Leaderboard

This is for my RC300h but I would imagine it's the same for other Lexus hybrids. HYBRID CONTROL SYSTEM CONTROL CONVERTER.pdf HYBRID CONTROL SYSTEM CONTROL INVERTER.pdf CHARGING SYSTEM SYSTEM DIAGRAM.pdf

Sorry Mike. I know how upset I was when my Labradors, Harry and Phoebe, died. After that I said I would not have another dog, as it was so painful. We were without a dog for 18 months and my wife could not stand it. We now have another Lab - Ludo - who drives me crackers at times but we love him to bits. When the world p***.es you off and people get on your nerves, you can always come home to a wonderful greeting from a dog.

A dramatic title I know ,but how many of you have given a thought to how will the car evolved and life after the gen 4 . I look at so many cars and suvs etc during my day out and about thinking that's looks nice .but my second thought is how reliable is it etc.. I do like the look of the Porsche SUV or Volvo latest models from the outside .Will we be all driving electric soulless cars soon with different badges all with similar battery's and drive trains reliable and simple etc .will most be driverless soon and will most common folk be priced of the road .hell I might as well jump on the local electric powered bus surrounded by hoodie teens glued to there tech device while I dream of the past .Oh to be young again 100 mph felt fast and alive twin 40 webbers induction roar cherry bomb exhausts lol or the smell and noise of a two stroke bike coming on the pipe on a crisp evening out for a blast with your mates as you wind on the throttle with a big grin .And then back to reality with a bump ,your in a showroom with the wife you hear ooh that's a nice blue one love as your soul departs this mortal coil and you mutter to the 15 yr old senior sales person what's the battery range as he smirks at you knowing your wife likes it and that's the deal done you mutter bollocks and sigh .😔

That is where the similarities end. The 400h is a totally different beast to the 300. My test drive was the first time I had ever driven a hybrid. For those of you who have never driven a hybrid, at first, it is a surreal experience. Comparisons with driving a 300 end here, as it is a totally different driving experience. Better? Well, that is an individual question you must ask yourself. The instrument and switch layouts are very different to my RX 300, as my 300 does not have the facelift screen and reversing camera.

After reluctantly selling my ISF to a fellow member on here 4 years ago due to an overseas move, I’m back in the U.K. so I’m back in the ‘F’ fold. I bought the blue RCF that was up for sale recently with TVD and just 17k miles. It’s absolutely mint and I’m loving it! Great to be back 👍

Excellent result, well done.

I powered everything down 24 hours before working on it and checked for Voltage, nothing anywhere before I started. I have visually checked for a trapped wire and no sign but if I can work back from the fault codes to a suspect it would help of course. I was hoping someone could interpret them better than me I'll try and get the sub codes and thanks for that link, that may help

Really useful documents from NemesisUK. Thanks for those. As usual, Herbie has come to the rescue with some clarification about how the electrical side of the car works. I have just a couple of other comments. First of all, the traction battery never runs down in normal everyday use. Its lower limit of charge (on my IS300h at least) is 40%. If the battery declines to 40% while in Ready mode the engine starts. This usually shows as two bars on the dashboard energy meter. The engine runs until the battery has 50% (three bars) and then it stops and the process repeats ad infinitum (or until the petrol runs out). So the car designers have built in this 40% reserve that will always be there if the car is not faulty. This means there will always be power for MG1 to start the engine, even if it declines a bit further to 37-38%. There's no need for a further backup from the 12v battery. When starting the car, MG1 uses a 650 volt supply. No doubt that might be possible from a 12 volt battery but it sounds like a big demand on even a big 12 volt battery. A typical starter motor of 2 kw or so draws around 300 amps of power for a few seconds. But in the hybrid system the 12v circuit is limited to around 100 amps, which could give you a.maximum of 1.2 kw - unlikely to be enough to turn the engine slowly let alone at the higher speeds the hybrid system uses. Conventional cars can get started with just a few slow turns of the engine and just a few initial sparks. By contrast the hybrid engine is set up not to spark until it's turning at around 1,000 rpm. This means you get a smooth unstressed start, unlike the typical jerky start in a conventional car. MG1 has around 40 or so kw of power and spins at around 4,000 rpm to turn the engine at 1,000 rpm - I might be wrong but it doesn't seem likely that 1.2kw of power from the 12v circuit would be enough to do that. Not quite true, I think, as when the engine is not running you need the battery either to start the car moving by supplying power to MG2 (which is linked directly to the road wheels) or to provide power to MG1 to start the engine when needed either before or after you start moving. Nonetheless, it was interesting to see in the circuit diagram from NemesisUK that MG1 feeds MG2 directly. This is what I thought was the case (and mentioned in another recent thread). It means that the battery is not necessary to keep the car going once it's moving. Purely hypothetically, (as I said in the other thread!) this means the car is entirely self-sufficient as regards electricity once it's moving and not dependent on the battery except to get started. But in practical terms, you can't use the car unless it has the traction battery as it can't get moving without it.

