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Car Forum / Toyota / Toyota Cars / February 200806 Sienna - Dead Battery -now what
My 'new' 06 Sienna CE had been sitting unused for about 5 days - prior to that it was driven about 4 miles - after sitting idle for 5 days (In sunny LA, CA). This morning the battery was totally dead - no lights anywhere. Putting a 12 volt tester on the battery barely produced a glow. Put a charger on and lights started working. The rear door will not open. Guess there is no over-ride? The vehicle was purchased 5-2006. The battery date is 4-29-06. I intend to charge it for about 4 hours at 6 amp and see what works. Questions: Have or will the electronics be goofed up - so far? What if anything will happen when/ if I install a new battery. Any warranty on any of this? The vehicle is less than two years old. Is this perhaps a case of not driving it enough? In that case will a charge not cure the ills? Any electronic problems created so far? Just getting out the owner's manual. Thanks m > My 'new' 06 Sienna CE had been sitting unused for about 5 days - prior > to that it was driven about 4 miles - after sitting idle for 5 days [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > m I bet you left one or more interior lights on. Charge the battery and make sure there are no interior lights on. There was a lot of that for the first Sienna's. Folks were unknowingly leaving interior lights on or leaving a door ajar and it drained the battery. There's always the possibility you have a defective battery. Check your warranty if you do. Shouldn't have affected any electronics. Good luck and may the force be with you.  Signature"We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good." Hillary Clinton >> My 'new' 06 Sienna CE had been sitting unused for about 5 days - prior >> to that it was driven about 4 miles - after sitting idle for 5 days [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] >the first Sienna's. Folks were unknowingly leaving interior lights on >or leaving a door ajar and it drained the battery. The doors are never left open and the interior light shut off automatically after a minute or so - as far as I know. There's always the >possibility you have a defective battery. Check your warranty if you >do. > >Shouldn't have affected any electronics. > >Good luck and may the force be with you. See the battery manufacture, WBMA. Unless things changed since I'm out of the business, most new car batteries have a prorated warranty, of at least three yeara, by the manufacture To my knowledge Ford is the only manufacture to warrants batteries and tires for the life of the basic warranty. Others only warrant them at 100% for 12/12 WOF. > My 'new' 06 Sienna CE had been sitting unused for about 5 days - prior > to that it was driven about 4 miles - after sitting idle for 5 days [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > m >See the battery manufacture, WBMA. Unless things changed since I'm out of >the business, most new car batteries have a prorated warranty, of at least [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >for the life of the basic warranty. Others only warrant them at 100% for >12/12 WOF. Reading the warranty - there appears to be NO exclusion for the battery??? Would this be correct? In the manual it says to disconnect the ground (-) connection before recharging with the battery in the car. WHY? Is this a big thing because I did no disconnecting - just clamped on and started charging. >> My 'new' 06 Sienna CE had been sitting unused for about 5 days - prior >> to that it was driven about 4 miles - after sitting idle for 5 days [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] >> >> m >>See the battery manufacture, WBMA. Unless things changed since I'm out of >>the business, most new car batteries have a prorated warranty, of at least [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > recharging with the battery in the car. WHY? Is this a big thing > because I did no disconnecting - just clamped on and started charging. I believe that your battery is covered 36/36 for defects in materials or workmanship. The battery will gradually discharge over time due to various electronics in the vehicle, and if you put an ammeter on the vehicle right after shutting it off, it will show fairly high discharge for 5 minutes or so and then slow down. Short trips where the battery is not fully recharged will gradually deplete the battery, especially if it is parked for a fairly long period. If you do this, try to shut off the accessories that draw big power like the rear defogger, seat heaters, etc. The manual probably suggests disconnecting the negative terminal to avoid sparks and possible damage to the electronic components in the vehicle from the high charge rate that some chargers put out. I'm not sure if this is the case with your Sienna, but some vehicles need to be re-initialized after replacing the battery or deep draw-down on the battery so things like sunroof, power sliding doors, etc. will work. SignatureRay O (correct punctuation to reply) "Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote in message news:z-> I'm