# Dead battery in my new car



## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

It makes a grinding noise so it’s not 100% dead.

I was sitting in the garage for 10 minutes playing with the display screen and you’re supposed to leave the car running when you’re doing that

but I just had the keys turned like once an saw the battery icon so thought that was enough.

if I leave it overnight will it recharge itself?

many years ago I have left my lights on a few hours and my car wouldn’t start. some stranger said leave it a few hours and it should start and I did and the car did start.

I have free service but I’d like to at least own the car a week before I needed to call someone.


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## ServiceCall (Dec 8, 2019)

When you turn the key to the on position, not the accessory position, everything has power as if it was running except no charging. Put a charger on it and you should be good.

Remember to leave the key off


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

ServiceCall said:


> When you turn the key to the on position, not the accessory position, everything has power as if it was running except no charging. Put a charger on it and you should be good.
> 
> Remember to leave the key off


thanks,


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## Wm. Robert (Oct 24, 2020)

It might start after it sits. Ambient temperature has a lot to do with that. Buy yourself a good battery charger, one that is capable of "boosting" if yours is the only vehicle around. I've got that type and its saved me extra expenses when I've found the battery dead.


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## quatsch (Feb 4, 2021)

After you get it started and charged, check that the current draw with everything off is less than 100 mA or so.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

quatsch said:


> After you get it started and charged, check that the current draw with everything off is less than 100 mA or so.


went back out and it started so I drove around the neighborhood because I know you’re supposed to drive awhile to help charge the battery.

I drove 4 miles I don’t know how long is recommended to drive. But I got back to my garage shut it off and it restarted again so maybe it’s OK now.

How do I tell what the “draw” is?


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## quatsch (Feb 4, 2021)

Startingover said:


> went back out and it started so I drove around the neighborhood because I know you’re supposed to drive awhile to help charge the battery.
> 
> I drove 4 miles I don’t know how long is recommended to drive. But I got back to my garage shut it off and it restarted again so maybe it’s OK now.
> 
> How do I tell what the “draw” is?


Best way is a sensitive clamp-on DC ammeter. 
If you disconnect the battery and put a conventional ammeter in series with the leads, the car's computer will have to relearn your driving habits and you'll lose your radio's preset stations.
Unless you have a keep-alive device plugged into your OBD socket.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

quatsch said:


> Best way is a sensitive clamp-on DC ammeter.
> If you disconnect the battery and put a conventional ammeter in series with the leads, the car's computer will have to relearn your driving habits and you'll lose your radio's preset stations.
> Unless you have a keep-alive device plugged into your OBD socket.


Thank you. This is such a great site. Everyone is so generous with their time.


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## quatsch (Feb 4, 2021)

I now doubt the battery was dead, you may have an intermittent connection.

A better way: leave the headlights on for one minute, then measure the battery voltage.
12.7 volts = full charge
10.5 = zero charge


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## Wm. Robert (Oct 24, 2020)

Just to clarify what 'quatsch" is trying to tell you...the "draw" he speaks of is the amount of current being "drawn" from the battery. With the car off, a clamp on style ammeter - set for DC current - will quantify the amount of current being drawn. Given all the on-board electronics in today's vehicle, a small amount of current - 100mA or so - is drawn to keep memories etc. If the draw is significantly higher, it would indicate that "something has gone to ground" - meaning current is being consumed by an unintended source. It could be something as simple as a pinched/bare wire against the steel framework. Recharging or replacing your battery will not fix this. The "ground" will have to be found and repaired.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Wm. Robert said:


> Just to clarify what 'quatsch" is trying to tell you...the "draw" he speaks of is the amount of current being "drawn" from the battery. With the car off, a clamp on style ammeter - set for DC current - will quantify the amount of current being drawn. Given all the on-board electronics in today's vehicle, a small amount of current - 100mA or so - is drawn to keep memories etc. If the draw is significantly higher, it would indicate that "something has gone to ground" - meaning current is being consumed by an unintended source. It could be something as simple as a pinched/bare wire against the steel framework. Recharging or replacing your battery will not fix this. The "ground" will have to be found and repaired.


