need help with electrical issue
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: NJ
need help with electrical issue
My car would not lock with key fob and wouldn't start, seemed like no electric power at all. After 10 minutes it came alive and started. I turned it off and locked it and then couldn't unlock it. Had to have AAA pop the lock then it worked again. Dealer found nothing on scan, battery good 10 months old, key fob battery is 3 months old too
Driver
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 81
Likes: 8
From: CA
My car would not lock with key fob and wouldn't start, seemed like no electric power at all. After 10 minutes it came alive and started. I turned it off and locked it and then couldn't unlock it. Had to have AAA pop the lock then it worked again. Dealer found nothing on scan, battery good 10 months old, key fob battery is 3 months old too
Our 2012 has the manual key in the side of it.
CL Community Team
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 7,215
Likes: 1,738
From: VA
You may have corrosion on your battery cables. How old is your RX and how many miles are on it? A local shop could do a check of the cables. Those and the things listed below are the simplest and most likely reasons for your problems.
Do you have 2 key fobs? If so try with the other fob. Batteries can fail at any time. A new battery could be defective. I would first try your other fob. Then try another battery in your fob.
You can find youtube videos on how to change it yourself in 2 minutes.
Then go to Advance Auto or Autozone and ask them to check your battery.
Although the dealer ran a scan. Did they check battery voltage and if it was charging properly?
Do you have 2 key fobs? If so try with the other fob. Batteries can fail at any time. A new battery could be defective. I would first try your other fob. Then try another battery in your fob.
You can find youtube videos on how to change it yourself in 2 minutes.
Then go to Advance Auto or Autozone and ask them to check your battery.
Although the dealer ran a scan. Did they check battery voltage and if it was charging properly?
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: NJ
thanks Clutchless. I switched Fobs today. the dealer did check batter voltage but not if it was charging so I will try that and check the cables. So far it has been normal since I switched fobs but we are only talking a day 
Driver
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 81
Likes: 8
From: CA
Start the engine and the voltage should go up to around 13.2-13.6v.which means that normal charging is working.
If the voltage goes up to 14.0-14.6v the battery is being high charged and should drop back to 13.2-13.6v after awhile.
If the voltage gets over 14.8v or so the regulator is bad and the battery could be damaged.
If the battery was fine and all of a sudden it's dead and reading 9-10.5v it has a shorted plate.
I carry one of these in every car which works fine for quick checks, since most cars do not have volt gauges anymore.
Its come in handy to troubleshoot other cars, under $4 on ebay.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
DedBirdDog
LS - 4th Gen (2007-2017)
2
Oct 29, 2018 03:18 PM
cayloreese
GS - 3rd Gen (2006-2011)
1
Jan 28, 2018 05:09 PM