not sure if this is the case with your Sienna, but some vehicles need to > be re-initialized after replacing the battery or deep draw-down on the > battery so things like sunroof, power sliding doors, etc. will work. Ray, I usually know what you're talking about, but I've never heard of "re-initializing" a battery. How is it done? Thanks. > "Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote in message news:z-> I'm > not sure if this is the case with your Sienna, but some vehicles need to [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > "re-initializing" a battery. How is it done? > Thanks. You put a load on the battery and draw it's charge down. Then charge it up again. Sort of like old geezers and charging them up again, then drawing them down and charging them up. You should know about that stuff Mac, or maybe you forgot already. Signature"We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good." Hillary Clinton >> "Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote in message news:z-> I'm >> not sure if this is the case with your Sienna, but some vehicles need to [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > drawing them down and charging them up. You should know about that > stuff Mac, or maybe you forgot already. That is more like load testing a battery. Re-initializing refers to the ECU's that control some functions. SignatureRay O (correct punctuation to reply) >>> "Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote in message news:z-> I'm >>> not sure if this is the case with your Sienna, but some vehicles need to [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >That is more like load testing a battery. Re-initializing refers to the >ECU's that control some functions. I has been charging for six hours now. Started at 1 amp - went up to 3.5 amp and now back to about 3 amp even. It does bother me that there is no green light on the battery. It remains black - indicating a lack of charge. As for chicken dance - simple two step process to normalize power window described in the manual. There is a switch for rear door that is per the manual! In real life it does NOT exist. Does it fix itself <grin>. This is one reason I went here before I opened the manual. I have one of those portable 'jump start' batteries (purchased for a small TV) - like a small brief case. Will this harm or even work for this car if the battery is DEAD as it appears to be? Will a Sienna run on an alternator - with a dead battery? Is there a chance the dealer will exchange the battery if I remove it myself and bring it to them without the car? m <snipped> > I has been charging for six hours now. Started at 1 amp - went up to > 3.5 amp and now back to about 3 amp even. It does bother me that > there is no green light on the battery. It remains black - indicating > a lack of charge. If you have an automatic charger, the charge rate should drop as the battery approaches a full charge. If the charge rate remains high, disconnect the charger and have the battery load dtested. > As for chicken dance - simple two step process to normalize power > window described in the manual. > There is a switch for rear door that is per the manual! In real life > it does NOT exist. Does it fix itself <grin>. This is one reason I > went here before I opened the manual. I do not think that the initialization process is the same for every Toyota, and I haven't done the research to find out the sequence for every model, so I just call it a chicken dance ;-) > I have one of those portable 'jump start' batteries (purchased for a > small TV) - like a small brief case. Will this harm or even work > for this car if the battery is DEAD as it appears to be? I don't think that one of those portable jump start batteries will harm the car, but I don't think that it will fit under the hood without rattling around. The problem is the other way around. I think the car's charging system may damage the booster battery or the cables on some of those batteries. > Will a Sienna run on an alternator - with a dead battery? Probably not. > Is there a chance the dealer will exchange the battery if I remove it > myself and bring it to them without the car? > > m Possibly. Call them and ask. SignatureRay O (correct punctuation to reply) ><snipped> > [quoted text clipped - 39 lines] > >Possibly. Call them and ask. Just disconnected the charger after 20 hours. It was charging - (perhaps off) at a near zero rate. Previously it had charged at a rate up to 3.5 amps. The charger is rated at 6 amps and should shut itself off and on. The fluid levels are fine. There was a slight green glow in the indicator window on the battery. The vehicle started and the el. windows work. The rear door does not - and the manual makes reference to a button near the steering column - that is simply missing. The side door works and there is no moon roof. Questions: Soooo do I even dare drive this damn thing? The fear of getting stuck is high. Would this model be susceptible to stall in traffic? Is the battery dead or near death? It really bothers me that the green indicator took upwards of 20 hours to even display - should it? I don't need the car