dead battery

[yaris9876]

will the Yaris ECM throw a code if the alternator is bad?? I am getting just a battery icon on the dash.... The battery was completely dead while driving...It just barely made it in the drive.It was dying at the last 2 traffic lights but kept running barely..This happened fast. AN hour before I didnt notice anything. Then the radio quit but oddly the XM radio kept going but no sound. The battery was a red Top Optima about 2-3 years old. I checked the fuse for ALT ok... any ideas??

[CTScott]

No - No code will be thrown for a bad alternator.

To start, measure the battery voltage with the engine off and with it running.

[edmscan]

I had a similar problem with my OEM battery ... drove it Saturday and it was fine and on Monday it was totally dead. I had no advanced notice .. no dash lights nothing. Replaced the battery ... and it is fine again.

[MadMax]

Odd, my battery has been on its last legs for a few weeks now. Tough starting on cold mornings, but as the day warms up it's fine! I keep meaning to replace it, before it strands me somewhere (I do have jumper cables in the hatch).

Cheers! M2

[edmscan]

Originally Posted by MadMax

Odd, my battery has been on its last legs for a few weeks now. Tough starting on cold mornings, but as the day warms up it's fine! I keep meaning to replace it, before it strands me somewhere (I do have jumper cables in the hatch).

Cheers! M2

That's what I thought too ... a boost didn't get me very far. After boosting my car TWICE I made it all of 2 km (just over a mile) when the car stalled when I had to slow down for traffic.

I finally had to connect an external booster pack to the battery to keep the car running ... and drove that way to the Toyota dealer.

So .. I would recommend getting a new battery before it is too late. I didn't expect to get stranded either but I did.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by edmscan

That's what I thought too ... a boost didn't get me very far. After boosting my car TWICE I made it all of 2 km (just over a mile) when the car stalled when I had to slow down for traffic.

I finally had to connect an external booster pack to the battery to keep the car running ... and drove that way to the Toyota dealer.

So .. I would recommend getting a new battery before it is too late. I didn't expect to get stranded either but I did.

Good advice. My OEM battery behaved like MadMax's, and then on the day I replaced it behaved more like yours. On replacement day (once I left Wal-Mart because a 35 wouldn't fit and that Wal-Mart refused to try any other code) my Yaris started to act like yours about a third of a mile away from Wal-Mart. I made it to National Tire and Battery (they were out of anything that would fit) and then to Sears (replacement locale) where barely made it into the bay (it would have gone maybe another half mile or so). Total distance from Wal-Mart to National Tire and Battery to Sears = 4.8 miles. Exactly 3 years later I replaced he Sears battery when that battery was slightly more benign (re symptoms) than what MadMax is now experiencing.

[edmscan]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

Good advice. My OEM battery behaved like MadMax's, and then on the day I replaced it behaved more like yours. On replacement day (once I left Wal-Mart because a 35 wouldn't fit and that Wal-Mart refused to try any other code) my Yaris started to act like yours about a third of a mile away from Wal-Mart. I made it to National Tire and Battery (they were out of anything that would fit) and then to Sears (replacement locale) where barely made it into the bay (it would have gone maybe another half mile or so). Total distance from Wal-Mart to National Tire and Battery to Sears = 4.8 miles. Exactly 3 years later I replaced he Sears battery when that battery was slightly more benign (re symptoms) than what MadMax is now experiencing.

Before boosting the car ... I had NO battery power at all. Even the reading lights or interior lights wouldn't work. The doors also wouldn't open with my fob, I had to manually unlock the doors, only to find that nothing worked. When I did boost it .. turning on my headlights killed the car. Boosted it again .. and made it about 2 km where it then stalled.

[yariseggvvti]

This is was happened to me too. When my alternator is out, I had no sign at all. After I park my vehicle that's it. At first I thought was the battery. I jump start it and drove in a block the vehicle dead again. I jump start it and once I pull the jump cable out the vehicle is shuts down. Finally know is the alternator. Check the voltage and it gotta be 13.9 with vehicle on. When the vehicle is off is 12.8. Good luck!

[edmscan]

Originally Posted by yariseggvvti

This is was happened to me too. When my alternator is out, I had no sign at all. After I park my vehicle that's it. At first I thought was the battery. I jump start it and drove in a block the vehicle dead again. I jump start it and once I pull the jump cable out the vehicle is shuts down. Finally know is the alternator. Check the voltage and it gotta be 13.9 with vehicle on. When the vehicle is off is 12.8. Good luck!

My car reads 13.94V when it is running ... so my alternator is working fine. Don't know the voltage of the battery when the car is turned off .. but it should be around 12.65V from what I understand.

[yaris9876]

IT was the Alternator.Luckily this town has a small starter rebuilding service. A rare thing nowadays.
Usually they say just replace it. Anyway the mechanic had it tested(bad) and rebuilt in a few hours.
He said the brushes were non existent, they were so worn. But not bad for 350K. eh?
Now I have a shiny new looking little powerplant with all new guts and a 14v read on the ScanGauge.
The Optima red top is good and my little charger cranked it good all night. It was interesting to see that
the car had no problems driving the 20 miles to the shop on a charge. I didnt use any accessories.I didnt think it would make it. Good to know.100 bucks for a like new alternator plus they installed for a bit more.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by edmscan

Before boosting the car ... I had NO battery power at all. Even the reading lights or interior lights wouldn't work. The doors also wouldn't open with my fob, I had to manually unlock the doors, only to find that nothing worked. When I did boost it .. turning on my headlights killed the car. Boosted it again .. and made it about 2 km where it then stalled.

Sorry, WAY too tired when I first read your posts. Odd that you had no warning. Still good if you influence MadMax to get a new battery sooner, rather than later. I'm never going to intentionally let my battery get to the point my OEM one did, but of course I could end up having the same thing happen to me that happened to you without warning.