1998 Toyota Camry battery draining

RODRALPH

MEMBER
1998 TOYOTA CAMRY

Electrical problem
1998 Toyota Camry 4 cyl Front Wheel Drive Automatic 96K miles

My car sometimes hestitates to start up. After it warms up it usually will not hesitate again until the morninng. I took the negative cable off overnight to see if that stopped any potential draining and it seems to have, but recently I put it back on and it worked for several days but is now hesitating from time to time. The garage I took it to said the battery was bad an replaced it. Same problem. I put an ammeter in series with the neg post and the removed cable and it appears that there is a reading. I get an irratic reading--could be my meter. Any ideas?

5 Replies

RASMATAZ

MECHANIC
75,992 POSTS

If its over 30milliamps you have an excessive draw meaning could be a short circuit draining the battery overnite. You might want to have the alternator load tested if its producing the correct output

SPONSORED LINKS

Was this

answer

helpful?

Yes

No

-1

Monday, March 9th, 2009 AT 4:29 AM

RODRALPH

MEMBER
5 POSTS

Thanks but what is the connection between potential drain and the fact that the alternator may not be putting out enough?

Was this

answer

helpful?

Yes

No

Thursday, March 12th, 2009 AT 11:08 AM

RASMATAZ

MECHANIC
75,992 POSTS

When you put your ammeter in series and connected properly and you get 30milliamps and above you got an unwanted drain-

Do this, get the battery and alternator load tested and then comeback with the results so I can continue to help.

Was this

answer

helpful?

Yes

No

Thursday, March 12th, 2009 AT 2:04 PM

RODRALPH

MEMBER
5 POSTS

The battery is new. I had alternator and starter checked with computer and all is normal. Also no drain on battery was confirmed.

Was this

answer

helpful?

Yes

No

+2

Sunday, March 15th, 2009 AT 10:05 AM

RODRALPH

MEMBER
5 POSTS

It was the starter--even though the load test checked the starter and alternator as good, and the battery was new, I replaced the starter and all is ok.