Low Voltage in Rear Power Outlet

That is the message from corporate Toyota. They say the manufacturer simply doesn't have any of the batteries, so nothing they can do. Still no battery.

 

It reads 12.5V when the car is off, so I guess that's all it needs. Once the car is in READY it's 14.5V. I really don't think the battery is the cause of the low voltage in the 12V outlets since it happens when the car is in READY mode and the voltage at the battery is 14.5V and the voltage at the unused outlet is about 13.5V. There is some source of resistance between the battery and the outlet consistent with 22 AWG wiring. Since both outlets are exactly the same, I doubt it's just a loose connection.

I keep meaning to test the voltage at the fusebox, but I haven't got around to it.

 

What is force charge mode? Do you mean forcing ICE to run to charge the traction battery?

 

So, it's been a week today since I've heard from Toyota about this issue despite the case manager's promise to to call me last Tuesday with a status update. Last Monday he told me that the battery manufacturer had some new stock that they'd be shipping by Tuesday the 11th. The dealership still doesn't have any batteries, none on the way, and they still report that they cannot get an ETA from the supplier. When I called Toyota this morning they tell me the case manager isn't available and all I can do is wait for his call. There is no manager or anyone else to speak with and requests to transfer the case to another case manager have to go through the current case manager.

Since my previous four Toyotas have never had a single issue, I have no way to judge if this appalling service is the norm for Toyota. I expect this kind of runaround and lackadaisical attitude towards customer service from the DMV, but I would have never expected it from Toyota based on my past experiences.

 

It's hard to tell online whether someone is "that" customer that flies off the handle for the tiniest inconvenience, or whether it's legitimate customer service failings. The lack of proper 12V power is a major issue for someone who has to be able to work out of their car, but it doesn't rise to the level of making the car worthless for its intended purpose. I wouldn't say I'm angry, and I'm not raising my voice at anyone or saying anything rude. I'm just disappointed that Toyota sold me a brand new car that they acknowledge has a real bona fide problem, and they just seem like they can't be bothered to do anything about it (or even call when they promise).

 

So I've been driving the last two weeks without using the 12V outlets. On whim I decided to test them today. Low and behold, under load they're at 12.6V. Now I'm thinking the battery's built up a charge and it can keep the load up. BUT, there's something in the owner's manual that concerns me: page 719 says:



If 5A is the max charging current, what happens if you're drawing 20A (the max on each outlet) for a two-hour drive? I sure hope the DC-DC converter isn't limited to 5A, because that would be ridiculous. You'd run the 12V dead in a couple of hours and it would take 10 or more hours of not using any 12V power to charge it back up.

 

I know it probably means that when using a 12V charger to charge the battery you should limit to 5A, but I can't help but wonder if there's something to it. I'll start using the 12V outlets again and see if it runs the battery down over time.

 

I'll test what happens. Hopefully the battery is now charged all the way and everything's honky dory. If everything stays good after a week or so of using the 12V outlets I'll chalk it up to a headache caused by a 12V battery that wasn't maintained on the lot. I really, really want that to be all it is.

 

Me and my big mouth. As soon as I threw the car into drive the voltage dropped below 10.5V again. For the first time, I was testing at night so I noticed that when you throw the car into drive the interior lights dim noticeably, so it's not just the wiring to the outlets - it's the whole 12V system. The voltage in the 12V outlet with the 6A load drops from 12.6V to 10.5V at the same time. Back at square one.

Trying to find one. It looks like the OEM Chevy Spark battery is the same size (LN1), but no one has one of those in stock either. I'm getting close to just trying any old battery I can find (even if it doesn't fit) just to see if it cures the issue.