maseace

400h A/C refrigerant: HFC134a A/C Oil: ND-oil 11

See if you can find where it's leaking down from - maybe from higher up. It could be as simple as a loose hose clamp or a small hole in a hose. Also there are two separate coolant systems - engine and inverter.

I doubt there is a problem with the vehicle. The hot weather (with extra AC use), tire type, tire pressure, and driving habits (speed, braking) have a significant effect on the mileage. Your mileage will also be lower in winter when you use the heater more (the gas engine will need to run more to provide heat).

You could probably just wire the inner lights to the wires of the outer lights, so both would always do the same thing.

The Michelin MXV4 does not have good traction in wet or snow conditions.

I got a nice cover at Costco a few years back, for only $30!

There is no range indicator in the 400h. I've done the mirror cover turn signal mod - pretty difficult! Remember when switching turn signals to LEDs, you will need to add load resistors at each location. For the door sill LED color change, you will need to completely replace the door sills with some newer ones (2008) to get the blue color. You can't get to the LEDs inside. Blue door sills ($100 front, $68 rear) at parts.com: http://www.parts.com/parts/2008/LEXUS/RX400H/?siteid=2&vehicleid=1441484&section=BODY%20HARDWARE&group=PILLARS%2C%20ROCKER%20%26%20FLOOR&subgroup=INTERIOR%20TRIM&component=Sill%20trim

The latest articles I've read say that for modern cars with computer-controlled air/fuel mixtures, a dirty air filter doesn't affect mpg, because the computer constantly adjusts the mix to not waste fuel. Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/debunking-fuel-economy-myths.html

The manual talks about the gas gap delay - it's by design, to reduce pressure/vapor build-up in the fuel tank.

Let's see your mpg after a whole tank of gas!

I have never smelled anything in my 07 RX400h. If it's a musty odor, your AC evaporator drain hose could be plugged, but you would probably notice wet carpet under the blower motor in the front passenger footwell. Can you pinpoint the odor to inside somewhere, or the engine bay?

Here's the code from the service manual. It could also be the battery smart unit. I think the smart unit is this part (battery sensor). P0A80.pdf

Look what I found! Seat Belt Buzzer Settings.pdf

Here's how the rain sensor works (by the drops changing the refractive index, instead of movement). Rain Sensor.pdf

I believe the consensus is yes, it applies to 07 and 08.

For the wiper rain sensor, I was much happier after disconnecting the rain sensor plug behind the rearview mirror. It now oprates like a normal car and I have control over the intermittent speed. The best way to turn off the seatbelt chime is to wear your seatbelt!

I found the diagnostic instructions for this fault code. P0A45 Diagnostics.pdf

Yes, that and the shifter must be firmly in P or N to start it. Try wiggling the steering wheel and shifter next time it happens. Or your key could be worn down enough that it's not quite catching every time. Do you have a second key to try? You can get a replacement key computer-cut using the 5 digit key code.

Yes, if you're not getting any lights on the dash at all, it almost certainly is the 12V battery under the hood. You can get a good one with 100 month warranty at Costco for about $65, or any auto parts store. Try this first before towing! The dealer will charge you a fortune for towing and labor.

Also found these symptoms and what the problem could be. Symptom : Suspect Area Entire A/C system does not operate 1. IG power source circuit 2. A/C amplifier assembly Air Flow Control: No blower operation 1. Heater relay circuit 2. Blower motor circuit 3. A/C amplifier assembly Air Flow Control: No blower control 1. Heater relay circuit 2. Blower motor circuit 3. A/C amplifier assembly Air Flow Control: Insufficient air output 1. Blower motor circuit 2. A/C amplifier assembly Temperature Control: No cool air comes out 1. Volume of refrigerant 2. Refrigerant pressure 3. Pressure switch circuit 4. Air mix damper control servomotor circuit (Driver side) 5. Air mix damper control servomotor circuit (Passenger side) 6. Air mix damper position sensor circuit (Driver side) 7. Air mix damper position sensor circuit (Passenger side) 8. Room temperature sensor circuit. 9. Room humidity sensor circuit 10. Ambient temperature sensor circuit 11. Evaporator temperature sensor circuit 12. w/ Motor compressor assembly 13. A/C amplifier assembly 14. Multiplex communication circuit

The A/C on the hybrid 400h works whether the gas engine is running or not, since it's fully electric. There is no belt-driven AC compressor like on a non-hybrid. Normally when you stop in traffic, the engine will shut off on its own. When you say you're restarting the "engine" do you mean you're just turning the ignition off and back into "ready" mode? The engine shouldn't necessarily come back on. Also make sure you don't have dual climate control on with one side on heat so that both sides of the car are competing for their temperatures. Are you getting any check engine light codes? Here is what the service manual shows for codes related to A/C problems: DTC No. Detection Item B1411/11*1 Room Temperature Sensor Circuit B1412/12*2 Ambient Temperature Sensor Circuit B1413/13 Evaporator Temperature Sensor Circuit B1421/21*3 Solar Sensor Circuit (Passenger Side) B1423/23 Pressure Switch Circuit B1424/24*3 Solar Sensor Circuit (Driver Side) B1431/31 Air Mix Damper Position Sensor Circuit (Passenger Side) B1432/32 Air Inlet Damper Position Sensor Circuit B1433/33 Air Outlet Damper Position Sensor Circuit B1436/36 Air Mix Damper Position Sensor Circuit (Driver Side) B1441/41 Air Mix Damper Control Servomotor Circuit (Passenger Side) B1442/42 Air Inlet Damper Control Servomotor Circuit B1443/43 Air Outlet Damper Control Servomotor Circuit B1446/46 Air Mix Damper Control Servomotor Circuit (Driver Side) B1462/62 Room Humidity Sensor Circuit B1471/71 A/C Inverter High Voltage Power Resource System Malfunction B1472/72 A/C Inverter High Voltage Output System Malfunction B1473/73 A/C Inverter Start-up Signal System Malfunction B1475/75 A/C Inverter Cooling / Heating System Malfunction B1476/76 A/C Inverter Load System Malfunction B1477/77 A/C Inverter Low Voltage Power Resource System Malfunction B1498/98 Communication Malfunction (A/C Inverter Local) B1474/74 A/C Inverter Malfunction P0AA6-611 Hybrid Battery Voltage System Isolation Fault B1499/99 Multiplex Communication Circuit RX400h AC system.pdf

Not sure what your specific problem is but a few things might help: -- Use the outside (fresh) air mode instead of recirculate. -- Make sure the A/C evaporator drain tube under the car is not clogged. You should see a small puddle of water when parking after using the A/C. If not, it could be clogged.

Yeah you have to use IE because the manual uses Adobe SVG viewer, which was only supported by IE, and the newer versions of IE still have problems reading the SVG files.

http://www.carbuyingtips.com/

Parts.com has OEM Lexus parts cheaper than Lexus or Toyota dealers. You can look things up by part number or diagrams. But it is true they share a lot of parts, so if you have the part number you can probably get it from a Toyota dealer for less. My nearest Toyota dealer happens to be ridiculously expensive though.