Car Won’t Start - Saga

holiday · February 3, 2019

We were on holiday for two weeks in December and when we came back unfortunately our car wouldn’t start. We called up the AA to help us out. They spent a few hours trying to jump start the car and it wouldn’t start. Due to being late in the day the AA flatbed truck had to come over. AA flatbed came on that evening to take the car away but they did not have any storage space for the car. Rescheduled it for the next day. So he on Monday the car went to Lexus Leicester to sort it out. Lexus carried out the jump start again but still did not start. So they said to change the Battery. Agreed on paying £125 for a new Battery. The car wouldn’t still start. Luckily our car is under the extended warranty.

During the second week they ordered the transmission ECU component but didn’t work. Lexus were really baffled so they spoke to Lexus tech again and said to order the ID box. Unfortunately that didn’t work during the third week. Coming to the fourth week the car is now getting a new immobiliser ECU and 2 new keys. Unfortunately the lexus connect was not working but they authorised themselves those new parts. What I’m asking what might be the problem and do you think it will work again?

Stompe · February 3, 2019

Wonder if the person didn't jump start properly.

200h · February 3, 2019

what on earth did the AA do for a few hours it should be 5 minutes to get the car started once a Battery is connected

it seems your Battery has just gone flat over the 2 week period ,where did they connect to to jump start.

i have had a Battery go flat and 5 minutes later we where going again as you just need to power up the computers

so the hybrid side can start the car .

holiday · February 3, 2019

Lexus also tried to recharge the Battery and they said that it needed a new Battery. How can a 2014 year old car with 26k need a new Battery and 7k worth of components. Hopefully will let you know the outcome on Tuesday.

Hazzo · February 3, 2019

I reckon these 'techs' are a bunch of monkeys, it appears whenever an owner has a problem the solution it to throw parts at the car, thats not a tech in my book thats a fitter.

200h · February 3, 2019

1 hour ago, Hazzo said:

I reckon these 'techs' are a bunch of monkeys, it appears whenever an owner has a problem the solution it to throw parts at the car, thats not a tech in my book thats a fitter.

i bet if it where their own car they could diagnose it without throwing loads of unnessary expensive parts at the car

BachelorDays · February 3, 2019

I'm surprised they didn't ask you to first get the tyres changed to fix the no-start.

Seriously, though, the whole thing reads very odd. Like said earlier, 5 mins will tell you if it'll jump start. No point chasing a new Battery if you can't get the car started.

The TCU (transmission ecu) and then the ignition system... unless someone has blown up bits doing silly things with a jumper, I don't know what they are chasing. The fact they thought a new Battery would fix it reduces my level of confidence in them.

As long as it doesn't cost you.. But I'd want my Battery payment back.

200h · February 3, 2019

i'm thinking the AA might of screwed up and maybe the booster cables where put on the wrong way

which could of blown a main fuses.

i know lexus cars come with AA breakdown & recovery but are they actually trained to work on a hybrid

Hazzo · February 3, 2019

Even on the right way, (pos to pos neg to body) they'll not have followed the procedure above so possibly blew a main fuse somewhere, I doubt even an AA man would connect a Battery up wrong.

Stompe · February 3, 2019

14 minutes ago, 200h said:

i'm thinking the AA might of screwed up and maybe the booster cables where put on the wrong way

which could of blown a main fuses.

i know lexus cars come with AA breakdown & recovery but are they actually trained to work on a hybrid

I agree with 200h, Are we talking a Main Dealer here...if so which one? Opps just seen. I find this unbelievable.

holiday · February 3, 2019

2 hours ago, BachelorDays said:

I'm surprised they didn't ask you to first get the tyres changed to fix the no-start.

Seriously, though, the whole thing reads very odd. Like said earlier, 5 mins will tell you if it'll jump start. No point chasing a new battery if you can't get the car started.

The TCU (transmission ecu) and then the ignition system... unless someone has blown up bits doing silly things with a jumper, I don't know what they are chasing. The fact they thought a new battery would fix it reduces my level of confidence in them.

As long as it doesn't cost you.. But I'd want my battery payment back.

The car is under the Lexus Extended Warranty. I wanted to inform you that I am paying for a new Battery as they did their diagnostics and the first thing they mentioned is that to put a new Battery in. 3 weeks down the line the car isn’t starting. Let’s see what happens on Tuesday. The price of the Battery is £125, which I have to pay. The rest is currently paid by the extended warranty. Let’s see on Tuesday how much the final bill is for a £16k car.

Wass · February 3, 2019

Interesting course of events. I do recall sombody on one of these forums being skeptical of my carrying my own booster Battery. Your case proves my point. I am the driver of the car, I am the reader of the handbook and so it follows that I know how to jump start it. Calling out someone to a stricken car always involves an unwelcome wait and even when they arrive, how can you be sure they know what they are doing? Its no use rubbing them up the wrong way by overtly asking them whether they know what they're doing so how's that make you stand? You have to observe as a potential amateur aimlessly tinkers with your car with the potential to make things worse. I did hear that carrying out a jump start with the donor vehicles engine running can foul everything up even if the correct polarity is observed.. There's always the reverse polarity trap to fall into too!