OK I have a neighbor thats a retired mechanic. I’ll go over tomorrow and see if he can do this because now it’s going to worry me until I find out.

and I just googled how long to drive a car to recharge low battery and it said 30 minutes which I didn’t do. maybe I drove 10 or 15 minutes 30 mph


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## turbo4 (Jan 30, 2021)

10 minute of screen time should not have discharged your battery to the point of not starting your car. Possibly the battery was weak from setting at the dealers. Id get it fully charged as just running your car is not the ideal way to recharge a low battery. If you have the service ,use it.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

Startingover said:


> OK I have a neighbor thats a retired mechanic. I’ll go over tomorrow and see if he can do this because now it’s going to worry me until I find out.
> 
> and I just googled how long to drive a car to recharge low battery and it said 30 minutes which I didn’t do. maybe I drove 10 or 15 minutes 30 mph


If you can get your friend to do some checking for you, if he is looking for the 'parasitic load' that has been mentioned (to keep memories, security systems, etc. running) make sure car is shut down for a good 5 minutes or so. Depending on the vehicle, some systems can take several minutes to power down after shut down.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

turbo4 said:


> 10 minute of screen time should not have discharged your battery to the point of not starting your car. Possibly the battery was weak from setting at the dealers. Id get it fully charged as just running your car is not the ideal way to recharge a low battery. If you have the service ,use it.


Good point. They put a whole lot of effort and a ton of Armor-All to make it look pretty but I'm convinced a lot of that pre-delivery checklist is just an exercise. I bought a used Honda and during the first year noticed the coolant tank was low, so topped it up and kept an eye on it. It was later wrecked, and bought another, and noticed on delivery that the coolant was low. One of the kids in the shop said they come from the factory with minimal coolant and the dealer is supposed to top it up. It seems when new they didn't and didn't again on resale.


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## Wm. Robert (Oct 24, 2020)

You stated it was a new car. Is it "brand new" or a new used car? I ask because my latest used car came with a battery that lasted about one day longer than the dealer warranty.


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## Old Thomas (Nov 28, 2019)

Just drive it. If it fails again, find the reason.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

2018 Corolla. My daughter researched and advised against 2019.

after having my last car 12 years I just realized I unconsciously knew without looking how far to reach to touch the radio, AC or vents. in this car I’m fumbling around trying to find things but after 5 days I am enjoying the new features and it makes me smile when I get out of the car and read “goodbye” on the dash.

The auto dimming headlights and auto correcting to stay in center of a lane makes me feel there’s a friendly ghost with me.

I’ll check fluids. Thanks

At a store, going slowly over speed bumps there was a noticeable thump in back. Like something heavy in the trunk bounced. I checked the spare and it seems secure. Later other speed bumps didn’t cause the noise.


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## turbo4 (Jan 30, 2021)

I make a lot of short trips somertimes only a few blocks at a time and so over time my battery must be charged from a separate charger. If i dont it will deplete the battery more and more until it barely starts. They say you must drive a at least 7 miles to replace the energy used to start your car. And with my new truck the headlights stay on for a few minutes after i shut it off so its probably 10 miles. I give it a boost charge about once every 2 months unless i make a long trip in between.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

turbo4 said:


> I make a lot of short trips somertimes only a few blocks at a time and so over time my battery must be charged from a separate charger. If i dont it will deplete the battery more and more until it barely starts. They say you must drive a at least 7 miles to replace the energy used to start your car. And with my new truck the headlights stay on for a few minutes after i shut it off so its probably 10 miles. I give it a boost charge about once every 2 months unless i make a long trip in between.


you mean 7-10 miles at a time? That’s good to know because I am close to everything in this little town so I don’t drive over 5 miles at a time well I didn’t used to with my old car but now I’m driving more and farther Having fun with my new car.


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

It takes a lot of juice to start your car, and for your ALT to recharge it to full, it has to run for a certain amount of time before it's "topped off."


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

What is this icon of a coffee cup supposed to mean there’s nothing in my manual


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

It means you need to stop for a cup of coffee.








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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

huesmann said:


> It takes a lot of juice to start your car, and for your ALT to recharge it to full, it has to run for a certain amount of time before it's "topped off."


how did I never know this?

I remember boys in high school Kinda racing cars. They said you’re supposed to do that occasionally to get the ‘Cobs out.’


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## SARG (Dec 28, 2020)

Studying the manual at least once is a good thing to do. Surprising how many folks have features on their vehicle that they do not know about until after years of ownership.


