chambl

I will be getting a 08 RX 400h tentatively on Saturday from a local dealership. The car was a courtesy vehicle, and was only put into service in 2009. Surprisingly, it's still under the bumper to bumper warranty for another few months, and has less than 69,000 km (<43,000 miles).

I had it inspected before buying, and found something unusual (picture attached). With the vehicle up on a lift, I saw this on the underside, on the driver's side towards the back. It's the high-voltage hybrid wires, and it looks like they're going into the rear electric motor. It looks like the sheathing has pulled away because of the rust that has built up there. What i'm concerned with most is that the wires are now exposed to the rain, snow, and slush of my climate. I brought this up with my sales rep and he added it as an issue to fix on the sales contract.

Yesterday, I was told that the Service tech said that it can't be "fixed." He goes on to say that this is how it looks, even on a brand new vehicle, and that it's not a safety issue. He goes on to say that the metal holder that has corroded/oxidized will not corrode further or look differently years from now.

Have you seen this before on your vehicle? Do you think his answer makes sense, or should I push to have it fixed? I'm afraid that the wires will wear prematurely, and water may get into the motor. I can't begin to imagine how much it would cost to replace the hybrid system when the warranty runs out.

Thanks!

spacecraft

I also lifted my 08 400h before buying it some months ago, and I definitely didn't see anything like that.
But yours is a very good question anyway, because I can't recall to have seen that cable at all, therefore it could be that I just didn't look well enough.
I'll have another more careful look and report back - but only in 3 weeks I'm afraid, when I'll be back from a long trip.
In the meantime, could you possibly post a pic where more of the underside is visible, to have a better idea of where to look?

chambl

It is tucked away in there, I must admit. Unfortunately, I didn't take extra pictures for context. I'll try to describe it as best I can: with the vehicle up on a lift, stand under with your back to the driver's side back wheel and look up. Your head should be almost against the wheel. Use a flashlight to find where the orange sheathing leads to the rear motor. It is inset, a little bit off the midline.

I hope this helps.

Cruiter

In various places there are bundles such as that even on the Gen III. It's possible he could be correct but I think you could ask your service dept to put two or three more of the same vintage on a lift for you to see and compare. That should prove the point (one way or the other).

spacecraft

Yes thanks, the description is pretty accurate, I should be able to find and check it.
But it'll take me a whille, as I said...

chambl

They don't have any other RX hybrids near the 2008 model. Maybe the closest they have is a 2010 RX450h. Would it be fair to ask to see a brand new unit?

No worries, I appreciate you taking a look when you can.

On another note, I hope to get the car tomorrow!

Cruiter

The Gen III model is a total re-design. I'd be surprised if the wiring you saw is in the same place on a new one.

maseace

I just checked my 2007, and it looks like the photo above. Never had a problem, so it appears to be normal.

thomas1

You both are in the rust belts of the world, mine in California is perfectly clean...I suspect they needed to either protect that connection better or apply some sort of anti corrosive on it. You could probably apply some contact cleaner on it and then apply some dielectric grease. Caution however remember this is a high voltage connection....I would think something like liquid rubber would have prevented the deterioration...this picture is off a 2008 RX400h with 123k miles....if you were to tape off the area where the wires are showing and spray rust eater on the metal surface that would stop at least the rusting. After that was done, paint it with a rustoleum paint to look like mine...by the looks I think the mechanic just doesnt want to replace that harness...Because the plug is there....and part of the harness.

chambl

Thanks for the advice thomas1, I'll need to look into doing that.

I also appreciate everyone's feedback. I made me feel a lot better that I'm not the only one seeing this. When I took delivery of the car the dealer lifted another customer's RX hybrid - i saw the same thing.

