dead battery again

[jumbojake]

another dead Battery this morning.... only 2years since I changed it last.... (11.98v across terminals, but not enough to crank it)

no changes to electrics for a very long time, so don;t expect any drain problem.    I suspect it is a duff Battery, as a fault alternator would have caused me trouble before now... but I want to test it.

I recall the regulator doesn't give a fixed charging output, but varies it..... does anyone know the best way to test the output when it is not fixed??

[Britprius]

6 hours ago, jumbojake said:

another dead battery this morning.... only 2years since I changed it last.... (11.98v across terminals, but not enough to crank it)

no changes to electrics for a very long time, so don;t expect any drain problem.    I suspect it is a duff battery, as a fault alternator would have caused me trouble before now... but I want to test it.

I recall the regulator doesn't give a fixed charging output, but varies it..... does anyone know the best way to test the output when it is not fixed??

You list your car as an RX450H, and as such it does not have an alternator nor does the 12 volt Battery crank the engine, and no 12 volt starter motor. The 12 volt Battery only boots the computers, and runs some electric pumps.
 How often do you use the car? as often extended periods of none use "as little as a couple of weeks can lead to this situation.
Charging the Battery may be all that is required.
I have a post in the GS section about fitting a larger Battery, but I do not know how much room there is in the RX for this to be a possibility.

John.

[jumbojake]

the Battery issue is on my IS200d

[johnatg]

But if it's the IS200d you're talking about (ah just flashed in - it is) - just put a multimeter/voltmeter across the Battery terminals with the engine running - should read something over 14 volts. If it's less than 14v, you need to get a full check on the alternator and Battery

[Herbie]

When the engine is running and the alternator spinning, you should get in the region of 14V at the Battery. Then you need to switch on the headlamps, the heated rear screen etc., etc to see how much that figure drops, if at all, under load.

[jumbojake]

that's what I was expecting... the lexus service manual says to expect anyhting between 12.1 - 15.4 ... which isn;t much help

[jumbojake]

managed to encourage it into life and found it to be charging between 13.9 and 14v ..... seems to regulate well (different electrical loads, and different engine speeds) ... so looks like alternator is ok.

given I mostly drive motorway runs, it looks like the Battery is near it's end... had a good drive and left it showing 12.6 ... will check again in the morning.

Will be interesting to see if the 5yr guarantee holds any value with an online company!

[true blue]

Hi if your reading of 11.98 volts is correct then your Battery is at 50% which is no good at all .I would suggest a varta Battery which I have used over the years and found to be very good .I have had problems with batteries in the past only lasting 18-24 months so you can get a duff Battery .I am aware there are other makes of Battery but my experience is based on an industrial environment with small stationary engines driving emergency pumps which are used infrequently .We tried all makes available and varta gave no problems over entended time .

Dave

 

[jumbojake]

sadly this was a varta... (I bought it 18months ago, based on good reviews) .... but bought it from an online store who have changed their name and won't honour the 5yr warranty.

Next one will be from a local store..... Lexus seem to be the most competitive, but too far from home to make it worthwhile, so I'll see what I can get Bosch, Varta etc...

[Texas]

EuroCarParts might be an option, register for discount notifications ( delivery available) and they should still be around in a few years time! (hopefully) 

paul m.

[jumbojake]

I had a look and they are very expensive.. over £200 for a bosch ... (Lexus are £95) .... local auto factors are £130 for the bosch, so I'll go there... but only if I can't persuade the original company to cough up for a replacement.

[Texas]

Yes a Bosch S4 is indeed £209 but no one ever pays proper price at ECP, using code PAYDAY50 brings the price down to £115!!!

paul m.

[Britprius]

If buying from Lexus do check out the guarantee before committing yourself.  You may find they only give a one year guarantee the standard replacement parts period. Many have found things like shock absorbers "particularly for the GS450H" are expensive at circa £300, but have failed in the second year of use. Lexus refuse to replace even at very low millage. 

John.

[true blue]

Hi that is bad news ; as I said I have faith in Varta .I have recently replaced the Battery in my IS 250 with a Varta 068  it had got very low after almost 8 years on the original .I purchased mine from batteriesontheweb2011 for £77.50 .They sell every type of Battery at a good price ,so you could have a look at their site .I ordered on a Friday lunch time ,on my doorstep sat 11 am included in the price . The car has been stood for a week ,checked the voltage  gives 13.6 on the meter so I am pleased with the result

Dave