[AkhPetrol]

I have a corolla altis VL petrol amt September 2016.
In 2018 june, my first problem started where the battery of the car failed on me. This was partly due to my driver's fault who sat with door open for 30 minutes, I was told it was due to the door light staying on.

A few days later there was battery drain again, nothing particularly was noted but I did have them tow the car and make sure it was not something else.it seemed to be ok then.

Battery drain has been a regular scare on the car since though. With the car not doing crisp starts, atleast it feels that way. And it has need a jump in early 2019 as well.

In lockdown a full drain was something I think everyone faced and it was no fault of the car. And it was jumped to start and worked fine till 22 july. 2020. A jump start was needed outside the office after an 3hr parked state. The car wasn't used till again Today 24 July, and it won't start.

The thing is that automatic cars use more battery and the one on the altis doesn't seem to be a match for the car. Wondering if other owners feel the same.

What is the solution for this?. Can it be something else other than the battery?

42k kms done on the car. Doesn't sit idle for more than a day generally.

[rayjaycleoful]

Originally Posted by AkhPetrol

What is the solution for this?. Can it be something else other than the battery?

42k kms done one the car. Doesn't sit idle for more than a day generally.

Have you ever changed your battery?
Batteries last 1 year for some and 5 years for others. In my experience, the life is based on pure luck and good battery habits. (You've mentioned your driver doesn't have good habits)
Highly unlikely there's something wrong with anything else, 4 years is a great life.All you have to do is change your battery, it costs less than a tank full.

Also, automatic cars don't use "more battery", they just can't be pushed!

[Simhi]

Originally Posted by AkhPetrol

The thing is that automatic cars use more battery and the one on the altis doesn't seem to be a match for the car. Wondering if other owners feel the same.

What is the solution for this?. Can it be something else other than the battery?

I think the battery is at the end of its life. Just, go ahead and replace the battery.
I had i10 Automatic for 8 years and now Yaris CVT for the last 2 years. Luckily, I have not faced any battery issue. So, can't relate battery drain issues to automatic cars.

[nagr22]

Some questions that I have before I can advise anything,
1. What is your typical driving pattern? If it involves too many short trips with frequent start and stop operation, that will stress the battery as well as not let it charge fully before the next use.
2. Since you employ a driver, does he have a habit of listening to music or charging his phone with the car kept in Accessory mode? If yes, that can reduce the battery life if done frequently.
3. Have you changed the battery at least once in 4 years? The OE battery has a 1 year warranty only. If you have not changed yet, get a good battery with 5 year warranty for peace of mind.
4. Did the service center check for any current leakage? Have you installed any aftermarket electrical accessories by splicing the wires? If yes then check if the work was done properly without any loose wires hanging or wires shorted on connector etc.
5. If all above are not a problem and even a new battery is getting drained, your best bet is to give the car to the ASC and demand a warranty repair (if you have extended warranty) or get it checked by a good mechanic.

[dhanushs]

You should really visit an auto electrician.

Also, before changing the battery, try trickle charging it for a few days to boost its capacity. A couple of times dead battery really needs it to get to the full potential.

[sohail99]

Seems like a parasitic drain somewhere.

- https://axleaddict.com/auto-repair/car-batterydrain

- Parasitic draw test -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF1gijj03_0

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by AkhPetrol

I have a corolla altis VL petrol amt September 2016. What is the solution for this?. Can it be something else other than the battery?

Have you had the battery tested recently? I reckon your car's battery is dying, I'd advise you test and and just replace it should it fail..instead of running the risk of being stranded somewhere. 3-4 years is the expected life of a car battery in India. I speak from experience.

[vigsom]

Originally Posted by AkhPetrol

I have a corolla altis VL petrol amt September 2016.

In 2018 june, the battery of the car failed on me. my driver's fault who sat with door open for 30 minutes, I was told it was due to the door light staying on.

A few days later there was battery drain again, nothing particularly was noted

it has need a jump in early 2019 as well.

In lockdown a full drain was something I think everyone faced

A jump start was needed outside the office after an 3hr parked state. The car wasnt used till again Today 24 July, and it won't start.

What is the solution for this?

