Battery Light ON, then lost power steering, then car died.

[Lex_utor]

Hi Brian. Glad you got your car sorted. As faith would have it, I just got my car back today from the garage. They managed to repair the alternator and it's now working fine. Didn't mention any other problems, so I guess I'm good. Interestingly, they first tried ordering a new Denso, but it didn't fit. They said something about it being a special type. So they got it repaired instead. I wonder if this is just some business tactic. Unless the manual transmission cars have a different hard to get alternator? Oh well, at least now the car is working again. 

[Redefined]

Glad it's all sorted now @Lex_utor

[Lex_utor]

12 hours ago, Redefined said:

Glad it's all sorted now @Lex_utor

Thanks. But to be honest, I'm seriously thinking about selling it. MOT is coming and I will probably sell it after. No other car I have ever owned has given me more grief and expense.  I wanted a RWD 4 doors saloon with a manual transmission and the reason I passed on buying a BMW was exactly that I was not looking for big bills. So I bought a Lexus because of the stellar reputation. But based on this first and only, and most likely last Lexus, I can't say I recommend them, let alone buying another. Maybe this generation IS is the blacksheep? I had heard horrible things about the IS220. But not of the IS250. As much as I love driving the car, I'm getting tired of the big bills. As it is, the garage told me that I might have problems getting my next MOT because they saw some rust. This after having to replaced a totally rusted out fuel tank 2 years ago. And I barely drive the car as we have 2 other cars in the family. Ironically, I love Alfa Romeos and the reason I don't own one is the rust and unreliable reputation.

[Lex_utor]

So, the saga goes on. Today, Battery was dead again. Car was dead. Wouldn't unlock. I had to use the physical key to open the bonnet to put the charger on. Charging as we speak. 😞

[H3XME]

16 minutes ago, Lex_utor said:

So, the saga goes on. Today, battery was dead again. Car was dead. Wouldn't unlock. I had to use the physical key to open the bonnet to put the charger on. Charging as we speak. 😞

It's crazy. You've had nothing but issues. I wonder if the previous owner had something to do with your issues. You must be the unluckiest IS250 owner ever

[Texas]

Deffo not the norm for a 250🙄

[Lex_utor]

4 hours ago, H3XME said:

It's crazy. You've had nothing but issues. I wonder if the previous owner had something to do with your issues. You must be the unluckiest IS250 owner ever

Like what could he have done? Not taken care of the car you mean? I think normally electric issues is normally from factory. Car is probably a lemon. Could be the reason he sold it. He kept it for 2 years or so. So he also must have tried get along with the car. Who knows.

[Lex_utor]

So, the Battery didn't charge. The charger had an error message. The error reads: either the charging was interrupted or the Battery is damaged and can't be charged.  Said to reset and restart the charging, which I just did. So far no errors. Let's see if it finishes charging. Yesterday, while it was hooked to the charger, locking and unlocked worked again and the dash lit up. I didn't try to start the engine. In the evening, once I saw it was stuck because of the error, I unhooked the charger. This morning, dead again! Had to use the physical key again to unlock and open the hood. Then when I connected the charger, it started this siren. The most annoying noise. I never heard it before. Normally the alarm is the horn. It was coming from the rear wheel location. In the UK, the driver's side rear wheel. I disconnected the Battery fully and the siren raged on. I guess it must have its own Battery. Is this a secondary anti-theft alarm?

Now, the options seem to be:

1. Charging got interrupted or a charger glitch.

2. The Battery after so many recharges because of the alternator wasn't working properly needs replacement. But should it have happened if it was driving ok after the alternator was repaired? I would have thought if this was the problem it wouldn't recharge at all after the alternator was repaired?

3. The alternator repair is bad and the alternator is not working again and it damaged the Battery. I hope this is not it. Because if I take it back again, they could just find an excuse and say the problem is caused by something else, just to charge me again. Fix the alternator again at my expense instead of honoring the warranty and I would never know. 

4. Something very bad is going on and is damaging alternators and eating them for lunch?

What do you guys think?

I like the car. One of the best driving dailies i ever ever owned. But man, no other car I have ever owned has given me as much headaches and I have owned Ssangyong, Vauxalls and French cars. 

 

 

[RadicalCoupe-Fuji]

I dont know, id like to see a car that doesnt need components replacing as it gets towards 20 years old. I had an 18 year old Nissan that also had the Battery light come on & needed an alternator rebuild & 90's Nissan was good quality. A ssangyong may not even make it to 20 years old, cars like that end up on the scrap heap after 10 years.

[Lex_utor]

On 6/8/2024 at 3:54 PM, RadicalCoupe-Fuji said:

I dont know, id like to see a car that doesnt need components replacing as it gets towards 20 years old. I had an 18 year old Nissan that also had the battery light come on & needed an alternator rebuild & 90's Nissan was good quality. A ssangyong may not even make it to 20 years old, cars like that end up on the scrap heap after 10 years.

Sure. But I don't think this is it here. I seem to have some electric gremlins. Electric small things keep going wrong. My horn fuse keep blowing off. I have given up replacing it.  I have lost count of how many times I had to recharge my Battery because it was dead. Then the alternator went. I thought maybe this was causing the Battery problems. Alternator was not working properly till it finally gave up. Got it fixed and now the Battery went again, about a month after having the alternator fixed. With it, my whole door window switch panel on the driver's door is no longer working. I can only open my own window. Before that, only one of the rear switches was not working. I thought, another fuse. But now all switches are not working, apart from my own window. And no, it's not just locked. 🙂 The switches on each door work. Only on the driver's door main panel not. There were always some electric niggles.

When I sold the Ssangyong it had 225.000 Km and was still going strong by the way. It was exactly 21 years old by then 🙂

 

[RadicalCoupe-Fuji]

Did you try setting each window by going to the individual door, pressing the switch down until the window is stopped & holding it for a second, then holding it up until the window fully closes & then hold for a second? Flat batteries can mean you have to set the power windows again & thr master switch base won't work until they are set.

[Lex_utor]

On 6/10/2024 at 1:05 PM, RadicalCoupe-Fuji said:

Did you try setting each window by going to the individual door, pressing the switch down until the window is stopped & holding it for a second, then holding it up until the window fully closes & then hold for a second? Flat batteries can mean you have to set the power windows again & thr master switch base won't work until they are set.

Indeed I did. Could only get the switch for the driver's door window. Like I said, before that one of the rear windows had already given up.