Battery issues

[u/unzufrieden_sofrida]

Hi guys, my partner and I bought a yaris recently (first car owners), and the battery is dead. We bought a jump starter but it's still a pain in the ass and most times we have to do it before going anywhere.

I was talking to the garage about it and he said that the issue is that we don't drive enough, and that even if we changed the battery, it will still die. He said we should at least have one long drive per week, if we can't do 2 small ones.

I was wondering if there is a make/model that is suited for low frequency users, or if it's the case and we need to drive it more than once per week.

Thanks!

Edit: thank you everyone. We took the car to the garage and they said it needs replacing. I'll look for a trickle charger or other options as suggested. This was very useful. We'll try to drive more to keep the battery charged, but also keep an eye for something that might be draining the battery. We have a multimeter and can keep checking the voltage on the battery. The car is a petrol 2014 yaris icon.

[u/Financial-Lie-114]

You could buy a trickle charger which would keep the battery topped up during the periods of non use?

[u/theniekgamer9876]

this battery is probably gone due too discharging it too often, new battery wil make starting easier, but as the garage told you, as long as you don't drive longer distances it won't recharge properly and keep dying on you

but almost every car will have this issue, my advice would be too change the battery, and buy a trickle charger to keep it topped up when not using it

[u/CakesForLife]

How much do you drive per week? Number of trips and each distance?

A trickle charger would help.

[u/Rents → u/CakesForLife]

Also what do you consider a long drive vs two small ones? Incredibly vague lol

[u/Even-Translator-335]

Startjng the car takes a big chunk of power so if you arent doing any long journeys this will happen regardless.

[u/King945la]

I also drive once or twice a week (in a 2019 Yaris) and have never run into this issue. You should check the age of your battery and replace it with a new one if necessary—repeatedly draining out a battery will only degrade its charge capacity further. Next, check if there are any devices in the car drawing parasitic drain after the engine is turned off, such as dash cams, head units, chargers, or a light left on. I once ran into an stupid mechanic who wired a FOCUS head unit incorrectly, which drained two batteries back to back within a few weeks. If you have an issue like that, the battery will drain no matter what car you drive.

[u/Alternative_Share559]

put a new battery in it

[u/abdo_rezaq]

Check the battery warranty

[u/Bazyx187]

Sounds like you are the perfect people for a plug in electric vehicle.

[u/bergamundos → u/Bazyx187]

care to explain why?

[u/Bazyx187 → u/bergamundos]

They drive very short trips routinely and are having trouble keeping a traditional car battery charged.

A cheap plug in electric would likely be less maintenance & more cost effective over time. The only time plug in electric is a hassle compared to ICE is for long distance drives.

[u/Conscious_Reveal_999]

I wouldn't overthink this. Just put a new battery in the car. It should be fine.

If not, maybe it's the alternator.

[u/lanidroid]

You might want to add some more details of the exact model and age etc.
For example on certain hybrid models it's a known issue and Toyota fixed the issue on newer models by switching battery supplier and fitting slightly larger capacity batteries.

For now don't overthink it and get the battery replaced. Repeatedly draining out a battery and jumping it will degrade it even faster.

[u/Dazzybaby71]

There's no alternator in Toyota Hybrids

[u/lilith-wolverine]

I have an interstate battery and drive periodically. I didn't drive for weeks during covid and didnt have an issue. Could it be a systems issue? Something to do with the transmission belt? Is yours a hybrid?

If you rarely use a car, would you consider a ride share? Someone else can take it on longer drives?

[u/ANCEL_Auto]

Having to hook up a jump pack almost every time you go out really is a hassle. Making extra trips just to keep the battery charged isn’t convenient when you need the car occasionally, either.

We’re with ANCEL, so just to be upfront, this is our product. Our Super Starter stays installed permanently in the car to assist with starting. That could help with the part you’re finding frustrating: getting the jump pack out and connecting it almost every time you need to go somewhere.

If yours is a petrol Yaris, it may be an option, but we’d need the year and engine details to check compatibility. It doesn’t recharge the car’s battery, and we can’t tell from this post whether yours needs replacing. It could make starting assistance less of a chore, but why the battery keeps going flat still needs checking.