2001 Camry battery dead in three days

[Bullet]

My mom's V6 Camry with 29K miles seems to do ok if ran every day, but if it sits for about 3 days the battery is drained. I put an amp meter in series with the battey and the drain is 30 milli amps. If I pull the fuse for the ECU the current drops to 1 milli amp. From what I've read 30 milli amp draw is normal, or is it?


At first I thought it was the battery and replaced it, it was about 6 years old anyway. After it drained serveral times I charged it and it tested good with autozone. I pulled off the alternator and it checked good.

The car was used mostly for sort trips just a few miles since my mom bought it new.

Any ideas what to do?

 

[kschachn]

That doesn't seem too high, I think it's about what my BMW draws when quiescent. Once when I had a battery-draining draw (trunk light staying on) it was over three amps.

You can have someone perform a load test on the battery that would show if it's got issues. A car battery being drawn at 30 milliamps should last a long time without charging. The reserve capacity of a typical automotive battery is much larger than that.

 

[Bullet]

Originally Posted By: kschachn
That doesn't seem too high, I think it's about what my BMW draws when quiescent. Once when I had a battery-draining draw (trunk light staying on) it was over three amps.

You can have someone perform a load test on the battery that would show if it's got issues. A car battery being drawn at 30 milliamps should last a long time without charging. The reserve capacity of a typical automotive battery is much larger than that.


I brought the battery to AZ and was tested on their machine. Not sure exactly how their machines tests the battery, but was told it was good.

 

[CT8]

Does the charging system work?

 

[Bullet]

Originally Posted By: CT8
Does the charging system work?
Seems charging system is ok. No problems unless the car sits for three or four days. No problems if drove everyday. I pulled othe alternator and it tested good at AZ.

 

[JimPghPA]

30 mA is 0.03 Amps.

A standard car battery has about 50 Amp hours of capacity.

50 Amp hours divided by 0.03 Amps is 1,666 hours. If you consider that you want the battery to still have 1/4 of its charge so it can still start the car, then that means you could discharge it at 30 mA for 3/4 of 1,666 hours. That is equal to 1250 hours, which equals 52 days.

Car batteries have a self discharge that may be quicker than the 52 day discharge your 30 mA drain provides, so a battery may not last 52 days with a 30 mA drain, but is should last WAYYYYYYYY longer than the 3 or 4 days you are seeing.

If the battery is lasting less than 3 or 4 days, either there is another discharge rate that in kicking in when you are not measuring it, or the battery is toast.

 

[Trav]

Try and do a current draw test with the doors closed and locked with the remote.

 

[901Memphis]

Once it dies one time from chronic under charging its toast. You will need to charge it full every month with a good charger if you want the most from the battery but 6 years is better than anything I've ever had

 

[Bullet]

Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
Once it dies one time from chronic under charging its toast. You will need to charge it full every month with a good charger if you want the most from the battery but 6 years is better than anything I've ever had


Close the door and press lock on the remote it kicks up to about 9 amps then a moment latter drops to 6, then 3 milli amps.

 

[Bullet]

Is it possbile for a charged battery to test good on a tester at AZ and have this problem?

One possibility I thought about is the regulator intermittenly sticking.

Or pull the battery back out and have it tested at another place.

 

[Trav]

Originally Posted By: Bullet
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
Once it dies one time from chronic under charging its toast. You will need to charge it full every month with a good charger if you want the most from the battery but 6 years is better than anything I've ever had


Close the door and press lock on the remote it kicks up to about 9 amps then a moment latter drops to 6, then 3 milli amps.


It sounds like a bad battery, 3mA draw is nothing.

 

[BigD1]

Originally Posted By: Bullet
Is it possbile for a charged battery to test good on a tester at AZ and have this problem?


Yes it's very possible that the battery is bad. Seen it happen more than one time on these machines.

Happens on the starter testing machines too. Took a 2008 Honda Civic starter into Advance Auto to have tested that I suspected of killing a battery, and it tested good on their machine. I told the guy I wanted to buy another starter anyway. Problem solved. Starter was killing battery even though the machine said it was good.

