Sounds like a battery/underlying alternator problem to me. I had to have my alternator and battery changed for similar symptoms as the OP described. Bad alternator leads to battry not charging. Never had it stall out on my while driving but did have days when it wouldn't start and all the lights on the dash would illuminate. The SC430 is notorious for parasitic draw. If you leave the car for a week without a start, the battery will usually be drained and won't start the car. I changed all my interior and exterior lights to low wattage LED's and haven't had battery draw problems since. It's my thought that some module remains active enough to kill the battery over prolonged parked time. Some have mentioned that leaving the headlights in "auto" for extended sitting time is the culprit. Good luck, please report back.

 

I decided to make a run for it this morning, before dawn. Car starts no problem. Go 1/2 mile, battery light goes on and off. Next the interior lights cut out and headlights flicker. Waiting for AAA flatbed and thinking about 90 mile drive in truck to Lexus.

I do do not drive this car a lot. Maybe 2x a week, under 50 miles. Lesson learned the hardway: hear a weird sound, do not drive away from civilization.

Love this forum and all the advice. I will let you know how the story turns out. My next problem is trying to figure out how to leave car at closed Lexus dealer. I did not fully pay attention when I made anticipatory inquiry yesterday.

Cedar Creek Lake.

There are worse things then sitting on porch (not side of road) waiting for tow.

Thanks for the advice!

 

Than not then

 

Those are very different symptoms than originally reported. Car starting AOK seems to indicate battery AOK. Lights flickering and interior lights going off indicates electrical problem (although I still say not an alternator problem since car started AOK meaning battery was charged). With any luck, this is just a poor battery connection and a quick fix. Flatbed is the way to go, although before the guy loads it, you might want him to just take a look at the battery connection. If it is loose, that could be your whole problem.

I think every car dealership has a "night drop." You fill out the form, put your keys in the envelope, and then drop it where they indicate (usually a pass through into the building or sometimes a converted mail box). Look around at the service entrance and your'll find it.

I am also sticking by my prediction that the whining sound is unrelated to the electrical problem. Do let us know!

P.S. Nice photo -- you sure you don't want to just say put?

 

I think the symptoms are different, maybe progressed. Or, bc of darkness, more noticeable.

I am am lucky not stranded in mesquite on 635. Still here bc AAA having trouble coming up with flatbed.

 

The battery light coming on this morning was different. Before all the warning lights cane on at once. This morning it was battery light on and off, eventually all lights came on.

 

Off we go

 

Definitely a nice place to "have to wait" on a tow truck! I agree, being stuck on 635 in Mesquite with a dead car would not be enjoyable. At least when you are back in the Dallas area, you'll have your choice of several shops to bring it to (both dealerships and independents). Let us know how it turns out and best of luck to you.

 

....I'm thinking you may have an alternator problem. It's probably going out, but still charges off/on, which is allowing it to start sometime. I had these same issues/symptoms with my Sc & a previous Ls. One simple test, if you turn the vehicle on & turn on all the accessories (light,a/c,radio,etc...), it should put a full load on charging system/alternator. If it is the alternator, all the warning lights will come on & the vehicle should die within a few minutes.....also, an alternator going out, will not throw a code and a bad battery will not trigger a check engine light.If it is indeed the alternator, I would not attempt the drive home, because the car will eventually shut down. I replaced my alternator Sept 2015

 

...so after posting this, I see there was a page 2...lol (have to pay more attention)... but if you read my post #24, those are all the symptoms & your statement "of becoming more progressive,because of darkness", that's because you were probably using headlights, which helped put the full load on alternator

 

As we know, the Battery starts the car & then the alternator takes over. Seeing that the car does start & there's a whine, more than likely it is the Alternator at fault.
Get it checked out first before replacing. Also make sure all cables are tight.

Chris......From OZ.

 

Drumroll, pls. Alternator and a belt. They said nothing about the battery. If you guess the cost of this repair you can have the car. I kid. $1100.00

Thank you all for the advice in my time of need.

Until next time,

Amy

 

That makes sense. It was really two problems, as some had speculated. The belt problem was making the whining noise, and the bad alternator was causing the dash to light up. I think the smart people on this forum pretty much had it figured out just from your description. Pretty cool! Seems like $1100 is a pretty hefty price to pay for an alternator, but I really haven't read about many going bad on the SCs, so I'm not sure if that's exceptionally high compared to others who have had that repair.

Glad you're back on the road!

 

The bad bearings on the alternator making more drag on the belt ruining it too.

 

I agree Riknchar re: repair price. At my Lexus dealer, I pay for the leather couches, soda, coffee, 50 magazines, loaner cars, snack bar, computer work stations, satellite TV, 20,000 service "advisors" PLUS the repair. I would rather pack my own bottle of water and sit on a tree stump for more competitive pricing. Like joining a country club without the golf, tennis and pool.