Buying a 2006 GS450h / Battery Health from Dash Symbol

Mike67890 · March 23, 2018

I'm thinking of buying an early 2006 GS450h but am concerned about buying a car with a Battery nearing the end of its life. I've attached a photo of the dashboard of the car I'm interested in and just wondered if someone can kindly confirm whether the Battery symbol above the mileage reading shows a healthy Battery? Is there anyway of checking the health of the Battery on the main screen? Much appreciate any advice. Many thanks in advance.

cruisermark · March 23, 2018

Hi Mike

The best way too find out is "if possible" have a Hybrid Health Check" carried out by a Lexus dealer - this will cost £60 and will guarantee the Battery for a 12 months - I think car will need all or majority delaer service history.

On the flip side if you do have Battery problems after purchase, it's normally 1/2 bad cells rather then the whole Battery - there are companies out there who will replace cells and re-condition the Battery for around £800.

OldTrout · March 23, 2018

Hi Mike,

Welcome to the club - the source of much information about Lexus (and life).

The Battery indicator in the speedo is the state of charge at the moment. As you drive this will go up and down.

The is no way to check the health of the Battery except by getting a health check at Lexus. I think this costs £59 and includes a year's warranty on the Battery. If you buy from a dealer this health check should be part of the deal. If not ask for it to be done. If you are not buying from a dealer then ask the seller to get a health check done before buying.

Look at the service record and the MOT history. This should tell you a lot about the car.

114k miles is not a lot for this car and many of us in the LOC have 450hs with more. I think the highest was 2 or 300k. The Battery is unlikely to be an issue. Check the shock absorbers and the exhaust. And don't let it run out of petrol.

If any concerns ask LOC! We love our 450hs. A awful lot of quality, reliability, comfort and performance for the money.

John

Z28DUNC · March 23, 2018

As John and Mark have said a hybrid warranty check is a must, even if you pay for it yourself.

XT5 · March 23, 2018

According to this https://usedcars.lexus.co.uk/en/service-your-lexus the Hybrid Health Check warranty is only for the first 10 years of the car's life, so unfortunately wouldn't apply to the 2006 car that Mike 67890 is considering.

Brian

Chris111 · March 23, 2018

16 minutes ago, XT5 said:

According to this https://usedcars.lexus.co.uk/en/service-your-lexus the Hybrid Health Check warranty is only for the first 10 years of the car's life, so unfortunately wouldn't apply to the 2006 car that Mike 67890 is considering.

Brian

At the last service last June when my 450h was eleven years old (registered May 2006) I was given a hybrid health check certificate from Lexus Carlisle. Don't know if this was done in error or whether it is because the car has a full Lexus service history. I would say ask. They can only say yes or no.

ColinBarber · March 23, 2018

I'm sure you could always get the health check, you just won't get a warranty if the vehicle is too old.

I'd recommend that you make sure the engine warning light is working - it should come on with the ignition and go out once the car is 'Ready' - there are some people out there that will disable the light, or cover it up, to hide the fact that there is an issue.

Chris111 · March 23, 2018

18 minutes ago, ColinBarber said:

I'm sure you could always get the health check, you just won't get a warranty if the vehicle is too old.

That makes sense. So OP should be able to at least get a health check done, just not get a warranty.

XT5 · March 23, 2018

3 hours ago, Chris111 said:

That makes sense. So OP should be able to at least get a health check done, just not get a warranty.

Correct.

Mike67890 · March 24, 2018

Many thanks for all your help, it is much appreciated. Apart from test driving a 2006 GS450h when it was new, my only experience of Lexus cars has been with nearly new petrols and diesels, I've never owned a hybrid version before. This particular car I'm interested in is at a car auction so unfortunately I won't be able to get it inspected before buying it. It definitely needs to be a lot cheaper to make the risk worthwhile.

One check I was thinking of making was the mpg readout on the car's computer - am I right in thinking that if it is low, say in the mid 20s mpg, the Battery could have problems because the car is mainly running on petrol and that if the mpg is higher, say mid 30s mpg, the Battery is likely to be in good health as the car will be using the Battery a fair bit. I'm down in Devon so I'm not sure if there is anyone vaguely local who could recondition the Battery for me.

Many thanks again :)

Sherra · March 24, 2018

Mike I don't think that it a correct assumption as my vehicle regularly is in the mid 20s. but this is due to the fact that where I live I have to go uphill out of my village no matter which of the many roads available I take and is invariably on cold batteries so the engine is always running even when batteries are hot. I understand your general concerns but as mentioned earlier in the thread they are not a major worry and can be repaired. They are an exceptional car.

Britprius · March 24, 2018

The display you are showing is not for the high voltage hybrid Battery. It is for the 12 volt Battery, and further does not show either the level of charge or it's condition.

The bar graph on the multi function display shows the hybrid batteries level of charge to some degree. It show s the charge level from no bars shown = 40% charged to all green bars showing = 80% charged. The computer system will not allow any charge levels outside of those levels.

