I'm hoping someone can shed some light on the unusual activity I've been experiencing......

Here's the background -
Everytime I put my car in a parking garage in the city I end up having this weird problem.
Last night I pulled out of a the garage I parked my 99 GS400 in - which was only half an hour, and as soon as I drove a block away the navi screen starts flippin out. It turns white then the screen starts fading in and out almost like it's possessed. The little battery light comes (as well as the VSD lights on on the dash and the screen continues to flip white, then fuzzy, then lines. This happens all the way through the tunnel and I eventually stopped. I turned the car off and then on - it almost didn't start. I did it one more time before the car went "dead". I tried it a few more times and all I would get was a clicking sound by absolutely NO turning over or anything. I leave it alone for about an hour (after I already called AAA) - I come out and it hesitantly starts up. By that time AAA was there and I had him put the jumpers on the battery anyway.

OK so I made it home and left it alone til this morning. The car started up almost as normal and I drove to work no problem whatsoever......... I was going to drive to my mechanic by I figured I'd see what happens this afternoon.

QUESTION...........this isn't the first time this has happened when I left my car at a garage. What could they possibly do???? I know this may sound stupid but I was told never to leave my real key with them........that couldn't have anything to do with the car acting up could it????

The battery had been replace last winter (not even a year old). Could it have something to do with my alternator being bad or something. The only thing that flips out is the navi screen and the battery light keeps coming on and off. The car rides fine. Could their be a loose wire or something. Mind you, this only happens when I'm in the city - leaving, after coming from a parking garage.

Has anyone had this weird problem and does anyone have any suggestions, PLEASE!!!!!

Thanks
Claud

 

not sure about the navigation but alot of times you can start your car leave it running and take off the positive battery cable from the battery if the car dies or looses power your alternator is going out. its not the best way to find out the problem but it might help...

 

Thanks - I have an appt my mechanic tomorrow to see if it's the battery or alternator. Hopefully it's nothing else!!!
Thanks

 

sorry to jack ur thread.. but has anyone changed out there alternator for one of those sound porformance alternators.. is there a better starter as well... just curious

 

i've also been asking the same question regarding a better alternator.

claudig: what was the solution to your problem?

Ted

 

I went to the mechanic on Sat and they tested the battery/alternator and everything was fine.
They said that maybe the garage left the lights on and it drained the battery.
The car has been fine ever since so I don't know if it was that or what.

The way that the navi was acting, I want to believe that maybe it was something else.

I guess I could call Lexus and inquire - I just don't feel like spending hundreds of dollars for them to say "it's fine"!

Are you having the same problem.

Claud

 

If you have checked all your Navi functions and the Navi is fine now then I wouldn't worry about it.

Whenever a battery is about to die, the voltage drops well below 12 volts. Some electronics components will run abnormally when the voltage is too low; they either do that or will not operate at all. Once the Navi sees a voltage back in its normal operating range, then it will function normally again.

It does sound like the headlights or a dome light, or something was left on. Your battery was on it's way to being charged back up again as you drove off, but by shutting the engine off and re-starting it twice, you sucked the remaining juice out of the battery. In the future, if the car barely cranks over but starts, the last thing to do next would be to turn the engine back off. Let the battery charge up and don't turn the car off for about 10-15 minutes. And when you do shut it off, (just in case it's not the battery) make sure you are in a safe location where you can afford to get stuck.

I would think Lexus would not charge you to answer such a basic symptom, but some dealers might wanna make some $$ telling you what anyone with even a basic knowledge of electronics would understand.

 

Hello,
I think that removing either battery cable from the battery while the car is running is a recipe for disaster. When the wire is removed, the voltage regulator senses no voltage going back to the battery, and automatically raises the field voltage to compensate for the low voltage.

This could potentially fry your computers with as much as 17 to 20 volts DC. In my opinion, this is a vey bad thing to do.

Istead, go to pep Boys, Autozone, Schucks, or someplace with a VAT..(volt-amp-tester). This device will mearure the current flow when the system is put under a load. It is much safer, and is the proper method for determining alternator output AND Battery output.

Just my $.02. I retired from the military years ago, and it was very common to have components smoke when the engine is running high, and a battery cable is disconnected.

THANKS,

GSEREP1

 

i think this is the way they used to do it before computers played such an important part

i have heard of doing it this way also but not recommended for new cars

 

He beat me to it, i had came into this thread just to say that myself after seeing a partial response in the search i was doing. Unless you drive a '72 camaro, DO NOT EVER pull the batt cables on a newer car when running.

Whereas he was looking at it from a computer standpoint, i will tell you it can and will shock the sensitive diode pack in the alt when you do that and it will kill the regulator in the alt.