Let's look at this case:

Jun 2018
Leaving the driver door open for 30 minutes won't cause a battery drain, and that too when the battery is less than 2 years old


Post Lockdown
The car needed a jump start after just 3 hrs => it is at its end state

Solutions:

1. Get the battery sp. gravity checked - most likely one cell is weak.

2. Charge the battery to 12.5V, connect the positive terminal but do not connect the negative.

3. Stereo off, all lights off, doors closed and locked manually.

4. Use a multimeter set in 10Amps mode, connect the -ve lead of multimeter to the -ve terminal on battery and +ve terminal of multimeter to the -ve battery cable.

5. Measure the amps thus drawn - should not exceed 0.07Amps at the max.

The reading would initially be high but stabilise after a few seconds.

If the amps is over 0.07A, individual circuits would need to be examined for parasitic current draw.

Did the car see water before this issue started? Or were any aftermarket electrical accessories installed?

[AkhPetrol]

I sent the car to the service center yesterday.
1) battery test came poor. Battery is dead ish.
2) that's too soon for a battery to die, cause generally in my car's we use them for 120k km.
3) there was a Bajaj thingy plugged into the obd. I've never used it but it's some sort of reader connects to an app that I can download, and was the culprit.
Thanks all for the help and I suggest everyone keep an eye out for stupid things provided by insurance companies.

[Mr.Boss]

Originally Posted by AkhPetrol

2) that's too soon for a battery to die, cause generally in my car's we use them for 120k km.
3) there was a Bajaj thingy plugged into the obd. I've never used it but it's some sort of reader connects to an app that I can download, and was the culprit

2) 4 years with OE battery is not bad at all.
3) Is that OBD device not plugged by you? By any chance the vehicle is hypothicated with Bajaj finance? These days financial institutions sell the GPS tracker along with auto loan.

[AkhPetrol]

That's something to do with the insurance. Bajaj Auto insurance thingy. I did not put. They probably did in the showroom, because insurance was via a tie-up with Toyota.

[Silver Knight]

Battery will not drain if you put the door/ cabin light for 30 minutes. I have inadvertently kept my cars cabin lights on overnight many a times and it has almost no effect on the battery. In fact once I kept the fog light of my then one year old Swift on for 3 hours and the car started without an issue.

Batteries starts to lose their life and power post 3 years drastically and the lock down would have accelerated the ageing. Also, it depends on the usage pattern of your car.

I strongly suggest you to change the battery as 3.5 years is a decent life for a battery on a modern car. Old cars like Maruti 800 and Zen used to give 5 plus years battery life as their demand from battery were very less compared to the modern cars. And with an old battery, there are high chances of the car getting stranded in the night (As headlights draw lot of power from the battery directly)

Imho a battery change will solve your issue.

[Zen Av8r]

Bajaj Allianz provides a obd device with their insurance policy. It's something Iike the connected car device by some manufactures. Provides the location of the vehicle and speed and harsh braking warnings etc. I have installed it in my Polo in 2017 and haven't had any battery related issues because of it in the last three years.plus.

[boohooper]

Originally Posted by AkhPetrol

I have a corolla altis VL petrol amt September 2016.
In 2018 june, my first problem started where the battery of the car failed on me. This was partly due to my driver's fault who sat with door open for 30 minutes, I was told it was due to the door light staying on.

Have you checked the alternator? Check out a good auto electrician to get an opinion.

[boohooper]

Originally Posted by AkhPetrol

I sent the car to the service center yesterday.
1) battery test came poor. Battery is dead ish.
2) that's too soon for a battery to die, cause generally in my car's we use them for 120k km.
3) there was a Bajaj thingy plugged into the obd. I've never used it but it's some sort of reader connects to an app that I can download, and was the culprit.
Thanks all for the help and I suggest everyone keep an eye out for stupid things provided by insurance companies.

Haa! Seems you have found the gremlin already! GOOD! . Thanks for the Tip on the Sneaky Insurance thingy. Should the Insurers not have informed customers about the chance of a battery drain because of their intrusive thingummy? Idiots! They should be pulled up for this. Damn our overburdened Legal system. And Damn our politicians for letting this malaise remain so.