Quick battery question - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

jefc_uk · 02-09-2006, 04:07 AM

I have posted previously about my Paseo not starting because of a dead battery; It's happened again!

I don't drive very often (every 10 days to two weeks) and it's often short city journeys. Would you expect the battery to die in two weeks (cold weather too) or should I suspect the alternator?? Money is v tight but if I could test the alternator in some way myself that would be great...

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

jefc

PaseoJay · 02-09-2006, 09:48 AM

I had a similar situation happen to me and it ended up being a light problem. The switch for my rear lights (brake lights) would get stuck without knowing and that would cause my battery to die. I am not saying that could be your problem but you just need to go through a process of elimination when it comes to electrical problem.

You need to check:
Your battery terminals and connections
Alternator
See if any of your lights are stuck in the on position (for example your dome light, fog lights, radio display, etc)

jefc_uk · 02-09-2006, 10:17 AM

Thanks very much, good advice.

Leading on from that - I have a multimeter. Could I test the voltage across the battery when all parked up? Only drain should be the alarm. What sort of voltage/current might I be looking for? I am quite technically minded but don't know a great deal about car electrics. Happy to get my hands dirty!

oklalala · 02-09-2006, 07:11 PM

Buy the optima batteries. They are best! I forgot to turn off headlight more than 12 hour. I still can start the car. Might be cost like 150, but is worth it.

PaseoJay · 02-10-2006, 01:22 PM

I did not know you had an alarm on the car, that could be a possible cause. Your alarm, if it was not wired up by a professional, could be sucking the power out of the battery. An incorrect ground could be a cause. Does your radio humm (make a winding sound) while you listen to music?? Just like I said before, this is all a process of elimination. It is 20 times easier to fix something mechanical than something electrical.

***kamesama980*** · 02-10-2006, 04:10 PM

id say its natural. if you drive a short trip every week and a half to 2 weeks...yea youre batterys gonna be drained each time you start the car and not recharged by driving. just cuz it starts the car (even /w a jump) doesnt mean its then fully charged. i would reccomend a new battery asap. once youve drained it all the way, its like 75% as effective as it was...so, 75% of 75% of 75%...car batterys will be toast after only a few full drains. i recently had to ge a new battery for the same reason...drained sitting in dealers lot, drained waiting to be fixed after i got it, fizzled out after sitting for a week in november (less than .1 volt in 8 days! took like 4 days...maybe 4 hours driving total to recharge decently)

***Tercel GTS*** · 02-10-2006, 06:19 PM

Yes you can test the voltage with your meter. With the engine not running the voltage should read between 12.0 and 12.8 volts. With the engine running it should be 13.5 - 14.3 volts.
With the engine off you can pull the negative terminal off the battery then read any current between the wire and the battery post it is removed from. I believe it was NickR that did a great write up on this procedure.
Do not pull the terminal off with the engine running.

jefc_uk · 02-13-2006, 04:15 PM

Many thanks for all the advice. I will do some experimenting. She is kept in a locked garage so going to leave it for a week or so with the alarm off and see how it is after that. I'll advise of the resolution when I find it for the benefit of people suffering similar problems.

Thanks again,
jef