guibara

Hi everybody,

I'm a fairly recent Lexus (and hybrid!) owner and the complete opposite of a handyman/DYIer/car expert... like in the total opposite side of the spectrum, seriously.

So, I got a used 2006 RX 400h with about 98,000 miles end of last Summer.. great condition, all the service records, clean CarFax, etc. The car has been doing great so far and after I put 5000 miles on it, I took it to a shop that had tons of recommendations on Yelp. They told me that with this type of mileage/year cars, they don't really go by a manufacturer's service schedule. Instead they do a complete inspection and see what the car needs... fair enough I thought.

So they did the oil change, top fluids, rotate tires, etc.. and a full inspection. They suggested I do what they call the "Hybrid Battery Service" which involves something along the lines of cleaning the cooling fans in the front and back (which they said they were hard to get to) something about the inverter coolant... the estimated cost was $950. They said it was due soon and that it would help prolong the life of the hybrid battery.

I've tried to do some research but haven't found much. Anybody has heard of that and what involves? Is the price about right?

Then they also mention I should service the transmission ($240) sooner rather than later, as well as replacing a few other things (ignition coils on the back, cover gasket, spark plugs, right rear strut... for another $1400).

To me it just all seemed a bit too much, so I'm debating whether I should hold off for another 5000 miles and see how it goes, or take it somewhere else for an inspection and see what they say... although I got the feeling that whoever I take it to we'll find a bunch of different 'issues' with equally big costs... isn't that always the case with auto shops?

Anyway, any advice/suggestions would be very much appreciated. Thanks!!!

05RX330AWD

If you have some service records to check to what was serviced by the previous owner would help....
Spark Plugs should be changed at 90,000 miles, ignition coils only if necessary, misfires, loss of acceleration.
Lexus recommends to change the transmission fluid at 120,000, if the level is fine & no leaks, that can wait if that is what they meant for Service the Transmission.
The right rear strut, is it leaking? Do you hear any unusual sounds from the area the strut is located?
For the hybrid part, hopefully some hybrid owners will share some info from their experiences.

guibara

Thank you!

I have service records form the dealer... it seemed it was periodically maintained there every 5000 miles or so... but no mention of spark plugs being changed during the 90k miles service, though.

THere's no leaking/sound from where the strut is located.. so I'll monitor that and wait until the next service.

I guess my main concern is the hybrid battery... I'll try and post over at the Hybrid forum and see if I can get some help there. Thanks again!

guibara

Hi everybody,

I posted recently on the 2nd Generation RX forum, but I thought maybe I should get more specific and post here on the Hybrid Tech forum. Any help would be much appreciated.

I'm a fairly new RX (and hybrid) owner. I got a 2006 RX 400h with about 98,000 miles end of last Summer.. great condition, all the service records, clean CarFax, etc. The car has been doing great so far and after I put 5000 miles on it, I took it to a shop that had tons of recommendations on Yelp. They told me that with this type of mileage/year cars, they don't really go by a manufacturer's service schedule, instead they do a complete inspection and see what the car needs... fair enough I thought.

So they did the oil change, top fluids, rotate tires, etc.. and a full inspection. Among other things (service transmission, replace ignition coils, cover gasket, spark plugs and right rear strut...) they suggested to do what they called a "Hybrid Battery Service" which involves something along the lines of cleaning the cooling fans in the front and back (which they said they were hard to get to) something about the inverter coolant... the estimated cost was $950. They said it was due soon and that it would help prolong the life of the hybrid battery.

I've tried to do some research but haven't found much. Anybody has heard of that and what involves? Is the price about right?

Thanks in advance for any help and advice you can share!

thomas1

seems high too me. maybe someone else will chime in.

SkiMe

Take a look at your manual and see what it says. Here is also a source to download the Maintenance Log manual from Lexus.

https://carmanuals2.com/get/lexus-rx...ce-guide-27105

The most important item you'll probably want to look into is the Timing Belt. It does show up in the manual to be done at the 90k mark. Mine was changed around that time and came out looking new, so probably just need to keep that on your radar. When changing the timing belt, you will likely do the water pump at the same time. Flush the coolant system (including the inverter coolant) all at the same time. I'd also check the radiator for any leaks before adding coolant.....just in case.

