my new car's battery is dead AGAIN!

[SAPD911]

I suspect its the key fob draining it. I leave the key fobs in the master bedroom which is near the garage! Need help as I suspect the dealer wont have a clue whats wrong!

"2013 LEXUS ES350 battery dead again!

---

Just hit 4000 miles and I replaced the battery per the dealer (I live 250 miles away) after the stock one died 6 times in the last year. Bought the car brand new Sep 2013. Anyway the OEM battery died 6 times in the past year and I finally had enough and replaced it with a very good battery (interstate) per the dealer. Dealer checked the OEM battery when I went on vacation and said the battery is fine. (probably fully charged since I drove 250 miles). Anyway, I had the new battery in for two weeks and go to start it up today, and its DEAD! WTH!!!!!

Drove 250 miles to the dealer and now have a loaner. Dealer said they need it a few days to look at it in sleep mode? sleep mode? What is draining it when its off? I don't have anything aftermarket or any chargers plugged in.

As you can see by the miles I don't drive it much. It sits for 3-4 days at a time in my garage! I should not need a trickle charger as I have had many previous cars which sat longer and they were fine.

Any clue, what's wrong? Another customer had hers towed in and she had the same problem but had a 2014 IS250. My key fobs always stay in the house, but the garage is next to my master bedroom where I place the keys.

Thoughts? And I don't have the hybrid."

 

[cuznjohn]

i was hav ing the same problem with my 2013 infiniti m37, turned out it was a bad remote start in the car

 

[Chupaca]

Gotta say..!!

that's the way it is with those blue bloods..!! :roflblack::roflblack: can't see the key fobs draining the battery. It will have to be something in the car. Have them hook it up to buds..:roflblack::roflblack: they must have their own system...:gaah:

 

[Bob Denman]

I though that these things only happened to Spyders...
Sorry; for your misery! :shocked:

 

[Oldmanzues]

With all this wonderful power stuff on a car nowdays, how much draw is for them in "sleep" mode. I have heard, but do not know, some cars will drain a good battery in 3 or 4 days. New car mech should have a answer. The answer may be a trickle charger for anything over a set time period, but it would be a answer.
Good Luck in any case.
Oldmanzues

 

[bruiser]

Car batteries are only used for starting. If the charging system is operating as it should and the starter is not drawing excessive current, then the problem is parasitic draw. In most newer cars and, specifically, luxury cars, on board systems maintain a current draw for up to an hour after the key is turned off. Key fobs do too but to a lesser extent. Some computer readouts will show current draw when the car is in sleep mode. However, i find it best to revert back to "the old days" and manually check parasitic draw.

 

[SAPD911]

Car batteries are only used for starting. If the charging system is operating as it should and the starter is not drawing excessive current, then the problem is parasitic draw. In most newer cars and, specifically, luxury cars, on board systems maintain a current draw for up to an hour after the key is turned off. Key fobs do too but to a lesser extent. Some computer readouts will show current draw when the car is in sleep mode. However, i find it best to revert back to "the old days" and manually check parasitic draw.

The dealer said they are checking the parasitic draw, whatever that means? They found nothing yesterday. We will see Monday when it sits for 4 days. My police car sat for 2 full weeks when I was on vacation. Started right up when I came home. My whole trunk is full of wiring. I just don't get it. My moms $135K 2014 Mercedes S550 can sit weeks on end and start right up.

Bottom line, something is drawing power when it is turned on.

 

[JerryB]

Hi 911,

Re: Bottom line, something is drawing power when it is turned on.

Yup. I used to own a '97 BMW 840Ci. If the car sat without being started for 30 days, the computer would start the ventilation system and blow air through the car so it would not get 'musty.' You could also program the car so that the heated seats would come on in the morning at whatever time you wanted them to come.

Modern cars have a lot of this type of 'stuff' and it all uses electricity to make things happen.

I have a '12 Lexus IS250 F-Sport; it is my 2nd Lexus and I have not had any problems.

Best of luck with your problem,

Jerry Baumchen

 

[SAPD911]

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[TD="class: alt1"]Just got a call from the dealer service manager. They cannot replicate the problem. He said Lexus was called and are AWARE of the problem on several vehicles and it may be a computer part randomly turning on thus causing the battery to drain. Lexus said they wont have a fix for several months.

He said the temp fix is to put a battery tender at no charge on the vehicle and I would have to plug it to a tender daily.

I have refused that temp. fix and it is currently in the hands of the Lexus Lemon law team, like they are on my side.

What are yalls thoughts to this? What if we go on vacation, park at an airport, ect, ect, ect.

I am currently in a 3 yr lease ( 2 yrs left) and I owe $28k at the end of the lease. I currently have zero payments since I had over $20K in equity when I bought the car. The lease was the best choice with the incentives at the times verses paying out right cash.

