mzeitlin

I have a 2000 ES300 with 93,000 miles and a 3 year old Interstate battery.
I kept the battery on a battery tender over weekends so it's always ready to go.

Today, I started the Lexus in the morning to move it and then shut it down. Then in the afternoon, I went to start the car - put the key in, turn the key to "on" - all lights on the dash light up, the radio pops on - all signs of life begin ... then I turn the key to start and the car just dies. No starter solenoid or starter action ... nothing. All dash lights go out, radio stops, everything is dead.

Hmmm.

I turn the key off then try again and all is just dead...then I notice the door light slowly coming back until I press the brake pedal and all goes dead again.

I take out my voltmeter and check the battery. It reads 12.6 volts ! Now I am puzzled. I have full voltage and yet the car is acting "dead".

I bring out my battery charger and connect it and the lights in the car come back, but no power to start the car.

I check cables, connections, everything I could think of to "clean" and still nothing.

So I finally take the car battery out and bring it to the Interstate battery store and they test the cells and they are all good. Then they check the cranking amps and the battery is at 10 cranking amps... DEAD.

My question is ... why? Why would the battery show 12.6 volts and yet be dead.

Anyone know what can cause this? or why it happens?

I have had batteries live for more than 5 years. This battery only gave me 3 and I took good care of it.

Thanks for any insights

(p.s. The new battery worked just fine - car started instantly and back to normal. I'm glad my previous battery died in my driveway)

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

There are ports at the top of the battery for water refilling. I've noticed that sometimes if those water levels drop, the battery will not operate and/or die. Do you know if your acid level was good?

mzeitlin

The battery acid levels in each cell were perfect (both fluid level and specific gravity).

I am beginning to think I had a cracked plate? Apparently newer batteries have lead that is more pure (for recycling purposes) with less alloy metals added for strength. The result is a battery that is strong and dies suddenly vs batteries that become weak and die slowly. At least that is what I am reading. I don't quite understand why the lead plate should "crack".

pauloil

you charged it up to 12.6, but with a bad cell, the batt didn't have enuf horsepower left to turn over the motor. it couldn't generate enuf current. I've had same thing happen before. it's just a battery. be sure your ground wires are clean also.

GS4_Fiend

iTrader: (22)

You can't judge a battery with just a voltmeter. There are battery testers out their that can test the integrity of the battery.

speedkar9

Voltage is a measure of potential difference (between the two terminals of the battery).

Amps is the amount of electrical charge. Amps are what you need to start the car.

Even if the battery is dead, it can read 12V, but if enough amps aren't there the car won't turn over.
Only a proper battery tester that puts a load on on the battery can test its good or not - a voltmeter won't tell you anything.

randal

mzeitlin, its called "internal resistance". And when a cell goes bad, since all six cells are in series("chained"), the whole battery fails to work. It happens even to fairly new batterys if left to discharge. Lead acid batteries are particularly susceptible to failing if the battery is allowed to completely discharge. The fact that you used a "battery tender" trickle charger leads me to believe that you may have experienced a dead battery from lack of use. That will kill a lead acid.

So, the way to really test the battery is to simply turn the headlights(to load the battery) and check the battery voltage without the engine running. It should be able to hold close to 12 v for many minutes. Yours probably could not.