Car Battery Charging 2005 Sienna

Tiny
ALKUN
  • MEMBER
  • 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA
I attempted to charge the battery of my 2005 Sienna after the car wouldn't start recently. I followed instructions in my Owners manual that included disconnecting the negative ground. I let the automatic charger on it at 2 amps for about 2 hours. The current guage on my charger got higher during this period not lower (ie, towards fully charged), which suprised me. When I unhooked the cables from the battery (after turning the charger off, of course) and tried to reconnect the negative ground I am getting small sparks at the negative pole of the battery. I am perplexed as to what happened and why the spark? Unless this is telling me the battery is internally shorted?
Tuesday, April 17th, 2007 AT 11:05 PM

3 Replies

Tiny
RASMATAZ
  • MECHANIC
  • 75,992 POSTS
Just exactly what do you meant by I attempted to charge the battery of my 2005 Sienna after the car wouldn't start recently

Turns over and w/n start or won't crank at all.

If its the battery that caused a no start- either the alternator is not putting out or it has an excessive drain due to a short in the eletrical system.
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Wednesday, April 18th, 2007 AT 2:19 AM
Tiny
ALKUN
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
By w/n start, I mean it would not turnover. I was getting nothing when I turned the ignition key to the ON poisition.

I am guessing this is due to excessive drain on the battery. These minivans nowadays are so full of electrical components they tend to be electricity hogs.

However, my real curiosity is why there would be sparking at the negative pole after charging? It almost makes me think there's possibly a short inside the battery?
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Wednesday, April 18th, 2007 AT 7:20 AM
Tiny
ALKUN
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
After further thought and reflection, since the current on the charger was increasing, I really think this is telling me there is a short somwhere in one of the battery cells

Just checked the voltage and only getting about 9V. I think there is definitely a short. This could likely cause the small sparking I was seeing upon reconnectoin of the negative lead.
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Wednesday, April 18th, 2007 AT 7:58 AM

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