Battery Drain

[fenrisx]

Hey All --

I'm having an issue with my battery holding a charge. It will run and drive fine, it's just if I let it sit for ~1hour the battery will be dead. When I turn it off there's a clicking noise under the hood unless I disconnect the battery.

I am curious to know if it could be from the little diagnostic box being poorly grounded? I had the bolt head snap on that box when I was doing my plugs and wires, and considered myself lucky that I had an bolt with proper thread /pitch/etc lying around (it was from a Husky wrench set; they used them to keep the packaging closed. However, that bolt was a black coated deal and I'm wondering if it could be an issue.

Timing wise, I also installed a new stereo around this time frame. I don't think it's from the radio install because the battery draining wasn't an issue right away... which is making me wonder if that bolt getting rusty is the issue.

Here's a picture of the bolt I'm talking about:
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1756/41823535535_893dc27b31_h.jpg

Thanks for any help. Luckily the 4Runner is no longer my daily or I'd be a little more screwed. This has been an issue for about a year now, I just never think to fix it since I rarely need to drive it. :)

[Seanz0rz]

I would take that bolt out, clean it up with a wire brush, apply a liberal amount of dielectric grease and reinsert.

Can you tell where the clicking is coming from? I suspect either the main fuse/relay box or one of the ones on the passenger side inner fender.

[4x4mike]

Have you had the battery checked? If it's older and the 4Runner doesn't get driven much it could be needing replacement. You mention battery drain and not being able to start the 4Runner after sitting for an hour. I imagine if it were a drain it would have to be a pretty large load to drain the battery enough to not start. I'd replace the bolt as Sean mentioned but I'd also have the battery load tested.

When the 4Runner is sitting, is it on a battery tender? If so does the voltage get high enough to keep the battery healthy?

[fenrisx]

I would take that bolt out, clean it up with a wire brush, apply a liberal amount of dielectric grease and reinsert.

Can you tell where the clicking is coming from? I suspect either the main fuse/relay box or one of the ones on the passenger side inner fender.

I'll give this a shot on Friday. The clicking noise is driver side, but I'll have to double check to say for sure if it's from the fuse box.



Have you had the battery checked? If it's older and the 4Runner doesn't get driven much it could be needing replacement. You mention battery drain and not being able to start the 4Runner after sitting for an hour. I imagine if it were a drain it would have to be a pretty large load to drain the battery enough to not start. I'd replace the bolt as Sean mentioned but I'd also have the battery load tested.

When the 4Runner is sitting, is it on a battery tender? If so does the voltage get high enough to keep the battery healthy?

The battery was replaced within a year before I stopped driving it daily. It's not on a tender. I haven't had it load tested to say that it's not the issue. However, as long as I unhook the battery after I drive it it's fine the next time I hook it up... which is maybe once a month if not longer. Starts great, doesn't struggle or anything similar to when the battery is weak.

[fenrisx]

Well, I took the bolt out to put some dielectric grease on it... but it turns out I can't find mine. I started it up, and then turned it off to pin point the clicking noise, but it isn't doing it now. Go figure.

Bolt isn't as corroded as I thought either, but still I wasn't sure if the coating itself could be an issue.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1745/42784865561_40df637af4_h.jpg

[YotaFun]

IIRC the clicking noise is the canister vent solenoid, sometimes it will modulate after key off sometimes it will not.

I would recommend having your battery checked, and I would still go over the wiring for the stereo just to make 100% sure that something might have not been crossed causing a drain. A semi easy way to also rule out the radio, next time you drive and park it, pull the fuse for it and see if still in an hour it is dead again.

[fenrisx]

IIRC the clicking noise is the canister vent solenoid, sometimes it will modulate after key off sometimes it will not.

I would recommend having your battery checked, and I would still go over the wiring for the stereo just to make 100% sure that something might have not been crossed causing a drain. A semi easy way to also rule out the radio, next time you drive and park it, pull the fuse for it and see if still in an hour it is dead again.

If my memory serves me... I feel like the clicking was behind the fuse box towards the driver.. is that where the canister vent solenoid is located?

Also, the battery has survived the night without me having to unhook the battery. I just went out and it fired right up.

[4x4mike]

My canister/vacuum box thingy used to make quite a bit of noise. When I first got the 4Runner I thought it was an issue until I researched it a bit. The noise never got any worse and it wasn't causing problems so I got used to it. I had a 5 speed and had moved all my driver side fender components for my York OBA so that area of the engine compartment was a bit crowded. IIRC the noise was more prominent in the warmer months and after driving, not so much at start up.

[YotaFun]

If my memory serves me... I feel like the clicking was behind the fuse box towards the driver.. is that where the canister vent solenoid is located?

Also, the battery has survived the night without me having to unhook the battery. I just went out and it fired right up.

Yup that is where the solenoid is.

Could also be possible that the battery has a bad cell causing an intermittent issue. I have had that happen before as well.