braindead

The service manager at Derby has already driven it and said it's not right. Booked in next week. I think I mentioned it in my earlier posts.

Huddy - it does. It's just that there is a delay between hitting the throttle and the thing deciding it's going. When it goes it flies as you would expect. The Derby Manager said it resembled the turbo lag you got on older turbo cars. That kind of sums it up really.

It is Derby who are taking a look though I got it used from Listers in Coventry. Interesting that they both have different theories though the manager at Listers talked to a technician whereas the Derby manager didn't. The attitude of both dealers seems very good. When I asked about cost the chap in Derby stated that warranty should cover it on the basis that it shouldn't be behaving in this manner. We'll see :)

It gets better. I asked the dealer who did the 40k service if the gearbox oil had been changed and he stated that a 40k service only demands an oil check and top-up. He also stated that there was a Lexus Tech Bulletin recommending a reprogramming of the ECU which may have some bearing on the issue. We'll see

I've just been into the local Lexus dealer and let the service manager test drive it. He agrees there is a lag. Typically you lift off then re-apply the throttle and you get it. He says it shouldn't be like that so it's booked in for a look on Thursday. He did ask that I check with the dealer who did the 40k service that the gearbox oil had been changed. Will update late next week. Malc

Good point mate - not sure how these work? Obviously our Prius has nowhere near as much power as the GS450h, but there is definitely a very slight lag from the time taken for the engine to fire up when it's off. In the Prius it's not incredibly noticeable as the electric motors cover the gap - but in something as big and heavy as the GS, perhaps the power difference is too great? So if the lag you're talking about is when you're sitting at a roundabout waiting to pull out, I'd assume that it's because the engine has switched off, and will take a second to fire up when you boot it My previous car was a Prius :) and I'm something of an anorak about hybrids. I'm 90% sure it's not an engine starting issue. Given that an electric motor has max torque at zero revs then it doesn't really matter that the engine is not on. The electric motor gets you moving very quickly. I've just been trying it again and the response at say 20 or 30 mph is much keener in fact it goes like stink. However from very low speed or stopped you get this slight lag then it flies off like a bullet.

Interesting. Are all the GS models fitted with fly by wire throttles? I have to say, I wouldn't want to modify it. It's an annoyance more than anything. I just read the thread thanks. It's not major surgery so I'll go take a look at mine in the daylight tomorrow. Seems like the spring is effectively a damper. Thanks for the tip - I will report back

Interesting. Are all the GS models fitted with fly by wire throttles? I have to say, I wouldn't want to modify it. It's an annoyance more than anything.

I've noticed a few times that if I try and accelerate hard from a standing start or at very low speed, there seems to be a noticeable time lag between hitting the pedal and the car taking off. It seems like an age but in reality is probably a second. It's caught me out a couple of times when I thought I could safely nip out at a junction and the darned thing has a delayed reaction. I drive it in standard (not power) mode most of the time and the throttle response at speed is just fine. It's not traction control as the orange light doesn't flicker. Anyone else noticed this or do I just expect too much? Malc

Interesting....wouldn't that imply that if you were driving and went past an RAC van the car would come up with the no key detected message? Just a thought Malc

And the device is.......? Go on, please tell

Not sure as the GS450h is a CVT box, however, I think it does change the final drive ratio at around 60mph - you can feel the change as you cross the 60mph barrier. Maybe that causes it. I don't know. Malc

I walked up to my GS450h today, tried to open the boot - nothing. Keys were in my pocket as ever. Tried to open the doors - nothing. Tried the remote central lock/unlock - nothing. The red led on the fob flashed when the buttons were pressed. So I got into the car using the emergency manual key and, of course, all hell broke loose as the alarm went off. The hybrid system wouldn't start and stated that there was no key detected. I took the manual out of the car to try and figure out what to do and went away for 5 minutes to read it. I went back to the car to go through the starting with a dead key fob process but the darned thing detected the fob as I approached and worked just fine this time. It's worked fine since then Any ideas? Malc

Looking at the Lexus site in the UK the 0-62 time is 5.9 secs. Looking at the Lexus site in the USA the 0-60 time is 5.2 secs. Any idea why the extra 2 mph takes 0.7 secs? Doesn't seem right to me. Malc

Hi, I'm a new 450h owner and I'm absolutely stunned by the car, however, does anyone know if it's possible to upload "safety" camera data to the SatNav please? Secondly, does anyone have experience they could share regarding the Hybrid Power mode and it's effect on fuel consumption? I've had this beast for three weeks and still grin when I drive it. Malc

I've had my 450h for just 3 weeks. It was bang on two years old with 39k on the clock when I bought it from Lexus Coventry. It was advertised as an SE but has ventilated seats so maybe it's an SE-L - I don't know. Paid just £20,700 for it and got new alloys and mats thrown in. They gave me £6,500 trade in on my 53 plate Prius (yes! Prius). The asking price was £21,900. I'm very, very happy with the deal and the car. Only slight downsides are minor scuffs where a roof rack has been attached I think (not surprising given the boot size) and a couple of scratches on the wood inside. I did the old trick of going in a few days before month end - that always seems to help as they try to hit their targets. What a car for the money. £46k new, £20.7k after two years.