garsarno

You must have a electrical leakage somewhere or the battery is defective (not unheard of but rare).

igzy

I think your idea to install a solar trickle charger is brill! Nowadays cars have many on-board computers that may be asleep when the car is off, but nonetheless take power. I can see the battery draining after 3-4 days of no recharge and the 15~20 minute trips you make afterwards are too short to fully recharge the battery...

CynKing

I own a 2013 RX350, and this winter experienced similar problems. My battery failed on 2 occasions within a few weeks. Each time, I called Lexus Roadside Assistance who sent out a technician to boost the battery. After the second occasion, I took the car in to my dealership only to be told that there was nothing wrong with the battery. Apparently the computers and monitoring activities that go on in the car even when it's not running can drain the battery. I was also told that my driving habits were the cause of the problem. I don't use my car every day, and when I do use it, my trips are often fewer than 25 km. For ecological and financial reasons, I want to minimise gas consumption. The technician and dealeership manager also told me that I need to use my car more often. I was also asked to pay over $60 for the diagnostic tests on the battery which came up with no problem. I protested that in fact, there is something wrong with the battery if it can't keep my car running reliably and can't support the additional computers and monitors found in recent models. My previous car was a 2001 Lexus RX300 which I drove for 12 years without ever encountering a battery problem. It always started, even on the coldest mornings. I have been advised to have a battery tender installed or to purchase a portable battery booster which I could use to get the car started when the battery fails. I should point out that the dealership personnel were kind and polite, and the manager agreed not to charge me for testing the battery. However, there is clearly a problem with the batteries that Lexus is putting in their cars, and this is a problem that Lexus needs to address. Perhaps if those of us who have failing batteries call Lexus Roadside Assistance on each occasion, Lexus would take steps to install batteries capable of doing the job they are intended to do.

mlacomb

+1 Battery Tender. Even if there is no usage on the machine (no parasitic draw) the battery can self discharge; in addition to the shorter trips you're taking can ultimately drive a lead acid battery into the ground. I don't do this on my vehicle - driven at least 5 days a week, more than one hour (work) a day; but on my motorcycles that don't get used especially in the winter - a battery tender is a MUST. $20 or so depending on the deal you can find, very easy to hook up.

Lexus67

We bought our Lexus ES 350 in Oct of 2013. Did not have problem until a month ago when the battery went completely dead. We had to call AAA for a jump start. We took it down to the local Lexus dealer and was told we did not drive enough. The battery was recharged and we were told to drive the car for at least 30 minutes weekly, even idling for 15-30 minutes will do to recharge the batteries. As mentioned in the other threads from other drivers, we were told the car batteries are drained due to the complex computer and electronic systems, even when the car sits at rest. Yesterday, the battery went dead again. This time, we called Lexus roadside assist and we were told again the battery voltage was low at 5 V. A month ago, it was 6 V when the battery died. We took it to the dealer again, and they again said it was because of our driving habits, i.e. We drove too little. They said the battery passed the battery load test. Finally, after some complaints, the dealer's manager was agreeable to change a new battery, but talked us into buying a Lexus battery tender, which cost $80. My car is less than 6 months old and with full warranty. It is frustrating for us to go back and forth to the dealership. Lexus is a reputable brand and that is why we bought the car! My 2003 Toyota Avalon only needed one battery change in the 11 years in service. I don't know much about mechanics, but the parasitic drain of such magnitude to cause battery to die on two occasions is unbelievable. Please advice. On my 6 month maintenance check, can I have the dealer run a full electrical diagnostic check to identify a potential drain? Thank you.

maxsmart

My ES350 has a new battery but drains down to the point where it won't start the car after ~ seven days.

Having spent time here and on the web, I have two questions:
- anyone know the parasitic current drain for this vehicle (has NAV, heated seats, etc)?
- anyone know how Toyota / Lexus measures this value - e.g, can this be done through the DBII port or do they do it via amp meter?

Thanks in advance.

08Lexus

I have a 2008 Lexus es350 that I bought in 2010 with 21000 miles. Had the original battery in it. It will sit in the garage for a month and never fails to start. Just put a new interstate battery in it because I was afraid it may leave me stranded. Car sits for a month in garage with new battery and starts like a charm. For the people having problems, I would think there is something wrong with your car or the battery. Have a great day.
Bob

christcorp

And for those who haven't already figured it out, a solar charger in the lighter won't work. Toyohashi, hence Lexus, disconnect the lighter from power when the engine is off. You might have an auxiliary jack, similar to a lighter jack that might be hot and might work. But I've never been able to get a cigarette lighter plug to work when the engine is off. For me, this is good. I don't have to unplug usb chargers, radar detector, Xmas radio, etc. when the engine is off, so is the cigarette lighter plug.

chuyrobles

Check the alternator and the ADP - alternator decoupler pulley. The alternators in these 3.5 engines have a special clutch type pulley. When they start going out, the pulley slips. You will not see the ADP listed in the maintenance schedule but the after market companies recommend changing out the pulley every time you replace the serpentine belt or about 100k miles. The pulley is about 40 bucks but you need a 20 dollar tool to remove it. Ours busted at 155k, but instead of slipping, the pulley froze and fried the alternator.

Nelexus88

Generally the parasitic current drain should be less than 50ma and the only way to test that is with an amp meter. Many hand held DVMs have that capability. Eric the car guy has a good video on Youtube demonstrating the test and he includes several good comments related to this test and newer computer systems (sleep mode, smart keys, etc).

maxsmart

Nelexus,

Thank you.

KLF

My car hasn't moved since before Thanksgiving, I drive my '87 Toyota pickup in the winter now so the car stays away from the terrible weather and salt on the roads. I noticed when I first parked it that if I let it sit for more than a few days without running it, it would be very slow to start, like the battery was weak. I have one of these battery tenders on it now, purchased on Amazon:



It is very easy to connect and disconnect, takes only a few seconds, I suppose you could even extend the connection to the interior so you wouldn't even have to open the hood. So, if you don't drive your car often and you are parking in a garage or near an outlet, this is probably your best option. I started my car the other day just to let it run, no problems even though it had been several weeks since I ran it last.

If you can't plug it in, then a solar battery tender is a good choice. BUT, as has been mentioned, you can't just pop it into the cigarette lighter plug on the dash, as this is disconnected from the battery when the ignition is off. What you need to do is connect the tender directly to the battery. Then it will work well. This is how folks with boats and RVs do it.

Commentary: I can't imagine replacing a battery every 4 years. I'd be pretty upset if that's all I got out of a battery. Now, the factory batteries in these cars are not that great, it's about lowest bidder (just like the crappy Bridgestone tires they put on them), but an aftermarket battery should last longer than 4 years. I just had to buy a battery for my pickup this past Fall as winter was approaching, but the old Optima I pulled out was 15 years old (I swear I'm not making that up, and it's not a typo). I bought a Sears Platinum Die Hard, based on reviews from friends. The factory battery in our Highlander lasted 8 years.

ESh

What is the size (ah/cca) of the battery?

Slomojo

Apparently, my vehicle had a boomerang GPS device installed that was causing the battery to drain completely within 2-3 days (when car not used). Time will tell if this is the sole reason as I have yet to go any lenght of time with device removed.