With wintertime coming, vehicles often suffer, the most general situation is to have difficulties starting your Toyota 4Runner early in the day with very low temperatures. In general this is associated with problems recharging the battery of your Toyota 4Runner . There are some reasons that can explain why your battery does not recharge correctly anymore, and in this article we will try to help you to solve this problem that can prevent you from using your motor vehicle. To achieve this, first we will explain how recharging your car battery functions, then the different problems of recharging a Toyota 4Runner, and at last how to recharge an empty car battery.
How does recharging the battery of a Toyota 4Runner work?
Before we detail the different problems of recharging the battery on a Toyota 4Runner , we will explain to you how its recharging system operates so that you can figure out the problems you are struggling with. A motor vehicle battery functions like a phone battery, it will store energy to start your Toyota 4Runner , turn on your headlights, enjoy music, lower your power windows… However all these actions will consume energy and it might deplete the energy reserve that your battery can store. To get over this problem, the engineers have produced a component called the alternator , this component will use the energy created by the engine of your Toyota 4Runner to create energy thanks to a copper coil and a magnet. This energy will recharge the battery of your motor vehicle . However, consider that this process can only work when your car is running, using electrical elements of your motor vehicle when it is stopped will decrease the energy reserve of your motor vehicle. It is considered that a battery of a xxx has a life span of 3 to 5 years.
Problems recharging a Toyota 4Runner’s battery
We will now describe the different battery charging problems on a Toyota 4Runner you might be victim of. If your battery is not recharging because there is actually a problem in your electrical installation, we will now see the different cases.
Battery charging problem on Toyota 4Runner: My battery is discharging even if I am recharging it with a specific charger
In this first case, it is quite possible that your alternator is dead , in truth, if you control to recharge your battery with a charger and your Toyota 4Runner to start, the problem obviously originates from your alternator which should not be able to create any more current.
Battery charging problem on Toyota 4Runner: My motor vehicle shuts off and does not start even if I have charged the battery
If you have recharged your battery and you have managed to start your Toyota 4Runner but it switches off although you are driving and then does not start, the issue with recharging the battery of your Toyota 4Runner is that your battery no longer holds the charge .
Battery charging problem on Toyota 4Runner: My battery is discharged nevertheless it is new
.
If you’ve just bought a battery and it discharges although you’re driving, the problem most likely originates from your alternator. It cannot result from your battery, which is new and therefore holds the charge. The second opportunity is that you have a ground somewhere in your electrical system.
How to solve the problem of battery charging on Toyota 4Runner?
We will now give you the solutions according to the problem you are struggling with. Here are the different problems and their solutions:
- Defective alternator: You can try with basic mechanics to check it with a pressure gauge to find out if it’s producing power. If it doesn’t, changing it is the best remedy, depending on your motor you will pay a few hundred euros. This repair is feasible in case your alternator is accessible.
- Battery that no longer holds the charge: In this case, the purchase of a new battery is the only realistic remedy. In fact, if you have already recharged it but it is still empty because it is good to be replaced, count between 60 and 100 euros depending on your engine.
- Ground in the electrical circuit: If you cannot start your Toyota 4Runner but your alternator and battery are in good condition, it is possible that you have a ground on your wiring harness and that you lose energy, a check by a motor vehicle electrician is in such a case required.
How to recharge an empty battery of a Toyota 4Runner
Finally, to recharge the empty battery of a Toyota 4Runner there are only few solutions, using a battery charger is the most efficient remedy, you can find some for 50 to 100 euros at vendors like Oscaro. In any other case you can use cables that will only provide the energy needed to start.
If you need more tutorials on the Toyota 4Runner, go to our Toyota 4Runner category.
