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Try this if you are having issues with the Qi wireless charger...

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79K views 45 replies 21 participants last post by  dct1954  
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#1 ·
Like many, I've had zero success in getting my phone to charge with the Qi wireless charger included in my RAV4 Prime. No matter where I placed it, it would charge for approximately 20-30 seconds before it would stop and the orange indicator LED would start to blink.

I've read a couple of references about potentially fixing the issue by changing the charger's frequency, which supposedly could be accomplished by pressing and holding the charger's power switch. I decided to give that a go today, and I had no success. I tried holding the switch when powering up (it wouldn't actually power up at when doing that), and holding the switch when already powered up, which didn't appear to do anything (and didn't even shut the charger off for that matter). The phone just kept disconnecting when testing just as always.

In the process of trying a few other random things, I decided to press the power switch twice while it was powered up, and interestingly the green LED turned to orange. Hmmm... So I powered the charger back off, and then back on again. The LED was green as usual, and then plopped my phone on the pad. The LED turned orange, the charge indicator on the phone lit up, and shockingly enough, it continued to charge without disconnecting. I removed the phone and placed it back numerous times, and it always starts charging and continues to do so, even when the phone isn't precisely lined up dead center. I let it go for 10-15 minutes a couple of time, and it never disconnected.

I'm not positive that there wasn't a combination of other things that I tried that ultimately culminated in a functional charger for me, but I believe what did the trick was (intentionally verbose :) ):
  1. turn the vehicle on (or enable accessory mode)
  2. insure the phone is removed from the charging pad
  3. if the charging pad is on (green LED lit), turn it off via it's power switch
  4. turn it back on via it's power switch (green LED lit)
  5. press the charger's power switch twice consecutively (you should see the LED turn orange)
  6. power the pad off via it's power switch
At this point, you should be able to turn it on (green LED), put your phone on it, and hopefully it'll work for you as it now does for me. Note, that there may well be multiple settings and thus if this procedure doesn't work the first time, perhaps try it again.
 
#2 ·
Thank you this.

What you are implying is that the "double click" of the power switch might be changing the charge current to the internal coil allowing for a stronger charge signal to the phone. In essence allowing for a potentially thicker case to be used. I will try this with a thicker case I already have experience with. It marginally works but the thinner case is more reliable as my charger sits currently.
 
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#3 · (Edited)
JFox562 said:
What you are implying is that the "double click" of the power switch might be changing the charge current to the internal coil allowing for a stronger charge signal to the phone.
Click to expand...
It could be adjusting the the charge current, the coil position (it is movable), or the frequency. The fact the it changes the LED status is a pretty good indication that something was changed. Try as I might, I've not been able to find any detail on the Panasonic Qi charger that is used (at least in the Prime). All I know is it did the trick for my Samsung Galaxy phone (in a 2 layer Otterbox Symmetry case).

Let us know how you make out.
 
#4 ·
This is what is in my 2019 manual. Do they still have this bit of information in the Prime manual?

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#6 ·
So I was curious and went out the garage. I put the car in accessory mode and it was quiet. I turned on the QI charger and had never heard it make noise before. Ok, actually, I never paid attention.

I turned it on and the green light came on. I double pressed the button and sure enough the light turned orange and stayed orange. I turned it off then back on. Same noise. I place the phone and it started to charge.

I should have tried this next part before the double pressing of the button so I do not have a comparison of this test. Ok, disclaimer out of the way.

Now knowing that it sounded like something is moving when you power on the charger, I repositioned the phone on the pad. I had my company iPhone 8 on me so I had room to move the phone around on the pad (my iPhone 8+ would not have space to move much for this test).

With the charger on and the phone was charging, I moved the phone forward on the pad (over the power button). I heard the phone disconnect from charging and the charger made a movement noise and when stopped, the phone resumed charging. So I tried a few more positions and each time it appeared that the charger was moving to find the sweet spot of the phone. Now, is the coil moving when this happens, I don't know, but it did seem to work in a way that makes sense for a moving car. If the phone moves and the charger would seek it out again. Which is much cooler than the stationary QI chargers I have on my bed stand and work desk. I have seen this QI charger out and there is a space between the pad and the mechanism. I wonder if the coil can move upwards so the coil is closer to the pad for thicker cases.

