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

[SW03ES]

Boy do I feel like a weights been lifted off of all our shoulders since ol'MB got the boot. We should have done that years ago...

To the OP, I agree its probably a bad battery. I'd replace it with a better one (I've never had an Optima battery but I've heard more good than bad) and see if that helps.

[BD Mobile Electronics]

I know in our shop we use agm and gel for applications that have no constant charging system such as powered wheel chairs and scooters. The battery will be discharged often times completely and then given a full recharge. This would cause a quick rate of sulfation on a standard lead acid but the agm and gel are much more forgiving. Again this is just my 2 cents worth.

[NeoN]

I know in our shop we use agm and gel for applications that have no constant charging system such as powered wheel chairs and scooters. The battery will be discharged often times completely and then given a full recharge. This would cause a quick rate of sulfation on a standard lead acid but the agm and gel are much more forgiving. Again this is just my 2 cents worth.

interesting. this is good to know, I always figured a dry cell battery is better for contsant discharge like a scooter/wheelchair etc... kind of like a 2-cycle is meant to be run at higher rpms most of the time. It even states on the optima website that the deep cycle battery is ideal for starting/stopping situations where the current drain is maximum for 1-2 seconds (cranking/starting the engine in stop and go traffic). I couldn't see a more properly suited battery for our cars IMO.

[RX400h]

I know in our shop we use agm and gel for applications that have no constant charging system such as powered wheel chairs and scooters. The battery will be discharged often times completely and then given a full recharge. This would cause a quick rate of sulfation on a standard lead acid but the agm and gel are much more forgiving. Again this is just my 2 cents worth.

You must be referring to a deep-discharge battery. Yellow top batteries were designed for deep discharge applications, such as for high-amp stereo equipment. As such they do not normally last as long as a standard lead-acid in less-demanding applications. Typical vehicles with no heavy-drain aftermarket equipment do not need a Yellow Top or other Marine-type battery.

[RX400h]

Boy do I feel like a weights been lifted off of all our shoulders since ol'MB got the boot. We should have done that years ago...

....and it relieves me of all that foul language-correcting!

Dave

[BD Mobile Electronics]

I know in our shop we use agm and gel for applications that have no constant charging system such as powered wheel chairs and scooters. The battery will be discharged often times completely and then given a full recharge. This would cause a quick rate of sulfation on a standard lead acid but the agm and gel are much more forgiving. Again this is just my 2 cents worth.

You must be referring to a deep-discharge battery. Yellow top batteries were designed for deep discharge applications, such as for high-amp stereo equipment. As such they do not normally last as long as a standard lead-acid in less-demanding applications. Typical vehicles with no heavy-drain aftermarket equipment do not need a Yellow Top or other Marine-type battery.

Your car is going to have a constant draw of probably 6 to 10.5 volts when turned off. I would assume our cars sit more than being driven.

[Burkhard]

Hi to readers,

viewing and loccking thru the comments made by each one of you, seems like its a common problem of our Lexus RX400h cars. We have the same problem in Europe. ( Germany, Austria, Swiss) most of the folks decided to use a Black&Decker Emergency Starter (Black&Decker BDV040) . I hope this message might help you to solve your Battery Problem.

Greeting s to all of you and enjoy drive safely with yourLexus.

Burkhard

[RX400h]

Hello, Burkhard,

As far as I can see, only two people in this section of the forum have had battery problems that were not related to leaving the door ajar or interior light on. I know quite a few people with RX400hs and not one has had a battery issue over the last 2-3 years. Ours has been perfect and it is one of the first to arrive in this city in 2005.

[rgray]

Add me to the battery problem list. I mentioned it for a year to the deler and was told all was fine. The last 6 months I have to be sure the car gets turned on if its been sitting never use accessories. I'm shopping for a battery as I don't want to have to carry jumper cables anymore, and have been stuck several times. This is on a 2008 that has had the problem for over a year. Would not think of taking to cold weather in current condition.

[RX400h]

Add me to the battery problem list. I mentioned it for a year to the deler and was told all was fine. The last 6 months I have to be sure the car gets turned on if its been sitting never use accessories. I'm shopping for a battery as I don't want to have to carry jumper cables anymore, and have been stuck several times. This is on a 2008 that has had the problem for over a year. Would not think of taking to cold weather in current condition.

