2019.

Looks like I replaced the Century 75D23L MF battery a long time ago and have got 2 of the NS70L MF batteries. Most likely went into the store for the 75D23L and changed my mind for the NS70L.

[ZZT86]

^^ Ash - persistent short driving also kills batteries 😉

[Tony Prodigy]

8 hours ago, campbeam said:

Certainly did check the charging voltage 13.5V or 13.7V. Original alternator has been replaced May 2019.

Is that the normal charge rate ? I would've thought it would be at around 14ish volts. If I remember, I'll measure mine just to compare. I still have the original alternator.

9 hours ago, campbeam said:

I have the CTEK MXS 7.0 Looks like I have not been using the recondition mode, only normal mode.

That's a decent unit. I'd definitely recommend the recondition feature. It will transform it completely.

After you've done a round on that, then switch it over to trickle charge.

 

[Tony Prodigy]

7 hours ago, ZZT86 said:

^^ Ash - persistent short driving also kills batteries 😉

Short drives are something most of us can't avoid unfortunately, unless one plans a day out weekly and hit the highway.

[ZZT86]

Yep perfectly understandable mate.

I would hard wire the cars battery with the Ctek cable then plug it in to fully charge it once per week & do a Recond charge at least once per year just to keep it happy. At least this is what I do on my Hachi which hardly gets driven.

[Tony Prodigy]

35 minutes ago, ZZT86 said:

I would hard wire the cars battery with the Ctek cable

I've lost count how many of those comfort connect cables I have. I love the C-Tek accessories.