Electrical/battery issues in 2009 Tacoma

Hi All - my battery drains when my truck is turned off. From what I've read, it seems like I must have a parasitic draw or my battery is overcharging? My truck started having issues a couple weeks ago (probably not related, but it was right after getting an oil change), I'd go to start it and the battery would be dead, so I'd have to jump it. After a few days of that I started to smell rotten eggs/sulfer while driving and even more when I'd turn my truck off. Then I lost power while driving, similar to running out of gas - I happened to be about to pull into a gas station because I was dangerously low on gas. I'm still not sure if this contributed to the issues or was a coincidence, but I barely made it to the gas pump.

My truck wouldn't start after filling my tank, it wouldn't stay running after getting it jumped, and the secondary air pump was making a loud noise like a fan or vacuum, then something connected to the air pump (see pic) started smoking. I installed a new battery and have been disconnecting it when I turn my truck off.

I'm a landscaper and have just a few more warmish days of the season that I really need to be able to work, so I'm looking for a temporary fix. Could the secondary air pump be the source of the problem, and if so, is it something I can disconnect as a temporary fix?

Thank you in advance to anybody that took the time to read this! I appreciate any feedback or advice!

 

Your battery could simply be depleted and unable to hold a charge. How old is it and what is it rated to? Use a simple voltage meter/gauge to test the voltage. It should be 12.6 for a standard lead battery. Up to 13 for AGM batteries.

Ideally, you charge the battery, then run a load test on it. If it fails, get a new battery. If it passes, or you get a new battery, you next test the alternator to make sure it is properly charging the battery. The voltage meter can be used for this, or take it to an Autozone type store - most will test it free.

Edit - I just noticed you had a new battery. My bad. I would still test the alternator to make sure it is properly charging the battery, then move over to pinpointing the parasitic draw. This is unfamiliar territory for me. I’ve read of using an IR gun on the fuses to try and spot one that is showing high temp. Or pull fuses one by one until you notice the voltage reading jump up. I would follow a video on this.

 

This is a new battery

 

That is the secondary air injection driver assembly.

 

There are some good videos on YT showing how to find parasitic draw.
You essentially shut the truck off, hook up something that can measure amperage and carefully disconnect the battery while maintaining the circuit through the tester. Since you suspect something draining your battery, you should see some current flow. Start pulling fuses, one by one, until the draw stops and that is the circuit/devices to begin checking.
That's very general but gives you a general idea for one method.
Let us know what you find.

 

There are also other methods that show how to check millivolt drops across the fuses, which you can convert to current draw depending on the size of the fuse and the drop detected.
Again, check out some videos. It'll likely be easier than someone here trying to walk you through it.
Keep us posted, there are some really sharp and helpful folks on this forum.

 

Last year I bought a brand new battery at Toyota for my Tacoma. Just over a month later it was dead. They tested it out, it failed load tests and replaced it for free under warranty. They said the new battery was a defective one

 

I had a similar problem. My Tacoma wouldn't keep a charge. The battery had an 84 month warranty and it had only been about 36 months into it. I connected my multimeter to the negative post and cable and got a parasitic drain of 0.220a, so I started pulling fuses. The fuse that dropped the 0.220a that I was getting on my meter was the ECU-B3, and that leads straight to the Main Body ECU. I went "uh- oh", that don't look easy". Fortunately, I signed up for a years subscription with AllData and downloaded the wiring diagrams. It showed the ECU-B3 fuse in the Lighting and Horn section. After sleeping on it I went out the next day and did another amperage test. I made sure the door was clamped at the switch and I disconnected the connector next to the hood latch. This is where I started to figure things out. Before I disconnected the hood connector the meter showed 0.220a and when I disconnected it, the meter didn't change at all. I then made a jumper out of a paper clip and stuck it into the female side of the connector. The amps immediately went down to 0.130a, and after about a minute, settled to 0.008amps. I was really happy because now I wouldn't have to tear something apart to search for something I might not find. About a year ago somebody ran a stoplight, and sideswiped my wife, and spun her around about 90 degrees, and she hit the front grill into another truck. I think that is where the problem started, but it would take a while before the drain would wear my newish battery down. I was very lucky it turned out so easy.

 

One thing you could do is get a remote battery cutoff switch. I ordered one but fortunately I don't need it now. I'll probably go ahead and install it anyway just to see how I like it. I also went to Walmart and brought a Stanley 2500a FatMax jumper that was on sale. It didn't work so I took it back and got a 1800a FatMax. I kept seeing good reviews on the Noco 2000a jumper so I went to Autozone and brought one. It is more expensive but I love it and used it several times. It is really well made. I returned the 1800a FatMax without ever using it.

$200 NOCO Boost GB70: 2000A UltraSafe Jump Starter – 12V Lithium Battery Booster Pack, Portable Jump Box, Power Bank & Jumper Cables - for 8.0L Gas and 6.0L Diesel Engines

https://www.amazon.com/NOCO-GB70-Ul...&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583657835952209&th=1
I won't know about the kill switch until it gets here in a couple of days.

$26 Kill Switch for Car, Malictele 12V 240A Remote Battery Disconnect Switch Car Kill Switch Anti Theft Automatic Cut/Shut Off Switch for Auto Truck Marine RV ATV Boat

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CXT6QDDL?ref=ppx_pt2_dt_b_prod_image