Problems After Leaving Dome Light On.

[motiv8rnc]

:( My wife left the dome light on in the car overnight, as i was leaving for work the next day i noticed it, shut it off. started her car, and of course the battery light was on. i let it run for about twenty minutes and shut it off and then left for work. that evening when i got home she said her car wouldnt start, i jumped it let it run for about twenty or thirty minutes and drove it around the neighborhood. parked it and tried to restart it, wouldnt restart. changed the battery in it, and still wont start. battery light check engine light, vsc light, tire presure light, and airbag light is on. is there a reset i should do after changing the battery or what. any suggestions please.

[peteanello]

:( My wife left the dome light on in the car overnight, as i was leaving for work the next day i noticed it, shut it off. started her car, and of course the battery light was on. i let it run for about twenty minutes and shut it off and then left for work. that evening when i got home she said her car wouldnt start, i jumped it let it run for about twenty or thirty minutes and drove it around the neighborhood. parked it and tried to restart it, wouldnt restart. changed the battery in it, and still wont start. battery light check engine light, vsc light, tire presure light, and airbag light is on. is there a reset i should do after changing the battery or what. any suggestions please.

I just had our '04 RX serviced (80k) and had the battery replaced (it failed the test). Cost $182. It was almost 6 years old.

Anyway, I recall reading another thread that there is definitely something that needs to be reset and the instructions are in the manual. I know the sunroof won't operate properly until it is reset.

[Grumpa72]

First, I doubt that you need to change the battery unless it is more than about four years old and been discharged several times. A vehicle's alternator is not a device designed to put a deep charge on your battery. It is designed to top off the battery after you start the engine and to run the electrics in the car when it is running. I always do a deep cycle charge on any battery that has been run down. That is using a battery charger and letting it charge for 5-6 hours. Letting a car idle for 20 minutes in the hopes that you are going to fully charge your battery is a HUGE strain on your alternator and probably won't put a dent into the charging needs of a fully discharged battery. Fwiw, a quality battery only has a few deep discharges and charges in it before it no longer becomes a reliable battery.

[bochik]

First, I doubt that you need to change the battery unless it is more than about four years old and been discharged several times. A vehicle's alternator is not a device designed to put a deep charge on your battery. It is designed to top off the battery after you start the engine and to run the electrics in the car when it is running. I always do a deep cycle charge on any battery that has been run down. That is using a battery charger and letting it charge for 5-6 hours. Letting a car idle for 20 minutes in the hopes that you are going to fully charge your battery is a HUGE strain on your alternator and probably won't put a dent into the charging needs of a fully discharged battery. Fwiw, a quality battery only has a few deep discharges and charges in it before it no longer becomes a reliable battery.

[bochik]

First, I doubt that you need to change the battery unless it is more than about four years old and been discharged several times. A vehicle's alternator is not a device designed to put a deep charge on your battery. It is designed to top off the battery after you start the engine and to run the electrics in the car when it is running. I always do a deep cycle charge on any battery that has been run down. That is using a battery charger and letting it charge for 5-6 hours. Letting a car idle for 20 minutes in the hopes that you are going to fully charge your battery is a HUGE strain on your alternator and probably won't put a dent into the charging needs of a fully discharged battery. Fwiw, a quality battery only has a few deep discharges and charges in it before it no longer becomes a reliable battery.

Most excellent advice grumpa, in fact some vehicles alternators will even cycle off on a low battery to protect themselves

[sksbutterfly]

I've had a 1990 and 1999 LS 400 and have the same "issue" with both. If a dome light is left on for more than a reasonable length of time the car turns off the light with most manufacturers. I've found that not to be true with Lexus. The light stays on until the battery is drained. I'd like to know if there's some way to "FIX" this.

Thanks

[jamokrx]

My model is different (RX300 1999), but I've experienced something that may be tangentially related to your battery problem: Last fall, carpets soaked by mysterious leak, I kept doors opened for many hours/day for a good many days, until battery would not start car. Didn't think those little courtesy lights on lower front doors would drain much power, but there you go. Reasonable that they might. Battery still barely under warranty, and interstate shop said battery was bad. Replaced it with a brand new interstate, the right one for the car. For a much shorter period of time (couple days) opened moonroof, and 2 passenger doors to do some drying work. Within those few days, the battery was drained, altho the only power I could see drawn was from the small little red 'door open' indicator below the mph display. Seems insane to me that no other lights on, no obvious draws would drain a battery that new, and that powerful completely, but I have a fancy brand name self-diagnosing charger (Schumacher) that read below usable charge. Charged it up and it hasn't repeated, but then I haven't kept any door opened, except the moonroof. Beats me. Sorry.

Oh, just saw there were some replies to you: My alternator tested good after the first drain and before replacement. If there is a fix to have lights go out when you close the doors or lock the car, automatically, I'd like to know it, also. I've given up on being sure interior lights do that, as none of the settings seem sure-fire. Which lead to often using the 'auxiliary' light in the middle of the sun visors, which for sure will never go out unless I turn them off manually before I exit the car, which is an easy thing to forget. I'd trade that problem as 'unfixable' for some solutions to the more weighty ones that cause me serious concern lol.