Question about driving frequency, cold weather, and battery drain.

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afkjustin

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Question about driving frequency, cold weather, and battery drain at the bottom. (2015 SR5, Ohio Winter)

My battery is about 1yr 1m old, it turned over slow a few days ago then would only turn over 1 time and click yesterday. Tested the battery at 11.37 volts, jump started it, removed jumpers, and it tests at 14.2 volts. This leads me to believe the alternator is fine. The dealership (where I bought the battery) seems to think I am just not driving enough. I don't have anything aftermarket pulling charge that I know of besides maybe an auto start, but hasn't been an issue in the past. The dealership thinks I am not driving enough to keep it charged...

Is driving every 2-4 days for 8-10 or more miles enough to keep the battery charged?
 
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It depends how cold it is. A battery that is in good condition should be fine for a few days in the cold.

Earlier this winter we had several weeks of -30°C weather. My battery was original (I also have a '15) and I noticed that if I didnt start it every day I had to get the booster pack out. Replaced the battery with an Odyssey Extreme and haven't had a problem since.
 
Wow I wouldn't even start to worry about a battery at that temperature. IMO either the battery is NFG or you have a pretty high parasitic draw somewhere.

I'd rule out parasitic draw and then see about getting the battery replaced. Given that it is fairly new you should have some kind of warranty on it.
 
Sounds like the battery is not doing well. The stock CCA is pretty low though.

I would check the voltage while/after running to see if there is an issue with YOUR alternator. It showing 14v after someone else's alternator charged your battery is not going to be a good indicator.
 
DanTh3Man said:
Wow I wouldn't even start to worry about a battery at that temperature. IMO either the battery is NFG or you have a pretty high parasitic draw somewhere.

I'd rule out parasitic draw and then see about getting the battery replaced. Given that it is fairly new you should have some kind of warranty on it.
Click to expand...

I did have a critter under there but it doesn't look like it was for long. My initial check of wires didn't show any damage but I need to check closer this evening. Not setup to check for parasitic draw.

Ripper238 said:
Sounds like the battery is not doing well. The stock CCA is pretty low though.

I would check the voltage while/after running to see if there is an issue with YOUR alternator. It showing 14v after someone else's alternator charged your battery is not going to be a good indicator.
Click to expand...

It was 14.2 volts right after jumping, it wasn't hooked up long enough to charge that far from 11.37. Also correct me if I am wrong but the only way it could be 14+ is if the alternator was working correctly. The battery itself I don't believe will charge to 14+.
 
afkjustin said:
I did have a critter under there but it doesn't look like it was for long. My initial check of wires didn't show any damage but I need to check closer this evening. Not setup to check for parasitic draw.



It was 14.2 volts right after jumping, it wasn't hooked up long enough to charge that far from 11.37. Also correct me if I am wrong but the only way it could be 14+ is if the alternator was working correctly. The battery itself I don't believe will charge to 14+.
Click to expand...

You are correct - the battery will only read 12.X V when the alternator is not running. For your reference my battery typically reads 13.8V when I'm driving (per Scanguage) but it is typical for vehicles to read above 14V when running.
 
afkjustin said:
Dealership says battery is fine and I am not driving it frequently enough.
Battery tender purchased.
Click to expand...

Thats dealer talk for "we aren't willing to warranty your battery until its completely failed". You should be able to park you car for weeks, return to it and start it right up as long as theres no harsh environmental circumstances.

I often park my 4Runner for weeks at a time in the winter, in temps nearing -40C. I'm running an Odyssey AGM battery and it starts up without hesitation. My previous F150 was the same way on the stock AGM battery.
 
afkjustin said:
Question about driving frequency, cold weather, and battery drain at the bottom. (2015 SR5, Ohio Winter)

My battery is about 1yr 1m old, it turned over slow a few days ago then would only turn over 1 time and click yesterday. Tested the battery at 11.37 volts, jump started it, removed jumpers, and it tests at 14.2 volts. This leads me to believe the alternator is fine. The dealership (where I bought the battery) seems to think I am just not driving enough. I don't have anything aftermarket pulling charge that I know of besides maybe an auto start, but hasn't been an issue in the past. The dealership thinks I am not driving enough to keep it charged...

