Sudden electrical death? 2006 RAV4 Diesel

February 9, 2020

New member and non-tech person here.... has anyone experienced this, or can cast light on what might be the cause? I had noticed in the last few weeks that the headlights seemed unusually dim. And in the last few days maybe a slightly different engine note, and the last outing an only slightly hesitant start. On my way back home I noticed that all of a sudden pretty much every warning was being displayed in sequence, e.g. 'Check AIRBAG system' > 'Check 4x4 System' > 'Check Brake System' > 'Check VSC' etc... all scrolling round. Suspect 'Check Wallet' might be necessary. Anyway, at the same time as all this started flashing up the steering went dead, and I had to drag it round the corner. Just. If there was one bit of fortune, it was that the local mechanic's forecourt was just up the road and I managed to haul it there. Pulled in, thought that maybe a turn off/on might restore something only to find that absolutely nothing left in the Battery. This was all Friday night. Left it there and walked home. Spoke to the garage next morning, and they'd not been able to get any charge into it. It's a small Dad and son operation, conscientious but busy and I was hoping to get some insight into what the problem could be to help things along the way. Being stuck in a very rural place with one car and 2 school age children is a nightmare. Any ideas / experiences of similar gratefully received. Thanks...