Battery problems - 2nd gen 2006 TRD

So my battery recently went dead, decided to buy a new one. I should've spent the extra penny but I ended up going to Walmart to buy a new battery. (broke college student) the cold cranking amps on the battery say 585 and in the group of 24F. My last battery was at 680 cc and in the group of 27F I believe. My battery is currently not turning my truck on, it's been 4 days since I bought the new battery. I was wondering if I bought the wrong one or if there's a different problem with in my truck that might be draining my battery. I looked on a couple other forums saying that the new battery I bought would've been perfectly fine for my truck but I'm just not sure and thought to come to the best forum online to ask a question. Thanks for taking the time out of your day to read this. I hope I can be helped. Got class all week.

 

You more than likely bought the wrong battery.

Replace the battery with what it calls for (type/amperage, etc.) in your Owners Manual. I would take that one back and exchange it for one with the proper amperage and group called for.

What year and engine size is your Tacoma?

Also, don't go cheap on a battery, it will only let you down a few months (if your lucky or weeks, days maybe) from when you installed it. College kid or not, spend the extra $ (call mom or dad and ask for $) and get a real good battery, just go to the dealer and purchase one from there.

Just my $0.02

Always Remember you get exactly what you pay for....you pay cheap....you get cheap.

 

Wrong battery, the one you bought it too small and not enough crank.

That being said, nothing wrong with walmart batteries. Only snobs will say differently, especially considering there are 2 major battery manufacturers that produce the same product under different names.

Go back to walmart and exchange it.

 

Do you think it might be my alternator?
Because it was running fine for 3 days. I'm just trying to touch all the areas here and figure out the solution. My truck is a 2006 V6 4X4 TRD. Thanks for the response

 

I would first install the correct battery that your Tacoma requires. Start from there, if it works fine without any other problems then your good to go. If not then you can start looking into the starter, alternator, wiring to and from the battery to the starter alternator, etc.

Take it one step at a time.

(get a battery that is the correct Group that has an equal or greater amperage value than what your old battery had 680cc amps. You never want to go below the cc amperage that is recommended for your specific engine, starter and alternator capabilities. If you don't, as you found out, it will only cause problems)

Check and make sure that the wiring to your battery connecting cables and to the starter and alternator are all clean and free of any dirt or acid build up, etc. Clean everything, all connections with a wire brush and a can of battery cleaner.

 

I guess I'm a snob....I purchased a battery from WalMart for another vehicle and it ended up failing in less than 2 months. They replaced it under warranty and that battery lasted just over a year before it died. I replaced that with an Interstate battery that was still functioning over 3 years later when I sold the vehicle.

 

I did exactly this whenever the stock battery went bad in my '13 this year. It came with a 27F (it has the tow package) and I replaced it with a 24F. The v6 tacomas that came without the tow package but still had the 4.0L motor came with the 24F. We have an FJ that has the 4.0 and it also has the 24F. I would attribute this to a bad battery. Take it back to walmart and have them exchange it (it should still be under free replacement warranty). The 24F shouldn't have any problem starting your truck unless its a dud. I ran a 24F in mine for a few months until I could find a 27F since walmart doesn't carry that size.

I also believe theres nothing wrong with walmart batteries, after all many of the Everstart Maxx's come with a 3 yr free replacement and an additional 2 yr prorated warranty

 

Everstart branded batteries sold at Wal-Mart are manufactured by Johnson controls. So there's that.

 

I've had great service from every Everstart battery I've purchased from Wal-Mart... I will say last time I was there I checked the in-stock batteries, and they didn't have group 27F batteries.

 

If it worked for three days and now it doesn't your alternator charging system would be suspect. Get the battery charged and take it to get the alternator charging circuit tested.

 

24F is fine for most people. I would suspect the alternator.

 

A 24f is standard for non-tow package. The tow package came with the group 27. Auto parts stores will generally check your charging system/battery for free.

 

Group size only matters so it fits in your battery tray and hold-down hardware. Otherwise, any battery with the minimum CCA rating for a 2006 Tacoma V6 (585 CCA) will do. Group size also contributes to reserve battery power; a larger size battery will hold more reserve power allowing you to run accessories longer with the engine off.

As JimmyH points out, if your engine ran for 3 days with the new battery, and is battery is now dead - this points to a bad alternator or bad charging wiring connection.

To test the charging system you need a fully charged battery and a voltmeter.

When a battery first goes dead, you should run some routine tests to help determine the cause for its demise - a bad battery or bad alternator.

You start by charging the dead battery. If it can't hold a charge; get a new and proceed to checking the alternator. With engine running, you test voltage at the battery terminals - voltage should read 13 - 14.5 volts. Then do a load test - test for voltage again after turning on some devices (headlights, fan speed on high, wipers on high) and raise RPM to 1500; the voltage drop drop should be about .5 from standing voltage, but no less than 13 volts.

Here is a good guide: https://axleaddict.com/auto-repair/Alternator-Problems-and-Automotive-Charging-System-Tests

 

It's good to have a larger battery (more actual capacity) when you run accessories or live in a cold climate. All cold climate Tacos, even without tow package, come with a 27F.

Edit: they have the heavier duty alternator too.

 

approved battery
NORTHSTAR Pure Lead Automotive Group 27F Battery NSB-AGM27F

NORTHSTAR Pure Lead Automotive Group 27F Battery NSB-AGM27F

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M4H48MS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_VGtUzbHAFPHSG
*not broke college kid approved

 

CAn one use a cheap multimeter say this one ( ) to check the condition of ones battery.


My wife's pilot has original and am thinking of changing it.

 

This is what I have in my truck too

 

Thank all of you! this community is the best when it comes to tacoma problem. you guys rock. to solve the mystery, it was my alternator. Again thank everyone for the support.

 

Thats why were here sir! Im also glad to be a part of such a knowledgable group of folks!

Glad you figured out the problem!