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daviddavid

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  • First Name
    david
  • Lexus Model
    rx 400h
  • Year of Lexus
    2009
  • UK/Ireland Location
    Essex

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  1. Thanks Daniel- OK- Unless I can locate a black pair of original seats to convert, then I shall indeed find someone to knit me a super pair of fitted cloth seat covers (Harris Tweed maybe). Grateful if anyone knows who can do that. David, London.
  2. Good point Jon. Perhaps I can buy a second one and recover that instead. And swap back at sale time. Any idea if easy to take out and refit a seat? David
  3. Sounds great Alex. Any idea what I might expect to pay for Alcantara centres on pair of front seats? David
  4. Thanks Alex- I thought as much, but in USA, cloth seems to be standard on the basix RX models. Does any member have experience of having their RX seats recovered in cloth?
  5. Hi. I have a RX 400H with leather seats. I am looking to replace them with cloth front seats (softer and cooler). Can anyone advise how best to do this? Were they ever available? Has anyone had their seats re- upholsteted. Info appreciated. Many Thanks. David
  6. Sorry to confuse you with two totally different problems. And two totally different solutions. Absolutely no connection between them. All I meant to say was that, last year, I used to have a nightmare problem with Battery flat on my 400H. But I eventually solved that problem months ago. If you want to know more, best phone me, 020 8 364 0022, or contact me on user group via new topic. All best, David
  7. Perfect, Woody. Thank you. Took all of one minute to unclip the cover the box, and pull out the white connector block. The variable interval wiper is now working just as is should have been. And saving the £300 estimate given by Lexus to fix it! Thanks again- ('tho not sure how to clip the box cover back, so threw it in the glove pocket for future generations to discover)! David ps: For anyone interested, I finally solved the problem of repeatedly flat battery when left at airports, etc.
  8. Thanks Woody- sounds exciting. Is there an easy way to disconnect the sensor?- presumaby the black box on the screen, behind the reversing mirror? David
  9. I have the same problem. I am no longer able to alter the intervalometer of The intermittent wipe, on my 400H. In fact, that position does not work at all. Is it possible that I have somehow disabled it? Maybe it is in a mode that is automatic and waiting for the train to come down? HELP! Thanks, David
  10. Dear DerekL, Welcome fellow sufferer. Perhaps we should form our own lobby group! Hope our hints help. Happy Christmas, David.
  11. Thank you Billy for your wisdom/ recommendation for the OPTIMA Yellow Top battery on the 400H. For newcomers to the group who, like me, have the persistent flat Toyota battery problem, may I recap the situation, as I understand it. It is a real and awful problem for many 400H owners. Not for all owners, but for some. Some owners never have had the problem and therefore do not understand its weirdness. Nor its awfullness. But others are repeatedly plagued by it, as I have been. Some owners have even sold their cars to get rid of the problem. Once you have the problem, the problem tries hard to avoid totally going away. The problem is not solved by home engineering. In desperation and disbelief, some members in this group have gained some respite by resorting to solar chargers, fitting Bosch S4/158 battery, taking additional Break down membership, re-wiring sockets, permanently fitting jump batteries etc, going for drives just to keep the battery alive, putting on overnight charge etc. Unbelievable that we have to do this on such an expensive car! And it is still so embarassing not knowing if the 400H will still let you down just before school runs, giving lifts etc. In desperation, I had my 400H re-wired to accomodate Solar panels, jump batteries, hard wired sockets etc, isolation switches. Creative Car Sounds in London, (0208 364 1002), did a great job for me doing all this. Highly recommended. Lexus will not do anything about it - They don't want to know about it. There is no room under the bonnet for a larger battery (but there could be under the boot floor!). HOWEVER , The OPTIMA Yellow Top Deep Cycle battery, ref "4.2", has been most highly recommended, by a fellow sufferer, as the ULTIMATE battery to help resolve the problem. (So, belatedly, I finally ordered mine from Sue at Optima UK, tel: 01953 881 330). Foolishly, I had originally ignored this earlier advice, thinking that other methods would cure it. They did not! Of course, it is not cheap, at double a normal battery price, but a bargain!, having spent miserable and embarassing times with this very dead, top of the range car, I'll try (and have tried) anything that experienced members who have had this exact same problem, recommend. This specific Optima Yellow Top battery is currently certainly the best solution and is definitely worth going for. Good luck all fellow sufferers. And thanks to invaluable guidance re Batteries, especially Billy, my saviour, for "The Optima Yellow Top" advice. Have a reliable winter all. Keep in touch, keep motoring. David.
