Battery Advice Please

Hey guys, I’m overwhelmed with an issue and looking for advice on a new battery.

2019 Tundra, 5.7L V8 CrewMax

I live in Ottawa Canada where it gets very cold in the winter. I had an aftermarket remote starter installed (IDatastart) shortly after buying the truck from a reputable business, and had no issues until a month ago.

I began having issues starting the truck in cold weather. Typically the remote starter would fire it up no problem, but if the time ran out and I had to start it again it wouldn’t turn over. Started with a boost no problem.

Took it to the dealer who found the battery had a “parasitic draw” that was draining it too low to start in the cold. Assumed it was the remote starter.

Took it to the remote starter installer who tested the battery and found the same issues - that the charge was just at or under what was required to crank it. They disconnected the remote starter and I ran for 2 weeks without any issues. The weather was as cold or colder than previously when I had the issues a month ago.

Remote starter guys tell me I need a new battery.

My questions are: Can a remote starter actually drain the battery to the point that after 15 months it needs replacement? Or is this just a lemon of a battery?

If I do get a new battery, what should I look for to avoid this issue in the future?

Should I just get a portable booster pack to rescue myself the few times a winter that I can’t start it? If so what booster pack would you recommend?

Im sure the solution is to replace the battery, but I don’t know what size / brand etc is best, and also don’t want to invest in a new battery and then have the remote starter kill it anyway.

Thanks in advance for any help or advice!

 

Don’t know about the remote start issue but I wouldn’t go anywhere without a booster.

 

Research batteries, there are a bunch of threads here you can search and read.

NoCo Booster is what I would buy and keep in my truck at all times.

 

I have a northstar 27f

odyssey, x2power, opima....all also good options.

 

Twas' me, I'd put an ammeter in series with the positive battery terminal whilst keeping the key out of the ignition and all lights off to show how much current is being siphoned.

 

AC Delco battery , the only one I use !

 

Thanks guys I appreciate everyone’s input!

 

Keep us posted with your results.

 

Maybe check out an AGM other than a standard battery. https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/absorbent_glass_mat_agm

 

Thanks again guys. With the remote starter reinstalled, I tried to replicate the issues I was having but the truck started every time. It was significantly warmer (less cold) today though.

The plan for now is to get a good jump starter and hope for the best. I’ll see how the next couple weeks go on the battery and decide if I need to replace it then.

My hope is that this remote starter doesn’t drain the next battery as well, but that’s a longer term issue.

I’ll report back with my findings after a few weeks. Thanks again!

 

BINGO^^^^^^

 

I originally took the truck to the dealer. They tested the battery and here’s what I got from them:

Draw Test: 0.034mA - 0.058mA. Spec is 0.050mA

I don’t know exactly how to decipher that other than to conclude that there is a draw on the battery higher than what’s recommended. After disconnecting the remote starter, my understanding was that the troubleshooting was complete and the remote starter is the culprit.

Am I wrong? Does this provide more information than I realize? As for what was recommended to connect an ammeter in line... I am not familiar with what that process is. I do have a multimeter and from what I’ve googled, found the battery to be in the right range (12.4V at rest, 14.0V with truck running).

 

Welcome from So Cal

 

You are only over spec by 8 uA which is not much at all. Slightly higher than spec but I think 8uA is negligible.

 

If it is the original Toyota battery, than it is still under warranty. Get it to your dealer and GET IT REPLACED!

 

That’s where I started. They claim that it’s an aftermarket upgrade that’s causing the battery to drain and therefore not their problem. Remote starter installer claims it’s the battery so not his problem.

 

Find out who makes the remote starter and the max current requirement of the device in standby. Also BTW, where is 50uA spec documented? That’s useful info.

If you show the installer it’s draining more the the remote starter specification, he’ll have to replace it since it’s a bad unit.

 

The spec was on my invoice from the dealer when I brought it to them first.

I called the manufacturer yesterday but they wanted nothing to do with me. Insisted I deal with the installer.

The installer was aggressively defensive about the issue and claimed it was a bad battery and not the remote starter. They are not going to work with me on this.

I’ve exhausted my options on that end and don’t have the energy or desire to fight it any further. I’m focused now on figuring out how to best move forward.

 

I’d contact idatastart and ask what max standby current draw is on the module. If it’s drawing too much maybe they can assist with the installer.

Worth a shot. If you replace the battery and still have an issue, I wouldn’t be surprised if the installer still fights you on it.

Good luck.

