Rx400H Battery

[chesterman]

Having read several horror stories concerning Battery issues on this forum before ever buying the car. I immediately fitted a new 12V Battery, purchased, and use daily, a solar charger and carry a Battery booster pack in the car. Yes, paranoid I know. But just because I`m paranoid does not mean they are not trying to get me ! Anyway, the witchcraft worked and no Battery issues since purchase.

[Duncan Roberts]

This is entirely car specific, mine had 100,000 miles to its credit, stood for 16 days while I was in Hong Kong and started first time - on the original Battery.

And yes, it was a £43.000 car when I bought it new in 2008. Life has moved on and no manufacturer would be offering 2005 technology for anything like that money today.

[rayaans]

I left my Lexus RX450h for 4 days in a car park at the airport. Very embarrassing that the car every one admired wouldn't start! Superb performance is useless if the car won't start. This is the third time my car failed to start --- once after a 5 week holiday (possibly excusable); once after leaving my wife listening to the radio for an hour whilst I had a golf lesson! But this last time was not good!

The car is not 3 years old and has only completed 27,000 miles but I'm already thinking of downgrading to a Mercedes which might at least start!!

I've left my RX450h for 4 weeks and it started first time. It's over 3 years old being a 12 plate with 32k miles.

Id be inclined to say that either the terminals haven't been tightened properly or something was left on.

I also have a tracker so I assume that's pulling power too

[Chosen One]

Not read all the replies but have also suffered from a 'Lexus Battery' illness. Had power outlet fixed to permanent live cost £25 installed Solar panels into the rear spoiler with a regulator in the boot with a feed to the power point, this has reduced the drain by 75% also carry around a booster costing about £70. Follow my profile and look at my pics.

[billgatesisaconman]

Not read all the replies but have also suffered from a 'Lexus Battery' illness. Had power outlet fixed to permanent live cost £25 installed Solar panels into the rear spoiler with a regulator in the boot with a feed to the power point, this has reduced the drain by 75% also carry around a booster costing about £70. Follow my profile and look at my pics.

Bought my Rx 400 Se 3 years ago and the Battery was a couple of years old then ... I leave it stood for weeks on end all the time (I do less than 4k a year) ...

I have no solar panels, no trickle charger and had no problems, evidence seems to suggest this may be just an Sel problem .... namely the Levinson audio system ...I think it may be the 2 extra speakers ... lol

has anyone else checked thier amp lately ... >>>>

I've seen this topic so many times and i had a similar problem. The fault was a current drain, as mentioned above. It turned out to be the pre-amplifier under the back seat. The bearing in the fan had dried out. I replaced it and have never had a problem since. Even three weeks at Heathrow!

[Ridgeback]

Mine's a SE-L with a Levinson system but never suffered from a flat Battery even when parked at Manchester airport for 3 weeks.

I was expecting it to be flat and had a changed up jump pack in the boot ready and waiting, but not needed.

[vrodman]

Never had any problems with the car not starting when stood unused but I think the longest it has been left is for about 12 days when we were away on holiday, however.......

...... a couple of months ago the wife went to work and parked in the multi storey, as usual, came out from work at 5.30 and got in the car and switched the ignition on (but not all the way to the 'READY' position).... and then decided to phone her mother using the cars Bluetooth system - on for about 40 minutes (wtf !) when she had an incoming call from her friend, which she took - on for a further 20 minutes (WTF !).

Of course, you guessed it, when the time came....no starty !

By this time it was 6.30pm, the car park closes and is locked at 7.00pm (no exceptions from mr Jobsworth car park attendant) and I only have my Hi Ace van.... which is too tall for the car park !

A quick call to her friend, who has a Ford Ka, saw us dash round to the car park and get the jump leads on and the car started with about five minutes to spare.... phew !

...if only everything in,life was as reliable as a Ka !

No further problems, car started next day fine but to be on the safe side, a week later I booked it in to my local Toyota dealer and had a genuine Toyota replacement Battery fitted - £93 all in.

Dan

[ColinBarber]

The Battery capacity isn't big. Using anything electrical without the vehicle in 'Ready' will rapidly discharge the Battery. Even leaving the interior light on overnight will flatten the Battery where other vehicles would cope.

[Lozsta]

Sorry for reviving a dead post but do any of you who have looked inside your bonnets and played with the Battery know if you have the following:

 

https://parts.lexus.com/p/Lexus_2006_RX-400h-33L/INSULATOR---BATTERY/63009486/2889920011.html

[ColinBarber]

yes, it is standard fit. However if a different sized Battery has been fitted it would have been discarded. Not sure it really is important.

[Lozsta]

Surely though if there was insulation in there before then it should be insulated against the cold, I have had the Battery out now in the last month 3 times to charge. Strange thing is the smart charger only shows a low 1-3 on the scale for power draw. Yet charged overnight back in the car and it goes to ready straight away.

