New Sienna CE 06 - Have questions.

Usually the hoses have a backflow valve so I am surprised he is not getting a good spray.

On a Sienna I don't think there is a /good/ place for the second battery, though I've never searched one for hidden spots. But with a little creative packaging, anything is possible.

Silly idea, though legit - Call US Immigration & Customs Enforcement and ask them where a good place to put a second battery would be. If anyone knows where all the good hiding spots on a car are, it's them.

The diode isolator can be anywhere under the hood where it will get good air circulation and not get shorted out.

If there is no room under the hood or behind the grille, go with a relay isolator. You can't stick a diode isolator inside (no airflow) or underneath the car (too wet, too much road debris.)

If you get an Optima style Absorbed Glass Mat type deep-cycle battery they are pricy - but it can be safely put inside the passenger compartment. Makes finding a place for it a little easier, though it really should still be in a battery box or otherwise isolated to contain the acid just in case - and to prevent anything from shorting between the posts.

You /must/ properly fuse or breaker protect all power leads coming to and leaving the battery as close to the battery as possible. An Optima battery has very low internal resistance and "a whole heckuva lotta" fault current available, so if you throw a hard short circuit on the battery terminals or leads "Let the Fireworks Begin."

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I looked at a spot next to the washerfluid - but it would be tight.

Any ordinary battery will do just fine - light and/or 2-3 hours of TV or radio etc. in the dark. Retiring an old Ford van with dual battery and battery isolator so the primary battery is not run down.

Would it not work just fine to plug a battery in a box inside the vehicle into an outlet as the engine is running and disconnect it prior to use? How much fume is generated?

joe

It would work just fine, but so as to not repeat myself...

The Optima is a sealed design - you have to charge it pretty fast or overcharge it pretty hard to get it to outgas hydrogen. A normal car alternator through a lighter socket isn't going to do that.

The problem with that is if the battery is way low, you might pop the lighter socket fuse while recharging it. I'd suggest a hardwired accessory socket with heavier wire, 10 gauge and 30A automatic reset breaker.

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Thanks Bruce, It is probably only every other year or so that I/we make these long trips through remote or areas with less than adequate hotels/motels. My neighbor who, instructed automotive something, told me that a battery should only be assumed to have a three year life max. (in all cases regardless of 5 year warranties etc.) in a modern car. Typically batteries fail with NO warnings (such as slow to start) these days. Am I wrong for Toyotas? I really want to keep it simple if possible and get by with a $35 Pep Boys battery when needed. I used to borrow from my other vehicles .

I would like NOT installing extra wires, fuses etc. if practical. Is there any practical (cheap) way to restrict the current from a standard outlet to a second battery in a box - and not blow any fuses?

Is there anything special about the Toyota Sienna battery or electrical system? I have noticed that they do not discuss jump starting this or another car in any of the manuals. I do have a 115v charger but that is also bordering on being cumbersome.

Regards, joe

The original equipment batteries in Toyotas generally last at least 5 years without any problems.

The problem with using cheap batteries is that they often have a short useful life, and the gap between the case and the battery posts is large so you get more acid buildup on the battery posts and clamps. You get what you pay for so I would stick to a name brand battery.

If you want to get by without installing extra wires, fuses, etc., then get one of those portable jump-start batteries. They can be recharged through the cigarette lighter or through household current. The bigger the capacity, the longer you can run your accessories. If you want to run an accessory off of the jump-start battery, just unplug it from the cigarette lighter/accessory outlet and you have an isoslated system. The jump start battery can alsos provide jump starts when your battery eventually dies.

In the case of jump start batteries, you also get what you pay for - plan on spending at least $60 for a decent system.

Nothing special about the Sienna's battery or charging system. I am pretty sure that there is info on jump starting in the manuals but if there is not, there should be info included with the jump start battery if you do not know how to jump start a car.

On Wed, 31 May 2006 16:59:02 -0500, "Ray O"

Excellent suggestion. Did a google and saw a whole range of products - with everything included including air compressors and portable bars . Seriously - I saw NONE mentioned that they could be recharged from a lighter outlet. Is this a standard feature? They talk peak amp and cranking amp - does that imply that this type of battery will perform like any other battery for a number of hours rather that one quick boost to start?

joe

Yes, at least I've never seen one without that feature.

Peak amp and cranking amp refer to how much power can be delivered when a draw is put on the battery. It does not refer to how many hours it can provide power. Like any other battery, the larger it is, the more capacity it generally has. The batteries in jump starters generally are not affect by deep cycles like normal car batteries are.

If you want to watch a DVD for several hours, invest in a generator because you would need to carry a pretty large battery to be able to provide useful power for several hours without itself being damaged.

Some appear to have this and others don't. From google it appears that this works well but expect a life on not more than two years. A camping/boating group.

Looking through the Manual for fuses there is a #26 Power outlets, #27 Cigarette lighter. Don't find a cigarette lighter anywhere? Only the two outlets in front and one in the rear - may they be on the same single 15amp fuse?

If the main battery is being discharged - is there any way of telling when it is a problem or excessive? Will Toyotas just give a clicking sound when attempting to start and the battery is not adequate. Is it very sensitive to less than a fully charged battery?

joe

I don't know the answer to those questions. You can pull the fuses and see which power outlets lose power.

If the engine is running and the main battery is being discharged, either the "charge" warning light will come on if the car is equipped with one or if the instrument panel is equipped with a volt meter, you will see the voltage drop.

Whether a Toyota or any other vehicle will just give a clicking sound when attempting to start with a discharged battery depends on how discharged the battery is. You can get a very slow crank, a clicking sound, or no sound at all.

The car has no emotions so it does not car whether the battery is fully charged or not. There is a minimum voltage, I believe around 11.2, that has to be present in the battery for the ECU to send a spark signal to the ignition system.

I was thinking mainly in terms of engine being off and key set to ACC. Believe there is some kind of 30 min warning. It should never discharge with the engine ON. IMHO. joe

IIRC, when the engine is off and the key is set to ACC, there is no monitoring of current draw or the battery's state of charge. There is no 30 minute warning (or any warning) if you discharge the battery below what is needed to start.

There are situations where the battery can discharge with the engine running for extended periods at idle. The alternator's output is lowest at idle, and if you have a heavy draw, the battery will discharge.

The battery and charging system in a car are not designed or intended to provide a lot of power beyond what is needed to keep the car operating, especially if the engine is not running and the battery is being re-charged. That is why you see emergency vehicles with engines running when the emergency lights are flashing, and why campers and motorhomes are equipped with generators to operate appliances for extended periods.