Battery Drains from lack of use

We don’t put a lot of mileage on Our 2018 Tacoma, under 3,000 miles per year. We have had a problem with the battery draining and the truck not starting. It happens mostly in the winter. We have brought it to the dealer 5 times and they can’t solve the problem. We have replaced the battery with the most powerful one we could get.
The mechanic first removed the remote starter thinking because it wasn’t stock it was draining the battery. It didn’t help. The mechanic says the electronics are draining the battery because it’s not being driven enough to recharge the battery. We were told to keep the key fob at least 25 feet from the truck because it will activate electronics. That didn’t work.
They recommend a trickle charger. We don’t have a garage or an outside outlet. We are Senior citizens and don’t want the bother of running a charger during the winter. We also don’t want to have to continue to jump start it. We do use it to plow our driveway.
We also have a 2018 Chrysler that we drive about 4,000 miles a year. It doesn’t have that problem. It also has a remote starter and electronics.
We don’t want to go through another winter of a dead vehicle when we rely on it. We are thinking of buying a new truck. But will we have this problem with any new Tacoma? Will we have this problem if we buy a Dodge or GMC or Ford? Is it going to happen with any vehicle because of our lack of use? We wonder how Tacomas can sit for weeks in the dealers lot in the winter without being driven to recharge the battery. Are there electronics that can be deactivated?
Toyota and the dealer have been of no help. Does anyone have a solution? Has anyone else had this problem?

 

I can tell you for a fact all brands die on the lot.

You need to charge it, 3000 miles isn't enough and a modern Toyota is only expected to get 2 weeks on a full charge. Your problem is that it never gets fully charged.

There's remote starters that can warn you about low charge, but your only means is to run it for hours on end.

You need a more simple vehicle.

Any salesman will lie to you if you ask if it will be ok during the winter. Modern cars take a lot of power.

 

Thanks. You’re right, the salesman told us a 2021 Tacoma would probably solve our problem. I didn’t believe him. My husband did because they can’t possibly drive the ones in the lot and they start.

 

Right answer

Solar units. The photo cells sit inside the windshield, small set of wires out the door and under the hood.

Me too. Not sure how that's part of the story.

You have just described a conundrum.

 

I should say we’re old an don’t have the energy or desire to go out in nasty weather and clean 8 inches of snow off the truck to jump start it. I’ll have to check into that solar charger. Thanks

 

a ‘ trickle ‘ charger will burn the battery..........................essentially a slow death

a BATTERY TENDER ( brand name )Will extend the life o the battery..................not burn it

definitively operates quite differntly than a trickle charger

good on cars ......boats......motorcycles etc

most modern vehicles are seldom turned OFF completely

the ECU/ECM is Always monitoring something..................Always ready to GO

depends on hoe MANY Electronic gizmos that are still draining the batt how long it will last

some vehicles more than others

 

1. Install an outdoor outlet and put the truck on a battery tender.
2. Wire up a battery disconnect switch and mount it somewhere accessible on the outside of the truck, on the grille or bumper cover.

Dealers usually just unhook the battery cable for vehicles sitting on the lot. From what I can see doing work on the truck, disconnecting the battery resets only the climate control settings and maybe the mirror compass zone correction.

 

The truck also loses the dashboard clock setting and some other calibrations when the battery is unhooked, bit nothing that it won't recalibrate relatively quickly (such as idle RPM).

A battery disconnect is probably your solution, @SuzieQ - it should be relatively simple and inexpensive to install one in-line with the factory wiring, depending on where you want to put it and where you want to be able to access it from (underhood, in the bumper, in the cab).