ALL POSTS - 12-volt battery replacement

[cashcow]

hi the battery has a vent for fumes on the left side I believe you can get a vent tube at pepboys and guide the tube so the fumes don't gather in the motor cabin

 

[TonyWilliams]

hi the battery has a vent for fumes on the left side I believe you can get a vent tube at pepboys and guide the tube so the fumes don't gather in the motor cabin

Well, that doesn't guarantee fumes don't go in the cabin, but it does direct the corrosive acid away from the car.

 

[cashcow]

What other fumes are we talking about? I thought the lead acid fumes were the worse. Are there other fumes in the motor cabin? Now i'm starting to wonder if the coolant for example actively releases fumes even though it is inside the pipe line. What about the cooling system? that refrigerant? Break Fluid? Traction battery fluid? Are all of these releasing fumes into the motor cabin?

 

[TonyWilliams]

What other fumes are we talking about? I thought the lead acid fumes were the worse. Are there other fumes in the motor cabin? Now i'm starting to wonder if the coolant for example actively releases fumes even though it is inside the pipe line. What about the cooling system? that refrigerant? Break Fluid? Traction battery fluid? Are all of these releasing fumes into the motor cabin?

I'm talking about the release of hydrogen gas and other toxins from the electrolyte.

Having a vent tube doesn't guarantee that doesn't get into the cabin.

 

[geo]

Woke up to a dead RAV4 yesterday, the 12V was toast. Wouldn't even trickle charge. I bought the Bosch and replaced it.

That's when all the problems started. At first, it wouldn't even slip into gear and I was getting all sorts of errors - EV System errors, airbag errors, power steering errors. After countless reboots, an hour on the J1772 charger, and more reboots, it finally returned to semi-normalcy and could at least drive it. But the EV System errors persisted, and this morning I took it in to the dealer.

The dealer said the car was fine, but there is a very specific process for changing the 12V battery. Obviously, I did it wrong. They charged me $280 to do it correctly.... sigh... I know, but whatever.

So, my question is this : Is there a proper sequence for rebooting the vehicle after replacing a dead 12V?

(One positive note : Glendale Toyota seemed to have zero problems with the Bosch or the Jdemo. )

 

[TonyWilliams]

Woke up to a dead RAV4 yesterday, the 12V was toast. Wouldn't even trickle charge. I bought the Bosch and replaced it.

That's when all the problems started. At first, it wouldn't even slip into gear and I was getting all sorts of errors - EV System errors, airbag errors, power steering errors. After countless reboots, an hour on the J1772 charger, and more reboots, it finally returned to semi-normalcy and could at least drive it. But the EV System errors persisted, and this morning I took it in to the dealer.

Please, PLEASE, folks. Replace that original Toyota battery now... while this story is fresh in your mind.

You’re going to replace it anyway, and that replacement Bosch battery isn’t going to get any cheaper!

Please, stop the madness. Replace your Toyota battery, even if you’re too cheap or lazy to do so.

Rav4 EV 12 volt Battery recommendations:

https://m.pepboys.com/search/?term=bosch+24f+60ah+agm

Pep Boys # 0838890

I recommend the Bosch or Exide battery with the following specs for around $150-$180:

1) AGM (not flooded acid cells like the original)

2) Group 24F size

3) 60 amp/hour rating


Here are the specific models I recommend:


Bosch S6508B S6 Flat Plate AGM

There is also a Exide battery that is identical, except for superficial color and markings, but normally more expensive.

Exide Edge FP-AGM24F Flat Plate AGM Sealed Automotive Battery

 

[geo]

Great info... I did get the Bosch (thankfully on sale this week.)

But you didn't answer my question : Is there a proper sequence for rebooting the vehicle after replacing a dead 12V?

I think a lot of people here would be interested in that information. Maybe there are service manuals somewhere?

 

[smkettner]

I swapped mine with no special sequence or reboot. The difference is that it was functioning normal at the time.

I honestly think the dealer just reset your error codes that should have cleared themselves in due time.

Negative terminal off first, then positive.
Swap battery.
Positive on and then negative.

SOP

Then Carson Toyota refused to work on my car because it was not a toyota battery.
Required $200 new battery and then still could not diagnose the car.
Complete morons at Carson Toyota.

Maybe they have improved but I will never go back and will never have anything nice to say about Carson Toyota.

 

[n3ckf]

i've swapped mine after one went dead. nothing unusual. just install the battery get in the car, hit the on switch and you'll see the center console display go through reloading from disk. Dont shut the car off till its completed.

Then when everything looks good, i shut the car off and on again and drive away. Never had an issue (its happened to me twice since i've owned mine).

 

[TonyWilliams]

All the stories of “I didn’t have a problem” doesn’t mean the oodles of people who HAVE HAD A PEOBLEM are wrong.

Change that ****** battery before it can cause problems.

