Battery completely flat

[edraven]

So I just bought a '97 4-runner limited a couple weeks ago and haven't driven it that much, and today the battery was so completely drained that the keyless entry didn't even work. The last time I drove it was about 5 days ago. So I'm thinking either:

- the guy who sold it to me knew the alternator was dead, and kept it charged up manually

- the battery needs replacing

- something is draining the battery.

The antenna doesn't go up and down and just whirrs a bit when you get in or out of the car, but stops after a minute, could leaving the antenna plugged in when it's not working be draining the battery?

 

[lee]

heres what you should do:

-jump the battery
-drive around for a half hr or so and then drive to a shop
-the battery should be recharged enough to start again at this point, but regardless ask the shop to load test the battery (you can even take it to a toy dealer)
-if they load test it and it passes, then the battery is fine. if it fails it is the battery.

someone on the ne4roc board had a similar problem, and someone recommended the following:

Also you might think about getting a cheap Multi-meter from sears or something.
To check for a draw
-Pull the neg cable
-Put your meter on Amps (not Milli you could blow the fuse)
-put one lead on the battery and the other on the neg cable
-Wait a few seconds, since the battery was disconnected, the capacitors need to recharge.
-your draw shouldn't be much more them .05

http://www.uuhome.de/william.darden/carfaq10.htm

technically if you keep draining the battery on a nightly basis you should really replace the battery regardless.

good luck.

 

[BlackFive]

As it is a new car for you, perhaps it might be caused by a dome light (the one in back) left on. Also, if the car was from the south and you are in the north, the battery might have been strong enough for temperatures in the 60's, but not good enough for 20's. Sometimes, it's just time to change the battery.

 

[alaskanboi]

if you get the multi-meter, easy to check if alternator is out as well. Turn on the car and check the alternator right away... should be over 12 volts.. anything less would be draining the battery.

 

[edraven]

Alarm sensitivity adjustment needed?

Thanks for the tips, I had AAA come out and they tested the alternator and the battery and found the battery could use replacing, so I got a new one. This morning I noticed that the car alarm went off when a bus and a garbage truck went by, so maybe the alarm has just been going off constantly and that's draining the battery?

 

[lee]

no, my old saab used to do that.. it just is sensitive to the vibrations.

 

[alaskanboi]

If it was always going off, possibly... But it would have to go off a lot to drain the battery over and over to make it so it couldnt hold a charge..