More Battery Woes

Steve_M · September 9, 2014

Hi All,

I know that Battery drain problems have been covered before but here's a new slant on it.

Drove to work last night (18 miles), stopped the car for maybe ten minutes, went to start and move it again. not a lot ust a half hearted chug out of the starter, so had to resort to jump leads and moved the car 30 ft? maybe then parked overnight. get to the car this morning expecting to need the jump leads again, but it just managed to turn over enough to start. new Battery time ?.

Any thoughts on this one will be gratefully rec'd.

Steve

normski2 · September 9, 2014

Could well be the Battery starting to pack up..they can just suddenly die.

Check all your connections on the Battery and even trace the anchor earth lead point to the car body if you can.

If all is good then you could get a diagnostic done at Halfords(or similar).

If its the Battery going then just get another....don't get caught out when winter starts.

If you want to do it yourself there is a guide here

http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/tutorials/article/199-how-to-change-the-battery-on-an-is250/

Make sure you get the correctly orientated Battery.

Steve_M · September 9, 2014

Already had a multimeter on it, and from switch off the voltage is 12.55 dropping regularly by 0.1 every 1.5 - 2 seconds, thats everything off but not locked. voltage on idle is 14.19 - 14.14. When this occurred yesterday I checked the voltage and that was 11.4ish.

PhilipK · September 9, 2014

Not sure that the readings with a normal multimeter will be sufficient to accurately diagnose a marginal Battery. You really need a dedicated Battery tester which does a voltage test under load to properly check a Battery.

Exdee · September 9, 2014

There's actually an indicator on the Battery that changes color to show what condition it's in. When it goes white you need to change it.

johnatg · September 10, 2014

Just an aside - batteries are classified by code number as far as dimensions and terminal orientaion at least are concerned. You can find charts of specs with a Google search.

IS250s (at least 2006 models) need a 068 Battery - 260mm x 173mm x 225mm and orientation so that when the terminals are adjacent to the bulkhead -ve is against the inner wing, +ve toward the engine. This is a rare Battery and not many places you roll up to will have it in stock. (It doesn't even feature on some manufacturers' lists)

There are several close alternatives - but they won't fit properly, although they may do the job. On the spot Battery fitters will fob you off with the closest match they have available.

You also need the Battery to have adequate capacity - 70amp hours, 630 CCA (Cold Cranking Amps). (I think the CCA spec may actually be somewhat less than this)

I have found that Lexus Battery terminals have a propensity to slip off - upwards off the terminal post. If you just tighten up normally, you may find that with an upward pull on the terminal the clamp will just pull up right off the post. What I do is tap the clamp down very gently with a light hammer and a socket big enough to push on the clamp but to clear the post. Then tighten - then tap, tighten, tap, tighten and so on - but don't overdo it! Needs experience to know when it's correct I guess. But check carefully that it's tight.

I swear by Bosch batteries - always fit them when I need a replacement. When I bought my IS a couple of years ago it had a one year old Unipart Battery. It was useless (kept losing charge) - I replaced it with a Bosch S4026 from CarParts4less - they are Euro Car Parts under a different name but cheaper! (Usual disclaimer!). No problems since.

I don't know if IS220Ds use the same spec (diesel cars often have bigger batteries than the petrol equivalent) or if the same Battery size fits other years of IS250. Do your own research!

normski2 · September 10, 2014

Good points there John.

I used a VARTA Battery for my 220D and its been great. Son has now sold the car, but it had been fine to that point. It is a bigger CCA on the 220d....want to say 830/850 and 95a/h....but please check...don't trust my memory recollection. Think the Battery was 300 x 275 x 225....least that's whats scribbled on my jotter in the office!!

Just be very very careful with tapping down the terminal binding....kind of a toffee hammer approach!!

Steve_M · September 11, 2014

Thanks for the replies chaps, Bosch s4 being fitted as soon as I've had some kip and 'the wife' has been to pick it up for me.

Steve.

Steve_M · September 12, 2014

There's actually an indicator on the battery that changes color to show what condition it's in. When it goes white you need to change it.

Don't rely on this Exdee, mine shows bright blue, 'Battery ok', the Battery tester however says call the cardiac arrest team cos the battery's dead. There's a marked improvement in the crank 'speed' now, 1/2 second to start as opposed to 1 - 2 seconds

Exdee · September 13, 2014

There's actually an indicator on the battery that changes color to show what condition it's in. When it goes white you need to change it.

