Car Battery (not Hybrid Battery) Dies A Lot...

[edhLexusGuy]

I have a 2006 400h, and I love it except for one thing: the battery (the small one that powers the electronics and stuff) keeps discharging. :o

The first time, about 3 months after getting it, it died after I left the radio on for about 10 minutes. When I came back, it wouldn't start and nothing lit up. I left it for a few hours, and it came back enough to start it. I drove around for a while and it was good for a few months.

Later, it started dying spontaneously, even when I hadn't left anything on. I would come back in the morning and it wouldn't start. Once, I left it and it came back, another time I had to jump it from my wife's car (a MB...), another time from our jet ski (don't ask, it worked).

Finally, I got fed up with it, took it in, and they replaced the battery. It was good for about a year, but now it has begun to die randomly about once a week for the past few months.

Has anybody else experienced their battery dying spontaneously?

EDIT: Looked around on here a bit, and saw a few others with this problem. The funny thing about my car is that I never have to reset the windows or anything like that.

[Jim Clark]

I have heard of other people having the battery die but it was typically a door not fully shut and the interior lights running it down overnight. Your problem sounds different and I think your dealer needs to do a little more diagnostic work. It could be that you've been unlucky and got two bad batteries but that seems highly unlikely.

It seems something's wrong with your charging system or there's something that's remaining on after shutdown and draining it.

[mburnickas]

bad battery, you have something draining it (easy to see) or poor alt etc......just like jim stated.

[NeoN]

I have a 2006 400h, and I love it except for one thing: the battery (the small one that powers the electronics and stuff) keeps discharging. :o

The first time, about 3 months after getting it, it died after I left the radio on for about 10 minutes. When I came back, it wouldn't start and nothing lit up. I left it for a few hours, and it came back enough to start it. I drove around for a while and it was good for a few months.

Later, it started dying spontaneously, even when I hadn't left anything on. I would come back in the morning and it wouldn't start. Once, I left it and it came back, another time I had to jump it from my wife's car (a MB...), another time from our jet ski (don't ask, it worked).

Finally, I got fed up with it, took it in, and they replaced the battery. It was good for about a year, but now it has begun to die randomly about once a week for the past few months.

Has anybody else experienced their battery dying spontaneously?

EDIT: Looked around on here a bit, and saw a few others with this problem. The funny thing about my car is that I never have to reset the windows or anything like that.

welcome to my world. I had the same problem, ended up getting an optima yellow top deep cycle and haven't had any problems since! :)

[SOMEONE ELSE'S GOT MY NAME]

bad battery, you have something draining it (easy to see) or poor alt etc......just like jim stated.

Nooooh! ~ if the OP (and mburnicas) would have read prior posts ... you'd realize the tiny auxilary battery IS suseptable to being easily drained. It doesn't HAVE to do a crank start, so Toyota put in a battery just barely powerful enough to do what it needs to do (rather than what WE want it to do ... run the radio ... fiddle w/ the MFD ... leave the rear hatch ajar over night, etc). Yes, Toyota ought to have been wise enough to account for our goofy ways ... but they didn't. Maybe next model.

IN the mean time, as others have stated in numerous threads (the search tool is a wonderful thing :P ) you can change out the OEM for the yellow Optima. I've done it on ONE of our hybrids, but not the other yet. It's a world of difference for reliability.

Or ... you can carry 2 lantern batteries, soldered together in series for 12v @ 5amps as an auxilary source to boot up. Yes folks, test it with a fluke meter ... that's all thats drawn, in order to boot up the ecu's. Or, you can tie 8 flashlight batteries together to do the same thing ... I'm talking 'D' cells.

other than that, welcome to lexusownersclub your infinite source for cool factoids :D

edit:

btw, the HSD doesn't have an alternater. Otherwise, you'd be running around in stealth ... with no alt belt spinning and no regen. The aux battery recharges off the traction pack / which in turn is recharged directly off the generater/motor hooked into the ICE.

[mburnickas]

Well then, he knows it all! Sorry they CRAP. I know, I tossed 38 lbs in the trash of their Red top...Over pimped battery in my eyes. Whom does a crank start? I had way better luck with Costco battery & better warranty (if you need it)..and cheaper.

EDIT: fixed mod "adjustment" since it is cleaner then other MOD posts..

[RX400h]

mburnickas,

We are not high schoolers here, so please adjust your language (I took the liberty to do it this time). Optima batteries have their place as Absorbent Glass Mat types. In my experience, AGM batteries in general require the use of a battery tender when a modern vehicle in which it resides is not driven for more than a couple of weeks at a time. The Yellow top is a deep-cycle battery that can take heavy drains and recharges (like a marine battery) without suffering permanent damage. However, deep-cycle batteries don't normally last as long as a normal battery if the normal battery is charged regularly.

edhlexusguy,

I suspect that there is a loose ground or other connection, so don't accept a simple battery change. More investigation is necessary.

