Battery Dead Every 3-4 Weeks

Hello everyone.
I have a problem, with my 2018 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport 4X4.
Being Disabled and having a Corolla plus a Honda Pilot the Tacoma
sets in the garage sometimes for 4 weeks at a time.
It's only got 18,345 miles on it. I took it to the dealer under warranty
and all they did was slam a new 85-month battery in it and tell me to
get a Battery Tender.
So I did a reverse power draw test with my meter on every fuse and found
nothing until I removed the cable on top of the positive battery post with
the stud on top, which tested at 10.85v/ma
I am lost as to what to do now.? Any thoughts?

 

Get a battery tender as the dealer suggested. There are many modules still powered when sitting.

Other options are to disconnect the battery when sitting long periods or drive the truck once a week.

 

Yep, get a battery tender. I had to get one for mine as it sits for all week in the winter. I put a plug in the wheel well to plug it in.

 

What aftermarket accessories do you have installed. Recently on this forum I have seen two or three of these threads pop up. One member had a winch installed directly to the battery without a cutoff that was causing parasitic draw and I forget what the other dude's problem was. What did you install most recently? Go disconnect that, get the battery up with your tender then see if your Taco holds a charge.

^ these instances are why I installed a m-LVD between my battery and my accessory fuse box.

 

If not used but every month, I’d definitely use a battery tender.

also look at anything aftermarket,,,,, ANY THING,, down to the gas station phone charger.

 

My commute is 1.5 miles, 6-7 minutes. Downhill. 25mph roads.

Normally, I ride my bike, but for about Dec-Feb in the northeast, that's some cold.

Point being that usually, I end up taking the truck on enough trips here and there that the battery is maintained, but for the stretch of Jan/Feb, when it's cold, dark, and miserable, I don't tend to go anywhere other than Home > Work > Grocery, and when we do, we take the wife's camry since it's more efficient and easier to park.

Okay, back to actual point being,

$60 20W 12V Solar Panel Kit Battery Maintainer Trickle Charger Pro + Advanced 10A MPPT Charge Controller + SAE Battery Clip Cable for 12 Volt Boat Car RV Trailer Motorcycle Automotive Home Off Grid System

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09F68YDB6?ie=UTF8&th=1

This sits on my roof rack now. Keeps the battery topped up, no matter how often I drive, and how short my drives are. In fact, it's sitting there right now! AND, I don't have to disconnect a damn thing when I drive it. AND, if I get an AGM battery, this can go to a higher voltage than the alternator, so I don't need to worry about an ECU tune at all to get the AGM to proper levels.

Here's a 50W flexible panel you could slap on the hood and wire in direct, or slap on the roof and wire in if you don't have a roof rack.

$100 Renogy Flexible Solar Panel 50 Watt 12 Volt Monocrystalline Semi-Flexible Bendable Mono Off-Grid Charger for Marine RV Cabin Van Car Uneven Surfaces,Black

https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-175-W...fos.c3015c4a-46bb-44b9-81a4-dc28e6d374b3&th=1

Just some food for thought.

 

The issue might be there has not been enough drive time to fully charge the battery. So, you start a 4 week period already down on some capacity. I think a battery tender is a good idea as mentioned above for that situation. You could check the amp draw by disconnecting your battery and putting your amp meter in series. Let the truck sit for a couple hours doors closed and locked, then find out what the reading is. I don't know the actual number for a good test on a Tacoma, but I would think anything less than 25mA would be acceptable.

 

I hardwired at trickle charger using the

$40 Battery Tender Junior 12V, 750mA Charger and Maintainer: Automatic 12V Powersports Battery Charger for Motorcycle, ATVs, and More - 021-0123

Battery Tender Jr. connector +

$17 Battery Tender 6 Foot Extension SAE Cable - Designed for Use with Battery Tender Chargers - Quick Connect Plugs for Easy Connection to Motorcycle, Cars, ATVs and More - 081-0148-6

6' SAE extension.

 

Thank you so much for all of the replies
So I did it I bought this

$40 NOCO GENIUS2D, 2A Direct-Mount Onboard Car Battery Charger, 12V Automotive Charger, Battery Maintainer, Trickle Charger, Float Charger and Desulfator for Marine, ATV, Truck and Deep Cycle Batteries

CHARGER
I think this one will do great, it looks SWEET!!!
TS4WD

 

That will be perfect and one of the best brands out there.

 

Here is a link with tips on long-term storage. Even though your Tacoma only sits for 4 weeks at a time, theses are still good tips to be mindful of.

https://www.edmunds.com/car-maintenance/how-to-prep-your-car-for-long-term-storage.html

 

Good charger.

Here's my set up.

 

As others have said, get a battery tender.

The Deltran "Battery Tender" or the Noco "Genius 1" have both worked well for me for many years and cost about $35 for either.

The Deltran is slightly easier to use, simply clip on and plug in.
The Noco can do more so it takes a few minutes reading the manual.
Either one will work fine.

 

Mine will be dead in less than two weeks of sitting.

 

Do you have remote start? I'd just turn it on and let it time out after 15 minutes once a week.

 

Hello all, I have been ordering parts to finish up
my battery Tender and figuring out where I will place the plugin.
So I bought the battery Tender (I love this model) and the parts needed.
#1
The mounting location of the charger.
#2
Pictures say a million words.
#3
Mounted
I used a black plastic cutting board for a backer w/3 ss screws.
#4

 

Moving on...
#5
Predrilling the ss screws into the plastic backer.
#6
All are predrilled and ready to mount.
#7
I love this spot, it just makes it look tougher
#8
All done!!!

 

I am going to try a build thread for all of my add-ons.
I am doing an Exhaust next.