Gliderpilot

My 08 SR has "button" on the screen to select the bias to the number of passengers i.e. Driver only, Front two or all four.

Only had my 400h since January, it's very comfortable and very quiet, I can only tell when the engine cuts in from the display. Don't expect the MPG that Lexus say, I'm averageing nearly 28 but thats with fairly carefull driving and I tend to use cruise control a lot of the time. It is a full hybrid BUT you wont drive far on the Battery and not at all over 30 MPH unless you are on the flat with the wind behind you. It does however assist the pertol engine when charged. When slowing down I tend to stick it in B which recharges the Battery. Up to now I love it.

Changing the Battery in the key wont require a recode, whem I got my RX in January the second black key Battery was flat so just changed it for a new one and the key worked first time.

Thats true, but what you take out of the traction Battery you've got to put back in!

There is a solar panel that plugs into the OBD socket to the top up the 12 v Battery.

It's the hybrid batter on my 400h, the 12 volt Battery wouldn't start a relient robin it's so small. According to all that I've read there are three motor generators on the RX, one drives the front wheels, one drived the rear wheels and one is attached to the petrol engine and it's this one that does the starting as you cant hear a starter motor rattle when it kick up.

Yup found it. It just supprised me as I'd not read that bit.!

Hi All

I was sat in our clubhouse and suddenly the alarm on my car went off!! Looked out the door and the hazards were flashing and the windows were all partially down!! I pressed the unlock button which stopped the ararm so I closed all the windows and reset the alarm. I mentioned it to a friend and he said were you sat on the keys? As it happens they were in my back pocket so I checked what happens if a button is held down. This is what I found. When locked press and hold the unlock and the car unlocks and all the windows go down. When unlocked with the windows down all windows go up and the car locks. I havn't read it in the owners manual but I could have missed it. Anyone else noticed this fenomemon.

Had the 12 v Battery tested and the test camr back pass but week so as in the near future it will be stood for a week I decided to change it. Went to the local motor factors and looked up the Battery and found one £85, got it home and low and behold it would not fit, it was miles too big. Took it back and got a refund and they tried to find the correct one with no joy but pointed me to another supplier. Went there and they had a Varta B23 which was the correct size but it wold not fit as it had a lip on the bottom so would not sit flat in the tray. A quick phone call by them produced the same Battery at that fitted, a Bosch make this fitted fine and was cheaper £70. Just thought I'd share this saga to all just in case anyone else was thinking of changine the 12 v Battery. Had I got one from eBay then it might have been a differnt story.

Had the 12 v Battery tested and the test camr back pass but week so as in the near future it will be stood for a week I decided to change it. Went to the local motor factors and looked up the Battery and found one £85, got it home and low and behold it would not fit, it was miles too big. Took it back and got a refund and they tried to find the correct one with no joy but pointed me to another supplier. Went there and they had a Varta B23 which was the correct size but it wold not fit as it had a lip on the bottom so would not sit flat in the tray. A quick phone call by them produced the same Battery at that fitted, a Bosch make this fitted fine and was cheaper £70. Just thought I'd share this saga to all just in case anyone else was thinking of changine the 12 v Battery. Had I got one from eBay then it might have been a differnt story.

There is a pull cord on mine in that place but that releases the fuel flap!

I didn't know there was a master key, I got three keys with my 400h two black and one grey, they said that the grey one was a valet key which worked the car but not the glove box. no mention of a master.

I had the instruction manual for the dedicated wiring kit from Westfalia for a 450h which also showed the 400h, it's on the PF jones website. but it was generally by a bit of trial and error.

I'll try and catalogue the steps.

1. Flip both back seats down

2. Using a trim remover pry up the forward part of the tool caver, there are 4 trim fasteners, and fold it to the rear of the car this will expose the two hinges.

