Battery Keeps Dieing

elcidsurfer

elcidsurfer

New member
So ever since I bought my 4runner 2 years ago I've been fighting a power/starting issue. Ive replaced just about everything. New battery, new starter, new alternator, new wires, new spark plugs, new dist cap, new coil, new ground wire, new power wire.... Yet, if the truck has been sitting longer than overnight it wont start. All it needs is a jump and it's off and running, but it's annoying. I would assume something is pulling power when the truck if off. I have no mods, the truck is stock. Any ideas?

The wierd thing is that every once and a while after Ive started it and it's idling I hear a strange clicking noise comming from under the glove box for a few seconds and then it stops. It sounds like someone is clicking a ball point pen rapidly. Any ideas? Maybe a switch going back under the passenger kick pannel that is staying stuck in the on possition when the truck is off and is pulling power?

Thanks for the help.
 
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Start by measuring the current drain with the engine off. Connect a DC ammeter or DVM set to measure DC Amps in series with the battery positive (+) cable. Normal drain is maybe 50 milliAmps (.050 Amps) or so (from ECM, clock, alarm, stereo, etc). If it's higher start pulling fuses until it drops to isolate it to a circuit, then find out what all is connected to that circuit.
 
Just make sure that everything is off while you're testing. I had to chase a parasitic drain once, and left the truck door open...
 
Had the same issue in an old bronco I used to have. It ended up being my light bulb in the glove box. The button that turned the light off when the glove box was closed had broke and the light was staying on draining my battery.
 
It's amazing how simple/cheap a problem can turn out to be... I just hope I have the sample luck once I chase it down.
 
elcidsurfer said:
Good call, I woulda never thought of that, got a D in intro to Electrical Engineering.

Thanks fourwd1!!!
Click to expand...

Hope it helps you.

I was chasing down a parasitic drain in may old Maxima once, had every fuse removed and still had a 1.5A load. Finally disconnected the alt output wire (to battery) and it went away. Turned out that one of the diodes in the diode-trio in the alt was shorted. It would half-ass charge the batt when running, but over night was enough time to drain the batt.
 
Not so sure if it's a drain now... I put a meter on the battery and it's not showing much of a drain. I did chase down the "clicking" noise to the ECM under the kick pannel on the passenger side. Could that affect my power/starting issue? Also, Ive noticed a couple of times now when driving that the volt/battery gage on the dash pulsates slightly. This happend once before, but it was really bad, was loosing headlights and dashlights. Swapped out the alternator and good to go. So any more thoughts y'all?
 
that clicking in the kick panel is the COP circuit opening relay it basically turn the fuel pump on when the starter is engaged.
test the alternator then have the battery load tested. your local parts store should do this free.
may be just a bad battery they are made on a assembly line remember its not fail proof.
 
Would the COP relay "click" rapidly for a few seconds after I fill the car up at the pump and then start the engine? That is when is seems to do it...

I'm gonna get the Battery and Alternator checked by Autozone this weekend. They are both less than a year old and under warranty. Only thing Im worried about is that if one or both are bad this will be the second battery and/or alternator Ive gone through in the less than two years I've owned the truck. This leads me to believe that something is causing them to go bad... but what...

Might be time to bite the bullet and take her into my mechanic.
 
If it's actually the COR that is making the noise, it shouldn't be clicking like a pen (as you stated in 1st post).
If it is, something else wrong is causing it.
A switch in the AFM assembly controls it. If that were flakey it might cause a problem like that.

But, if the COR was cutting in and out, your fuel pump would be too. Does the truck run poor/die/hesitate/etc when the noise occurs?
 
elcidsurfer said:
Would the COP relay "click" rapidly for a few seconds after I fill the car up at the pump and then start the engine? That is when is seems to do it...

I'm gonna get the Battery and Alternator checked by Autozone this weekend. They are both less than a year old and under warranty. Only thing Im worried about is that if one or both are bad this will be the second battery and/or alternator Ive gone through in the less than two years I've owned the truck. This leads me to believe that something is causing them to go bad... but what...

Might be time to bite the bullet and take her into my mechanic.
Click to expand...

I'm confused - your OP says trouble happens when it sits overnight, now you're saying it's only on a warm start?
 
No no the dead battery only happens after its been sitting... Sometimes overnight, sometimes over a weekend, and sometimes only after a day at work.

I had only brought up the clicking sounds because I wasn't sure if it was related to the battery issue.

The fuel/idle issue was brought up because when the battery has died and I jump it, occasionally the idle is very rough and the truck will sometimes cut off the first time I start it until I give it a little gas and it warms up to normal.

I doubt these issue are related, but I thought if the clicking was coming from the fuel pump switch and it was getting stuck on it would drain the battery at the same time flooding the engine causing it to be rough starting when I do jump it...
 
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