Snow - 1, Fuel Tank Skid Plate - 0

[lemon]

Well, it's been a fairly snow free winter where I am (southern Ontario) but yesterday we got a medium amount (~10 - 15 cm) of wet heavy snow. The RX, by the way was very sure footed (though the winter tires played a BIG part - I drove my wife's new 2010 Equinox AWD the same day, which has Michelin Latitude Tour all seasons and the difference in the two vehicles was very pronounced).

Anyway, this morning as I walking up to the RX, I noticed something big and black and white hanging under the vehicle. (I have a pic which I'll upload when I get home). Turns out snow somehow packed itself between the plastic fuel tank protector and the fuel tank - enough as it turns out to bend the plastic so it was hanging down, and at some point a piece of the protector broke off.

Didn't Lexus do any snow/winter testing on this damn vehicle? I took my Subaru Outback over huge drifts left by the plows last winter with no problem. With the Lexus, all I did was drive on snow covered, and plowed and unplowed roads. The snow was wet and heavy, but surprisingly, sometimes snow is like that. No driving over drifts like I did with the Suby.

Anyway, I went to the Lexus dealer to price out a replacement. Now remember, it's a piece of plastic (large, mind you).

$500 CDN for this thing. I searched online and found it for around $250 US. Insane.

[RX400h]

We all warned you about living that far north but you wouldn't listen! :D

That price ($500) is absurd but I'm not too surprised at the US price. That would like paying $125 for a Toyota Corolla part.

[lemon]

I wonder if I even need the fuel tank protector. It 'sounds' like an important part, though, doesn't it? Being made of plastic, it's surely not to protect against a big impact, like hitting a rock sticking up out of the ground. I'm thinking it's more to protect against bouncing debris tossed up off the road. The tank itself is not plastic (I have the shop manual at home explaining what the tank is made of and how it's different from the fuel tank in the 330).

[skyfish400h]

I wonder if I even need the fuel tank protector. It 'sounds' like an important part, though, doesn't it? Being made of plastic, it's surely not to protect against a big impact, like hitting a rock sticking up out of the ground. I'm thinking it's more to protect against bouncing debris tossed up off the road. The tank itself is not plastic (I have the shop manual at home explaining what the tank is made of and how it's different from the fuel tank in the 330).

PVC plastic can take an enormous amount of impact and will do quite a bit to protect the gas tank from dents and punctures. So I would want to replace it if I were you. If you think $500 is a lot, ask them for how much to replace the gas tank :o

That said, it would be nice if all these plastic "fig leaves" could be replaced with a real skid plate under the whole car that could protect the expensive electronic equipment as well as the gas tank and withstand high centering over rocks...

But I digress. The 400h will never be any good for off-road until someone figures out a way to "lock" the rear axle to make the car a real 4WD vehicle. If the rear motor is used exclusively for backing up, as has been stated here, then it should be a simple hack to fool the rear motor into thinking it's in REV when it's going FWD and just stay ON even if the HSD is telling it not be ON.

I'm just spit balling.

[RX400h]

Actually, many PVC compounds are brittle when cold. That shield may be UHMW polyethylene. Very few 4-wheel drive vehicles have heavy-duty protection against boulders and the like, so the RX400h is certainly not alone. Perhaps there's a way to add a another plastic piece that would prevent snow from getting under the larger piece.

[lemon]

I wonder if I even need the fuel tank protector. It 'sounds' like an important part, though, doesn't it? Being made of plastic, it's surely not to protect against a big impact, like hitting a rock sticking up out of the ground. I'm thinking it's more to protect against bouncing debris tossed up off the road. The tank itself is not plastic (I have the shop manual at home explaining what the tank is made of and how it's different from the fuel tank in the 330).

PVC plastic can take an enormous amount of impact and will do quite a bit to protect the gas tank from dents and punctures. So I would want to replace it if I were you. If you think $500 is a lot, ask them for how much to replace the gas tank :o

That said, it would be nice if all these plastic "fig leaves" could be replaced with a real skid plate under the whole car that could protect the expensive electronic equipment as well as the gas tank and withstand high centering over rocks...

But I digress. The 400h will never be any good for off-road until someone figures out a way to "lock" the rear axle to make the car a real 4WD vehicle. If the rear motor is used exclusively for backing up, as has been stated here, then it should be a simple hack to fool the rear motor into thinking it's in REV when it's going FWD and just stay ON even if the HSD is telling it not be ON.

I'm just spit balling.

The problem as I understand it, is the rear electric motor will overheat if run for extended periods. It is only cooled by the ATF - WS that lubes the gears. The front electric motors are cooled by the ATF - WS and coolant (the same coolant that runs through the inverter). I guess if Toyota beefed up the rear motor it would be possible to have it run for longer periods?

Regardless, I'm still peeved that the skid plate jammed up with snow.

The entire gas tank by the way is just under $500 US.

[lemon]

Pic uploaded. The very front left corner of the shield (pretty much were most of the snow is packed) is broken off completely. Front of the vehicle is to the left.

[Gryphon]

For that kind of money you could pay a metal fabricator to make a shield from aluminum and one that was better designed to not pack with snow.

Tom

[RX400h]

If it's aluminum, it'd better be hard anodized with a sodium dichromate seal. Otherwise, it'll get really ugly if exposed to salt water.

[Gryphon]

If it's aluminum, it'd better be hard anodized with a sodium dichromate seal. Otherwise, it'll get really ugly if exposed to salt water.

Won't show anyway. :)

Tom

[RX400h]

True, but if it's bolted to steel, it could become a giant anode and be eaten away by corrosion (literally).

[SW03ES]

That is absurd I agree with you...

Is it still under warranty? I'd try and make them cover at least part of that...

[SOMEONE ELSE'S GOT MY NAME]

Thanks for the high price heads up. I'll be checking out the salvage yards if/when the time comes. Their nation wide search tools work pretty good.

[lemon]

For that kind of money you could pay a metal fabricator to make a shield from aluminum and one that was better designed to not pack with snow.

Tom

Got a hold of a metal fabricator close to where I live. Sent him the pic, and he says he can make pretty much anything. He suggested stainless steel, though, if it was a small piece. It's not small, so I'm guessing it might end up being aluminum.

[RX400h]

Again, do NOT bolt aluminum to steel where there are corrosive elements or even just water. Stainless steel would be better, although any areas that are not exposed to air or fresh-running water will experience pitting corrosion.

[lemon]

No, you're right. I spoke to the guy at the metal fabricating place and he 100% recommended stainless. He figured about $100 in stainless and the rest labour (some fancy bends to do at the front of the skid plate. Total would be around $600. For the extra $100 I'd rather go with this than spending $500 at lexus for another piece of plastic that might do the same thing next time it snows. The other option is online at a US dealer where I've found it for $227 USD plus shipping.

[skyfish400h]

Again, do NOT bolt aluminum to steel where there are corrosive elements or even just water. Stainless steel would be better, although any areas that are not exposed to air or fresh-running water will experience pitting corrosion.

RX is quite right. Galvanic corrosion between dissimilar metals is a well known problem. Anodize of the Al plate will be needed to prevent corrosion. Even with that, you will still want to install the fasteners "wet" with a good epoxy primer/paint. Coat all faying surfaces (surfaces that touch each other) on both sides and paint the fastener and inside of the hole to make it as water tight as possible. Water is the enemy.

Better solution is to use the stainless steel the metal fabricator is recommending. It will be more difficult for him to shape but you will not have to worry about dissimilar metal issues.

Considering this cover will only be a replacement for the existing plastic one and not an upgrade to a full skid plate installation... I would just replace the plastic part.