Can bad battery cause this kind of problem?

[Pragueprado Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pragueprado]

I have a 2003 KDJ-120, 3.0 D4D, dual batteries.

I know that one of the batteries has been on its way out (blue light slowly fading), and now the disc on the top shows that it's dead (blue=charged; red=needs charging, white=dead); another one is on order (special order so that the + post is on the correct side for the set up). The other battery is fine - bright blue light.

In the meantime, for the last few weeks, the check engine light has come on intermittently - sometimes it'll come on, sometimes not, with no apparent issues. However, about a week ago, as the last of the blue light faded, we had our first somewhat cold snap, and the motor (after starting but before it had warmed up) started hesitating, almost as if in on and off limp mode - until it warmed up at which point it was fine. The car has also been taking just a couple of extra seconds to start up.

Now, silly me for driving around with the check engine light going on and off - but I have been researching which code reader to purchase so that I could check it myself. I almost bought the Garmin thing that you plug into the connector, but I then (after much research) realised that my car isn't OBDII compliant. Would anyone know what reader I need to get?

Is the battery issue just a coincidence, or could this be causing the issues I described?

Many thanks for any input,
Clive

[Pragueprado Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pragueprado]

PS, no smoke of any kind coming out of the tailpipe.

[LeighW Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LeighW]

If the battery is faulty then one would assume it maybe the problem.

Also by dual batteries to you mean one cranking and one aux? If you do
then which battery is faulty, if it is the cranking battery have you checked
the charge voltage, a fault in the charging circuit may allow the cranking battery to
discharge but if your not using the aux it maybe getting enough charge to keep up.

Quite often unusual electrical problems end up being an alternator on the way out.

Cheers
Leigh

[Pragueprado Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pragueprado]

Thanks Leigh.

To the best of my knowledge, they're both cranking batteries - apparently necessary in the ultra frigid Eastern European winters. The one on the right is 105d31R and the one on the left is 105d31L. Both have CCA of about 750 and Ah of about 80.

I'm hoping it's not the alternator - I just replaced it last January! Well, at this point the new battery should be in in a few days so hopefully we'll have an answer then.

Clive

[LeighW Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LeighW]

It's a little unusual for one battery of a pair to go faulty as most batteries tend to drop a cell which will cause the other battery to discharge into it and also test bad. In your case sounds like the battery is not accepting a charge. If one gone though you would have to assume the others not far behind. I would get the other battery tested before installing the new battery if it's suss then I would replace both else you'll condemn the new one to a short life span. Cheers leigh

[ithommo Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ithommo]

Check the alternator - my old 120 series did as you discribed and was faulty.
If so, I would suggest that if you have your own auto electrician, see them as they should be able to get another one far cheaper than genuine!

[Pragueprado Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pragueprado]

It's a little unusual for one battery of a pair to go faulty as most batteries tend to drop a cell which will cause the other battery to discharge into it and also test bad. In your case sounds like the battery is not accepting a charge. If one gone though you would have to assume the others not far behind. I would get the other battery tested before installing the new battery if it's suss then I would replace both else you'll condemn the new one to a short life span. Cheers leigh

That's excellent advice, thanks; evidently I'd rather not fork out for two, but I guess sometimes it makes sense to do it right....

[Pragueprado Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pragueprado]

That's excellent advice, thanks; evidently I'd rather not fork out for two, but I guess sometimes it makes sense to do it right....

OK, I am now set to buy two new batteries; I have confirmed that they are set up in parallel because they are simply used to crank the motor. Question - I special ordered the right-side battery yesterday from Toyota because the posts were reversed. I can purchase the left-side battery elsewhere for much less than at Toyota, but it won't be exactly the same Ah or CCA (but it will be close); does it matter that both of these new batteries aren't exactly the same, or am I risking shortening the life of one or both?

[LeighW Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LeighW]

Personally I would go for a matched pair. Leigh

[Pragueprado Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pragueprado]

Personally I would go for a matched pair. Leigh

Well, both batteries are now replaced. With just one replaced, the problem continued, but I haven't had any issues since replacing both - but that could be just because I began thinking that I may have a glow plug on its way out and have started letting the plugs warm up for at least 20 seconds before firing it up (despite the coil light going out after a fraction of a second). Since I started doing that, I haven't had the problem again... but have now ordered four new plugs and will replace them anyway.

In the meantime, I went out this morning to find that some b*stard had broken into the car again - second time in a just a couple of weeks, and same window as last time (the small one in the passenger side rear door). I think they got a pair of sunglasses this time, after having run off with my son's sweaty football gear last time. 120 euro each time, and not much I can do to leave anything less in the vehicle. Damn damn damn.... The alarm in this '03 doesn't seem to do anything when the window is broken. Anyone know if an after market glass-breaking sensor alarm?

[Pragueprado Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pragueprado]

So, for anyone interested, it wasn't the batteries - it was a glow plug. Replaced all four this past weekend with NGK. Looks like it had the original plugs in there, so not bad for 185k km. Coil light now stays on for about 3 seconds, I still leave it for another 5 or so before turning the key. Starts up perfectly, no more engine light. Bit worried because the torque wrench I bought specifically for this was the wrong size. So I just snugged them down without putting too much into it. Cleaned out the EGR elbow while I had it off; I had cleaned it about 40k km ago, still had a mm or two of crud on it already.