Herbie

Hi Zakaria and welcome to the club. I hate to 'blow my own trumpet' as it were but given that this is your first hybrid, you may find the fourth post in the following topic helpful because they are certainly different to a conventional car:

The 400h is good but it's old now - the 450h is a whole order of magnitude better in almost all respects. I went from a 2005 RX300 to a late (November) 2013 RX450h and I love it. Had it for two and a half years now and it still puts a big grin on my face every time I get in it. Hoping I'm not tempting fate here but it's never missed a beat and been absolutely rock solid every step of the way. The question of 'what to look out for' has been answered so many times that the forum is awash with replies so just do a search and you should come up with some info, although the answer is probably 'nothing really'

Some cameras, and I think the Aukey and Viofo ones are amongst them, have a 'parking mode' where some electronic wizardry in the camera monitors battery voltage and shuts the camera down if it starts to get to a certain threshold, thereby always ensuring that there's enough power in the battery to start the car.

Sorry to say I have no answers for you but I'm just curious about: Was that a properly qualified auto electrician? I'm a firm believer in mechanics for mechanical and auto electricians for auto electrical work, especially for something as complicated as this.

Yep, that's what I've got as well.

Here's a video that I found half an hour ago whilst looking for something else (I just love the Youtube rabbit hole )

VSC can illuminate for a whole host of reasons and you can't just stab in the dark as to what it may be. As a starting point you need to read, or have read, the OBD2 codes. Even when you know what codes are present, that again is just another starting point for investigation, not an absolute guarantee that a given sensor is playing up and all your problems will be solved just by replacing it. Two things that regularly do crop up though is to (a) check that the fuel filler cap is clean, tight and properly seals when you put it back on, and (b) make sure the battery is good - if it's low then charge it up overnight or if it's not holding charge, replace it. Both of those things have been known to cause VSC and TC lights. Other than that, start with the codes.

Possibly Paul, although I don't know for sure if the washer pumps even have a relay in circuit.

Can't be syphonic as the height of the nozzle is way above the height of the tank. Water cannot climb uphill on its own so it has to be an electrical problem running the pump (front wash and rear wash have separate pumps if I remember correctly) but not at 'proper' speed. Auto electrics are like the black arts. I remember working on a skip truck* whose very perplexed driver brought it into the garage and said, "Watch this." Every time he pressed the footbrake the windscreen wipers did one full sweep! We traced it back to a partial short circuit where the wipers were getting a backfeed from the brake pedal switch. *I was an apprentice electrician at the time, in a factory. I don't know why they did it but the 'powers that be' decided it would be good for the apprentice electricians to get a bit of experience in the factory garage, working with the auto electrician for a month. Have to say I did enjoy it though 🙂

I've never used 'clickmechanic' so can't say anything about that but the rest of that sentence gives me cause for concern. It's not yet been proved that the alternator is the problem so even if a garage did change it, it may not cure the fault. It needs to be properly diagnosed in a logical and methodical way and preferably by a proper auto electrician rather than a mechanical garage or, God forbid, somewhere like Halfords. I don't know whereabouts you are in Hampshire but a cursory googling shows a 5-star rating for https://www.amtecautoelectrics.co.uk/ and also 5-star rating for http://petersfieldautoelectrical.co.uk/ Above all, remember that you've got rights under the Sale of Goods Act and that the garage you bought it from should be doing all this for you.

They are correct with respect to the hybrid battery. Just a few days ago another member on here had the check done at Lexus and they told him the same thing. I can't remember the exact reason for this, although I'm sure someone else will be along shortly who can explain it in more detail. I think it's to do with the logging systems that may have codes listed, not because something really is faulty but just because the system doesn't have enough recent data to work on, which is why they need you to drive it for a few hundred miles. I'm really not sure about the other things though. Yes, they may only be small things that are easily dealt with - but they may turn into a nightmare. I suppose it boils down to how urgently you need or want a car. It may take a bit of time and it may mean you have to travel a bit, but I'm sure that sooner or later a better car will turn up without the problems that this one seems to have.

