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Posted by: thelogo May 15 2015, 07:04 PM

It's my grandmother s car
But I'm responsible for up keep
Battery is a at least 8 year old dura last
It had been crankin weak for the past few months

Lights may have been left on and drained
The batt

But should I replace the batt or look else where
First ???

Your advice appreciated

Posted by: zambezi May 15 2015, 07:23 PM

8 year old duralast? Consider yourself lucky. Change it.

Posted by: screenguy914 May 15 2015, 07:27 PM

Confirm it's a goner before you replace it. If you have time, slow charge it for a couple days, then recheck, or take it down to the FLAPS for diagnosis. They should have the correct test equipment to confirm it's good or bad, even if discharged. Suggest getting a second opinion. Retail stores tend to want to sell you stuff. :-)

Posted by: McMark May 15 2015, 07:54 PM

QUOTE(zambezi @ May 15 2015, 06:23 PM)

Posted by: thelogo May 15 2015, 08:00 PM

[quote name='screenguy914' date='May 15 2015, 06:27 PM' post='2187384']
Confirm it's a goner before you replace it. If you have time, slow charge it for a couple days







I tried hooking up my home depot
Trickle charger but it will not even light up

Posted by: somd914 May 15 2015, 08:07 PM

Over my years of driving I have typically seen batteries start to show signs of ending their life with an occasional slow crank or unexplained discharge. Then all of a sudden they give up the ghost. Eight years is a good life.

If it is truly reading zero on a multimeter, your charger probably won't see it and thus won't attempt to charge it - typically chargers need to see a minimum voltage level in the battery before applying charging current.

You can have the battery checked, but the odds are it's dead. It's possible the alternator is charging it, but if the lights and other electrical systems function properly while the engine is running, I'd bet against the alternator. Once you get it running, see what the voltage is at the battery, should be in the 13.8 range or so which is higher than the battery itself at 12.6 or so.

Posted by: eyesright May 15 2015, 08:21 PM

I tried hooking up my home depot
Trickle charger but it will not even light up
[/quote]


Yeah, these new chargers are programmed NOT to charge a dead battery. My 20 year old charger ( 6v/6amp-12v/2amp-12v/6amp ) will take on anything. I don't know why things have changed, but I bet some gov't regulation had something to do with it.

So, besides a new battery, here are two options.

1. Find an OLD charger at some garage sale. Old battery chargers -- and old gas cans, the ones with with sensible spouts -- are worth picking up for a few dollars.

2. Hook up a good battery with jumper cables to the dead battery just to fool your charger into getting started. Then you can unhook your good battery. Leave a trickle charger on it for several days, maybe a week. I've been surprised how much life you can get out of an old battery if its discharged completely and then trickle charged like that.

BUT, remember its still an old battery. Maybe it should go in your tractor. At least keep the $12 HF trickle charger on it when parked.

Hope this helps.

Posted by: thelogo May 15 2015, 08:45 PM

I wrenched it outta the car and hookup to home depo
Trickle charger , it now starts to charge

I can now see the battery date which is 9/05

So it's actually about 10 years old .

I took it to pep boys ,their machine said replace battery

Cc amps is supposed to be 500

Currently it has only 4 cc amps And 8.56 volts

Should I charge it up at home or just replace and forget about it

Posted by: dakotaewing May 15 2015, 09:01 PM

I have a 95 tercel with 318K miles with no major service to the engine. Replaced the clutch at about 280K miles. Its been running on 3 cylinders half the time for about the last 15K miles.
Make sure you thoroughly clean the battery cables, as well as charge or replace the battery. Came home from not driving the car for a year and couldn't figure out why I couldn't jump the car. The cables just needed a good cleaning.
Take the car to your local flaps, and have the flaps test the alternator. If the alternator is bad, take the original denso to a reputable rebuilder, rather than buy a cheap alternator from the flaps.
This cost will be about the same, and the rebuild will last longer.

Posted by: somd914 May 16 2015, 06:41 AM

Even if you can breath life back into the battery, given it's age and recent behavior, I wouldn't trust it. Being stranded somewhere isn't worth the $80-$100 insurance of a new battery. The last two batteries in DDs that failed on me had similar symptoms. I could get them to take a charge, but how long a charge would last was a roll of the dice.

Agree, clean the connectors, and for piece of mind, have the alternator checked.

Posted by: rhodyguy May 16 2015, 06:56 AM

Put a new battery in grandma's car. Case closed.

Posted by: thelogo May 16 2015, 08:51 AM

Ok so I'll be buyiing a new batt
At Kmart

Flaps told me the car takes a group 25 orr 26 size batt

The current battery sticker and info is so washed away it's hard to tell what group # it is

Kmart carries only a group 26 .

Will that work and can anyone here tell me the correct
Group size they use on there tercels

Mine is a 96 with a 1.5 L , I know Toyota big block


Kmart wants 84 for the group 26


Wal-Mart wants 97 for a group 25

Posted by: colingreene May 17 2015, 10:30 PM

I feel like this as become way more complicated than it needs to be.
Maybe call the toyota Dealer and ask.