I have a 13 Avalon hybrid, next month (December) will be it 6th year in service. How long should I expect this battery to last? I assume it is the same battery as in the Camry Hybrid. I could be proactive, but I don't want to waste money. I have had the car since new.
TOYOTA Australia puts a 10 yr/unlimited warranty on Camry (and all Hybrids) batteries. I've spoken to people with PRIUS with well over 10 years trouble free.
Thanks, but that is for the main battery I'm talking about the small battery that starts the computers.
Yes, that was the main battery. I now see your heading - the 12volt is not as easy to guess - I've had some which lasted 2 yrs, others went 7 yrs. The only thing I'm fairly sure of - they don't like heat. Unlike a conventional vehicle, which uses it to not just run the computers, but also a high-drain starter motor - and that's where they usually fail on a conventional vehicle. You turn the key, the lights come on like normal, but it won't turn the engine over. Hopefully with a hybrid, it will give you a low voltage warning. Maybe other Avalon owners will reply with personal experience.
Six years is around what I'd expect for a battery here, but starting in cold winters takes a toll on non-hybrid ones. I don't now how you would tell if the battery is starting to go beyond a warning like. In the past, you'll notice starting will take more effort. Some auto parts stores advertise free battery testing, but I have no experience with them.
Invest in something like a Solar BA9 (electronic load tester), get beyond guesswork. They're about $60. Christmas is coming...
same here with our 13 hycam. i hadn't even given it a thought until i saw this thread. my 12 just went out, but its a much smaller battery. hmm...
I replace at around 5 years just like I do with tires. They are safety items to me and so I don't try to eek out the last $ of value against the risk of being stranded.
I am hedging my bets, I've bought one of those portable jump starter batteries and have thrown it in the trunk.
I had been getting low gas mileage for the last 6 months or so and I thought perhaps the 12 volt might be the problem. The battery was the original 7+ years old so I replaced it. I'm now a believer my gas mileage is back to normal. Thanks to other posters who discovered that an old 12 volt sometimes keeps the engine running longer trying to keep the old 12 volt charged.
now i'm wondering about the '13 hycam 12v again. we've driven it so little for the last 17 months, idk if that's good or bad. i hate to replace it and have it keep sitting.
If it isn’t going to be driven for over a week, I swap it back and forth with the truck. It generally gets out a few times a week, and if it dies , I hope it happens at home, and not after driving somewhere. Static voltage is still high 12’s
I’ve given up on drive-it-to-charge usage for our 2010; just keep it plugged into a CTEK 4.3 smart charger, pretty much constantly. Will be on a modest road trip next week though.