 

[davewill]

All the stories of “I didn’t have a problem” doesn’t mean the oodles of people who HAVE HAD A PEOBLEM are wrong.

Change that ****** battery before it can cause problems.

Tony,

Why are you being dense? The OP is asking if there's a special procedure for changing the battery, and you keep just saying, "Change the battery"...that he already changed.

 

[TonyWilliams]

All the stories of “I didn’t have a problem” doesn’t mean the oodles of people who HAVE HAD A PEOBLEM are wrong.

Change that ****** battery before it can cause problems.

Tony,

Why are you being dense? The OP is asking if there's a special procedure for changing the battery, and you keep just saying, "Change the battery"...that he already changed.

Replace 12 volt battery.

Then, do the following:

http://www.myrav4ev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=20859#p20859

1) Stored radio / SiriusXM stations will remain, however your last station listened to will likely be gone

2) Cell phone pairings are not 100%, so I would check. i have had to delete my phone (and the car from my phone) and re-pair it

3) Map display mode

4) Volume of navigation voice notifications

5) Random play modes

6) Charge schedule will be retained, but it won't work without hitting the "SAVE" button on the previous screen

7) state selection from destination address page

 

[miimura]

If you don't want everything to reset when you change the battery, use a Lithium jump starter pack to maintain the 12V on the battery leads while you change the lead battery.

 

[Jonathan_UK]

When I bought my car from CarMax, the 12V battery failed to charge the day after I purchased it. It got towed to CarMax and then Toyota El Cajon. The Toyota diagnosis cited the issue was caused by the 12V battery replacement procedure not being carried out properly.

However, I believe the procedure is limited to resetting trouble/fault codes after changing the battery. If not done, this can somehow lead to a subsequent 12V battery charging fault.

I think there is some software bug in the charging controller. If you can access the full Toyota Service Manuals, you should be able to confirm the trouble code reset is part of the 12V battery replacement procedure.

 

[smkettner]

This is why Tony keep harping to replace the 12v battery sooner than later.
If you wait for the failure it may cost you a tow and the price of 3 batteries to get it all reset.

 

[TonyWilliams]

This is why Tony keep harping to replace the 12v battery sooner than later.
If you wait for the failure it may cost you a tow and the price of 3 batteries to get it all reset.

Yep. Stop the madness. Who would knowingly set themselves up for all this drama?

Replace the original Toyota battery NOW !!!

 

[geo]

Replace 12 volt battery.

Then, do the following:

http://www.myrav4ev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=20859#p20859

1) Stored radio / SiriusXM stations will remain, however your last station listened to will likely be gone

2) Cell phone pairings are not 100%, so I would check. i have had to delete my phone (and the car from my phone) and re-pair it

3) Map display mode

4) Volume of navigation voice notifications

5) Random play modes

6) Charge schedule will be retained, but it won't work without hitting the "SAVE" button on the previous screen

7) state selection from destination address page

I think that information is good for a quick battery swap, but if the 12V was dead overnight (as was mine), then you may have a LOT more serious problems than just having to reset your navigation comtrols.

My car would not even slip into drive and gave EV system errors. Once I managed to get the transmission working, the power steering had errors and stopped working. I also got airbag errors, and a few more which I forget.

I'm sure these were just codes that needed to be cleared, but I have no way of knowing how to do that. That's why I was asking about the manuals. Even the best Bosch battery can be drained, so I was just trying to be proactive for the next person who wakes to a dead 12v.

 

[miimura]

If you open the door and the dome lights don't go on or they're really dim, you're better off using a 12V charger to get the battery up to a usable voltage before trying to turn on the car. When you turn on the car and the voltage is too low, then you get all those errors that need to be cleared. Merely changing the battery while the car is off will not generate any errors. That is the point of Tony's posts about changing the battery proactively.

 

[TonyWilliams]

I think that information is good for a quick battery swap, but if the 12V was dead overnight (as was mine), then you may have a LOT more serious problems than just having to reset your navigation comtrols.

My car would not even slip into drive and gave EV system errors. Once I managed to get the transmission working, the power steering had errors and stopped working. I also got airbag errors, and a few more which I forget.

I'm sure these were just codes that needed to be cleared, but I have no way of knowing how to do that. That's why I was asking about the manuals. Even the best Bosch battery can be drained, so I was just trying to be proactive for the next person who wakes to a dead 12v.

How exactly are you going to drain a new 60ah deep cycle 12 volt battery?

If you’re truly concerned about killing a perfectly good 12 volt battery, I’d put in a low voltage disconnect. Those are common for motorhomes.

Or, leave the 12 volt battery on a tender / trickle charger every night.

Folks, if you have the original 12 volt battery, replace it NOW.

 

[Jonathan_UK]

Guys, my earlier post was not as clear as it could have been. I omitted the fact that my battery had been replaced immediately before buying my car. Therefore, the 12V battery failure in my instance, was caused by the fault codes not being reset.

I did change my battery over to the Bosch a few months later.