Lwerewolf

...unless they also did a "slightly rolling start"... 😄 Otherwise true, takes some time to get going but then it only gains momentum. A bit counterintuitive for most people thinking "hybrid/electric". The power source is the engine, and it doesn't get to max RPM until ~85mph, and then it's license time 😁 Saying all this, I still haven't gotten a US/JDM-spec diff for mine.

No folding seats on the GS, no pass-through on the gs either (at least on the 450h). The 450h in EU-spec does 0-60 in 5.9sec stated, >6sec tested. US/JDM have a 3.769 final drive, rest of the world (EU, UK, Australia, Singapore, etc...) get 3.266 - higher top speed (for whatever it's worth), worse off-the-line performance, higher maximum "ev" speed (Above a certain speed, the ICE always spins). gs300 (3rd gen) - no drivetrain belt. Only the 3uz (gs430) has that in the 3rd gen. The 2nd gen gs300 has a 2jz-ge.

The AC drops the battery in no time flat. Some other things that are running off the traction battery when in "READY" mode (well, off the 12v... which is fed by the traction battery 😛 ) : -Auxiliary transmission oil pump -Inverter electric coolant pump ...plus lights, radio, sensors, etc, etc... Fuel consumption: Highway sounds fine, if you had a 4th gen it would've been lower (atkinson-cycle engine and no, it's not slower). City is ridiculously high - 14/100 is what I've heard of people getting in gridlock traffic jams... well, not gridlock, but Moscow rush hour is pretty bad 😛 What do the buttons do - "sport" blocks the low-speed orifice in the dampers + some other things. Power - changes throttle map, but so does sport. I need to look up the "new car features" of the service book again. Meh. "Hesitation" - if you put the transmission in S-mode (leave it in 5th or 6th or whatever, it doesn't matter), the engine will not turn off - you still have to turn it on somehow (blip of throttle, heater to max, anything). The inverter can draw ~35kw of power from the battery. The engine produces up to 217kw (above 140kph where it can stay at max RPM). Don't expect much electric assist, other than at extremely pedestrian speeds - more than ~15% throttle generally means the engine needs to fire up (if not running) and rev first. Get hybridassistant and a compatible adapter. I wouldn't cheap out, even though the good ones are generally more expensive than the good techstream-compatible adapters... other than the mongoose pro, of course, but that's OEM 🙂 See this: ...and think twice before flooring it, or at least log and review those temperatures. LHD inverters are in short supply. Re: battery - I'd start looking at serious rebuild/replacement options. Do it once, do it proper. You'll understand once you read up a bit on how these things actually "fail".

G92Z0-30010 https://lexus-europe.epc-data.com/gs450h/gws191/5066/electric/8201/G92Z0/ ...which is the whole HV junction assembly. You should check whether your current one is working beforehand. I don't have the control pinout.

How do these people still have a job O_O

If it looks corroded externally... you don't really want to know how it is on the inside. As John said - the other two are most likely due to the pump. Anyways - the hardest part about removing the pump is (at least in my opinion) removing the harness - it connects straight to the oil pump controller, which is under the air filter box. Re: bearings - you might want to read through this: https://club-lexus(blocked word)/forum/viewtopic.php?t=103591&start=0 I changed both bearings and while the shift speed is definitely better, the pump does still make "bearings" noises when sufficiently hot (i.e. in summer weather, after some highway time at 140kph ~= 85mph). I'd get a second hand pump and refurbish it beforehand if you want to minimize your downtime, for whatever reason. Otherwise, start with the simple stuff. Info on the transmission (including fill procedure): https://slideplayer.com/slide/14432904/

Re: costs - true, it'll cost a lot more to create anything that approximates what the gs450h can do in stock form. There is still the fact that the car is otherwise pretty much fully equipped for a conversion - electric everything, bar heating. Batteries, BMS, ECU (the inverter control protocol has been reverse-engineered), that's pretty much it. Re: handling - assuming that you can keep or lower the center of gravity, you can fix the rest by reading a bit about suspension geometry. I would be more worried about the amount of questionably lowered cars with wider wheels on the roads 🙂

https://openinverter.org/forum/ Plenty of information here. Toyota hybrids are a hot topic. These cars are prime material for conversion due to just about everything being made with EV operation in mind - you'd need an auxiliary heater, but that's about it. If you remove the PSD and lock MG1 to the output shaft's speed... things can get crazy. The limiting factor (for power & range) is what batteries you can put in it.