[mburnickas]

mburnickas,

We are not high schoolers here, so please adjust your language (I took the liberty to do it this time). Optima batteries have their place as Absorbent Glass Mat types. In my experience, AGM batteries in general require the use of a battery tender when a modern vehicle in which it resides is not driven for more than a couple of weeks at a time. The Yellow top is a deep-cycle battery that can take heavy drains and recharges (like a marine battery) without suffering permanent damage. However, deep-cycle batteries don't normally last as long as a normal battery if the normal battery is charged regularly.

I agree and they are CRAP and that is not a bad word on your language here. I know it is crap, I tried them. Sorry I can post what happened to me. You should not have edited it since I can show a lot worse by your other mods here....Play by the same rules, as in high school. LOL

[Gryphon]

Methinks that somebody is about to become a non-member here. :D

Just my two cents as they say.

Tom

[mburnickas]

Methinks that somebody is about to become a non-member here. :D

Just my two cents as they say.

Tom

But when their own mods post worse threads, I have PDF'd them, whatever..I do not have time for this double edge BS!...oppps! Kicker is I have more time on this thread thensome of their mods here...WTF It is as bad as some mods post BSing on oil when they are flat-out wrong and I got them in a corner...Opps again

[Jim Clark]

Can't we all just get along?

Again, to the OP, from the description of your problem, it needs more diagnostic work before spending money on a yellow top battery.

[RX400h]

Methinks that somebody is about to become a non-member here. :D

Just my two cents as they say.

Tom

But when their own mods post worse threads, I have PDF'd them, whatever..I do not have time for this double edge BS!...oppps! Kicker is I have more time on this thread thensome of their mods here...WTF It is as bad as some mods post BSing on oil when they are flat-out wrong and I got them in a corner...Opps again

That's like getting pulled over for doing 90 and saying, "I saw a different cop doing 100 just the other day!"

Quite frankly, that's not my problem. Keep the language civilized or suffer the consequences. Everyone is entitled to discuss his or her point of view; there's no need to get so upset that you have to use unprofessional-like words or phrases.

Now, let's try to solve the problem!

[NeoN]

Can't we all just get along?

Again, to the OP, from the description of your problem, it needs more diagnostic work before spending money on a yellow top battery.

my yellow top solved all my problems! end of story.

[SOMEONE ELSE'S GOT MY NAME]

I agree and they are CRAP and that is not a bad word on your language here. I know it is crap, I tried them. Sorry I can post what happened to me. . . . . snip

. . . . snip

This is the hybrid thread, where the OP is asking about a hybrid application. Your avatar shows a non-hybrid. Perhaps your optima experience relates to a different story? We're speaking of the Yellow Top (not the Red), and we're speaking of hybrid application. Haven't yet seen / heard of failure for those two applications. Would be glad to know, though, if you've heard of any failure(s) in that specific regard.

Gary

[mburnickas]

This is the hybrid thread, where the OP is asking about a hybrid application. Your avatar shows a non-hybrid. Perhaps your optima experience relates to a different story? We're speaking of the Yellow Top (not the Red), and we're speaking of hybrid application. Haven't yet seen / heard of failure for those two applications. Would be glad to know, though, if you've heard of any failure(s) in that specific regard.

Gary

So what or why does an AVATOR have to do with anything? It is a pic???? I can show a jet, or even bart simpson..LOL It does not matter. Optima in general is crap in my eyes since I have owned 2 now that failed in two cars. They warranty process is a big cluster %^&*. Not integral to hybrid at all but they failed. If you like them great, if you have not tried that save your money (aka that is my point).

A battery either used for your "specific regard" or non-"specific regard" related to a certain manufacture, aka Optima. Which is over pimped more then HEAD ON.

[RX400h]

I would be so bold as to guess that the average Luxus RX400h battery will last 5-7 years. In fact, most OEM batteries last over 5 years. Besides, of all the RX400h owners who post here, only a tiny percentage have had a permanent battery failure.

Now add in the fact that edhLexus has had two batteries fail tells me that chances are good that something else is causing the problem. The shotgun approach (throw in another battery) to solving a problem like this is risky at best. Neon has high current draw from his stereo equipment, so his solved issue does not seem to match that of edhLexus.

What we DON'T need is a massive argument over which battery is best.

Dave

[mburnickas]

I would be so bold as to guess that the average Luxus RX400h battery will last 5-7 years. In fact, most OEM batteries last over 5 years. Besides, of all the RX400h owners who post here, only a tiny percentage have had a permanent battery failure.

Now add in the fact that edhLexus has had two batteries fail tells me that chances are good that something else is causing the problem. The shotgun approach (throw in another battery) to solving a problem like this is risky at best. Neon has high current draw from his stereo equipment, so his solved issue does not seem to match that of edhLexus.

