Turn ignition, nothing happens

So I was just on my way to lunch. Hopped in my truck and turned the ignition to start. There was a slight noise from the engine (the same sound as you'd expect when starting a cold engine) for a split second, and then silence. Nothing.

Repeat several times, nothing happens at all. The stereo and accessories work fine in the ACC position, but only a couple indicator lights (battery, oil, RSCA) illuminate in the ON position. The battery puts out 12.5V with the key out of the ignition; this drops to 5-6V in the ON position. Leaving the iginition at ON, I noticed that some of the indicator lights flicker on and off, which I'm sure can't be good.

I haven't done any work on the truck at all in a few months (most recent work was an oil change) and she was running just fine yesterday. Checked the starter and ignition fuses, everything seems fine. That about exhausted the depth of my troubleshooting knowledge.

Any ideas where to look next? She's a 2011 coming up on three years old, still under factory warranty. Any pointers are greatly appreciated!

 

Take the battery to Autozone or any other local shop and get it tested.

 

I just went out to grab the manual again and realized that the power locks fail to engage. I guess that pretty much confirms a battery issue.

I thought that 12.5V without the engine running was a normal reading though. Am I just off or am I missing something? Also, is it unusual for the OEM battery to fail within 3 years?

Edit: Thank you karmatp for the ridiculously fast reply! Will do that tonight.

 

12.5 volts is normal but a proper battery test determines what happens under load

 

Seems to be a common theme lately. Lots of threads about 2011 batteries dying at 3 years...

I had mine replaced under warranty a few days shy of three years.

 

The battery needs to be tested under a load. When you get 12.5v with nothing on in the truck then turn on the headlights which adds the load the voltage may drop a little but dropping way down to 2.5 volts usually indicates a battery problem.

When I was in the Army Schools (an eon ago ..) they "generally" explained it as follows;

The battery, although it produces the power source, has an internal resistance across the plates. In a new battery the new resistance is low and little power is lost across this internal resistance.
As the battery ages the internal resistance increases and more and more power is then used/dropped at the internal resistance - and - this is proportional to the load (amps) being used by the vehicle.

Therefore a dead battery tested with just a volt meter adds little load to the battery and therefore shows close to full battery voltage in the testing circuit.

If that helps .... ??

 

I still think 3 years is terrible for a battery. I usually get "around" 5 years. I'd be sure to get the charging system checked when the battery is replaced (they can check the charging system under load) to be sure it is working properly. One sure way to kill a wet cell battery is to have the charging system let the battery drain and cycle down and back up often. (i.e. little charging and heavy battery drain. AC, Lights, etc.).

 

I'm thinking Toyota knows something about the 2011 batteries cause my service guy suggested a new battery last time I was in, saying mine was weak and (I quote) "you know how finicky batteries can be" I've never known batteries to be finicky.

 

Just got back from the dealer. Battery was putting out ~50 CCA. They replaced it under warranty (turns out I only had 6 days left on the factory warranty!) and it's working normally again.

I was disappointed that an OEM battery failed in just 3 years without any unusual wear, but I was more surprised that it happened out of the blue. Hadn't had any problems starting the truck and one day, boom, nothing. The scariest part was losing all my gauges for a second when I went to flick the headlights on while driving.

Considering investing in a jump box now...