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Can it be anything besides the battery?
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Crystal2012
Novice
Mar 12, 2012, 10:21 AM
Post #1 of 10
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Can it be anything besides the battery?
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I have a 2003 Toyota Camry with about 85K miles.
I don't use the car that much, I get out maybe 2-3 days a week. Last week I left an interior light on when I came home :( and 1-1/2 days later the batter was dead (of course). Got a jump, drove for about 40 minutes, and parked. Drove across the street and parked again, and the car wouldn't start. Got a jump and drove home. (BTW, leaving a light on is not something I do regularly. I think I've had this battery drained once maybe 2-3 years ago)
Put the battery on a deep charger, and it charged slowly all day,and read 12 volts. It stayed reading 12 volts all day (unhooked). Put it back in the car, tried to start it, the car wouldn't start, and the battery now reads 10volts.
Edit: (By the way, all the "wouldn't starts" here are what you expect when the battery is low ... you get the clicking sound but it doesn't start, clicking a little slower next time ... I'm sure it would have ground to nothing if I'd kept trying ... I know the "not starting" is because the power isn't getting to it)
This battery is the second battery I've bought for this car. It was not a cheap one (I'd have gotten the cheap if they'd had it) but it was about the 3rd tier up and was pretty pricey, supposed to last 5 years guaranteed. I think it's right at 5 years old, LOL.
The battery before that was the one that came with the car. I had all kinds of trouble with it. It would build up corrosion very fast, and I put the anti-corrosion things on it and cleaned it regularly. It wouldn't hold a charge well, it seemed I was having to get a jump regularly and that was with little use of the battery. If I let the radio only play for 15 minutes (no air, no lights, no nothing else) without the car running, the battery would be dead. It got to the point I would have to get a jump many times when I had just driven normally and shut it off, so that's why I replaced the battery 5 years ago.
The current battery has been pretty trouble-free, really, and no problems with starting the car or the electrical otherwise. (Except the door locks sometimes don't trip and I have to climb in another door, and it has steering issues, but I mean the battery, starter, etc. hadn't given me any other trouble.)
Hope that's enough info, and not too much. :)
I'm guessing I need a new battery. I'm not working at a regular job right now, trying to make it on a little bit of freelance work, so money's tight. I have to have my car, so if I need a battery, I'll find a way to get one. But I don't want to run right out and get a battery if it could be something else? So I wanted to know if there's any likelihood of that, or if it's almost surely the battery before I buy a new one?
Thanks SO much if anyone can help. I really appreciate it. I live 20 miles outside a tiny country town, and being stranded is getting old, LOL. Thank you!!!
(This post was edited by Crystal2012 on Mar 12, 2012, 11:24 AM)
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speed
User
Mar 12, 2012, 11:28 AM
Post #2 of 10
(1653 views)
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Re: Can it be anything besides the battery?
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from what we can tell here it sounds like a battery. theres no way to tell if theres more going on without being there to diagnose it but id say you hit the nail on the head and its time for a new battery. it lasted the life it was supposed to and it got drained and it just cant hold a charge anymore.
GM ASEP 26 SCC Milford ASE certified in Brakes and Electrical on Thursday April 5th 2012
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Mar 12, 2012, 1:15 PM
Post #3 of 10
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Re: Can it be anything besides the battery?
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Don't assume anything. TEST the battery and charging system.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Crystal2012
Novice
Mar 12, 2012, 1:53 PM
Post #4 of 10
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Re: Can it be anything besides the battery?
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Thanks for both replies.
I hadn't realized I could have it tested. I'll have to see if anyplace around here can do it, or what it will cost.
I just mostly don't want to put out the $$ for a new battery, only to find that it's not the battery and I'm looking at a new alternator or something.
If I can get it tested for a reasonable cost, I will do that. But I am glad to know it sounds like the battery at least.
I'm limited in what I can have done waaayyyy out here too. There's a few small repair shops around but it's an hour to the city, and I don't wanna get stranded between here and there or over there. I'll call around and ask. Thanks.
If anyone has any other ideas or input, I'm happy to hear it. I will check back. Thanks very much!
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nickwarner
Veteran
/ Moderator
Mar 12, 2012, 2:03 PM
Post #5 of 10
(1626 views)
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Re: Can it be anything besides the battery?
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Any place that sells batteries will test it for free usually.
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Crystal2012
Novice
Mar 13, 2012, 3:14 PM
Post #6 of 10
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Re: Can it be anything besides the battery?
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Well ... I charged the battery again, this time for several hours longer. And it seems to be holding a charge now.
It tests ok. I haven't gotten the charging system evaluated.
It started the car (slow start the first time) but then it cranked right up 4 times in a row.
Only thing I do notice is that my idle speed is a tad slow ... in fact, the first time I started it, the car died when I took my foot off the gas. Engine is vibrating a tiny bit more than normal, but I guess that's due to the slow idle. If I'm reading the gauge right (no numbers), it's idling at around 400 rpms if I let it. No one touched the carburetor or anything else, so I don't know what that's all about.
I'm just really tuned in to what's "normal" for my car, which at least in the past has helped me head off problems by noticing them early. Not that I always know what it means. Last year I had a lug weaken and I could tell by the steering it wasn't right. I'm glad I got it checked because it snapped right off.
Anyway, thanks so much for the info. Guess I'm not sure exactly what's up with it now, but the battery is getting older. If it does ok for the next few days, I'll count myself fortunate, and just figure I will have to be replacing it soon since it's getting old. (I still hope it's nothing else!) Thanks!!!
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
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Mar 13, 2012, 4:36 PM
Post #7 of 10
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Re: Can it be anything besides the battery?
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The computer lost it's "learned" memory when the battery went dead. It will relearn it after a short amount of driving.
You still need to get that battery tested though.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Mar 13, 2012, 4:37 PM)
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Crystal2012
Novice
Mar 13, 2012, 7:43 PM
Post #8 of 10
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Re: Can it be anything besides the battery?
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Ah, ok, thanks for the info on the idle speed.
I should have made it clearer ... I did have the battery tested and I was told it was ok. I'm afraid I don't have any more info on it than that.
It is working today, and holding a charge long enough to start the car several times. That's about all I know. It seems that leaving it on the charger for longer (though it was on there all day the first time) might have made a difference? Though if it was testing at 12volts before being put in the car, and being run down to 10volts by trying to start it, I don't know.
It's halfway looking to me like it MIGHT be something else ... and I'm hoping not. :D
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nickwarner
Veteran
/ Moderator
Mar 14, 2012, 6:57 PM
Post #10 of 10
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Re: Can it be anything besides the battery?
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Amen! To properly load test a battery you must have it at a full state of charge and disconnected from everything. Hook it to a carbon pile and place an amp load of half the CCA rating of the battery for 15 seconds. If it drops the voltage below 9.6 volts at anytime during the test it is junk. No way your starter draws half the CCA of your battery, and you were .4v from being condemned.
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