Battery Dying
10-03-22, 03:26 PM
#91
Racer
My best advice to you would be to get your battery load-tested at an auto supply store. It's 4 years old so it's possible you need a new one. If the battery tests ok, I'd recommend having a parisitic load test done at a shop.
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Myoboku (10-04-22)
10-04-22, 04:55 AM
#92
10-04-22, 10:28 AM
#93
I have a 2022 RX and drive it at least 40 miles a day 5 times a week. I've had to jump start after 15min sitting in the car listening to music and now it's getting colder I have to jump start it sometimes in the morning. I took it to Autozone for a battery test and the 1st basic test the battery tested fine. The more advanced test the machine said battery charge is too low to start, it was at 78% charge after 20 miles of driving. Not sure if Lexus will do a warranty on the battery since it is still testing fine. I've done a parasitic draw test and I'm getting around 50mA, which is normal. I was at the dealer 2 months ago for a different warranty repair and they said back then everything tested fine with the battery.
10-04-22, 11:07 AM
#94
Racer
78% charge after driving 20 miles is not OK. The battery needs to be properly load tested as well as the charging system. If the alternator etc tests good then I'd say you need a new battery, which should be under warranty.
10-04-22, 11:17 AM
#95
Agreed, going to try to test at Advanced Auto Parts once the rain finally passes. The Lexus dealer already tried blaming me for the previous warranty repair, so my trust in them to replace the battery under warranty is minimal.
10-09-22, 12:12 PM
#98
And how long has it been since you replaced it with the AGM? I guess time will tell if it was worth it especially considering the higher costs of AGM. This would highly be dependent on the battery brand also. In my case I was happy to get the OEM battery replaced since it was 100% covered by my warranty!
10-09-22, 12:22 PM
#99
Racer
And how long has it been since you replaced it with the AGM? I guess time will tell if it was worth it especially considering the higher costs of AGM. This would highly be dependent on the battery brand also. In my case I was happy to get the OEM battery replaced since it was 100% covered by my warranty!
10-09-22, 12:43 PM
#100
I have a 2022 RX and drive it at least 40 miles a day 5 times a week. I've had to jump start after 15min sitting in the car listening to music and now it's getting colder I have to jump start it sometimes in the morning. I took it to Autozone for a battery test and the 1st basic test the battery tested fine. The more advanced test the machine said battery charge is too low to start, it was at 78% charge after 20 miles of driving. Not sure if Lexus will do a warranty on the battery since it is still testing fine. I've done a parasitic draw test and I'm getting around 50mA, which is normal. I was at the dealer 2 months ago for a different warranty repair and they said back then everything tested fine with the battery.
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jollick (10-09-22)
10-10-22, 10:32 AM
#101
Lexus Test Driver
I replaced our at just under five years old and it was still perfect. Now my ES is going on four years old and it's still perfect. It's not necessarily a Lexus OEM problem.
12-28-22, 06:05 PM
#102
Battery thread zombie
Rx20 et al...
I have had your exact issue, on battery #3, and have gone through your steps as well.
I've had some pretty bad experiences with the dealer service writers; from being told that dirty parking sensors (in the wheel wells??) to being told it's my fault for not driving enough. Let's just say that I am not Experiencing Amazing.
My background: Software Engineer, including embedded systems and PLC, and a trained Automotive Technician before going into software.
Anyhow, since new, my 2020 RX350 Premium will not sit for more than 3 days without the battery draining so that it will no longer crank.
I've tested draw with an ammeter and found it to fluctuate between 600 and 1.2 mA with the hold open engine off and parked for several hours. I haven't been able to bypass the hood sensor to turn off the MFD warning :-/
After 6 hours on a tender, the battery goes back to 12.5 and cranks like a champ and runs with a constant 14.1 volts at the battery with draw showing 600mA.
It seems excessive to me and, from my experience and training, smells of some kind of drain from software/systems that are not sleeping. I mentioned the ES350 issue and subsequent correction to the dealer. Their answer is that it's a different car so not the same. I find that answer a bit dubious given the parts sharing overlap.