  12. Thanks Derek- Glad you found a solution to the same problem - albeit by buying a 450H. I assume that was not a reason for purchase. I see that Lexus.com have a question and answer to this topic on their 450H web site- as below. Interestingly, it seems from Lexus that you can start a 450H directly from the petrol engine- but not an option possible with the 400H. Unless someone knows otherwise .... Anyone know how? Enjoy your 450H. Sold your solar charger yet? David. CAN I LEAVE MY LEXUS HYBRID DRIVE VEHICLE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, WHILE ON HOLIDAY FOR EXAMPLE, WITHOUT HAVING TO RECHARGE THE BATTERY?Answer. "As with all vehicles, if left for an extended period of time without use, especially in severe weather conditions, it may need recharging. However, in the unlikely event that the battery discharges completely, the petrol engine will start the car".
  13. Thanks Malcolm- Most useful info. But however did you find that was happening?? I had sort of wondered whether my car has an unknown drain, but Lexus checked it over in an hour, charged me £50, and then said the current drain was as expected. But my own in-line current meter proved the battery would be flat in 2 weeks! I sort of feel that your own drain may be a clue to my own drain. I am off hunting... Thanks again. David.
  14. Thanks Duncan. Totally agree. Yes - If only there was room, a much bigger capacity battery would certainly be a great bonus to hopefully solve the problem 100%. I notice that the 450H has a huge 70/75 AH battery which would be lovely. But no under bonnet space in the 400H. I considered trying to find space in my 400H for an additional battery. As you say, Definitely No room under the bonet, so I ended up strapping an auxilliary jump battery inside the boot on the right side, tied in with bungy straps to two most convenient anchor points. But there does seem to be space inside/ beneath the boot platform flaps, for an auxilliary battery in parallel, but it would mean Lexus commissioning a custom size battery to suit. That can not be beyond their resources. Alternatively, perhaps Lexus could sort out their battery management system. There is a huge drain on the battery for about quarter hour when you switch off. And then a high permanent residual drain, presumably running a computer/ security or something? Or, maybe they could use power from the BIG underfloor battery, converted down to 12v, to provide that quiescent power. Seems such a great shame that so many 400H owners have this embarassing situation. It has cost me several hundred pounds in trying to by pass the problem, by paying for new Lexus batteries/ re-wiring sockets/ heavy cables from boot to bonnet/ solar chargers/ emergency call out at airport/ rescue taxi etc. I see that some owners have sold up, and gone back to their previous 300/350 models to get over the problem. What a let down. I did love my RX300 but, after 100,000 miles and many happy untroubled Lexus years, it was time to change and upgrade to the RH. An otherwise great car- but of no use if not dependable to start. Drat! I just dread the day in winter, when even my own "best endavour" measures fail to start the car, when away from home.
  15. Thanks Derek, for your help - much appreciated. By the way, using fellow group members kindly advice, I bought a new Bosch S4/58 battery, which did seem an improvement compared to Lexus/Toyota’s own battery replacement. I found my local Lexus agency totally unhelpful/ unsympathetic, saying it was a common/ inherent and unsolvable problem for certain owners with the RX 400H model. And that I should plug it into a mains charger every week- really convenient and professional - and impossible at airports. So, in desperation, my local car electrical whizz kids, Creative Car Sounds in N21, who did as you suggested, and rewired that same floor lighter socket to be permanently in circuit. I then bought a solar charger - but it is a bit of an embarassment/ inconvenient to use/ store away, especially when taking friends around! Embarassing having to explain that such an expensive car has a design fault and will not start. Also, the solar charger also only worked if I parked in open space, not under an awning. So, Creative Car Sounds then also fitted a spare Jump battery in the boot, which they connected directly to the car's own 12v battery via an isolating switch under the dash. Now, life is perfect (almost). If the car won't start, I just flip the isolator switch under the dash, and the car powers up as normal. Another vital bit of kit is a little LED voltage indicator that sits in the lower lighter socket, (now permanently hard wired in.) By looking through the car window, I can see the actual voltage in the battery. Magic. If it drops below around 10 volts, then I know the car will not start, meaning it is time to instantly recharge the car battery, using a mains charger, before all windows, alarms, and back door fail. Recently, the voltage dropped to 0.8 volts after standing for 10 days at airport, which can not do my new battery any good. Slightly worrying that alarms fail too by that time. As a professional engineer/ scientist, I enjoy solving problems, but not one due to an inherent car design fault. I still can not believe that Lexus will not recall cars with the problem! Am I really alone in thinking that this problem is acceptable? I hope the above notes will help others with a similar battery problem with their 400H. Kind Regards.
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