Don't rely on this Exdee, mine shows bright blue, 'Battery ok', the Battery tester however says call the cardiac arrest team cos the battery's dead. There's a marked improvement in the crank 'speed' now, 1/2 second to start as opposed to 1 - 2 seconds

Yeah you are probably right. It looks like a very simple and non-technical indicator. I doubt it has any significance. Probably indicates Battery life based on the water or something..

ChumpusRex · September 14, 2014

Yeah. The Battery indicator is just a hydrometer - measures the strength of the acid, by how high a coloured piece of plastic floats in it.

It works OK, apart from the fact that there is only 1 indicator, but there are 6 cells in the Battery - if any 1 of them is faulty, then the Battery won't work.

The indicator works fine for flat/charged for a working Battery, but it is useless for detection of a malfunctioning Battery.

agent_dess · January 25, 2015

Does anyone have a specific brand/type Battery they have bought for their IS250?

Mines won't start without a cpr from another car! Lol looks like it's the original Battery that came with the car so 7 1/2 years old.

agent_dess · January 25, 2015

The following will help you locate a Battery for majority of the Lexus models:

https://advancedbatterysupplies.co.uk/lexuscarbatteries

IS250:

- Bosch S4027

- Varta E24

Both are size 069

ChumpusRex · January 26, 2015

The following will help you locate a battery for majority of the Lexus models:

https://advancedbatterysupplies.co.uk/lexuscarbatteries

IS250:

- Bosch S4027

- Varta E24

Both are size 069

Those are the wrong batteries and will not fit (the terminals are in the wrong position).

The IS250 requires a size 068 Battery such as Bosch S4026 or Varta E23

johnatg · January 26, 2015

Second that - Mark is absolutely correct - you need a 068.

Note that these are fairly rare - not all Battery manufacturers make them and they will not often be in stock at your typical Battery supplier. You'll be fobbed off with something which will 'do'. You can get a 069 in (much more common), but it won't fit properly and will put the terminals in the wrong position. Or you'll get one with the terminals in the correct position but it will be smaller than the proper Battery.

EuroCarParts/Carparts4Less (and others) stock the 068 (usually) - eg Bosch S4026 (my favourite), etc.

agent_dess · January 26, 2015

Wrong position or wrong direction??

The positive is on the left and the negative is on the right..

How should i be looking at the direction of this??

johnatg · January 26, 2015

OK - diesels have bigger batteries - not sure of the code for the size. But for a IS250 you're looking at the top one and it's wrong - if you put it with the terminals to the bulkhead side it will be reversed. And if you put it as per the schematic, the terminals will be on the 'front' side rather than the 'back' - bulkhead - side.

The sketch is a 069 yes? A 068 will show the terminals like the bottom schematic but same dimensions as the top one.

Actually, you probably don't need a Battery - that's pretty horrible corrosion on the earth terminal and could well be the source of your problems! Clean it up and put some protection on the post and terminal - Holts 'No-Crode' if you can still get it, or Vaseline. And check where that earth cable attaches to the body - could well be as bad.

agent_dess · January 26, 2015

Haha that's not a pic of my Battery ;) my engine bay is clean.

I ordered the bosch s4 as per your recommendation. I know the terminal would have been at the front had I ordered the 069 but I would have thought there would be enough slack for it to reach the front end.

ChumpusRex · January 26, 2015

Haha that's not a pic of my battery ;) my engine bay is clean.

I ordered the bosch s4 as per your recommendation. I know the terminal would have been at the front had I ordered the 069 but I would have thought there would be enough slack for it to reach the front end.

Haha. In all honesty, I hadn't thought of flipping it back to front, and was thinking that you'd have to have the terminals the other way round.

The Battery bay isn't quite symmetrical, so you might have to cut a notch out of the Battery cover.

agent_dess · January 26, 2015

Bought and fitted the bosch s4026 068 Battery which was "drag & drop" essentially good thing I didn't buy the 069 the terminal cable barley stretched more than its original position, thanks for tips guys u saved me ripping my hair out lol :) my only gripe is the engine athletics are ruined, everything is black/grey with a blue Battery :/ just looks so odd!