* I have a '96 Toyota Carolla DX

* I have not installed any new stereo, or amp etc. It has the same things in it since I've bought it in '97

* I have changed the battery Twice

* I have changed the alternator.

* Nothing has stayed on in the car, nothing is plugged in

* There is no security system.

My problem:

My car didn't start one morning, my battery was dead. I was expecting it, it was getting old, so I bought a new battery. After not using the car for the weekend when I tried starting it again the Monday..the new battery was dead.

I changed the alternator (it too was old). The new battery was put on a machine and charged up again for me to use. The car worked fine...until again one weekend I didn't use it. The battery was dead.

I brought the battery back and got another. (thinking it had a bad cell or the "bad" alternator ruined it. Car worked fine...didn't use the car in a few days...car is dead again. It can get jumped off...but now it does not hold a charge overnight.

I read online that the possible problem is something called a Parasitic Drain...caused by bad or shorted out fuses.
Does this seem the case? How difficult is it to do this myself? Is there any place that would check it for me for free like an Auto Zone?

Would a fuse just need to be replaced?

Thank you for any help!

Ok: A drain that can prohibit starting with known good battery (I believe that now) should be able to isolate at least the circuit that's doing it.

You need to put a test light or rig a bulb (small like a sidemarker automotive bulb) hooked between neg battery post and the DISCONNECTED battery cable. Note - if you open the door the test light will light!

Make sure any lights that are on normally are off like delay interior lights, trunk light, glove box light and especially hood light if equipped - un plug that for now.

Test light should be out! Probably will show dim at least. Pull fuses one by one (if opening door you have to consider this especially with any delayed interior lighting) till the test light at the battery goes out. That will be the circuit that has the drain and the chase is on to find what or where it is.

If something you can do without - do leave that fuse out for now or at least leave it out till the short or drain is found.

It actually doesn't take any more than a reading lamp, glove box light, trunk light etc., to kill a battery in a day or so as little as they are!

Also - know that it isn't good on your alternator or the new battery to continually be discharged, jumped and alt working hard to charge it all the time as that can hurt or kill them too in this battle so find it before it's a ping pong game of causing new problems over again.

Some more common places for trickle drains: Convenience lights wherever they are. Reading lamps don't shut down with door closes! Trunk lights can be whacked for assorted reasons. Unplug at hinge or take bulb out as it's not always easy to know if it has gone out. Glove Box, power ports, cig lighters stay empowered when car is off so make sure sockets are clean of anything! Use fake plugs made for them if the lighter isn't available to plug the hole for cig lighters. Sounds stupid but if a cig lighter was ever used for lighting cigarettes they rust up fast and short out! Damn - if you or anyone needs to light something use a cheap disposable not the car! Coins get in them too but that usually blows a fuse instantly.

Find which circuit it nothing makes itself clear and chase down is on from there. Owner's manual will tell what fuse covers what items,

T
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Tom Greenleaf - MetroWest, Boston
http://acsource.net/acforum/index.php

Quote

Just disconnect the neg battery cable and leave positive on? The neg post, bulb and disconn. neg cable all have to touch? (I'd be lying if I said this doesn't scare me lol)


Unfortunately, the owner's manual is gone. So if I some how trace the fuse to the problem....will it mean that the fuse needs to be replaced ? or whatever it leads to?

Thanks for the quick response!

~Jill

I know - it's a book to explain what is actually so simple really.

Yes - you leave pos cable on. Anything that uses electricy must return to battery's neg and if something is on it will light up a light between a disconnected neg cable and the battery's neg post. Sounds crazy but it's true!

That also means you are only dealing with the neg side so any tools that accidentally touch ground don't short out on you.

Owner's manual: Get the posisition # of the one that works it this test works at all. It might not and tell us that too.

Get an owner's manual! Call junkyards or whatever but get one. It's just too important for info for cars now.

What you'll need to go neg post to neg cable is a test light or bulb socket with a bulb in it. Test lights usually have an alligator clip at one end, a scratch awl looking handle and poker and handle lights up with a bulb inside. An LED one won't help for this - real bulb with a filiment needed. You may need to rig a jumper clip from scratch awl end of test light to battery post to make the connection stay on and go back and forth pulling fuses and hopefully ONE will make the light go out and you've found the circuit but not done with the fix. I'll be away now for a few hours or more. Others may watch or I'll be back later.

Good luck,

T
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Tom Greenleaf - MetroWest, Boston
http://acsource.net/acforum/index.php