ColinBarber

4 hours ago, Khurram said:

is it built into the audio?

If you have the basic 8 speaker audio system then it is built into the headunit. If you have the 10 or 14 speaker audio system with a sub (item 11) then you have a separate amp as shown in the diagram. There is only one location it is fitted, which is shown as item 1.

4 hours ago, Notamech said:

I reckon the prius is a lot lighter so should feel quite fast.

It is lighter (around 100 kg), not as much as you think is this is a PHEV with a larger Battery, plus the ever growing size of each generation of vehicle.

5 minutes ago, Mr_Groundhog said:

which Toyota is NOT bringing to the UK mind you

They changed their mind, but only the plug in variant. 
 

https://www.toyota.co.uk/new-cars/prius-plugin

I've never paid the extra insurance cover when it was a recall - the dealer gets money from Lexus to cover the cost (and additional money for extra petrol). Any dealer charging you has made a mistake, has a member of staff in need of training or is taking advantage of the situation.

1 hour ago, Cpt.Pix said:

The former owner told me that the engine only used 1 liter per change and that the problem was that I didn't put the right one, namely 0w20 from Toyota.Since i've bought the car i drived it for around 6000 km. Have you ever encountered this problem of oil consumption from 3 mz fe? Could it really be because of the 5w30 oil I put on it?

5w30 is fine for that engine, in fact I'm not sure 0w20 was originally a recommended grade when the vehicle was new, although it was possibly retrospectively added later. If it is consuming 5w30 oil then it will certainly consume 0w20, probably more because it is thinner.

If you haven't got a leak then ideally you want to known how the oil is being consumed. Valve guides, piston rings, excessive oil pressure etc.

When the 450h+ launched it had a £5k premium over the 350h - that is a lot if you aren't able to, or don't want to, plug in and charge to make use of the extra benefit it provides. Now Lexus has lowered the price to under £2k difference to help offset some of the penalties they will pay for not selling enough EVs, the 350h sales will no doubt suffer and I wouldn't be surprised if Lexus consolidate the range in the UK at some point. The 500h will probably go - I suspect Lexus need the different options in the US and other markets, but once they understand which one(s) sell in the UK the other will be removed.

1 hour ago, Boomer54 said:

I understand your comments. My concern was not is there some superficial rust. You would expect some of that. No, my concern was is there more than that, but how do you know if you cannot see it through the sealant?

Magnet is really all you can use to make sure it isn't full of filler. Underseal is a legitimate protection method but can equally be used to cover up issues.

6 minutes ago, Greisingel said:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Universal-Disconnect-Terminal-Isolator-Vehicles/dp/B075CK7W3Z/ref=pd_ci_mcx_mh_mcx_views_0?pd_rd_w=AJBMG&content-id=amzn1.sym.d63274d0-bf52-45e7-ae69-2bcf85c5865c%3Aamzn1.symc.ca948091-a64d-450e-86d7-c161ca33337b&pf_rd_p=d63274d0-bf52-45e7-ae69-2bcf85c5865c&pf_rd_r=DCVAV0JB0X4HYR6TBV85&pd_rd_wg=KEy6a&pd_rd_r=53d8f9de-97a0-416a-9612-5804d74ee81b&pd_rd_i=B075CK7W3Z

 

Not ideal. You would be resetting the engine ECU so long term fuel trims need to be relearnt and you possibly have to go through a ISC reset procedure otherwise the hybrid system may not shut down the engine - affecting economy.

Best to identify the issue and resolve.

27 minutes ago, TomDickHarri said:

Just one thing: Will the sensor remain disarmed? Can I just abandon (park) the car and lock as usual or do I have to go through the double locking procedure every time? No animal (4 legs or 2) will ever be locked in the car and I will never want to reactivate the sensor.

Every time I believe. 

Definitely check for metal objects under the armrest - it will interfere (possibly in the ashtray too). It would be nice to resolve the issue rather than disabling the interior sensor every time.

19 hours ago, Beamish said:

 

Could you try taping over the motion sensor?

 

If that sorts the problem then it would suggest that you have an insect/moth of some sort in the cabin which is setting it off.

The series II GS uses a microwave sensor not ultrasonics - you cannot tape over the sensor as it is buried within the centre console and the signal would just penetrate normal tape as it already goes through the console plastic.

38 minutes ago, Khurram said:

I am not able to find the AMP on my NX300H premium. Is it built in to the audio?

Item 1 in the follow diagram (I've moved your question to a new post as it was off-topic in the IS forum).

10 hours ago, lexuswannabe said:

Is this because the petrol engine just won't start or because a low charged traction battery is inherently not chargeable?

When in Neutral the engine and transmission are disengaged. Therefore the petrol engine cannot drive the generator to charge the Battery. This is a non-issue provided you use Park and not Neutral when stopped for more than a minute or two.

3 hours ago, hprice1099 said:

Or I’m also looking at getting my alternator professionally refurbished which ironically is over £100 cheaper.

That might be the way to go if you can do without the car whilst it is being done. 

12 minutes ago, TomDickHarri said:

Another on-line suggestion was checking the motion sensor which is behind the lights/sunroof housing.

I thought it was in the centre console on the GS series II but above.

I'm not 100% sure but I believe to disable the interior sensors you should lock the car, wait 10 seconds and then lock again - 5 flashes will mean it has disabled the interior sensors.

I've used Total Car Check a couple of times for an 'HPI' check. £8.99 for a single use of their Gold service, much cheaper than some - although probably the same info as you would get for £4.95 from Autotrader - and both have a £30k guarantee.

1 hour ago, hprice1099 said:

RAC have been out, turns out it’s the alternator. Quoted £350 to replace, does that sound reasonable? 

