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Toyota Camry Battery Questions

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Comments

  • michaelg210michaelg210 Member Posts: 2
    First of all let me say I don't feel so bad, my battery just died and i had it almost exactly 3 yrs.

    My question is about the battery terminal connectors and battery cable to the terminal connector. My terminal connector needs to be replaced, (Toyota's set up sucks btw). However, there is an additional small wire piggybacked onto the connector. I am not sure of the thickness, perhaps 1/4 inch or about as thick as a telephone line.

    I am wondering what this is for? It appears to run along the main positive battery cable and into a part of a wiring harness. Could it be for ground or some other reason? At one time the car had an alarm system, which I had uninstalled. Is it perhaps a leftover hot wire from a poor uninstall. Does it make sense the wire would coincide with the hot battery terminal plug wire?

    Any information would help.

    Thanks,
    :confuse:
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    1/4" would probably be the alternator positive post output wire. It generally runs to the battery positive terminal at the starter solenoid or directly to the battery as above.
  • michaelg210michaelg210 Member Posts: 2
    Thank you... I took it to a friend's shop and they replaced the terminals, but used the same OEM setup Toyota had, said it could / should not be changed.
  • crasecrase Member Posts: 7
    I just changed the original battery in my '02 Camry, and two problems occurred. The speedometer needle has swung all the way to the far right, and is no longer working, and the idle speed has dropped to almost nothing, making it hard to keep the car running. I understand from reading other posts the computer may need re-setting or re-programming. Is there any fix I can do from home, or does it need to go to my mechanic.
    Thanks for any help.
    Peter
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    Something's wrong, because the speedo needle won't relearn its original function. Also, the idle speed can drop, but not to the point of stalling. Was all power off when you changed the battery (lights, etc.) and did you remove the key from the ignition switch?
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    Check to make sure you didn't blow a fuse, specifically these three:

    - 10 Amp IG2
    - 10 Amp Gauge 1
    - 10 Amp ECU-B
  • crasecrase Member Posts: 7
    The key was out of the ignition, but it's possible the headlight switch was on. I don't think the headlights can draw any power without the key being turned on first. The drivers door and the trunk lid were open, meaning the dome light and trunk light would have been drawing power when I hooked up the new battery, but the trunk light is out. The idle has returned to normal, but the speedo needle remains buried all the way over to the right, with no function at all.
    When I hooked up the new battery, I noticed something was drawing a little power, as I heard the light sound of electricity as the negative cable neared the negative post. The positive cable was hooked up first. I assume the power draw would have been the dome light, as the drivers door was open, and I have the dome light switch set so the dome light comes on when the door opens. I don't think my trunk light is working right now, the bulb probably needs changing.
    I talked to my mechanic, who hasn't heard of the speedo problem before. He said the idle speed needed to be relearned, as it's controlled by an idle motor.
    I'm going in for a 30K service later this week, my mechanic says the speedo problem is easy to diagnose.
    I'm wondering if its an electronic speedo or traditional cable actuated?
  • crasecrase Member Posts: 7
    I checked the three fuses, none of them were burned. I also checked Guage 2. I managed to drop a fuse under the battery tray in the process, but I substituted a spare fuse from the fuse case under the hood.
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    The speedometer is electronic.

    Sensors on the wheels and transmission.
  • crasecrase Member Posts: 7
    So, one or both of the sensors may be malfunctioning,, or the gauge itself is a goner. Maybe it's coincidental to changing the battery, and the malfunction isn't related to changing the battery at all.
    That would be quite a coincidence.
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    Well actually you should think of this as three components.....input, processing, and output.

    The input sensors report how each wheel, the transmission output shaft, and the engine are spinning. The computer collects and 'processes' this information (from these and hundreds of other sensors). It then sends that info to other things as 'outputs'.

    The speedometer display is just one output device.

    I had you test those fuses, as those are the fuses which supply power to the display. If somehow one of those fuses blew during the battery change, then that is one obvious first diagnosis step.

    A second step then would be to check whether your cruise control works. If the cruise control works, then you know that that the speed sensors are working correctly, and being processed correctly by the engine computer. That would eliminate the 'input' sensors as likely causing the problem.

    That would then leave you the computer itself (the piece feeding the display), or the internals of the display (since you've already checked that it is getting power).

    It's hard to diagnose the display further without replacing it.

    Failing computer processing, could be hardware or software (similar to a PC). Software problems can be resolved by the dealership reloading the software in the computer. Hardware problems are resolved by replacing the computer. The dealership has a device which tests the computer hardware and tells you whether it is defective or not.

    When I recently replaced batteries in two of our vehicles, I borrowed from the parts store a battery jumper which also had a plug that plugs into the OBD connector, thereby continuing to provide stable voltage to the computer while the battery is swapped out. Replaced batteries in both a Toyota and a Ford, with no problems after the fact.
  • crasecrase Member Posts: 7
    Thanks for the info. The cruise control is still working OK. With hindsight, if I had provided stable voltage to the computer while the battery was swapped out, I may have avoided this problem. I'm taking in the car for 30K service on Monday, to my regular independent mechanic. Your infor. will help me understand what he tells me.
    Thanks!
  • 93camary93camary Member Posts: 1
    everything was fine with my camry, until my brother fell asleep in it and the battery went dead. when the guy went to replace the battery he put it in backwards ( meaning + cables connected to negative and negative connected to plus ). So far I received three different reasons of what happened. could some an expert Please explain how to repair my beautiful car it only has 131,000 og miles on it.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well at worst they fried the alternator diodes, but probably what happened is they blew one or more fusible links, which are heavy duty fuses placed in-line along the thick wires (not the battery cables) running from the positive battery post along the inner fender well. If these fuses blow, you often will get a no-start, and sometimes even no lights, etc.

