Lwerewolf

..or, more likely, a completely failed vvt-i mechanism.

The ECU is probably the power electronics - classic. Same with the hybrid inverters usually blowing up, the EPS ECUs usually blowing up, but not the transmissions/racks/etc.

...or just the fact that it's essentially a different engine. Different plenum, different injection patterns, different PCV, water pump and whatnot. There is a TSB for the pre-D4S RX's re: fuel injectors, though.

It's 288v nominal (6 cells x 20 modules x 1.2v). Might want to paint the complete picture - something about the previous owner having experienced the same or very similar thing - and why you were told that it'd be a good idea to change the 12v. Also the fact that the car'd been parked for 2 weeks. It's a different board 😉 It's extremely weird for such a car to fail like this out of a sudden. Also weird that it isn't throwing a battery code given the voltage difference between the blocks (1 block = 2 modules = 12*1.2v = 14.4v nominal, if >1.2v delta is detected = p0a80 is set).

Well... DTC No. Code INF DTC Detection Condition Faulty area P0A90 251 Reduced magnetic field strength of the electric motor or phase short circuit Hybrid transmission assembly That said: DTC No. Relevant diagnostics P0A1A (all INF codes), P0A1B (all INF codes) Malfunction in the MG ECU circuit P0A1D (all INF codes) Malfunction in the hybrid system ECU circuit P0A3F-243, P0A40-500, P0A41-245 Motor resolver circuit P0A4B-253, P0A4C-513, P0A4D-255 Generator resolver circuit P0A51-174 Malfunction in the MG ECU circuit P0A60 (all INF codes), P0A63 (all INF codes) Motor Current Sensor Circuit P0A72 (all INF codes), P0A75 (all INF codes) Generator current sensor circuit P0A78-306, 510, 586, 266, 267, 523 Motor inverter malfunction (n.b. me - motor means MG2) P0A7A-344, 522 Generator inverter fault P0A90-509 Motor system malfunction P0A92-521 Generator system malfunction P0A94-585, 587, 589, 590 Boost Converter Circuit P0AA6 (all INF codes), P3004-132 High voltage system P3233-750 Hybrid system valve lock wiring faulty NOTE: P0A90-251 may be set due to a malfunction that also causes the DTCs listed in the table above to be output. In this case, first troubleshoot the issued DTCs listed in the table above. Then perform a test to try to reproduce the faults and ensure that no DTCs are output. First things first - log the inverter temps. Hybridassistant can log to a csv file, the "inverter temp" is the highest of either the MG1 or MG2 inverter temps. If it spikes wildly - there's a very high likelihood that the inverter has deteriorated to the point of being very noticeable like that - so I'd start with swapping said inverter. I'd too wager on it being at fault given how sudden and intermittent the issue seems to be. It's very likely that you're just a smooth/sensible/mature/whateveryouwannacallit driver - most cases of blown inverters aren't preceded by a p0a78, but then again - it's a sin not to use these cars' acceleration once in awhile... and some people tend to be holier than thou 😄 😄 😄 If you want to go down the rabbit hole - have fun

p0a78 was what I got a day prior to the inverter's IPM (igbt power module) blowing up - granted, I decided that "it's time to stress test it", and I did 😛 Given that RHD inverter assemblies are (or at least very much used to be) rather cheap and plentiful - I'd get one from a crown hybrid (gws204, RHD-only). The IPM isn't available separately, and it's of the classic type (not sintered, not dual-side cooled/sandwiched/etc - basically solder layer degrades, heat transfer degrades, etc). It's not the thermal grease, I've tried. edit: my EV noises became a lot more apparent when I swapped my rear diff for a US/JDM 3.769 one (due to the higher mg2 rpm at low speeds when you can really hear it - ESPECIALLY when it's warmed up and AC & vented seats & music are all off), but absolutely nothing like this - I don't think my phone will be able to pick them up. You might want to check/log inverter temps (amongst other things) with hybridassistant.

