Daspyda

iTrader: (1)

My car had been sitting in the hot Florida sun for about six days.

When I drove it today, I have encountered a collection of strange behaviors:

• fuel gauge empty with indicator light
• wipers only operate at full speed
• fuel door opens by itself
• trunk opens/unlocks by itself
• steering wheel doesn't tilt
• windshield washer doesn't work
• Bluetooth playback intermittent
• center display screen weak.
• the horn does not work when the center of the pad is pressed

Now, all this seems as it would be caused by a weak battery, and I know heat is a battery destroyer.

The thing is, the Interstate battery is only a few months old.

It's been on a charger the past 90 min and the above, and the symptoms are mostly the same.

I'd appreciate your thoughts,

Don

ls430w140

Hopefully the information above will help to figure if you are looking at specific ECU and its fuses.

Daspyda

iTrader: (1)

Some more:

• Trunk latch keeps opening, over and over
• All external lights are off, except for license plate lights

Daspyda

iTrader: (1)

I disconnected the battery for the night.

Daspyda

iTrader: (1)

I went to Interstate Battery this morning.

The tech explained that a sitting battery looses about 2 amps per day. My 70-amp battery was down to about 75%.

Also, it takes about twenty minutes of driving to charge the car back to what it was before starting. I only drive about 7 min to and from work every day. (sorry about that, commuters...!)

So, during very hot weather, he recommends an overnight charging every week.

That seems excessive as I've had the car in Florida for about 3.5 years and never saw these symptoms.

So, I'm having the car charged now and we'll see what happens when I pick it up.

Daspyda

iTrader: (1)

Got call from shop; unable to charge due to current draw.

Going to my Indie on Monday.

Has no one had a similar experience???

bradland

If you're over 3 years it may be time to replace...?

Daspyda

iTrader: (1)

Well, after hearing they could not charge the battery while it was in the car - there still was an issue - I asked them to take it out of the car charge it.

When I picked up the car, things were the same. I drove it home and prepared to pull the DC fuse after it cooled to shut it down until I take it to the shop on Monday.

I came back out an hour later to move the car and - viola! - everything powers up as normal.

So, I'll drive it the next couple of days and check the battery charge on Friday.

Weird...

Daspyda

iTrader: (1)

I bought a new battery when I got it, and then replaced it last May under warranty.

Daspyda

iTrader: (1)

UPDATE: so, the car works perfectly last evening, About 10 pm, I get a knock on the door from my neighbor who tells me the car's brake lights are on.

Now, I find the drain on the battery.

So, it's at the shop now.

Daspyda

iTrader: (1)

Update: found brake master cylinder leaking, pedal depressed - maybe that's why the lights are on. :P

rkw77080

The brake pedal has a return spring to hold it in the extended (un-depressed) position. A leaky master cylinder should not drop the brake pedal to activate the brake light switch. Perhaps the return spring is detached or the brake light switch is loose? Please note that brake light switch is designed to switch on when the brake pedal moves away from it (releasing the plunger).

Daspyda

iTrader: (1)

UPDATE: it seems there's a water leak to the driver's footwell, and it's affecting a gateway ECU.

Daspyda

iTrader: (1)

Indie found leak at base of windshield, now he's searching for ECU which was getting wet...

Daspyda

iTrader: (1)

Windshield leak plugged, three rear dash components need replacement.

That should do it...