abnormal camry 2001 startup sound

[luv2liv]

just recently my camry 2001 makes this sound whenever i start the car up
http://kerrsbuilding.com/temp/startup.mp3

i thought the battery was going dead because the clock on the dashboard changes every time and the radio channels reset. however when the mechanic stick a multimeter to it, he said the battery is fine. so he replaced the starter for $220.
problem went away for 1 day.
after 2 days of not using the car, the sound came back again. if we drive within 1 day, the ignition sound, clock, and radio are normal.....

any ideas what it could be?

 

[Raizinman]

Does it make a difference if you jump start the vehicle? Will it crank faster? How old is the battery in the car?

 

[Wingznut]

Either your battery is not performing well under a load (most likely), or the alternator is not properly charging the battery. Another possibility is a poor connection in the starting/charging system.

A multimeter is not a good tool for testing a battery. The mechanic should have used a load tester.

 

[LTC8K6]

Can you go to Auto Zone or Advance Auto? They will check your battery and charging system for free.

 

[Wingznut]

Either your battery is not performing well under a load (most likely), or the alternator is not properly charging the battery. Another possibility is a poor connection in the starting/charging system.

One other possibility is that there is something draining the battery that shouldn't be. (i.e. an interior light stuck on.)

 

[njmodi]

Pretty much everyone has already said. Not sure what the mechanic means by the "battery being good"... good could mean that the cells are fine but it could still be discharged. If it had appropriate charge, then the car would not crank poorly (as it seems like is happening in the sound clip).

I vote for bad battery as most likely, though it is possible there is a parasitic drain as mentioned.

 

[tortillasoup]

bad electrical grounds/connections etc. can cause this. High resistance in various circuits will lead to burning out the alternator, starter, etc. If the battery tests good, then that means the battery is fully charged. "Battery tests" would indicate the battery was bad if the battery is discharged, regardless of cell balance/imbalance FYI. That's why you have to fully charge the battery before testing it.

 

[luv2liv]

thanks for all the great tips! i will check parasitic drain and then auto zone next.

 

[LTC8K6]

If the battery is 5 or 6 years old or more, you likely need a new one of those anyway.

 

[BUTCH1]

taking a long time to fire, have the plugs/wires ever been changed???