These levels can change dramatically while you are driving, but the computer tries to keep the level of 5 blue bars running to 7 green bars. If the car has been started many times by people check it out the Battery level will be reading low. This does not harm the NiMh hybrid Battery as it would a normal lead acid Battery. This will also show as low economy figures because the car will have been cold started many time without moving.

John

ColinBarber · March 24, 2018

8 minutes ago, Britprius said:

The display you are showing is not for the high voltage hybrid battery. It is for the 12 volt battery, and further does not show either the level of charge or it's condition.

???

The Battery indicator below the speedo is the traction (hybrid) Battery. The vehicle would never show you the state of the 12v Battery in that way.

sorcerer · March 24, 2018

37 minutes ago, Britprius said:

The display you are showing is not for the high voltage hybrid battery. It is for the 12 volt battery, and further does not show either the level of charge or it's condition.

Surely that's not correct John?

That indicator is for the hybrid Battery and would normally look something like the picture below:

Britprius · March 24, 2018

4 minutes ago, ColinBarber said:

???

The battery indicator below the speedo is the traction (hybrid) battery. The vehicle would never show you the state of the 12v battery in that way.

My GS450H registered Jan 2007 so effectively the same year as the OP's does not show the level charge of the Battery in that display the level remains static on my car. This could be an unnoticed fault with my display so I would appreciate if someone can confirm there display showing the level rising, and falling.I stand corrected, and will loose 10 browney points for saying it is for the 12 volt. As you say it shows charge going to or from the hybrid Battery.

John.

Britprius · March 24, 2018

The only way I know to check the 12 volt Battery voltage, and this is under some load is through the hidden menu on the MFD display.

John.

Sherra · March 24, 2018

John .

On my 2009 model it displays as per sorcerers handbook clips. It doesn't move rapidly but definitely fluctuates as traction Battery drains /charges. Try watching it with engine running but stationary it should indicate charging and level increasing up to the point of engine cutting out, then continue to observe and it will drop slightly till engine cuts back in. I fully accept that earlier models may differ.

ColinBarber · March 24, 2018

The following is from a 2006 RX400h manual - the display is the same so I'd expect the Battery level to not be static.

Britprius · March 25, 2018

Update to the Battery central display on my GS450H.

The display on my car does not change with HV Battery level. I used the AC to bring the state of charge down to 2 pink bars on the MFD. The display in the speedo did not alter always staying at level 6 in the chart above. I suspect this is a fault with the display in my car, but it could be that it is an early model, and the software is different. It does not bother me because the information is repeated on the MFD, and that is working correctly, and I tend to use the in speedo display to show MPG.

I apologise if any wrong information given caused confusion, but the main gist of the information on Battery levels in the OP's situation still stands in that any level of both Battery charge, and fuel consumption will not representative of the readings in normal use.

John.

sorcerer · March 25, 2018

21 minutes ago, Britprius said:

I apologise if any wrong information given caused confusion, but the main gist of the information on battery levels in the OP's situation still stands in that any level of both battery charge, and fuel consumption will not representative of the readings in normal use.

No problem John, as you say, it may be faulty or it may be a limitation in the early software, but I do, however, dispute your assumption that the Battery level reading in either the multi-function display or the speedo display is not representative of normal use.

We, as the drivers and end users of the car, only get to use, say, 40% of the battery's actual capacity (not sure of the actual figure but 40% will do for the purposes of this discussion). The readouts on the displays are showing us the state of charge within our 40% band that we can get at, so for practical purposes if that display is showing almost empty, then as far as we're concerned, the battery is almost empty. The fact that it may still have about 60% of it's total capacity left is of no consequence to us because we can't use it.

Britprius · March 25, 2018

2 hours ago, sorcerer said:

No problem John, as you say, it may be faulty or it may be a limitation in the early software, but I do, however, dispute your assumption that the battery level reading in either the multi-function display or the speedo display is not representative of normal use.

We, as the drivers and end users of the car, only get to use, say, 40% of the battery's actual capacity (not sure of the actual figure but 40% will do for the purposes of this discussion). The readouts on the displays are showing us the state of charge within our 40% band that we can get at, so for practical purposes if that display is showing almost empty, then as far as we're concerned, the battery is almost empty. The fact that it may still have about 60% of it's total capacity left is of no consequence to us because we can't use it.

Perhaps it is my wording that is wrong in this situation. I am trying to say that the OP cannot look at the display for the Battery or fuel consumption on a vehicle in an auction or indeed on a forecourt, and make the assumption that the Battery is bad or that the MPG figures are low. If prospective buyers have been jumping into the car and starting it without the car going out on the road for a good distance the Battery level will be low, and the MPG figures will also be low with multiple cold starts without the car turning a wheel.

From memory when I first looked at my car the MPG readout was 7MPG, but I get between 35 to 41 MPG.

John