terrabytetango

The power supplies can deal with quite a bit of voltage fluctuation. The chargers I use for my Lipos can deal with anything from 12-20V DC.

Yup, I'm familiar with C ratings, been in the R/C hobby since 2008, just as Lipos and brushless began to become mainstream. However, none of that applies to mobile devices, the internal charging circuitry takes care of all of that, and that's how it has always been for a very long time, going back to even analog mobile phones in the early 90s. The external power supply i.e. mains adapter or usb cable, is just that, a power supply, and no more.

This is a pretty good idea. I had this done to my van a long time ago, I stripped a usb car charger, took power from the cigarette lighter connection (I think) and then fitted it to one of the many blank switches. The charger had a 7805 regulator which limited the current, but back then all I had was an HTC Tattoo and a 4th gen Ipod classic. Phone batteries being ruined by car chargers is a myth; the power regulation circuitry is in the device itself. Giving the device less current will only lead to longer charge times, and if the power is insufficient, the device will simply refuse to charge. Newer devices support quick charging, but have a set of parameters it verifies by first testing the power supply if it's capable of providing the amount of current required. Plugging in a device which only requires 500mah to a charger providing 2Ah will not affect the battery in any way, as the device will only draw 500mah.

The Prius PHEV has a 11kwh Lithium battery pack, the regular Prius does not. Any PHEV conversion without replacing the battery back (and associated ancillaries) will be half baked. A regular Prius (and in fact any non PHEV Toyota Hybrid) can only manage about a kilometer or so under full electric power, so what use is the PHEV conversion any way? The battery is fully charged if you drive for a kms at over 60km/h.

3-4 times a week and short distance, a hybrid will be pointless. Why not go for a brand new Korean hatch?

Thanks for waking up a year old thread.

Could also be a leaky radiator cap, which leaks just enough to let some water vapour out. Does it lose water while sitting in the garage as well?

Or, a 4wd Kei truck, like a suzuki every or something. people in the states use them on their private property for putzing around in and for workhorse duty.

Well sure, a bigger car with a bigger engine you'd need to watch out. But the Starlet isn't a fast car by any stretch of the imagination, so there isn't much that can go wrong with it unless you really fudge it up. What people don't realise is, driving pleasure doesn't always equate to power and speed. I mean ask any MG Midget owner.

This is why I bought a 90's hatch in the end. I'll never give up my Axio, not after being spoilt by the electric steering and the very muted presence of the hybrid system. But every so often I feel the need to row my own gears, and I take the Starlet, and pray the battery isn't dead by the time I arrive at office (battery charges fine now, but still a little wary and always make sure that there's someone at hand to give me a jump start).

Plus it's a pretty fun drive too, runs out of steam when approaching 100km/h but man I still enjoy rowing the gearbox. Plus, clutch balance on a petrol isn't as bad as I thought it would be. Only problem is the fuel consumption, given my "spirited" driving behaviour.

How does dirt get into the wheel ABS sensor? My Vios' had a rear wheel hub replaced, which included the ABS sensor and it was a sealed unit. I had a hell of a time taking the old one apart to take a look at the unit itself, it's very well sealed.

Better ask Dinukap4 for that

Completely OT, but saw your brother post a photo of the Legacy on FB, very nais indeed.

You can find yourself a nice well maintained YOM 2000 Corolla/Sprinter 110. Those are solid cars, and will remain solid for many more years to come as long as they're looked after properly. And I daresay they're quite a bit safer than any Indian car you buy at that price.

12v45a, don't remember the battery make, it's got a red top with white sides. That's a good idea! Never thought the issue would be between the alternator and battery. I brought my multimeter along today, I'll check it out during lunch time.

The Shitbox is a 1993 Toyota Starlet. Still have the Axio as well. All the Pereras, Pieris' and even the De Sarams are wholly impressed by it.

tl;dr - The charging voltage is around 13.8 without any ancillaries switched on, but when the A/C, lights and fog lights are switched on, my trust Fluke shows just 12.4V. Is it time to get the alternator rebuilt? So the Shitbox's battery died on me this evening, as I was about to leave the office. Thankfully some good Samaritans first helped me push start the car, and when that failed, a set of jumper cables and a volunteer came along to give me a boost. The battery is only about 2 months old, having been replaced by the previous owner shortly before I took ownership of the car. The lights dim whenever the windows and/or the A/C is operated, but I attributed that as normal since the Vios displayed such tendencies as well. HOWEVER, this morning, the driver's window got stuck in the down position, how it had miraculously come up by the time I had finished closing the gate (it's got auto power on driver's side, and i yanked it hard a few times before getting out). Then at the office, I tried to lower the window to speak to the security uncle, but the window wouldn't go down, although I felt it struggle. I attributed to it finally have jumped a rail, and thought I'd fix it during the weekend. So imagine my surprise when I jump in, twist the key and nothing happens except for the start solenoid struggling. I immediately attributed it to the window, BECAUSE, my mum found an easter egg (which is also there in the Axio, but that car's like 2 decades newer and has more complex electronics than the first moon mission); the windows remain operable once the key is pulled out either on a timer or until the doors are opened. I attribute the sticky window and this feature (?) to the draining of the battery. So this evening, I decided to check on the battery (after driving home with no A/C and only fogs), and the battery is at 12.45v. I then proceeded to test how well the thing was charging, and 13.8v with everything shut off except for radio, 13v with A/C, and only 12.4v with everything switched on. So might this be normal for a 90's car, or is the alternator on it's last legs? Long, and pretty much useless details. but it's been a while since I've typed out a proper forum post (wife is in Mannar, so jobless till Friday).

Thanks, I'll give it a try during the weekend.

Quote isn't working for some reason. That's a one way street obviously. But you're right, he had to have provoked the bus driver. It's always a pushing match between us and buses in the Fort and Maradana area, and so far I've never heard of anyone being attacked like that. Which is why I always say, road rage only if you can handle the repercussions.

This is a fkn retarded thread and a complete waste of time.

I miss the status updates. Did we remove it because of Presea humper Lover?

Yes an auto, and didn't have it replaced. It didn't give me nay trouble during my 4 years of ownership.

Had to awaken this old thread, as the Shitbox heats up massively when compared to the Axio, quite apparent when the sun is on my side. Clearly automtovive glass technology has improved vastly in two decades. I hate tints, therefore need to install a transparent film that rejects heat. Any advice on what's currently available in the market? The local Carepoint wants to install tints, but I'm looking for alternatives first.