Is driving every 2-4 days for 8-10 or more miles enough to keep the battery charged?
Click to expand...

how many CCA do you have? if your battery is new and in good condition, that type of driving should be fine even in the winter. every other day or once a week should be absolutely fine. I've driven once a week maybe 2 miles round trip many times in the middle of winter and had no problems - mind you that is with a healthy battery. and my 4runner lives outside. I don't have an AGM battery, just the toyota true start one that has 650 CCA. I've never had an issue in the winter or after long stretches of rest with the OEMs

my wife did have the same issue you have though with her RX. it was a 1 year old battery and she hadn't driven it for 3 weeks (not unusual for her and the vehicle is parked in our garage). the battery lost all its charge and it wasn't even winter. replaced the battery and haven't had any issue and even since then she maybe drives once a week, if that and not far at all. I've given two examples that I don't think your driving habits are to blame. unless you have a drain somewhere somehow, it has to be the battery

T4R_Canuck said:
Thats dealer talk for "we aren't willing to warranty your battery until its completely failed". You should be able to park you car for weeks, return to it and start it right up as long as theres no harsh environmental circumstances.

I often park my 4Runner for weeks at a time in the winter, in temps nearing -40C. I'm running an Odyssey AGM battery and it starts up without hesitation. My previous F150 was the same way on the stock AGM battery.
Click to expand...

have you had any issues with the AGM keeping a charge? I know the stock alternator isn't ideal for charging AGMs and some have had issues with batteries dieing. do you use a trickle charger? I'd like the high CCA for the winters but hear both good and bad things about AGMs in the 4runner
 
afkjustin said:
Is driving every 2-4 days for 8-10 or more miles enough to keep the battery charged?
Click to expand...

Short answer is yes. 2-4 days is not very long and 8-10 miles is more than enough unless you're having problems starting the car. If it's not a maintenance free battery you can get a battery hydrometer at any parts store or Amazon and check each cell. I'll bet you have a bad or weak cell.

Your radio is a parasitic drain (channel and preference memory) as well as settings for the sun roof and lift gate windows. Make sure you don't have a dome light staying on or maybe a stuck door switch. Check the battery voltage before you start up. Voltage in cold weather should be at least 12.5 volts on a fully charged battery and not lower than 12.2. Outside temperature affects battery voltage on a full charge.
 

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I use a CTEK MXS 5.0 tender for vehicles not driven regularly.
Will correct minor sulphation and also does AGM batteries.
 
don't use just a battery tender. use a battery charger to charge it completely every 3 months or so to lengthen the life span of it.

how often do you drive it and how far do you drive it? it will all depend to that.
 
Humble Leader said:
have you had any issues with the AGM keeping a charge? I know the stock alternator isn't ideal for charging AGMs and some have had issues with batteries dieing. do you use a trickle charger? I'd like the high CCA for the winters but hear both good and bad things about AGMs in the 4runner
Click to expand...



I did the GM diode fuse replacement "mod" to increase voltage from the alternator and have zero issues keeping a fully charged battery. Having said that, I also installed a small 5amp battery charger in my engine bay with an external plug, which I will occasionally plug in to ensure my battery is 100% charged before an off road trip.

The diode cost me around $5 CAD from a GM dealer, took about 10 minutes to file down to proper size and has been working perfectly for nearly a year already.

The charging setup cost me a little bit more, but its a super convenient way to quickly plug my battery into a charger without even having to unlock the 4runner or pop the hood.
 
T4R_Canuck said:
I did the GM diode fuse replacement "mod" to increase voltage from the alternator and have zero issues keeping a fully charged battery. Having said that, I also installed a small 5amp battery charger in my engine bay with an external plug, which I will occasionally plug in to ensure my battery is 100% charged before an off road trip.

The diode cost me around $5 CAD from a GM dealer, took about 10 minutes to file down to proper size and has been working perfectly for nearly a year already.

The charging setup cost me a little bit more, but its a super convenient way to quickly plug my battery into a charger without even having to unlock the 4runner or pop the hood.
Click to expand...

I've heard of that mod. I'm going to take another look at it. thanks
 
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