Just get a Costco Kirkland battery, install and be done with it. $60

[Jim Clark]

This is an old thread but still relevant. Was going to use the Lexus yesterday and nothing. First the seat would not adjust when I pressed my button. I get in, turn the key to the power position and nothing, interior light was also totally dark.

I now have my charger hooked up and it's drawing about 8 amps, it's a 10 amp charger.

We don't drive the Lexus much anymore, especially in summer. It can sit for 2-3 weeks without being used. My charger is automatic and will go into maintain mode when a full charge is indicated.

Even if it takes the charge, my fear is this will continue to happen like it did to others. I suspect it will need to be replaced. In future, I will make sure to drive it at least once a week.

Our '94 Jeep Grand Cherokee used to eat batteries like Halloween candy. Needed replacement every 2-3 years even though it was driven regularly.

Prices on the Optima batteries are crazy. I'll go with something less expensive than that. Last time I paid that much was for an Audi wagon we had, it was a monster size battery that only dealers carried. I also paid a lot for a battery for my BMW because I had to go to the dealer for that one as well.

[Jim Clark]

This is an old thread but still relevant. Was going to use the Lexus yesterday and nothing. First the seat would not adjust when I pressed my button. I get in, turn the key to the power position and nothing, interior light was also totally dark.

I now have my charger hooked up and it's drawing about 8 amps, it's a 10 amp charger.

We don't drive the Lexus much anymore, especially in summer. It can sit for 2-3 weeks without being used. My charger is automatic and will go into maintain mode when a full charge is indicated.

Even if it takes the charge, my fear is this will continue to happen like it did to others. I suspect it will need to be replaced. In future, I will make sure to drive it at least once a week.

Our '94 Jeep Grand Cherokee used to eat batteries like Halloween candy. Needed replacement every 2-3 years even though it was driven regularly.

Prices on the Optima batteries are crazy. I'll go with something less expensive than that. Last time I paid that much was for an Audi wagon we had, it was a monster size battery that only dealers carried. I also paid a lot for a battery for my BMW because I had to go to the dealer for that one as well.

As an update, I can get an AutoCraft battery from Advance Auto Parts for a net $82 including a 25% discount offer and core charge refund. It's their Gold model with 500 CCA. And there's a store right near me.

[RX350lover]

I always have my rx350 on the battery charger as a month can go by between usage. You didn't mention the name of the charger you are using, but I suggest you take a look at this one, http://www.amazon.com/CTEK-Multi-Smart-Battery-Charger/dp/B000FQBWCY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319987598&sr=8-1

I have two such chargers and they are in use 365 days a year. Read some of the reviews. Btw, this past week I changed two of the batteries in my cars. One battery was 11 years old and the other was 7 years old. I didn't really need to change the 7 year old battery, but decided to do both at the same time so I can forget it for another decade. Btw, both batteries were Kirkland (Costco) and were replaced with new Kirkland batteries. Hope it helps.

P.S. I didn't put those two batteries in the garbage. I checked the 11 year old maintenance-free battery and found out that 2 of the 6 cells had lost enough acid to see the bare plates. So I added deionized water and put it on the charger. I keep them in my basement and charge them every few months. This way when there will be a power outage, I will be able to connect a power inverter to a battery and run electrical appliances. For example, my natutal gas water heater can run when connected to a power inverter attached to a car battery. I use a generator for the natural gas furnace and fridge.

[Jim Clark]

This is an old thread but still relevant. Was going to use the Lexus yesterday and nothing. First the seat would not adjust when I pressed my button. I get in, turn the key to the power position and nothing, interior light was also totally dark.

I now have my charger hooked up and it's drawing about 8 amps, it's a 10 amp charger.

We don't drive the Lexus much anymore, especially in summer. It can sit for 2-3 weeks without being used. My charger is automatic and will go into maintain mode when a full charge is indicated.

Even if it takes the charge, my fear is this will continue to happen like it did to others. I suspect it will need to be replaced. In future, I will make sure to drive it at least once a week.

Our '94 Jeep Grand Cherokee used to eat batteries like Halloween candy. Needed replacement every 2-3 years even though it was driven regularly.

Prices on the Optima batteries are crazy. I'll go with something less expensive than that. Last time I paid that much was for an Audi wagon we had, it was a monster size battery that only dealers carried. I also paid a lot for a battery for my BMW because I had to go to the dealer for that one as well.

