New car on Saturday

[JPG]

Hi I’ll be picking up my new Lexus,from the Lincoln garage on Saturday,an F-Sport.

with it being my first Lexus and not knowing much about them is there anything I should be asking the garage?

Is there anything particular I should know?,I mean it’s my first car with a navigational system so will that be with the latest update?Just stuff like that really.

cheers.

 

 

 

[Troy Tempest]

Hi Jon

Your profile shows the year of your car is 2020??  So I guess the nav system would be as up-to-date as possible.

However, for anyone out there buying a second hand motor that’s a few years old, I would say don’t count on the dealership making sure that the sat nav maps are current, mine didn’t!!  You will have to check the age of the map data when you do your test drive and hope to goodness that the previous owner spent the extra dosh on getting regular updates.  If you’re lucky you’ll inherit a good/current one, otherwise expect to find a nav system that’s as old as the car it sits in.

The other week, i asked my local Lexus dealer about getting the most recent update for my sat nav and was told it costs the dealership well over £100 to buy the licence from HQ for you and they then charge that on to you, plus labour to upload it, plus VAT.  He said it’s so expensive he doesn’t do it either and just uses google maps on his mobile for directions!!

i have to say that I think you’re going to be rather underwhelmed by the Lexus sat nav.  The two I’ve had would only take the first portion of the post code, so it will get you to the general area, but after that you have to hunt for numbers on people’s front doors as you kerb crawl down the street ☹️  Added to that it’s certainly not an intuitive system, it’s hard to use, hard to program and forgets things you’ve just put in.  If you get something wrong and want to take one step back and re-try, forget it; you’ll be quicker starting from the beginning again.  Combine that with trying to use the weird illegitimate cross between a mouse and a joystick in your left hand and it gets so frustrating that you start to wish you hadn’t thrown away your old AA road atlas after all - It’s not their best selling point!!

On other matters, don’t worry at all.  Lexus dealers are the best around for looking after you and your car, they won’t let you down.

Enjoy your new car!!

[ColinBarber]

If purchasing new, your Nav system will be at whatever map version was install at the factory.

If purchasing used, your Nav system will be at whatever map version the previous owner updated it to (otherwise what it can out of the factory with).

A dealer won't update at their own expense - they don't get map updates to install for free from Lexus.

 

No need to worry about partial postcode - new models have all supported full post code for 10 years plus now. The CT has always supported this.

[Herbie]

You say it's your first Lexus so I'm assuming it'll be your first hybrid too? If so, there's a knack to driving them.

Don't 'baby' the car. Accelerate briskly to the desired speed and then just back your foot ever so slightly off and, traffic flow and hills allowing, you should be able to maintain speed on Battery for a while.

Anticipate traffic ahead and try to brake gently because this is how the traction Battery is recharged. The aim is to get the regenerative braking system to do most of the stopping for you so that the traction Battery stays charged. If I remember correctly, I think the regen system slows the car down to 3mph and then the traditional hydraulic brakes take over to bring the car to a full stop - which is why brake pads and discs last much longer on a hybrid car than a conventional one.

If it's an emergency situation and you need to anchor on then the hydraulic brakes come on immediately, but otherwise the regen system is your new best friend

Remember though, these are hybrid cars, not electric cars. If you manage to drive on Battery alone then the most you'll get is maybe a couple of miles before the Battery goes flat. This also means that you can't drive the car (or even start it) if you run out of petrol. You need three things to be working for the car to run - the 12v Battery, the 288v traction Battery and the petrol engine.

Because the petrol engine only runs as and when necessary and not continuously, anything that would normally be driven from the engine by a belt such as the alternator and power steering pump etc., is driven by electric motors. Hybrids have no starter motor, no alternator, and a small 12v 'starter' Battery that can often go flat if the car is left standing for two or three weeks so a few of us on here carry one of these or something similar which is small enough to carry in the glove box. They work very well and are well worth the cost for peace of mind alone.

It's perfectly fine to jump start a hybrid if needed but never use a hybrid to jump start a conventional car or the end result may be a big bang that causes a huge dent in your wallet!

