Hi all I have a 1999 Lexus 300ES that I bought in 2017 No complaints about the car in general However it needs a new battery every year . That being said could my Not driving it much really causer it to drain the batteries like that Is there any other possibility ?

Cindy

 

If the battery is routinely allowed to get low on charge then yes, that will ruin the battery. Look into a battery maintainer.

 

Also, it's worth making the effort to rule out an "amperage leak".

It is possible, especially on these older Lexus models for leaking capacitors to cause problems on various motherboards throughout the vehicle.

By that I mean they allow battery current to seep through the motherboard even when your ignition is turned off.

There are heaps of videos on YouTube which show you how to use a Volt Meter (in amperage mode specifically) to measure the amount of current your battery is pumping out even after the ignition is turned off.

If you suspect you have an amperage bleed, you can remove fuses from the fuse box (one by one) to identify which part of your car is the culprit.

If your bleed suddenly stops after you remove a given fuse, THAT is your culprit.

Now, I'm not saying an amperage bleed is 100% your problem - but it costs very little time and effort to definitively rule it out.

 

Not the best solution, but I just disconnect the cables. Either I physically take off the battery cable terminals off the battery posts, or I use my w/e mm wrench to disconnect the bolts holding it down. But I've technically been doing this for years on my car that I do not drive much. I also have a battery charger at home. Also is good in case someone tries to steal it.

 

Hardly driving the car will absolutely have you doing this every year. Buying a new battery. You can either hook your battery up to a battery trickle charger for the weeks or multiple days in a row you dont drive it. (These chargers are cheap, I got mine for like 65 bucks at an auto parts store, very simple and stupidly easy to use as well) or you can simply buy a new battery every year. Cost wise, you're losing money if you replace the battery every year, instead of opting for the trickle charger.