RX400h

Nice pics, too bad there are two clowns standing in front of the car blocking our view (hey, sit back down, it's only a joke)  .

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Hey, at least I didn't hit the garage door with the hatch! :P

I just made sure that I knew if it would, should someone inadvertantly hit the button to open the hatch!

I will let everyone know if I have any success with this issue.

Thanks!

Wow, that answers that question.

Now to see how efficient the air conditioner cools with this new compressor?

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I used it yesterday and I can say without reservation that it cools very well!

When we arrived to pick up our 400, the salesman told us that all RX400hs sold by this dealersip will include lifetime membership in the "Lexus Bluetooth Concierge" activation and support. For a one-time $90 fee, this service provides live assistance for complete car phone system setup. They provide education, training, handset recommendation and service. We felt that given the extent of the service and the low cost, it would be money well-spent.

If you don't have this service, you might want to inquire about it. I'm fairly certain that you can receive calls while driving, since it is essentially hands-free.

DENSO Develops New Components for Hybrids; Used in Rx 400h and Highlander

DENSO Corporation has developed four new components for hybrid vehicles: a hybrid control computer; a new battery-monitoring unit; a DC-DC converter, and an electric compressor for air conditioning systems. All are smaller and lighter than conventional components, but meet the increasing needs of the growing number of larger hybrid vehicles.

Toyota uses the new Denso elements in its Lexus Rx400h (Harrier in Japan) and Toyota Highlander Hybrid (Kluger in Japan).

Hybrid Control Computer. The hybrid control computer, developed jointly with Toyota Motor Corporation, integrates such control functions as hybrid system control, engine control, and battery control into one unit. The hybrid control computer enables a significant size reduction of the control units.

Battery-Monitoring Unit. The new battery-monitoring unit takes over the tasks of monitoring the battery’s voltage, current and temperature. The battery-monitoring unit was designed separately from the hybrid control computer, because the battery-monitoring unit needs to be installed close to the main battery

DC-DC Converter. DENSO’s newly developed DC-DC converter is approximately 10% smaller than a conventional DC-DC converter, but delivers 20% more output—120 amperes from 100 amperes—allowing it to respond to the power needs of larger vehicles. DENSO adopted a new circuit control technology to reduce energy loss in the DC-DC converter,allowing it to size the unit. To handle the increased output current, DENSO improved the converter’s power elements by changing the mounting method from soldering to welding. Customized integrated circuits reduce the area of the converter’s circuit board by approximately 40%, contributing to the 10% converter size reduction.

Electric Compressor. The electric compressor, jointly developed with Toyota Industries Corporation, is the first to incorporate an inverter that drives the built-in motor. This structure reduces the compressor size by approximately 60% compared with a conventional electric compressor and inverter (when they are assumed to provide the same output). DENSO miniaturized the inverter by using simplified circuits and a higher-density mounting with three-dimensional wirings.

It is difficult to integrate the conventional compressor and inverter, because the conventional inverter is cooled by the engine’s coolant system. To solve this problem, DENSO developed a new cooling method using air conditioning refrigerant in the compressor, allowing the integration of the electric compressor and the inverter. DENSO’s segment conductor wiring method, developed for alternators in 2000, reduced the size of the built-in motor.

Who's got room in the garage!?  Mine has to sit on the driveway.

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Don't feel too bad, you probably have no basement! We do have a neighbors up the street who park their BMW X5 outside. However, even my 89 Mazda MX6 GT sits in the garage. I grew up not having a garage, so I vowed to do the best I could to keep all my vehicles out of the rain.

It's obvious that this car is best at city driving and "slow" less than 70 mph on the expressway in order for the technology to get the best effect from engine shutdown.

Ron

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I agree. Some traffic lights don't turn green for 5 minutes and typical "slow & go" traffic eats up gas in a non-hybrid vehicle. I start out very slowly when there is no one behind me, but drive with the flow when expected to. I did notice that the manual states that 87 octane is acceptable, but increased performance may be realized if higher octane fuel is used. I appreciate this option, as premium gas costs significantly more than regular.

My '99 RX doesn't hit my garage, but I noticed that the 330 loaner does, so I know the 400h will. One day I forgot the garage door was open and went to back out my RX with the hatch open. The garage door was locked into my rear windshield wiper! There was a hairline scratch on the hatch. I had to use the emergency red handle on the garage door to free it. That was an experience.

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One day, we left our van's hatch open and hit the button to close the garage door. Before I could reverse the door, the hatch door already had a scratch in it.

Lexkid, it looks like your garage is even lower than LexRex's. I need to get my hands on a service manual to investigate further.......

So I took delivery yesterday.

I have been very careful not to do jack rabbit starts but the best I can do in full battery mode is 22mph flat before the engine kicks in.  The total mileage is 19 mpg at present.

