Typical Battery Life

kleef · 01-15-08, 10:04 AM

Anyone know the typical battery life on our cars? Mine is a 2003, and lately I've had to jump it 3 times. A few days ago it just made a clicking noise upon starting, and I had to jump it. Probably time for a new battery.

98LexSc400 · 01-15-08, 11:42 AM

I have a 2003 also and was having the same problems after jump starting it twice. I took it to the dealer a week ago and they changed the battery out under warranty.

kleef · 01-15-08, 11:54 AM

Interesting... I called Lexus yesterday and they told me my car was out of warranty since last february (4 yrs old), and when i asked if that included the battery she quickly said "yes." hmm..

98LexSc400 · 01-15-08, 12:14 PM

I know it depends on the in service date my car was originally sold in 10/2003 which mad the warranty good until 10/07 as long as your mileage isn't over. But I had my car in in September for a dead battery which I called Lexus road side. So they noted that in the warranty list. Later that month I got in the shop and they changed out the positive terminal which was not tight. At this point my car lived at one dealership for almost 3 months long story! So when I got the car back in December and noticed some problems with the battery I went to a different dealer who took care of the battery under warranty no questions asked even though it was January and the warranty went up in October. I do know that the battery in my car that went bad had a label on it that said Lexus 84 month warranty so worst case they should still pro rate the battery for you. To help on the cost of a new one.

EJC · 11-02-09, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 98LexSc400

I know it depends on the in service date my car was originally sold in 10/2003 which mad the warranty good until 10/07 as long as your mileage isn't over. But I had my car in in September for a dead battery which I called Lexus road side. So they noted that in the warranty list. Later that month I got in the shop and they changed out the positive terminal which was not tight. At this point my car lived at one dealership for almost 3 months long story! So when I got the car back in December and noticed some problems with the battery I went to a different dealer who took care of the battery under warranty no questions asked even though it was January and the warranty went up in October. I do know that the battery in my car that went bad had a label on it that said Lexus 84 month warranty so worst case they should still pro rate the battery for you. To help on the cost of a new one.

5-6 yrs is pretty normal for a battery.
Last winter my '02 ES300 and '03 SC430 both had batteries die. AutoZone pop new batteries in for about $100.

GSteg · 01-15-08, 11:48 AM

Batteries usually last around 4-5 years (other factors involved).

DDLexus · 01-15-08, 02:45 PM

My 2001 LS430 had the original battery until this week. That means it lasted over 7 years!

rominl · 01-15-08, 03:41 PM

wow, surprising to see battery go out so quickly. sounds weird, but then again i never changed battery on the sc430

the battery on my gs400, it ran from early 98 all the way till 2006, 8 yrs

JohnnyCake · 01-15-08, 06:53 PM

2006 battery failed last month. Replaced under warranty.

tfischer · 01-16-08, 07:08 AM

The battery in my 02 (purchased April '01) died about a year ago, after about 6 years. It died without warning, and the service manager mentioned that this happens a lot on the more modern cars. Thus, after 5 years I replaced the battery on my 5 year old RX, which gets parked outside all winter long, just to be safe. I call this pre-emptive maintainance.

rnourse · 01-17-08, 11:16 AM

my 02 has a failing battery... noticed several of the cells were dry but filling them doesnt appear to have fully resolved the problem. Anyone know the Group Type code for an sc430 battery? Its not in the owners guide.

moose66 · 01-17-08, 11:40 AM

Maybe size 48 w/625 Cold Crank Amps? Confirmation guys?

Seattle SCone · 01-18-08, 01:24 PM

I routinely change my batteries at 5 years, even if they seem to be working. It's a lot less hastle to do it pre-emptively than wait until I've been inconvenienced by a dead battery.

tfeni52355 · 01-18-08, 08:11 PM

If you get 5 years out of a battery in ANY car you are doing very very well.

Plan on buying the best battery you can (<$100) at 48 months and you will never have the hassle of having your SC dead when you need to crank it!

Consider it routine maintenance. Cheap, considering what it costs to have the SC towed or another battery dropped in.......

tfischer · 01-19-08, 07:01 AM

Very true. Really good batteries are not that much more expensive than average batteries, and you amortize that differential over 5 years.
I replaced the batteries in my SC and in my RX with batteries from the dealership; they are the right size and have the appropriate specs. The one for the SC is very large and heavy, and costs almost twice as much as the one for the RX (six cyl engine), so expect to pay top dollar for a battery to turn over this fairly large engine.
In five years, I'll replace them again, dead or alive.