Helpdesk

THIS WEEK:Battery keeps on going flat

From VJ:

I am having trouble with an 05 Lexus LS430, the battery keeps draining. I have changed it twice in two years and nobody can find any evidence of a drainage. My mechanic says it’s because of the high number of computers and also that it is only used twice or three times a week.

A Lexus spokesman says: “If a LS430 is used on a regular/frequent basis there are no technical issues with the 12-volt battery. If the vehicle is used infrequently and for short journeys, the battery may never get fully charged. If this is the case, when a battery is kept in a low state of charge for long periods it will become very unreliable.” He recommends taking the car to a Lexus authorised repairer to determine if the issue is related to the car or to infrequent use.

Modern cars are designed for regular use and if only used on infrequent short journeys issues can arise. The LS may have been one of the most advanced cars in its day with some great safety and entertainment features but plenty of cars now have similar technology and there’s no evidence batteries can’t cope with the technology.

From JA, Wicklow:

I have a 2010 Honda Insight. The car is fine except for two points. Firstly, the short service interval; it has just had a second service (first at 13,000km, second at 25,000km). The car's indicator tells when it needs a service. Secondly, I was told the car will need new front tyres because the car was heavier at the front.

A senior Honda technical manager says the inbuilt Service Reminder System means the car is constantly monitoring and calculating when and what level of service is due next. “The car can display a code to suggest what service is appropriate. Therefore although the car has now been serviced twice they may well have been very different services. The car also calculates in time as well as distance and the maximum time between services is 365 days regardless of the distance covered. If the tyres are wearing unevenly this may indicate that the steering geometry needs attention.”

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