p0420/p0430 codes have a threshold - it may look smooth to you (or jagged), but the car might think otherwise. Again, that doesn't really mean that the cat is not doing its job. I'd test the intake and exhaust system for leaks regardless - might as well do both, since it's standard practice to check pretty much everything that you can on an engine before you replace a cat - you don't want the new cat to fail prematurely due to other problems.

The only thing that you can interpret are plots of same-side bank o2 readings - the 2nd sensor (downstream of the primary cats) should "lag" and/or be smoother than the first one. You can idle the car and change the fuel injection volume via techstream - it's part of the active tests. Make sure that you've fully warmed the car up beforehand. The p0420 monitor checks for the "lag" between going from lean to rich and/or vice versa - if you read up on two-way catalytic converters (factory installed on pretty much every single remotely-modern petrol car - notable exception being Mazda's skyactiv-x since HCCI solves the NoX issue), they have an oxygen storage mechanism. By going lean to rich, oxygen is released by the cat for awhile to fuel its oxidation reaction - this causes a delay between the primary (pre-cat) sensor reading rich and the secondary (post-cat) sensor reading rich. When going rich to lean, the cat accumulates oxygen for awhile - leading to the same lag between sensors. Don't look for a sinewave on the primary o2 while idling - the primary o2 (on all 3GS models) is an air-fuel ratio meter (a.k.a. wideband o2), and the car doesn't (need to) constantly oscillate between lean and rich to maintain a stoich mixture. At any rate, p0420/p0430 tells you that the ECM has determined that the car's primary cat's oxygen storage capacity has been compromised enough to trip the codes. All sorts of exhaust leaks can cause a p0420 to pop up. A bad primary o2 might also trip it. A bad secondary o2, however, is very unlikely to trip it - they usually go lazy, and a "lazy"/delayed secondary o2 response is... "beneficial" in this case. Winter fuel formulations have also been known to do that... Overall, it's a mess. As for cat degradation - it's actually mostly contamination/poisoning - lead, phosphorus (various substances in the oil, coolant), coatings... Be sure to read up on the topic before you start trying things like acetone in the tank. Check for exhaust leaks, check that the o2s react properly (i.e. they go rich when rich, lean when lean, primaries don't delay - check with techstream's active test while graphing o2 readouts). If you end up wanting to replace the cat - go for OEM, as aftermarket cats usually have marginal oxygen storage capacity - they've been known to trip the code right from the get-go.

Somewhat of an update, detailed here (different thread on openinverter): https://openinverter.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=931#p18441 tl:dr so far: gs450h and ls600h inverters share data, HV battery and AC connectors. MG harness connectors are different, data connector pinout is different. I repinned the ls600h inverter that I got to the gs450h wiring diagram (easier plug-and-play). The car didn't complain in "accessory" mode (with just the inverter data connector connected, also inserted a clip in the battery connector interlock pin to fool it. I then connected everything else (custom wiring harness to the MGs, nonshielded) - attempted to crank, immediate p0a78-306 and p0a7a-344 - "Motor/Generator torque execution monitoring malfunction", more specifically: The MG ECU is essentially the inverter. The car did "crank" the engine once (well, you know how the hybrids crank their engines 😄 ), and the codes were set at that exact point in time. Freeze frame data has nothing useful (no inverter-related parameters whatsoever), everything on live data seems OK (believable values) but the refresh rate is way too abysmal (2-3 times per second) in order to catch something as instant as this - I attempted to capture a snapshot a few times, and only one of the frames was of the time during which the high voltage system was on (detectable by the inverter's pre-boost voltage being just about the same as the reported HV battery voltage). Prime suspects - no shielding on the MG wiring harness extension + the two MG harnesses essentially interfering with each other, didn't repin the inverter properly (MG resolvers, maybe), missed something on the diagram, etc, etc... Still looks promising. Car is obviously back to stock for now 🙂

https://lexus-europe.epc-data.com/gs450h/gws191r/5066/chassis/4802/ Where to buy - from what I've read, there are quite a few Lexus dealers in the UK that are reasonable, plus the site sponsors... https://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/forum/99-traders/ 🙂

