2003 4-cyl slow start. Checked battery and alternator

[Sella Turcica]

Have an 03 2AZ-FE with slow starting. Last week after a fair bit of start/stop driving around town it very abruptly would not start at all. All I got was "click click click". Walked home, got the other car, jump started it. Charged the camry (charger said battery was dead initially). All has been well since then but if I don't drive it for a couple of days it turns over very slowly. I know when the weather gets cold this is going to be a real problem. Battery has been reliable and is 2.5 yrs old. Battery output when car is off ~12.5V, when running ~13.7V. Terminals look fantastic. No dome lights on. 115k miles.

Is there a more thorough way to tease out whether this is a battery, alternator or phantom current drain issue?

Thanks

[Glenn8963]

Originally Posted by Sella Turcica

Have an 03 2AZ-FE with slow starting. Last week after a fair bit of start/stop driving around town it very abruptly would not start at all. All I got was "click click click". Walked home, got the other car, jump started it. Charged the camry (charger said battery was dead initially). All has been well since then but if I don't drive it for a couple of days it turns over very slowly. I know when the weather gets cold this is going to be a real problem. Battery has been reliable and is 2.5 yrs old. Battery output when car is off ~12.5V, when running ~13.7V. Terminals look fantastic. No dome lights on. 115k miles.

Is there a more thorough way to tease out whether this is a battery, alternator or phantom current drain issue?

Thanks

one way to check for a draw is remove the battery cable, negative will do, put a test light at the cable end, the other to the battery terminal. if it is lit up, start removing fuses one by one..do this ONE at a time, if the light does not go out, well it wasn't that fuse you pulled. pull out the fuses till the light goes off, then that is the circuit that is drawing...

however remember, the computer WILL draw "some" power, the clock WILL draw "some" power as well.

now, just because the battery is 2.5 years old, but the car is an "03"...??? then i''d venture to guess the battery is toast.....

a battery even when "toast" will hold a charge for a while.....i'd just get a BRAND new battery, then if you want, go thru all the testing....

get whatever brand YOU want, i have my own preference, and so does all 1,000,000,000, 000, members here......you WILL GET MANY opinions on which brand to buy, but i will recommend at least a 5 year battery.....

[Donald E. George]

Have a repair shop put a load test on the battery. Walmart will do it. Of course,they will want to sell you a battery. I have had their MAX battery installed for two years with no trouble. Some members on this forum think their batteries are crap. Look in Consumer Reports for their latest car battery recommendations. Regards