Hello,

I purchased a used 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid in August 2020 with 144,000 km on it.

I was able to drive it around for a while but it has mostly been in storage and in early November, it would no longer start. I was able to jump start it via the 12V battery in the trunk and drive it around for 10 minutes, but then put it in park, turned it off and then on again immediately and it would not start. Initially after jumping, some warning lights (ABS, check engine) lit up but eventually disappeared as I was driving.

Other symptoms I encountered (that disappeared upon jumping) include:

• lock / unlock, trunk buttons and keyless entry did not work
• trunk lights were off and came on right when circuit was closed
• slow wipers
• push to start button light was red, not green
• engine crank was weak
• various warning lights (ABS, check engine, check VSC)
• entire dashboard flickering upon attempted start

Because I was able to drive it normally for a few minutes after jumping, I suspect the 12V battery may be the problem. However, my knowledge is limited and my assessment is by no means comprehensive, which is why I am here. Also, I was not able to check the voltage on the 12V battery through the built-in system when the car was running.

Any insight or advice for the next course of action is much appreciated as I would like to hopefully get an idea of what is going on with my vehicle.

Cheers!

 

Step 1: Manually charge or replace 12V battery.

Step 2: figure out if something else is wrong.

You can't put a car in any kind of storage without taking precautions with the 12V. A typical car will flatten a battery in 1-2 months.

 

That is what I was thinking too, I will look into recharging / replacing the 12V battery and come back with updates. Hopefully it is just the 12V battery that needs fixing. I appreciate the response S Keith, you're the man.

 

Hello S Keith,

I was hoping you could provide some more advice for solving this problem. Would you suggest first using a multimeter / voltmeter to measure voltage before deciding whether to charge or replace my 12V? I have done some research and found that a replacement is recommended if it reads below 12.2V. In the case of low voltage, would it be advisable at all to first attempt to manually charge the battery or would it be best to replace it at that point?


I am looking into trickle chargers such as this one, for if I decide to attempt to charge before resorting to a replacement:

 

I have re-read your description, and I was being grossly optimistic that charging the battery would work.

Your 12V battery is dead and needs to be replaced as evidenced by the inability to restart after a 10 minute drive. Even if you are able to charge it, it is unlikely to be reliable.

 

That's what I was thinking too, and purchasing a voltmeter + charger would probably be a waste of my money. I'll get the 12V battery replaced instead of putting a band-aid on the problem.

Thanks again S Keith, be well.

 

I was able to purchase a new 12V AGM battery (https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/m...-0103520p.html) and am just about to install it, but wanted to make sure of a couple things:

The new 12V battery does not have a slot for the venting hose. Is this not a problem because it is AGM? Also, there is no slot for the temperature sensor. Would duct taping the sensor to the new battery serve the same purpose?

Edit: Is this the slot for the vent hose? There is also one on the side of the negative terminal.



Thank you.

 

Just tape the sensor on. Unfortunately, you're out of luck with the vents. Hope that it doesn't vent.

 

Sounds good, thanks again for your input.

I was able to replace the 12V battery and my TCH is now up and running smoothly! Initially, all warning lights were on but most of them disappeared after off/on 3 times.

The only issue now is the red triangle, "check hybrid system," and check engine light, which, from my research (googling), I've noticed is a common error (along with the other warning lights that disappeared) immediately after replacing the 12V battery. Any chance this is just a glitch and disappears after a few days of driving? I will continue to drive it and observe in the coming days but was hoping that I could get some insight regarding the issue for some peace of mind.

Thank you!

 

After 12V replacement, all codes should be wiped, so having something present immediately upon reconnecting the 12V, it's likely not going to resolve. Given the age of the vehicle, it wouldn't surprise me if the HV battery has failed.

Check codes.