Inconsistent Battery Drain issue

[snukkums]

First things, I had the alternator and battery tested they are both good. They did say my alternator is on the bottom end of voltage output. I cleaned the battery since there was a little liquid in the middle and I guess that can cause a slow discharge if the liquid touches both posts or the water level checking areas. I also cleaned my terminals with a terminal cleaner brush and checked the connection of them to the vehicle and brushed them with a metal wire brush to be sure.

I have been having issues with an inconsistent battery drain issue. I put an aftermarket head unit in back in January. I have had no issues until June I think and since then my battery dies overnight randomly, sometimes it was fine for weeks with no issues. But the past couple of weeks it will usually die if I do not drive it for 24 hours. From what I have found everyone says to check the aftermarket stereo, that is the only aftermarket electrical thing installed. But before I pull my dashboard apart if I pull the radio 1 and radio 2 fuses will that completely disconnect the radio so I can see if it still drains the battery with those disconnected? Also will that cause issues while driving other does the ecu or alarm freak out if there is no radio connected?

I also just bought a multimeter just have not had the time to test the draw on every fuse while it is off.

Any help would be appreciated, I am sick of jumping my car most mornings and this is a huge pain. :redbrick:

Edit: 2008 v6 sr5

 

[TowMeOut]

No other systems that I'm aware of care of there's a stereo connected/powered in the 4th gen. I'd definitely start there since it's the item you've changed most recently.

That "bit of fluid" you mention on the battery might indicate you're actually overcharging. You'll get some leakage from the vents if the charging circuit has issues and starts to boil off some electrolyte. Somewhere in my truck's past life this happened so the area around the battery was corroded and showed a lot of paint damage from a leaking battery. I haven't had the issue since I've owned it so I'd imagine this was a bad alternator.

Definitely clean all the connections between the battery, ground, alternator, etc. and maybe add a dab of dielectric grease for good measure. Once you get a bit more comfortable with your meter you can start checking for parasitic drains. I've heard of other vehicles having ECUs that won't "go to sleep" after the normal timeout when the vehicle is off. I don't know if this is an issue with the 4th gens.

 

[snukkums]

Awesome thank you, I guess there is no point in driving around with those fuses out now that I think about it. Are the two under the hood radio1 and radio2 the only ones for the stereo? I will pull them out when I park it tonight and see if its dead tomorrow.

 

[snukkums]

Quick update, my battery appears to not be dead so it might be my radio, so tomorrow or Sunday I will pull it out and I guess check the connections. But since this has been totally random I would not be surprised if it disappears for months and comes back just like before.

I am going to solder the harness and put shrink wrap on them so they do not come loose. I did not touch the factory harness I just unplugged the stock stereo and plugged the adapter harness in it. I did use these https://www.crutchfield.com/p_669PP500/Posi-Products-Car-Stereo-Wiring-Harness-Connectors.html which now that I am researching I guess I should have never used them according to most of the internet.

So my current question is this, what do I want to look for besides the connections of the adapter harness to the stereo harness?

 

[Bumbo]

If it isn't a battery that is starting to fail and on the way out, I would get to testing because its a lot better than guessing allows you to fix it right the first time.

I know you bough a multi-meter but I REALLY prefer a low amp range DC clamp meter for this type of work and a current loop.

Here are links to a pretty good budget meter and the current loop.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O1Q2HOQ/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=ABVA82YEVYYTU&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001A4FPC8/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_7?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

If you want to use your multi-meter in current measure range, you can make a DIY tool using these.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001TCXOTW/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_8?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

Hope that helps.

 

[ScooterMD]

First things, I had the alternator and battery tested they are both good. They did say my alternator is on the bottom end of voltage output. I cleaned the battery since there was a little liquid in the middle and I guess that can cause a slow discharge if the liquid touches both posts or the water level checking areas. I also cleaned my terminals with a terminal cleaner brush and checked the connection of them to the vehicle and brushed them with a metal wire brush to be sure.

I have been having issues with an inconsistent battery drain issue. I put an aftermarket head unit in back in January. I have had no issues until June I think and since then my battery dies overnight randomly, sometimes it was fine for weeks with no issues. But the past couple of weeks it will usually die if I do not drive it for 24 hours. From what I have found everyone says to check the aftermarket stereo, that is the only aftermarket electrical thing installed. But before I pull my dashboard apart if I pull the radio 1 and radio 2 fuses will that completely disconnect the radio so I can see if it still drains the battery with those disconnected? Also will that cause issues while driving other does the ecu or alarm freak out if there is no radio connected?

I also just bought a multimeter just have not had the time to test the draw on every fuse while it is off.

Any help would be appreciated, I am sick of jumping my car most mornings and this is a huge pain. :redbrick:

Edit: 2008 v6 sr5

It sounds like a parasitic drain, my friend, which can be awful to diagnose and potentially nearly impossible since it may be inconsistent/transient. I don't see any harm in pulling the fuses to the stereo and other non-essential electronics. If the battery consistently doesn't die when a fuse pulled, you have found the circuit that has the drain; next step is finding what is draining within that circuit. Agree with starting with the stereo.

I think you'll have a hard time measuring a parasitic drain with a multimeter; i think you are better off with a trial-and-error approach removing one fuse each night until you find the source.

Again, finding a parasitic drain can be extremely challenging. I had basically exactly what you described happen in my Mini Cooper; I never found it by pulling the fuses. After about 2 years, I finally installed a kill switch to the negative terminal of the battery (which is in the trunk), and I just flip the switch if ever I need to let it sit for more than about a day. Definitely not a fix, but it beats a dead battery. I also keep a $65 jump-start battery in the glove compartment in case I every forget to flip that switch.

 

[wshiverick]

I think you'll have a hard time measuring a parasitic drain with a multimeter; i think you are better off with a trial-and-error approach removing one fuse each night until you find the source.

Pull off the negative battery cable, attach one lead of your multimeter to the end of the cable and the other to the battery post. Set it to amps. Pull fuses one at a time until all of a sudden the reading on the meter drops. Then you found your circuit. If your meter isn't reading a draw and the battery tests good, set the meter to DC, put one lead on the positive terminal and touch the other to different spots on top of the battery. If you're reading voltage the battery is drawing off of itself even if it tests ok. Obviously a low amp probe is better but it's not as scary as it seems to track down a draw. Or at least find the circuit. That's only the first step but its cruicial.

 

[snukkums]

So a quick update, my battery still hasn't died since I posted this I hope it somehow was my stereo. As soon as I have time I will be fixing the connections and soldering them. Hopefully it stays gone and isn't anything else. If it does come back I will start looking testing each individual fuse.

I am wondering though if I basically plugged my stereo into the factory harness with an adapter and all the connections are good what would be causing this to happen?

I have a pioneer avh-2300nex with an idatalink maestro and the ecu reader. All stock speakers and no sub or anything like that yet.

 

[ScooterMD]

I don't think you can know for sure unless you isolate the drain to the fuse circuit containing the stereo. Aftermarket stereos are notorious for problems like these and are usually the first place to look.

 

[NTX4runner]

Battery Drain

Not to hijack your thread but..

I have run in to the same thing on my 2004 that I just purchased. If I drive it everyday, I seem to ok but let sit more than a day and battery wears down. I have pulled the radio and the heated seats fuses to try and start to narrow it down.

I even took it to my local Toyota dealer and they did not find the drain but of course other things that needed to be repaired.