... car battery not charging?
 

2014 Toyota Corolla model-S, 6-speed manual with 69,500-miles in overall very good condition, except the battery does not stay charged up and it will NOT start.

Recently, have purchased a $99.94 Waimart Everstart Maxx Jump Starter: weighs about 30-lbs and gets charged up on 110v plug-in as a secondary way to power up the low battery and start the car. It DOES get the car started and have used it about 20 different times and I DEFINITELY do not drive the car without it.

Recently, have purchased a new Walmart Everstart Maxx-35N battery for $98.76, and it started the car GREAT for about one week but then it no longer will start it and the portable jump starter is needed.

Recently, have purchased a Walmart Schumacher 10-amp battery charger for $38.82 that plugs in to 110v, and charged up the battery in the car with an extension cord. Once charged like this, the car runs good for about one week.

For some unknown reason the battery is not being charged while the car is driven.

Plymouth NH is home to www.plymouthford.com ..... www.ktmauto.com ..... New World Auto ...... and ...... www.forresthowesautorepair.com ...... all close to the Plymouth Library so I can go chill out while this UNKNOWN ELECTRIC CHARGING PROBLEM hopefully gets fixed, correctly, on the first expensive attempt to repair it.

So, what could be the problem here with this 2014 TOYOTA COROLLA battery not getting charged up ... :eek: .... that is taking ME straight to the poor house, driving a manual stick-shift. Isn't the Toyota Corolla supposed to be like the most bullet proof and reliable car ever made, or someting!

It could be several things.

I would check for a short that is killing the battery.

But my first guess would be the alternator. Start the car and put a volt meter on the battery. If the alternator is putting out power it should read somewhere above 13 volts even as high as 14.5 volts. That will tell you that the charging system is working.

(FLL If you buy a volt meter at Walmart you can probably use it once and take it back for a full refund) :)

I agree with Tilton checking the alternator. That's the easiest thing to do first. In the unlikely case of a bad new battery, you could bring it to any quality auto parts store and have it checked. Lastly, a short or some other drain which might need qualified service.

https://www.autozone.com/lp/store-services

They should be able to help...

Also,
 

Keep an multimeter where you'll be able to test "all" voltages and save a Ton of money. In most cases it will pay for itself in just one use!

https://www.walmart.com/browse/home-...231235_1231238

Terry

What happened to the Scion?

Parasitic Load
 

FLL When you get your walmart Multi-meter, make sure you get one that has a DC current measurement capability of at least 10 amps. With a fully charged battery, disconnect the positive cable and place the meter between the + battery terminal (red test lead from meter) and the + battery cable (black test lead from meter) that you just disconnected. Prior to connecting the meter, make sure the Red test lead is in the "10A" position and set the meter dial to the DCA (DC amp) setting on a 10 amp scale. Close all the doors, turn off all the accessories and see what the meter reads.

A typical modern auto will have a "parasitic load" of between 50 and 100 Milliamps. Any current draw significantly larger than that means something in the car is drawing current from the battery when the car is shut down. You can probably identify the offending circuit by pulling fuses one by one until you see the excessive current draw eliminated.

Chaffed wiring., defective switches, defective electronic components and commonly bad diodes in the charging system alternator are all probable causes of these parasitic loads.

IF during the initial testing you measure a parasitic load within the typical 50-100 ma range, your car is acting normally. It's not uncommon for car batteries to go dead after several weeks of non use due to the small but constant current draw from the ECM and radio.

Good Luck
Charlie T

My car repair crystal ball tells me to take this 2014 Toyota Corolla 6-speed with the 'car battery not charging problem' to www.ktmauto.com in Plymouth, down below the Flying Monkey, to get it fixed CORRECT the first time, and at a price of $100 or less!!!

Wish me some good luck with this! ..... :D ..... That funny looking shaped building on the right is probably what houses the movie screen inside the Flying Monkey theatre ..... and don't forget that KTM Auto is the home of the $20.95 oil change.

I'd think that if the alternator were the issue, you'd see some kind of red battery / alternator light coming on. This would tell you that the battery has more voltage than the alternator is putting out. If you turn the ignition on but don't start the vehicle, it should illuminate... good way to make sure the bulb is good. Parasitic draw would only kill the battery while sitting overnight or a long period of inactivity, so I doubt that's the issue. One or two dead cells in the battery might be the issue if the alternator checks out ok.

So I have an appointment for next week at at KCM to get it fixed. What I have been doing that actually works pretty good is to attach the 10-amp $42 charger to the battery overnight. As long as the battery has the power, car will start right up. Getting lots of "hands on" battery charging experience!!!! ..... :D

Got a 100' extension cord so's the battery does not have to be removed from the car every night ..... which makes it much easier to do. .... :D

With an extension cord that long you may be able to plug it into an outlet at your neighbors house when they aren't home! :)

......great suggestion .....plus this car has automatically transformed into a hybrid electric that needs both gasoline and 110-v power to keep it going!

...... car runs excellent ..... just, will not always start up!!! ..... which is a major pain ..... getting lots experience with the portable power-pak which will start it but won't charge the battery.

Dude, why are you jumping through hoops with this stuff?!

You've filled up threads about all the stress in your life from the tinnitus, need to maintain your properties, clean up your front yard, neighbor issues, etc. and then add more through your car endeavors.

Given your financial situation, you could remove almost every stressor in, like, two days which would have an immediate impact on your emotional health, minimizing its impact on your physical, and overall, health.

I love ya buddy, but my sympathy is nearing zero given that you make choices that add to your difficulties.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

You probably replaced a perfectly good battery and wasted 100 bucks for not troubleshooting your problem first.

:laugh:

Was the problem resolved?

If so what was the cause, bad alternator???

Right, what was the outcome of this, FLL?

I ALWAYS go to the dealer. Even if it has 200K miles on it.

In the end they can be cheaper because they probably fix the same problem a dozen times a month. So you're not paying some mom and pop shop for on the job exploring.

They probably have the OEM parts too and not some crappy after market stuff. Oh and often it's a recall and fixed for free.

Assuming I can't fix it myself ;)