Anyhow, did you get any resolution? Anyone have any advice or success revolving this problem?
The problem manifests when the car is parked, locked, not driven over multiple days. Hence, it is not related to anything that happens when the car is driven. The key fobs are kept very far away from the car. I don't have any extra hardware connected to the car and I don't use any Lexus apps. What Lexus computers do on their own may well be the problem.
Intermittent current draw is exactly what I think is happening (this is what I told Lexus). The problem is how to prove it AND, more importantly, how to prove that it is not normal (as claimed by Lexus). Right now I don't have a concrete example from even *one* RX350 owner who is specifically not experiencing the problem I am observing. It is not common for people to not use their car for six days or more and not common for people to measure the battery voltage over time, as I have done. However, it clearly happens that cars are left unused when people fly somewhere on an extended vacation, have other cars that they drive, etc. Hence, the examples should be out there. This is what I am looking for.
I have had your exact issue, on battery #3, and have gone through your steps as well.
I've had some pretty bad experiences with the dealer service writers; from being told that dirty parking sensors (in the wheel wells??) to being told it's my fault for not driving enough. Let's just say that I am not Experiencing Amazing.
My background: Software Engineer, including embedded systems and PLC, and a trained Automotive Technician before going into software.
Anyhow, since new, my 2020 RX350 Premium will not sit for more than 3 days without the battery draining so that it will no longer crank.
I've tested draw with an ammeter and found it to fluctuate between 600 and 1.2 mA with the hold open engine off and parked for several hours. I haven't been able to bypass the hood sensor to turn off the MFD warning :-/
After 6 hours on a tender, the battery goes back to 12.5 and cranks like a champ and runs with a constant 14.1 volts at the battery with draw showing 600mA.
It seems excessive to me and, from my experience and training, smells of some kind of drain from software/systems that are not sleeping. I mentioned the ES350 issue and subsequent correction to the dealer. Their answer is that it's a different car so not the same. I find that answer a bit dubious given the parts sharing overlap.
Anyhow, did you get any resolution? Anyone have any advice or success revolving this problem?
The problem manifests when the car is parked, locked, not driven over multiple days. Hence, it is not related to anything that happens when the car is driven. The key fobs are kept very far away from the car. I don't have any extra hardware connected to the car and I don't use any Lexus apps. What Lexus computers do on their own may well be the problem.
Intermittent current draw is exactly what I think is happening (this is what I told Lexus). The problem is how to prove it AND, more importantly, how to prove that it is not normal (as claimed by Lexus). Right now I don't have a concrete example from even *one* RX350 owner who is specifically not experiencing the problem I am observing. It is not common for people to not use their car for six days or more and not common for people to measure the battery voltage over time, as I have done. However, it clearly happens that cars are left unused when people fly somewhere on an extended vacation, have other cars that they drive, etc. Hence, the examples should be out there. This is what I am looking for.
12-31-22, 11:35 AM
#103
Rookie
Thread Starter
I have had no luck resolving the problem. I escalated the problem to Lexus headquarters in Texas, contacting the office of the "General Manager" of US operations (i.e., I went a step beyond filing a complaint with the "customer service" 800 number). I got them to have a "Lexus engineer" look at it during what was supposedly his monthly visit to the dealer. He supposedly examined the car for a couple of hours. I then talked with him in person. The conclusion was, of course, that there is no problem. He had no real argument why my arguments and calculations are wrong -- he just kept repeating that everything tested okay and everything is normal. I ran out of time and energy to fight this. The only thing I have not done is to try to contact Lexus headquarters in Japan.
