dobby

Was the vehicle in PARK? If not, the tailgate may be disabled as a safety precaution.

I'm pretty sure the vehicle was in PARK. I'll check it again tonight. Thanks RX400H.

I think my tailgate is set to open only when doors are unlocked.

I left my 2006 400h sitting in my garage in Seattle for 5-6 weeks (for a family emergency). Had no issues. The car was <1 year old at the time. I'm not sure how it would be now.

Well I got my car back. I'm told that essentially the hybrid battery failed. On the work order form, mentioned is that the diagnostic scan tool had code P080 "replace hybrid battery pack". No other parts were reportedly faulty or replaced.

Fortunately, everything is under warranty, otherwise cost estimate $5500 for parts and labor.

Just came back from my dealer. My 2006 400h (about 21,800 miles) started flashing the "check VSC system/check hybrid system" on Monday. Noted that the engine didn't shut off as usual at a traffic stop and getting out of the intersection was sluggish and going uphill was a bear; the CVT kept shifting. The hybrid battery reading was down to the last bar (when usually it's at about 2/3). From the time late Monday until today when I got to the dealer the MPG tanked from 26 to 22. I suspect it was running on gas the entire time.

The dealer said the hybrid battery "failed" and I'm waiting for parts and getting it fixed, hopefully by Monday.

In the meantime, there weren't any Lexus loaners available so I'm tooling around town in a Chevy Cobalt with manual locks, windows, mirrors, etc. (careful not to lock myself out of the car!) <_<

So after searching and reviewing DIY instructions on installing the Vaistech SL1, I'm not sure I'm handy enough to attempt installation on my own.

Anyone have recommendations of places in Seattle that will install? Of course, I'll check with my dealership, Lexus of Bellevue; but I wanted to get some other ideas.

Thanks.

I'm looking to buy a 5-pc set of all-weather floor mats for my 400h. Anyone have any suggestions about where to go? I've been looking to buy online. Any help is appreciated.

I bought mine through Sewell Lexus www.lexus-parts.com Because they were Lexus floor mats, they fit perfectly

I worried about the battery running down while I have been away for 1 month. I hadn't the time to set up a battery tender or even have a friend fire up the car once a week since I emergently left town (my mother had surgery for cancer)

The good news is that coming home, the 400h started right up without any problems. Hurray!

katzjammer, rexmiami (and other seattle owners)? , are these data dots available here? my first 6 month/5,000 mi tuneup will be in December; just wondering if I should be asking for the installation then.

The great mystery to me is why tens of thousands of people used the interstate highways to get out of town?? Why didn't they just drive north and west from Houston on the numerous uncrowded back country roads? Some reporters tried the back country roads and found it was easy to get away from Houston and Galveston.

Another mystery to me is why didn't the tens of thousands of people follow the course of the hurricane on TV before deciding to leave Houston? If they had done that they would have seen the hurricane was NOT directly headed for Houston and there was no urgent need to evacuate. They would have also seen the hurricane was weakening to a category 3 which is too weak to flatten houses and threaten alot of lives.

Now it looks like some lives will be needlessly lost from flooding - again because people aren't monitoring the storm and realizing that the storm is going to stall out and dump 10-20 inches of rain over the area just east of Houston.

I hope this statement is derived merely from inexperience and ignorance rather than outright insensitivity. Having previously lived in Houston (but lucky enough ONLY to have witnessed flooding at the Texas Medical Center and not a direct hit from a hurricane), I've experienced many "back roads" that were easily washed out and flooded out from the rains that preceeded the storm. Even some of the highways that go under an overpass can be flooded. You have to turn back unless your willing to risk driving through it and stalling out your vehicle. If your trying to conserve the gas in your tank, it's not necessarily the best route.

Witnessing the devastation of Katrina and knowing that your home can still be flooded, if I've been advised to evacuate, I'd certainly consider it. Trying to decide what to pack of my entire possession into a vehicle and doing it quickly leaves little time to sit and watch the tv for the progression of a hurricane.

A ltitle more to the topic at hand, the closest I've experienced to a jam testing my 400h is at the US/Canada border crossing...nearly 3 hours to move about 1/2 mile. One time the battery ran down and the ICE kicked in, but even then mostly all electric and average 40+mpg on the monitor.

Does anyone have the C-Best settings list for the RX400h ?

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Is that the same as the "Lexus personalized settings"? If so, here's the site for the pdf

http://www.lexus.com/assets/models/warrant...lectionForm.pdf

My last vehicle was an Integra and my brother put in a cargo net. With the 400h, I had even more space for my groceries to fly around (nevermind my skates and gear). Bought the net through irontoad.com but then I didn't have the heart to drill on my brand new baby. The dealer installed it for free last Sunday when I took it in to make some adjustments on the personalized settings. Absolutely love the net! :D

Apologies in advance for this newbie question. I've never owned a Lexus before much a less a hybrid.

After driving even a short trip (10 minutes), the metal part of the key feels warm upon removal. Is it supposed to?

It looks like the new owner's registration is working at the www.lexus.com site. This time, the site recognized my VIN rather than "blame" me for incorrectly entering it ;)

What a timely subject.

I noticed my 400h doing the same thing on the freeway when I took it out for the first few times this past week. The movements correlated with the electric power boost on my dash monitor. While I'm used to "wind effect" movements, having driven an Integra as my last car, I thought it was odd that the 400h would be so much more noticeable on a day with even less wind. On a hunch, I also checked the cold tire pressures...38. Now that I'm back down to 30, the movement from the electric power assist is very subtle.

Hey none of the auto parts stores in my area sell Lexol, I have to special order it. But before I do, I just want to make sure I'm ordering the right thing. Can someone tell me what it is I'm supposed to order? Maybe post a UPC or SKU number from a bottle that you have? I don't wanna go in and say "I need some Lexol" and then have them be like, "Ok..do you want the conditioner, leather treatment 1 step super formula... blah blah" or whatever.

Thanks!

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I noticed you're in Seattle. I was at my local Fred Meyer on the Eastside the other day and noted that they carried the Lexol cleaner and conditioner in the spray bottles (200ml? 250 ml?) for $6.99 each.

Also while talking to a friend who's into horses, she readily recognized these products for cleaning and maintaining saddles, bridles, etc. So perhaps a shop locally that caters to the horsey set may carry it, too?

Just got back from the Lexus of Bellevue dealership to pick up my black on black 400h. I had gone to the dealership the first week of May (this year), put down a deposit and got on the waiting list. I still don't fully understand the workings of the waiting list, but I think that the entire list for the dealership is then divided up amongst the sales staff and how they each managed the list is variable. Apparently coming in for the test drive, making the deposit may have put me on the shorter list than those who may have originally expressed interest over a year ago but hadn't been heard from since then. I was asked for first and second choice colors.

At the next closest dealership, Lexus of Seattle, which is in Lynnwood, their waiting list gave preferential listing to previous customers of the dealership; kinda like an "A" list and "B" list. Being a non-previous customer but willing to put down a deposit back in May, I was informed that the wait time would be 12-18 months...definitely not 2005. Never got around to putting down the deposit there since I got the call from Bellevue so soon.

Now I can also take advantage of the clean fuel vehicle deduction for this year! :D

Thanks everyone for the helpful information on the forum.

The Container Store carries a few car organizer things including trash receptacles. Some rest on the floor mats, others hang from the head rest. Perhaps not terribly aesthically appealing, but practical. Besides, its better than having trash strewn about vehicle.