These are quite famous in the 2nd gen IS community - and the 3rd gen GS happens to be much the same underneath. A common upgrade is to install the RC-F/GS-F bushings, or to completely swap them out for polyurethane ones - whether it's due to front tire wear (softer bushings = more dynamic toe) or for steering precision/feel. I went with GS-F on my own.

Theoretically, you can buy, say, two yaris hybrid battery packs (20 modules each) and scavenge their modules. Salvaging a relatively new crashed vehicle is also an option - if it's a ni-mh pack and it isn't an RX or an LS, then the modules should be the same - do your research in either case, of course. I'm not aware of batteries or inverters being coded to specific vehicles. I wouldn't get a pack out of China without doing a lot of research.

You cannot strip out individual cells. You also must clamp the cells while charging/discharging - there's a reason why they're compressed together in the car's battery pack. As for figuring out if one of the individual cells is worse than the others but not failed... I don't think there's a way, other than monitoring the voltage drop for "untimely drop".

You can trickle overcharge the cells to balance them out. Usually this is combined with deep cycling a couple of times, measuring the capacity improvements while doing so. The resting module or individual cell voltage doesn't say much - if it's 1.2v off then you have a shorted cell, that's about it. My suggestion - if you want to do it yourself, read up and be aware that it'll take time. Again, plenty of threads and ideas over at priuschat - including rehydrating cells.

Thanks for the kind words 🙂 Also keep in mind that I'm very inexperienced in this field, but then again - what's better than a learning experience 😄 The high voltage capacitors in all Toyota inverters are SH film caps - don't know which kind exactly, but the ORNL articles have graphs of capacitance, ESR & dissipation factor over different frequencies and temperatures, and the different film caps (PP/PET/PEN/whatever the film material happens to be) appear, at least to me, to be easily differentiated by those responses - so we can find out. Otherwise, there's the main DC link capacitor bank (750v/2855uf, ORNL x-rays show 20+ capacitors in parallel, potted in black, opaque epoxy or something), the DC link snubber capacitor (750v/0.9uf, very low dissipation factor) and the boost converter capacitor (500v/378uf). I've seen basically no deviations in capacitance, ESR, dissipation factor & phase shift compared to what was listed over at ORNL - keep in mind that I'm limited to 100/120hz for most measurements on the big caps (2855uf&378uf), but ESR isn't limited. I don't have access to a bench LCR meter, so this will have to suffice. At any rate - there are no thermal probes in the capacitor banks, and they are not liquid cooled either. Their location varies - in the 3rd gen 450h all banks are separate modules, whereas the ls600h combines the 750v caps (main bank & snubber cap) into one potted assembly. There are various teardown videos & articles, you can see for yourself. The 1st gen prius' inverter is the most obvious - the DC link bank caps are screw-terminal cylindrical panasonics, exposed for your eyes to see 🙂 Re: solder - there are other ways to get around it: https://www.semikron.com/innovation-technology/packaging-technology/skin-technology.html There are still bond wires used in the prius gen3 inverter ipm, and all new IPMs seem to be of the double-sided cooling variety, so I guess Toyota hasn't used such packaging in any of their production units - I'm quite sure that they've experimented internally, though... Conservative products don't mean a lack of innovation 😄 Again - the temperatures on the IGBTs (I assume the "inverter 1" and "inverter 2" temperatures are taken directly from the temperature sense probes, which are present for all IGBTs) spike when they're driving a motor under low RPM conditions - under high RPMs there are no spikes whatsoever. Above 100kph I can keep it floored for as long as I'd like and the reported IGBT junction temperatures (again, assuming "inv1" and "inv2" are those) stay very close to the inverter coolant temperatures, which is (as far as I know) measured at the coolant inlet - might as well be "inverter case/cold plate temperature", I guess. Still, looking at hybridassistant clips (mostly of 3rd gen prius & derivatives, a few rav4 hybrids as well) and comparing them to what I have - my inverter temperatures "jump around" a lot more, whereas the others stay relatively flat. There are a couple of clips with a 2010 camry (which incidentally shares an almost identical inverter with the GS) and the temperatures spike a lot more there as well - my best guess is still age-related solder fatigue leading to very high thermal resistance and resp. heat buildup. It's listed as the most common failure mode of IGBTs, along with bond wire lift-off - mostly due to the same reasons. Double-side cooled packages & sintered packages tend to not have these problems, hence the ls600h idea 🙂 EDIT: Links to ORNL articles - posted earlier, but anyways: https://www.osti.gov/biblio/928684-evaluation-toyota-camry-hybrid-synergy-drive-system - the GS inverter is almost the same, different wire harness + bigger DC-link cap + more power devices for MG1 and that's it https://www.osti.gov/biblio/947393-evaluation-lexus-ls-hybrid-synergy-drive-system - The LS transmission is essentially the same, barring the transfer case. The 10,230RPM limit on MG2 is false, unless the transfer case has a reduction ratio that Toyota haven't told anybody about - MG2 max RPM should be 14k, just like the GS. Incidentally, MG1 max RPM is 10,230 off the top of my head, I'll go rev it outside now to confirm 😄

