Electrical problems after flat starter battery; any ideas?

jimjim999 · November 23, 2020

Had a flat starter Battery 2 weeks ago, charged using a CTEK Battery charger, car starts and drives fine, so no error codes on the dash.

However, I've noticed the following since:

1) all windows only operate from their door switches not the master (I tried reprogramming them by holding down/up but does not work)

2) auto-wipers do not work, i have to manually put them on/off.

3) auto-headlights work ok, but when i stop the car and turn it off they stay on, i have to manually turn off

4) central locking does not work off key fob. press lock/unlock, car does nothing

5) steering wheel 'rake' position - used to lower down to my wheel position when you turn car on, and off it resets to up position to let you get in out easier. doesn't move now when i turn the car on/off. the wheel can be moved about ok with the joystick, just doesn't go out the way when turned off.

6) wingmirrors - they don't fold, heat or the mirror does not move with the joystick.

Any ideas - can the car just be 'rest' somehow? could the starter Battery be dodgy now somehow and need replacing? could this be fuse-related? any help much appreciated. Lexus garage would be a nightmare for me to get too in Wales there is only 1 garage! 😞 any help much appreciated. i am not mechanically knowledgeable in any way, just a software engineer.....

200h · November 23, 2020

have you tried disconnecting the Battery and leaving it off for 30 minutes then reconnect it

jimjim999 · November 23, 2020

2 minutes ago, 200h said:

have you tried disconnecting the battery and leaving it off for 30 minutes then reconnect it

not yet thanks i will try

royoftherovers · November 23, 2020

8 minutes ago, 200h said:

have you tried disconnecting the battery and leaving it off for 30 minutes then reconnect it

Now Mark, that is pure Lexus thinking, that certainly did not emanate from a despairing temporary Audi driver`s mind! :):)

200h · November 23, 2020

the audi philosophy is to turn off the brain and dont reboot it

jimjim999 · November 25, 2020

On 11/23/2020 at 4:28 PM, jimjim999 said:

not yet thanks i will try

tried it today, and the car problems are the same 😞

GS300h2014 · November 25, 2020

Your problems might be caused by your aged Battery offering too low a voltage for the various control units to initialise correctly on start up. The voltage ought to be upwards of 12 volts. Screwfix do a digital multimeter for £7.49 if you haven't got one.

jimjim999 · November 25, 2020

32 minutes ago, GS300h2014 said:

Your problems might be caused by your aged battery offering too low a voltage for the various control units to initialise correctly on start up. The voltage ought to be upwards of 12 volts. Screwfix do a digital multimeter for £7.49 if you haven't got one.

thank you i will get this checked

Herbie · November 25, 2020

LexIS200Sport · November 25, 2020

6 hours ago, GS300h2014 said:

Your problems might be caused by your aged battery offering too low a voltage for the various control units to initialise correctly on start up. The voltage ought to be upwards of 12 volts.

On the money I'd say.

The GS450h (and perhaps other models too) do exhibit weird electrical glitches if the 12V Battery is not up to scratch. Is the car still on the factory Panasonic 12V Battery?

jimjim999 · November 26, 2020

13 hours ago, LexIS200Sport said:

On the money I'd say.

The GS450h (and perhaps other models too) do exhibit weird electrical glitches if the 12V battery is not up to scratch. Is the car still on the factory Panasonic 12V battery?

yes i think it is! i'm getting the Battery replaced tomorrow morning i will let you all know. thank you for your help so far!

jimjim999 · November 26, 2020

20 hours ago, jimjim999 said:

thank you i will get this checked

garage replacing Battery tomorrow morning to see if it helps. i have a multimeter but it doesn't register anything (!) when i use it so maybe the multimeter is bust? the car starts ok so it must be the multimeter as well.... just my luck!

jimjim999 · November 30, 2020

update - garage checked Battery, it's fine. I asked them to use a new Battery anyway, same problems.

also they replaced and checked all the fuses they could find, all ok.

...so this Thursday i'm booked into Lexus Cardiff to have them check it over. I was hoping not to do that, as I have to take a day off and drive there and wait whilst they do the investigation and basically waste a day looking at new cars I can't afford...

royoftherovers · November 30, 2020

9 minutes ago, jimjim999 said:

update - garage checked battery, it's fine. I asked them to use a new battery anyway, same problems.

also they replaced and checked all the fuses they could find, all ok.

...so this Thursday i'm booked into Lexus Cardiff to have them check it over. I was hoping not to do that, as I have to take a day off and drive there and wait whilst they do the investigation and basically waste a day looking at new cars I can't afford...

It`s a good job you didn`t buy an Audi Jim?

jimjim999 · December 1, 2020

UPDATE - car is booked with Lexus on Thursday 10th Dec. However, yesterday my auto-off with the lights worked OK when I turned the car off.

This morning - car came to life?! it's cold this morning so I hoped it would start at all with these problems, but I turned it on the steering column moved down, the windscreen wipers came on, the wing mirrors folded in (probably because I had pressed it so many times before) and it seemed all ok. I noticed the auto-lights didn't go off this morning when I got back, so I'll keep the appointment with Lexus just in case. Central locking works too. I haven't tried reprogramming the windows to the master control on drivers door yet, but if all the other stuff came back I guess it should work.

Does this sound like a loose connection somewhere? I'm hoping that if the auto-off lights problem still persists but the rest stays on then Lexus will be able to trace something. Otherwise it will be an annoying car works one day but not the other type of issue ... any ideas anyone on this?

Spacewagon52 · December 1, 2020

Pete, these cars are able to repair themselves! Many examples on the forums!

Keep us posted please.

jimjim999 · December 3, 2020

UPDATE - ok, so everything is working again, except for the auto-lights turning off when i turn the car off. still booked with lexus next thursday.does this all sound like a loose connection?...

Herbie · December 3, 2020

1 hour ago, jimjim999 said:

UPDATE - ok, so everything is working again, except for the auto-lights turning off when i turn the car off. still booked with lexus next thursday.does this all sound like a loose connection?...

I wouldn't say so - a loose connection would be more intermittent and transient. Yours seems to be working or not working but quite stable in either state.

steve2006 · December 3, 2020

There are multiple ECUs involved here, Lexus tend to have one for every function.

It could be a poor earth connection common to them all or possibly a Canbus data glitch due to the Battery going flat initially.

Please update us once Lexus have taken a look.

Sherra · December 4, 2020

This might sound silly but on my 2009 model the lights don't actually go off until the door is opened. I had a problem with the switch on the B pillar and that would not turn off the lights when the door was opened sometimes. Because the lights are on you may not realize that the interior light also failed to come on. This meant that the ecu didn't pick up the door opening.