2004 4Runner Limited battery runs down if not driving for a while

[donander]

I retired a couple of years ago. We have two vehicles and my wife does most of the driving (she has a 2015 Rav4 ). During the pandemic lockdown we drive even less. So my 4Runner mostly just sits in the garage. I only drive it about once every other week or so. A few months ago I tried starting it and I just heard click click click click click etc. I borrowed my neighbor's Road Proof Jump Starter, used it and it started. I went to Les Schwab where I had purchased my battery about a year earlier. They tested the battery and found it had a bad cell so replaced it for $39 (I was just past the full replacement interval). Four days ago the same thing happened. In the meantime I had purchased my own jump starter so I used it and it started right up. I drove it on a loop around the local area for about 7 miles to make sure the battery was charged up. Today I tried it and it started up ok.

My question is this. If I have a good battery (the new one Les Schwab put in a few months ago) and I am not seeing any starting problems otherwise, is it normal for an auto battery to discharge over a period of a few weeks while the vehicle is sitting in the garage?

If so, then should I get one of those trickle chargers similar to this?
Battery Tender Jr. 12V 0.75 Amp Charger - DBT021-0123 at Batteries Plus Bulbs

Thanks,
Don

 

[ads2539]

Interested, as I also have a 2004 Limited with battery issues from not driving much since the covid lockdown.

 

[thennen]

How many miles on it? Alternator brushes wear out eventually and may not be allowing a full charge to occur. I usually replace them around 200k miles, and it’s an easy job. The brush assembly runs about $20.

Also, aftermarket things like remote start kits can fail and cause parasitic drains.

 

[JLTD]

Some vehicles use a very small amount of current while sitting. My '04 Jeep GC would kill the battery in about two weeks - and said so in the owner's manual.

Sounds like the '04 Limited 4Runner does the same ... time for a battery tender; either that or drive it every 5-ish days.

 

[Ezlife45]

I'm fortunate enough to have a spare vehicle or two and sometimes they sit a while. While a battery tender is a good deal to save a $100+ dollar battery you could also spend a little more and get extra versatility.

Sometimes batteries (typical lead acid) develop sulfates and it lowers the capacity of the battery. I purchased a middle of the road NOCO 7200 that also has some battery conditioning modes to desulfate the battery. Been using this to keep the riding mower, tractor, spare vehicle battery lasting longer. It also can function as a trickle charger.

I think the 7200 is not made any more but they still have some that can do the same functions to repair a weak battery.

 

[Nick Nostril]

Right before Covid shutdowns a year ago, I bought a new battery for my 2010 Accord. Once I went work from home, I rarely drove it, and it started doing what you're describing. I feel kinda dumb for not starting it at least once a week but, I just didn't.

I bought a trickle charger for it, which it now sits on full time. As an experiment, I left it sit 3 days off the charger and the battery was flat as roadkill. Waiting for the weather to turn to get out and do a little more investigative work. The car is a 2010 with 185k miles, so need to check the alternator, but, I think I nuked the battery by not driving it much over the last year.

Will do more research on the subject and report back.

 

[wcjeep]

I have two vehicles connected to a trickle charge. Cheaper than buying new batteries. One is parked outside. I ran wires from the battery to the rear of the vehicle. Then connect to the trickle charge from inside the garage. I added a fuse at the battery. Either used a 3 or 5 amp fuse.

This also helps the alternator. Most alternators do not have a 100% duty cycle rating. Recharging a nearly dead battery is hard on the alternator.