If You Run Out Of Gas, Will The 400h Take You Home On Electric Alone?

[cduluk]

Hey guys. I'm afraid to test this out, hoping someone has experienced this before lol.

Let's just say you are driving along and the tank runs out of gas. Is the car DEAD or will it take you along on just the electric alone?

Thanks for any insight!

[Kyle Petree]

I highly doubt it, unless there is an EV mode, then maybe.

[RX400h]

No, the owner's manual clearly warns against running out of gas. Remember that the batteries must not be discharged below a certain level or their lifespan will be diminished. This is also true of a normal starting battery. You can chop one year off its life by letting it be drained (from leaving on an interior light, for example) so low so that it cannot start the engine.

[08rx400h]

I don't think it can run for long, since the batteries needs gas engine to charge them.

[SOMEONE ELSE'S GOT MY NAME]

Hey guys. I'm afraid to test this out, hoping someone has experienced this before lol.

Let's just say you are driving along and the tank runs out of gas. Is the car DEAD or will it take you along on just the electric alone?

Thanks for any insight!

Oh sure! It'll getcha home, for CERTAIN . . . IF:

Your ICE is warmed up to S4 (157 degrees f.)

Your traction pack is on the top blue line, or in the green, and,

You're less than a half mile from home, and,

Your drive is on level ground.

Now, do you REALLY feel any better? Run the traction pack down to where you get a (red triangle of death) full on shut down, and your recharge will NOT be covered by your warranty. And there's always that embarrasing phone call where in essence you have to call for assistance, in essence admitting to being a couple sandwitches short of a picnik.

[cduluk]

haha, point made :) lol

[RX400h]

Hey guys. I'm afraid to test this out, hoping someone has experienced this before lol.

Let's just say you are driving along and the tank runs out of gas. Is the car DEAD or will it take you along on just the electric alone?

Thanks for any insight!

Oh sure! It'll getcha home, for CERTAIN . . . IF:

Your ICE is warmed up to S4 (157 degrees f.)

Your traction pack is on the top blue line, or in the green, and,

You're less than a half mile from home, and,

Your drive is on level ground.

Now, do you REALLY feel any better? Run the traction pack down to where you get a (red triangle of death) full on shut down, and your recharge will NOT be covered by your warranty. And there's always that embarrasing phone call where in essence you have to call for assistance, in essence admitting to being a couple sandwitches short of a picnik.

....not having a good day, are we? :D

[SW03ES]

The short answer is no ;)

[SOMEONE ELSE'S GOT MY NAME]

....not having a good day, are we? :D

heck ... if I'm NOT having to wait for triple-A to drag me into Lexus, after I thought it'd be ok to see how far 'EMPTY' really is ...

THAT's a good day

[vinovelo]

Hey guys. I'm afraid to test this out, hoping someone has experienced this before lol.

Let's just say you are driving along and the tank runs out of gas. Is the car DEAD or will it take you along on just the electric alone?

Thanks for any insight!

Oh sure! It'll getcha home, for CERTAIN . . . IF:

Your ICE is warmed up to S4 (157 degrees f.)

Your traction pack is on the top blue line, or in the green, and,

You're less than a half mile from home, and,

Your drive is on level ground.

Now, do you REALLY feel any better? Run the traction pack down to where you get a (red triangle of death) full on shut down, and your recharge will NOT be covered by your warranty. And there's always that embarrasing phone call where in essence you have to call for assistance, in essence admitting to being a couple sandwitches short of a picnik.

So true! I live 1.5 miles from a Costco and on the return to the house if the vehicle is warmed up SOMETIMES I can drive 98% of the way on batteries if I am REAL careful. I will have 3-4 bars left after. Normally on flat and level roads I can go about 1/3 - 1/2 mile before the engine wants to kick in at about 32-35 mph. But, it's flaky. Sometimes I cannot get more than 1/10 of a mile and the ICE keeps cutting in. Even after a long run to warm up the coolant, catalyst, etc. Sometimes it's quite frustrating.

I am hoping stronger batteries and a different algorithm on the hybrid control chip might be available a few years down the road. Aftermarket perhaps.

/Steve