So far - not the thermal grease, not the capacitor bank (at least according to what I've managed to measure via the DE5000 LCR meter that I got - all HV caps look fine). At this point I have to assume that it's the IGBTs - thermal fatigue (cracks) in the solder layer, or something else. The plan going forward is to attempt to replace the inverter with one from an ls600h - reading this thread should give you a clue as to why I think it's quite possible with the stock ECU: https://www.diyelectriccar.com/threads/reverse-engineering-the-lexus-gs450h-inverter-converter.200883/ This is the precursor thread: https://www.diyelectriccar.com/threads/bmw-330ci-conversion.142946/ And here is where I embarrass myself publicly: https://openinverter.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=776 🤣 As for the "why an ls600h inverter" questions: -I haven't found a single reference to a Toyota inverter with double-side-cooling IGBTs failing. These include the ls600h (first application), rx450h (found it listed as such in toyota australia marketing materials), 4th gen gs450h & is/gs/rc300h (visibly so in Damien Maguire's is300h inverter teardowns), 4th gen Prius (weber state university teardown, toyota media material, so on). On the other hand, plenty of stories about failed inverters of Prius 2/3 (and their derivatives - auris/priusV/so on), rx400h, gs450h (camry with double the MG1 IGBTs/diodes by the looks of it) - basically anything with the classic IGBT packaging. Not a Toyota-exclusive problem by any stretch, would've been nice if they'd sell only the IPM (the power module - basically the IGBTs) for, say, 1-2k euros (I know, overpriced but that's most OEM parts for you) instead of the whole inverter only (and for 4k+)... Actually, they do sell the IPM for the rx400h due to the service campaign, but the prices that I've gotten are downright bonkers - a new inverter costs about the same. -The 3rd gen gs450h and ls600h are very similar. The transmissions are the same (well, apart from one having a transfer case at the end), the electrical wiring diagram to the inverter looks pretty much the same, the communication protocols are supposedly the same (according to what I've read in the above-mentioned threads), the wiring harness connectors are the same (shuffled pin numbers).

It's a very convenient grid charger/discharger. They still haven't combined the charger & discharger, which is very unfortunate. As for whether it works - it does what it says, but don't expect miracles. A full charge/discharge (3 cycles, each with increasing discharge depths) according to their instructions takes over 3 days, and is not automated - you need to swap between the charger & discharger. You can get an idea of how well deep cycling works by browsing priuschat, endlesssphere, insightcentral and other places where people have dealt with NiMH cells.

