Rx400h

[Gryphon]

I left my deck lid open too long last night and found a dead battery today. No surprise, my bad. Before I charged the battery I took a peep into the cells and found the electrolyte quite low. I do live in Arizona where heat is more of a factor, but I did not expect to be adding water to this battery very often. I don't even see a maintenance item in the manual to check battery water.

So, how may of you check this regularly and how many need to add water and, if so, how often?

Tom

[RX400h]

I have to admit that I never checked that. Next week will be a good time to do so, since I'll be doing a bunch of automotive-related tasks. With other non-maintenance-free batteries, I rarely have to add water (here in San Diego).

[SOMEONE ELSE'S GOT MY NAME]

They're not sealed?

[Gryphon]

They're not sealed?

If six little screw-out plugs means anything, then "nope." :)

Tom

[SW03ES]

Its a maintenance free battery...

[Gryphon]

Its a maintenance free battery...

Well mine is sure not. Wonder if Lexus uses different batteries for different climates?

Tom

[SW03ES]

That is bizarre...

Can you post a picture of the battery?

[1990LS400]

If your battery has screw out plugs, it's a supposedly maintenance-free or low maintenance battery.

I say "supposedly" because all a maintenance free battery does is have features that limit evaporation and have screw out plugs or non-removable that make it difficult or impossible to add tap water. Tap water is the death of batteries.

There is nothing wrong with topping up the cells of a maintenance free battery that has removable plugs with distilled water -- never use tap water.

Here is some good information: http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2005/11/30/150966.html

I keep a battery bottle filled with distilled water in my garage. I check our batteries about once a month and almost always find a cell or two that needs topping up.

[katzjamr]

before i could check the fluid level in my 2006 400h battery, i did have to peel off the plastic tape that covered each set of three cells. on this tape it does say maintenance free. i could not screw out the plugs without removing this tape. inside the cells seemed much deeper than batteries i am used to but there was water in each cell with no core exposed. How high should the water be in each cell, i didnt add any thing being unsure what the correct level is.

[SW03ES]

So...it is maintenance free.

[LEXIRX330]

If a 2007 RX400 needs to have anything done to the battery, or anything else under the hood it would go back to the dealership. By removing the tape I would bet if you have a problem with the battery in the future the warranty would be void. Just my opinion but if it says maintenance free I would leave it alone at least until the warranty is up. If the battery needed to be topped off with water I think it would be required maintenance that would be done on service intervals anyway.

[Gryphon]

Here ha go friends. My "less than maintenance free" battery. And by the way, there was no tape to remove.

Tom

[400h08]

Here ha go friends. My "less than maintenance free" battery. And by the way, there was no tape to remove.

Tom

It surely is very strange. Are you sure no body exchanged your battery without you knowing it. By the way, the little monitor on the top left shows blue, which means the battery is healthy.

[Gryphon]

Here ha go friends. My "less than maintenance free" battery. And by the way, there was no tape to remove.

Tom

It surely is very strange. Are you sure nobody exchanged your battery without you knowing it. By the way, the little monitor on the top left shows blue, which means the battery is healthy.

This is definitely the stock battery that came in my RX. I actually bought two identical vehicles on the same day (sadly the rules of divorce) and both have this battery.

Batteries do not have a long life in Arizona, probably due to high heat and low humidity. Perhaps Lexus uses different batteries depending on region. Who knows?

The monitor is blue because I photographed the battery when fully charged.

Tom

[SOMEONE ELSE'S GOT MY NAME]

So...it is maintenance free.

except you have to add distilled water

Here ya go friends. My "less than maintenance free" battery. And by the way, there was no tape to remove.

Tom

That's got to be the biggest phillips screw driver in the world. I'll have to go borrow one from the Jolly Green Giant :P

[Gryphon]

That's got to be the biggest phillips screw driver in the world. I'll have to go borrow one from the Jolly Green Giant :P

Everything's bigger in Arizona.

Tom

[SW03ES]

That doesn't look like the Lexus OEM batteries I've had...

Does everybody else's RX battery look like that? Does the battery say Lexus on the front?

That doesn't look like a maintenance free battery...

[Gryphon]

Since my last post it appears that my battery is dying (or of course a charging problem). I will report more after I have visited Mr Lexus next week.

Tom

[Gryphon]

Just for curiosity, would someone post a picture of the maintenance free battery with the plastic "do not remove" tape?

Tom

[katzjamr]

it is black mylar plastic with holes smaller than the top of the cell cut out, big maintenance free letters on the top. i can take a pic with my iphone, can someone walk me thru uploading it sorry for the lack of skills there. also am interested in what lexus says and if people really think a more expensive battery is better, my oem battery has no reserve and has left me stranded a couple times the last week. (yes i do travel with jumper cables now and a portable starter) i have a new van for work so with cheap gas ive been driving that more, it sounds like im part of the cheap gas use more problem too! thanks, dave

[400h08]

it is black mylar plastic with holes smaller than the top of the cell cut out, big maintenance free letters on the top. i can take a pic with my iphone, can someone walk me thru uploading it sorry for the lack of skills there. also am interested in what lexus says and if people really think a more expensive battery is better, my oem battery has no reserve and has left me stranded a couple times the last week. (yes i do travel with jumper cables now and a portable starter) i have a new van for work so with cheap gas ive been driving that more, it sounds like im part of the cheap gas use more problem too! thanks, dave

To post photo's, sign up at

http://photobucket.com/

Read instructions to upload your photo. Then read instructions to link your photo to forum (I think it is the 3rd item down the list)

[SOMEONE ELSE'S GOT MY NAME]

That doesn't look like the Lexus OEM batteries I've had...

Does everybody else's RX battery look like that? Does the battery say Lexus on the front?

That doesn't look like a maintenance free battery...

Don't know about everyone, but that's like all the ones I've seen, including ours . . . ergo the big phillips

[katzjamr]

i uploaded a pic to my photobucket acct. it is the only pic there here is the link for the battery pic

there is probably a better way to do this however this is all i know for now

[400h08]

i uploaded a pic to my photobucket acct. it is the only pic there here is the link for the battery pic

there is probably a better way to do this however this is all i know for now

Sorry, I gave you a wrong instruction. You need to click on the IMG code, and then past it on this forum. Any way, here it is, and please go back and edit your post, as I will delete this picture from my account.

[katzjamr]

thanks for introducing me to photobucket and getting the pic posted here. now that i think about that tape on the cell cover, dont you think toyota took a regular battery and stuck the tape on there to make it the same as a maint free battery? the Maintenance Free battery in my 2007 E250 cargo van has covers on the top that cannot be removed as far as i can see, the instructions there say dont try to remove them they are just there to vent the battery. just a random thot.