Battery getting weak?

[Barcs]

Hey everyone,

I have a 1993 Camry LE V6. I think my battery might be going but I can't really tell if it's the alternator or not. Basically what happens is my headlights dim a good amount whenever I use anything else electrical. For example I'll be driving at night and press the button to open the automatic windows and the headlights dim. If I do all 4 windows at once it dims significantly, or even when I use the brakes due to the brake lights lighting up. The guy at Advance Auto parts tested the battery and alternator and said that the alternator was fine, but the battery was going. I don't really trust the guy, and my car seems to crank fine in the morning so I just wanted to check with you guys to see if these symptoms are battery related or not. Thanks for the help!

[Novice_cardude]

Probably an alternator problem. Make sure the connections to the alternator are good, and have someone else check it. A bad alternator can cause a battery to go bad, or at least appear to go bad. I know Sears auto center has machines that measure current out of the alternator under a load. Probably some other places do too.

[Mike Gerber]

"Basically what happens is my headlights dim a good amount whenever I use anything else electrical. For example I'll be driving at night and press the button to open the automatic windows and the headlights dim. If I do all 4 windows at once it dims significantly, or even when I use the brakes due to the brake lights lighting up."

This all sounds normal. As any electrical appliance is used, there is a load put on the alternator to keep up with the electrical demand. 1 power window motor is a load. 4 at once is a significant load. I would try to get the electrical system checked again for free at another auto parts store. If you have Autozone in your area, they also test it for free.

As a side note, most wet cell batteries last 4-5 years. Do you know when your battery was last replaced?

Mike

[Barcs]

I have no idea when it was replaced. I got the car at 162,000K and now it's at 170,000. I'll get another battery check as soon as I can. If all that stuff is normal though, I probably won't bother. Thanks for the advice!