Electrical Drain Issue - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

JetspeedCamry · 09-27-2005, 08:51 AM

Recently, i've noticed that my car's battery is draining over short periods of time.

Here's a time line of events:

- Start car, (lets pretend its fully charged) starter motor kicks over really well, all is good.
- Drive car, park. Leave car for 2 hours or so, jump back in, start the car, all is perfect.
- Drive car home and park in the garage. Leave it OVERNIGHT.
- Start car the next morning, and it start sluggish, starter motor doesn't turn over as quick.
- Drive car, park..leave it for couple of hours, come back, all is good, starts well.

So, it's only sluggish if I leave it for a long period of time, like overnight. Once the ALT has done a bit of charging, its ok again, until I leave it overnight. If i leave it for 2 nights in a row, without driving or starting it, then it'll not start..i.e. flat, or start eventually, but roughish.

Heres some numbers:

- Alternator Voltage @ 1000RPM - When Cold, 13.0V, when hot, 12.0V (also depends night/day etc with lights on)
- Alternator Voltage @ 2000RPM+ - Always 13.8 - 14.4V
- With everything off(key in OFF position), and a multimeter in series with the +VE terminal, there is a 60mA idle current draw.
- Key on ACC position - 590mA
- Key on IGN position - 2.55A
- Start current - 90A

So, the alternator seems to be working ok. It's charging well, you can tell because the car starts better after it's been started once.
Could my battery be on it's way out? Perhaps it's old? It's a maintance free type and is RELOCATED TO THE BOOT. I'm using the rear seat belt anchors as my ground points from the battery. It has nothing to do with the wire guage, as after the battery is charged a bit, it starts fine. (but i'm using 4GA cable).

Any suggestion? What sorta things can I check/look out for, and what sorta things can cause current draw like this.

Thanks!

nodrogkam · 09-27-2005, 08:56 AM

maybe time for a new battery man...if its anywhere from 4-6 years just get a new one.

Cyorke · 09-27-2005, 09:13 AM

Your best bet is to have the battery tested. You need to have a draw test done on it to see how weell it holds up. If the numbers are marginal it may be time to replace. Jsut sounds like normal issues with an older battery. How long has the battery been in the trunk, have you ahd problems since you put it htere or is it jsut now showing up.

JetspeedCamry · 09-27-2005, 09:19 AM

The battery is about 4 years old or so, maybe slightly more. It's had it's fair share of "non use", where it's been sitting around for months without use. I've had it in my boot for about 6 months or so, and the problem started around about the time when I did my manual conversion, when the car was sitting for a month without being started.

techrat · 09-27-2005, 10:09 AM

60mA is an okay draw to have. i would suggest a new battery.

Mike Gerber · 09-27-2005, 05:34 PM

I'm not certain of this, but 60mA sounds a bit high to me. I know on my other car, a 90 Mazda Miata (MX 5 to you guys in Australia), the dark curent draw should be 18-20mA's. I'm not certain of the spec on your Camry but again, 60 does sould a bit high. Do you have an aftermarket alarm system in your car? I have seen these cause problems with excessive dark current draws in the Miatas.

Mike

JetspeedCamry · 09-27-2005, 05:36 PM

EDIT: Mike, yeah i've got an aftermarket alarm in it, but it has never caused a problem before, especially when I had my old Century battery in it.

Yeah i didn't think a 60mA draw would cause an issue like this. And the battery being in the boot isnt the problem (long cable etc) because once the car is started once, and the alt chargeds, it turns over well. It's like the battery just doesn't hold the charge for long periods of time. I'll probobly just replace it then.

Any other ideas?

nodrogkam · 09-27-2005, 05:44 PM

my friend with a 89 camry had an aftermarket cd changer put in and somehow that always killed her car whenever it sat idle for about 24 hours. IT would be worse if she left it on...that stupid thing didnt have a sensor to shut itself off when the car was off...or a low battery sensor.

Had to jump her car COUNTLESS times before she ripped that POS out.

TheOtherSide · 09-27-2005, 06:00 PM

I would guess battery. Sounds like a problem I used to have (or should I say have had) a few times. Both times, the battery was on its way out. Replaced the battery, it was as good as new.

I would check the voltage of the battery after sitting overnight...if its low (around 11.8V or less) {Somebody correct me if I am wrong} then it looks like its going bad. I changed my battery twice within 2 years and yes, I was rough on the charging system running an amp and all for hours without a good charge and then having a 30-40 amp draw constantly while driving. I replaced with an Optima Yellow 2 years ago...not a problem since and I haven't changed my habits though I do a 20-30 minute daytime highway charge at least once a month with all accessories off.

JetspeedCamry · 09-27-2005, 06:05 PM

Yeah, my stereo and everything has been in the car before, and never a problem. I havn't really added anything major to the car since it started doing it, so my suspicions lye with the battery being a bit old. I've had it, possibly, just guessing, since 1999,, which it wasn't in my car. It sat for about 12months without constant use in 2003-2004, then i put it in my car, in the boot. Now after the manual conversion, after it sat for a month or so, it's been "tired".

When I switch the car off, with the ACC on after a drive, the voltage sits at around 12.4V
Overnight, this figure drops to 11.9V

Mike Gerber · 09-27-2005, 06:11 PM

OK. I'm beginning to agree that it's the battery. 11.9 volts is too low. Also, lead-acid batteries do not like sitting idle for extended periods of time. A year is a long time. Couple that with it being 6 years old and I think it's time for a new one.

Mike

JetspeedCamry · 09-27-2005, 06:33 PM

Ok. Ill replace it and see how it goes.

Thanks!

TheOtherSide · 09-27-2005, 07:26 PM

And if its a deep cell (thinking since it is maintenence free and it sat for a year and still works), it may have to have a higher voltage on an open connection, i.e. nothing connected to it (after sitting overnight). I think some of the recent deep cell/cycle batteries have open voltages around 13 or 13.1 V. I've never checked mine but that is what I've read.

JetspeedCamry · 09-27-2005, 07:38 PM

Open connection? As in open circuit, terminal voltage? I do remember it used to be higher than what it is now. It was a very good battery.

TheOtherSide · 09-27-2005, 10:38 PM

Open connection...to replicate this condition, remove the battery from the car and test or test with the car off and the key out of the ignition after it has power soaked for a few hours. Basically, let the remaining charge in the system dissipate so the only charge you see if from the battery not whats left over from the alternator and various capacitors and energy storage devices in the car.

This is an open connection...i.e. nothing connected to the battery that would cause voltage to drain.
|b|-o-------
|a| -
|t| +
|t|-o-------^

nothing connecting the pos. lead to the neg lead.