Not too bad if that is to supply and fit with a decent warranty. It is unlikely to be a genuine Lexus part though.

44 minutes ago, Herbie said:

This is referred to as the 'quiescent' current draw and most modern cars seem to be in the 50 to 70mA (milliamps or 0.05 to 0.07A) range

I've not measured it but I suspect the latest models have a higher current draw than that. Smart entry means the vehicle is constantly transmitting a signal to find a key, plus Bluetooth if the vehicle has digital key connectivity and Internet connectivity is always active to accept remote A/C commands etc.

2 hours ago, edgahan said:

(w/o registration numbers)

Try using a reg number from the Lexus used car section of their website to see if that makes any difference. Some insurance companies do inflate premiums if you don't have the reg number.

1 hour ago, wharfhouse said:

or the car is left in N (so always leave it in P or D when stopped and never N and if sitting in the car or doors are open always start it into Ready mode if any electrical items are on for any length of time - even interior lights). 

Technically the hybrid system is still providing all electrical power for the vehicle when in N (the system is still in Ready mode). The issue is that when the hybrid/traction Battery gets low the petrol engine cannot recharge and you therefore run the risk of fully discharging the Battery which is very bad (although I'm sure the vehicle will just shut down before that happens).

1 hour ago, GSLV6 said:

The 350h is not a good direct comparison with the older 4th gen 450h and is an all new model rather than a direct replacement.  Having had a chance now to try one, it feels rather gutless by comparison. 

The 450h+ plug is probably closer as a comparison but due to larger battery/power available from the motors has more electrical power on tap.

It certainly gives up some power but it is the only model that directly compares. The 450h+ is a PHEV and the 500h has a higher performance turbo charged/auto transmission drivetrain for a different type of customer.

Certainly Lexus designed the 350h has a replacement based on their press information

"This 2.5-litre petrol drivetrain provides 247bhp/184kW and 0-62mph acceleration in 7.9 seconds, performance comparable with the current RX 450h, while at the same time producing lower emissions."

1 hour ago, GSLV6 said:

Yes, the 500 is not meant to be the replacement to the older one, and I didn't really suggest that it was...anywhere.  I was commenting on comparisons on efficiency.

A higher performance model is never going to be as efficient - your comparison on efficiency suggests you are thinking it is a replacement whereas it is aimed at a different type of buyer who's priority is not efficiency.

1 hour ago, GSLV6 said:

Whist it's true that the 450h+ is more fuel efficient with fully charged batteries, does this remain the case once the battery charge has depleted?  I can't think that could be the case as some of the car's motive power must then be diverted to maintain a minimum charge in the battery pack?

It's no different than with the older 450h. Once the Battery is depleted, full power cannot be achieved. But that rarely happens, the system will always store some energy in the Battery when full power isn't being delivered so that it is available when it is called for.

Whether you manually switch to hybrid mode, or it is forced because the Battery charge is low, based on owners here you can expect to get around 50 mpg. If you charge up and operate in EV mode then you are getting up to 235 mpg in PHEV / mpg measurement.

1 hour ago, lexus.gs.uk said:

Good point so when battery is depleted does the battery reserve power to give out the full 304bhp i was under the impression the rx450+ has 2 battery one for the EV range only then once that has depleted it goes to hybrid power and still maintains its full power output  of 304 bhp or does the hybrid of the 450h+ uses one battery pack to run the EV range then goes on to hybrid mode once depleted

There is only one Battery. If the Battery depletes to a point where EV running isn't possible, but where some energy remains, it switches to a hybrid system and the same rules apply as with a traditional hybrid - you should get full system power provided you don't try and sustain full power indefinitely where the Battery can no longer provide any assistance.

In hybrid mode, the vehicle benefits from a larger Battery compared to the older 450h - that makes it more efficient, along with the more efficient petrol engine. The traditional hybrids are compromised on Battery size due to cost and space constraints. As the PHEV has a much larger Battery, it can make use of that greater energy store even when just running as a normal hybrid.

38 minutes ago, FredD said:

Sorry my comment was in relation to the 450h+. If the RX450h 4th generation is more fuel efficient than the 450h+, why have they replaced the v6 by a 2.4 petrol engine ?

The new 450h+ is definitely more efficient than the old 450h, even if you don't plug it in and charge it. V6 engines are all but gone - the emissions are too high to meet current targets.

22 minutes ago, brendangeorge said:

If the battery discharges on the drive way over night you have a fault or a bad battery.

As explained by the OP, the Battery is new, and it isn't the first time it has had to be replaced.

42 minutes ago, GSLV6 said:

Looks like it's less efficient than the Gen4 450h then.

13 minutes ago, FredD said:

If the Gen 4 is more efficient it begs the question why they replaced the V6 engine ? 

The 500h isn't meant to be a gen4 450h replacement - that's the job of the gen5 350h and it is more efficient.

The 500h is meant as a high performance version of the RX, way beyond  the old 450h, and as a result uses more fuel.

1 hour ago, hprice1099 said:

Code the attached codes, could still be a number of things but voltage seems to be the cause.

Typically several unrelated codes appearing at once does suggest a 12v Battery issue.

1 hour ago, lexus.gs.uk said:

So on a long motorway run the rx500h should achieve 40mpg if the claimed combined are true to 35mpg which usually is never true.   Also the 350h seems quite louder then then 450h+ is this because the 350h is down on power and sound way more buzzy..  

Hybrids don't typically do much better on a motorway run. Not sure why Lexus only publish the combined figure in Europe but in the US the two figures are essentially identical (although cannot be directly compared to Europe because of the different testing method and imperial vs US gallon size).

The 450h+ has powerful electric motors so the petrol engine has to do less work (less revs) compared to the 350h for the same level of performance. Perhaps that's why you found it noisier.