Is this thing just worthless? Wireless charging has never really been reliable in my car for me. Last week I got a new Android pixel phone and was hoping that maybe I'd have better luck with a different phone than the one I've had since I bought the car. No dice.

Even with my phone naked (no case) I have to keep a hand on my phone to keep it from sliding around and breaking any wireless connection it has. With the case on I experience the same issue I had with my previous phone. Wireless charging will start for maybe 10 or 15 seconds, and then stop. I usually plug in to make sure I charge but the wireless charging would be nice so I can have a designated space I can just plop my phone in, even if the charging is super slow.

I do remember reading on the other Lexus model sections people complaining of the same thing, some tearing their center console apart and replacing a part inside to get charging working more reliably (not something I'm looking at doing...yet). Would rather have it fixed under warranty if there is something wrong with my pad.

I don't think my Wife's iPhone has any issues, I'll have to check using her phone again.

 

Easy Fix: I got a few small adhesive black rubber bumpers at the hardware store and affixed them to the charging pad so that the phone now sits between them, and does not slide around when I fly around corners.
Inconspicuous and inexpensive.

 

Can you post a picture?

 

I'll try to post a picture soon, but surely you don't need a photo for you to figure out how to paste a few little rubber bumpers to the sides of the charging pad.

 

Wireless charging is never fast. It will never even come close to cable based charging, especially with usb-c devices. That said, it is fast enough on my iphone to give me positive charging while the phone supplies music and gps services.

As a wireless charger, it is actually a pretty good charger because it actually moves the charging element around to maximize charging.

 

I'm only calling it worthless because it will only charge for maybe 15 seconds before stopping. I can "restart the charge" by picking up my phone and putting it back down again, but with a case I always have this issue. Without a case I have to be very accurate on where I put it on the pad.

I have other wireless chargers that have no issues charging my phone as long as it is aligned.

 

My wireless charging pad works great. I start the week with a charged phone, and use the charger during my 1.5-2 hour daily commute. I usually do not have to plug the phone in to charge till the next weekend.

 

I went through weeks of wireless charging frustration with my iPhone 8+ in a 2021 ES 350, including charging stoppage after 10 seconds or so. Removing the case to charge was not an appealing option. Searched online for a very thin but still practical case. Problem solved.

 

Little bit of an update, I do think it's something to do with the wireless charger itself.

Yesterday on the way home I was for the first time able to actually use the charger with my phone. I was able to pick up my phone multiple times and without much of an issue at all place it back down on the charger and see it connect and charge. I had to make a stop on the way home but after starting my car back up, and even on my commute this morning, I couldn't get a connection to the charger no matter what I tried.

I'm thinking I'm going to have to bring it to the dealer and have them look at it. I'll also probably try a few cars on the lot to see if they give me any issue too, or if it's just my car's charger being temperamental.

 

>it will only charge for maybe 15 seconds before stopping

And therein lies a tale. According to the tech that delivered our new ES last year, the pad is not a wireless charger, it only maintains the existing charge.
That's why it seems to stop every 15 seconds, because is has "maintained" the current charge.
The tech said it had something to do with licensing rights where Toyota did pay the fee for it to be a comprehensive charger.

Ummmmmmm

 

DIDN'T pay
Sorry...

 

Not in my case (no pun intended). With no case, my iPhone would charge normally. With a regular size case, it would charge for about 15 seconds and then stop. With a very thin case, it would charge normally. The case thickness was the deciding factor.

 

And this shows you the quality of some techs that don't know anything. There is generally 1 main tech and others don't have near the knowledge the main tech does. For my 2020 there is a switch for off on that still charges the way new cars do but the newer system activates on when senses the coil in phone. Reason for disconnect is loss of sensing the coil. The case matters considerably more with the newer. For mine with manual on the case is not near as critical but weaker charging. I very rarely ever use because of the heat and slow charging.

 

I have a similar issue.
With my iPhone 13 PM there is no problem using the charging pad on my ES 350.
When I use my other phone, Pixel 7 Pro, it fails most of the time. I have to move the phone around and it starts to charge. After a while it stops charging.

iPhones get all the love while every other Android phones (other than a Samsung) gets the red headed child treatment.

When I use my iPhone, I use the charging pad.
When I use my Pixel, I use the wired charging.

 

Just know the Pixel 10 Pro XL didn't fix the issue. It's still not perfect with the case off, and only gets worse when you put a case on (even if the case has a magnet).