    In very rare instances, there's computer damage.
  • isahakabolisahakabol Member Posts: 1
    after i replaced the battery, the engine vibrate when it is running on idle speed.
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    It should return to normal idle speed after a 100 or so miles of driving.
  • choochoomanchoochooman Member Posts: 38
    do u do anything special when changing car battery? 2005 camery does anything need to be hooked up to car so the computers don't get messed up or just remove and replace cables
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    I don't know whether it's needed or not, but when I replaced the battery on my 2007, the auto parts store where I bought the battery, loaned me one of those jump start battery pack thingies. It had a connector on it where you plug it into the OBD2 connector under the dash. That keeps power to the computer, allowing you to then swap out the battery....with no problems.
  • metalibrarianmetalibrarian Member Posts: 29
    Changing the battery is no more difficult than it was in the 60s when I first did it. Plenty of other procedures are. But you can wipe out your radio stations, security codes, pre-set seat positions, keyless entry system--a pain in the neck .

    Two solutions (1) one from choochooman above--borrowed from a parts store or (2) buy your own. I got a little device with a 9-volt battery that plugs into your cigarette lighter (or whatever they call them these days) and keeps just enough juice running thru the system while you're changing the carbattery to keep the codes fresh. Less than ten bucks. Mine was marketed by a company called Noco.
  • metalibrarianmetalibrarian Member Posts: 29
    I made a mistake in the previous message and did not give credit to kiawah.

    Be aware, when you use either a jumpstart thingee or a 9-volt device, you can't have any draw on electricity. You have to make sure your radio is off and all lights are not operating. You can't open the door and suddenly have a light(s) try to function when you only have a little 9-volter plugged into your cigarette lighter! Best to open a window and operate the device thru that. The Noco directions actually advise users to pull the fuses for lights and stuff. I don't think one needs to do that as long as one ensures a light won't try to go on.
  • ludalexludalex Member Posts: 3
    My mother who is a senior drives a 1993 Camry (with just 65,000 miles on it), and it regularly has to be given a boost. At first, we thought it was the battery itself, so we changed it. But even now, with a new battery (about 6 months old), every couple of weeks, the car won't start. The AAA people who come to boost it say it's because my mom doesn't drive enough. She goes out at least once a week, and she starts the car a few times a week. it's true that she never takes in on the highway.

    The car is with my mechanic now, and he can't figure out what the problem is. In fact, I told him that my mom is willing to pay whatever is necessary to fix it (it has no other problems), but he simply doesn't know. Clearly, something is draining the battery when it's sitting in the garage but it's nothing obvious.

    Would anyone have any thoughts?

    Thanks!
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    edited July 2011
    "...senior...goes out at least once a week...every couple of weeks..."

    Door ajar.

    Remove the bulbs from the dome/map/courtesy and the sun visor mirror(s)for awhile.
  • ludalexludalex Member Posts: 3
    Thank you. I know it's not the door because she checks for that every time. I'll try to get rid off these "optional" lights, but would you have any advice about making the battery last longer? I visit her once a week. So would it help if I took it for a 30-minute spin on the highway, for example? And, are there any suggestions I can make to the mechanic?

    Thanks again!
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    edited July 2011
    I'll be 71 in a week, I lock my front door every morning as I leave, out of habit.

    Ask me 2-3 miles down the road if I remember locking the door.....

    Checking the doorS to be closed is made more difficult by the fact that the interior lights have a delayed off....You either have to walk around and SEE that the other doors are actually closed or stand and wait for the lights to extinguish.

    I'm lucky in that I am not, "knock-on-wood" (KNOCK, KNOCK), yet really losing my short term memory....who do you suppose that is knocking on the front door at this hour of the morning...??
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    Could be any number of things. If you have had the battery tested and it is good, then you need to figure out what is draining the battery. To do this takes a lot of investigatory work, and requires that you place an ampmeter on the battery power cable, so you can monitor the current draw. Then start pulling all the fuses so you can watch when the power draw stops.

    You'll undoubtedly find a set of electrical schematics very helpful, assuming whoever is troubleshooting this knows how to read them.

    I've seen things like:
    - trunk light bulbs on
    - glove light bulbs on
    - stuck relays
    - electric seat switch bad keeping the motor energized
    - defective radios, or aftermarked radios not installed correctly
    - a defective engine computer, or defective body control modules
    - diodes bad in the alternator

    Could be any number of problems.
  • ludalexludalex Member Posts: 3
    Thanks! The mechanic figured it out. It turns out the security alarm system wasn't properly connected and was draining the battery.
  • gotodrewgotodrew Member Posts: 1
    She's not going to want to put the car on a trickle charger. "my mom is willing to pay whatever is necessary to fix it" - She's got to change the car every 10 or 15 years, buy/lease a new one; maybe downsize to a Corrolla. Newer cars are safer and more reliable.
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