Any ideas if this is the normal state?  If so .....

Note I have not yet achieved a fully charged battery.

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All of the "How-it-works" descriptions stated that the RX400h can go 41 MPH without use of the gas engine. However, the manual states 20 or 21 MPH before the engine kicks in. This is similar to that of the Prius. I'm averaging about 26-28 MPG, judging by my gage. However, since I don't what what the milage was when the dealership filled the tank, I can't be certain until I top it off and run it down somewhat. I would expect that the engine will loosen up a bit, allowing the milage to increase.

Has anyone modified your rear hatch travel so that the hatch door doesn't extend so high in the air? If I let it go all the way up, it'll smack my garage door. It looks like Lexus let this issue slip through the cracks.

To those of you who have not tried it yet, be forewarned! I don't want to hear about anyone scratching or dinging their RX doors.

Nice writup, QT. We are really enjoying ours as well. LexKid, you'll be joining us before you know it. In the meantime, enjoy your other toys!

We noticed this as well. It takes a little bit getting used to - regulating the speed at which you depress the pedal, but after driving the RX for a while, I hardly notice it. I get a big kick out of cruising parking lots and seeing people stare at us, not believing their eyes and ears as the silent SUV slips by them!

The saleman at our dealership told us that Lexus shipped a larger-than-normal number of RX400hs in the first round of shipments. Even thoughthis dealership is relatively small compared to other Lexus dealerships, it received 11 or 12 RX400hs at once. However, they expect an average of 3-4 RX400hs at a time in future monthly shipments. Many people placed their names in more than one dealership - hence, the occasional "floating" RX400h.

By the way, our gas gage is still pegged on FULL and I drove the RX back and forth to work today. This thing is getting GREAT milage!

We have a 1994 Nissan Quest, so the choice was easy. However, if I had an RX as new as yours, I'd think about waiting awhile. Remember, there will ALWAYS be a newer and better vehicle shortly after you buy one - kinda like buying the latest and fastest computer. How long does that status last?

The main difference b/t the 330 and 400h is the price and minor changes in the interior and exterior lights etc. The engine hives you very little better MPG, but better horsepower.

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The 400h's city milage is 80% better than that of the 330. That's certainly more than just "a little better MPG".

If the manual tells you to wait any length of time beyond 5 minutes, then I'd say you have overfilled and need to drain 1/2-1 quart. One inch over the "FULL" mark is generally not good for gasket heath.

Check the manual again to see what the exact amount is. How long did you let it drain? You should allow at least 10 minutes, even when the oil is hot (preferred). Did the manual mention any time interval before checking the level?

Just wondering if you guys are financing or paying cash for your RX400h.  If you guys financed, what kind of terms did you guys get?  Also what company are you guys financing from?

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For the amount we financed, I was able to get 3.49% during our credit union's grand opening. The normal rate is 4.75%.

Ok I got a really stupid question .. here I go.. I changed the oil on my rx300 checked the dip stick made sure all the oil levels were ok drove the RX around the block and checked the dip stick again. The Dip stick showed normal level the second hole on the dip stick looking at it from bottom to top. After letting it sit for about an hour I checked it again the level showed about a inch higher on the second hole. Is there too much Oil ? 

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What does your manual say as to how long you should wait before checking? For most vehicles, waiting at least 5 minutes before checking is recommended. Also, did you put in the recommended amount of oil?

  

Our car is at the dealers. They had hoped for it to arrive last night, but the truck didn't come in until early this afternoon. The tech's are working on prep and we hope to get it this evening.

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You're so close, I'll bet you can smell that leather already! We picked ours up this morning/afternoon and I drove it home. Here are my impressions thus far:

Power: Although our salesman told us that there is no need to "break-in" the drivetrain, I always, as a rule of thumb, take it easy for the first few hundreds of miles. I still need to check the manual, but for the time being, I won't "floor it" to see how that 650 lbs-ft of torque feels. Still, I can tell that there is plenty of power on tap at any speed. Post note: the manual states that you should a) Avoid full throttle acceleration when stsrting and driving. B) Avoid racing the hybrid system. c) Try to avoid hard stops during the first 300kn/200 miles. d) Do not tow a trailer during the first 800km/500 miles. The engine is not quite as silky smooth as Nissan's V6, like the one we have in the Quest. Then again, I have yet to drive a non-rotary engine vehicle that is. The kilowatt gage that replaces the tach is similar to a boost gage - it shows you how much electrical power is being sent to assist the gasoline engine. Not experiencing any transmission shifting is a bit weird-feeling at first, but you get used to it quickly.