3. Remove the two bolt and remove the tool cover

4. Lift out the tool tray, it's held in by firtree clips to the left and right

5. Remove the four rear nuts holding the hinges of the compartment covers

6. Flip up both covers and remove the six screws at ther rear fo the cover hinges and remove the covers

7. Remove the centre rear tray (the one under the two flip up covers) by removing the two firtree fasteners on the left and right sides, you'll need to press the cover release buttons to get it out

8. Remove the trim cover along the rear of the boot entrance, again fixed by firtree fasteners

9. Remove the left and right hand storage compartments fastened by 1 firtree fastener and a plastic nut in the bottom of the compartment

10. Remove the left and right hand plastic vertical trim covers, 1 firtree fastener and trim clips, just need a goot tug to remove

11. Remove the left and right hand cargo hooks with a 10mm socket

12. remove the two firtree fasteners from the felt side wall and pull the side wall, This may not be required if the wiring to the side lights etc is already exposed.

It all goes back in the oposite order.

Good luck

Peter.

The bar I fitted was a Bosal swan necked, I wouldnt have got that one had I read the fitting instructions before I got it. They all say remove the Ally cross bar and dispose of it but to fit this bar you have to remove the mounting point with an angle grinder so once fitted no going back. Also a couple of holes on the side mounting plates had to be elongated to fit the bolts, not good. The one Lexus fit is usually the Westfalia with a detachable ball but as this was over twice the price of the Bosal and I wasn't to bothered having a detachable I opted for that one. The whole lot came to just under £200 from PF Jones.

Cheers Pete.

Hi All

Just finished wiring up my towbar, what a confusing system the chaps at Toyota/Lexus have. I decided to fit a bypass system rather than opt for the vastly more expensive dedicated kit. All was going fine, got the side lights, indicators and brake lights sorted in quick time but then I needed to connect the reverse lights. They are of course in the tailgate! Pulled the trim off and identified the wire colour, great now find it in the loom to the tailgate. No chance, the wire was pink at the light then it changed to white with a silver hoop every so often so looked for this in the nearside loom in the boot floor. Urika found one, drat this is not it. pulled down the roof lining at the back to reveal a row of three connectors, there was my white and silver wire, but wait there were 4 other similar ones too. By this time I'm cursing Lexus, I found the correct wire and low and behold it chaged to a red!!!! There was also a second red but a bit thinner in the loom as well. Found these two in the boot loom and thank goodness they were still different size cables. Wha a flaming rigmerole. I need a lie down now to get over the stress.

Cheers Pete.

Two reasons, the Battery volts are a bit low before startup so may heed to fit a new one and I've got to run apower lead to the rear for the towbar electrics.

Is there a code for the radio in my RX 400h, it has the nav system and ML audio, if so how do I get it, I've seen posts where it's said that it's the last three digits of the vin no.

Don't think so, the towbar fitted by Lexus is a Westfalia and their dedicated kit instructions doesn't mention programming the brain.

Here is the link to PF Jones

http://www.pfjones.co.uk/lexus-rx-450-13-pin-dedicated-wiring-kit-may-2009-335357300113.html

The only Lexus one I've found on the net is for a LHD model, the connections look the same but can'ty guarante it. Westfalia produce the towbar for lexus and they do a wiring kit also. The Westfalia part No appears to be 335 357 300 113 but it isn't in the latest Westfalia catalogue the entry for the RX only ahows a kit for the 450H. It's a bit confusing!!!

Has anyone got a list of the wire colours for the rear light etc for 400h 08 year. It'll save time with a test meter etc.

Look on the PF Jones web site they have the kit and also the pdf of the installation instructions.

Apart from Lexus Bolton, is there anyone closer to Lancaster that can service a 400h?

THanks for the posts I'll get used to it eventually, now I've got to get my head around the voice comands!

Hi All I'm new to Le4xus and Hybrids

I've had my 400H for a couple of weeks now and am just getting used to the hybrid system I find that even when the engine is up to temp and I'm pulling away it seems to start almost imediately even if I try to keep the power meter in the dashed area at the low end of the scale and not rely on electric power. I don't have any fault lights or weird sounds and the batery is always about 80% charged or less. My thoughts were that it would utilise more of the electric traction motors at low speed as the spec of them seems to indicate that there is sufficient power to pull a house down! Is this normal?

Cheers Peter.