Toyota Corolla 1994 isn't charging

[davidrobert2]

I have recently been having a problem with my Toyota Corolla. It starts up fine in the morning, but after a couple of hours of driving with the A/C on and the running lights (which are always on), and the radio, when I shut the car off, it will not start without a jump. With my heavy duty cables it starts instantly with the jump but then I am afraid to turn it off again. It has a genuine Toyota battery that has the dots removed saying it was installed Dec. 2012 although it looks older. After driving for a couple of hours the battery should be fully charged right? Or, does having the A/C and lights on suck up to much juice? Any suggestions of wher I should start looking for the problem?

[Brian R.]

Your battery may be bad. They don't take kindly to being totally discharged. Also, test your alternator by testing the voltage, when the engine is running, between the main alternator lead and the chassis. Should be around 14.5 volts. If not replace the alternator. Normally, if the alternator is dead, your dash lights act strange.