Could be a slipping belt - look for glazing on the belt and/or squealing when a high electrical load is on. Could be loose and/or dirty connections in the charging circuit. Was the engine just idling when you took the voltage readings or did you rev it - alternator output can vary with spin speed so see what the voltage is when the engine is at about 2 or 3000rpm. There are a few good videos on Youtube on how to go about testing the alternator on the car, so have a look here for some good suggestions. Finally, but perhaps most importantly, unless you bought it privately then you really shouldn't be doing any of this anyway. You've only had it a few days so you should take it back to the trader/garage/dealer you bought it from and get them to put it right at their expense under warranty.

I wouldn't trust Halfords to fill the windscreen washer bottle, let alone letting them loose on the electrics. If you really can't or don't want to DIY, at least go to a proper auto electrician who will charge about £30 to £40, but don't go to Halfords (cowboys) or Lexus (well overpriced).

Worms, can, opened! This guy has reviewed more than 50 or 60 dashcams and this is the one he settled on for using in his own car, which speaks volumes to me. This video is now two years old so no doubt the cameras have been superceded by newer models but at least it should give you confidence in the company and whatever models they are selling now.

Yes, for the price of a belt you may as well and then you know it's right.

This is happening because the battery is low, quite possibly on its way out. A starter motor will draw over 300A to crank the engine but in your case it can't supply that. There's enough power in the battery to pull in the starter solenoid contacts, which then passes power to the starter motor, but once the motor tries to draw a heavy current the battery voltage drops very low - so low that it can't hold the solenoid contacts in. When the solenoid drops, battery voltage climbs back up and the whole process carries on in a loop. The clicking you can hear is the solenoid contacts keep making and breaking, more commonly known as solenoid chatter. So, it's either the battery itself at fault or the alternator is not charging it. The chart below wil help to diagnose it. Standing voltage should be as per the chart but when the alternator starts then the voltage should climb to about 14.5V. If it doesn't then it's the alternator.

The Lexus satnav in my 2013 RX is atrocious but may be better in your 2017 NX. I use my Android phone both to play music from and also use it as a satnav by using either Waze or Google Maps (and sometimes also What 3 Words). Sometimes, I even use it to make/receive calls Anyway, with all that drain on it, it does need to be kept plugged in to a power socket so I fitted a dual USB with integrated voltmeter, although of course, you don't have to do that. To answer your question simply, yes, just stick with your Android phone (added bonus is that you won't have to mess with that awful iTunes thing).

The RX is a bit tall to get a bike up on/off the roof safely anyway isn't it? Unless you carry step ladders around?

You can see/download the application guide here https://www.saxon-brands.com/product/stoplock

Good point Barry - just shows how the mind can jump to conclusions: A priest, a minister and a rabbit walk into a pub Barman - "What can I get for you?" Rabbit - "Don't ask me - I'm only here because of Autocorrect" A bit like what my brain did when I read the OP

I use a Stoplock Pro Elite and in various tests and reviews in the motoring press, it took more than five minutes using hammers, chisels and saws to defeat it. Deterrent is the name of the game and that's five minutes plus of noise and hassle that they don't want. The whole idea is for them to see it through the window and decide it's not worth the hassle and move on to an easier target. It's not pretty but it does its job well.

I'm sure I read it somewhere but of course, now that I want to link to it I can't find it However, I did find this, which says that a successful hybrid health check gives an extra 1 year or 10,000 miles (whichever comes sooner) hybrid battery warranty extension until the car is 15 years old (making the limit 150k not 140k):

Exactly as John says: https://www.thecarexpert.co.uk/how-accurate-is-a-car-speedometer/

No offence meant but why would you spend all that money buying a car like that and then only use it for 2,000 miles a year? That's like a dragon sitting on its hoard of gems but doing nothing else with them. Life is not a rehearsal for next time you come along, get out and enjoy it now while you can because you never know what's round the corner. Like I said, no offence meant but I'm just acutely aware of how fragile life is. A few months ago my wife's cousin, a fit, healthy and agile 39-year old, was in conversation with a mate of his, laughing and joking when he just fell down and was dead before he hit the floor. A painting or a sculpture gives pleasure by looking at it and can do nothing else except be looked at, but a car is meant to be driven and used or the next owner will get all the pleasure that you never did.

I'd say the fact that no one has replied means that no one else has had this particular problem and so can't offer any advice. I say that because I know that people in here are usually very helpful so I'd say it's just down to lack of knowledge. I think it may be worth having a look to see if any water appears when the rear screen washer is activated. I think the pipe runs front to back on the drivers side so it may have come loose or damaged somehow. Sorry, but that's all I can offer.