Now, did the double press turn on this undocumented feature, time will tell.

What actually did the double press do to the QI charger?

Here is a very cool video. I found this after I wrote all of that stuff about moving coils. I was pleasantly surprised to see the animation in the video showing exactly what I thought was happening. Did Toyota forget to turn on the feature and by double pressing the power button, thanks to you, we now have a fully functioning QI charger?

Panasonic Introduces Wireless Charging for Every Vehicle | Panasonic North America - United States

Ok, so I went further and found that Panasonic just released this moving coil technology in 2021 so there is no way my 2019 would have this but it sure functions like it's described.
 
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#8 ·
JFox562 said:
Now, is the coil moving when this happens, I don't know, but it did seem to work in a way that makes sense for a moving car. If the phone moves and the charger would seek it out again. Which is much cooler than the stationary QI chargers I have on my bed stand and work desk. I have seen this QI charger out and there is a space between the pad and the mechanism. I wonder if the coil can move upwards so the coil is closer to the pad for thicker cases.
Click to expand...
I was aware that this charger had a moving coil assembly based on research, and well, I've heard it doing so. :) I believe the coil only moves on a level plain beneath the charger surface, vs. towards or away from the charger surface. Again, not sure if the procedure has anything to do with that or not at this point.
 
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#10 ·
I suspect that if you are able to charge just fine without a case, then this procedure likely won't be of much (or any) benefit in helping to charge the phone in a case. If you can't charge at all, as was the case with my phone, then this may help.

Give it try and let use know.
 
#12 · (Edited)
slab said:
  1. turn the vehicle on (or enable accessory mode)
  2. insure the phone is removed from the charging pad
  3. if the charging pad is on (green LED lit), turn it off via it's power switch
  4. turn it back on via it's power switch (green LED lit)
  5. press the charger's power switch twice consecutively (you should see the LED turn orange)
  6. power the pad off via it's power switch
At this point, you should be able to turn it on (green LED), put your phone on it, and hopefully it'll work for you as it now does for me. Note, that there may well be multiple settings and thus if this procedure doesn't work the first time, perhaps try it again.
Click to expand...
Thank you for taking the time to post your findings and this trick. Sadly it didn't work for me.

I have a Pixel 5 in a thin, clear silicone case that charges well until the pad/phone begin heating up from extended wireless Android Auto use then the Qi pad starts flashing orange 3 times (signalling it has a bad connection to the phone) or it will cycle from orange to green as if it is having trouble detecting the phone. I can hear the little motor in there moving the pad around when this is happening.

I've all but given up on using the Qi pad. I'm probably going to remove it and put my OEM non-Qi tray back in so I can take it apart to see how it ticks. I might remove Panasonic portion all together and Jerry rig in an aftermarket pad into the OEM tray.

Looks like someone over on Toyota Nation took their Highlander OEM Qi charger apart also and they posted pics! Looks to also be Panasonic made.

www.toyotanation.com

That Qi charger (which I removed) is really complicated

So, I will never use the Qi charger (I think it's in a bad spot, would rather have easier access to the center storage, don't have a phone that supports it, and always connect my phone via the USB cable for Android Auto anyways) I took it apart for fun, surprised to find out, it's got two...
www.toyotanation.com www.toyotanation.com
 
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#13 ·
WillRav4Tacos said:
Thank you for taking the time to post your findings and this trick. Sadly it didn't work for me.
Click to expand...
I wish that I had a definitive answer/process, but alas I (still) do not. I've determined that it's still a bit flaky, but at least it has been working to some extent (versus not working at all as was the case).

One other thing that you may wish to try, I've found that turning off the charge pad, then placing the phone on it (centered as well as you can), then turning it on seems to increase the probability for success. The charger has a moving coil, and perhaps it's able to position itself better with the phone present during power up.
 
#18 ·
The Qi charger does OK when it's just the phone alone, but it doesn't passthrough enough current to both charge the phone while using wireless AA, the battery charges very slow but once the phone/pad begin to heat up from the combination of AA and the charging the charge rate seems to slow significantly to the point where it isn't enough and the battery begins to discharge even though it's in the charging state, then all together stop until I power down the Qi pad and let things cool down.

