Battery???

[Jonate]

I have ran into my first problem with my camry. I had taken apart the center console apart to see how to change the lights. It took me about 20 minutes running on the battery, and then i went to try and turn on the car, the battery had lost charge. I drove back to augusta(a two hour trip) turned off the car and returned about 2.5 hours later and I noticed the light was dim. I tried to turn on the car, and all that happened was the clakclakclak noise. I am now left wondering is it the battery or the alternator? Any suggestions?

[uibalnme]

How old is the battery? Jump start the car, grab a multimeter, and check the output voltage at the battery. If it's less than 14V at idle, the alternator is done. If it is around 14V at idle, then the battery is done.

[dave1811]

I would bet it is the battery though. These alternators on the Toyota's (Denso) seem to last forever. On my 83 Toy 4X4 when I got rid of it around 2005, I had the factory alternator on it still, 22 years old and working like a champ. Go to Autozone if there is one around you and they will check the battery for free for you and let you know if the alternator is charging. If not one close, you can buy a cheap voltmeter from Walmart, etc for around $20. It should be charging somewhere around the neighborhood of 14 volts or more at the battery when running.

My 2 cents. Good luck,

[Jonate]

Thank you guys. I checked the volts on my capacitor and it said 14v, and have come to the conclusion that the battery is bad. So I guess no need for a multimeter from now on. I have changed the battery, which seemed to solve the problem.