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When I got my GX it had 21k miles on it. I had an new Optima model 35 battery in my RX and put it in my GX. The model 35 is rated for a GX too. Twice in the past 4 months I left the ignition on without the car running for 10 minutes or so and the battery went dead. Is it my battery, or does a GX draw down the battery that quickly without the engine running?
Obviously it's somewhat dependent on what you were running during that 10 minute span, but it does seem pretty unlikely that you could wear down a battery that quickly.
How old is the Optima? You can take it to most places that sell batteries and have it tested.
Was the Optima swapped directly, or was it stored?
AGM batteries are different than wet cell. If it was not fully charged coming out of the RX, or near dead after storage, an AGM specific charger may be needed to bring it back.
It came right out of the RX and was fully charged. I heard from Optima and they told me to take it in for testing, which I will do. In answer to your other questions, it's 3 years old and all that was running was ignition lighting etc. No headlights or anything else. Thanks for your help.
I noticed my OEM battery was starting to feel weaker. In fact, it briefly failed on me once when I had the lights on and a few doors opened for about 20 minutes while the engine was off. However, after letting it sit for a few minutes, it worked again. Long story short, I didn't want to wait until it was completely dead or in the middle of winter to take care of this matter. So, I ordered an Odyssey Extreme AGM battery with a lot more cold cranking amps than the Panasonic battery. I did not even bother researching the cost of an OEM Panasonic battery since a few threads back had it quoted at $900 dollars. Mine costs a lot less, but weighs a lot more even though it appears smaller. This thing is heavy!
Top view
Side view comparison
I believe this version of my battery has only 550 Cold Cranking Amps.
Battery area with the tray removed for cleaning.
I broke in halve some plexiglass from Home Depot and placed it underneath the battery to raise it up a little since it sits lower than the OEM Panasonic
The proper way to remove and install a battery is to first loosen and remove the battery clamp. Then loosen and disconnect the Negative (-) black terminal first, then the Positive (+) red terminal. After putting in the new battery, you connect and tighten the Positive (+) red terminal, and then the Negative (-) black terminal. And of course, clamp it back afterwards after positioning where you want the battery situated. The only tools I used for this job was a 10 mm socket (for the terminals), a deep 10 mm socket (for the battery clamp), and a ratchet.
After installation of the new battery, I noticed that my cranks are much quicker. I lost my radio presets the first time hooked it up, but it was not a big deal since I took pictures of my AM and FM presets. Everything else (seat and mirror positioning, phone book, phone, etc.) was still there. The second I hooked it back up (after removing the battery to place additional plexiglass, my presets were not erased anymore. I wondered if the update after hooking up the battery the first time changed something in the software. Oh well, I am not complaining...
Hey 11GX460, thanks for sharing this. I was curious, how has the battery worked out for you? Just had my 90K mile service and Lexus is telling me my battery is failing. Trying to consider alternatives to the $227 they want to charge me for a replacement. Any thoughts?
6 years out of a battery is pretty good. I start to get nervous after 4-5 years and will replace it if I have ANY signs of slow cranking or short lived activity in auxiliary mode. Portable jump starters came up recently on Car Chat https://www.clublexus.com/forums/car...r-starter.html
My Odyssey battery is just as powerful as day one. The GX still cranks over very quickly, even after sitting for 5 or 6 straight days in the cold at times. As you can tell, cold cranking amps is important for us since we have V8 engines. If Lexus is charging you $227 for a OEM (Panasonic) replacement, I think that's a pretty good deal considering some were quoted $900 a while back, I still believe the Odyssey Extreme full AGM battery is superior. My Odyssey costs around what Lexus is charging you for the replacement, if that helps. I think converting to LEDs also contributes to the longevity of a battery. Good luck.
Thanks 11GX460. Just saw how much the extreme was and you're right, not a terrible price for OEM replacement. But, the Odyssey is most likely a superior battery. I'll let you guys know what I decide.
Just thought I'd share a few pics with everyone here. I opted to install an Optima Yellow Top in the GX this weekend. My factory battery from 2013 had failed its tests at my 90k service. I ordered via Amazon saving me $60 vs the dealer. We'll see in the near future if that was a good idea...
Install was straight forward. The Optima comes with two base plates to help give it some height. I chose the thinner of the two. After install the GX sounded a great deal better at start up. Quick solid crank vs the obviously weak crank coming from the failed battery.
Is there a reason you went with a yellow top vs a red top starting battery?
Thanks - I think it was that feeling of having a little extra "insurance" of sorts. Since it was a battery that could handle more. I'm sure the red top would've been fine but I have future aspirations of adding in more gadgets - who knows if I'll ever actually do it though.
I'm surprised you only got 3.5 years out of the battery. Does your drive consist mostly short stops?
It most definitely does. I drive in LA traffic and spend 80-85% of my time on surface streets. Even the time I spend on the highway ends up in stop and go.
08-15-15, 07:32 PM
Gx 460 battery