Fuel economy: The gas tank was full when we left the dealership and although we have traveled 50 miles or so, the gage hasn't budged one iota. I can already tell you the key to great gas milage for this vehicle - use the electric motor power whever you can. The gas pedal travel is very long and the initial inch or so is almost always all eelectric power as long as the pedal is pushed slowly. You can tell, subtle as it is, when the engine wakes up.

Road noise Subdued, although not quite as much as subdued as in a Mercedes or BMW sedan, but fairly similar to our Quest GXE van. You can barely hear wind noise, but road noise is there, maybe because the tires are so new.

Interior Very nice - the intensity knobs for the heated seats are in the front/center console and are easy to see. The NAV is utterly fantastic. I can see why SW likes his so much. It's like having a laptop with GPS in your dash. The stereo sounds very good, but I have not adjusted anything yet, so it is possible that I can make it sound even better. By the way, I like those blue LED lights in the center armreast cup holder compartment - very cool! Our saleman told us that there is NO laser cruise with the RX400h, however. Our interior color is gray and I can already tell that the carpets will show dirt very quickly. I may have to buy some brown carpet mats; they hide dirt very well.

Our salesman told us when we arrived that the bluetooth service (lifetime support for ensuring cell phone compatibility with the RX's bluetooth integration) was added to the price and for $90 (one time fee), I decided to get it. Eventually, I suppose, we will have bluetooth-equipped cell phones.

Exterior: I can never stop looking at that Bamboo pearl in the sun - very unique - glows with a radiant luminesence. Looking at the RX400h from the rear is a treat; the suspension components stand out and look great. There was one thing that was a bit troublesome, though. The rear tailgate would hit my segmented garage door if I extended the tailgate all the way up. My question is: Can the tailgate travel be limited. I need only an inch or so. Mmmmmmm.

All-in-all, we are very happy with this vehicle. Pics:

http://www.conceptualpolymer.com/images/Da...intLexus101.jpg

http://www.conceptualpolymer.com/images/RX400hs01.jpg

621 page manual? Wow, that's the size of a full service manual! Congratulations. I'm next in line (This morning). Now let's see about that break-in procedure.......

Thanks - that might be overkill.  The car is spotless.  The seats are perfect, as they should be with a PreOwnedLexusCertified...  It's just that the dealer's detailer used about 15gal. of Armor-All and the seats are slippery/slimy.  Maybe just some mild soap and water will remove Armor-all.

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I would not use just any soap, as it may harm the leather. Try a leather conditioner first before resorting to anything harsher. I would hope that the Armor-All they used is not the same stuff used on the dash - it may not harm leather but is typically hard to remove. If the stuff on the seats now is a leather protectant, then it shouldn't be too difficult to remove with the leather cleaner.

Thanks QT and Monarch! Well, I can compare it to a few other vehicles, but not an RX330, as I do not have one. I was number 15 on the list since last April, so I am doubly surprised at the earliness of the arrival. I'm sure there's a chance that Patt will be receiving hers early as well. :D

Surprise! Our Bamboo Pearl rocketship is here and will be prepped tomorrow morning! It was due to arrive on the 25th (Monday), but you won't see me compaining about its early arrival. Of course, I will provide a full report tomorrow night. The dealership is a fair distance from home, so I will have a good chance stretch its legs a bit. I WILL find out what the break-in procedure is before venturing out after the purchase. After all, we tend to keep our vehicles for many years.

Anyway, here's to a soon-to-be Lexus owner (for the first time)!

I know this is a lame post for my first post, but here goes: 

I just got a certified preowned 2002 RX300 (39kmi).  The dealer has put so much gooey armor all and stuff on the leather seats and steering wheel I'm sliding out of the saddle when I take a turn.

Any advice on a cleaner solution and method to get this slippery slime off my seats, dashboard, and steering wheel?

Thanks.

-Dave

p.s.:  your are scaring me with all the posts regarding transmission fluid and transaxle problems... ;-)

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Get ahold of a good leather cleaner and conditioner. I recommend Zaino cleaner and conditioner. You can find them here:

http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/mercha...gory_Code=Zaino

Next, buy a vegetable brush that you will use to get some of the deep-set grime out. Use the brush and cleaner. along with a cotton towel until the dirt is gone. Follow with the conditioner (smells like a brand new baseball glove...Mmmmm) and follow directions for a great-smelling and clean leather seat.

Another excellent conditioner (according to a coworker) is Connolly Hide Care. It softens the leather noticably, although it does not smell like leather the way Zaino does. You can read about it at:

http://www.autogeek.net/conhid.html

I have heard the batteries for the RX400h will cost $4000 by one dealer and another dealer said $11,000

Ouch, could the later be true?

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The batteries are projected to cost $1000 when their warranty expires in 8 years. Until then, there should be no worries about their cost.