Long story short, I bought a 97 Avalon last summer that was (and is) in great shape. When the dealer went to get the keys for a test drive, the battery was dead. He made some joke about the spot being cursed because cars had a tendency to die there if left alone for more than a few days (he attributed it to a magnetic draw). He jumps it with a battery charger, and (obviously, since I bought it) there were no issues that I noticed, so I bought the car.
I drove the car for the rest of the summer with no problems, except once the battery died when I left my lights on at work, and since it was a maintenance free battery that's who knows how old, I figured I'd buy a new battery and my problems would be fixed.
Jump ahead to me at school during the fall, one day I go to start my car after not driving it for about a week and it's dead, I figure time for a new battery. I buy the one that was recommended for my car and have no problems for another couple of weeks. By this point it's starting to get really cold out (anyone who's been to Michigan in winter knows what I'm talking about) and my car is suddenly dying if it isn't driven within 20 hours of it last being shut off. I have the alternator checked multiple times, and each mechanic tells me it is absolutely not the alternator. I figure maybe it's a bad battery and switch it out. Car still keeps dying.
Finally in February, I discover that I had bought the smaller of the two sizes of batteries my car can take, I again replace it. At this point I've checked all the lights for stuck switches and begin to pull fuses. Finally I find one and my car stops dying. Problem solved, right?
So I was back at school two weeks ago (first week of August) and after the 3 hour drive there, my car sits in the parking lot for 3 hours and is somehow dead again with a reading of about 10.5v. I jump it in less than 5 minutes and have no problems for the next 2 days. Then I drive my car and an hour later the battery is dead again. I charge it in about 10 minutes.
Now, 10 days later, I haven't had any issues whatsoever now that I'm not at school. And unfortunately I have no idea what else the issue could be. Not the alternator, not the battery, checked fuses and lights. The only other thing that I think might be an issue is that at school they're doing electrical work converting an old laundry mat into a night club and I know that high tension power lines can do remote drains. Otherwise, is it a fluke?
So, sorry this is so long, but any suggestions are greatly appreciated!
If you're at 10.5, it sounds like a bad cell.
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