RedoneLex

I just bought a 2006 400h. When I step on the gas,the ICE (gas motor) comes on almost immediately. Doesn't matter if the engine is warm or cold or how lightly I step on the pedal. I could be at a red light, stop sign, whatever.

I would like to hear from some regular drivers. I am not trying to squeeze out ever last mile from a gallon of gas. Just trying to get 26 mpg and just surprised that the 400h does not run on the battery alone, except when my foot is off the accelerator.

thomas1

You may need to perform the ISC reset...here is a thread:
http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums...nostic-tester/

Hybrnatr

I am having the same experience with my "new" 2006 400h. It's been cold in Michigan since I bought it, but even after longer trips it kicks in the ICE. I have performed the ISC reset twice without a noticeable difference. MPG running 16-18 through first 2 tanks. Any other suggestions?

maseace

You will see an improvement when the weather warms up and you don't use the heater or AC/defroster constantly. That kills the mpg. Also inflate your tires to at least 36-38 psi.

I get about 22 mpg in the winter on short trips (10 mi each way), and 25-26 summer. Long trips will get you about 26-30 mpg if you keep it under 70. Under 60 you can get up to 32 mpg.

Cruiter

To answer your question, yes it runs most of the time and will shut down during deceleration/coast, idle, and if a very gentle foot may be able to stay off on flat roads for short periods below 40mph if you don't accelerate. But everything is relative to actual conditions, engine temp, etc. I'd suggest investing the time in the manual boring as it may be but it's chock full of good information.

You've got a great car, but it takes a bit of time to let 'it' teach you how it will give the best combo of mileage and performance. Use the display if you have the NAV system.

maseace

It's a heavy vehicle, so the battery capacity and electric motors aren't enough to provide all the power. If it's warmed up, you can cruise in low speeds on electric, but not for long. The Prius, which has the same hybrid system but is much lighter, can go further on electric alone. I had a Prius for a couple years before the 400h, so I can compare the two.

spacecraft

I also have the NAV system, and when I was beginning to learn the car behavior, I used the "energy monitor" screen a lot.
But not so much anymore, and now I actually find it overrated.
Yeah, it's nice and never fails to impress passengers who have never seen a hybrid system working.
But its essential info can also be displayed in the small LCD panel in the dashboard.

Otoh, I am now looking much more frequently to the (underestimated) analog gauge showing the absorbed kW.
In my car, once it's warmed up, as long I can keep its needle in the dotted area just above zero, the ICE doesn't run.
It only comes on when:
a) I demand more power (which indeed is necessary in many situations), or
b) the battery falls down to the last two segments, or
c) the ICE temp falls.

If as the OP said his ICE only turns off when coasting or braking, either his right foot is never light enough on the accelerator or something is not working as it should.

PS: Incidentally, I also made the ISC reset recently, and it did make a bit of difference, but it's indeed a very tiny bit. Maybe worth 1 or 2 MPG, if that.
The 20% difference someone claim is a total nonsense, in my experience.

takeshi74

There's a bit of learning curve if you're new to it. I can generally get rolling on battery alone but it's a very slow start and in most cases I don't bother unless there's no traffic behind me and I'm not in a hurry. I found the usage screen more useful when learning than the energy screen as it's easy to monitor with yellow MPG bar with just peripheral vision. After a while you'll get a feel for it.