tradosauru

My wife called me yesterday to tell me that the Lexus wouldn't start. She said the inside lights would come on but when she tried to start the car the lights would dim.

The car came with a Lexus battery (mfg in 2012) when I bought it last year, I've had to charge it twice before using a battery charger.

So using a Voltmeter I tested the battery which was 12.7 Volts. After trying to start the car the battery voltage showed 9.8V.

I went to Walmart and bought a EverStart Maxx 24F battery for $110 which was a perfect fit.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/EverStart-...ttery/28275657 . The battery was manufactured in May of 2016 so was new and testing the voltage in the store I got 12.6V. I did use a battery charger on it when I got home and within a few minutes the battery showed 13.8V.

The reason I chose a Walmart battery is that if I ever have a problem I know a Walmart is nearby and usually when your battery goes out you don't have time to wait to have a battery shipped to you. Also Consumer Reports rated this battery as one of the best.

After installing the battery the car started right up and using a voltmeter on the battery I found the voltage to be a steady 14.0 V with car running.

Legender

I have one of those in my mom's car and bought from Walmart for the same reason. However, last week, after 1 year the car would not start. Took the battery to walmart to get a replacement and that is not their policy. They need to put it on the charger to test/charge it before they will replace it. With 2 other batteries in line before mine, it was almost 4 hours before I got the battery back and they told me it was fine. Glad I was not stuck on the side of the road.

Cause for battery drain was I had the doors open with the interior lights off for about 30 minutes while cleaning it. This means only the lower door lights were on and I've already replaced all interior lights with LEDs. Still this killed the battery?

Everstarts used to be call Neverstarts by some... I'm beginning to believe them.

This is my last Walmart battery. Hope you have better luck.

tradosauru

I would encourage you to get a battery charger. Like I said, the main reason I got the battery is that if I need a replacement most likely I will be near a Walmart.

I'm also thinking of carrying a portable jump starter during trips like the following:
https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-J5C09...attery+starter

It seems like the Lexus LS430 eats batteries, no matter the brand.

Legender

I have battery chargers, but the car is used everyday and I should not need to mess with charging it. I don't expect a car used every day to experience complete battery failure. I checked the voltage with engine on and it was close to 14, which is where it should be.
I run battery tenders on all my motorcycles as they are seldom driven daily.
I don't expect to have to charge a 1 year old battery that's in daily use.

And I went to Walmart for the replacement and they denied my request, charged up the battery and returned it.
What's to say next time my mom needs the car it won't start as the battery is dead again. And I'm doing a 100 mile round trip to go help her get back on the road.

All I'm saying is just because you want a replacement does not mean you're going to get one. Of course, YMMV.

Tom57

Did you test the alternator output? The battery may be just fine, but not being charged by the alternator.

tradosauru

I found this tip from another source.

The jerk behind the counter will test your allegedly defective car battery
for electrical performance with a battery tester. This tester applies an
electrical load and simultaneously measures output voltage. If the voltage
is low, the battery fails. WalMart has designed this test to pass bad
batteries off as good. Read on.

The trouble is, if the battery is discharged or worse, won't hold a charge,
the test is invalid. Since the batteries sold today are sealed, the state
of charge, as could be tested with a battery hydrometer is impossible.
Recognizing this, the rigged battery tester charges the battery first,
giving it a surface charge. This surface charge allows worn-out batteries
that won't hold a deep charge to pass the electrical performance test and
gives the WalMart automotive expert an excuse to pronounce your dead
battery, "good." Once you reinstall this "good" battery in your heap, it
won't crank worth ****. Worn-out batteries can hold a surface charge, but
not a deep charge needed for cold starts.

Listen up, I learned this from my auto shop teacher, who's a fellow WalMart
hater. When you drag your battery back to WalMart, you've got to make sure
the battery is dead as a door nail. It must read zero-zero on the battery
tester scale and not accept the surface charge. Here's what to do. Wear
eye and hand protection & use a screwdriver to neatly pry off the cover to
expose openings to the six cells. Pour out all the battery acid in the
gutter and flush it down the street with a garden hose. Refill the cells
with a 5% table salt water solution and replace the cover. Your battery
will assuredly flunk the battery test with a zero reading that is
irrefutable, even by the crook who manages the service department. You
will get your new battery to enjoy at WalMart's expense!

jdudeski

Don't drain your battery acid into the gutter! In most places (like here) that will end up in the rivers, lakes, streams, etc! Drain it into a plastic container it won't eat and dispose of it properly!

LS430FL

Check your local lexus dealer too. Mine has lifetime replacement on batteries free of charge. I am on third battery. They go bad pretty fast with FL begin so hot. Paid $180 once and got three batteries!

tradosauru

The battery I replaced was a Lexus battery and the nearby Lexus dealer would only pro-rate it. It was an 84 month battery and mfg in 2012.

jayclapp

My Lexus battery would also last for a little over a year. The good news. It was still under free warranty. They would replace it with a new battery and check the electrical system. Then they gave be a new warranty, which started with free replacement warranty and then pro-rated. Result. Free Lexus batteries every year for life of the car! How can you beat that?

fensterlip

These cars are hard on batteries. You shouldn't have to poison your battery to get proper coverage. If I park the car for more than a week I plan on having to charge the battery or I put a trickle charger on it. I have found the Interstate MegaTron Plus has the highest CCA with 800. The Walmart battery has 750 CCA and the Sears Diehard has 725 CCA. Costco is a good choice too and their warranty coverage is pretty good too. I also keep a jumper battery box in the trunk. The Harbor Freight unit is a bit big and old but is inexpensive and works. There are new, small $60 units on the market now too.

Legender

UPDATE:

After a week the battery was dead again. Took it out and back to Walmart and this time.. lo and behold a dead cell in the battery. They gave us a new one this time... but how long will it last?

Like I said, no Walmart batteries for me.

tradosauru

That's a shame. Living in a small town doesn't give me a lot of options.