Hello. I have a 2011 Corolla S. Last winter the battery was dead one day. I opened up the hood and there was corrosion on the battery terminals. I pulled the battery out cleaned up the terminals charge the battery and put it back in the car. A day later it was dead again. I started the car after a boost and checked with the voltmeter. I got a reading of 14 V. I assumed it was a battery issue so I replaced the battery with a new one. The problem returned this winter about 12 months later. The car was dead. I pop the hood and noticed that there was a little bit of corrosion. I got the car boosted and after running for 20 minutes it would not start again. The battery was dead. I pulled the battery and charge that and cleaned up the posts and cables again. I put the battery back in the car and for a couple days of the car started no problem. Today the battery was dead again. When I start the car I got 14 V at the battery with the car running. Any ideas what could be causing the battery to discharge?
2011 Corolla - Battery Drainage Issues
- Thread starter Kungfuthug
- Start date
Welcome to the forum!
First-off do you have any aftermarket accessories installed If so start by disconnecting each of those items one-by-one (you can do it easily by removing the fuse for that device).
When you're cleaning corrosion from the terminals are you cleaning the inside of the connector on the battery cable as well? Most auto parts stores sell small wire brushes made for that purpose which do a good job at getting rid of most of the corrosion.
Start there and let us know what you find
Kevin
First-off do you have any aftermarket accessories installed If so start by disconnecting each of those items one-by-one (you can do it easily by removing the fuse for that device).
When you're cleaning corrosion from the terminals are you cleaning the inside of the connector on the battery cable as well? Most auto parts stores sell small wire brushes made for that purpose which do a good job at getting rid of most of the corrosion.
Start there and let us know what you find
Kevin
Shut off everything.
Disconnect the positive terminal of the battery, and hook an ammeter from the positive terminal of the battery to the cable itself. If you have anything above 0.2 amps or so, that is most likely a short causing that drain. Then you have to pull fuses until the amps go down ... when you pull the fuse and the amps drop, that is your circuit causing the drain.
Also ... do you listen to the stereo with the car off or do anything else that will drain the battery a lot? Draining the battery and recharging them with the alternator kills them if you do it often.
It isn't the alternator ... otherwise you'd only be getting 11.7 - 12.4 volts with the engine running.
Disconnect the positive terminal of the battery, and hook an ammeter from the positive terminal of the battery to the cable itself. If you have anything above 0.2 amps or so, that is most likely a short causing that drain. Then you have to pull fuses until the amps go down ... when you pull the fuse and the amps drop, that is your circuit causing the drain.
Also ... do you listen to the stereo with the car off or do anything else that will drain the battery a lot? Draining the battery and recharging them with the alternator kills them if you do it often.
It isn't the alternator ... otherwise you'd only be getting 11.7 - 12.4 volts with the engine running.
As stated before,
1. Your alternator is GOOD. There is absolutely NO reason to test your alternator further.
2. Do NOT disconnect the battery with the car running in any modern car. Old school tricks belong with the old school electrical systems.
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1. Your alternator is GOOD. There is absolutely NO reason to test your alternator further.
2. Do NOT disconnect the battery with the car running in any modern car. Old school tricks belong with the old school electrical systems.
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I doubt that. By comparison My Isuzu Amigo has an LED which relates to the alarm and blinks anytime the truck is off (faster if the engine is off and the alarm is not set, slower if the alarm is set but regardless it's always flashing at least once a second). That truck frequently sits for two weeks (or more) at a time and never fails to start (although the battery is only a year old).
A small LED has a very negligible draw so even if in my case I left my Amigo parked for a month with the LED flashing I'm confident that it would still start.
To the original poster, I would replace the battery. My 2010 has it's original battery and when it sits for a week or more I can hear it turning-over a bit slower than normal, telling me that a new battery is in my future as well.
Kevin
A small LED has a very negligible draw so even if in my case I left my Amigo parked for a month with the LED flashing I'm confident that it would still start.
To the original poster, I would replace the battery. My 2010 has it's original battery and when it sits for a week or more I can hear it turning-over a bit slower than normal, telling me that a new battery is in my future as well.
Kevin