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## turbo4 (Jan 30, 2021)

huesmann said:


> It takes a lot of juice to start your car, and for your ALT to recharge it to full, it has to run for a certain amount of time before it's "topped off."


Exactly ,make 10 or 20 short trips and now your battery is at 65% . 50% is dead.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

huesmann said:


> It means you need to stop for a cup of coffee.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Sorry but the car engineers need to rethink this coffee icon.


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## turbo4 (Jan 30, 2021)

My wifes Camaro SS sit in the garage for most of the winter. I have to use a battery maintainer (small battery charger) to keep the battery charged up over winter. Battery lose charge just from setting and not being used. Only take a few times for your battery going completely dead ,you will have to replace it.


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## SARG (Dec 28, 2020)

turbo4 said:


> My wifes Camaro SS sit in the garage for most of the winter. I have to use a battery maintainer (small battery charger) to keep the battery charged up over winter. Battery lose charge just from setting and not being used. Only take a few times for your battery going completely dead ,you will have to replace it.


Good suggestion. I have at least ten of the trickle charge "maintainers" and periodically flip the switch on the tractors and vehicles that are dormant through the winter.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

I didn’t know that.

heavy rain storms today. Tires look newish and thick tread (off brand) but not taking the car out today until I know if it’s going to hydroplane.

popped the hood. Engine looks immaculate but it’s all black and even though I have a light in my garage it’s kind of hard to see.

I tried to pull oil dipstick. In my old car it came out easy. This one is harder to pull out but maybe that means it’s sealed better. I was afraid to break it off so I stop trying.


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## turbo4 (Jan 30, 2021)

SARG said:


> Good suggestion. I have at least ten of the trickle charge "maintainers" and periodically flip the switch on the tractors and vehicles that are dormant through the winter.


A good one is like $35 . Iv heard the cheap ones can malfunction and ruin things. I rotate it around for the trail bikes,the John deer tractor and the camaro.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Another thing I ❤. My key fob opens the trunk!


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## quatsch (Feb 4, 2021)

Startingover said:


> and I just googled how long to drive a car to recharge low battery and it said 30 minutes which I didn’t do. maybe I drove 10 or 15 minutes 30 mph


Back when cars had carburetors and dashboard ammeters I left the lights on for four hours to kill the battery, as an experiment
Then I jump started it and the ammeter needle was pinned on "charge" side.
I drove off to recharge and stalled the car after one block so I thought I was sunk, but the car cranked like new (a "surface charge"?) and once started, the needle went back to be pinned.
It took me four hours of highway driving to get the needle back to normal.


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## SARG (Dec 28, 2020)

I have several generations of the Schumacher units. ( Used to be $20 ). I've noted the older units do become flaky in operation over time.
I have the majority of vehicles & tractors wired for quick "plug-in".


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

A good excuse for me to go on a shopping trip only for the sake of the car.


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## turbo4 (Jan 30, 2021)

quatsch said:


> It took me four hours of highway driving to get the needle back to normal.


Much cheaper to just hook up a battery charger.


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## SpentPenny (Dec 15, 2020)

If it is a new vehicle that is what warranties are for. I bought a new F150 right off the showroom floor and the next day it was dead. It was a pain to take it back and wait but didn't cost me anything. Found out later the dealership often left the key on in the showroom so as to play the stereo loud while people shopped.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

Startingover said:


> The auto dimming headlights and auto correcting to stay in center of a lane makes me feel there’s a friendly ghost with me.
> 
> At a store, going slowly over speed bumps there was a noticeable thump in back. Like something heavy in the trunk bounced. I checked the spare and it seems secure. Later other speed bumps didn’t cause the noise.


Whenever I used it I felt like the steering was fighting me since I'm steering against the little servo motors or whatever it uses.

If no cargo is loose, the clunking might be a loose suspension component like a strut bracket or something. Your friend-mechanic might be able to find it but it sometimes requires the weight to be taken off the suspension. 



Startingover said:


> What is this icon of a coffee cup supposed to mean there’s nothing in my manual
> 
> View attachment 643115
> View attachment 643115


Heated cup holder? Fancy, fancy. If it is, don't turn it on when you have a mild shake or smoothie.


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## LawrenceS (Oct 21, 2020)

Startingover said:


> It makes a grinding noise so it’s not 100% dead.
> 
> I was sitting in the garage for 10 minutes playing with the display screen and you’re supposed to leave the car running when you’re doing that
> 
> ...