Pretty sure that you can replicate this effect by running the car in "maintenance mode" or with the engine otherwise forced on and idling (not propelling, not charging the battery, nothing). It still won't happen reliably. Mine's a mk3 at almost 410 000kms (250k mi), cold compression numbers last time I checked (a few months ago) were pretty much equal. What is always noteworthy is the amount of oil on the famous 5th cylinder*'s intake tract, and how clean of carbon that tract is due to the amount of oil there. What is also noteworthy is that the mk3 450h's 2GR-FSE engine has a unique to itself part number for the PCV valve - and different intake VVT-i phasers, but I'm more interested about the former. The -FXE in the gs450h is pretty much an evolution of that engine - more compression, even more aggressive late intake valve closing, some other relatively minor differences. Given the randomness of this issue, I'd say that it's very likely that it's just blowback oil pooling and then being forced in during specific circumstances. Doesn't take a whole lot of oil droplets to destabilize the combustion process of a single cylinder during no-load-whatsoever idling. My 5th cylinder spark plug tends to be a bit more worn than the others too. I haven't installed a catch can to test this theory yet, it happens way too rarely/sporadically and has been doing this since I got it (at 240k km or so). Sometimes even the incline on which the car is leaning seems to have an effect. If this turns out to be the case, I guess a "permanent" proper solution would be a good air/oil separator system - which would probably involve drilling an oil return line somewhere at the side of the oil pan. *if you haven't been reading Russian boards, the consensus seems to be that the 5th cylinder compression/wear issue is due to debris going past the air filter (on the mk3 3gs there's no rubber seal along the ends of the OEM filter - hence potential dust ingress) and mostly being funneled to the 5th cylinder (along with oil from the PCV) due to the design of the intake plenum - this appears to be a "common" GR-series engines thing.

It does have it, you just need the absolute latest version. For whatever reason.

Probably because the actual 3rd facelift of the 3GS (with the different wheels, clear tail lights, veeery chromey front grille, lack of cassette tape & so on) has a different part number for the pop-out buttons assembly. AFAIK, it's extremely rare to find such a car, let alone wrecked. Wouldn't lose much sleep over this. EDIT: GS460 seems to have had this from the get-go. Weird.

Cheaper is not just as good - ESPECIALLY when it comes to all-season tires. I'd consider the heretical option of going with summers + a second set of all-seasons for the "off-season". All-year-long all-seasons might also be a good option if you don't get any extreme weather (that includes heat waves). Over here the summers can get to ~34+ and the winters can sometimes (albeit somewhat rarely nowadays) be in the always minus (and somewhat often -10+...errr -) ranges, so I have two sets. Re: brands you listed - add continental, bridgestone, goodyear. Then go on tyrereviews and scour it 🙂

All RHD 3GS (GWS191) and Crown GWS204 (it is RHD only anyways) inverters should be interchangeable. MK4 is different (LS600h-style double-side cooled IGBTs, practically eternal). If you look around (you know, google 😛 ), you can find a lot of info about our particular inverters and what works (including putting in a camry hybrid IPM) and what doesn't. Since there are plenty of RHD 3GS inverters - just drop a new one it. Aaaaand again - get codes first, make sure it's not something else. RHD inverters are cheap, but the battery is a somewhat significant expense.

Just saying.

If you don't alter your criteria, you're stuck looking for a GSh. JDM specifically, given that you want sub-6sec 0-62mph/0-100kph 😛(JDM & USDM have shorter final drive)

Swap in the newest that you can find, RHD inverters are plentiful. Check the fuses in the big engine bay fuse box, ICGT (no. whatever) is very likely shot. While you're at it, swap in a 3.769 JDM(/USDM) final drive diff for better just-about-everything. ...actually, read the codes beforehand... in case it's unrelated.

As I wrote somewhere else - make sure the engine idles (i.e. maintenance mode). You won't get the proper fluid level if the engine isn't idling either (1000rpm).