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2019 Rav4 Hybrid Limited - Will the battery remain charged if left for 7 weeks undriven?

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Mike Young

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I have a 2019 Rav4 Hybrid Limited and I will be out of the country for 7 weeks. I am wondering if the Hybrid battery & the 12V battery will be fine if the vehicle remains un-driven while I am away. The car will be stored in the garage.

Is there any steps I can take before my trip.

Appreciate for any suggestions.
 
#2 ·
This is Toyota's answer.


Do I have to take special steps to protect the battery of my hybrid vehicle if I plan to store the vehicle for an extended period?
Click to expand...
In addition to the storage tips for our conventionally-powered vehicles, our hybrids require additional steps for each battery, as the hybrid vehicle battery and auxiliary battery will discharge and their condition is liable to decline.
To prevent excessive auxiliary battery drainage, charge the battery at least once every two weeks by powering on the hybrid system for 20 minutes with all non-essential electrical accessories (such as air conditioning and audio equipment) turned off. It is not necessary to drive the vehicle, but do not start the hybrid system in an enclosed area unless the tail pipe is connected to an exhaust hose to prevent harmful buildup of fumes. As an alternative, you may disconnect the negative terminal of the auxiliary battery.
For the hybrid vehicle battery, charge the battery at least once every two months by starting the hybrid system for about 30 minutes*. Check that the "ready" light is on and all lights and electrical accessories are off. As with the auxiliary battery charging, it is not necessary to drive the vehicle, but the steps to prevent exhaust buildup must be taken.
* If the auxiliary battery was disconnected, it will have to be reconnected before the hybrid system is started.
Click to expand...
 
#3 ·
As an alternative, you may disconnect the negative terminal of the auxiliary battery.
For the hybrid vehicle battery, charge the battery at least once every two months by starting the hybrid system for about 30 minutes*. Check that the "ready" light is on and all lights and electrical accessories are off. As with the auxiliary battery charging, it is not necessary to drive the vehicle, but the steps to prevent exhaust buildup must be taken. If the auxiliary battery was disconnected, it will have to be reconnected before the hybrid system is started.
Click to expand...
IMO since your 7 weeks falls within the two months Toyota specifies you need do nothing regarding the hybrid battery. You might disconnect the 12V "auxiliary" battery if you want but I probably wouldn't even do that.
 
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#6 ·
toyodaornot said:
You could also remotely turn on/off car with the app, just make sure it's outside.
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He's already said it'll be garaged so running the engine wouldn't be smart. And with the two months Toyota allows it isn't necessary.
Disconnecting the 12V battery's negative cable eliminates the need for a charger so lets keep it simple.
 
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#7 ·
Mike Young said:
I have a 2019 Rav4 Hybrid Limited and I will be out of the country for 7 weeks. I am wondering if the Hybrid battery & the 12V battery will be fine if the vehicle remains un-driven while I am away. The car will be stored in the garage.

Is there any steps I can take before my trip.

Appreciate for any suggestions.
Click to expand...
If this is something you tend to do regularly, consider investing in a "battery tender" and install that permanently so you just have to plug it in. There are many of them on the market. They periodically trickle-charge and continuously monitor. Read the manual on this topic, because there will be a couple systems that shut completely down from non-use.
 
Discussion starter · #8 ·
Quickdtoo said:
This is Toyota's answer.

Click to expand...
I think thats what I will do:

"disconnect the negative terminal of the auxiliary battery"

Follow up question (sorry it is my first time dealing with car battery)
Is there any precaution that I should be taken for aware of when disconnecting the negative terminal?

Thanks guys.
 
#10 ·
You'd disconnect B which leaves the terminal bare. Takes a 10 mm wrench or socket.
You may notice a little spark but no worries. It's when you mess with the positive (red cover) terminal that bad things can happen.
 
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#12 ·
Dr. Dyno said:
You'd disconnect B which leaves the terminal bare. Takes a 10 mm wrench or socket.
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Any reason we can't remove the flange nut at A and just unplug C? Looks like it would be easier to not have to deal with the plastic tabs... or does that whole assembly pull off with removing the B nut?
 
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#13 ·
Yes that's a good idea since you're not having to be concerned with getting the clamp back on the battery terminal the proper tightness when reconnecting. I'd definitely unplug the cable first then remove the top cable nut and reconnect them in the reverse order.
 
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#15 ·
yst said:
Proper way is to disconnect clamp B from negative terminal.
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Agreed, and that's how I'd do it but either way works and leaves the negative terminal disconnected. KiddlKat's method avoids one of the most common electrical issues I've see over the years - loose battery terminals. So maybe his method is better.
 
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#16 ·
Will he have to go through the process of entering security codes and re-entering preferences etc for the cars various systems if he unplugs the 12v battery? If so a trickle charger might be a better option.

I addition the 12v battery will do better if kept electrically active (by the smart charger) rather than sitting for 2 months. The long term difference is probably not much but I personally would use a smart trickle charger in this scenario.
 
#17 ·
eurban said:
Will he have to go through the process of entering security codes and re-entering preferences etc for the cars various systems if he unplugs the 12v battery? If so a trickle charger might be a better option.
Click to expand...
Good points and I agree a battery tender is the best option but that obviously requires a power source. If none is available I'd probably do nothing since it would probably take much longer than two months for a relatively new battery to self discharge. And even if its voltage does drop some the various memories will still be maintained.
 
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#18 ·
Dr. Dyno said:
Good points and I agree a battery tender is the best option but that obviously requires a power source. If none is available I'd probably do nothing since it would probably take much longer than two months for a relatively new battery to self discharge. And even if its voltage does drop some the various memories will still be maintained.
Click to expand...
All it takes is one major discharge of the battery to ruin it and even partial discharges can severely diminish its useful service life. I don't have any experience with how much draw the Rav Hybrid has while sitting unused but many modern cars will suck down a battery within 2 months.
 
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