Battery Problem / Service Plan - New IS300H Owner

[muppet99]

Hello.

After a disaster with absurdly poor dealer service from my last German car, and a bizarrely high offer from Cazoo for said car, recently made switch to an IS300H F Sport and on the whole so far so good.

However... I accidentally left the Battery on whilst cleaning the car for an hour and afterward I got the 'hybrid system not working' error then it was dead completely.  Got it started again.  Dealer has offered to collect car and charge it but as nice as the gesture is, seems a bit overkill as it would be a 300 mile round trip.  I plan to charge it, and monitor it for signs of dying over the next couple of weeks.  Any advice on best plan of action?

Also, have been quoted £1100 for 2 services (1 minor, 1 major), breakdown cover and 2 x MOT's.  Car is a 15 plate.  Any thoughts?

Thanks.

** Please could this be moved to the correct forum!? **

[Illogan]

Hi Tom,

As you'll note, I've not an IS300H, so will hesitate to give you specific advice on your model - though others will certainly appear soon with advice on your model.

However, you have proved to yourself that the small 12v Battery on the car is not designed for/capable of running lights/radio and accessories for long without the car running.  The purpose of this Battery is to run the ECU, and the elements such as alarms/locks when the car isn't running.

Now, you've effectively completely drained the Battery, which will have effectively reduced its capability to recover slightly, (as with most batteries), but providing the unit was in reasonable condition beforehand, I would not worry.

It obviously needs a complete recharge, and rather than a 300-mile round trip (which would recharge the Battery effectively without stopping at the dealership!) I'd get myself a good Battery charger, and recharge it myself.  Having managed to do something similar when we bought our Lexus, I bought a jump starter from amazon (delivered the following day 🙂 ) and found it invaluable https://www.amazon.co.uk/NOCO-GB40-UltraSafe-Lithium-Starter/dp/B015TKUPIC/ref=sr_1_11_sspa?crid=1YMCM7YZQYLD&keywords=noco+genius+battery+charger&qid=1680087053&quartzVehicle=29-10519&replacementKeywords=noco+genius+battery&sprefix=genius+battery%2Caps%2C224&sr=8-11-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&psc=

And it has been incredibly useful starting neighbours cars too!

Now, with reference to the offer on services/MOT etc, you'll find that the dealer has most likely quoted you the standard Lexus off, of two years servicing, (1 major, 1 minor), MOT's and breakdown cover, but all at today's prices, (so no account of inflation for the period).

Whether or not you avail yourself of the offer is your choice, of course, but I do, (as do many on the forum), as having the Dealership service the car continues the Relax warranty on the vehicle (up 10 years and 100k miles (or is it 150k miles - I'm not sure?), and the service also includes a full check and report on your Hybrid Battery, which I find useful.

 

 

[Bluemarlin]

If you're considering a service plan it might be worth asking if they offer any discount for a longer term. I took out a 5 year plan and got 15% discount.

[muppet99]

Thank you both for the replies.

I have charged it for a few hours using mains supply and seems to be ok now.

Also have spoken to a Lexus independent (UK Teknics) near me and it's clear they are significantly cheaper than main dealer with good reviews.