Help, truck won't start

My truck just passed 3 years and 36k mi this month. About a year ago (about the same time as yours lasted) my battery began giving me the same issues. Trouble starting and not holding a charge. Had it load tested and it came back OK. Brought it to dealership and they said it was shot. I did not bother disconnecting all my aftermarket add ons because I know the rules about warranties and knew they couldnt use the "your stuff voids your warranty" card on me.

According to the Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act of 1975, no aftermarket accessory can void a vehicles warranty UNLESS the dealer can PROVE beyond reasonable doubt that a specific modification caused the failure. I knew it would be impossible to PROVE my accessories caused the battery to fail so this is why I left everything installed. Well... I was wrong. They actually did PROVE me wrong on this one.

Batteries have whats called a "parasitic draw". It is the amount of power being consumed while the truck and all accessories are off. The ECU has to come on for the emissions purge, the radio draws power to keep memory, etc etc. Plenty of OEM parts draw current while the truck is off, but not nearly enough to kill a battery. Little did I know that every battery is rated to handle a specific amount of Parasitic Draw, and the stock battery is rated very very low.

I forget the exact measurements and ratings, with all my aftermarket accessories I was drawing nearly 3x the max rated Parasitic Draw. Still not even close to enough to make a battery go dead, but over a long period of time it puts stress on the battery and will eventually wear it down.

The amount of current I was drawing could EASILY be handled by most any aftermarket battery, even the cheap ones, but Toyota OEM batteries are rated VERY bad for Parasitic draw and only a few aftermarket add ons will kill it. This rating is not typically advertised like CCA and CA are, but rest assured that any half decent battery will work better than your OEM one.

Although I was "proven wrong" and that it was my accessories that killed the battery, my dealership was kind enough to do a 1 time courtesy replacement for me which was great, but I dont expect this one to last much more than another year, as I have ALOT of accessories on my truck!! but 2 extra years is better than buying a battery now I suppose.

 

FTC Consumer Alert
Auto Warranties, Routine Maintenance, and Repairs:
Is Using the Dealer a Must?

If you own a car, you know how important it is to keep up with routine maintenance and repairs. But can a dealer refuse to honor the warranty that came with your new car if someone else does the routine maintenance or repairs?

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, says no. In fact, it's illegal for a dealer to deny your warranty coverage simply because you had routine maintenance or repairs performed by someone else. Routine maintenance often includes oil changes, tire rotations, belt replacement, fluid checks and flushes, new brake pads, and inspections. Maintenance schedules vary by vehicle make, model and year; the best source of information about routine scheduled maintenance is your owner's manual.

What is a warranty?

A warranty is a promise, often made by a manufacturer, to stand behind its product or to fix certain defects or malfunctions over a period of time. The warranty pays for any covered repairs or part replacements during the warranty period.

Do I have to use the dealer for repairs and maintenance to keep my warranty in effect?

No. An independent mechanic, a retail chain shop, or even you yourself can do routine maintenance and repairs on your vehicle. In fact, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which is enforced by the FTC, makes it illegal for manufacturers or dealers to claim that your warranty is void or to deny coverage under your warranty simply because someone other than the dealer did the work. That said, there may be certain situations where a repair may not be covered. For example, if you or your mechanic replaced a belt improperly and your engine is damaged as a result, your manufacturer or dealer may deny responsibility for fixing the engine under the warranty. However, according to the FTC, the manufacturer or dealer must be able to demonstrate that it was the improper belt replacement — rather than some other defect — that caused the damage to your engine. The warranty would still be in effect for other parts of your car.

Will using 'aftermarket' or recycled parts void my warranty?

No. An 'aftermarket' part is a part made by a company other than the vehicle manufacturer or the original equipment manufacturer. A 'recycled' part is a part that was made for and installed in a new vehicle by the manufacturer or the original equipment manufacturer, and later removed from the vehicle and made available for resale or reuse. Simply using an aftermarket or recycled part does not void your warranty. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act makes it illegal for companies to void your warranty or deny coverage under the warranty simply because you used an aftermarket or recycled part. Still, if it turns out that the aftermarket or recycled part was itself defective or wasn't installed correctly, and it causes damage to another part that is covered under the warranty, the manufacturer or dealer has the right to deny coverage for that part and charge you for any repairs. The FTC says the manufacturer or dealer must show that the aftermarket or recycled part caused the need for repairs before denying warranty coverage.

 

may the force be with you
thats great info man. thanks

 

dont let this toyota battery bashing get out of hand. there is multiple threads on how great the OEM battery is. Mine lasted 6 years, there is a bunch of other people who's lasted longer than that. You may have had a defected one and toyota should replace it under warranty. when mine went out, i went with an optima yellow top. i dont run any accy's. but i like my truck

 

Not bashing Toyota, I'm sure their batteries are great and last many years. Just saying that they aren't really designed to handle too many accessories. People with a lot of add ons often experience premature battery failure and its simply because the FACT (not an assumption) that these batteries have very low parasitic draw ratings.

 

No product in this world made my man is perfect. There is standard failure rate for everything made. Its not hard to make a battery fail. Cells can easily fail.

With that being said for the most part a battery is a battery. But if you do a lot of off road it might be better to go with an interstate or diehard. Better materials in these.

Seems like I have seen a lot of people see a high failure rate on the optimas?