On the other hand, since the battery is getting old I think it may be time for another battery. Alternator giving it a good charge?

 

[Ducked]

You could perhaps charge it, disconnect it, and see how long it lasts disconnected.

If it lasts an acceptable time, the problem is "environmental", perhaps an intermittent load. Perhaps in that case you could just leave it disconnected when not driving, if you can't disable the load.

If it doesn't last, the problem is internal, perhaps self-discharge. I've wondered if it might be possible to sometimes "fix" that by flushing plate debris from the cells, but have never tried it.

 

[Vikas]

I am suspecting a bad battery (easiest and cheapest) or user error in measuring the parasite draw. It is certainly NOT easy to be able to measure the draw from 9Amp to 3milliamp while the meter is connected. Hint:- You need to change the leads on the meter when going from Amps to Milliamps.

 

[mk378]

Originally Posted By: Ducked
You could perhaps charge it, disconnect it, and see how long it lasts disconnected.


Yes, park the car, disconnect the battery come back 3 days later reconnect it and try to start. If the battery runs down even while disconnected, replace it.

Disconnecting the battery on a car that is seldom used will prolong battery life in any case.

 

[HerrStig]

I wouldn't trust what the droids at the "Zone" come up with. I have had very good luck with a TYC (Taiwan) alternator which sold for 100 bucks new. Even with everything on it produces 14 volts at idle.

 

[Donald]

I would have the charging system tested. It may be working but not putting out what it should. There are 6 diodes in the full wave bridge.

And disconnect the battery for the 3 days and see what happens.

When the battery will not start after 3 days are you jumping it or putting an AC plug in charger on it until it's 100%? Put AC plug in charger on it.

 

[JMJNet]

Bring it to another part store and see if it makes a different.
Or never charge it before bringing it to AZ and let their charger doing the charging.
Their big charging machine load test can detect much better than the handheld one.

I am not sure if the 6 years still have warranty anyway.

The cheap Harbor Freight non-electronic load tester is actually better than the one AZ has.
However, different AZ have different tester.

One time when I had issues, the HF tester detect a short but the AZ handheld tester did not.
So, they put it in the bigger charging machine and it detect the short right away.

 

[Bullet]

Some back history . The battery was replaced in 1/2016. Mom was recovering from a broken ankle so it didnt move much in 2016. Only used it to bring her to the doctor and a few other palces. Maybe two tanks of gas till late in the year when she again started driving. Used it maybe once or twice a week. The problem began approx 1/2017. She always thought it was the alarm because used to go off. I always thought she was setting it off. She lost confidence in the car and bought herself a new car.

Now i have it to figure it out. I see what she ment with the alarm so I pulled the harness from the alarm control unit this morning.

I'm thinking the battery even though it checked good. With the battery charged i'm to let it sig till friday. If it goes dead I'll recharge and leave the terminals off wait another five days . I'll report waht i find.

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted By: Bullet
Some back history . The battery was replaced in 1/2016. Mom was recovering from a broken ankle so it didnt move much in 2016. Only used it to bring her to the doctor and a few other palces. Maybe two tanks of gas till late in the year when she again started driving. Used it maybe once or twice a week. The problem began approx 1/2017. She always thought it was the alarm because used to go off. I always thought she was setting it off. She lost confidence in the car and bought herself a new car.

Now i have it to figure it out. I see what she ment with the alarm so I pulled the harness from the alarm control unit this morning.

I'm thinking the battery even though it checked good. With the battery charged i'm to let it sig till friday. If it goes dead I'll recharge and leave the terminals off wait another five days . I'll report waht i find.

Could be sulfated. Only takes a few months sitting at a low state of charge. I bought my parents a jump starter, and they pretty much never used nor charged it. They gave it back to me to try out and it basically can't jump a dead battery even after I've charged it up. Mine (identical) has been used over a dozen times but still works.

At a certain point it might make more sense to just get a maintainer. Walmart has a basic Schumacher one for less than $10. It's a 0.75 amp nominal charge rate and Schumacher says it does automatically desulfate.