Crap battery or is something wrong with my Taco?

Earlier Today I swapped my headlight bulbs out, and to do it I removed the battery to gain access to my driver headlamp. It was pulled out for maybe 15 mins. It's about two years old and from Walmart. This leads me to dead battery...

When I went to start the truck earler on the way to get dinner, I put the key in the ignition, turned it to start and it made one click and went completely dead. All electronics, everything. So I hooked it up to the jump started and a few mins later I was able to get it to start after a few unnecessary tries (during which I would bassicly see the interior lights come back on, give it 30 seconds and try to start it, which would once more kill everything).

I get it to start, drive to get pizza. Same damn thing happens when I go to leave (granted, its a 1 mile drive so that wasn't much charge time). However when I jumped it at the pizza joint, it started to fire up, then kinda act like it was dying and slowly start, but the tachometer read as 0RPMs for about 5 or 6 seconds before jumping back up to about normal idle.

I've been having some rough luck, so Idk if I'm just paranoid, but usually when a battery starts to go from my experience it'll atleast try to turn over or have difficulty starting before just completely going dead.

 

This isn't so much true anymore. I would get it load tested at Autozone ( for free ). Sometimes batteries just die.

 

i’m going to say battery. i had a prob with mine. i would not even try and start. or had a hard time when i had the jumper hooked up. new bat fixed.

 

What I do to when I have a charging issue to tell if its either a dead battery or a cooked alternator is as follows. Start the truck and then disconnect the neg battery terminal. If the truck continues to run then the alternator is fine and it's most likey your battery. If the truck shuts off of sputters and spits then it could be just your alternator, or a combination of your alternator and battery.

I'm not reccommending that you do this.. but it works for me. Best bet is to take your battery to a shop and have them test it, then go from there.

Good luck!

 

Did you set the battery on concrete? I did this and the battery was dead afterwards...

 

I got an AutoZone about a mile from me and on the way to work. Looks like I'll be getting up early, hopefully the battery is toast and I have to find a way to get some cash to get a new battery.

This battery has done the same damn thing to me once before, but I may have left an interior light on that time, and it was six months ago. Should have forked over the extra cash for an Optima....

 

Yeah, I did. Never would have crossed my mind that could even cause an issue... Anyone heard anything like this before?

 

if i were you, i would spray a shitload of terminal cleaner on the terminals, use some steel wool or other abrasive and scrub the shit out of the terminals, hook the wires back on as tight as your biceps will tighten them, start it up, and run it for a solid hour. go out and feed her a hot supper somewhere, and see if it still persists. I hate fuckin battery/electrical issues.

 

In my opinion if ur dome light and everything went dead then then I think it's the connection because a dead battery would usually power lights and radio unless it's completely gone which I don't think it is

 

How old is the battery? The original in my Taco lasted 7 years before it died. Most batteries don't seem to last that long though.

Another thing to check is that the battery terminal connections are solid. I recently replaced a battery in another pickup and the new one had a slightly smaller negative terminal that the previous. I was able to get the connector on snug but it could still rotate a little by hand. We started having similar problems with what you are describing that were intermittent and didn't make any sense. I ended up going back and readjusting the connectors so they made a solid contact and could not be moved on the battery. Truck has been fine ever since.

 

^^^

mine did a few months ago. hadn't had any problems with it at all and one morning it was just done. jumped it off but the whole 40 mile drive to where i was going it was just running off alternator. tested the battery and got nothing, wouldn't start after that long drive either. jumped it off, drive to Advance, bought a new battery and changed it in the parking lot. no more problems. just one of those things OP.

 

The cement thing is a load of crap! (Unless your whole battery is covered by acid)

If you had power for the light then you turned over and it killed it then you did not get a good connection on the terminals or the terminal to wire connection is bad. Use a wire brush terminal cleaner on the battery and wires, reconnect.

Make sure it is all good and tight. If you can turn it at all on the terminal you will have problems.

 

Setting your battery on concrete will NOT harm or drain the battery.

 

if you don't have 12v at the ecm, weird things happen. Sounds like a battery problem. Yes, I don't know why but I have seen concrete drain a battery before.
get a brand new battery, not the kind of thing you want to cross your fingers over.

 

X1234567890, except for the "as tight as your biceps will tighten them"

Most likely a poor connection the way it happened, disassemble, clean to bright metal, and reassemble snugly. Don't be too rough, don't stike the terminals either. That can break the lead internaly, and cause trouble.

If the problem persists with nice, clean terminals, then charge (if needed) and load test the battery, and get a warranty replacement if necessary.

The concrete draining a battery thing is a myth, and pure coincidence. Not a good idea anyway, battery acid will damage concrete.

Edit, man, this thread is busy. Wasn't trying to repeat so many times.

 

Old wive's tale.

Used to potentially be a problem with the old rubber cases back in the 50s, but it's no longer an issue with modern plastic cases.

What happens us someone pulls their battery and puts it in the garage for 6 months, then blames the concrete for it being dead. Batteries will self-discharge within a couple of months.

 

Plan for tomorrow is to hit Autozone on the way to work and get them to test the battery. I work at Lowes so I can grab some steel wool (and what else, baking soda I believe?) at work and clean the terminals Tuesday morning. I'm working till 11pm, worked a 10 hour day on 3 hours of sleep today, I'll be in a coma as soon as I hit the pillow.

Say the battery is a goner, anyone wanna recommend a good yet cheap battery? I know cheap and good are usually antonyms in the auto world, but I'm completely broke and at the max on my credit card.

 

agreed

 

Setting batteries on concrete will certainly drain them. Not sure about car batteries, but other types do.

About your restart, that is normal when you disconect you battery. Every time I have on both of my tacomas they start up then immeadiatley shut off. Another start and everything is fine.

 

did ya give the terminals a good tightening? Not gorrilla tight but you're talking major ampage here and upon starting could've jumped a terminal.