Just bought a CTEK for the SC430 along with the 8ft extension cord. Car doesn't get much use during the snow/ice season.
How you did your install and routed the wiring? I would rather not keep the hood up during charging.
Just picked up a Ctek 3300 battery charger for my 2008 LS460L since we only drive it a few days a week. Is it safe to connect directly to the battery under the hood?
Where is the ideal spot to jump start on an LS? Reason I ask is that my BMW 6series have the battery at the back trunk but for any charging or jump starts it must be done under the hood where there is a terminal that goes to the battery.
Routing a wire from near footwell lighting to engine compartment?
This thing is tight. No easy obvious places to get there.
Wiring under lighting to footwell as I did on my Tundra. Attached link. Want to mimic on the B7.
[URL] ....
Looking for the easiest route to get my video cable from a rear (aftermarket) flip down monitor back up to the head unit. The monitor flips down pretty much in line with the back rest of the 2nd row (for reference purposes). I am thinking to the side down the pillar and under the carpet might be the easiest.
View 3 RepliesI have a 2013 F250 that I am installing a amber warning beacon on. I need to be able to get the end of the electrical cable into the cab of the truck but it has a 12 volt lighter plug on the end that cannot come off. Is there a rubber plug somewhere in the cab that I can route the cable through?
View 3 RepliesAfter checking out most of the many threads about battery maintenance etc. I couldn't find anyone mentioning how to keep the trunk closed and still hook up battery maintainer....would also be interested in specific model of small safe maintainer. Maybe removing the Ski bag and running out through one of the back windows ????? I don't drive the V8 Nar but about once a week for short trips in winter especially.
View 4 RepliesBecause I don't have repair manual, so don't know how to remove the headlight ,
View 1 RepliesA problem with having a 12 volt battery maintainer hooked up to your truck when not being used for a few weeks? In this cold weather the new battery keeps drawing down while not in use and is slow to turn over after 1 1/2 weeks or so? I think the maintainers charge at about 1.5 amps. I wonder if that can keep up with all the parasitic draws: PCM, radio presets & clock, remote door lock system, and factory security system and keep the battery topped off as well?
Also, is there any problem with putting a charge on a battery when the cables are still hooked up to the trucks electrical system with either a maintainer or a full size charger, Example: screwing up the PCM?
I want to install an external display ipod adapter (Kenwood KOS-A300) in my 2010 Prius IV, but in reading the manual I see that the power wiring for this device requires 3 connections - Ground, Ignition, and Battery (it also has a dimmer control wire, but I am hoping that one can be left disconnected).
I haven't come across an accessory like this before - usually they just need 12v and ground and in these cases I just tap into the wiring for a 12v accessory power outlet to get these connections. My recollection in this car is that the accessory power outlets are switched (either with ignition "on" or accessory "on"), and they turn off when the car is shut down.
Is there a convenient location inside the vehicle where I can connect a wire that is always hot with 12 volts?
I bought a BatteryMinder Model 2012 charger. This is a low-amperage temperature-compensating multi-stage charger/maintainer/desulfator that is supposed to avoid the wear and tear that lesser chargers inflict on batteries in long-term storage.
The charger comes with a 2-foot cable section with a terminal connection on one end and a capped plug on the other. I like the idea of an easy disconnect so I don't have to get under the hood each time I want to take the car out for a jaunt. My first thought was to run the cable and plug to the grill area of the car, except there's no easy way to do this without the plug showing. Also, the permanently-attached cable is only 2-feet long.
So I'm wondering about the windshield wiper tray, passing from the battery over the hood's rubber seal:
I attached a photo, showing where the charger cable might run. I can't see any conflict with the wiper or other functions. Am I missing anything?
The charger itself would be screwed to the garage wall.
Also, how about using a charger/maintainer with a cover over the car? This charger should not be pushing the battery and causing any water loss. So, I'm thinking that destructive gases should not be a problem. Again, am I missing something?
We have had a problem with our SC430 battery going dead if it sits more than a week. We have had this car for a number of years and I am tired of putting a trickle charger on it all the time to keep it from going dead!
I can not believe that Lexus does not know what the big drain is on this vehicle when it sits even for a small period of time....I went to a Lexus dealer several years ago to have a new timing belt/water pump put in it and asked how to keep my battery from going dead. They pointed over the parts counter to a motorcycle type battery charger as they answer!
