Battery issue

Hi folks, I have a Toyota Camry '98 model with ~78k miles on it. Last friday evening, the car did not start up, while I tried to do so at my work place. But I did not encounter this issue, the same day in the morning, while heading to work.

Once the car was jump started on fiday evening, I had no problems reaching back home. But on saturday after ~19 hrs of the last jump start, I was not able to start the car. So I again jump started it and it seems to work okay. I noticed from couple of weeks back that when I do not start the car for a day or more, the car does not start instantly i.e. I hear a sound like struggling to start. But pumping the gas pedal helped a bit.

I have a strong hunch that this is basically a battery problem. I would appreciate any pointers to confirm that it is only a battery problem. BTW the battery in the car is original and I have not replaced it for the last 8 years.

Best Regards,

Gautam

Reply to
Gautam Shet
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Yes it is the battery. When I replaced the battery for my 98 Camry last year, I found a high quality replacement at Advance Auto Parts. Not all places have an exact fit. Advance Auto Parts will come out to the parking lot and replace it for you at no charge (solves the problem of the deposit on the old battery also).

Reply to
Mark A

Yes, you can bless your ancient battery for lasting as long as it did. Its turn to die was probably two or three years ago. At Autozone (auto parts) they will wheel out a battery tester to your car in the parking lot and tell you in a minute whether the battery is any good....and it's likely not.

Reply to
mack

I suggest checking for a battery from your local BJs, will save you some $$. Remote possibility that alternator is bad, you will know that once you get a new one. :)

Reply to
samyonix

If the car started with a jump and the battery is 8 years old my bet is on a bad battery. At 8 years it's past due anyway.

Reply to
NickySantoro

As mentioned, battery time.

I do have a suggestion. And many here will disagree. But, if you have the $$$, and you are planning on keeping this car for another decade, you might want to consider replacing with an Optima battery.

First, off, those original Toyota batteries are GREAT. Pretty much any replacement you get will not match that performance. You'll have outgassing, corrosion and maintenance concerns.

However, if you want to spend about double (and in a lot of cases it makes no sense to do so), consider an Optima battery. A bit different technology. No corrosion. No adding water, no real problems with vibration breakdown. And, if my experience is any measure, it will last a decade.

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Just a thought. For most people, a top-of-the-line NAPA or Interstate battery will be fine. For others, even a middle of the line NAPA or Interstate will work. But, in my experience, if you want real worry free, and if you travel poorly maintained roads with lots of bumps and shudders, an Optima Redtop is worth at least considering.

Reply to
timbirr

According to their website they have no battery for my 99 Camry V6 regardless of climate zone.

Reply to
sharx35

What they say on their Web site and what really works are two different things. They officially had no batteries for my rigs either, but going to the local shop to check out in the real world, perfect fits with no modifications, adjustments needed. I'm sure not true in all cases, though.

Reply to
timbirr

I have done a lot of research looking for a "premium" battery for my 98 Camry V6 and very few places have a "premium" battery that is an exact fit

24F battery for a Camry. Not even Sears or Optima has them (Sears has an economy 24F battery). One of them that does have one is AutoZone.

The GOLD-DURALAST Battery is a premium battery that will last many years at half the cost of the Optima. Maybe the Optima will last longer, but you can by 2 GOLD-DURALAST Batteries for the price of an Optima. According to the Optima website, their batteries last "up to" 2 times longer than a regular battery (but probably less than 2 times longer than a premium battery like the GOLD-DURALAST).

AutoZone will install it for free right in their parking lot.

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Reply to
Mark A

BTW, AutoZone also sells Optima batteries, but as you mentioned there are no exact fit 24F's for a Camry. The Optima red top batteries are at least twice the cost of the 24F GOLD-DURALAST, and some of them are even more than that.

You have to be careful when buying a battery that is not exact fit because the positive and negative cables have almost no slack in them. It can also be a hassle getting the battery to fit in the space correctly (using the existing clamps).

Reply to
Mark A

AutoZone sells a top-flight battery according to the reviews I have read. And as you say, at a significant reduction in price. I just prefer not to mess with conventional batteries anymore.

In my younger days, I didn't mind checking fluids, adding water, cleaning posts and eventually, if I didn't keep up with it, cleaning/replacing trays, holddowns and cables because of acid eating them away.

Also, where I live, vibration is a significant factor, Optima handles that well. But for some 70-90 percent of the population, an Optima is also an overkill.

Reply to
timbirr

If it's the original battery then that's probably the problem. I personally change them every 5 years no questions asked. At $40 (Walmart) it's cheap enough. the $50 battery at AutoZone is also very a good deal with high reserve capacity. Both are made by Johnson Controls.

You can also check the alternator charging voltage which should be between 13.5 to 15 volts. All cable/ground connections should be clean and tight. Alternator belt should be properly tensioned (but you need a NAPA Krikit-II gauge). You should have no more than 300 mA of battery drain when everything is off. There is no way to test all aspects of the alternator, such as a single bad diode that distorts the DC voltage.

But in most cases, changing out the battery and teseting the charging voltage and belt tension will do.

Gautam Shet wrote:

Reply to
johngdole

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