 

Take the charged battery to an auto parts store (or battery store) that offers free battery/alternator testing. Here in the USA those stores would be Batteries Plus, Advance Auto Parts, O'Rielly's, Autozone. Ask them to load test the battery. You'll get a number around 400 to 600 CCA. The higher the number, the better. It stands for Cold Cranking Amps, and is the spec to reference when starting or failing to start an engine. If the number is lower than what the battery advertises its CCA is, then it's going bad or not fully charged.

When the dealer gave you the parasitic draw in mA, it wouldn't matter if the voltage of the battery measures 13.8V. A tiny parasitic draw would be nothing if you drive the vehicle everyday to have the alternator charge it back up. 0.05mA draw is smaller than an iPhone 3G charger which is 500mA. A fully charged, but not on the charger, 12V car battery will measure around 13.8V, but charge at 14.4V or higher. If your battery is sitting below 13V, your battery isn't holding charge very well or the parasitic drain is way higher.

 

If disconnecting the remote starter resolves the issue, then it’s pretty obvious where the fault lies.

 

Agreed. I’m not really investigating any further as I’m sure this is the source of the issue. Since neither the remote starter manufacturer or installer want to own up and help me out here, I’m left with the options of putting in a new battery that can handle the load, carrying a portable jump starter for the times it won’t start, or disconnecting the remote starter altogether.

The installer did a full battery test and told me my CCA was “half” of what it was supposed to be. I didn’t see this anywhere in writing or know the actual numbers.

What I’m wondering is since the draw from the remote starter is just on the cusp of my limit, and only a problem in extreme cold temperatures, is it possible to upgrade the battery to overcome the parasitic draw of the remote starter?

To summarize, I’m mostly concerned with figuring out the best path forward, accepting that the remote starter pulls more than the stock battery can handle when it’s -20°C.

Again thanks to everyone for your opinions and advice!

 

The remote starter is draining the battery when the vehicle is off, to the point where the battery is unable to start the truck reliably. Are you driving only short distances, or not driving it every day? Basically, the battery isn’t getting charged back up enough in your normal use. Once it’s disconnected and the extra drain is removed, the battery is able to maintain enough juice to work as it should.

A new battery would help, at least for a little while, but you might run into the same issue since the remote starter drain is still present.

Another option is to regularly use a battery tender, like a noco genius.

 

I drive it regularly and long enough distance so that isn’t the issue.

One notable thing is that usually the truck will start on the first try, but if it hasn’t had enough time to charge back up it won’t start again.

For example if it’s extremely cold out, I’ll start with the remote starter and it fires up no problem. But if I don’t get to the truck before the 15 minute run time is up, attempting to start it again is unsuccessful.

Same issue if I start it normally with the key - no issues - but if I turn it off and try to restart it won’t turn over.

 

Yup.

@BobsonDugnutt
Disconnect the remote starter until it's warmer, rehook it up and see how it handles it for a week. If it's just the combo of remote starter and cold, then get a bigger, beefier battery for next winter.

You should NOT need to boost your car on any sort of semi regular basis. So carrying a booster pack is a great idea, but not one you should have to rely on for daily use or even weekly or monthly use.

 

Yes, I had it disconnected for a week and a half and the starting issue didn’t happen. Just had it hooked back up yesterday and seeing how it goes.

For a new battery, should I be looking for something with higher CCA?

 

If you're dealing with higher than normal drain while not in use, you'd want more reserve capacity.

 

If they are available where you are I would suggest Interstate batteries. I will buy nothing else. I had one last just shy of 10 years.

https://www.interstatebatteries.com/

Good luck!

 

A 0.058ma draw isn't enough to drain a battery over the course of a week. To put milliamps into perspective, 0.058ma is 0.000058 amps. Ratings vary, but let's be conservative and say your battery is rated at 100 amp hours. That means it will produce 1 amp for 100 hours, or 100 amps for 1 hour. There is a discharge curve that has to be taken into account, but it's a good starting point. Just for the sake of the discussion, let's say you'll only get half of the rated time drawing 1 amp. Now consider how long the battery will last if, instead of 1 amp, you're drawing 0.000058 amps. The battery, if it's good, should last a long time at that rate of discharge. I'd find a good local place to have the battery tested. A good, accurate test will take 45 minutes to an hour and will give the details on what's wrong with the battery.

 

Thanks for the informative reply. I mentioned earlier that my issue is not actually the first time I start the truck - it’s the second time. I can fire it up in extreme cold temperatures no problem, but if the truck was turned off after 10-15 minutes of idling it wouldn’t start back up again.

This happened consistently for 4-5 days when it was very cold. Remote starter was disconnected and the truck started normally for the next 2 weeks in the same climate. I had the starter hooked back up yesterday and tried to replicate the issue but it’s been fine, mind you in less cold conditions. The temperature is dropping again this weekend so we’ll see if that changes.