Battery Drain - Normal?
Pole Position
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 3,154
Likes: 14
From: Toronto
I had my battery tested the other day at the only auto parts store in town that still does it for free. Unfortunately their handheld machine that also tests alternator condition was dead and wouldn't work. They hooked up a large bench tester instead which only gives an estimated CCA and my battery tested out to have around only 330 CCAs. I'm guessing this is probably at least half of what the original rating should be. The machine also said it would have needed nearly an hour to charge the battery.
So, at this point, I'm guessing a new battery is in order. From my understanding CCA and charge don't have a lot to do with eachother and the CCA is a decent enough indicator of the batteries age and condition and that a bad alternator wouldn't affect the rated CCA of a battery.
Unfortunately I waited until xmas eve to have this done so Toyota/Lexus weren't open. I think I'm going to opt just for an OE battery instead of the cheaper exides that the parts stores have. I can't find anybody that has an AGM battery in the right size.
Right now, I'm thinking that the low CCAs, while seeming to still be enough to reliably start the car quickly, is not enough to reliably start everything else and HOPEFULLY a new battery with more starting power will fix the problems I'm having with my HID fogs not always igniting while starting the car even though I have them hooked up directly to the battery with a relay harness and a nice bonus would be if my intermittent startup problems with the GROM USB2 went away as well.
The battery in the car right now fits the holder/cover perfectly but it doesn't have any Toyota/Lexus stickers (or any other indication of it's brand) so I'm not sure if it's the original battery from the factory in Japan or not. It has some yellow stickers indicating how to read the little condition eye (which of course, always reads that it's fine...) and a large window on the side which is supposed to show the electrolyte level that I can't actually see any water line through.
Now that I know the battery's CCAs are weak, now I'm just hoping I can get through all of the trips around town for xmas today without getting stuck... wish me luck.
So, at this point, I'm guessing a new battery is in order. From my understanding CCA and charge don't have a lot to do with eachother and the CCA is a decent enough indicator of the batteries age and condition and that a bad alternator wouldn't affect the rated CCA of a battery.
Unfortunately I waited until xmas eve to have this done so Toyota/Lexus weren't open. I think I'm going to opt just for an OE battery instead of the cheaper exides that the parts stores have. I can't find anybody that has an AGM battery in the right size.
Right now, I'm thinking that the low CCAs, while seeming to still be enough to reliably start the car quickly, is not enough to reliably start everything else and HOPEFULLY a new battery with more starting power will fix the problems I'm having with my HID fogs not always igniting while starting the car even though I have them hooked up directly to the battery with a relay harness and a nice bonus would be if my intermittent startup problems with the GROM USB2 went away as well.
The battery in the car right now fits the holder/cover perfectly but it doesn't have any Toyota/Lexus stickers (or any other indication of it's brand) so I'm not sure if it's the original battery from the factory in Japan or not. It has some yellow stickers indicating how to read the little condition eye (which of course, always reads that it's fine...) and a large window on the side which is supposed to show the electrolyte level that I can't actually see any water line through.
Now that I know the battery's CCAs are weak, now I'm just hoping I can get through all of the trips around town for xmas today without getting stuck... wish me luck.
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gurjot
LX - 1st and 2nd Gen (1996-2007)
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Jul 1, 2008 04:49 PM