One other thing is that if you're ever parked up for a while (say you've taken your wife to the hairdressers/dentist/shops/whatever) and you're sat in the car listening to the radio while waiting for her, always make sure that the car is in READY mode and P (never N). This is because the traction Battery will lose charge quite quickly but if the car is in READY and P, the petrol engine will fire up as and when necessary to keep the Battery charged.

At traffic lights or other similar situations keep the car in D with your foot on the brakes rather than moving into N as you may have been taught when learning to drive - the hybrid system doesn't work with the car in N.

Above all else - enjoy!

[JPG]

Thanks

alot to take in there and yes it’s my first hybrid,so you can do normal speeds on the Battery? I just thought it was for when you are doing 5 - 10 mph.

and is it just the braking that charges the Battery up?

ill forget all this when I pick it up,so it’s a good job I can ask on here,until you get sick of me😁

so when do you put it into N ?

and if I park the car up at night and the big Battery is flat will it start?

 

[Herbie]

3 minutes ago, JPG said:

Thanks

You're welcome 🙂

4 minutes ago, JPG said:

so you can do normal speeds on the battery? I just thought it was for when you are doing 5 - 10 mph

You can't manually select EV (Electric Vehicle) Mode and expect it to go from 0 to 60mph or whatever, but my RX450h has switched to Battery at about 40mph during normal driving. It's a bit of a difficult concept to explain but you'll soon get used to it when you're doing it yourself.

7 minutes ago, JPG said:

and is it just the braking that charges the battery up?

Not really but that's where most of it comes from. Every time you lift your foot up from the accelerator pedal you'll see the power meter dip into the 'Charge' area so it is charging, although not by much. However, when you actively brake then you'll see the power meter dip right down to the bottom of the scale, which indicates maximum charging.

12 minutes ago, JPG said:

so when do you put it into N ?

Never, really. I've had my RX450h for over two years now and never selected Neutral at all.

13 minutes ago, JPG said:

and if I park the car up at night and the big battery is flat will it start?

No it won't - but don't worry about that because the traction Battery will last at least a couple of months with the car not being used, possibly even longer.

The way the system works is that the 12v Battery only has to boot the computers to get the hybrid system running and into READY mode, along with a couple of other things. In a conventional car the starter motor will draw about 300A or more to crank the engine, so the Battery has to be quite big and beefy. Getting a hybrid system up and running takes less than 20A, which is why Lexus/Toyota thought it a good idea to save some money and only provide a small capacity 12v Battery. I can see their rationale for this but the downside is that the car can't be left standing as long as a conventional car before the 12v Battery goes flat.

So, the 12v Battery gets the car into READY mode, which is our equivalent of the engine running in a conventional car. As I said above, our cars don't have starter motors or alternators, but in READY mode the 12v Battery is being charged by means of a DC/DC converter, which takes the 288v of the traction Battery and converts it to 14.5v or thereabouts.

When the petrol engine is needed, the hybrid system energises MG1 (or is it MG2? I always get mixed up!) and spins the engine up to about 1,000rpm before the system applies fuel and a spark to fire it, which is why all three things (12v Battery, traction Battery and petrol engine) are needed for the car to run.

If the traction Battery were ever to go flat then you'd have to call out the dealer or some other specialist who has the knowledge and the equipment to deal with it - at 288v, it's not something the AA, RAC or other breakdown service is equipped to deal with.

[Farqui]

Hi Jon, at first there seems like there's a lot to take in with our hybrids but we all soon get the hang of it.

Don't leave the vehicle on/running in N or sit in a jam in N for any length of time as that mode does not change up the big hybrid/traction Battery.  Instead if you are stationary for any length of time then pop it in park, apply the handbrake and take your foot off the brake pedal. 

I've found that it's best not to sit with your foot on the brake pedal for too long either, especially after a long and/or hard stop as it leaves a little brake material on the rotor which can then make the brakes feel warped until it's cleaned off.

Good brake pressure at speed will recharge the hybrid/traction Battery and the combustion engine can recharge the big Battery under power/when cruising or even switch on when station or when it's necessary to top up the hybrid Battery. The engine will also kick in more if you have the cabin heater cranked up, so mpg will drop a bit more when it's colder.

