2014 ES 350 will not start no dash or interior lights but new battery

 

That's strange.. need a little more info... you say it's a new battery.. did the car start with that same exact battery before? Or was the battery "just" put in the car.. if that's the case it's not unheard of to have a "bad" brand new battery... but it' the battery's good, check the cable connections, corrosion on the terminals etc...

 

Put a volt meter on it, should read 12.6 or better after sitting for several hours. Could put a charger on it for a few hours and see if you get a higher reading. Google how to test a car battery for numerous tips

 

First thing I would check is the voltage available at the battery. You can buy a volt meter for around $15.00. See if there's voltage there. If voltage shows the next thing would be to check the ground strap. Is it loose, disconnected, or corroded. If you have a set of cables you can easily check this by connecting one end of the cable to the ground post on the battery and the other to a metal part of the engine which would create a ground connection... Post back and let us know how you make out...

 

thanks to all for the suggestions, and I tried them as well. I ended up replacing the battery, but I am now suspecting the alternator.

Background:
1. About a month ago, the car would not start at all, no dash light, no interior lights, and no sounds. As if the battery was not attached to the car.
2. Jumped the car and was able to get it started. Drove to a local parts store for a brand new battery.
3. after a month passes, the car is showing the same symptoms; no start, no dash light, etc.
4. jumped it again and drove it for at least 30 min to charge up the battery (remember it's 1 mo old). No issues while driving such as dimming lights, etc.
5. Parked the car. Turned off the engine and tried to re-start the car, nothing; same no start and no dash lights.
6. Able to jump the car again using a battery pack, and then went back to the parts store. The guys at the store tested the battery and the diagnostic tool says the battery is good. But the car does not start. Started having a heated discussion whether the issue was the car or the battery. With the guy standing there, I was able start the car again using the battery pack. Ultimately, I was able to get a brand new battery and drove home.
7. Now the car is starting without an issue, but wondering if the issue will come up again after about a month. I am suspecting the car may be drawing power from the battery instead of the alternator.

I will be taking the car to the dealer to test the alternator. Once I have the test results, I will post here.

Thanks to all. I hope my experience will help others with a similar issue.

 

I had the same thing happen to my wife's 2009 accord years ago. I took it Honda, and they said it was the wiring for the battery. They quoted me $600 for a new wire. I politely refused and turned away. The next day, the car completely died. There would be one click when you would try to start it. I also thought it was the alternator, but it actually ended up being the started. Basically, every time you would try to start the car, the started would cause a parasitic drain. I spent about $700 to replace the started at Meineke. The wiring that Honda was trying to replace was completely fine. We ended up giving the car to my in-laws, and it's still running today. I hope this helps.

 

There is a TSB on "network gateway" computer draining the battery when the car is off.

Link to TSB:

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/20...86305-5448.pdf

Discussion thread on this forum:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/es-...nd-2014-a.html

 

if the OP has had multiple repeats of the issue even after replacing the battery, I think that there is a good chance that the gateway computer issue could be the cause of the problem.

 

Put a voltmeter on the battery while engine running. It should be over 13 volts if alternator is working.

 

I did not hear that the alternator charging voltage was ever confirmed during testing at the auto store or maybe it was and just not just mentioned. Normally it is just between the 2, But the root cause is always the alternator failing and not able to charge the battery. Batteries lasts at least 4 years. Within the 4 years if the battery fails, it means the alternator is not charging properly.

 

I must be lucky, the 12v battery in my 2013 ES300h will be 7 years old this coming January 2020 and is still good. My battery experience has them lasting 9 plus years.