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ColinBarber

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Everything posted by ColinBarber

  1. ColinBarber
    At least from some point this year she can get cheaper essentials servicing available for vehicles 5 years old to save a bit and still have the hybrid health check.
  2. ColinBarber
    Correct, the DC-DC converter will take the voltage from the hybrid battery and convert to 14.5volt to run the low voltage system, including recharging the aux battery whenever the system is in Ready mode. The petrol engine will cut in and out as required to keep the hybrid battery charged.
  3. ColinBarber
    do you have a picture? Definitely there on the IS300h, open the fuse box, there is a red cover with + on it, open cover and you have a metal terminal.
  4. ColinBarber
    there is a special jump/charge point within the engine bay - +ve within the fuse box which I think is located in the top right looking at engine bay from the front and a ground location on a metal part of the engine. This should be documented within the owners manual.
  5. ColinBarber
    Have you checked all fuses? Is the engine earthing strap fitted?
  6. ColinBarber
    They can be they are complex things. If a power transistor fails then it is likely that all the other ones have been stressed so they should all be changed, and the cpu system within the inverter could also be damaged. The main issue is identifying why it failed. The most common reason an inverter fails is because it overheated, so you need to make sure the hybrid coolant pump and cooling system is fully working, otherwise you could blow any replacement/repaired inverter you install.
  7. ColinBarber
    Some are vertical. Like the 1.33 engine in my daughter's Yaris. Unfortunately the cap is at the bottom not the top - what a stupid design
  8. ColinBarber
    Most people purchasing new vehicles are doing so on lease, and are changing them every 3 years so long term reliability isn't a concern like it used to be - especially for premium brands such as Lexus. But at least a Lexus is nothing more than a Toyota with an L on the badge plus some higher grade materials. Toyota wouldn't give a 5 year warranty unless there was a good chance that it wouldn't get used much - therefore you should be comfortable that a Lexus will be relatively trouble free too.
  9. ColinBarber
    Steve, where is the battery location? The Prius IV has a flooded battery where previous gens have used AGM - but the location is in the engine bay rather than boot.
  10. ColinBarber
    Not sure I understand the word 'still' in this statement. Toyota were quite late to move to this type of filter, their engines in the 80,90 and early 00s all had the metal can type. Moving to the element filter was done for environmental reasons with a benefit that non-return and bypass valves are in the housing so even if the customer uses a cheap filter they still get protection. Change occurred around the same time that their engine designs moved from timing belts to chains. Totally agree on the cost, rip off in the UK. OEM denso filters are around £2.50 in the US.
  11. ColinBarber
    You can always ask them to do it in addition to the service, but the extra cost isn't justified when it is so easy to do yourself. If done regularly you can remove the pins, re-grease, and put back without even jacking up the vehicle.
  12. ColinBarber
    Lexus would state they don't directly compete with Toyota or Kia so don't need to match that warranty duration. They compete with BMW, MB, Jag, Volvo etc, and their warranty is competitive.
  13. ColinBarber
    Are Toyota pumps notorious for failing? Never have one fail, and I see just as many complaints on forums for other manufacturers as I do Toyota, if not more. Failure within three years may be 'common' but that is a manufacturing defect or design issue with is addressed under the main original warranty - if it lasts three years it will probably go on to do 100k+ miles. If you didn't have warranty you wouldn't get Lexus to do it so the cost would be well under the price of the extended warranty.
  14. ColinBarber
    The amount of precious metals you can recover diminishes with use, hybrids are targeted because they use the cat less as a percentage of time compared to a normal vehicle due to some running on electric. Not sure it is 100% true that the early hybrids had more dense cats, all OEM ones are typically more dense then aftermarket, but it is something thieves believe so it another reason why hybrids are targeted - although Prius III models seem to be affected just as much as Prius II ones.
  15. ColinBarber
    I'm not aware of any Windows software that can read those file formats. There are several cloud based services that can covert, both free and paid for, but there is a security risk with using those (do they keep a copy, look at/process the content, embed security vulnerabilities etc.). https://cloudconvert.com has a good reputation. Happy to convert these for you if you are comfortable with that and the content isn't sensitive. Send me a PM
  16. ColinBarber
    Do you still have a Mac? You can export in Pages to either Word or RFT format and Numbers will export to Excel or CSV formats which can then all be used by Word and Excel.
  17. ColinBarber
    Not heard of any members affected here with their GS450h. If you are going to steal a cat, surely you would do it on the youngest vehicle you can find? Even as a hybrid, the cat isn't going to be in great condition on a 2007 GS450h. The vehicle sits low as well, much easier to remove the cat on an SUV.
  18. ColinBarber
    I'd disconnect all the electrical connectors you can find in the engine bay and check for corrosion/water. Use WD40 to clean up the connectors and drive out the water but you probably want to go back over them in a few days/weeks with some proper electrical contact cleaner. I'd also check the battery terminals and earthing straps for corrosion. Worth disconnecting the battery to reset the ECU. If a sensor is playing up it could be crank or camshaft sensor, even a VVTi sensor or the MAP sensor.
  19. ColinBarber
    It is just a lot of Nickel Metal Hydride battery cells all placed into a battery pack. They don't have memory effort and they degrade by being cycled (used) - they are fine not being used provided there is sufficient charge. The cells will however slowly discharge so you need to allow your vehicle to charge the hybrid battery maybe once every month or two - just put it in Ready for an hour which will also charge your aux battery (but that needs to be done more regularly)
  20. ColinBarber
    Unlikely to be that then. I'd assume either a vacuum pipe knocked off (which you have checked) or water in an electrical connector. Is the engine check light on?
  21. ColinBarber
    Have you checked the exhaust - pre-cats break up and block the pipes which restrict engine breathing.
  22. ColinBarber
    You should have had an extended warranty to take you up to a full 12 months comprised of both the original and extended warranty at time of sale.
  23. ColinBarber
    It isn't a gel battery it is an AGM battery. A normal charger is ok to get them at least 80% charged. Do you have a volt meter to test the voltage.
  24. ColinBarber
    I'm assuming you have ruled out the official €690 one 😉
  25. ColinBarber
    Hi Jaxon, if you are in the US you may be better served on our US site although you are most welcome here too - https://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/
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