NXOwner

So, I get back from a 10-day vacation and my 2005 RX's battery is dead (parked at the airport). I left it there and took a cab home. It was very late (almost 2 a.m.)

The car is still under the Lexus warranty. What does the warranty cover? Will they come out and jumpstart the car? Will they test the battery to see if it will hold a charge? Will they give me a ride back to the airport parking lot (or reimburse me)?


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The G Man

The Lexus roadside assistance should jump the car for you.

mandyfig

Use it, it is part of what you paid for. That is what the concierge service is.

NXOwner

Thanks everyone. Lexus Roadside Assistance said when I get back to the car to call them and they will send AAA out to jumpstart it. If it doesn't start, they will tow it to the nearest dealer. They also said to call a little ahead of time since AAA could take up to 45 minutes to arrive.

I have since called the airport and their parking lot has complimentary jumpstarting service and they come right out. So I will try the parking lot service first. If it starts, I will drive to my regular dealer and have the battery checked out. If it doesn't start, I will call Lexus.

It's not that I left the headlights on--so hopefully, it's nothing too bad.


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mandyfig

Good luck! Let us know what happens.

salimshah

Trip assistance (re-imbursement for incidentals) kick in when you are away from home.

Salim

NXOwner

I had the airport parking lot folks jumpstart the car and then I drove it directly to my dealership. They tested each of the battery's cells and they checked-out okay. They put the battery on a charger for about three hours and it seems to hold the charge. They returned the vehicle to me and said there was nothing wrong with the battery or the alternator.

Hmm...I guess the true test is in the morning when I go to start the car.

Has anyone ever experienced a drained battery when the car has been parked for more than a week?

Another question, by the way...how can I make the headlights not stay on once I turn off the car? I know I can press the remote's lock button twice and the lights will go out, but how can I either change the length of time they stay on, or not have them stay on at all?


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The G Man

Not sure about the 05, but on the 07, thats a Lexus personalize setting option. You can adjust the length of time the headlight stays or have the headlight goes off as soon as you turn off the car.

mandyfig

The 04's definitely did not have the setting options.

salimshah

The head lights should turn off (and most probably did).

I suspect it was a dome light or some thing else that just drained the battery slowly.

Carry jumper cables with you .. just in case .


Salim

NXOwner

I briefly looked in my owner's manual to see how to set the delay time for the headlights to go off (or even to not have them stay on), but could not find it. Does anyone know the steps involved to tweak this? What is this feature called?


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NXOwner

I verified that the headlight switch was not on. I also looked at the back dome light switch. It was in the "Door" position. I'm assuming that the hatch lights (all three) turn off when the hatch door is closed. There was nothing plugged into any of the power outlets.

So, after it sat overnight last night, it started perfectly this morning.

Oh well...


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mandyfig

Go get a multi-meter and check your battery. It should read 14 V. If it reads 13 and lower...not good.

damnboy

Click on the "Lock" button on your remote "Twice". It will shut off the headlights right away. No need to worry about if it's going to turn off or not

Grumpa72

If you mean with the engine idling then I will agree with your statement. In my experience, the idling voltage of my cars is 14+ volts while the engine-off voltage is 12+. Any other number causes me to wonder what is wrong with the car or battery.

If your car isn't driven much then it is easy to see why a car can have a run down battery. Here is my scenario; with the engine idling and the a/c on, fan on high, radio on, headlights on and perhaps the wipers, I doubt that your car's electrical system will keep up with the demand. Then you park the car at the airport and the battery drains.

On my car, which sits at the airport often, I routinely charge the battery for a couple of hours, every other week or so during the winter.

Gary