Apologies it took so long to reply, as You know I'm entangled in the RX450h buying extravaganza, so took me a while. It was a trip from Manc to HTC HQ in Slough (around 220 Miles one way and back). Yes it was mainly 50MPH, sometimes dropping to even 40MPH. Very rarely 70MPH. It was at a time when the main road through Birmingham was under construction, I believe it was M6 running through Birmingham. So there was a lot of stop and go traffic there, and approximately an hour of driving around 40/50MPH closer to Slough. That's both ways. There was some town driving involved around Slough, and when I got back trip was showing 514 Miles done that day. The remaining 100 Miles (50% of which was done on reserve) was done around Snake Pass (one way uphill, and downhill on way back). It was a pre-facelift 2007 GS450h fully serviced by Lexus with 110.000 Miles, I've bought privately from someone who was part of LOC as well. I remember that reg plate was P10 RMR. I can't remember the gents name, but do remember RMR were his initials. I think Romuald or Roy. I miss this car so much it's unbelievable, unfortunately I lost it due to theft in our house.

It certainly is possible! The recalibration of the steering angle and torque sensor zero position is quite involved and must be carried out in the correct sequence. I'd suggest taking the car to a different dealer and ask them to reset the power steering system?

I've just received an email from EBC offering 10% off. Discount code is PAYDAY10 and thought I would share in case it's of interest. The code is valid until midnight 30 September.

I'm afraid I have to slightly disagree with John above. The 12V battery is used to power up the computers and pressurise the brakes, after which the traction battery provides power for all the car's requirements, including charging the 12V battery, just like an alternator would do in a conventional car. If the traction battery is flat, there is no way the 12V battery can do anything about it. You have to call out the dealer or someone else who has the specialist knowledge and equipment to deal with it. It's been quite a while since I looked so the following may be incorrect, but I seem to remember looking at the discharge curves for a pack of 8 AA batteries and if I remember correctly then I think they could supply 12V 28A for just under one minute. If my recollection is correct, then in theory at least, that would be enough to get the car into the READY state because my RX450h takes less than 20A to do that. The 12V battery can never be used for starting power as far as I know. This is because the hybrid system uses MG1 to spin the petrol engine up to 1000rpm before applying fuel and a spark to fire it.

When I use my a/c, I always turn it off a minute or two before I arrive at my destination. My thinking is that, give it time to take out any moisture that might condense etc... I also, once a year, use an aerosol thing. I never, get home, a/c off and engine off at the same time. Just habit now... No egg smells from the a/c.

Earlier in the week I fitted a new VSV for ACIS to my LS430. It took me 7 hours. There were plenty of components to disconnect or remove. The intake was heavy and awkward to lift off. I didn't have the luxury of a helper. I put everything back together, started the engine and found a coolant leak from the water bypass at the back of the intake. It was leaking where the vertical pipe joins the housing, about one drip per second. Next day I tried to put some sealant around it but the part is very inaccessible. I sealed what I could reach, left it overnight to set and hoped for the best. Today it was still leaking. The only way to get access is to re-do all the work done earlier and remove the intake. After another 4 hours' work I managed to get the water bypass off the car. I could have tried to seal it with JB Weld but to test it would have meant putting everything back again and running the engine. I did not want to risk the repair not working and having to take the intake off again. I went to the main dealer and asked them to order me the bypass and 2 gaskets. Tomorrow I am going to enjoy not working on the car.

Since my original post, I've taken the advice of members and I've found that that running the heating on max for about an hour really helped eradicate the foul smell. Now when I use the a/c for cool air, I always try and switch the a/c off, heat on high for the last 5-10 minutes of the journey. I've also disabled the recirculation mode as I found that was keeping the moisture in. Appreciate that this isn't ideal, but if it keeps the smell at bay then I'm going to continue. Running the heater on high temperatures during the winter will hopefully also help.

Hi everyone, I've been in touch with somebody in Canada who's active on the US forms for Lexus and we've been discussing organising a group buy together for the GROM Vline VL2. If you're unfamiliar with what this is, it's a system that adds Android to your stock Navigation screen. In addition it also adds Android Auto and Apple Car Play so you can connect your phone and access navigation apps like Google Maps and Waze and also your music library and streaming apps like Spotify. Many Lexus and Toyota models are compatible with this, even older models like my LS430. The usual price for this is $600. I've been in touch with GROM and here's the prices they've quoted for a group buy: Group buy price 5-9 $529.95 10-24 $479.95 25+ $449.95 US shipping is free but we will have to pay for shipping for us lot here in the UK. I'm hoping that getting us UK members as well as people in the US and Canada we'll easily find 25 people interested in this device. This is my first time trying to organise a group buy. For now I recommend that you comment if you're interested and if so, what price you'd be willing to pay depending on how many people we get involved. I'm sure we'll hit at least the 10 person discount, but fingers crossed we'll get at least 25 people interested. EDIT: Just so everyone is aware, I am only collecting the information of those interested. I will not be handling your money so there's nothing to be concerned about there. Once we have a good list of names I will forward that to my contact at GROM. They will then get in touch with you and you will order from them directly.