The biggest draw on a battery is starting the vehicle. Where you said your usual driving habits are just short around town trips the battery probably doesn't get a full charge often. Enough to start the vehicle regularly but not enough to maintain extended engine off accessory powering. So a combination of a partially charged battery and 10 minutes of playing with the radio with the engine off drained it enough where it failed to start the vehicle.

I would also assume most manufacturers are also probably using some form of computer controlled alternator output to reduce engine load and increase fuel economy which probably doesn't help with getting a battery fully charged in a short period of driving.

I wouldn't worry about a parasitic draw. For the ease of explanation vehicles these days are packed with control modules(mini simple computers) some of which will always need minimal power to retain memory settings(radio stations, keyless access, diagnostic trouble codes). In certain instances things can end up draining more power from the battery because they stay in a more active state which would cause a dead battery.


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## ratherbefishing (Jan 13, 2011)

If it's a 2018 car, the battery is probably the original one; 3 years old. So it's likely more than half way used up anyway. See if there's a "punch date" on the top or side. A couple "deep discharges" and it'll be toast. The car's alternator isn't the best way to revive a dead battery. Better to buy an inexpensive (plug-in) battery charger and charge for a few hours, even if it's performing OK now. 

If the starter works, but turns slowly, or seems to strain, treat yourself to a new battery. Better to lose the last few months of service than get stuck somewhere.

If you have access to a voltmeter ($5 at Harbor Freight), switch to the 20VDC scale. Attach the leads to the battery posts. Read the voltage WHILE CRANKING the engine. If it drops below 10 volts, buy a battery. On some/most cars, holding the gas pedal to the floor while cranking will put the fuel system in "clear flood" mode, and prevent the car from starting. This is great for performing the above test.


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

My first car, a used 1966 Mustang, had an ammeter. I kinda miss having one of those. It was very informative.



quatsch said:


> Back when cars had carburetors and dashboard ammeters...


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## Old Thomas (Nov 28, 2019)

For the thump in the back of the car, check the sway bar links. My wife’s Mustang had a rear suspension clunk that I couldn’t find until I hit everything with a rubber mallet. When I hit a sway bar link I heard the clunk. The aftermarket replacements are heavier duty than the OEM parts.
With an ammeter all the power for the car has to go through the dash gauge. A volt meter can use any 12v supply and will supply the needed information. To save money, a volt meter or light is used.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Finally had the spare tire in my trunk aired up which was good because it was completely out of air. When I pulled the carpet back I discovered what the thump was. The spare tire is anchor down but sitting loose on top of it is a Styrofoam container holding the jack and tire tool. When I went over the speed bump that was the noise I heard.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

@Startingover - Check out any recalls for your car. I have a Toyota Prius & it has Takata side air bag recalls. Currently, my headlights keep going out and it may be the wiring harness. $$$$. There was a recall, but it expired? What? Why didn't they tell me when I called about the airbag recall?

I was checking out the headlight recall & saw possible info for your car -





Toyota is conducting a safety recall involving certain Toyota and Lexus vehicles - Toyota USA Newsroom


NOTE: This statement was updated since its first publication PLANO, Texas (October 28, 2020) – Toyota is recalling certain Lexus and Toyota vehicles produced between July 2017 through December 2019 due to the same fuel pump issue for which Toyota […]




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Sorry to be the bearer of possibly bad news. I think the Toyota dealership where we bought it is pretty corrupt.


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

Maybe someone needs to slow down a little on the speed bumps? ;-)



Startingover said:


> Finally had the spare tire in my trunk aired up which was good because it was completely out of air. When I pulled the carpet back I discovered what the thump was. The spare tire is anchor down but sitting loose on top of it is a Styrofoam container holding the jack and tire tool. When I went over the speed bump that was the noise I heard.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

raylo32 said:


> Maybe someone needs to slow down a little on the speed bumps? ;-)


haha


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Nik333 said:


> @Startingover - Check out any recalls for your car. I have a Toyota Prius & it has Takata side air bag recalls. Currently, my headlights keep going out and it may be the wiring harness. $$$$. There was a recall, but it expired? What? Why didn't they tell me when I called about the airbag recall?
> 
> I was checking out the headlight recall & saw possible info for your car -
> 
> ...


ohhh, thats not good! I haven’t a checked out the recalls yet thanks for the reminder.


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