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battery drain when truck off but sitting in passenger seat?

Discussion in '2nd Gen. Tacomas (2005-2015)' started by ahellers, Mar 30, 2021.

  1. Mar 30, 2021 at 6:34 PM
    #1
    ahellers

    ahellers [OP] New Member

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    Ok, maybe the dumbest question ever. But is there any chance that sitting in the passenger seat, with the truck off, drains the battery on a 2013 Tacoma with no aftermarket flair?
    Here’s the situation. I drove to the beach to do zoom school, cause I’m tired of hanging in my apartment. Found a nice spot overlooking the water, switched to the passenger seat and fired up the laptop (not plugged in) for a few hours. No radio, no AC, keys out of the ignition. Then when I was done, dead battery. Jump started fine, drove home (5 min), sat overnight, started fine, ran errands, everything’s cool. So is there anything in the passenger seat’ like a sensor or something that’s going to draw power when someone is in it?
    Everything seems cool, I just want to be able to keep parking and doing school with some peace of mind.

    thanks and sorry for the ridiculous question
     
  2. Mar 30, 2021 at 6:36 PM
    #2
    Dm93

    Dm93 Test Don't Guess

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    Did you by any chance have the door open while you were sitting there?
     
  3. Mar 30, 2021 at 6:39 PM
    #3
    ahellers

    ahellers [OP] New Member

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    I’m reasonable sure I did not, but that’s a good thought
     
  4. Mar 30, 2021 at 6:42 PM
    #4
    Dm93

    Dm93 Test Don't Guess

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    Would be all I could think of besides a battery that's on it's way out, I would get it tested to rule that out. The only sensor in the seat is for the Airbag system but that should all be off with the key off.
     
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  5. Mar 30, 2021 at 6:43 PM
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    TnShooter

    TnShooter The TacomaWorld Stray

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  6. Mar 30, 2021 at 6:54 PM
    #6
    ahellers

    ahellers [OP] New Member

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    hmm, there was once or twice I put the keys in the run position to roll down/up the windows. I’m fairly sure the door was closed though. But I wouldn’t have known if my headlights stayed on since it was daylight. I suppose something like that is a possibility
     
  7. Mar 30, 2021 at 7:03 PM
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    Rock Lobster

    Rock Lobster Thread Derailer

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    Battery is letting you know it's over the hill.

    It shouldn't have gone dead with a small amount of observable draw over a couple of hours, and every time a battery does drop to 12.0 volts or below (too low to start a car) it's life is shortened even more.

    Time to have it tested and replaced.
     
  8. Mar 30, 2021 at 7:11 PM
    #8
    Waasheem

    Waasheem The catholic radio bear

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    Take a look at the battery. What brand is it? Are the terminals covered with white powered acid boogers? Do you see a date decal?

    The surfaces between the battery posts and cable terminals could possibly not making good contact. Even with the better terminals, not what the tacos have, the posts can become oxidized. They’ll look black or very dark grey.

    I’m suggesting to clean it all really good. Get any acid buildup off. Brush the terminals and posts with a battery brush.

    Sometimes the terminals will get some hard acid stuck to them. Soaking in a cup of soda, coke pepsi whatever, they’ll come out sparkling clean. It’s easiest to take the battery out, put your cup of soda where the battery was, dunk the terminals & walk away. You can kinda bend the cables over so it’ll stay & not tip over. If you have a charger hook it up to the battery.

    I’m not saying sitting in the passenger seat had nothing to do with the problem. I’ve seen bad battery connection cause all kinds of strange things, and at the strangest time. I let my sister drive and now it won’t start. I farted and now it won’t start.
     

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