foganime

Anyone else experience a jolting front-to-back vibration when your ES 300h restarts the internal combustion engine when idling off the NiMH battery pack?

This only occurs when I am parked with the parking brake set, idling with accessories running in EV Mode. The heater or A/C setting causes EV Mode to deactivate and the ICE to restart. The issue is that this is an very rough engine restart that causes the car to visibly shudder in its parking spot front-to-back.

ICE restarts during normal driving or leaving a stop light or stop sign are so smooth for me they are almost impossible to notice. Anyone else also run into this rough parked EV Mode engine restart?

jim256

Not on my ES that I have noticed, but an RX 400h I had did that a few times when new, seemed to go away after some miles on it. As you wrote, only when parked, not when in gear.

foganime

Thanks for the reply. I've only got 1050 miles on the odometer right now, so I hope this magically goes away like it did in your vehicle.

mcomer

Recall that the RX400/450h's are 6 cyl. and our ES are 4's. I had to go out and try your
scenario and found that it is a bit shakier than I had experienced while rollin' along.

foganime

I may be calling the Lexus 800 number about this because quality has been so high for the rest of the vehicle.

I have lifetime XM and ad-free Pandora activated so I end up catching the end of my songs in EV Mode & parked often.

SLH

A slight shudder or vibration when the gas engine starts is normal. There is also some sound, which is more noticeable if you are standing outside the car.

With most cars, the gas engine starts only once when you turn the car on. You expect some sound and vibration when it happens, and no one complains. With these cars, the gas engine starts when the computer decides to start it, not when you turn the car on. And, the car is so completely silent when the gas engine is not running that even the slightest bit of sound and vibration can be noticed.

If the noise or vibration seems excessive, you might have your service manager take a listen....

mcomer

As your intent is to only listen to the radio for a few minutes, why not just turn off the engine and stay in accessory mode? You won't miss a beat if you press the start button with the brakes on and the car still in
gear. Once it's off then put it in Park. When it is time to leave then just press the start button again.

If your needs are to stay cool with the A/C blowing and/or smoking with the windows open while working
on you laptop for an hour... well then I guess you have to keep doin' what you are doin'.