before Tuesday so there is time. My next move should probably be to just let it sit and see if it has a charge (will start) this afternoon. Given all the above can the dealer do anything? Thanks for all the thoughtful replies so far. m <snipped> > Just disconnected the charger after 20 hours. It was charging - > (perhaps off) at a near zero rate. Previously it had charged at a > rate up to 3.5 amps. The charger is rated at 6 amps and should shut > itself off and on. If the rate of charge is at or near zero, then the battery is probably fully charged. > The fluid levels are fine. > There was a slight green glow in the indicator window on the battery. > The vehicle started and the el. windows work. The rear door does not > - and the manual makes reference to a button near the steering column > - that is simply missing. The side door works and there is no moon > roof. The indicator window in the battery is not electric so the colors indicated in the window will not be bright. If it is green, then it is probably fully charged. > Questions: > Soooo do I even dare drive this damn thing? The fear of getting > stuck is high. Would this model be susceptible to stall in traffic? I think everything is fully charged and ready to go. I have not heard of any complaints of Siennas stalling in traffic, and with the battery installed, it should be OK. > Is the battery dead or near death? The only way to tell is to load test the battery. > It really bothers me that the green indicator took upwards of 20 hours > to even display - should it? > I don't need the car before Tuesday so there is time. It is possible that the battery has a bad cell; it is possible that the connection between the charger and battery was marginal; the charger may not be working properly; or there is a draw in the vehicle somewhere that slowed down the rate of charge. Are there any aftermarket accessories installed in the vehicle like Ipod adapters, remote starters, etc.? > My next move should probably be to just let it sit and see if it has a > charge (will start) this afternoon. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > m If the car is holding a charge, then everything is probably OK. Yes, the dealer can measure parasitic current draw and load test the battery. SignatureRay O (correct punctuation to reply) ><snipped> >> [quoted text clipped - 40 lines] >Are there any aftermarket accessories installed in the vehicle like Ipod >adapters, remote starters, etc.? Nothing has been changed, plugged in or added. >> My next move should probably be to just let it sit and see if it has a >> charge (will start) this afternoon. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >If the car is holding a charge, then everything is probably OK. Yes, the >dealer can measure parasitic current draw and load test the battery. What - if any - be the likely charge for this be? (In no time one would buy a new battery just to see if that was the problem) I will never forget how (some idiot GM mechanic) charged me $30 to 'fully charge' the battery 'because the charge was low'. List price for a new one was $38 at the time. There was a reason for the less than fully charged battery that was unrelated to why that car was in the shop for specific work. I paid the 'tuition'! m >What - if any - be the likely charge for this be? > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > >m If it were mine.....and it isn't. What I would do is buy a new battery and chalk it up to 'experience. New cars are almost totally dependent on a good battery. Car batteries are hurt by a full discharge. Even though I don't have to, I buy a new battery every three years. SignatureScott in Florida <snipped> >>It is possible that the battery has a bad cell; it is possible that the >>connection between the charger and battery was marginal; the charger may [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Nothing has been changed, plugged in or added. That is good... Problems caused by aftermarket accessories are not covered by the new vehicle warranty. >>> My next move should probably be to just let it sit and see if it has a >>> charge (will start) this afternoon. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > What - if any - be the likely charge for this be? The dealer will probably charge a diagnostic fee of 1 hour times their labor rate. If a problem is found that is covered by warranty like a bad battery, then the charge would be waived. SignatureRay O (correct punctuation to reply) ><snipped> >> [quoted text clipped - 40 lines] >Are there any aftermarket accessories installed in the vehicle like Ipod >adapters, remote starters, etc.? Nothing has been changed, plugged in or added. >> My next move should probably be to just let it sit and see if it has a >> charge (will start) this afternoon. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >If the car is holding a charge, then everything is probably OK. Yes, the >dealer can measure parasitic current draw and load test the battery. What - if any - be the likely charge for this be? (In no time one would buy a new battery just to see if that was the problem) I will never forget how (some idiot GM mechanic) charged me $30 to 'fully charge' the battery 'because the charge was low'. List price for a new one was $38 at the time. There was a reason for the less than fully charged battery that was unrelated to why that car was in the shop for specific work. I paid the 'tuition'! m PS. Does it take special tools/skills to check for parasitic current drain? I do have a clamp-on voltmeter that will measure current. Not sure about sensitivity. I know the load test takes a special gadget. <snsipped> > PS. > Does it take special tools/skills to check for parasitic current > drain? I do have a clamp-on voltmeter that will measure current. Not > sure about sensitivity. > I know the load test takes a special gadget. You will need an ammeter with the capacity to read at least 1 amp to measure parasitic current drain. Make sure all lights and accessories are off, hook up the ammeter in series between the positive battery clamp and positive battery post and see how many milliamps are being drawn. You should see current draw drop after it has been sitting for around 5 minutes. You can use your bolt meter to measure battery voltage. When fully charged, a good battery will read something like 13.7 volts. If it does not read that, then the battery may have a bad cell that decreases its ability to hold a charge. If you have a specific gravity tester that looks like a giant eyedropper with small plastic balls floating inside, you can measure the specific gravity of each cell to determine if any cells are bad. You need a battery load tester to perform a battery load test. The load tester has a carbon pile that is basically a big resistor to put a load on the battery. SignatureRay O (correct punctuation to reply) ><snsipped> >> PS. [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >You can use your bolt meter to measure battery voltage. When fully charged, >a good battery will read something like 13.7 volts. Two different digital volt meters same brand (el cheepo HF brand) read 12.92 v and 12.90 v A scale reading volt meter reads about 14 volts. My amp meter works great on AC circuits but has no DCA setting in spite of the instructions (again). Busted my old specific gravity tester - to get a new one - they used to be cheap. Not sure if anything can be concluded from the above? I would love to have a 'charge - discharge' gage on my instrument panel. My GM did not even have a temp gage - only a flag that would pop out of the hood if the engine was blown. What are the chance that the alternator is not charging? Would there ever be an indication - such as slow starting - that the battery is low? The green eye on the battery - is that just a constant color float rather that some sort of electrical light? If it does not read >that, then the battery may have a bad cell that decreases its ability to >hold a charge. If you have a specific gravity tester that looks like a [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >tester has a carbon pile that is basically a big resistor to put a load on >the battery. >><snsipped> >>> PS. [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > 12.92 v and 12.90 v > A scale reading volt meter reads about 14 volts. For home automotive use, the cheapo brand is good enough. I paid around $20 for a cheapo Radio Shack digital meter around 30 years ago and the stupid thing keeps plugging along. I would like a fancy Fluke meter, but it is a little hard to justify since the Radio Shack meter has met my needs all this time. The analog meter can get out of calibration more easily than a digital one because it has moving parts. My guess is that the digital ones are correct. > My amp meter works great on AC circuits but has no DCA setting in > spite of the instructions (again). [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Not sure if anything can be concluded from the above? 12.9 volts is a tad low for a fully charged battery. The battery is probably good enough to work if the car is started every day, but if it sits for a few days, the voltage drops low enough to cause problems. I think it is worth taking to the dealer for a check. > I would love to have a 'charge - discharge' gage on my instrument > panel. My GM did not even have a temp gage - only a flag that would > pop out of the hood if the engine was blown. That wasn't a flag - that was a pushrod poking up through the hood ;-) > What are the chance that the alternator is not charging? The chance that the alternator is not charging is low, becuase you would have a charge warning light if the alternator is not charging. Just for grins, start the engine and measure voltage across the battery terminals. At around 1,500 ~ 2,000 RPM, you should get over 14 volts. If you are not, then the alternator is bad. If you are getting over 14 volts, the alternator is charging. > Would there ever be an indication - such as slow starting - that the > battery is low? You will get slow cranking if the battery is low. > The green eye on the battery - is that just a constant color float > rather that some sort of electrical light? The green eye in the battery is just a specific gravity meter, and the top ball that floats is green. It is not an electrical device