Good luck and I may see you around.

Cheers, Lee

[JPG]

Yeah there does seem a lot to take in,Thing is I’ll only be driving at weekends and the wife will be driving it in the week for work and other stuff  and she’s the same never drove a automatic let alone a hybrid just hope she can get her head round it

got visions of her ringing me up saying the car won’t start ☹️

 

[Herbie]

Nah, she'll be fine, as will you Jon.

If you don't get a paper manual then you can download one from here https://www.lexus.co.uk/owners/about-my-lexus/manuals/

I read mine from cover to cover, just like I would read any other book. I know, I'm sad, but it really does help to get your head around some things.

And don't forget that we need to see pictures as well 🙂

[Farqui]

Haha, yes...nothing happening when you press start can feel odd initially but you'll soon get used to it.

Just drive it and enjoy.

[JPG]

Yep cheers can’t wait.

can I ask about the modes.

what do the modes mean and what’s best to drive in,I get the EV mode is just electric but what about the others?

[200h]

this is what you will notice straight away when going between the modes

and you can be on the move when you change mode aswell

eco  -   really slow acceleration

normal - slow acceleration

sport - enjoyable acceleration

[Herbie]

ECO mode just means that when you press the accelerator it takes ages to wind up

Sport means that you use more fuel (which somewhat defeats the idea of a hybrid) and is more fun

Normal is what you'll settle on for 99% of the time

[JPG]

I’ll start in normal then👍
thinking about asking for a service package as well,do you think they are worth it?

offerd me a paint protection as well for £300 but not sure about it.

[Farqui]

Service plans are up to you but from your profile it's a new 2020 car, so makes sense to stick with the dealer especially if you plan to sell the car in x years time.

I'd say save your money on the dealer paint protection, although to make a proper judgement you would need to know what they are offering.

[Herbie]

4 hours ago, JPG said:

I’ll start in normal then👍
thinking about asking for a service package as well,do you think they are worth it?

offerd me a paint protection as well for £300 but not sure about it.

I agree with what Lee says above.

When you say "paint protection" do you mean some sort of coating over the whole car or the protection that covers you for things like supermarket trolley dings and scratches?

If the latter, you'll get it cheaper elsewhere. We didn't know any different when we bought our 'new to us' RX450h so paid £300 for the trolley ding protection and £300 for Gap Insurance. Only a month or two later did we find out that we could have got both things for £150 each from other places.

[JPG]

2 hours ago, Herbie said:

I agree with what Lee says above.

When you say "paint protection" do you mean some sort of coating over the whole car or the protection that covers you for things like supermarket trolley dings and scratches?

If the latter, you'll get it cheaper elsewhere. We didn't know any different when we bought our 'new to us' RX450h so paid £300 for the trolley ding protection and £300 for Gap Insurance. Only a month or two later did we find out that we could have got both things for £150 each from other places.

Yeah I think it’s a coating that goes on the car,but I heard it was only worth having on black or dark coloured cars.

[JPG]

6 hours ago, Farqui said:

Service plans are up to you but from your profile it's a new 2020 car, so makes sense to stick with the dealer especially if you plan to sell the car in x years time.

I'd say save your money on the dealer paint protection, although to make a proper judgement you would need to know what they are offering.

So you think it would be best to go for their service package for a few years?i think it’s a pay monthly scheme.

im not planning on selling for a while.

[JPG]

Sorry not 2020 it’s a 69 plate,19th of September tho👍

[colin79666]

15 hours ago, Farqui said:

I've found that it's best not to sit with your foot on the brake pedal for too long either, especially after a long and/or hard stop as it leaves a little brake material on the rotor which can then make the brakes feel warped until it's cleaned off.

True although bear in mind as long as you are braking gently it won’t actually use the pads on disks to slow down until the last bit below about 10mph, hence the pads can last 100k miles. 

[Silversalmon]

20 hours ago, Herbie said:

You say it's your first Lexus so I'm assuming it'll be your first hybrid too? If so, there's a knack to driving them.

