I'm still on my occasional search for a LS600hl. As these are so rare I've only had brief drives in two. I recent looked at one that has been in storage. I think at a glance the hybrid battery was at the bottom 1/4.

How often should the engine kick in? As I'm trying to determine if it's possible to tell a weak/ battery with this. As while I was looking at the car and playing with the interior features, the engine kicked in and out. And I'm trying to see if this is normal, as the on and off seems kinda rough, you do hear it and feel kick on and the engine seems quite loud for a flagship LS hybrid.

Another thing is the engine was kicking in, even at rolling speeds by releasing the brakes. I just had a short drive up and down the block but the engine kicks in every time after I reversed and let off the brakes. I'm just wondering if this is normal, maybe it was just cus the car hasn't been driven, low battery, but it does feel quite odd with the engine kicking in and out even during very low speed drive, pretty much down a driveway. And the engine turning on and off seems quite noticable, like you feel it kicking on and hear it considering how insulated and luxurious the LS should be.

From my other experiences with rx400h and gs450h test drives I don't recall the engine turning on and off so frequently, and it was barely noticable when it switches on those cars. But I don't have enough hybrid experience to tell what's normal.

 

That does not sound normal to me. My 2011 LS 600h (100k) only does that when it's very cold and freezing. When warm I can drive it about half a mile without the engine starting. It does not sound rough at all and is barely noticable, even when cold. It is temperture related though, the big hybrid is not that happy when it's freezing out. At what temp did you test it? Did you let it warm up plenty while test driving? It should not kick in that often. It could be the hybrid battery on its last legs. What year was it and what mileage did the car have?

 

2007, 131k miles. It was recently in the afternoon, so about 65f.

Not sure what you mean by warm up, but the car was on for at least 10-15 min before I drove it. As I was playing with the seats in the back, checking the outside and engine bay before I drove it up and down. The engine was turning on and off itself before I drove it.

 

Sounds like a weak hybrid battery.

 

Thanks for your input, are you supposed to hear or feel the V8 kick in much?

 

If the Hybrid battery is low, then the V8 will kick in. This is normal behavior, either it’s warming up or it's charging the hybrid battery. The hybrid system is designed to get better fuel economy; it's not an EV. It will only drive (when warm) about a 1/2 mile in EV mode, but only if the hybrid battery is full and in good shape. It's difficult to determine what you experienced during the test drive. But it's normal for any hybrid to have to engine kick in when it's in ready mode and sitting for 15 min. You describe a rough transition when the engine kicks in. That would not be normal, mine is very smooth and barely noticeable. Although 131k is not a very high milage yet, lack of or wrong maintenance could be the cause here. Did it appear to have a full maintenance record from a Lexus dealer? Rough engine kick in could also be the engine or transmission mounts that are worn out.

 

No no full service records. Unfortunately the car was in storage and not insured so I couldn't really go on a full drive.

 

The dr prius phone app costs around $10. It will give you a good indication of battery health. The test takes roughly 10 minutes. The car doesn't need to be driven to complete the test.

With brand new engine mounts the ice engine starting up in a LS600hl is still more noticeable than in any other hybrid I've been in. If the engine is loud I can say with fairly good certainty the engine mounts are shot. I went through this with both of my LS600hl cars.

You can read about them here. I may have some pictures of the hybrid battery and dr prius phone app toward the end of the thread. The silver LS600h is still my daily driver. It's a great car but I'll likely be selling it in a few months.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...l#post11598491

 

I am in the still early stages of trying to find a 600h for sale anywhere in Australia that is close to what I am looking for.

They are few and far between, except 1 or 2 "L"'s that have way too much distance traveled for me to be interested in.

I have just gone through your 31 page thread, linked to above, from start to finish, and I cannot remember seeing a more detailed thread in an automotive forum.

It will provide me with lots of guidance.

Thank you so much for your efforts, and I wish everyone else on any automotive forum was so dedicated in recording their work.

Good luck with your silver 600.

 

^^ I still haven't driven a 4ls without suspension clunks. I'm not sure what it is with 4ls owners. It seems like they don't maintain these cars. Or they let them fall into disrepair. Which is odd cuz 3ls seems to show much better. And these cars aren't really owned by young people who modify them.