Clicking sound and not starting

My 2020 4Runner has let me down for the first time. I’ve been noticing my display lights surging of late. Ignored it, but yesterday tried starting the truck and it began making a fast clicking sound and wouldn’t start. Shocked, I called for a boost and that got it going, but went to start it later in the day and now battery is completely dead! Only 30K Kilometres. Anyone experience this?

 

Could be the battery, the alternator, the wiring between the two, the grounds, the fusible links. Does that help?
I would check the output of the alternator first, if you can make the truck run. Then, ensure the voltage felt on the alternator, is felt on the battery's positive terminal. Lets you know the fusible link between the two is good or bad.
I would get both the battery and alternator tested by an auto parts store. Most of them do that free of charge.
Finally, I would check all the associated wiring, and especially the ground points, are nice and clean, uncorroded, and so forth.

That's all just what I would do, though. Your mileage may vary.
Pat☺

 

If it started right up after getting a jump start, bad battery. Check the connections to make sure there’s no unusual corrosion, but if the engine hasn’t died while driving your alternator should be good.
Easy way to test the alternator though is to unplug the battery while the engine is running, if it dies you have a bad alternator.
Over on tacomaworld there has been owners who reported that the OEM batteries crapped out after 1-2 years of ownership.

 

It’s worth asking…have you done any mods that rely on electrical? Seems it’s easy for mistakes doing electrical work, or bad parts (even a cheap led light gone bad) is enough to cause crazy problems

 

I have heard of batteries going bad ! Did ya leave the light on like Motel 6 ? Jk

 

Another vote for bad battery. My Tundra battery didn't make it a full year.

 

I'm not certain about the newer trucks, but I know on first gen trucks you cannot disconnect the battery while the truck is running. It provides the excitation voltage for the alternator. Pull it out of the circuit, no excitation, no voltage out of the alternator. No voltage out of the alt, no running of the truck.

The later gens may or may not be wired the same, but once Toyota finds a setup that works fairly well, they tend to stick with it through generations.

Just a heads up.
Pat☺

 

Spending most of my working life in auto electric I also suspect a battery issue. Although it of course can happen, alternators seldom fail anymore. Many folks make the mistake of taking a voltage reading at the battery thinking if it has 12+ volts it must be okay - not so. Only a battery load test can give you an accurate test of the battery's ability to operate your car.

 

Just recently had my battery replaced on warranty on my 2020 4R TRD OR.

 

For a quick state-of-charge health check of your battery, check it’s voltage after it’s been resting a while, maybe first thing in the morning.