slowtan

1999 RX300 w/86K miles

Summary:

For the last 2 weeks my RX would lose the clock setting every now and then. Well it looks like the orig battery so I was planning to replace it since I already checked for corrosion when my wife calls and says the car won't start. I told her to get it jump started and come home.

I replace the battery on Wed. with Autozone Duralast Gold .. Sunday morning the battery is dead.

The RX is pretty much stock with the exception of Sirius Sat installed but that has been in for more than 6 months ..

Anyone else with a bad alternator ..

Autozone has 2 different kinds and I really don't understand the difference but the price differnce is significant ..

Duralast P/N 12226 $335 + $!00 core
Duralast P/N 12095 $210 + $95 core

and NAPA has these 2 kinds

Napa Premium P/N RAL139173 $445 + $50 core
Beck and Arnely Remf. P/N BA1860926 $289 + $95 core

Car died on Sunday so I haven't had to time to call Lexus or Toyota to check their prices but I am scared considering how much these guys are selling it for.

If anyone has a suggestion on something to check before I make this purchase please don't hesitate.

Stephen
slowtan@houston.rr.com

flipside909

Duralast batteries from Autozone are great. Get the Gold version for the longer 3 year replacement warranty. The Toyota/Lexus batteries are gonna be overpriced as it is. You should have your alternator load tested at Autozone to see if it's going out or not.

slowtan

Can they test the alternator with the alternator out of the car??

I did get the Duralast Gold .. that is the battery that died in 4 days, Hence why I think it is the alternator.

Stephen

mhc0725

After you changed your battery, did you drive the vehicle? If so, then it might be the alternator. If you replaced and didn't do anything but the battery drained, then I don't think it's your alternator, you might have a short somewhere that's draining your battery.

As for load testing, you don't need the car, just bring in the alternator to your local shop.

The price diff. is most likely from one being new, the other a refurb.

Anyway, good luck.

HarrierAWD

If the alternator were out, it wouldn't be able to produce electricity to run your RX.

It is possible that somehow the new battery wasn't being charged. Have the tech check the battery and the wiring.

I used to pay $200-$275 to have my GM alternator replaced (with refurb. and labor.) Given that import repair costs usually run 50%-100% higher than domestic, those numbers are not out of line. Call the Lexus dealer to get a quote over the phone.

slowtan

My wife has driven the vehicle everyday as it is a daily driver for us since the new battery went in so the alternator had time to charge the battery.

I am going to try and take it to a local auto store ..

Stephen

toy4two

I've had to replace just about everything in very high milage Toyota's but never an alternator.

It *COULD* happen I suppose, my advice to you is DO NOT buy a refurb from a place like AutoZone. I can't tell you how many times we've had to go back into a car a year later to replace the same damn part, thus why they have lifetime warranties, you'll need it!

Try a discount Toyota place like Iron Toad.