so it will not be bright or illuminated. SignatureRay O (correct punctuation to reply) >>><snsipped> >>>> PS. [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] >little hard to justify since the Radio Shack meter has met my needs all this >time. My analog was probably under $10 ten years ago. The digital ones under $4 at Harbor Freight (the home of crappy tools). >The analog meter can get out of calibration more easily than a digital one >because it has moving parts. My guess is that the digital ones are correct. [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > >That wasn't a flag - that was a pushrod poking up through the hood ;-) I stand corrected :-> >> What are the chance that the alternator is not charging? > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >then the alternator is bad. If you are getting over 14 volts, the >alternator is charging. Just measured 14.42v at about 1600rpm. >> Would there ever be an indication - such as slow starting - that the >> battery is low? > >You will get slow cranking if the battery is low. Really - not just that clicking sound?????? That you are sjUUUed. >> The green eye on the battery - is that just a constant color float >> rather that some sort of electrical light? > >The green eye in the battery is just a specific gravity meter, and the top >ball that floats is green. It is not an electrical device so it will not be >bright or illuminated. Great PS the rear door was apparently reset by cycling the remote key - as hinted at in the manual. <snipped> >>The chance that the alternator is not charging is low, becuase you would >>have a charge warning light if the alternator is not charging. Just for [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Just measured 14.42v at about 1600rpm. The alternator is probably good. >>> Would there ever be an indication - such as slow starting - that the >>> battery is low? >> >>You will get slow cranking if the battery is low. > > Really - not just that clicking sound?????? That you are sjUUUed. The clicking sound is when the battery is even lower than the slow cranking and doesn't have enough power to turn the engine over or engage the starter. SignatureRay O (correct punctuation to reply) ><snipped> >>>The chance that the alternator is not charging is low, becuase you would [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] >The clicking sound is when the battery is even lower than the slow cranking >and doesn't have enough power to turn the engine over or engage the starter. This leaves only the load test, the sp gravity test and the parasitic current loss. You said the following: "You will need an ammeter with the capacity to read at least 1 amp to measure parasitic current drain. Make sure all lights and accessories are off, hook up the ammeter in series between the positive battery clamp and positive battery post and see how many milliamps are being drawn. You should see current draw drop after it has been sitting for around 5 minutes." I did not understand why the drop after 5 min???? The car is just sitting there doing nothing. Is this more than obtaining a stable reading? Re the green eye on the battery - at approximately what % of capacity does it change? Or is there no useful significance to that?7 <snipped> > This leaves only the load test, the sp gravity test and the parasitic > current loss. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > The car is just sitting there doing nothing. Is this more than > obtaining a stable reading? There is a technical service bulletin regarding battery maintenance and testing, and I recall reading a synopsis somewhere that mentioned the wait (I think about 5 minutes) for the amperage to drop off. I don't recall the reason, but the most likely reason is a retained power or memory feature or security system arming. > Re the green eye on the battery - at approximately what % of capacity > does it change? Or is there no useful significance to that?7 I don't know the answer to this question. The indicator is only a general indicator of the state of charge - a volt meter provides more precise information. SignatureRay O (correct punctuation to reply) Hysterias? ;) > <snipped> > [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > indicator of the state of charge - a volt meter provides more precise > information. ><snipped> > [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] >reason, but the most likely reason is a retained power or memory feature or >security system arming. For whatever it is worth - this morning I measured 12.86 volts on the bat terminals. That is compared to 12.92v yesterday (about 20 hours). Just sitting there does this not seem reasonable? That would be .5v in a week. Do you happen to have the 'expected' loss standard(s)? m >> <snipped> >> [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > Just sitting there does this not seem reasonable? That would be .5v > in a week. Actually, it is 0.06 V in a week. > Do you happen to have the 'expected' loss standard(s)? > > m <snipped> > For whatever it is worth - this morning I measured 12.86 volts on the > bat terminals. That is compared to 12.92v yesterday (about 20 