To compound the issue it does look like Leicester Lexus are acting like a bunch of fitters. There are very few properly trained vehicle technicians or engineers these days and this is largely because of market forces coupled with owners who cant be bothered to read their instruction manuals. The latter encourages many more vehicles to go to the "menders" with easily solved issues. ..... leading to the "menders" employing lower paid people. Someone has already said that the first sign of dealer danger was trying to fit a new Battery to sort out the problem when all a jumper Battery has to do is to start the computer. I was actually wondering whether there is a problem with the traction Battery because if the traction Battery is flat, nothing will happen and that is exactly the symptom you describe. Traction batteries will always fail for a reason and those reasons can vary from mechanical damage to charging interface failure. If so, just replacing a traction Battery wont fix anything, they will have to find out why the traction Battery has failed and fix whatever made it fail.Normally, traction batteries don't just fail on their own.

200h · February 3, 2019

4 hours ago, holiday said:

The car is under the Lexus Extended Warranty. I wanted to inform you that I am paying for a new battery as they did their diagnostics and the first thing they mentioned is that to put a new battery in. 3 weeks down the line the car isn’t starting. Let’s see what happens on Tuesday. The price of the battery is £125, which I have to pay. The rest is currently paid by the extended warranty. Let’s see on Tuesday how much the final bill is for a £16k car.

fahad you should be going back to lexus and demanding your money back, infact lexus leicester should be ashamed and offering you your

money back without you having to ask since they have wrongly diagnosed the fault and made you pay for a part that isn't required,

this takes me back years to when some of the high street service centres used to pay bonuses to the mechanics for selling parts

this in turn made some mechanics fit parts that weren't required.

a failed Battery could of been confirmed by hooking up a good Battery and seeing the car start.

i'm just happy that lexus liverpool know what they are doing.

holiday · February 4, 2019

Hi I had spoken to Lexus Leicester today and they said that the Battery was not part of the extended warranty scheme and it was a wear and tear item. The Battery had to be changed. However Lexus headquarters are having a meeting tomorrow in relation to my car. I personally don’t know why but they are going to speak about getting the new parts authorised for Wednesdays installation and hopefully get the car by this weekend. I will let you know the outcome from the warranty team.

colin79666 · February 5, 2019

Regular car batteries typically last 4-6 years so it isn’t entirely unexpected for it to go on a 2014 car although a bit unfortunate. At least that is ruled out and won’t be something needing replaced again for a while.

It is easy to bash the dealer or AA here and perhaps, it will turn out, deservingly so but we don’t know the root cause yet. If damage was done trying to jump start it then yes the AA are in the wrong but we don’t know that at this stage. All we know is it failed to start and still fails to start despite the 12v Battery being replaced. It isn’t like this is a common fault with these cars and if Lexus HQ are involved it suggest they too are scratching their heads.

Have they given you something decent to drive while yours is off the road?

holiday · February 5, 2019

Well you cant say that batteries last for 4 - 6 years.We have a VW Touran, which we bought in 2009 brand new and the Battery hasn't been changed as of yet.

In terms of something to drive, We have opted out for a courtesy car as we have other cars, which we drive and it would be over the 3 days time frame and we would be paying £5 a day extra on the car, which would equate to £140 extra until the end of this week as the car is in their forecourt for over 4 weeks now.

Will keep you updated to see what the outcome is.

Herbie · February 5, 2019

58 minutes ago, holiday said:

Well you cant say that batteries last for 4 - 6 years.We have a VW Touran, which we bought in 2009 brand new and the battery hasn't been changed as of yet.

You've been lucky with that one, but the average life is usually somewhere around 4 - 6 years.

Texas · February 5, 2019

The OEM Battery (Panasonic) in my non-hybrid IS lasted until the 11 year mark and this is quite a common point in which they are failing, so 4-5 does seem on the low side for a ( non-cranking) hybrid to me! If it was a Panasonic That failed on you then I would be looking for another 'problem' that caused it to.

paul m.

Hadrian · February 5, 2019

A different type of Hybrid I know, but the 12v Battery on my Civic Hybrid failed ad 8 yrs.

Stompe · February 5, 2019

Disgusting behaviour from the dealer, Would make sure it went too another dealer, Lexus comes top in many Customer surveys, And in my experience they go the extra mile to achieve this, Something is seriously wrong here...... Demand to see the Dealer Principal/Area Manager. Good Luck.

Charli Alder · February 28, 2019

Any up date regarding car not starting?

holiday · June 2, 2019

Hi apologies for not updating you guys on the non start fault. The car was at the workshop for 4 weeks and £4K worth of repairs the car was now back on the road. Luckily we didn’t have to spend £4K just £125 for the Battery.