Expensive Land Rovers and Teslas are the most UNRELIABLE cars, says watchdog https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-8768905/Expensive-Land-Rovers-Teslas-UNRELIABLE-cars-says-watchdog.html

I have an Auris Hybrid and I too find the energy monitor and keeping the revs in the eco range very addictive! I like the RX 400H. James.

3 weeks ago i test drove a GS450h on a 63 plate 36000 miles and to be honest the returned mpg was far better than expected and not much worse than the 300h version i have now combined round town & motorway i probably had a 20 mile test drive and the car averaged 42.9 mpg i had a bit more to spend and still wasnt much choice i think 7 cars in a 100 mile radius i bought my gs from lexus sheffield that was an 86 mile drive each way for me its either there arent a lot of GS's on the road or they are so good you dont want to sell them

I think it's a bad show on lexus in your case luckily you could absorb the cost .we should have a section here on what to do when your lexus dealer says hi lexus here you need to replace this or this with a pressurised phone call catching the best guys of guard .

i recently had an IS300h F sport on a 17 plate and part ex'd it for a 66 plate GS300h all beit an executive model , i've now had it for 2 weeks and love it , the only thing i dont like is the interior lighting even though its led its still quiet dim i am trying to see if i can change it for something brighter. test drive both cars before you buy thats my only advice i am sure you will buy one of the models

My grey isf had pearl fleck in it too.

No problem at all. Yes you are right, the guy who runs the server is from Russia and sometimes it is down. So it would be better to download it on to your own PC. However after multiple attempts I gave up trying as I was getting only half data downloaded (tried to copy all website on to hard drive). Therefore normally I go to his website and just print off the sheets I need. In case the server is down, then i have to re-schedule the repair of my car when it is back on:) If you could manage to get an offline version that would be great. And please let us know of your success ;) Not sure what program I used, but something like website downloader... Sent from my SM-G928F using Tapatalk

Martin ,In my view he will sell at the sahre price which satisfies him and the buyer will pick up the pieces !

OK, this is coming along I'll try to find time over the weekend to finalise Malc

This is NOT a car forum! It is Star Trek!

Wow! That is brave! You guys are amazing!

Honestly at this point I'm kinda desperate. I've been at 3 different wheel alignment workshops by now, I'm getting the same vague theories everywhere: tires, the camber of the road etc. Ever since I brought my car to the dealership for an alignment the power steering feels inconsistent, something is a bit off with the ride, and the car drifts right. Everybody looks at me as if I went mad. I've only driven this car 5K miles so far so I think it's a fair expectation that on a straight, flat surface it should go straight as long as I hold the steering wheel horizontal. I got an appointment for resetting the power steering system at a Toyota garage on Monday (thanks for the suggestion). Let's see if that helps.

I stand to be corrected if I'm wrong but..... MG1 (Motor/Generator 1) is used to start the petrol engine and is a permanent magnet AC motor but as we know, the 12V battery is DC so there has to be some conversion taking place and it's the hybrid system itself that does this. If I remember correctly, a boost converter is used to provide 500V DC to the inverters for MG1 and that boost converter is fed by the traction battery, so no traction battery means no engine start. That's correct and that's the reason why the car should be in READY mode rather than standby when you're sat in it listening to the radio or whatever. If it's in standby then the computers will monitor the voltage and shut systems down to conserve energy and avoid that flat bettery. If the car is in READY mode, the petrol engine will fire up every time the voltage drops to a certain level so as to keep the battery charged.

Also 2 adults, air con and radio on, I believe it was in July 2016 or something close to that, was driving down to pick up HTC Vive to do a review on my YouTube channel.

I must have been lucky, when I bought my Celsior back in 2006 the seller ran a guest house in Blackpool but did grey imports as a side business ( his own car was a Nissan GT-r ). Good purchase as the car is still going strong 14 years later with just the usual problems sorted ( climate control display, starter motor contacts).

Steve, If one can find a genuine private seller amongst the legion of crooks masquerading as private sellers in order to avoid consumer protection obligations, you may have a point.

