Hello everyone, I was hoping to get some advice from the experts here. I've had a minor issue with my car since I got it, but I've been ignoring it because it doesn't happen often. Sometimes, when I accelerate and the RPMs shoot up, there's a strange noise. It feels like the RPMs are increasing faster than the speedometer, which eventually catches up. The sound usually fades once I press the gas pedal harder, and by then, the speedometer has aligned with the RPMs. This doesn't occur all the time, but when it does, it can be quite loud and irritating. I'd love to get to the bottom of this, so any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all in advance!

 

Do you mean whining sound?
It is very difficult to diagnose a noise over the internet, but your description helps a little. Always provide the model year and miles when asking for help.
How many miles are on it and have you ever changed the transaxle fluid? If so, when and has the level been checked? Have you had it scanned for stored codes?

FYI this vehicle does not have a real transmission. It is a single gear Power Transfer Unit that interacts between the gas motor and electric motor. It does not have bands or belts. It holds about 4 quarts of Toyota WS Automatic Transmission Fluid and is very easy to service. You drain out the old fluid and fill it back up until new fluid flows out of the fill hole. It takes less than 30 minutes to change. You cannot flush it.

I would change the ATF and check for codes. Find an independent Toyota or hybrid shop.

 

"The worst just happened—I got stranded on the freeway. On my way home after grabbing lunch, the car’s power gradually started fading, and a message appeared saying 'Check Hybrid System.' Soon after, all the warning lights came on. Fortunately, a tow truck driver happened to be nearby and offered me a lift. Now that I’m home, I’m trying to figure out what went wrong. It seems like an issue with the hybrid system. The battery was down to one bar, and now there’s a message saying 'Check Power Steering.' I’m guessing it could be due to the hybrid battery being drained. Could this be related to the strange noise we talked about earlier? I read that this might be one of the potential causes. By the way, I drive a 2011 Lexus HS. I noticed it says it has 119,008 miles, but I think that’s inaccurate. After checking its history on the Lexus website, I saw it has already passed 170,000 miles—so it’s likely closer to 180,000 now.

 

Your steering issue is related to having no power and low voltage.
You are facing some expensive repairs or the decision to abandon the vehicle and shop for a replacement. You will need a pro with the equipment and skills to figure this out unless skilled in diagnosis and handling of the high voltage hybrid equipment.
Take it to an independent hybrid shop for evaluation, but be prepared to be told you need a new battery or hybrid control system for possibly a couple of thousand dollars.. Consider your mileage and used car price of your HS when deciding whether or not to repair it.

Use this link to maybe find a place near you and there are certainly many other local independent hybrid shops you can find on Yelp or Google. https://www.thehybridshop.com/

Use this to see what your HS would be worth if it was running again https://www.carfax.com/value/

and this https://www.carmax.com/sell-my-car?a...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

Of course in its present state it may be only worth a few hundred to a thousand dollars to an auto recycler.

 

Were you able to review the CarFax or Auto Alert report when you bought this vehicle?
The milage discrepancy you mentioned obviously raises a flag or two.

 

I really hope you're considering the worst-case scenario here because I truly don’t want to give up on this car, and I’m not in the mood to take on a car payment. I had a mechanic come to my house to check things out, and he was initially able to calibrate the hybrid battery. After a test drive, everything seemed fine. However, on a subsequent drive, the 'Check Hybrid Battery' light came back on, and I noticed the battery slowly draining again. I called the mechanic back, and after further inspection, he identified the fuel pump as the issue. Since then, I’ve driven the car for a couple of hours, and so far, everything seems good. I’m cautiously optimistic, but I’m waiting to see if it will hold up without leaving me stranded again. I’m seriously considering investing in a brand new hybrid battery to avoid any future complications. I am looking at about 2,100 dollars for a new one which seems to fit my budget. This car been good to me i haven't had any real issues with this car till now which is not big of a deal.

 

That is sort of good news.
2 things.
Did he replace the fuel pump? There was a recall for some model years for the fuel pump seal etc. What year is your vehicle?

Second, the price has come down for replacing hybrid batteries and you should be able to find a complete battery for less if you shop around, or find a place that can just identify and replace the bad cells for a lower price.

 

Wow, I hadn’t even considered that! If it turns out to be cheaper, I'll definitely explore that option. I assumed the dashboard would alert me if there was an issue. (And yes he did replace the fuel pump) Given that my car is 13 years old, it's probably due for a hybrid battery replacement. It's a 2011 model—how can I check if there was a recall on the fuel pump? Also, something you mentioned got me thinking about the transmission fluid. I recently did my own fluid change—just like you recommended, I drained and refilled it. How would I go about checking the fluid level properly? So far, I haven’t heard that weird sound again, but I guess time will tell

 

It was not a recall, more of a technical service bulletin to replace the gasket for the fuel pump. It is under the back seat. The fuel pump was not recalled. My mistake.

The transmission fluid change needs to be done with the vehicle level. You just fill it up until fluid overflows from the fill hole and you are at the correct level. Let it slow to a trickle then put the bolt back in.
So you could just remove the fill bolt and see if fluid comes out if you don't recall what happened when you did the fluid change.
I doubt it is related to your recent issues. I would have an independent hybrid shop check out the vehicle and battery health.
There may be some deeper level screens to see more about the battery and hybrid operation. I recall digging down and finding them once.