Today I have the solar panel from the AA in the OBD port to see if that helps...

 

i am still unable to find the correct Battery for this vehicle in the Varta Catalouge, I am ordering on of their blue tops as they seem highly recommended. 

 

EDIT also discarding a $54 part would seem a little wasteful...

[ColinBarber]

Discarded from the engine bay in that if your battery doesn't fit in it then what else are you going to do? People may still keep it in their garage.

It is a 2mm piece of plastic. Doesn't protect against the cold, possibly more of a heat shield than protection against the cold but probably more of a physical insulator than anything else.

[Lipocharger]

Yes, I've the same problem on my 2009 Lexus 400h.  The auxiliary Battery (for starting) fails on several occasions.  A replacement Battery is over £110 as they say a standard Battery for about £60 (Yuasa YBX5063 12V 52Ah 520A Silver High Performance Battery, for example) giving about 50,000 starts, will not cope long-term as this car has the stop/start system.

However, being tight, for over a year now I've kept my car going on the odd occasions that the Battery fails due to having not used the car for a while or left a light on without the "ready" light position being used, is by simply connecting, via crocodile clips,  a  temporary  small 12v Battery to the car Battery terminals and switching on.  It works every time.  I fly electric model helicopters and use my 3 cell lipo Battery pack (around 11-14v and just 4 amps).  I keep one in the car just in case.  But, how many Lexus owners have a lipo Battery?!

[Herbie]

3 hours ago, Lipocharger said:

But, how many Lexus owners have a lipo battery?!

I think quite a few of us (including myself) carry one of these jump start battery packs in the glovebox or boot.

3 hours ago, Lipocharger said:

A replacement battery is over £110 as they say a standard battery for about £60 (Yuasa YBX5063 12V 52Ah 520A Silver High Performance Battery, for example) giving about 50,000 starts, will not cope long-term as this car has the stop/start system.

That's incorrect - our hybrid systems and 'stop/start' technology are two different things and the standard Yuasa Battery would be just fine. Our cars don't have a 'normal' starter motor and if I remember correctly it's MG1, controlled by the hybrid system, that starts the petrol engine.

As you already know, our hybrid systems take very little current to boot the computers and get the car to the READY state. As you can see below, my RX450h takes just 15.32A to 'start' the car as opposed to more than 300A that a normal starter motor would draw from the Battery. If that Yuasa Battery would give about 50,000 starts at more than 300A, imagine how many more it would do at just 15.32A.

[ColinBarber]

Standard flooded batteries work but you should really use an AGM Battery on a hybrid to give you better protection against the damaged caused when the Battery is discharged too much (e.g. leaving unattended whilst on holiday).

The life of a lead acid Battery has more to do with not letting it discharge too much, environmental conditions and correct charging rather than the number of starts it performs.

[Britprius]

There is a larger capacity Battery that will fit. It is also an AGM Battery. The downside is that the terminals are different, but this is easily over come. Once fitted this has no effect on the batteries operation.
The larger capacity batteries are made for mobility scooters, and are rated at 55AH at a 10 HR  discharge rate. Aligned with the standard rating for car batteries rated at a discharge rate of 20 HR raises the equivalent capacity to circa 62 AH.
I used one of these batteries in my Prius for 4 years until I sold the car. The car was sold to a member of the family 4 years ago, and is still running on the same Battery.
The Mobility batteries are usually designated with the numbers 12/55 as part of there part number 12 being the voltage, and 55 being the amp hour capacity at a 10 hour rate. They are available on line for £80 upwards. They are extremely robust, and designed to withstand daily deep discharge without damage.

John.

[Harry the spider]

l have had the familiar Battery problem twice with my 2007 RX 400 h, once when the doors were left open while working on the car, and again after a long phone call while stationary and with the side lights on. First time needed a jump start and second time the Battery recovered after a few minutes standing.

I am now in the process of replacing interior light bulbs with led's to reduce drain. Also, despite my auxiliary Battery being fairly new I am looking to replace it with an A G M leisure Battery if l can find the size. They are not designed for engine starting and can cope with deep discharge cycles without damage. 

Harry 

[Obaid]

On 2/4/2019 at 11:39 AM, Lozsta said:

Sorry for reviving a dead post but do any of you who have looked inside your bonnets and played with the Battery know if you have the following:

 

https://parts.lexus.com/p/Lexus_2006_RX-400h-33L/INSULATOR---BATTERY/63009486/2889920011.html

If you are still around; what will this do? Unfortunately I too now have Battery drain issues in my 2009 rx400h!

[Herbie]

That will do nothing electrically. It's just a case or cover that the Battery sits in.

What, exactly, is your problem?