i have an argument i'd like to settle... a friend has a 2002 highlander he is convinced that leaving his dome light on has twice killed his battery...though i am sure that is draining the battery should it be killing it or is there possibly more to this ie;alternator trouble or other electrical problems...he is quite old and is leaving on a road trip and i think he needs to have this checked out...he is satisfied with the fact that jumping it got it going again.
2007-02-02 04:21:00 · 7 answers · asked by ? 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Car Makes ➔ Toyota
A drain on a battery from something like leaving a dome light on can cause the volts to drop lower than the minimum required for starting. In most cases though, a strong battery will have enough reserve to allow for a dome light to be on for at least 24 hours and still allow for starting.
As batteries get old, they loose their ability to hold a charge. So an older battery will drain quicker. This is not a reflection on the charging system of the vehicle, but rather how the service life of battery operates.
Personally, I would only be concerned if the following occured:
1) The dome light was left on for only a short time and the battery was dead. I would then replace the battery as it is getting to the end of it's service life.
2) After boosting the vehicle and running it for a while the battery is not holding a charge (e.g., it won't start by itself after the vehicle ran for 30 minutes).
Hope that helps!
2007-02-02 06:56:58 · answer #1 · answered by mountainpete 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Toyota Highlander Electrical Problems
2016-11-06 22:10:17 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If it has a marginal sized original battery the dome light would knock it dead. Five years on a standard cheap battery would be the expected time of death. Hook up a small volt meter to the battery prior to jumping it. If it's under 11.2 volts there is most likely an internal short in the battery. Get it started and with the volt meter hooked to the battery the meter should read 12.5 - 12.8 volts. This means that the alternator is working within spec.
2007-02-02 06:14:45 · answer #3 · answered by Country Boy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Take the battery in to a place that does testing (usually free and you might have to phone around). If the battery has a faulty cell it will cause a "shallow charge" in which the dome light will kill it. If the battery test ok, then check the alternator and voltage regulator. Those are the most common problems in the charging system.
2007-02-02 04:31:32 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Batteries have an expected life of 3-4 years. If his battery is getting old like he is, then leaving the dome light on all night will drain the battery. Doing that multiple times will kill the battery.
If his battery is over 3 years old, have him replace it before he heads out on his road trip.
Ah road trips.. I live for long road trips.. Hope he has lots of adventures and fun.
2007-02-02 04:26:26 · answer #5 · answered by shovelkicker 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The battery is rated in amp hours. A 40 amp hour battery will supply one amp for 40 hours before going flat. The bulb in the dome light is rated in Watts. Divide the wattage of the bulb by the system voltage which gives you what fraction of an amp the bulb uses per hour.Then divide the battery amp hourage by this figure. This gives you the lenght of time in hours the battery should run the dome light before going flat.
The vehicle handbook will give you the data you need to make the calculations.
2007-02-02 04:32:23 · answer #6 · answered by fred35 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Leaving a light on drains a battery it doesnt kill it.
Jumping it to start is OK but you have to drive a long time for the alternator to charge it fully. Its better to give it a slow charge for 12 hours. He will kill it if he keeps draining it without re-charging it fully soon after.
2007-02-02 04:33:36 · answer #7 · answered by frigon_p 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