5 Important Facts About Your Toyota Battery

It goes without saying that the battery is one of the most important elements of any vehicle. This is especially true for drivers of hybrid vehicles, such as the Toyota Highlander Hybrid or Prius. Despite this, most people rarely give their car batteries much thought; at least, not until a problem arises that forces them to devote time, energy, and money toward this critical element of their vehicle. Having an unexpected dead battery can leave you stranded, but a little bit of knowledge can help to prevent this from happening. In this article, we’ll list five important facts about your Toyota battery that every driver should be aware of.

It goes without saying that the battery is one of the most important elements of any vehicle. This is especially true for drivers of hybrid vehicles, such as the Toyota Highlander Hybrid or Prius. Despite this, most people rarely give their car batteries much thought; at least, not until a problem arises that forces them to devote time, energy, and money toward this critical element of their vehicle. Having an unexpected dead battery can leave you stranded, but a little bit of knowledge can help to prevent this from happening. In this article, we’ll list five important facts about your Toyota battery that every driver should be aware of.

Some Toyotas Have More Than One Battery

Most cars have one battery, which provides the necessary power for all of the vehicle’s electrical components. This means lights, turn signals, and everything else you’d expect, but it’s also a critical component of the car’s basic operations. While it might be gasoline that provides power to your car, it’s the battery that’s providing consistent, stable voltage to allow the engine to turn over and then to run normally.

Hybrid vehicles, such as the Toyota Prius, operate a little differently than other cars do. In fact, they have two batteries. The smaller of the two is a 12V battery that has many of the same duties that a standard car battery does—starting the car and operating electrical systems such as the lights and the radio. The second, higher-voltage battery powers the car itself, reducing the vehicle’s need for gasoline.

Batteries Have a Limited Lifespan – But You Can Help Extend It

As you are probably already aware, your Toyota battery will occasionally require replacement. Car batteries are workhorses, constantly providing vehicles with the voltage they need to run. Over time, however, they will become less and less effective, and ultimately, they will need to be replaced. The average 12V battery lasts around 3 to 5 years.

You can usually tell when your car battery is reaching the end of its useful life. The battery warning light on your dashboard is an obvious indicator that there is an issue, but there are other signs you can take note of, as well. If the vehicle is struggling to start, this may be a battery issue. Likewise, if temperature changes seem to have more of an adverse effect on your car than they used to, a faulty battery may be to blame.

There are several factors that can have a major effect on the lifespan of your car battery. For example, any power use while the vehicle’s engine is turned off causes a drain in battery power that will be difficult to recover from. Dirt and grime buildup can also reduce the effectiveness of the battery and ultimately shorten its life as well, so try to keep your battery as clean as possible.

Long Periods of Inactivity Are Bad for Your Battery

Your Toyota battery requires occasional use to maintain optimal health. Even when the car is not operating, there are factors in play that cause your battery to slowly drain. Without occasionally driving the car in order to charge the battery back up, your battery may drain completely, which will leave it dead when you do need to go somewhere. Not only that, allowing a battery to lose its charge completely is extremely bad for it and will reduce its lifespan.

Even if your vehicle is sitting in storage, you should occasionally take it out and drive it around for a while to keep the battery in good condition. Note that a very short drive may not actually be enough to get the battery to a healthy charge. You may need to put at least a few miles on the car. If it’s not practical to periodically take your Toyota out of storage and drive it around for a while, then you should consider investing in a device called a trickle charger. This device slowly charges the battery while it’s in storage in order to prevent it from running out of power, even while the car is not being used.

Your Car Battery May Be Covered Under Warranty

Chances are, when you purchased your vehicle, it came with some kind of warranty that covers damage to various systems of the car. If you purchased your vehicle from a dealer such as Beaverton Toyota, you may have also opted for the comprehensive ToyotaCare add-on. This covers all manner of maintenance on your Toyota, including comprehensive multi-point inspections that will include checking the health of your Toyota battery.

It’s worth doing a little research when you are in the market for a new vehicle to discover if any warranties or service plans will include the battery. In most cases, a battery is considered a “wear-and-tear” item, similar to tires and brake pads, which means it is covered by a basic warranty but usually not by an extended warranty. Talk to your Toyota dealer to discover if this is the case for your vehicle and if you can opt for a specialized battery warranty for your car.

Your Toyota Battery Can Be Recycled

Car batteries are one of the most commonly recycled consumer products in the world. In fact, the battery in a new car may be made up of up to 80 percent recycled materials. Visit the Battery Council International website for more information about how recycling a car battery works.

When the time comes to have your Toyota battery replaced, choosing to have it recycled is an environmentally friendly option that can also earn you some money. Many dealers will take back old car batteries for free, and some scrap yards will even pay you for a dead battery.

Do a little research to see where the best place to recycle batteries in your area is located. Here at Beaverton Toyota, you get complimentary recycling when you purchase a new battery.

Tags: Battery Warranty, Toyota Battery, Toyota Hybrid
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