Reading all these posts reminds me why I ALWAYS buy privately. I always assume that there there will be no support from anybody after I have bought it. I was always taught from an early age that it's the car you are buying, not the previous owner. I have owned in excess of 40 cars in my time and the worst experience of all was......... you've guessed it!............... Main dealer.............. £40k for a Landrover.......... absolute pile of unreliable cr@p!...... sold after 10 months for £30k! I find that private cars are generally presented in a more honest way and are always cheaper too so you can buy your own warranties if you feel the need (I never do!)

My apologies, I've only just seen this. Have you fitted them yet?

Oh well done Greg! Did seriously consider this but went for the LS instead.

Agreed. I enquired about an IS250 at Lexus Woodford but within an hour of the email it had gone. Bit of a sticking point for me too. I appreciate the 350 may be cheaper to buy etc but that £580 would really stick in my throat.

Yes, drying out the evaporator definitely helps. I just need to make it more of a habit. Out of interest, does anyone have any a/c cleaner aerosol recommendations? Having used the Toyota/Lexus one cited my original post, I'm really not that keen on its 'perfumey' smell.

You are quite right Michael, they are relatively cheap and I considered one, as it has the more modern 3.5 litre engine. I just could not stomach paying £580 Road Tax each year. Nearly double what I pay for my 2004 RX 300. I do appreciate you can make the figures work in reality, when you take into consideration the initial cost of a 450h and the depreciation. I have JUST been bowled a curved ball by my daughter! My fault entirely! I should have thought things through regarding her potential running costs of the RX 300. She no longer wants the RX 300! So I am now on the horns of a dilemma! I have FOUR cars sitting on the drive (fortunately my drive is large enough) and I need only two! I need a strong cup of coffee and a LONG think now! Buy in haste ............. repent in leisure! Watch this space ........... one or two cars may be up for sale! Gordon Bennett!

Why not look at a good RX350? They are cheap as chips if you can find one. I reckon mine (2005, 65K miles) costs about £600 a year more to run than a RX450 and it would cost me about £25K+ to upgrade it to a 2015 450. Definite no brainier for me unless you need to enter ULEZ a lot.

Sad to read that Mike.

you would have thought they would have least have cleaned the drivers seat which would have helped considerably.

Hi and welcome to the forum. I had an IS220 and was planning on trading it in for an IS300h but took a GS300h for a test drive and was smitten and now have one. In general I feel that the GS is a down market LS rather than an upmarket IS. The difference in quality is noticeable. I have the premier of 2014 and can't think of anything I'd replace it with. More specifically, in regards to your questions here are my thoughts. 1. It's a different beast entirely regarding quality and feel good factor. Not as 'sporty' as the IS but in real world terms not a slouch either. Definitely a more relaxing and comfortable proposition. 2. I've had extended warranty since I bought it and have never needed it but it's a great peace of mind. Like any insurance you hope you never need to use it. But if something did go wrong it would be well worth it. I have 28 way adjustable front seats. If they were to pack up I'd hate to think of the cost! 3. No real known issues except maybe the shocks but this is covered by extended warranty. 4. Not cheap but similar to IS. 5. Go for the premier ! It's lovely and luxurious. Good luck in your search!

https://www.newlandsmotorco.co.uk/used-cars/lexus-rx-450h-3-5-se-i-cvt-4x4-5dr-mitcham-202009153748308 The garage site has a quite a few pictures

All, I thought I’d provide a quick update on this for anyone’s future reference or benefit. My local dealer checked the issue twice on two separate occasions. The air is as cold as it should be and the level of refrigerant is in order as well (apparently there is an inspection glass somewhere). So, we’ve left this as-is. The noise seems to be completely gone during very hoge weather (35 C and above), and is more present when the weather is cooler. im not bothered by it and it’s been running like this for over 1.5 years now (since I got it). If I ever find out more I’ll keeps you guys posted.

i have just bought a low mileage example, however I rejected some low mileage cars on the basis of their MOT history. There was a grey one in London that I rejected for that reason. Rich may be right, if the service history is good then possibly the advisories have been attended to by the previous owner - but you can't trust a car dealer to complete advisory work as this eats into their profits. Just my opinion, the guys on here ARE REALLY helpful!

Did you check the mileage on the MOT website I sent to you ? This is all I have on garages/Indies Martin. Good luck. Lexus Indie Garages (1).docx

Saw the blue one you bought on auto trader 4 weeks or so ago. I bought the bog standard unmolested white 15 plate rcf with 14k miles on it a month ago from Auto100.

Speed camera warning works even without being on the satnav screen, at least it does in mine 🙂

I've got coilovers too yesterday. Any tips about removing back seat are welcome 🙂 Is it easy to do the conversion? What to do for the air parts(compressor etc)? Can I change them one axle at a time and drive it between the changes? For example change front tomorrow and the rear the day after. As I have to drive to work daily.

Folded view.