On Borrowed time? GS450h

[Kal Choudhury]

So was driving through the Limehouse Link on 10th November with the wife and child and received that dreaded message on my screen saying "check hybrid battery". I got to my destination which was the Canary Wharf shopping centre. I thought best leave it and call the AA half hour before I leave.

Skipping to the part when the AA arrived, the engineer confirmed after running a diagnostic that the hybrid battery has deteriorated. He cleared it on his system as well as the camshaft error on there. The yellow light came back shortly after for the camshaft error but nothing about the Battery. Its odd as i spend a lot of time in London traffic and it charges up fine, it runs on Battery only fine.

Could this be a hiccup on the system or am I on borrowed time? I have spoken to Hybrid Battery solutions and debating whether i spend the money on it. I have already put new Lexus shocks, new discs and pads all round, new Lexus rear exhaust section. Its been a bit of a money pit and getting a bit jarring. I've put up with it as its a fantastic car. Doing lots of motorway miles is a real pleasure and it has excellent speed and comfort as you all know.

decisions decisions.............   

[Farqui]

Hi Kal, I'm sorry to hear that you've had a series of warning codes and been hit with some bills recently, especially at this time of year. 

Keep in mind that the vehicle has a few years under it's belt so service items like disk/pads are to be expected on any vehicle.  I've also had to replace the rear (and middle) of my exhaust which means I no longer have any concerns about that going forward   I also often work on the premise that it's better the devil you know! 

I'm glad that you've spoken to mr Hybrid Battery Solutions, he's the font of all knowledge for the power packs/etc.

It's odd that the Battery warning hasn't reappeared, did something unusual occur that might have caused it to trip earlier?

You're right about it being a fantastic car, I'm still very pleased with mine. 

[royoftherovers]

Hi Kal,

I endorse all that Lee has said.

I understand that "officially" Lexus has not admitted to one failure of a Hybrid Battery, so why not ask Lexus to carry out a Hybrid Battery Health Check for you (approx £60). They will give you the all clear or a diagnosis of the fault and the cost to repair/replace.

Then approach Richard again (Hybrid Battery Solutions) with the facts and ask him to quote for his work which I think I am right in saying will provide a 12 month warranty.

Good luck.

[Kal Choudhury]

I agree, I actually didn't mind spending on the brakes and Shocks, especially with my first baby arrival i wanted to ensure that the car was safe, I even invested in a full set of Michelin CrossClimates so that I never get caught out. It just gets a bit tiresome as when will it all end? Reading one of the topics apparently spending £700 on a recon hybrid Battery doesn't stop the hybrid pump from failing.

I think really best to enjoy the borrowed time for now and deal with it when the time comes. Could be sooner hopefully later!

 

 

[Z28DUNC]

Kal, if you get sensor errors it will throw a light on the dash and display check hybrid system. However this doesn't mean the Battery pack is at fault it just means theres a fault in the system. You most likely don't have any Battery related issues, just a cam sensor thats maybe getting slightly intermittent. Out of interest did it happen when the engine started or when it was already running?

Do yourself a favour and buy a OBD2 reader so you can read and clear codes. 

As Lee and Roy have suggest the hybrid health check at Lexus is worth doing as if all clear its covers you for 12 months if the Battery pack does fail. Plus you usually have your car valeted for free.

Let us know how you get on with it.

[IanA2]

I'm looking at a Hybrid 57 plate hybrid with a bit over 100,000.

May I ask how many miles there are on the clock?

John's comment that Lx have never admitted to a failed Battery is comforting.

Thanks.

[cruisermark]

Kal sorry for your troubles  - unfortunately these are known weak points of the GS450H - The GS450 is a rare breed and I have many time considered (still do) one but could not justify buying into some known problems especially when my 430 has been very reliable and faultless.

Given that you have spent some money on other parts I would wait until the light comes on again and bite the bullet and get the Battery reconditioned. I think this sounds like the common problem where one or more cells are low on voltage causing the lights to go off.

[Kal Choudhury]

Hi guys,

Haven't been on the forum in a while and the borrowed time lasted 3 months until the "Check hybrid battery" warning came back. I have cleared it on a diagnostic and it seems to be OK for now. To answer some of the questions, on both occasions the warning came up while the car was running. The car has 134k on the clock.

I have head that when the Battery fails you get Check VSC and Check ECB warnings as well. I haven't had that at all. Is it common for these warnings to appear at the same time?

 

 

[Leigh2000]

 

On 2/26/2019 at 11:03 AM, Kal Choudhury said:

I have head that when the battery fails you get Check VSC and Check ECB warnings as well. I haven't had that at all. Is it common for these warnings to appear at the same time?

 

 

Yes it is. I don’t think this is a Battery failure.