ok heres the low down, my 4runner's battery keeps being drained when the trucks off, and its ticking me off. I know it's not the alternator because it charges the battery fine when I drive it, but if I leave it sit for a day something drains the battery and it won't let me start the truck, so I have to
jump my battery every time i let it sit, the only thing that I can turn on when the truck is off is the interior lights or the stereo. help me, I cant seem to figure out what is wrong.

 

It is also a new battery

 

You have a parasitic draw on the battery that isn't too hard to find - you will need a "multimeter", and you can buy one for about 15 bucks. First off - did you install any new electrical items just before it started draining the battery? I.E. offroad lights, new stereo, CB radio... If you did, locate the fuses for it and then get the multimeter out.

1. Disconnect the negative battery cable and then turn the multimeter to AMPS. Place one connector from the multimeter on the negative battery terminal, and the other on the negative battery cable's terminal and hold them there. The reading on the multimeter is the number of amps that are being drawn when the engine is shut off. If the reading is not coming up - turn it to milliamp.

2. Once you have determined how many amps are being drawn, pull the fuse out for whatever equipment you may have installed recently. Do this one by one - and start only with hardware you have installed - then go to factory electrical hardware.

3. Pull one fuse, then test the reading at the battery cable again. If it drops significantly, that is the circuit that is drawing all of your juice out of your battery at night. There may be more than one though too.

4. Correct the problem. I had this problem when I installed my e-locker in my truck. I used the inchworm.com switch kit, and overnight it would completely kill my battery. So I used the method above to locate the drain, and I then installed a relay inline on the "hot" wire for the switch. I tested the battery again and it was good to go.

5. If this is not located quickly because it turned out to be something you recently installed - you should start by pulling some other fuses one by one. Pull ones like your stereo, power windows, headlights... There's really not that many to have to go through, and you'll find it soon enough.

6. If the problem is on factory electrical hardware - you may have a short somewhere on the hardware that you determined is drawing electricity. You'll need to inspect it carefully and while the battery is still disconnected. Make sure the grounds are good and that all the connections are terminated properly. Make sure none of the wires have the insulation cut or melted etc...

Good luck!

All of this is pretty simple to do actually. I am pretty dumb when it comes to electronics and mechanics - but I'm slowly learning.

 

Good info 55, about how much draw would be normal for the clock, ecu, radio, etc...?

 

I guess for now, untill you get a multimeter, you could disconnect the battery when you aren't driving the truck, to save your new battery?

 

Should be at about 25 - 35 milliamps normally when truck is off and keys are out. When my truck was draining overnight from the e-locker switch - the draw was 3.2 Amps!

 

Check for stereo wiring issues, maybe if you've got an amp in there too make sure its 'remote' wire (usually blue) is turned on by the key or by the stereo.

Also, do not rule out the alternator. A bad diode or two can cause a draw when the engine is off but not hamper the system enough to keep it from charging the battery.

 

Thanks everyone for your help, I appreciate it.

 

Check for a short in your wiring. i had a similar problem and found 4 different shorts around my truck...DAMN PO