Don't 'baby' the car. Accelerate briskly to the desired speed and then just back your foot ever so slightly off and, traffic flow and hills allowing, you should be able to maintain speed on battery for a while.

Anticipate traffic ahead and try to brake gently because this is how the traction battery is recharged. The aim is to get the regenerative braking system to do most of the stopping for you so that the traction battery stays charged. If I remember correctly, I think the regen system slows the car down to 3mph and then the traditional hydraulic brakes take over to bring the car to a full stop - which is why brake pads and discs last much longer on a hybrid car than a conventional one.

If it's an emergency situation and you need to anchor on then the hydraulic brakes come on immediately, but otherwise the regen system is your new best friend

Remember though, these are hybrid cars, not electric cars. If you manage to drive on battery alone then the most you'll get is maybe a couple of miles before the battery goes flat. This also means that you can't drive the car (or even start it) if you run out of petrol. You need three things to be working for the car to run - the 12v battery, the 288v traction battery and the petrol engine.

Because the petrol engine only runs as and when necessary and not continuously, anything that would normally be driven from the engine by a belt such as the alternator and power steering pump etc., is driven by electric motors. Hybrids have no starter motor, no alternator, and a small 12v 'starter' battery that can often go flat if the car is left standing for two or three weeks so a few of us on here carry one of these or something similar which is small enough to carry in the glove box. They work very well and are well worth the cost for peace of mind alone.

It's perfectly fine to jump start a hybrid if needed but never use a hybrid to jump start a conventional car or the end result may be a big bang that causes a huge dent in your wallet!

One other thing is that if you're ever parked up for a while (say you've taken your wife to the hairdressers/dentist/shops/whatever) and you're sat in the car listening to the radio while waiting for her, always make sure that the car is in READY mode and P (never N). This is because the traction battery will lose charge quite quickly but if the car is in READY and P, the petrol engine will fire up as and when necessary to keep the battery charged.

At traffic lights or other similar situations keep the car in D with your foot on the brakes rather than moving into N as you may have been taught when learning to drive - the hybrid system doesn't work with the car in N.

Above all else - enjoy!

Really succinct and excellent summary by Herbie. Well done.

[Thackeray]

19 hours ago, JPG said:

alot to take in there and yes it’s my first hybrid

If the CT works mostly like the IS, my one bit of advice while the car is unfamiliar is to take the time when the car beeps at you to try and work out what it's trying to tell you.

When I went to fill up with petrol for the first time, I'd pulled up at the pump, got out of the car and it beeped at me. I didn't know why. I thought it might be that the headlights were on - a lot of cars beep if you leave them on. If they were on, I probably thought they'll go off in a moment like in a lot of cars. So I just ignored the beep and filled up and paid at the pump.

It was only when I got back in the car and prepared to drive off that I realised that I hadn't turned the car off while filling up. The engine wasn't running so I instinctively thought it was "off". But instead it was still in the "Ready" state. The engine could have come on again at any moment while filling up. This is probably not the best way to fill up the car and it's probably safer to have it all turned off in the usual way. The car was trying to tell me that I'd got out of the car while leaving it in the Ready state.

Beeps can alert you to a variety of things: eg the parking brake is still on as you drive away; someone hasn't put seat belts on etc.

But on the positive side now I'm familiar with the car, I'm conditioned, like Pavlov's dogs, to shift into Drive when I hear the beep that means the Ready light is on. I no longer need to look at the dashboard to watch for the light; I know the beep means the car is ready to go. (Pavlov's dogs, of course, would have to work as a team to shift into Drive as a lone dog couldn't reach the brake pedal while shifting the gear selector.)

[JPG]

So when I stop to fill up its

parking brake then power button? Then it’s all off?

[Herbie]

31 minutes ago, JPG said:

So when I stop to fill up its

parking brake then power button? Then it’s all off?

Yes.

[royoftherovers]

31 minutes ago, JPG said:

So when I stop to fill up its

parking brake then power button? Then it’s all off?

Transmission in P, parking brake, then Power button.