Is my battery the problem?
Is my battery the problem?
However since getting quite a bit colder over the last few days, things have got worse and seems to be pointing at the battery.
1. When starting a cold engine, it sounds really unhealthy and if it's dark (so headlights try to come on) the HIDs flicker quite badly while the engine is starting.
2. While the engine is cold and driving along at a constant speed, it feels as though the engine is stuttering.
3. When I stop at traffic lights or similar, engine revs drop low (about 400rpm), the dash lights dim a lot and the battery meter drops down around 2 markings.
Does all this mean I need a new battery or is something else wrong? It has been about 4 years I think since I changed it so a battery change doesn't seem completely out of the question.
2002 '02' IS200 SE Auto - DVD Satnav with Voice Activation - [COLOR="Blue"]Strathcaron Blue - Parking Sensors - 5000K HIDs with Anti-Glare Bulbs - PIAA 6500K Main Beams - LED Sidelights - Mirror/Sunroof Closure - TTE Styling Kit - 18" Styling Kit Alloys with nitrogen filled Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric Tyres - Bluetouch Multimedia Kit - Gromaudio AUX in - Black painted calipers with silver Lexus decals - 12 LED Dome Light - 96 LED Boot Light - Stainless Steel Sport Sill Plates - PIAA Silicone Wipers[/COLOR]
Following on from my recent engine troubles I cleaned my K&N (which was filthy to be fair) but things haven't really changed.
However since getting quite a bit colder over the last few days, things have got worse and seems to be pointing at the battery.
1. When starting a cold engine, it sounds really unhealthy and if it's dark (so headlights try to come on) the HIDs flicker quite badly while the engine is starting.
2. While the engine is cold and driving along at a constant speed, it feels as though the engine is stuttering.
3. When I stop at traffic lights or similar, engine revs drop low (about 400rpm), the dash lights dim a lot and the battery meter drops down around 2 markings.
Does all this mean I need a new battery or is something else wrong? It has been about 4 years I think since I changed it so a battery change doesn't seem completely out of the question.
2002 '02' IS200 SE Auto - DVD Satnav with Voice Activation - [COLOR="Blue"]Strathcaron Blue - Parking Sensors - 5000K HIDs with Anti-Glare Bulbs - PIAA 6500K Main Beams - LED Sidelights - Mirror/Sunroof Closure - TTE Styling Kit - 18" Styling Kit Alloys with nitrogen filled Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric Tyres - Bluetouch Multimedia Kit - Gromaudio AUX in - Black painted calipers with silver Lexus decals - 12 LED Dome Light - 96 LED Boot Light - Stainless Steel Sport Sill Plates - PIAA Silicone Wipers[/COLOR]
Cold weather does highlight batteries that are on the way out, and we have had a drop of 3 degrees or so where I am in the last week. And as mentioned, batteries are cheap from Toyota (significantly cheaper than Halfords). You could be experiencing a load drop which can cause all sorts of weird electrical behaviour. It sounds like your symptoms are easily reproduceable so you could test by throwing a suitably sized battery in from something else.
Yep the batteries are only £50 or so aren't they, think I'll just change it (car's going in next week to sort that scratch out so I'll get them to do this as well) and hopefully that sorts all the problems out
2002 '02' IS200 SE Auto - DVD Satnav with Voice Activation - [COLOR="Blue"]Strathcaron Blue - Parking Sensors - 5000K HIDs with Anti-Glare Bulbs - PIAA 6500K Main Beams - LED Sidelights - Mirror/Sunroof Closure - TTE Styling Kit - 18" Styling Kit Alloys with nitrogen filled Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric Tyres - Bluetouch Multimedia Kit - Gromaudio AUX in - Black painted calipers with silver Lexus decals - 12 LED Dome Light - 96 LED Boot Light - Stainless Steel Sport Sill Plates - PIAA Silicone Wipers[/COLOR]
Cool cheers for the replies, the battery meter is dropping down while stationary, and if I gently raise the engine revs with the accelerator then the dash brightens up and the needle rises back up again.
Yep the batteries are only £50 or so aren't they, think I'll just change it (car's going in next week to sort that scratch out so I'll get them to do this as well) and hopefully that sorts all the problems out
2002 '02' IS200 SE Auto - DVD Satnav with Voice Activation - [COLOR="Blue"]Strathcaron Blue - Parking Sensors - 5000K HIDs with Anti-Glare Bulbs - PIAA 6500K Main Beams - LED Sidelights - Mirror/Sunroof Closure - TTE Styling Kit - 18" Styling Kit Alloys with nitrogen filled Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric Tyres - Bluetouch Multimedia Kit - Gromaudio AUX in - Black painted calipers with silver Lexus decals - 12 LED Dome Light - 96 LED Boot Light - Stainless Steel Sport Sill Plates - PIAA Silicone Wipers[/COLOR]
Rabster yes cold weather destroyed my battery i got a txt from the alarm telling me it was down at 10.8v = not good lol
That's awesome!
Lol maybe one day it'll be able to let you know that the battery is low, and then drive itself to the dealer to get it sorted :w00t:
2002 '02' IS200 SE Auto - DVD Satnav with Voice Activation - [COLOR="Blue"]Strathcaron Blue - Parking Sensors - 5000K HIDs with Anti-Glare Bulbs - PIAA 6500K Main Beams - LED Sidelights - Mirror/Sunroof Closure - TTE Styling Kit - 18" Styling Kit Alloys with nitrogen filled Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric Tyres - Bluetouch Multimedia Kit - Gromaudio AUX in - Black painted calipers with silver Lexus decals - 12 LED Dome Light - 96 LED Boot Light - Stainless Steel Sport Sill Plates - PIAA Silicone Wipers[/COLOR]
Rabster yes cold weather destroyed my battery i got a txt from the alarm telling me it was down at 10.8v = not good lol
That's awesome!
Lol maybe one day it'll be able to let you know that the battery is low, and then drive itself to the dealer to get it sorted :w00t:
2002 '02' IS200 SE Auto - DVD Satnav with Voice Activation - [COLOR="Blue"]Strathcaron Blue - Parking Sensors - 5000K HIDs with Anti-Glare Bulbs - PIAA 6500K Main Beams - LED Sidelights - Mirror/Sunroof Closure - TTE Styling Kit - 18" Styling Kit Alloys with nitrogen filled Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric Tyres - Bluetouch Multimedia Kit - Gromaudio AUX in - Black painted calipers with silver Lexus decals - 12 LED Dome Light - 96 LED Boot Light - Stainless Steel Sport Sill Plates - PIAA Silicone Wipers[/COLOR]
Marsdendean If i'm sat at lights my lights go dimmer (dash lights) and if i put it into N and rev it a little (only 1000 rpm) everything comes back to light so i think mins on the way out
That's more like the alternator being on the way out, or having too much load on it. My alternator isn't quite up to the job and I get exactly the same symptoms you've described.
Marsdendean If i'm sat at lights my lights go dimmer (dash lights) and if i put it into N and rev it a little (only 1000 rpm) everything comes back to light so i think mins on the way out
That's more like the alternator being on the way out, or having too much load on it. My alternator isn't quite up to the job and I get exactly the same symptoms you've described.
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