As an update, I can get an AutoCraft battery from Advance Auto Parts for a net $82 including a 25% discount offer and core charge refund. It's their Gold model with 500 CCA. And there's a store right near me.

Another update. I just checked the charger and the amp draw from the battery was down to 2-3 amps. The Completed Charge indicator was on but blinking super rapidly. Maybe it's just finishing the last stage of the charge. The charger manual did say that the charger would drop the amps as the battery neared full charge (going to maintenance mode). I think I'll leave it on a little longer before I try it, the charger manual says it cannot overcharge in automatic mode.

My next problem could be what items need to be reset, I believe the battery was nearly totally dead. I'll update again soon.

[Jim Clark]

This is an old thread but still relevant. Was going to use the Lexus yesterday and nothing. First the seat would not adjust when I pressed my button. I get in, turn the key to the power position and nothing, interior light was also totally dark.

I now have my charger hooked up and it's drawing about 8 amps, it's a 10 amp charger.

We don't drive the Lexus much anymore, especially in summer. It can sit for 2-3 weeks without being used. My charger is automatic and will go into maintain mode when a full charge is indicated.

Even if it takes the charge, my fear is this will continue to happen like it did to others. I suspect it will need to be replaced. In future, I will make sure to drive it at least once a week.

Our '94 Jeep Grand Cherokee used to eat batteries like Halloween candy. Needed replacement every 2-3 years even though it was driven regularly.

Prices on the Optima batteries are crazy. I'll go with something less expensive than that. Last time I paid that much was for an Audi wagon we had, it was a monster size battery that only dealers carried. I also paid a lot for a battery for my BMW because I had to go to the dealer for that one as well.

As an update, I can get an AutoCraft battery from Advance Auto Parts for a net $82 including a 25% discount offer and core charge refund. It's their Gold model with 500 CCA. And there's a store right near me.

Another update. I just checked the charger and the amp draw from the battery was down to 2-3 amps. The Completed Charge indicator was on but blinking super rapidly. Maybe it's just finishing the last stage of the charge. The charger manual did say that the charger would drop the amps as the battery neared full charge (going to maintenance mode). I think I'll leave it on a little longer before I try it, the charger manual says it cannot overcharge in automatic mode.

My next problem could be what items need to be reset, I believe the battery was nearly totally dead. I'll update again soon.

Next update, it started! TPMS warning is on, don't know how to reset it. Maintenance warnings and that stuff were erased. Not sure what else needs attending to. Really don't want to go to the dealer for this stuff.

Will the battery last if we drive the car more frequently?

[lemon]

My next problem could be what items need to be reset, I believe the battery was nearly totally dead. I'll update again soon.

Power windows, sunroof, memory seats, maybe the power hatch (sometimes mine needs this, sometimes not), 2008 model so you shouldn't need to do the ISC reset. Radio presets?

[Jim Clark]

My next problem could be what items need to be reset, I believe the battery was nearly totally dead. I'll update again soon.

Power windows, sunroof, memory seats, maybe the power hatch (sometimes mine needs this, sometimes not), 2008 model so you shouldn't need to do the ISC reset. Radio presets?

Just needed the TPMS reset which the manual told me how to do. Working fine since I put the charge on. Just need to remember to drive it at least once a week.

[Jim Clark]

My next problem could be what items need to be reset, I believe the battery was nearly totally dead. I'll update again soon.

Power windows, sunroof, memory seats, maybe the power hatch (sometimes mine needs this, sometimes not), 2008 model so you shouldn't need to do the ISC reset. Radio presets?

Just needed the TPMS reset which the manual told me how to do. Working fine since I put the charge on. Just need to remember to drive it at least once a week.

Resurrecting an old thread again. The battery died again. I had been trying to remember to drive it at least once a week. It did take another charge but I was sure it needed to be replaced.

Bought an Autocraft Gold battery at Advance Auto (net cost about $95 with discount and core trade). We'll see. Advance has a good warranty, 3 years free and 7 years prorated. Thought about the Optima but it is too expensive.

[lemon]

Since I posted (a few posts above) I have confirmed that the ISC reset needs to be done on all year ('06 to '08). So if you've replaced the battery, you might consider it, or print the TSB and get the dealer to do it.