12V battery charge/maintain suggestion for Corolla hybrid

[Sazzad Hasan]

Hi,

I’m new to the group as well as new to hybrid car driving. I got a used Corolla hatchback hybrid 2019 model driven before me about 126K. Few days ago 12V the the hood battery went flat as I could start the car, clicking sound coming up and it died slowly. One friend came up with a jump start battery from Supercheap auto and started the car. Same thing happened on the next morning and I was frustrated as the batter was changed by the last owner in. 31/08/2022. I went to Supercheap auto and bought a jump start batter for $80 (still on sale: [https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/sca-sca-12v-1200-amp-6-cylinder-compact-jump-starter/546745.html]). Started and I went straight to the place where the last owner bought it as I had 36 months warranty. They checked it and to me charge is down from 540 to 450 but still more than acceptable to run the car. The guy suggested me that power is draining from the car electrical overnight etc. I drive the everyday for about 10-15 km.

I need you suggestion now to buy a trickle charger/maintainer if necessary I my situation. Which is turn out to be best and economical to buy for my model so far in the group? Which one from 1/2/4/6/10/20 Amp is good? Thanks in advance.

[Tony Prodigy]

I am a big proponent for C-Tek trickle chargers. In my opinion, they are the best in the business. I have 4 of these for various vehicles I own. They have a range of chargers to choose from but for a car battery I would go with at least an MXS 5.0 kit. It comes with some handy comfort connectors, one of which you can permanently attach to your battery terminals via the Eyelet connector provided.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/162575612183?epid=25039892661&hash=item25da42f917:g:zWkAAOSwhE5iVmwI&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAsOiyfcEFGZTFQ7Vx0mva%2FqNMtOeXruejFDnRWFXzc9eDAwHqfuhRvJfoxOxKLR9I26%2FIf6GNTwIk%2FgQTKRU9oWiSwzdQcf%2B1DFZWFQ12fD90dKhIH1ALWv5zuUCvqxWFehnMS1%2FGnlnIFx8D7AB5SH9CGPfFza3E%2FzGSlrLcvdRGnFHX2vuiwPGoCV%2BIU0Ba7njRvWTCI9eKt9DJ5EjWj85xLoOXNjN5%2FX6DnpN9%2Bc7d|tkp%3ABlBMUIrv0_rYYQ

The other thing I'd like to know is why the battery is running down so quickly. You probably have a parasitic drain going on, where something electrical is still drawing current whilst the vehicle is off. I'd get this looked at and corrected, but I'd still have the trickle charger in play as it does actually keep the battery conditioned and potentially increase its service life. So it's a good investment.

I would also recommend purchasing a battery starter device and keep handy in the boot. The one in the link below is the one I have. 
Gone are the days using jumper leads and hoping for the kindness of strangers to provide a jump for you. Do it yourself with your own jumper pack such as one of these:

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/224381611886

 

 

[Sazzad Hasan]

Hi Tony, thanks for the suggestion. Yes, I’ve exactly same one in my mind from Repco (https://www.repco.com.au/en/globes-batteries-electrical/battery-chargers-power-accessories/car-battery-chargers/ctek-battery-charger-12v-5amp-mxs5-0/p/A9512219?kwSearch=Ctek), which is on sale now for $133.50. However, isn’t it better to go for 10 Amp one? Does it matter if it charges a bit faster? Last two days were fine, I just disabled smart entry when you come close to the car as it transmits singnals all the time to connect to correct remote key… For parasitic drain I’ll have Toyota to check it in few weeks time if I see anymore drains. Yes, I also got a jumpstart battery for $80 from Supercheap auto (https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/sca-sca-12v-1200-amp-6-cylinder-compact-jump-starter/546745.html); nice one and on sale. I’ll update here if anything happens. Highly appreciated your suggestions again. Thanks mate…

 

[Tony Prodigy]

56 minutes ago, Sazzad Hasan said:

However, isn’t it better to go for 10 Amp one? Does it matter if it charges a bit faster?

Not really necessary for a battery that's already got a decent charge in it. If the battery is flat then you'd probably need a Battery charger with a high amperage charging rate but this would be the worst case scenario in which case you'd either need to correct the parasitic drain or replace the battery.
In the instance where I've had a dead flat battery, I would hook up my 10/20 amp dedicated battery charger for a couple of hours then transfer it to the trickle charger. Just my way of doing it so I don't boil it.

The trickle charge is a more intelligent system whereby it analyses the battery condition and charges it in a manner which mimics your onboard alternator putting charge back in to your battery as you drive. Once the battery is at it's optimum charge, the charger then trickle charges at a much lower rate so not to overheat and cook the battery and helps maintain it's correct charge.

 

[Sazzad Hasan]

Just finished charging and reconditioning my 6 month old 12V AGM ‘Supercharge’ brand 540CC battery with $139 CTEK 5.0 MXS trickle charger from Repco. It took about 16-17 hours to complete up to stage 7 of the charger, then I took it out. Need to buy a Topdon BT100w battery tester to test the real conditions of the battery now.

[Tony Prodigy]

Well done. The trickle charger will serve you well. It's a great investment. Once the battery has been reconditioned, it will have the necessary cranking capacity as it did before. Just keep in mind that it's a trickle charger and it takes time to bring it back in the event your battery goes flat.

I am still wondering what caused it to go flat in the first place. Have you thought about this whilst canvassing the charger ?

It's possible the battery could be defective and as such, if you have the warranty, I'd get a Supercharge agent to inspect it and replace it if necessary. But you shouldn't have to be recharging or jump starting your car. 
As mentioned before, you may have a parasitic drain when the vehicle is off, or your vehicle charging system is compromised somehow.
You really need to get it checked out because this is not normal. 

 

 

Edited March 19, 2023 by Tony Prodigy

[Sazzad Hasan]

Hi,

I’ve figured out a fuse which is draining the 12V battery in my 2019 Corolla hatchback hybrid. It’s a 30 amp fuse. But I don’t know where is it connected with. Does anyone know about it from the Fuse box or wiring diagram for this car? Here is the picture of the fuse box and the fuse.

I found a YouTube video and the guy was saying this fuse is responsible for 12V battery. Any idea?

Video link: 

 

[Junsha]

I bought a noco genius 5amp. How can you charge the 12v battery of hybrid? Where do you connect the clamps? Thanks