A friend has a late model Mercedes hardtop convertible, they (Mercedes) solved the problem by putting two batteries in it. One is isolated for just cranking! So, before I start with a fully charged battery and pulling every fuse and disconnecting everything until I find it. What is the big battery eater?
2008 SC 430.....battery went dead, to zero. Got jumped. Went to dealer who sold me new battery. Drove 90 highway miles. Got home & put trickle charger on to "just see" what battery recorded. It was at 75%. Removed trickle charger. Checked again following morning & battery at 65%.
View 7 RepliesI have a megaphone that I installed a while ago but I connected it straight to the battery. I noticed that it was draining my battery so I had to disconnect it. Now I am trying to figure out how i should connect this megaphone to my car without it draining the battery, when I am not using it.
View 7 Repliesi was trying to align my headlights last night and forgot to switch them off. now the battery is dead and i need to shift it to neutral to roll it out of the garage and jump it. but it won't shift. the dealer said to turn it to on and step on the brake. doesn't work. i just get a buzzing sound coming from the engine compartment. is there any way to shift it? or do i just need to take the battery out and get it charged?
View 9 RepliesAfter 4k miles, I'm beginning to really like the NAV in my 450h. The lockout in motion is a pain, but the traffic alert and detour routing is wonderful. Only yesterday it sent me around a wreck on the bridge in Cincinnati, and I really enjoyed watching the masses stewing as I crossed the Ohio River on an adjacent bridge and popped up on the first exit after the traffic jam.
Making peace with the NAV seems to be mostly a matter of getting beyond the Garmin.
Anyway, now I like the Lexus NAV.
About month ago, the CHECK ENGINE, VSC, and VSC OFF lights came on in the dash of my '03 SC430 (~175k miles). Took it to the dealer and they read the codes; indicating a bad O2 sensor. They replaced it, and the lights went off. A few days later, the lights came back on. The lights remained ON until this past weekend.
On Sunday, i went to start the car in the morning and the thing wouldn't turn over. Turns out the battery was dead. The label indicated it was 5yrs old. So i bought a new battery. After installation, i noticed the error lights were no longer illuminated on the dash, but just figured it was due to the fact that the battery was disconnected during installation. But after driving it extensively since then, the lights have remained off.
Something else i've noticed since installing the new battery is the lack of the "rotten egg" smell from the exhaust. Before the change, i noticed a significant decrease in acceleration and the emissions smelled very bad. But for the past few days, i've noticed a dramatic increase in power and cleaner smelling emissions. Not sure if they're related...
Could the check engine lights have been the result of my battery dying? I'm not sure why they haven't come back on since the battery replacement. Nor a reason why i'm noticing improved performance and better smelling emissions.
My SC430 has been acting weird for a couple months now. I let it set for a month or so and the battery died. I charged it up and it was fine. Now its not starting again. It cranks just fine and all of the electronics seem to be working. I've tried all 3 of my keys. The first time It did this I unhooked the battery and charged it, put it back in and it started and ran fine for a couple weeks. Last week it did it again, took the battery out charged it and it ran for one day. Now its just cranking again. The battery is only a year old, but I think I am going to go ahead and get a new one and see if that works.
View 5 RepliesParked my 2002 sc430 with 6 month old battery at airport for 10 days while I was out of the country. When I got back the battery was dead. It was easy to jump and the clock was still on. I could see nothing that was left on. I have seen some other cars that have had the problem, something about theft lights, gps etc. I drove it home about 30 miles and have had no problem since.
View 14 RepliesReviving my car after long months of long winter storage and I cannot get the door unlocked. I know the battery is dead so the remote won't work, but I cannot even unlock the door with the key, twisting it back and forth and nothing happens. I am just trying to get under the hood so i can jump the car, but no way to unlock the door. It is a 2002 SC430 , is the key supposed to work ? Or does the car need battery for the key to twist and unlock the door?
View 9 RepliesInstalled an RNS-510 in my 2006 Passat, and this morning, I could tell my battery was nearly completely drained. Also, I know the unit is receiving constant power because it never "boots up" even after leaving the car turned off for a while. Usually, it should completely shut off after the car is off for ~30 minutes.
I guess I need to update my CAN module. What is an updated CAN that will work, and where this is located on my 2006 Passat?
Long story short, I had run down the HV battery in my 2001 Prius. It turned out to be a faulty wire to the ignition system of the ICE. While diagnosing, I let the HV battery drain, at least I think I did (Please see image of my HV battery specs). My question is, How can I charge the HV battery? I read Öut of Juice" but do not have the charger. My question is can I make one?
View 18 Replies