hours). [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > m The battery's rate of discharge is usually not linear. I don't have the specs for the rate of discharge. If it makes you feel any better, the fact that Toyota issued a TSB outlining how to measure battery drain on a Sienna tells me that the situation you're in is not that uncommon. I'd bet the dealer has more current information than I do on whether or not your battery and charging system are good and what to do if it is not. SignatureRay O (correct punctuation to reply) >> Re the green eye on the battery - at approximately what % of capacity >> does it change? Or is there no useful significance to that?7 > > I don't know the answer to this question. The indicator is only a general > indicator of the state of charge - a volt meter provides more precise > information. The green eye is just a simple specific gravity tester -- it's a little ball that floats or not. sdb SignatureWhat's seen on your screen? http://PcScreenWatch.com sdbuse1 on mailhost bigfoot.com >I has been charging for six hours now. Started at 1 amp - went up to >3.5 amp and now back to about 3 amp even. It does bother me that >there is no green light on the battery. It remains black - indicating >a lack of charge. It can also mean that the electrolyte level is low, and the little charge indicator balls can't float to show red yellow or green. Stop charging now till you fix this. If you know the Safety Drill (Gloves, Goggles, lots of Baking Soda and water on hand) you can pry off the "Sealed Maintenance Free" cell caps with a screwdriver and add Distilled Water up to the split rings. Then try charging the battery again, and see if things improve. >I have one of those portable 'jump start' batteries (purchased for a >small TV) - like a small brief case. Will this harm or even work >for this car if the battery is DEAD as it appears to be? They work. It isn't a good idea to leave it connected if the car battery has a shorted cell, since the jump pack is easily drained. >Will a Sienna run on an alternator - with a dead battery? Most cars will, but it really isn't good on the car if the battery is totally toasted - the alternator voltage can go way high at full throttle without the regulating effect of the battery. And the car may stall at idle if you try running any power accessories, lights, or even honk the horn - the alternator barely puts out at curb idle. Without help from the battery, you can lose enough voltage to stall out. The booster battery would be enough to moderate the system voltage - now if you can figure out a way to safely strap down the booster battery and leave it connected for the drive to the dealer... --<< Bruce >>-- >>> "Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote in message news:z-> >>> I'm [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > That is more like load testing a battery. Re-initializing refers to the > ECU's that control some functions. I gotcha. thanks, Ray. ><snipped> >>> Ray, I usually know what you're talking about, but I've never heard of >>>> "re-initializing" a battery. How is it done? [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >> ECU's that control some functions. > I gotcha. thanks, Ray. You're welcome, any time! SignatureRay O (correct punctuation to reply) >> "Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote in message news:z-> I'm >> not sure if this is the case with your Sienna, but some vehicles need to [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > drawing them down and charging them up. You should know about that > stuff Mac, or maybe you forgot already. Hmmm, the wrong answer from you...as usual. sounds as if you're the oldtimer in the crowd, so just bugger off. > "Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote in message news:z-> I'm > not sure if this is the case with your Sienna, but some vehicles need to [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Ray, I usually know what you're talking about, but I've never heard of > "re-initializing" a battery. How is it done? Thanks. He said "some vehicles need to be re-initialized after replacing the battery" The power windows and sunroof on my tC have to be 'reinitialized' after replacing or disconnecting the battery. The sunroof has two 'stop points', one halfway and one with just the rear of the roof open. It loses it's mind when you disconnect the power, and have to reset the points when you reconnect the battery. This is what he means. I'm betting that he's betting the doors have to be reset, too...which they probably do... >> "Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote in message news:z-> I'm >> not sure if this is the case with your Sienna, but some vehicles need to [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > I'm betting that he's betting the doors have to be reset, too...which they > probably do... Yup, we're betting on the same thing! SignatureRay O (correct punctuation to reply) > "Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote in message news:z-> I'm > not sure if this is the case with your Sienna, but some vehicles need to [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > "re-initializing" a