nlayla

Hi Dave :), I will definitely reach out to Blackstone labs for oil testing. I'm so glad to learn about the moisture level. I get oil changed as recommended by the dealership's sticker or when the maintenance light comes on. As far as oil type, that's a good question. I sure hope that the Lexus dealership uses the best kind of oil. Thanks so much for the invaluable information to a healthy car. I'll keep everyone updated from time to time. Hope everyone is well. And, Happy New Year! Best, Layla

Hi everyone, thank you for your inputs. Mason, thank you very much for the tips for better gas mileage. I'll definitely do that. Dave, thanks for the reminder about the cold weather, it is true. I have learned a lot about the hybrid engine these past few days. After further research and observations and your inputs, it is in deed the cold weather that is causing the slight drop in mpg. What's happening is that the hybrid engine takes longer to warm up during the cold winter which means the gas engine will pop in more frequently because it is working harder to warm up. And, the reason why I'm getting 20.3 mpg is because I only drive less than 5 miles to work which doesn't give the hybrid engine enough time to warm up. Additionally, I reset the trip odometer after every gas tank fill up and the initial few miles may show that I am only getting 20.3 mpg because it doesn't have enough data to calculate. However, over the weekend, I did some "good solid driving" and my mileage went back up to about 24.5 mpg. I am happy. And, I also learn that the the 2008 models do not need to get an Idle Speed Control reset as it automatically calibrate itself. This is the first winter with my car and I am learning a lot about it. I really do enjoy my car. Love it!

Thank you so much! You're the best! I will ask that the Lexus dealership to look into this. I do have a feeling that it wasn't reset. I'll be back with an update!

Hi, Please reply with additional information would be greatly appreciated! This is in relation to the mpg drop on my 2008 RX400h AWD. I used to get 28mpg and now I'm currently getting about 20.2mpg. What is going on? Could it be the cold weather? Where I live, we are getting 30-55 degree days and during the summer it is about 85 degrees. But truly, the change started happening after the IPM recall replacement in September 2013, I noticed a huge drop in my MPG! The MPG isn't as efficient as it was when I first bought it in August 2013. I used to get 25mph-28mph and that is very efficient! I've reached out to the Lexus dealership who replaced the IPM multiple times and they keep reassuring me that it's reading normally and that's how it is supposed to read! You see, I drive my car every day and I know how it runs and it isn't the same anymore after the IPM replacement. I also notice that the gas engine pops in more frequently at a complete stop while waiting at a red light. I also notice that when I'm barely accelerating (less than 10 mph), the engine pops in too. Whereas before, the engine doesn't kick in until I accelerate to about 25mph, it would used to be all silent hybrid engine until it reaches 25mpg. I like how my car ran before the IPM recall replacement. I take good care of my car, it gets serviced at the Lexus dealership whenever service is needed. All services are up to date with my car, I just don't know what's going on. Any pointers as to how to get MPH back up and more efficiently and why the MPH has dropped so significantly...would be great! Thank You in advance. -nlayla