Check your batteries!! - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

cipsaz · 01-19-2012, 10:14 PM

This is a second time that I got burned with a dead battery. Yes, the first time, a 5 years ago died on me instantly at the store, so my dad came with a new battery.

So yesterday, at the airport where you cannot stay any longer than a few minutes, the battery died instantly on a start up. What a frustrating day and the place to get stuck... It took two hours to find a driver with a jump cables. The security was about to call to a tow service. Glad I got lucky once again.

If you have an old battery and it does work like a charm - don't trust it. Go to AutoZone or some other place for a free check up.

***arabianobsession*** · 01-19-2012, 10:48 PM

Always good advice.

***Zembonez*** · 01-19-2012, 10:52 PM

Batteries don't just go from good to flat in an instant. They tend to give signs of weakening prior to failing completely. I'd bet you have some sort of cable or connection issue, provided your charging system is charging.

***arabianobsession*** · 01-19-2012, 10:54 PM

Not always. Not often, but sometimes, a battery will just 'flatline', so to speak. I've seen it only a couple times before.

alexorozco92 · 01-19-2012, 11:14 PM

My battery was leaking for like 2 days, didn't know at the time though.
A foul odor just kept seeping into my cabin and I didn't know what.
One day when I got out work I turned on my car and the smell was unbearable, and then my car shut off.
Popped my hood to an oozing battery. :/

***bandit*** · 01-20-2012, 06:32 AM

Another good advice, have your OWN jumper cables. Especially if you know you would have the problem.

aznlunatic206 · 01-20-2012, 10:49 PM

Optima yellow top FTW!

***Cking*** · 01-21-2012, 12:55 AM

Yeah man be careful, always check your battery. I'm surprised we don't have some kind of "check battery" symbol. Or at least I never heard of it lighting up. I think batteries are supposed to last 3-5 years anyway.
My OEM lasted 3years only...

I had sulfur build up on one of my terminals, and startup took 2-3 seconds, it was so weak. Even after cleaning it off with baking soda was no help. When I took it out, it leaked acid all over (for some reason I thought it was condensation build up under the battery) and didn't notice until it started to burn my skin

Anyway, always be careful when handling batteries!

Quote:

Originally Posted by aznlunatic206

Optima yellow top FTW!

Was thinking about buying that one until upon further research found that there was one called:

Interstate Megatron

Haha had to get it cause it was called Megatron

***JohnGD*** · 01-21-2012, 02:00 AM

Johnson Controls Inc makes (some/all?) for Interstate. And Optima is a JCI battery. So are the Autozone ones - great value and warranty. 7 or 8 year prorated depending on Duralast or Duralast-Gold.

Yeah, battery warning is common on European cars. They measure current draw and voltage drop at start up and give you a warning if needed. But I guess if the battery dies before this test then SOL.

touringcamry · 01-21-2012, 05:24 AM

Costco batteries are from Johnson Controls also and go for about $60 which makes them very competitive (assuming one already has Costco membership). The warranty is 36/100.

XtraRevsSurely · 01-21-2012, 05:28 AM

Battery cables are must in the trunk for me. Even if you don't need them much for yourself-you can always help someone else! It'll somehow come back to you!

gdanaher · 01-22-2012, 08:02 AM

I have numerous battery war stories accumulated over the decades. I've had batteries blow cells on brand new cars. Had a 67 Ford Falcooon whose battery remained good for the 8 years of ownership. Had a 74 VW bus whose battery failed 5 weeks after I took delivery. 8 volts--dead. Here's my time consuming trick. I open the hood after the car has sat all night and check the voltage at the battery--say 12.7 volts. I jot that down on a sheet of paper that lives in the glove box. I date it. Months out I do it again. And again. When I notice the standing voltage begin to drop off I go shopping.

When was the last time that your battery failed at a convenient time? I change it out when it is convenient to do so, not when I must on a cold rainy or snowy day or at 3 pm in August. Cheap insurance.

kenny1773 · 01-23-2012, 09:36 AM

Whatever you do - DO NOT buy a battery from Advanced Auto. The warranty is a scam (they NEVER pay out) and you will just waste your time and money with them. I had to go through it twice with two different cars before I realized that they must read a script when telling a customer to F - off.

Walmart, Costco, etc have a much much better policy in dealing with battery warranty.

I have a local shop that sells Interstate that also has a great policy on warranty claims.

I have had factory original batteries go almost 10 years (my current Camry just passed 7 years on the original battery and still going strong, even with 14F temps).

I never had an Advance Auto battery go more than 2 years without having issues. You take it in for a warranty claim, they put it on their 'charger' and zap it with 5 million amps, then tell you it's fine and your car must be the problem.