# Battery drains over time

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-drains-over-time/102664>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** corolla, toyota\
**Created:** [April 5, 2017, 3:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-drains-over-time/102664 "2017-04-05T15:21:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2017, 11:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-drains-over-time/102664/21 "2017-05-03T23:53:48Z")

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> [@fostert\_2000](#):
>
> When I touched it a piece of Bakelite fell off. I disconnected the brake switch and the battery draw disappeared. After adjusting the switch everything looks and works fine.

It sounds like you actually need to REPLACE the brake light switch, instead of a simple adjustment, considering it’s physically damaged

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**Author:** ![fostert\_2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@fostert\_2000](https://community.cartalk.com/u/fostert_2000)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2017, 9:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-drains-over-time/102664/22 "2017-05-04T09:55:04Z")

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I would agree but it turned out to be a Bakelite button the switch contacts. Behind it is a metal tab so I adjusted the switch to contact that. I have the switch if it needs to be be replaced should my thoughts be wrong. Thanks for the advice though.

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**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2017, 3:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/battery-drains-over-time/102664/23 "2017-05-05T03:31:53Z")

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My Corolla, similar vintage, measure around 6 ma like yours, with everything turned off. Nothing wrong there. Yes, the brake light causing battery drain problem is not an uncommon thing reported here. Good for you for diagnosing it yourself.

The cause of the 6 ma battery drain is probably the radio doing it. It takes a little current all the time to remember the channels for the buttons/ stations you pre-set. And for the clock. Folks here report much higher current drains being termed “normal” by the dealership’s on newer cars, what with all the electrical gadgets newer cars have. there was one person here a while ago with a Porsche who was really having a problem with this issue.

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