What we DON'T need is a massive argument over which battery is best.

Dave

I agree a new battery is NOT fixing the issue. I also agree we do not need a "massive argument" but if someone posts facts on why something is better, I will take it. Until then, I loved tossing Optimas, at 38 lb cells, in the trash...BANG! LOL

[NeoN]

I would be so bold as to guess that the average Luxus RX400h battery will last 5-7 years. In fact, most OEM batteries last over 5 years. Besides, of all the RX400h owners who post here, only a tiny percentage have had a permanent battery failure.

Now add in the fact that edhLexus has had two batteries fail tells me that chances are good that something else is causing the problem. The shotgun approach (throw in another battery) to solving a problem like this is risky at best. Neon has high current draw from his stereo equipment, so his solved issue does not seem to match that of edhLexus.

What we DON'T need is a massive argument over which battery is best.

Dave

I have a secondary battery running my stereo equipment in the back of my lexus, a stinger SP800 dry cell 800CCA battery :)

i love my optima, hands down 10x better than the factory junk

[RX400h]

Really, though, you are comparing apples to oranges. You have a deep-cycle battery, whereas factory batteries are not. Deep cycle batteries do not generally last as long as factory batteries if starting and stopping is the biggest drain involved. If you like to leave the stereo on for hours and not permanently damage your battery, then a deep cycle is the way to go. However, for most of us, the longest-lasting battery will be an OEM-type non-AGM. They typically provide close to 7 years or more of service - something few Yellow top Optimas can match.

[NeoN]

Really, though, you are comparing apples to oranges. You have a deep-cycle battery, whereas factory batteries are not. Deep cycle batteries do not generally last as long as factory batteries if starting and stopping is the biggest drain involved. If you like to leave the stereo on for hours and not permanently damage your battery, then a deep cycle is the way to go. However, for most of us, the longest-lasting battery will be an OEM-type non-AGM. They typically provide close to 7 years or more of service - something few Yellow top Optimas can match.

are you really going to own your rx400h for 7 years though? i highly doubt it, once the 2010 model comes out, v6 with an electric only mode, more power and better fuel efficency, everybody is going to be looking to trade in their 400h for a new 430h (assuming)

[BD Mobile Electronics]

An AGM is going to have more cycles than a standard lead acid. You can get cheaper than optima.

[RX400h]

Neon,

Yes, we average 10 years of vehicle ownership, regardless of how often "bigger and better" models are introduced. With two teens who are going to college, buying new every few years is out of the question.

BD Mobile. This may be true if you're talking about deep cycles and AGM vs non-AGM, but not when you're talking about simply more starting cycles out of the same batteries. A standard (non-deep-cycle) AGM can last just as long as a non-AGM if the AGM is kept fully to near-fully charged. Still, the best bang-for-buck batteries out there are not AGMs, since the average cost of a good AGM is close to $150. (The new Sears Platinum AGM retails for a whopping $180.)

[NeoN]

Neon,

Yes, we average 10 years of vehicle ownership, regardless of how often "bigger and better" models are introduced. With two teens who are going to college, buying new every few years is out of the question.

BD Mobile. This may be true if you're talking about deep cycles and AGM vs non-AGM, but not when you're talking about simply more starting cycles out of the same batteries. A standard (non-deep-cycle) AGM can last just as long as a non-AGM if the AGM is kept fully to near-fully charged. Still, the best bang-for-buck batteries out there are not AGMs, since the average cost of a good AGM is close to $150. (The new Sears Platinum AGM retails for a whopping $180.)

hey if so, good for you, you are truly getting your moneys worth out of a vehicle!

I've had my supra for 6 years now and I plan on having it for at least another decade (can't wait till I can use historic plates).

[BD Mobile Electronics]

I would disagree(i hope you don't take offense) because the agm is going to handle the discharge and recharge better than a standard lead acid. remember that the battery is going to sulfate due to the parasitic draw of the car then having to recharge they want to see a constant charge so if you had a trickle charger on the standard lead acid then I would agree that it would have maybe similar cycles. If not agm would not be damaged as much as the lead acid. Just my opinion.

[RX400h]

BD, no offense taken!

My opinions are based upon my reading hundreds of posts in many different forums. It is the AGMs that require sufficient "topping off" of charge by trickle charging or often and long enough driving cycles. It has been reported by many Mazda Miata owners that they have benefited from 8 year-old AGMs, but this may be bacause of that batteries distance from the engine (heat source). Much more typical is a 5 year or less life of AGM batteries in vehicles such as C5 Corvettes. AC Delco abandoned its AGM batteries because of many premature failures - primarily because of driving habits of their owners (based upon what I've read). Perhaps Sears has corrected any weaknesses that are inherent to AGMs, but only time will tell.

Dave

Neon,

I once owned a 68 Corvette for almost 22 years, but I grew tired of replacing the brake light switch every two years!