The battery in my 2004 GS300, which I have owned for one year, goes dead within 5 days if I do not drive it. After this happened the third time I took the car to the local Toyota Dealer and they evaluated it (still under warranty) and said everything checked out. The service technician told me there was a TSB that indicated that the computer system drains the battery fairly fast. Can anyone out there verify that this is correct. I am of the opinion that the battery has gone dead so many times that it just does not hold a charge well. Any thoughts on this appreciated.

 

if there is a tsb, then get it fixed. it's free.

 

Running the battery down constantly will sulphate the plates very quickly. You need a charger that can desulphate the plates to cure the problem. If the problem goes unchecked for too long, then the battery will be permanently damaged and require replacement.

 

Do you have any aftermarket parts in your car or did you tap into any wires ? If so, there could be an energy draw, where a component draws energy even when the vehicle is off. Check by using a test light and placing it on the positive terminals of the battery, and if it lights up while the car is off, you have any energy draw.

 

if u kno for sure that the car hasnt been in a wreck then that'll rule that out as a posibility...

 

The TSB just says that drawdown is normal over a time period (not specified), there is no fix.

There are no aftermarket gadgets, no accident history.

The service technician said there was no unusual energy draw but said it is normal for this vehicle to drain the battery fairly fast if the car is not driven.

My question is really, has anyone out there let their car sit for a week and been surprised with a dead battery. If this does not seem to be a frequent event among owners, I will just get a new battery. I might add, the service technician said the battery is fine, but I think damage can occur to a battery as JeffT alluded to, that affects its performance in ways that are not easily tested.

Thanks for all of your responses.

 

ive let my car sit for a week many times n the battery does seem a lil weaker.. maybe it is the norm for the GS's

 

I have left my car sitting for a month when I was out of the country. I came back home and the car started right back up. That was with the stock OEM battery too!

 

Follow up on the battery problem. The closest Lexus dealer is a long way from home. I finally had a chance to have them troubleshoot the chronically dead battery. They definitively identified the battery as the problem. While the battery is only three years old, it has clearly failed early. They replaced it for free, in addition to washing my car as they always do, and provided a variety of beverages and internet service in their waiting room. Great high touch service.

Thanks to all who responded.

 

lexus dealership definitely has good service.. i went to toyota the other day and they could care less..