Greetings to all,
I have a Camry '98 with 200K Km, fwd and auto tranny.
I left the Camry in my garage for about a month without starting it and when I tried to start it the battery was dead.
I recharged the battery over night and everything went back to normal.
Since the car was not driven, I kept starting the car and let it idle in the garage once a week for about 5 min to ensure
that the battery does not die.
However, after about 5 weeks, the battery died again.
Is this case a known defect for the Camry?
I suspect there is an electrical leak in one of the circuits. Would the computer analysis or OBD-II device help in
diagnosing this fault?
Please advise..
Thanks and best regards.

 

The amount of current used by the computer, clock memory, etc when the car is off is nil. A battery will lose about 2-5% of its charge per month just by sitting.

Starting the engine reduces the battery charge, you may not be allowing the battery to recharge completely before turning the engine off.

Are you sure everything is turned off such as the trunk light.

One way to determine parasitic drain is to insert an amp meter between one of the battery terminals and cable. The current when the car is just sitting should be very low, something like 20-30 milliamps.

A fully charged battery that has been sitting for a time after recharging will have its voltage stabilize at 12.6-12.8V. If checked right after charging it will be higher but the voltage will drop over time and stabilize.

The battery could also be dying, not charging properly, no longer holding a charge. You can have it tested at many auto parts stores.

 

Toyomoho is absolutely right. But before I'd suspect a parasitic draw, I'd have your battery checked out. How old is it? Take it to an auto parts store and have them perform a load test on it. If it's older than 4 years, it's living on borrowed time.

Also, running the engine to charge a battery is a bad idea. The alternator needs a minimum of 12 volts to generate power. If you start a vehicle with a weak battery, the alternator will not charge it. The second reason you don't want to charge your battery with the alternator is that it has a hard time putting out enough amps at idle to recharge. Remember, the battery is weak and the internal regulator is telling the alternator to put out full power. But the RPMs aren't there to support that kind of power generation. It's a great way to fry an alternator. A battery charger is a LOT cheaper than a new alternator.

For a full explanation on how you can fry an alternator, read the tail end of this article: Why you shouldn't jump start a car