Hello,
I am a brand new member and am requesting some help.
My elderly parents have a 1997 Camry with only about 18,0000 KM (11,000 miles). Honest! It is my mother's car.
They have had dead battery/starting problems since Day 1. The dealer has always said that they don't drive it enough.
Could you please tell me if this is a known problem or if there is a fix for this.

Thank you

 

Given that the car is now 11 years old, and assuming that the total mileage was evenly accumulated over those 11 years, at about 1,000 miles per year (or90 miles per month, or 20 miles per week), then it is very likely that the carhas been driven almost exclusively very short distances ateach use. These short distance trips take more energy out of the battery than the alternator is able to restore. So, in this case, I agree with your dealer's root cause analysis.

The best solution, IMO, is to buy a trickle-style battery charger and follow its instructions for how best to keep the battery fully charged (i.e. conditioned). Many owners of classic/collector cars that are not frequently driven, or are only driven shorter distances, use this type of battery charger to keep their battery in top condition.

Perhaps something like this would work well for you/them:

http://www.amazon.com/Schumacher-SEM-1562A-Charge-Battery-Companion/dp/B0009IBJAS

However, first have the current battery tested to ensure that it is sufficiently able to hold a charge. If it's not in good condition (i.e. it's not able to hold a reasonable charge), then you should probably have a new battery installed first, and then keep it in good shape by using the battery charger.

 

Diver1972.....Thank you very much for your suggestion and info. I will think about getting them what you suggested.
Adam