Scion xB Forum banner

Causes for Dead Battery.

5K views 17 replies 6 participants last post by  mrrcom 
#1 ·
Hello all. figured id post this here instead of the 1st gen forum cause it could apply to all...i guess? lol

So the last time i drove the XB was sunday morning when i left work at 6am and I go out today at around 2:30pm monday to run some errands and all i get is clicks!

what could cause my battery to loose its juice after like 32hrs of not being driven?? are there things i can check? i have a multimeter

everything is factory except i added a small amp and subwoofer a few weeks ago. i DID wire the remote turn on wire to a hot only when on circuit.

also id like to note that there have been times when the xb has been not driven for a longer period of time and i havent had any issue.

Thanks guys!!!!!!!!
 
#2 ·
I installed a used powered Bazooka tube wired so the internal circuit would only energize from the constant hot when the ACC power was on, and I then also started getting battery issues. Turned out the internal circuit wasn't functioning properly. The cure was to wire in a BOSCH relay to replace the internal circuit (ACC hot triggers the relay allowing the constant hot to flow to the Amp). Not an issue since.
 
#3 ·
ah ha

the amp is pretty old. and its a cheap "dual" brand at that. though it was in my pickup before and never gave me any issues even when sitting weeks on end. but maybe its letting go :(. i'll give that a look. if in case that is the problem do you know the part number for the relay you used?

also id like to mention i had put a charger on it... 6amps for about 3 1/2 hrs. it started right up, and i let it warm up for about 20 mins. during its idle i checked the battery posts with my meter and it was reading 13.8v. i believe that means my alt is putting out power.
 
#4 ·
It's just a basic single pole double throw Bosch relay. Most any electronics store has them, same as used for fog lights. Most are rated 30 amps, so you might want to order one with a higher amp rating.
 
#5 ·
Here is a picture of the pin out for the Bosch relay.
 

Attachments

#6 ·
Take off the positive battery terminal and hook up a test light in between the terminal and the cable.
The heavier the draw the brighter the light. You have to use a filament type bulb test light, led won't work.
Systematically take out fuses to see which circuit the heavy draw is on.
Hunt down which component on that circuit is causing it by unplugging each item.
 
#8 ·
assuming you unhooked the battery before doing electrical work on the car, if so check the ground is tight. I had an issue where mine would die, get boosted, run a few days, then die again. Turns out the battery was not getting charged enough constantly while driving. Each time took a varying amount of time.who knows, maybe its one of those simple fixes. ;) *crossing fingers for you*
 
#10 ·
The heat this year has been doing a serious number to batteries all over the nation... hell i had to replace the wifes battery in her car and it was 2 years old. My SRT hasnt been driven all summer because of mechanical issues BUT I had driven it one evening, went out the next afternoon to go make a run to the store and the battery was completely drained thanks to the excess heat and the fact that my car is blacker than an oil slick
 
#11 ·
ok guys! update.

so i did the test light thing. and nothing seemed out of wack with the wiring and all that. although since the problem first started i undid the fuse going to the amp(i put it back when i was testing everything) so i took the battery down to batteries plus and they scanned it and the guy said it wasnt in good health... like it wouldnt charge all the way. i dunno

i just ended up getting a new battery. im not gonna risk going someplace to just to have the car be dead... especially if im out with my chick friend. that would suuuuuuck.

thanks for letting me know about the test light though!
 
#12 ·
Maybe I missed some of the details in and amongst the discussion on relays... I see you already opted to replace the battery, but for the sake of future food for thought:

* How old was the battery? Average lifespan of a battery these days tends to be between 3-5 years. I know that to be true for up here in New England, and I imagine you have a similar climate in IL.

* BigRuss is absolutely right. The heat makes short work of otherwise good batteries. It can cause cells to weaken or go bad, which can lead to either having a cell that does not produce any voltage (Just one bad cell is enough to not be able to start the car.) or you can have overcharging, which also pretty much renders a battery useless.

* Trickle chargers are nice for maintaining a battery over time, but the most effective way to charge a good battery is to remove it from the vehicle and have it charged. Parts stores are generally able to do this.

I work for a well known auto club as a roadside battery technician, so I've sure seen my share of dead batteries this summer. :)
 
#13 ·
The previous battery was a almost 6.5 years old. That was the biggest reason I decided to get a new battery over trying to maintain the old one. Got hooked up with a "Duracell"... i think they're all made at the same place with different stickers on em... but haven't had a problem since.

Im gonna be storing my XB over the winter and I plan on taking the battery out and putting it on a tickler haha
 
#15 ·
oh. i have a waverunner and i take the battery out during the winter and hook it up to a trickle charger so i just figured id do that with the xb.

is there a reason why i shouldnt? i mean if im gonna be disconnecting it from the car's system anyways i could take it inside too.

my garage isnt heated or anything and i was thinking keeping it in the basement where it stays around 60 in the winter would help the battery stay alive.
 
#17 ·
Wave runner is one thing.. But the xB you can just pull your front grill off, and run your extension cord in through it and won't have any issues... Its just one of those things man.. You won't have to lug the battery around, and if your car is locked up, hood shut with the cable ran through the grill you got a secure place to keep it and then when it warms up all you gotta do is hook the battery back up and pop your grill on.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top