How long did your OEM battery last? and car wont start but no clicking in this case. - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

BonnieGirl · 12-14-2010, 07:36 PM

EXCEPTIONAL OEM BATTERY?
Bought my 2003 Camry new and it still has the OEM battery. Is this exceptional? (still on my original exhaust and muffler too. Car has 80 thousand miles and always driven in winter with snow and salt. It is never garaged.)

MY NO START, NO CLICKING PROBLEM:
Anyway my big problem is determining why the car does not start now.
Please don't tell me to search for "starter contacts", did that and all that get returned is "clean your starter contacts" no matter what symptoms are described.
(also, given the prevalence of this problem you would think a DIY for cleaning starter contacts could be found easily, it isn't in the stickies either).
Got a link describing how to work on or replace these "contacts"?

SYMPTOMS:
Car started perfectly until today. Now doesn't start at all and unlike so many other posts describing this problem there is no clicking from the engine bay.
Only lead up problems to this occurred one time yesterday when I had to try the ignition twice as it did nothing on first attempt, no clicking. It started perfectly on 2nd try.
All dash lights come on fine.

PROGNOSIS?
If there is no clicking at all wouldn't that likely mean a solenoid problem rather than a starting motor$ problem?

Thank you gentlemen.
Bonnie Girl

exclusive · 12-14-2010, 07:59 PM

Did you try jump starting your car? Your battery may just be dead because 7 years is a long time.

BonnieGirl · 12-14-2010, 08:02 PM

No have not tried anything as yet. Wouldn't the engine still try turning over until battery slowly gave out altogether? It didn't do this, gives bright lights, radio etc.

P.S> Love your beautiful car!

Tek-nique · 12-14-2010, 08:03 PM

your battery is dying. Get it jump started, take it to a battery shop and have them to recharge your battery or better yet buy a new one.

***TrailDust*** · 12-14-2010, 08:12 PM

7 years, you're long overdue. Get a new battery.

XRSRoy · 12-14-2010, 08:27 PM

youre saying that the lights and everything in the car works? i would replace the battery first.. if that still doesnt work.. most likely a starter..

11LE · 12-14-2010, 08:32 PM

You've probably already tried this, but perhaps it is the starter fuse. My girlfriend's car had the same symptoms as you, and it was the fuse being burnt out each time.

workerant · 12-14-2010, 08:43 PM

Get it jump and see what happen.

And just in case, get a booster pack.

BonnieGirl · 12-14-2010, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 11LE

You've probably already tried this, but perhaps it is the starter fuse. My girlfriend's car had the same symptoms as you, and it was the fuse being burnt out each time.

Thank you, where would one locate said starter fuse?

For the person who thinks its the starter; if the starting motor was bad one would think the solenoid would still be good and thereby "click", (or am I wrong on this) as I noted I don't get any click. Its unlikely that both starter and solenoid would go at the same time right.

About battery replacement. Is it the case with ecu/efi cars that if the battery loses a certain amount of voltage/amps the engine will not turn over at all, unlike years ago where you could keep cranking the engine until the battery slowly wore down as your engine turned over slower and slower. I ask this because my battery (if thats the problem) went from working perfectly to not turning the engine over at all in one fell swoop.

I'm getting the impression that not many of you get 7-8 years out of your batteries?

Thank you & kisses gentlemen.
Bonnie Girl

RICO8458 · 12-14-2010, 09:33 PM

my oem battery lasted 5 years, 100K, then i got a new one.

11LE · 12-14-2010, 09:38 PM

Nothing will even click if the fuse is out for your starter. The fuse locations are in your manual. Hunch=it'll be in the engine compartment fusebox instead of the one in the cabin to the lower left of the steering wheel.

Tek-nique · 12-14-2010, 10:35 PM

I had a 2002 sentra se-r spec-v... middle of this year 2010. I gave it to someone for free, because I had a lot of problems (because of my mods, and my driving habits) but that doesn't have anything to do with the battery. I had the same bettery ever since I owned that car. I went through 1 or 2 re-charges, Because of the same you have went through, not cranking, lights and everything would turn on, but will not start the engine. But once I got a jump'd It was good to go for that day. I'm stating this because I owned the same battery for 8 years.

I'm not saying im correct here or saying its "only" your bettery is the problem, just stating because you asked if anyone had a battery longer than 7 years.... Like 11le said it could be your fuse, and what not. I hope you fix it.

'02 XLE V6 · 12-15-2010, 10:24 AM

My '02 OEM battery lasted 6 years and finally died without warning when the weather got cold. The "eye" was still lit green at that time.

***TrailDust*** · 12-15-2010, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BonnieGirl

I'm getting the impression that not many of you get 7-8 years out of your batteries?

Once you get past 5 years you're running on borrowed time, and when a battery fails it always seems to happen at the worst possible time. I change my batteries at 5 years come hell or high water.

***arabianobsession*** · 12-15-2010, 11:31 AM

^I agree with you.
I have seen some exceptions. My old supervisor had a 1999 4Runner. Original battery died this summer. It had 134k on it.
My mom had a 1997 Eldorado....original battery died in 2005, the car had 146k on it.

But like I said, this is more the exception than the rule. I've seen lots of cars that were 3-4 years old with junk batteries....more than I can count.