Other items at 90k:
Change brake fluid
Change rear diff fluid (if used in desert or dirt roads)
Change tranny fluid (Toyota WS fluid) (if used in desert or dirt roads)

120K:
New Spark plugs. The front 3 are easy to replace but the rear 3 require the intake to be removed to gain access. Coil packs don't usually expect to go out just changing plugs, but mine did . Once I got them disconnected from old plugs, and re-attached to new plugs, they decided to foul. After a lot of work several times, 2 of the rear 3 coilpacks were bad. I replaced all 3 because I didn't want to do it all over again. Might just plan on replacing the 3 under the intake while you are there.

My opinion, I'd change the tranny/front diff fluid now. Mine was dirty around 100k. The rear fluid on mine was in very good shape, comparatively. The tranny is the more important one to change.

Before timing belt, look around the engine bay for a replacement sticker....just in case. Also check with Lexus to see if they have any record of it. Hate to replace if previous owner already did it.

SkiMe

From Manual:::

Battery: Hybrid (Traction Battery)
The hybrid battery is a NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride)
compact, high-output battery. This battery does not
require regular maintenance. However, if the vehicle is
parked for a long time, the hybrid battery will discharge
gradually. To keep the hybrid battery in good condition,
drive the vehicle at least once every several months for
at least 30 minutes or ten miles. If the hybrid battery
becomes fully discharged and the vehicle will not start
even with a jump-start to the 12-volt battery, contact
your Lexus dealership. Any repairs to the hybrid battery
or hybrid system should be performed by a qualified
technician following procedures in Lexus service
and repair publications. Please refer to the important
safety precautions found on the inside front cover of
this booklet.

SkiMe

I did some looking and found a bit more interesting info.

Although the 2006 manual does not say this specifically, the 2013 hybrid manual says this:

Note: Initial replacement of engine
coolant is at 120 months/100,000
miles. Replace every 60 months/
50,000 miles thereafter. Initial
replacement of inverter coolant is at
180 months/150,000 miles. Replace
every 60 months/50,000 miles
thereafter.

guibara

Thanks! So is there in fact a so called "Hybrid Battery Service"? Do you happen ton now exactly what it entails?

SkiMe

Check your other thread on this too. I've made some comments on the servicing. I don't see much servicing other than the coolant change on the inverter. I have not heard of cleaning fans and debris anywhere. I put 170k on my 07 400h and never did the "cleaning fans and debris" thing.....

guibara

Thanks for all your help!

So the timing belt, water pump and radiator have been replaced... that's good. No record of changing the rear differential or tranny fluids, but the car has been driving in the city mostly.

It seems like the spark plugs and the coolant/inverter should last a biot longer.. I'll keep an eye on them and have a shop take a good look in the next 5k miles service. Thanks!!!

guibara

Great thanks so much. I did call another shop and they told me that the "cleaning fans and debris" is something they've done on some Prius, but never on the 400h.... so there.

FahimA

Hey Guys, here are my two cents:

With regards to Hybrid Battery Service: Yes, rule of thumbs you should get it done.

Here is why: A hybrid battery needs to be operated in a colder temperature. The battery has two fans attached to it. One sucks in cold air from car's cabin, and another throws out hot air outside the cabin. For some reason if one of these vents get clogged with dust / fur from pets, etc. the battery gets over heated and fails eventually. So it's a safe bet to have those fans clean on regular basis to ensure the battery stays at a colder operating temperature.

Now being said that, if it cost around 1K, I would say leave it up to the fate. Because a brand new battery cost 3K-4K to replace with 12 years life in it. If you skip 3 services, you are getting a brand new battery. Max I would pay for this service will be $500. Anything above not worth it. The only concern you might have is, if battery fails on the highway, then how you going to stop it safely or take it to a good repair shop. I heard there are some stores that recondition Hybrid batteries to 98% of its original life. You might want to try them instead first?

I have same concerns as you though. I will go ask my dealer soon how much it cost them to do it. If it's over my budget I will just make sure my car does not produce too much dust and leave the rest upto my fate.

ReeRee7482

Just wondering if you have had to get any repairs to your 400h since this post? I have a 400h and haven't had anything done to it and it just reached 120 miles, I love it and wouldn't want anything to happen to it but don't want to spend unnecessary money either, trying to make an educated decision based on history of other owners.

thomas1

I have 253k miles and the Hybrid battery has never been serviced (what ever that means) Cooling fans are the only thing I could see failing other than the batteries themselves.