I got mine on eBay since I didn't have the tech package on my RAV4. I wanted something to match the interior brown trim but also look factory. Oh well.
 
#23 ·
The more I experiment with my Qi pad the more I suspect it's less the pad and more my Pixel 5.

This phone gets pretty toasty when I use Wireless AA, that coupled with the Wireless Charging makes the phone get downright hot.

I've also had my phone disable the flash and video camera when it gets too hot.

The support site for the Pixel 5 says the phone may throttle performance or disable certain features when the phone gets hot.

That's probably my issue. It doesn't look like the Pixel 6 is any better. Maybe down the road if Google implements a cooler running CPU in later phones my pad can get more use, because I do like setting it there on longer drives to stay topped off. Guess it will be useful for passengers until then.
 
#24 ·
Finally got my dealer to agree to change my wireless charging pad in my 2021 R4P XSE PP. I brought my R4P in for its 5k service on Feb 14. I asked them to check the charging pad while in for service. I was told "it works". Brought R4P back in on April 11 for the DCM software update TSB. I again asked to havd the pad checked. The tech brought me out to the car and showed me an iPhone 13 and then my iPhone 13 Pro charging on the charging pad. Drove away and within a block of the dealership the pad started not working with the orange light flashing. I was ready to give up. Brought the R4P back in today April 20 for the Traction control software recall. I asked them to check the charging pad again and lo and behold they said it is not working correctly and they are ordering the part to replace my malfunctioning charging pad. It is back ordered so I was told to expect about a two week wait. I'm hoping this will fix it! Kudos to Westbury Toyota.
 
#25 ·
Gymnbat said:
Finalmente logré que mi distribuidor aceptara cambiar mi plataforma de carga inalámbrica en mi 2021 R4P XSE PP. Traje mi R4P para su servicio de 5k el 14 de febrero. Les pedí que revisaran la plataforma de carga mientras estaba en servicio. Me dijeron "funciona". Regresó a R4P el 11 de abril para la actualización del software DCM TSB. Volví a pedir que revisaran la libreta. El técnico me llevó al automóvil y me mostró un iPhone 13 y luego mi iPhone 13 Pro cargándose en la plataforma de carga. Se alejó y dentro de una cuadra del concesionario, la almohadilla comenzó a no funcionar con la luz naranja parpadeando. Estaba listo para rendirme. Trajo el R4P hoy, 20 de abril, para el retiro del mercado del software de control de tracción. Les pedí que revisaran la plataforma de carga de nuevo y he aquí que dijeron que no funciona correctamente y que están ordenando la pieza para reemplazar mi plataforma de carga que funciona mal. Está pendiente de pedido, por lo que me dijeron que esperara una espera de dos semanas. ¡Espero que esto lo arregle! Felicitaciones a Westbury Toyota.
[/COTIZAR]
conseguiste solucionar el problema con el cambio de la bandeja?
Click to expand...
 
J
#27 · (Edited)
A few things to chime in on here. First off, I was never able to get the double-click technique to do anything for me. However, all of this did lead me to open up the owner's manual and read up on the wireless charging. What is listed in there is a triple-click that switches the charger into fast-charging mode. When in fast-charging mode, the light will alternate between orange and green continuously. Regardless, neither the regular charging mode nor the fast-charging mode would charge my iPhone 13 Pro Max while inside a case that I've successfully used with a ton of other wireless chargers.

I've been highly motivated to sort out wireless charging because I'm using the USB-A port in the tray area permanently for wireless CarPlay and really didn't want to deal with having a cable going from the center console into the tray, not to mention plugging/unplugging my phone which totally negates the whole benefit of having wireless CarPlay. After trying a bunch of different cases, I've finally found a couple that work for me with the charging pad. This is the one that I'll be sticking with due to the combination of sturdiness and grippiness (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B096HSYS3S), but there are other models from the same manufacturer that worked for me as well. I'd prefer to stick with a case that is a little more protective and will continue to try out other ones I come across, but I'm happy to have found one that works that I also find acceptably protective. Based on my testing it seems the OEM Panasonic charger is highly sensitive to the phone being any distance away from it which is why you need a fairly thin case as well as one without any embedded metal or magnets.