1. Do I just give the car back, have them buy it back? How does that work? Do I get the retail, trade-in, ect value now?
2. Get a brand new replacement?

My wife does not want another ES and I could not blame her. But I truly think we got a lemon. Thoughts?

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: alt2"]

[/TD]
[TD="class: alt1, align: right"]

[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

[cuznjohn]

if you like the car and want to keep it, than find a car place that does electrical work and ask them to trouble shoot it. someone else might find it

 

[mtdoragary]

Been having that problem with my 2000 Corvette. Narrowed it down to the headlight motor controller....

 

[flaggerphil]

I know Lexus dealers aren't that numerous, but if you have one that can't figure out what's going on you really need to find another. My wife has an RX-350 and I can't imagine our Lexus dealer not being able to figure that one out.

 

[SAPD911]

I know Lexus dealers aren't that numerous, but if you have one that can't figure out what's going on you really need to find another. My wife has an RX-350 and I can't imagine our Lexus dealer not being able to figure that one out.

I have checked at several other dealers, they all say to put a battery tender in, which I am against.

 

[r1100rider]

I suspect its the key fob draining it. I leave the key fobs in the master bedroom which is near the garage! Need help as I suspect the dealer wont have a clue whats wrong!

"2013 LEXUS ES350 battery dead again!

---

Just hit 4000 miles and I replaced the battery per the dealer (I live 250 miles away) after the stock one died 6 times in the last year. Bought the car brand new Sep 2013. Anyway the OEM battery died 6 times in the past year and I finally had enough and replaced it with a very good battery (interstate) per the dealer. Dealer checked the OEM battery when I went on vacation and said the battery is fine. (probably fully charged since I drove 250 miles). Anyway, I had the new battery in for two weeks and go to start it up today, and its DEAD! WTH!!!!!

Drove 250 miles to the dealer and now have a loaner. Dealer said they need it a few days to look at it in sleep mode? sleep mode? What is draining it when its off? I don't have anything aftermarket or any chargers plugged in.

As you can see by the miles I don't drive it much. It sits for 3-4 days at a time in my garage! I should not need a trickle charger as I have had many previous cars which sat longer and they were fine.

Any clue, what's wrong? Another customer had hers towed in and she had the same problem but had a 2014 IS250. My key fobs always stay in the house, but the garage is next to my master bedroom where I place the keys.

Thoughts? And I don't have the hybrid."

the fobs on these newer cars will excite the computers on these newer cars if they are within 500 ft which keeps the computers wok up ,there is a divice called Priority start that hooks up on the + batt term and will disconnect the battery if the voltage drops to 11.8 and then if you put your foot on the brake or turn on headlites it will reconnect i have used this on a jeep and it works perfect they use it on firetrucks and such that sits a lot the clocks and such will need reset but it will other wise fix you issue cost is about $90

 

[Bob Denman]

My cage, is just a Jeep... pps:
But it's never failed to start; or get me where I planned to go!

 

[Motorcycledave]

Time to trade it in

Time to get rid of it and get a new car, you will be doing a favor to yourself and
helping out the economy as well..... hahahahahahaha

I suspect its the key fob draining it. I leave the key fobs in the master bedroom which is near the garage! Need help as I suspect the dealer wont have a clue whats wrong!

"2013 LEXUS ES350 battery dead again!

---

Just hit 4000 miles and I replaced the battery per the dealer (I live 250 miles away) after the stock one died 6 times in the last year. Bought the car brand new Sep 2013. Anyway the OEM battery died 6 times in the past year and I finally had enough and replaced it with a very good battery (interstate) per the dealer. Dealer checked the OEM battery when I went on vacation and said the battery is fine. (probably fully charged since I drove 250 miles). Anyway, I had the new battery in for two weeks and go to start it up today, and its DEAD! WTH!!!!!

Drove 250 miles to the dealer and now have a loaner. Dealer said they need it a few days to look at it in sleep mode? sleep mode? What is draining it when its off? I don't have anything aftermarket or any chargers plugged in.

As you can see by the miles I don't drive it much. It sits for 3-4 days at a time in my garage! I should not need a trickle charger as I have had many previous cars which sat longer and they were fine.

Any clue, what's wrong? Another customer had hers towed in and she had the same problem but had a 2014 IS250. My key fobs always stay in the house, but the garage is next to my master bedroom where I place the keys.

Thoughts? And I don't have the hybrid."

 

[SAPD911]

car is semi-fixed, Lexus is replacing the ECU, said that is causing the drain. Lots of cards are doing this. So they installed a battery tender hard wired for a temp fix until the new ECU arrives. fingers crossed.