The problem has only deteriorated, probably because lead acid batteries are "happier" when they remain fully charged. I monitor the voltage and when it falls below 12.2V, I connect a battery charger/maintainer for a day (I don't have a situation where it's easy to always keep the car on the battery tender). I typically drive only 15 miles per week and have to use the battery tender every couple of weeks. I use a 4amp Battery Tender charger/maintainer. I have encountered a strange issue with that as well -- even starting with battery voltage of 12.1V, the charger/maintainer goes to maintenance mode after only 15 minutes. Furthermore, in maintenance mode, while connected to the battery, the voltage I measure at the battery is only 12.8V, while it should be around 13.3V. This problem seems completely unrelated to the original problem. However, for this to be a pure coincidence, seems unlikely...
The problem has only deteriorated, probably because lead acid batteries are "happier" when they remain fully charged. I monitor the voltage and when it falls below 12.2V, I connect a battery charger/maintainer for a day (I don't have a situation where it's easy to always keep the car on the battery tender). I typically drive only 15 miles per week and have to use the battery tender every couple of weeks. I use a 4amp Battery Tender charger/maintainer. I have encountered a strange issue with that as well -- even starting with battery voltage of 12.1V, the charger/maintainer goes to maintenance mode after only 15 minutes. Furthermore, in maintenance mode, while connected to the battery, the voltage I measure at the battery is only 12.8V, while it should be around 13.3V. This problem seems completely unrelated to the original problem. However, for this to be a pure coincidence, seems unlikely...
Rx20 et al...
I have had your exact issue, on battery #3, and have gone through your steps as well.
I've had some pretty bad experiences with the dealer service writers; from being told that dirty parking sensors (in the wheel wells??) to being told it's my fault for not driving enough. Let's just say that I am not Experiencing Amazing.
My background: Software Engineer, including embedded systems and PLC, and a trained Automotive Technician before going into software.
Anyhow, since new, my 2020 RX350 Premium will not sit for more than 3 days without the battery draining so that it will no longer crank.
I've tested draw with an ammeter and found it to fluctuate between 600 and 1.2 mA with the hold open engine off and parked for several hours. I haven't been able to bypass the hood sensor to turn off the MFD warning :-/
After 6 hours on a tender, the battery goes back to 12.5 and cranks like a champ and runs with a constant 14.1 volts at the battery with draw showing 600mA.
It seems excessive to me and, from my experience and training, smells of some kind of drain from software/systems that are not sleeping. I mentioned the ES350 issue and subsequent correction to the dealer. Their answer is that it's a different car so not the same. I find that answer a bit dubious given the parts sharing overlap.
Anyhow, did you get any resolution? Anyone have any advice or success revolving this problem?
I have had your exact issue, on battery #3, and have gone through your steps as well.
I've had some pretty bad experiences with the dealer service writers; from being told that dirty parking sensors (in the wheel wells??) to being told it's my fault for not driving enough. Let's just say that I am not Experiencing Amazing.
My background: Software Engineer, including embedded systems and PLC, and a trained Automotive Technician before going into software.
Anyhow, since new, my 2020 RX350 Premium will not sit for more than 3 days without the battery draining so that it will no longer crank.
I've tested draw with an ammeter and found it to fluctuate between 600 and 1.2 mA with the hold open engine off and parked for several hours. I haven't been able to bypass the hood sensor to turn off the MFD warning :-/
After 6 hours on a tender, the battery goes back to 12.5 and cranks like a champ and runs with a constant 14.1 volts at the battery with draw showing 600mA.
It seems excessive to me and, from my experience and training, smells of some kind of drain from software/systems that are not sleeping. I mentioned the ES350 issue and subsequent correction to the dealer. Their answer is that it's a different car so not the same. I find that answer a bit dubious given the parts sharing overlap.
Anyhow, did you get any resolution? Anyone have any advice or success revolving this problem?
12-31-22, 09:00 PM
#104
Rx20 et al...
I have had your exact issue, on battery #3, and have gone through your steps as well.
I've had some pretty bad experiences with the dealer service writers; from being told that dirty parking sensors (in the wheel wells??) to being told it's my fault for not driving enough. Let's just say that I am not Experiencing Amazing.
My background: Software Engineer, including embedded systems and PLC, and a trained Automotive Technician before going into software.
