Happy New Year, all. I picked up my 2019 ES300h a few months ago. I have a periodic, but consistent-happens for a few minutes on most drives, issue w RPM jumping up while I let off the accelerator. Sometimes it’ll only a bump up a little bit, but there are times where when I let off the accelerator the RPMs jump all the way up to 4k and then slowly come down. It feels like a lot engine braking with a manual transmission.

I changed the air filter, ran some injector cleaner, but nothings really changed. I’m going to bring it to the dealership but I’m curious if anyone has experienced similar… I’m not sure if it’s a vacuum leak or other engine issue (idle does run a tad rough sometimes) or an issue with the CVT. Any thoughts?

 

Are you going downhill with the battery fully charged? If yes, all is normal.

 

not usually when downhill - if it was then I’d be less concerned, I’m trying to find some consistency in when it happens but don’t really see any.

 

I haven’t seen (or heard) this on my 2019 ESh, but then I also rarely drive in sport mode so the tach isn’t typically visible. I can’t imagine that I wouldn’t have noticed this by now if my ES was exhibiting the same behavior. I have always been a fairly gentle driver and this is my second hybrid ES, but I have never witnessed this with any of my hybrid vehicles.

 

What's your battery charge level when this happens? What is your heater setting?

 

Yeah, you’d likely notice it in Normal mode… I only put it in Sport mode to check the tach when it’s sounding a little funky. Frustrating…

 

Battery is usually well charged and it isn’t charging the battery when it happens. I initially thought maybe it was the engine revving up to charge up the battery, but that is not the case. This has been happening over the past month or so when the heat is usually on.

 

The engine generally needs to run if the heat is on. I would vote nothing is wrong with your car but if you feel there is, take it in.

 

Did you accidentally pull the minus pedal on the steering wheel?

 

Thank you for your thoughts here, much appreciated! Yeah if it turns out to be just some annoying hybrid thing, I’ll deal with it. I was just curious to see if others experience the same.

I don’t seem to be able get as much in-depth dialogue at the Lexus shop talking to the advisor as I do with my local guy down the road where I talk to the guy working on car directly and can help to diagnose as needed. Hybrid is new to me so the more info I can pass along the better. Thanks!!

 

nope but in trying to do a little diagnostic work I did put the car into manual mode and the engine/RPM felt very much the same as when I experience the issue. Makes me wonder if it’s a CVT issue and not the engine.

 

Is the RPM jumping easily repeatable? in other words can you film a quick video of it?

 

I actually did capture a quick video of it although not yet when it was really acting up. It does show how the RPMs bump up a bit and then hang rather than drop when foot comes off the accelerator.

 

Watch the fuel economy readout on the big main screen when this happens, you are likely experiencing engine braking, where the fuel injectors are not opening but the engine is rotating. Watch the instant MPG bar on the right very closely.

My LS500 would obviously shut off the injectors but the engine was still turning upon deceleration sometimes, I could duplicate it.

I don’t drive me 22 ESh in sport mode but maybe I should try to duplicate your issue….

 

When the battery is full and if there’s energy coming from the MG2 (braking or driving downhill), the MG1 spins the ICE (without injecting fuel) to “burn” the excesive energy. The ICE rpm depends on the amount of energy that comes from the MG2 (up to 3500 rpm).