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I came home today for five minutes to pick up my social security card and I didn't leave anything on but when I got out five minutes later, the Camry couldn't start. It's the same-old clicking like you get when the battery is extremely low. This is not the first time this has happened either. This happened in the rain as well about a year ago, except it started right up when we jumped it. The only difference is that today after trying to jump it for 15 minutes, it still never started.
Originally posted by CameronCamry Cracked spark plug wire? Your thoughts...
That's what I was gonna suggest. What year and engine? It could be a cracked distributor or bad ign. coil too. Also check your battery terminal. Tighten and clean then if needed.
The battery wasn't putting out enough electricity to the starter for it to turn the engine over. A spark plug wire won't cause the battery to drain.
Dead battery/Bad teminal. If it is not a sealed battery, check the fluid level as it may be very low.
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It's the battery terminal. The contact isn't strong enough and it might be dirty.
!!But how much if it's a cracked distributor block on 92 V6? Mine takes a while to start when it rains heavy!!
Dead battery! Well, I hope at least. I had it being charged by my parent's truck for about 10 minutes and it just barely started. I'll have to see what happens when I take off the jumper cables...I really do not want to be dealing with a new alternator.
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Last edited by CameronCamry; 10-28-2004 at 04:21 PM.
Originally posted by CameronCamry It died two minutes after letting it sit running (disconnected from the truck). Is there an easy way to tell if I need a new battery, or alternator?
If it died after a jump, then its probably the alternator. Go to Autozone or whatever and have them check the alternator.
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to check the alternator, start the car while its running dissconnect the neg terminal. if the car starts running funny or just shuts off its your alternator, if it runs fine there problem lies some place elts...
A safer way to check the alternator is with a digital volt ohmeter (DVM). With the engine off, set the meter to 20 volts DC and touch the battery posts with the probes. A charged battery should read about 12-1/4 volts. Now start or jump start the car and do the same thing with the car running. If the alternator is working it should now read around 14 to 14-1/2 volts. If it still reads around the 12 to 12-1/4 volts or less, then the alternator needs to be replaced. You can also use the DVM to check the connections at the battery as someone above suggested. With the engine again off, touch the probes to the battery posts themselves (not the terminals). You should get battery voltage here. Now, touch the probes to the battery terminals. If the voltage reading is significantly less than the posts alone, you have a poor connection of the terminsla to the battery posts. Take off the terminals and clean the posts and the inside of the terminals with a tool designed for this purpose or use a wire brush.
Porkch0p220,
Disconnecting the negative battery cable while the car is runing is not a recommended method to check the alternator on today's modern cars. This was OK about 25 years ago and I did it myself many times. On today's cars with all the computerized electronic components, the voltage spikes caused by disconnecting and reconnecting the battery terminals while the car is running can easily destroy many of the car's costly electronic components.
Mike
Last edited by Mike Gerber; 10-29-2004 at 01:51 PM.
If you can't charge the battery enough to go to an autozone-type store and have them check the ALT output, just pull the negative terminal off the battery. If it dies, while you're at autozone getting the battery charged, but the 130amp alternator for a Highlander.
That way you can put a huge as system in with no power drops!
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Before doin all that, why not try to clean the battery posts and see if you have a firm connection. That happened to me, I jumped it for almost 10 minutes, and right after takin it off the car shut off cuz i put my foot on the brake. And another day the car shut off while i was drivin cuz I turned on the Headlights, I thought it was the Alternator Too, but it wasn't. Then, i cleaned the battery terminals, and that never happened. Oh, i also bought new brass battery terminals, $5.00 bucks. This model has a descent alternator.
Last edited by 5spd V6 ClrTail; 10-30-2004 at 11:02 PM.
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It died two minutes after letting it sit running (disconnected from the truck). Is there an easy way to tell if I need a new battery, or 
alternator?
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