[CarolB]

I am hoping someone can help! Frustrating! I bought a Platinum Toyota Sequoia 2016 in November, 2016. Replaced battery after sitting for a while in November 2019. May 2020 it wouldn't start. AAA replaced it. Periodically drove it in Southern NJ through summer but at least 4x a week but small trips. Symptoms began: USB port for iPhone wouldn't work. Remote wouldn't work. While driving, the Navigation system while using bluetooth speaker for phone would simply die and reset itself. As these symptoms starting happening more frequently, it would culminate into the car stalling upon start up, and after 2 or 3 stallings it would turn over. Then that transpired into turning on the car ... it would not click, it would not do anything, the remote wouldn't work to lock/unlock doors - completely dead. NO CLICK. AAA came and jumped it and started right away on 3 occasions and it would run then symptoms would start. October drove to Phila (3 hour drive) then drove another 4 hour drive to upstate NY from there. So you would think it would charge if charging was an issue. Arrived at 4th stop in NY and the first UH OH sign was the close button on the hatchback would not work after car shut off. The car was completely dead. Local auto replaced battery and was fine for remaining trip and drive back. That week everything started again. Local auto and AAA both tested Alternator no issue. The replaced battery was a $150 DeKalb? battery top of line. Mid October less than a month later in November - same symptoms, but quick to not start. Towed to dealership an hour away. They ran diagnostics, replaced the batter - $400 later they are telling me everything is fine they can't find anything nor do they have an answer! $65,000 car - less than 50,000 miles - this is unreal. Drain test showed nothing. Recommending Remote Start that I bought with Toyota to be removed ($400 for that! ) - I asked about the anti theft system that runs in the background ...they told me the charge could barely charge a watch ..that that is not the problem. Gosh - I am hoping someone can help. My last resort is to get a Jump portable remote, watch it die again and try to sell. Ironically !! the first morning after purchase off lot - I had to call them to jump the battery but never had battery issues after that.

 

[jgrauman]

4 years for the first battery is pretty typical. Sounds like your problem may be the alternator. Sounds like it is dropping voltage if things are not working while driving which means the battery is not being fully charged either.

 

[CarolB]

4 years for the first battery is pretty typical. Sounds like your problem may be the alternator. Sounds like it is dropping voltage if things are not working while driving which means the battery is not being fully charged either.

Yes they checked it out (AAA and Auto repair tested alternator) and then dealership supposedly tested it and said it was fine. But the new battery I put in October ... and then symptoms began a week later ... after little over two months later when the dealership received it (this was last week) they said it would not charge or hold a charge so even to run things the first thing they had to do was replace the battery. Unless the auto repair place in upstate NY sold me a defunct battery but seems coincidental. How could a new battery that was a top of the line expensive one be completely dead where it won't hold a charge less than 3 months later?

 

[Lunas]

he is just using a fancy multimeter but you disconnect a post and run it through the meter while the vehicle is off.

 

[CarolB]

he is just using a fancy multimeter but you disconnect a post and run it through the meter while the vehicle is off.

Thanks Lunas ...Dealer did a Drain test and they said nothing is drawing on battery. Even the anti theft system was only enough power to power a watch. This is what they told me. So I am at a lost as to what and why is drawing this battery if they are telling me there is no draw.

 

[Lunas]

I went 15 years on the battery in a 94 cougar xr7.(diehard gold) Either you are replacing a marginally bad battery with another marginal battery. Or something is wrong that did not present itself to a tech. I would try testing yourself even if you don't have a multimeter now a good enough one is only around 30 and will be useful to have. You can test if the alternator is good with one too while running set to volts and make sure it is at 14.1 or so. And the video I posted is only one of the ones he did there is another he just pulls fuses one at a time until he finds the one that drained I think it turned out to be a bad door switch.

 

[Rayland]

good investment for anyone is one of those voltmeters that plugs into cigarette lighter type power outlets. when vehicle is not running with ignition on, it reads battery power. When engine is running, it reads alternator output. Does not help with drain issues but at least you know when alternator is not consistent or when battery is getting weak. They now have USB charging ports built onto them so you can leave it in place all the time and still have access for charging.

 

[iTundra07]

Everything you mentioned points to the alternator to me. I would bite the bullet and replace it. You can get one from the auto shop store for just a little over $100 and replace it yourself, I'm pretty sure there's youtube videos out there that'll show you how to do it.

 

[Lunas]

Everything you mentioned points to the alternator to me. I would bite the bullet and replace it. You can get one from the auto shop store for just a little over $100 and replace it yourself, I'm pretty sure there's youtube videos out there that'll show you how to do it.

It should be noted even if the voltage while running is 14.1v that does not mean the battery is charging. I have seen instances where alternator are good under some conditions but not others. Also our alternator are on the bottom of the engine it is not hard to do but rust may be an issue.

 

[ugauga]

I don't have much experience with Sequoia yet but from previous experience with other vehicles:

• depending on how the dealer made the drain test it may be worth nothing. Like in the video the draw may be intermittent and if they did just a quick test it could show nothing.
• before replacing alternator you can try to confirm if the battery's being charged at all even with a simple $15 voltmeter. Set it to 20V DC voltage reading and just check the battery first thing in the morning (after several hours not running the V should stabilize in 12.x V range). Turn the engine on, test again - it should be at least 0.5V higher as soon as the alternator starts - ideally it should get to 13.3-13.7V quick if the battery is still sound and healthy. Drive it to work or wherever. I'd stop and check again after 3 minutes, now it should be higher in the range, maybe even in low 14's V on engine running - this will also tell you if it charges well cold. Drive it for another 15-20 minutes - on engine running the battery should be now above 14V. If the voltages rise and maintain the alternator is fine.
• if your alternator is fine you can try looking for drain source by either getting a fancy multimeter like the guy in the video (simple ones have no memory and may also have quite a bit of delay in reading or even average spikes) or start testing overnight. Charge the battery, check the Voltage in the evening, check the voltage in the morning. Charge again, check the voltage in the evening, pull one fuse (the one that serves component you suspect most), let it sit for the night and check the battery again next morning to compare if the voltage dropped the same. Rinse and repeat until you find the culprit.

This would be more of an old Ford or Dodge kind of dealing but that's the way you can look where your pixies run.