Anyhow, since new, my 2020 RX350 Premium will not sit for more than 3 days without the battery draining so that it will no longer crank.
I've tested draw with an ammeter and found it to fluctuate between 600 and 1.2 mA with the hold open engine off and parked for several hours. I haven't been able to bypass the hood sensor to turn off the MFD warning :-/
After 6 hours on a tender, the battery goes back to 12.5 and cranks like a champ and runs with a constant 14.1 volts at the battery with draw showing 600mA.
It seems excessive to me and, from my experience and training, smells of some kind of drain from software/systems that are not sleeping. I mentioned the ES350 issue and subsequent correction to the dealer. Their answer is that it's a different car so not the same. I find that answer a bit dubious given the parts sharing overlap.
Anyhow, did you get any resolution? Anyone have any advice or success revolving this problem?
I have had your exact issue, on battery #3, and have gone through your steps as well.
I've had some pretty bad experiences with the dealer service writers; from being told that dirty parking sensors (in the wheel wells??) to being told it's my fault for not driving enough. Let's just say that I am not Experiencing Amazing.
My background: Software Engineer, including embedded systems and PLC, and a trained Automotive Technician before going into software.
Anyhow, since new, my 2020 RX350 Premium will not sit for more than 3 days without the battery draining so that it will no longer crank.
I've tested draw with an ammeter and found it to fluctuate between 600 and 1.2 mA with the hold open engine off and parked for several hours. I haven't been able to bypass the hood sensor to turn off the MFD warning :-/
After 6 hours on a tender, the battery goes back to 12.5 and cranks like a champ and runs with a constant 14.1 volts at the battery with draw showing 600mA.
It seems excessive to me and, from my experience and training, smells of some kind of drain from software/systems that are not sleeping. I mentioned the ES350 issue and subsequent correction to the dealer. Their answer is that it's a different car so not the same. I find that answer a bit dubious given the parts sharing overlap.
Anyhow, did you get any resolution? Anyone have any advice or success revolving this problem?
Keep in mind, the alternator is not made to fully charge the battery. That is how you get better fuel economy believe it or not (you can search that). The more you drive with a weak battery, the more stress the alternator will take.
11-09-23, 06:45 AM
#105
What I Learned About Impending Battery Failure
Hi Folks,
I just wanted to pass along something I just learned about impending battery failure in our 2020 RX350. I had noticed on a few occasions when starting the vehicle that the steering wheel would start to come down to its programmed position and then stop about halfway, the engine would then start and the steering wheel would finish its proper positioning. I subsequently learned, when this happened at the dentist's office, that this behavior means battery failure is on the way, the vehicle would not start at all :-( My being stranded was easily resolved by using the Lexus app to call roadside assistance, who then had AAA come to my rescue. After getting my vehicle started the AAA technician said he could sell me a new battery right then and there for $214. I thanked him but said that Lexus would give me a new battery under my vehicle's warranty (it is 3 years old and had 31,000 miles on it at that point). He doubted that this would happen but I was right, Orlando Lexus replaced the defective battery the next day at no charge at all :-) Hopefully this may be useful to someone whose RX is acting strangely when starting.
I just wanted to pass along something I just learned about impending battery failure in our 2020 RX350. I had noticed on a few occasions when starting the vehicle that the steering wheel would start to come down to its programmed position and then stop about halfway, the engine would then start and the steering wheel would finish its proper positioning. I subsequently learned, when this happened at the dentist's office, that this behavior means battery failure is on the way, the vehicle would not start at all :-( My being stranded was easily resolved by using the Lexus app to call roadside assistance, who then had AAA come to my rescue. After getting my vehicle started the AAA technician said he could sell me a new battery right then and there for $214. I thanked him but said that Lexus would give me a new battery under my vehicle's warranty (it is 3 years old and had 31,000 miles on it at that point). He doubted that this would happen but I was right, Orlando Lexus replaced the defective battery the next day at no charge at all :-) Hopefully this may be useful to someone whose RX is acting strangely when starting.