FWIW - I'll also call out my wireless CarPlay setup here as I know some folks have had issues finding a good one. This adapter (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B4VG2FT6) combined with this shelf (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BB1MTFFQ) has been an absolutely perfect setup for me. The adapter fits into the smaller compartment of the shelf so it leaves the charging tray empty and tidy. There is a slight lag (1/2 second) between pressing the car screen and having the action occur on the phone, but I can totally live with it in exchange for the wireless CarPlay. It was a painless install and setup and after a week including an 8 hour roadtrip it's been flawless so far (knock wood). The only issue I have with it is caused by Toyota choosing to disable Bluetooth whenever there is a CarPlay device plugged in. When I'm driving my kids they often like to take control of the car radio from their phones and that isn't possible since I will have the CarPlay adapter plugged in permanently and there is no AUX port on the '22 RAV4. BTW - If you're in a similar situation, have your kid log into their Spotify account on your phone since Spotify will let them control the music on your phone from theirs.
 
#28 ·
To add to the possibilities, here is a wireless charger that I bought with the intentions of putting it on this tray in the center console (see arrow in picture below).
www.amazon.com

Amazon.com: Wireless Charger, JADJ 15W Max Fast Wireless Charging Pad, Qi-Certified for iPhone 13/12/11/SE 2022 2020/XS/X/XR/8/8 Plus, Samsung Galaxy S20/S10/S9/S8, Note 10/9/8, AirPods Pro(No AC Adapter) : Cell Phones & Accessories

Amazon.com: Wireless Charger, JADJ 15W Max Fast Wireless Charging Pad, Qi-Certified for iPhone 13/12/11/SE 2022 2020/XS/X/XR/8/8 Plus, Samsung Galaxy S20/S10/S9/S8, Note 10/9/8, AirPods Pro(No AC Adapter) : Cell Phones & Accessories
www.amazon.com
I haven't gotten around to try this out but the pad works fine with my iPhone 8+ with a fairly thick case which causes intermittent charging on the OEM wireless charger. My wireless CPlay2Air CarPlay adapter was killed by a software update so I wasn't in any hurry to do any testing since I've been plugging in the iPhone.

BTW, I have two USB charge ports inside my center console.
Image
 
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#32 ·
Is your phone an iPhone 12 or newer which have support MagSafe? Or with MagSafe case on? I have same issue with 2023 Prius prime build in QI charge slot, before I use regular much thick case with iPhone 11 pro max, it works fine with QI charge slot and google 2nd gen charger stand, but after I change to MagSafe case on both chargers get same behavior as original post. I also have same issue with iPhone 12 pro witch support MagSafe on Prius prime build in QI charge slot. I think both charger has software which detects magnetic force from charging coil side and stop charging
 
#34 ·
Have a 23 it's got 3 (or 5) usb ports 1 type A for the driver it's the only one that transfers data, and 2 in the driver console in the middle, both type C, (there may be 2 more type c in the rear, the C's are for charging only and they're going to charge faster than the wireless charger, and not heat the phone like the wireless does, anyway, bravo Toyota for the type c ports, when you get around to data transfer from them it's much faster than type a usb.
 
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#35 ·
For those with earlier RAV4s (5th generation) that have only USB-A outlets, those outlets can often be changed to USB-C or even dual USB-A and USB-C outlets from other Toyota models. Some even come with a back light (to more easily see them inside the center console). For the most part, they are plug and play.
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#39 ·
Waking up an old thread...

My iPhone 15 Pro Max on iOS 17.2.1 does that charge for 10 secs then flash amber 3 times routine. Apple had issues with the initial iPhone 15 / iOS launch that overheated phones in BMWs, they fixed it in iOS 17.1 but broke it for many GMs, including Toyotas.

I am a little reluctant to try this method. It does not seem to be enabling / disabling auto coil homing. My question is does it loosen up the tolerance and keep the charging session going even when not ideal? Has anyone noticed the phone runs hotter after turning on the double click mode?
 
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#40 ·
The Q charger in my 2019 RAV4 XSE is basically worthless. On the rare occasion where I need to charge my iPhone I have a USB cable attached to one of the USB ports in the armrest compartment. I just pull out some of the wire and plug in the iphone . Drop it into the cup holder and let it charge. It charges faster than with that Q charger.
 
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