Hi,
It seems like my battery may be dead after using it for less than a year (maybe 10 months old). It just isn't holding charge at all - but the indicator window shows green "OK". With the engine running it is putting just over 14v to the battery. And I'll go drive for around 45minutes. Switch the engine off and then battery is dead. About 9v at the terminals.

I had thought that my starter was failing as in the weeks prior it seemed to randomly start or not. Now it is well and truly dead as soon as the engine is off.

Does this sound right that a battery would die so quickly? Or could there be something else wrong?

btw, since the battery has got to this stage I am getting that annoying engine noise coming through the stereo speakers really badly.

advice most appreciated. Thanks!

If you can find an Autozone or Checker or someplace like them, have your battery tested, it's free.
If it truly is OK, check your alternator.

Extreme drain cycles can kill the battery in a very short time. It sounds like you have either a charging issue or a serious drain/short that is killing the battery.

Since your typical starting battery isn't meant to go to a deep discharge, each time you do, you shorten the discharge and the length.

How did you measure 14 volts? Off the alternator or at the battery? If you really are getting a constant 14 volts to the battery while charging and you are not "overcharging" which assumes your voltage regulator is working then it has to be a draw issue.

Any addons? Wonky electronics? Your starting going could be the result of a short that over supplied to the starter. That short could also be what has killed your battery.

Also, something strange: You shouldn't be using any battery power during driving. WHile the battery acts as a voltage buffer, the alternator should be supplying in excess of 100% of your needs. More like 130% or so. Enough to run the car and continue a lite charge on the batter. If you are truely getting 14v to the battery yet the battery will go from a solid charged to DEAD in 45 min, you have something up.

It could be the battery is shot and not able to accept a charge. But assuming you didn't get a defective battery, it sounds like you have a short or other electrical issue. I would start with the starter. Pull it and trace all the wiring.

unfortunately no Autozone or Checker out here in West Africa!

Could the alternator still have problems even though I'm getting >14v at the terminals when the engine is running?

This problem, and a couple other small problems, did seem to all begin after I drove through some pretty deep water a few weeks ago..... if that could have anything to do with it....?

btw, since the battery has got to this stage I am getting that annoying engine noise coming through the stereo speakers really badly.

advice most appreciated. Thanks![/QUOTE]

I want to comment on this. The level of battery charge has 0 to do with audio isolation in your speakers. Your speakers are, however, picking up some serious stray electrons a.k.a a short.

Yes.
The voltage regulator could be going. You may have read it when it was sending 14 but it could be spiking. Running through water could have shorted something out.

Can you get a multimeter?

thanks for all the help so far.

I do have a multimeter ... that's how I checked the voltage. To clarify, I jumpstart from another battery, and then with the engine running I'm getting 14.x V at the battery terminals. As soon as the engine goes off I'm down to 9v instantly and obviously not enough to start.

You have no idea! Yes. Wonky electronics throughout. When things get fixed here they don't really get fixed. They get patched up in wonky ways. I bought this car after it had been here for about 18 months.... so enough time for the previous owner to "wonk" things up.

I never really had this problem until a week or so ago. Now it so bad that when I brake the speakers make a loud click as the brake lights come on. Same when I hit the power winders, or indicators.

x2 on the voltage regulator. If it is bad it will draw power from your battery so long as your pos and neg cables are hooked to the battery. It's been awhile but I think you can test to see if there is an amperage draw on your battery very simply if you have a multimeter with a setting for ohms/resistance. Disconnect your negative cable from your battery. In the ohms setting of your meter (and leads in the proper position) place red lead to positive post on the battery and black lead to the negative CABLE (NOT THE NEG BATTERY POST). If the voltage regulator is bad it will register a level other than zero. Can anyone verify that this is the correct method?

Some crappy batteries can fail within a short time. I know 2 who bought batteries from Autozone end up buying/getting another replacement battery from Autozone again! Don't know how long it is going to last.

Two batteries dead in 3 years and I finally did the big three upgrade. Haven't had any charging problems since.

You can buy a battery voltage reader on amazon for like $10. They often plug into the CIG lighter.

If your charging system is weak then your batteries will slowly fail, often beyond point of saving.

Once you believe the battery is bad you can take it to any auto parts store for testing. You have to pull the battery and the test takes two hours but is usually free. Don't go anywhere to shady or it will "always be bad"

ok thanks for this info. I will try and do the resistance test Mindomission mentioned.

And, try to track down any shorts ...

How reliable/accurate is the status glass on the battery? Green for good, black for charge, white for bad. Mine is very much still on green.

I was just reading on another site about tracking which circuit a short could be on by putting a test light between the negative battery post and the negative cable. They say to then remove fuses one at a time. I found that the test light is on all the time except when the DOME fuse is removed. So that would indicate that the DOME circuit has a short?

Update ... I got my hands on a smart battery charger and hooked the battery up to it. It won't even charge at all - I just get an error message on the charger. So I also borrowed a different battery. Got that battery in the 4runner and everything is running and starting like normal. The noise in the stereo has also gone.

So I guess either a factory defected battery ... or more likely something shorting in my vehicle which killed the battery. I'm going to try and find a decent auto-electrician next week to take a look.

I am having the same exact problem. Weird noise through the radio and all. Only thing not stock is aftermarket radio. My brother who has installed thousands of radios while working for CC in college was the installer. I would doubt that it is causing any problems.

I'll try to see if the battery is causing it. But I'm getting a weird clicking noise as well. It sounds like a relay clicking on and off when the clamps from the jump cables connect.