I had the battery in my 2006 Lexus LS 430 replaced by my Lexus dealer but I am not sure it was actually done.
The battery and the connections all look too dirty to me, see the uploaded image. How can I determine if they did it or if I was cheated.

Let me add that the clock, the trip meter, the radio, etc, were all working fine and neither required a reset after the batter replacement.

I was even charged for a "1 8855 VALV BATT KIT" that I have no idea what it was. I could find no reference for it on the Internet.
The battery itself is a standard "00544MF24F630" Lexus battery.

Many thanks, Paul



The brand new battery in my 2006 Lexus LS430.

 

You need to find the date code on the new battery. They will usually have a couple round stickers eith the mknth and year the battery was made. They will also have a series of numbers stamped into the batterty somewhere that you will be able to loom up hkw to decypher the code and that will have the exact date it was made. Batteries are usally 2-3 months old when they are sold. But they can be up to 6 months old sometimes. If you find this date it will andwer your question

 

Thank you for responding. I was thinking of the code too but I could find it nowhere. Probably it is on the front of the battery that is facing toward the back. It is way too heavy for me to remove it. The internet gave no hint about any code on this particular Lexus battery.

 

I am not sure who manufactured that specific battery. Thw battery weighs about 35lbs you would need to disconnect tge terminals and the tie down, and then it can be lifted out pretty easily. Find the manufacturer and then go to their website. And rhere will be instructions to identify the build date. They always have a build date stamped in that is used if it gets returned under warranty.

 

I do not see the cover, did you remove it. also both positive and negative have caps on the post.
maybe cover is un necessary I do not know what use it could be but Lexus put one there

 

A skilled tech can attach a couple of light gauge wires with alligator clips from the old battery
(if it is not completely dead) to the car's connections to maintain the memory settings while
installing the new battery. Once the leads are secured then the jumpers come off.
Your installed battery shows light tool marks on the clamp nut and overall looks as if
it has been handled. dwoods801's advice is definitively correct, find the date code.

 

Take it back to the Lexus dealer and the service tech if they did change it should be able to show you the date code. As old as this car is and if you are not the original owner it is most likely a Lexus branded battery would not be in there. It was probably changed but sure doesn't look like it by pictures. They will understand why you are questioning this if it looks like the picture. Also every bit of the corrosion on the copper battery terminal should have been cleaned. I actually put mine in water and perfectly clean after few minutes. If it was changed it just doesn't look like a quality job you would expect from Lexus.

 

Thank you for responding. Lexus battery. The code is not visible but probably exists. Lexus is mum about the code.

 

Thank you all for responding. Based on what you guys suggested, I complained to my Lexus Service Representative one more time and he told me to come in and see the foreman. I will do it tomorrow.

Lert me add: I am the first and only owner of my 2006 Lexus LS 430. It has less than 80K miles and it is in a pristine showroom condition. This is the 4th battery I bought. I always used Lexus service, even
for oil changes. My family owned 4 Lexuses since 1990 and spent over 20K for various maintenance and repair services at the very same Lexus dealer.

IMHO but feel free to disagree: the 2006 Lexus LS 430 is the best car ever in terms of understated luxury, power, and reliability. It's certainly not a sports car. I wonder if the Genesis G90 will be as good as this one.

 

Before my car goes in for service I subtly mark all the pieces that should be replaced and take photos. I've been burned a couple of times before and now I trust nobody.

The last time a garage tried it on was with my Honda Legend. When I showed the garage manager the photos and used words like fraud and theft he was all bluster and blaming the mechanics, but I just knew that it was a garage policy for making more money from the way he behaved. It wasn't the first time he'd had that conversation with someone. He offered to redo the work properly, but I insisted on a full refund and went elsewhere.

 

No need to do that in an LS430. There's a small secondary battery that maintains your settings. Only car I've ever owned that did not require resetting the windows etc. after swapping in a new battery.

 

I doubt it is a new unused battery. Two reasons:
1. The battery does not look clean and new. It looks old and used.
2. My understanding is that Lexus does not use the "Lexus branded" black batteries as replacements any longer. Any Lexus branded batteries would have been old, outdated stock. They either use the Toyota batteries or locally sourced name brand replacements such as Interstate, A/C Delco, Duracell, etc. I was told this by my Lexus Dealer about 6 months ago. This may be a local dealer or regional policy but the dealer implied it was nationwide.
In addtion, the battery servce could have been better. The cables ends look dirty and could use a better cleaning. After the installation, an anti-corrosive treatment should have been applied rather than just using the chemically soaked felt rings under the terminals. I would nicely but firmly point these things out to the service manager.

 

That is a new battery, the mechanic dropped debris on the battery while cleaning the inside of the positive terminal.

Lexus dealer replacement batteries (most) are distributed by local Interstate Battery distributers and carry the Lexus brand label.