Secondary cats are not monitored.

https://lexus-europe.epc-data.com/rx400h/mhu38l/5162/engine/1701/?full

Well, either that wasn't the problem, or I messed something up (IGBT torque as per rx400h tsb might not be enough, bad thermal paste layer, etc). Waiting for some tools to make life easier when removing/installing the inverter, then I'll take a look again. Have some other thoughts in the meantime, still reading.

So.. the grease has turned mostly translucent, and pretty much all the thermally conductive filler material (if it's shin-etsu g747 like in the rx400h, it should be zinc oxide) has been pushed out of the hot zones. I maaaay have found my problem 😄

Well, change of plans. I tore down the inverter that I blew up two years ago - not too difficult to do, at least on the IPM (IGBTs) side. Boost converter is trickier, but unnecessary. You can separate the coolant flow plates if you want to - you need to remove the IGBT board first, as the boost converter case is bolted to the IGBT case by hex bolts under the IGBT board. Before you do that - let me tell you straight away, I simply don't see how these passages can get clogged. Here's the rx400h TSB for the IPM replacement: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2013/RCRIT-13V396-9944.pdf Key points - thermal grease. My car was from Italy, manufactured in August 2008 and had approx. 245000km at the time of the inverter failure. Long time + decent mileage + a relatively hot region + usage of thermal grease... You can probably guess what I'm ordering 🙂 LHD and RHD inverters appear to use the same IGBT & control boards. I'm guessing the main reason for most failures is people actually connecting MG1 in the MG2 slot & vice-versa. Just a thought for anybody in need of a LHD inverter, since they are extremely rare nowadays... and RHD inverters are cheap and plentiful. At any rate, if this turns out to be the primary reason for inverters blowing up (thermal grease degradation + rapid heat buildup = blown IGBTs, given enough degradation and heat), I'd just recommend that people reapply the grease every few years. I'll let you know how the TIM replacement (thermal interface material - thermal paste - thermal grease - etc) goes - I'm quite hopeful... so far this makes the most sense - spiking inverter mg1/mg2(IGBTs) temperatures, no apparent problems in inverter coolant temperature/flow/condition. EDIT: If anybody's tinkering with his electronics, the grease part should have been pretty obvious. Otherwise (well, still a good read): https://www.nrel.gov/transportation/assets/pdfs/42972.pdf I wonder if the primary reason for not seeing inverter failures in the ls600h, 4th gen gs450h and so on is the new cooling method for the IGBTs (and them being of the SiC variety) - look up the ls600h oak ridge national laboratory article for a teardown of its inverter. The gs450h one is pretty much the same as the 1st gen camry hybrid, alphard hybrid, nissan altima hybrid and a few others - key point is, shares IGBT cooling design with earlier hybrids incl. the rx400h.

The UZ-series V8s are simply more reliable than the GR-series V6s, especially when comparing the 3UZ (4.3 v8) to the 3GR (3l v6) - the 3GR is direct injection only. Whether the valves will need blasting... who knows - the IS250 (4GR - smaller 3GR, basically) very rarely exhibits the problem, but it's still in the nature of the engine. In the GS models - since the EU doesn't get the GS350: GS300 - direct-injected V6, but conventional (vacuum-assisted) braking system GS430 - basically bombproof port-injected V8, but fully brake-by-wire - like the 450h and 460. The ABS block, electric pump and nitrogen brake pressure accumulator are a single unit, so if one fails (usually the pump), it'll be expensive: https://lexus-europe.epc-data.com/gs300_430_460/uzs190r/5064/chassis/4708/44510/ Funnily enough, that part number is supposedly replaced by the one used in the IS/RC/GS300h (and resp. the 4th gen 450h), so other than the more complicated brake service procedure and the potential need to acquire a 2nd hand ABS module... I'd take the 430. The LS430 should be the most reliable of the bunch - unless you decide to go for air struts. Drive the cars and decide for yourself. The 3GS is not the best "driver's chassis" in stock form, if you're after that. Transmission - zero clue.