Ok I just got my Alternator and battery replaced at Lexus and before I took it in I had battery light and Alt electrical smell when I opened the hood, I checked voltage at the battery after the failure--it read 13.0-13.3V with car running (idle)

Now I get GX back and I take meter at work and read Voltage at battery same way and Wow its 13.2--13.4 running, same as I when I left it. Now If I can get a couple of you to do me a favor and check your Voltage at battery when running and post up results would be helpful.

I dont deny my Alt was bad cause it made wierd noises and electrical smell like crazy, and when they load tested it, it failed and output went to "0"V coming out-----Just curious as to what you guys are seeing. Thanks!!

 

I figured at least one of the lookers would have checked ---? simple 30 sec job

 

Booyah I am getting 13.8V on idle power, I asked my Son to put on ""D"" and hold brake and then check it dropped to 13.7V. So I think it should be ok with your readings as the Volt should be above 13.0V.
But I am really surprised your 2008 Alternator died pretty fast, My 2004 has still been going strong"Touch wood"".

 

Thanks for checking Man777--yea it did die fast but we know electrical stuff can go at any time--My V hovers just above 13.0 on power so Im sure all GX's are a little differant.

 

I checked mine the other day and the voltage stayed right around 13.6 to 13.8 idling in park with the A/C on. It's been my experience that this is the norm for most newer cars, I checked my wifes 2012 Acura TL and it was all over the place, when the cooling fans kicked on and the A/C running my volt meter went all the way down to 12.8 then up to 14.0 in a matter of 10 seconds!

 

My 2006 with 60K miles on it had the same issue with the alternator. Crapped out after making a terrible noise. I replaced it with a reman unit from Rockauto (same Denso unit). I was also surprised at how fast the alternator failed. My theory is that the location of the alternator is at the bottom of the engine bay, making it more susceptible to water and dirt.

Mid 13 volts sounds about right for a car at idle. If your battery is in low charge and you have your lights on, you should see over 14 volts. I don't have the spec on what the full load regulator voltage should be, but it sounds like yours is working fine.

 

Sounds a little low to me. The surface voltage of a fully charged battery, when a vehicle is not running ,should be between 12.5 to 12.8 volts. Most automotive batteries are lead acid 12-volt DC (Direct Current). Each of the six cells in a 12-volt DC battery produces 2 to 2.1 volts. When the engine is running, the alternator will typically put out between 13.8 to 14.8 volts.

It definitely sounds like you had an alternator failure but it doesn't sound like you got a real good replacement. New or remanufactured, it's quite common to get a dud!

Cheers!

 

2012 GX 460 Premium.

I bought a DeWalt portable air compressor. When using the DC connector into the GX's 12V port aka cigarette lighter, I am getting the LoP warning on the DeWalt, which means "Vehicle or external supply voltage too low or to high." Tested the air compressor with both the Li battery (sold separately) as well as DC connection to another vehicle and it worked fine. The applicable fuse in the GX looks to be fine.

This led me to check the battery and alternator with a multimeter. I am getting 12.9V with the GX off and 13.6V with the GX's engine running at idle. Per the Owner's Manual, the electrical ranges are stated to be:

Battery
Open voltage* at 68 deg. F (20 deg C):
12.6 - 12.8 V Fully charged
12.2 - 12.4 V Half charged
11.8 - 12.0 V Discharged
(*: Voltage is checked 20 minutes after the engine and all the lights are turned off.)
Charging rates 5A max.

However, the manual makes no mention of proper voltage with the vehicle running. The battery voltage seems fine (battery is rather new). Is 13.6V too low with the vehicle running at ide with climate system on? Might that reading indicate an alternator issue? From what I've read, the ideal voltage range for an idling vehicle is 13.7 - 14.7V. Alternator belt looks brand new and I frankly do not know how to check the tensioner.

I did search and found this thread, which didn't provide a clear answer: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gx-...voltage-s.html