raygut3

We returned to the parking lot at the airport at 11:30 Friday evening to find that the battery in our RX 350 was completely dead. I called AAA to come and get the car started. I had forgotten that the vehicle was covered for this type of thing under the warranty but eventually ended up calling Lexus also when the jerk AAA sent couldn't get the car started. He claimed that because I didn't turn the alarm off correctly when he connected the battery, the alarm system had shut down the car for 1 - 2 hours. I think it was because the battery he brought with him didn't have enough juice in it to start the car. He got back in his truck and left the airport leaving us stranded. I called AAA a second time and they dispatched another mechanic. Then I called Lexus and found out that they work thru AAA. They ended up calling the first mechanic and they believed him and had begun the process of walking me thru remotely diagnosing the problem when the second AAA driver finally arrived. He got the car started with no problems.

My question is who is the genius who decided against putting a lock on the back of the car so that the the back door can be opened when the battery is dead. It was no fun loading the luggage in the side doors simply to get it out of the way of passing cars. The decision to eliminate that lock was simply dumb!!

salimshah

Sorry to hear what you went through, but a few things do not add up.

Did the RX respond to remote to unlock the front and all the doors?
I had an issue with the back door lock mechanism, but I could still fold down the back seats and move things in and out of the hatch/trunk through the back-seat side door(s).

Did the first mechanic manage to open the hood to give you jump? If so with the tow battery, you should have enough juice to unlock the hatch.

With the first tow truck guy, was your Rx cranking [did the starter motor spin the engine at reasonable rate?]

I think the first guy was not very competent. If your battery was totally discharged [no courtesy lights etc] then it needs to be hooked up for couple of minutes to help it charge up, before any attempt is made to start. A weak battery on the other hand just needs the boost to start.

Salim

kiwi

if you checked the owners manual (i am guilting of not checking as well) you would have noticed that you could have opened the trunk from the inside by climbing through and popping off a little cover and access the secondary release.

tromly

+1, can't believe how many owners never read their car manuals

raygut3

I read the owner's manual and found about the latch. Your comment assumes that everyone has both the size and flexibility to be able to climb in through the side doors and crawl back to get to the latch. I have neither and my wife was unable to operate the latch when she crawled in.

LexusPia

A few years back during a midwest autoshow at a Lexus display, I happened to ask a regional Lexus manager on duty that day why Lexus eliminated the key lock in the back. He said: "cost reduction". He further clarified that by saying virtually no one used a key to open the trunk anymore. He said "Why spend money on something no one needs just like like cigarette ash tray". I asked him what would happen if the battery went dead and I needed to open the trunk, he jokingly said: "SOL". He said that was the reason why Lexus provided a 4 year roadside assistance on all their cars to help the owners out.

The question I have for you Raygut3 is how long did you park your RX in the parking lot? Your experience really concerns me since I'll be doing the same thing leaving our RX in the airport lot for 3.5 weeks next month.

raygut3

When we finally got the car started we found out that somehow my wife had left the interior passenger side light on. (And you can rest assured that after 42 years of marriage I know better than to say anything about that!) The car was parked at the airport for 9 days. An argument could be made that the computer should have detected that the light was on and automatically turned it off but that's an argument for another day.

vbpag

I had a similar experience this past month. Was out of town for 4 days. Returned to airport parking to find battery dead on 2004 RX330. Started right up with a jump. Took it to the dealer the next day and the service manager told me that it was "normal" for a car to have dead battery after being left for several days (4 ?) because there are computers and other sensors that draw power even when the car is shut off.

This sounds like BS to me. I've never had a car that would have a dead battery just because it sat for a week, much less for 4 days. Is there anything to what the service manager was saying ? Anyone heard anything similar ?

Thanks

mandyfig

^^BS! That service manager (a manager?) must be fired. Very insulting!

Scottydog

It's sounds like your 5 year old battery is on it's last legs. time for a new one.

mandyfig

5 years would be about right...