Weird battery light issue

Maintenance/Repairs
1

This problem started a few months ago. Intermittently when I start up my 2007 Camry for the first time for the day, the battery/charging system light will come on. It flickers off occasionally but generally stays on. After I drive it a few miles, turn off the car and then restart it, the light usually does not come on and will not come on the rest of the day. I feel like this is more likely to happen when it is a wet day or very humid.

With the car off, I read 12V across the battery terminals, and when the car is on normally it’s about 13V, and when the battery light is on, I get a reading of zero volts across the terminals. Any ideas about what might be going on?

2

Is that across the battery post or terminal ends???

Sounds like you might have a corrosion problem and or loose or damaged terminal end…

Try cleaning the battery terminals with very hot water and baking soda…

3

No experience with 07 Camry, but when I do that test, I do it before the first start of the day, and I’m looking for around 12.6 V with engine off, then 13.5-15.5 volts immediately after starting engine. Your measurement of 13 V with engine running might indicate a problem with the alternator. I expect your zero volt measurement is some sort of measurement error, maybe the DVM’s probe wasn’t making a good connection. Or the problem noted in the post above.