battery. How is it done? > Thanks. Actually, it is not the battery that needs to be re-initialized. The electronic control modules that control some functions need to be re-initialized. I think the process involves a "chicken dance" of turning keys and pushing buttons and is outlined in technical service bulletins for the models that need them. I'm too cheap to pay to access techinfo.toyota.com to get the procedures for everyone else, and so far, I haven't needed to access any info for my personal vehicles. SignatureRay O (correct punctuation to reply) >> "Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote in message news:z-> I'm >> not sure if this is the case with your Sienna, but some vehicles need to [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >techinfo.toyota.com to get the procedures for everyone else, and so far, I >haven't needed to access any info for my personal vehicles. Do you mean to say that the computer(s) don't have a factory default setting for controlling this stuff. Man, what "expert" designed these systems? Even Microsoft puts default values in it's software. Jack <snipped> >>Actually, it is not the battery that needs to be re-initialized. The >>electronic control modules that control some functions need to be [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Jack I agree, turning the power back on should not be rocket science. The computers do have a factory default setting for controlling this stuff, but for some reason, they need to be initialized. SignatureRay O (correct punctuation to reply) > I'm not sure if this is the case with your Sienna, but some vehicles need > to be re-initialized after replacing the battery or deep draw-down on the > battery so things like sunroof, power sliding doors, etc. will work. That's what I was going to suggest. After you remove the - terminal on my tC, you have to reset the power windows and the sunroof... The procedure will be in the Owner's Manual... m...@nosam.org wrote: >In the manual it says to disconnect the ground (-) connection before >recharging with the battery in the car. WHY? Is this a big thing >because I did no disconnecting - just clamped on and started charging. It's nearly total insurance against damaging the electronics, rather cheap insurance, although I don't see why the electronics aren't protected enough to withstand anything short of household AC or lightning. Even if your battery is covered by the Toyota warranty, dealer prices are often so high that it may be cheaper to buy a new battery at full price elsewhere, like Costco or Walmart. >m...@nosam.org wrote: >> [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] >are often so high that it may be cheaper to buy a new battery at full >price elsewhere, like Costco or Walmart. WTF is labor not included in the warranty? m > In the manual it says to disconnect the ground (-) connection before > recharging with the battery in the car. WHY? Is this a big thing > because I did no disconnecting - just clamped on and started charging. Lots of battery chargers are just a big honking transformer with some diodes and an ammeter attached so they put out pulsating DC instead of pure DC. The peaks of the pulses are usually above the usual safe limit of 16 volts and since a lead-acid battery that has been overdischarged below 10 volts has mostly pure water as electrolyte (the sulfur goes into the plates during discharge) it is almost an open circuit and doesn't filter the pulses out into pure DC which means you now potentially have pulsating DC with peaks over 16V going to all of the ECUs that draw memory power. The other reason is that the ECUs like to start up with a sudden solid stable voltage instead of the slowly rising voltage you would get while charging the battery with it connected. > See the battery manufacture, WBMA. Unless things changed since I'm out of > the business, most new car batteries have a prorated warranty, of at least [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > tires for the life of the basic warranty. Others only warrant them at > 100% for 12/12 WOF. FORD=Fix Or Repair Daily >> My 'new' 06 Sienna CE had been sitting unused for about 5 days - prior >> to that it was driven about 4 miles - after sitting idle for 5 days [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] >> >> m >> See the battery manufacture, WBMA. Unless things changed since I'm out of >> the business, most new car batteries have a prorated warranty, of at least [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > FORD=Fix Or Repair Daily Found On Road Dead -OR- Fu@#ing Over-Rated Dud >>> My 'new' 06 Sienna CE had been sitting unused for about 5 days - prior >>> to that it was driven about 4 miles - after sitting idle for 5 days [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] >>> >>> m > My 'new' 06 Sienna CE had been sitting unused for about 5 days - prior > to that it was driven about 4 miles - after sitting idle for 5 days [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > Just getting out the owner's manual. Well, be sure to tell us what it says. |
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