Alarm going off; won't start; battery corroded; HELP!

I have a 1998 Tacoma. I believe the alarm is aftermarket, and I cannot find a toggle switch anywhere! I have searched under the dash, tried the wipers, the bright headlamps, etc. - nothing helps! The battery is badly corroded. I just cleaned it, but it still won't start. I can't reach the original owner to ask him about the alarm until Monday. I really need wheels before then. It started just fine yesterday. Any suggestions?

 

Cut the wire of the speakers so the alarm will be quiet

 

If the truck battery is dead (or almost dead), will it cause the alarm to go off constantly? (Sorry, stupid question, I am a chick). My truck will not start at all. I will get someone to jump start me tomorrow and go get a battery. Good idea to cut the speaker wire. Thanks for the help! Any other advice is appreciated!

 

yes and yes

 

theres a black box under the dash that has one big plug with 20 or so wires attached to it. Unplug it and it should turn it off. I had the same issue with mine and I had to unplug it. Until you figure out where the black box is, unplug the negative (black) cable from your battery. If the battery is already very low you may need a jump to start it up then let it run for a good 10 minutes atleast to recharge the battery

 

are you sure the battery is bad? It may just have a bad connection, especially if its badly corroded. Id recommend cleaning it off or you can do the soda method and pour some soda on the terminals and let it sit on there for a couple minutes then pour some water to clean it off. The acidity in the soda eats away at the corrosion. Id still recommend disconnecting the cables before doing this, just to be safe.
Then after the cables are clean you can reconnect the cables, get a jump and go for a drive to let the battery charge up. If none of this works then possibly you need a good overnight battery charge. You can always take it to autozone and have them test the battery.

 

The battery voltage is too low too keep the alarm relay from making contact. Charge the battery and I bet everything will return to normal.

Secondly, you may have bad cell in the battery. Remember, the battery has 6, 2 volt cells. If 1 cell goes bad, you are down to 10 volts. Our trucks need a constant 12 volts, regardless if it is running or not.

Lots of wired stuff happens when the battery is acting up.

 

Running the battery really low,,and continuing to pull amps out would cause one of the cells to almost fail, the weakest one usually. Once that cell is almost depleted,,it takes the next one in line as you hold the key in the start position. If that alarm relay was stuck/welded in the on position due to a failing battery, it would cause it to put out a faint squeak when you reconnected the almost dead battery after cleaning terminals. Key in or out, wouldn't matter with a welded or stuck relay. No worries, fresh 12-13 volts might unstick it.

All of this,,is probably due to corrosion at the terminal.

There should be a little round sticker on the positive post(sometimes negative) side of the battery on the case side. A date of Mfg. 1 letter and one number. what does that say? How old is the battery?

Have a auto parts store check the battery on there load tester. They need to charge it to 100%, let it sit for about 2 hrs and then put the tester on and pull 300+ amps out real quick,,see how it rebounds.

 

I love this community! Everyone is so knowledgeable and helpful.Thanks!!!

 

Autozone sells little packs of dielectric grease at counter. After you clean everything good,squeeze out grease and coat terminals liberally. That will stop future corrosion.

 

For what it's worth, I have to clean my negative post once a month. I've never had this much corrosion on any other vehicle I've owned.

 

for the record theres a very slim chance that the vehicle is to blame for the corrosion. sounds more like a battery issue

 

I had someone jump start me, and the truck has been starting fine since. Then. I had cleaned the battery (which was badly corroded) inDecember and I used dielectric grease then. I guess I will just clean it every month, like another post mentioned. Thanks for all the help!

 

http://www.atbatt.com/noco-cb104-nc...n-Protection&gclid=COjGn93vhb4CFU5afgodgGgAmQ
Some stuff I use. Haven't had to clean the terminals for years using the Noco preventer. Little 2" long shorthair brush attached to the lid of the can for applying and being able to jam the preventer into exposed cable strands, hold down bolts, crimp terminals for accessory's, ect. It's a heavy red molasses type of stuff that never completely cures hard. Have had that little can for many years.

A good neutralizing, cleaning and air drying in order before applying.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/NOCO-14oz-Battery-Cleaner-and-Acid-Detector/16213365
Neutralizer and acid detector. Spray it all over the battery, hold down bolts, spray down to the battery tray and surrounding area of question. Napa sells the same stuff,,for a few bucks cheaper.

ALOT of electrical gremlins can be attributed to dirty terminal, so it's one of the things to keep a close eye on.

 

The corrosion on your battery terminals and posts most probably would not allow for the battery to be recharged or start your engine. This is a very common problem, especially in hot climates like Texas. If you have not already do so, the following simple steps will solve your problems:

1. Remove the corrosion add distilled water to the battery (if required).
2. Fully recharge the battery (if a charger).
3. Have the battery and charging system tested for latent damage, so you will not get stranded. (Most battery or auto parts stores will test them for free.)
3. Perform periodic preventive maintenance.

A health battery and charging system are codependent on each other. For more information on battery maintenance, please in the Car and Deep Cycle Battery FAQ on www.batteryfaq.org for more info.