Battery / Starting Puzzle
 

2001 Sequoia, 3 year old battery, never been drained

Doesn't start this am. Only a clickclickclickclick from the starter. Radio isn't working, neither is the fan.

Jump start it and it fires right up. Park it. Find alternative transportation.

Tonight, find car where parked, (nothing done since jump start and moved aside) measure voltage: 11.9V. Try to start - turns half a turn and clickclickclick again. Measure voltage: 11.3V.
Jump start again. Measure voltage charging: 14.0V

Drive around block for 2 min. Shut down. Measure voltage 12.5V
Measure current draw (disconnect neg. cable and measure across to neg post): 4 mA.

Get back in - starts right up. Shut down and crank back up 3x, starts every time. Measure again: 12.5V (!)

Posts and cables are clean.

What do you guys think? I was going to buy a new battery, but the fact that it doesn't start at a 11.9V reading is odd along with the fact that it starts 4x in a row after only driving a mile to "recharge".

Thanks!

G

Going through the same with the Miata... check starter/solenoid? Ignition switch?

Shouldnt a 12v battery read at 14.somthing? Much like my 6v battery in teh 356 is really 7.2 ?

Instead of buying a new battery, I'd swap it with a known-good one from another car if you ahve one handy. Or hit one of the chain FLAPS, they tend to test batteries for free....

Load test the battery. Most places will do it for free.

O' Reilly tested mine for free.

Yup. Sounds like a marginal battery. Fully charged (just after jumping or running) it has just enough juice to start, but give it a little time to discharge and it just doesn't have enough power.

Yup, and you need to load test it as well.... It may be making close to 12v but a very low amperage..... 3 yrs is old for a battery these days, I'd be suspect.

I bought my own load tester several years ago from Mac Tools. This one is reasonably priced: Battery Tester - Save on this 6v/12v Battery Load Tester

Especially if it only has a 36 month warranty.:eek:

Lead acid battery
Not starting at 11.9 volts is not surprising

From what you guys say, it appears it just didn't hold a charge / didn't have the capacity to charge up any more. The fact that it would not even run the fan / radio tells me that it was empty.

An interesting tidbit is that I parked the SUV at a 30 degree incline for 3 nights now in my driveway. Something I never do, as the driveway is so steep, but street parking was blocked due to paving work. I think it is possible that either the fluid not fully covering the plates sent it over the edge, or that the truck has something turn on at this angle (an interior light?) that drained it. I did not park it this way tonight to ensure there is nothing funny going on with a drain at that angle.

The battery was dated 07/10 and a "never start" product, so I brought it back to WalMart. Since it was late, nobody asked to test it first (which they usually do) they exchanged it for a new one at no cost (3 year full replacement). It is back in the SUV and I will report back how it goes.

Thanks for your input!

G

Don't forget to check the other ends where your power and ground cables attach, especially ground ends.

Yep, and give the cables a good yank/wiggle , sometimes , there is corrosion where the cable enters the terminal end, that you cannot see, causing a faulty connection .

1 more vote for ground cable. Better yet replace it because it might be corroded on the inside causing resistance.

Had the same problem with a few batteries from Advance for my Jeep. Ran fine for about six months then it would just click click click. Jump it and it was ok. Took the battery back to Advance and they load tested it and gave me a new one without prorating the old. One of the guys told me they get a few duds in each batch. Took roughly three batteries to finally get a good one. I purchased one of the Schumacher Jump Starters from WallMart after the first dead battery and it is one of the best ones I have used.

Good to hear they replaced your old battery for free.

Just wanted to update. SUV running fine with new battery, no issues.

The Toyota battery terminals are very nice. I think they are brass or similar copper based alloy. They never corrode with that big white fur on it. I also do always put that waxy battery terminal grease for protection. I would be very surprised if they had been the issue. I never checked the starter end, but would be surprised if it wasn't the same high quality connection.

G

My first thought is that your cable may have been just slightly loose, so not making a good contact. The fact that you disconnected to check the amperage, and then once you reconncted it (which, at this point, I'm sure you got it tightened down nice and proper), and it started right up leads me to think this way. Could always be wrong, though. :D

Some cars/trucks use mercury tilt switches for the underhood or trunk lights. I don't know if the Sequoia does or not, but if it does, parking on a steep angle would probably do it.

Some night, park in the driveway and peek under the hood from below the car and see if the light is on.