[Mohit]

Just went outside to turn my RAV on so i could go to work but when i turned the key in the ignition to crank the engine all i heard was a loud click and then nothing. Ran the multimeter across the battery terminals and it reads just over 6V. The battery was only replaced in July last year.

None of the electrics work apart from the flashing led on the dash (for the immobilizer). With every flash i can hear a loud click from under the dash. I'm thinking it's a relay noise? The flashing led and clicking noise stop when i depress the brake pedal or open a door otherwise they keep flashing and clicking.

Gonna try and jump the RAV with my sister's Echo but if that doesnt work what do you guys think it might be? I'm hoping it's just a faulty battery which should be replaced under warranty as it's less than a year old.

 

[ian g]

It probably is just a faulty battery. But with all the flashing and clicking are you sure the alarm did not go off and, while you were sleeping, drained the battery? I suspect some of you Australians are very heavy sleepers, especially after a few beers!

 

[Mohit]

Lol! Nah my RAV doesn't have an alarm. Just an immobilizer which runs off the remote for the central locking. This morning i unlocked my car with the remote and everything worked normally until i turned the key in the ignition.

 

[ian g]

OK, definitely a dodgy battery. The clicking is relays clicking on and off as they get and lose power.

 

[DJ Sueno]

Hopefully it's just your battery and not your alternator...

 

[Mohit]

Well i jump started my RAV with the Echo and went for a long high speed drive to get the alternator to put the charge back into the battery again. Battery is holding a steady charge of 14.2V so it doesn't look like an alternator issue. I did notice the battery cables were a bit loose but not so loose that they moved around freely. I tightened them anyway just to make sure. I think it might be a battery issue. I wonder what the loud click was that i heard coming from the engine when i tried to initially crank over the engine?

 

[tankd0g]

Well i jump started my RAV with the Echo and went for a long high speed drive to get the alternator to put the charge back into the battery again. Battery is holding a steady charge of 14.2V so it doesn't look like an alternator issue. I did notice the battery cables were a bit loose but not so loose that they moved around freely. I tightened them anyway just to make sure. I think it might be a battery issue. I wonder what the loud click was that i heard coming from the engine when i tried to initially crank over the engine?

The click was probably the solenoid that moves the starter into place on the flywheel, it takes less power to activate than turing the starter does. If the battery was indeed dead and there was no good reason for it like leaving the dome light on, then it's probably on the way out and will only get worse. If it was just loose cables then the problem should be solved now. Repeatedly charing your battery from dead with your alternator will fry the alternator, so I wouldn't keep doing that if the battery isn't holding the charge overnight.

 

[Mohit]

Yeh i'm gonna monitor it over the next week and see what happens every morning.
The only electrical load on the battery overnight was the flashing led for the immobilizer but that take crap all power so that won't be the culprit.

 

[Coffeecation]

Get a battery charger and check with the sales dude/dudess that it will also verify battery status. Worth gold. Even if you have a high volts indication you may have FA cranking AMPs left in the battery. Mine comes up to full charging mode within 1/2 an hour if the battery is good. Has saved me absoloute mega bucks over the years!

 

[hd72m]

Slice the coating on the red battery cable back 3 inches on the side from battery and look for green crud which can slow juice to and from battery. If none tape up wire.

 

[JuneBug]

Folks, you're replying to a thread from 5 years ago. The original poster hasn't visited this site in almost a year and a half. Might as well be talking to the wall.