I did end up taking delivery on Friday. It is a wonderful vehicle - I'm amazed with how smooth and quiet it is. It would have been a fantastic experience, if it wasn't for my own mistake. Before picking up the car, I bought a set of used rims and winter tires. It was a private sale at a local Lexus dealer. I learned that the previous owner bought a new car and sold the tires to a service technician, who then posted them for sale privately. The tires were stored in a shipping container, so it was dark in there. I had a flashlight, and the tires looked ok, so i got them. I brought them with me so that the dealer could install them while we worked through the final paperwork. Unfortunately, that was when I learned that there was an irreparable gash in the sidewall of one of them. They couldn't install them. My hour drive home was bittersweet, one part excited for the new car, and the other an unexpected problem. I called up my mechanic, but learned that this tire is discontinued. Great! I called around a couple of places locally. and I was lucky enough to find a shop that had a return of a matching set that same day. I picked up one, but didn't make it in time to my mechanic to have the tires installed. I went back the next day and it was taken care of. The TPMS sensors weren't programmed right, so I went back today and it's now all good. I'm finally at peace.

I noticed that the gas engine went on as soon as I pressed on the gas, even when it warmed up. I performed an ISC reset and all's well. I'm heading on a road trip tomorrow, and will REALLY get a feel for her. Can't wait!

Cruiter

Glad it all worked out for you. When you get back try and find the time to post photos and your 1st trip experience.

rcy

So, after doing the ISC reset, did you find that the engine did not come on at the slightest touch of the gas pedal.

You will find your fuel economy improves nicely once the weather gets warmer as well.

As to the rusty connection - two words - Krown Rustproofing. The part that is rusting looks to be a ground wire - not an actually electric current carrying wire.

Of course, make sure any recalls have been dealt with. If you call Lexus Canada and register yourself as the new owner, they can check for any outstanding recalls at that time.

chambl

The roads were wet with snow and salt, so I didn't take any pictures at the time. What I can say is that I'm REALLY impressed with its road manners. At one point, I sunk myself into the seat, almost sitting as though I was in a Lazy Boy. I've never felt such a smooth and quiet ride before. So THIS is the difference of a luxury car!

There were a couple things I noted that I eventually went to the dealer to take a look at:
1. Wind noise coming in from the driver's window. When lowering the window by 1 mm, the noise goes away.
2. High-pitched whine during acceleration or with cruise control enabled, especially at highway speeds.

I brought the car in last week for both. For [1], the dealer reinitialized the window and claimed that it solved the noise. As soon as I pulled off the lot, I heard the exact same as before. I turned around explained my observation. The service advisor said that he didn't hear anything anymore and wondered what sound I was hearing - nice. I didn't accept his answer and made another appointment the next day for the same problem. Another service advisor helped me: we went for a road test, and he observed the problem. He asked if I showed this to the advisor the day prior, to which I responded that that was the whole point I went on a road test with him too. They then added extra insulation to the door. Although there is still some noise, it's much less than before, and I hear absolutely nothing from the door area.
For [2], I was told that this is the normal sound from the electric engine. I've driven 2 generations of the Prius, the Camry hybrid and an Altima hybrid, and never heard that sound before. I was told because the RX has 2 electric motors, it's bound to make more noise. I haven't found much info on others experiencing the same issue. What I have found is people saying it's normal and that those who hear it have better hearing...

I noticed this week that the right side mirror doesn't go as far down as the left side mirror when I reverse. Is that normal?

This weekend, I will install an iPhone integration kit and Bluetooth kit (both USA SPEC), a dash cam (Itronics), and a ClearBra. My car will be all set after that.

chambl

I'm looking forward to the better fuel economy. Shortly after doing the reset, It went back to the way it was, turning on at the slightest touch of the gas pedal. I noticed that when the outside temperature went above 4*C, my fuel economy shot up as the gas engine turned on much later.

Could getting the car treated by Krown cause resistance to service the hybrid system down the line or invalidate the warranty? When I got a Prius in 2008, I was advised not to rustproof it because of the hybrid components. I assumed the same with the RX.

No outstanding recalls on mine. I asked before buying the car too...

I look forward to the Cambridge factory tour coming up in May. Wouldn't it be cool to see the RX450h's to be made there in 2014... May have to pay another visit in two years.

maseace

The right side mirror is wide-angle (convex), so it doesn't need to tilt as far to show the ground. On the other hand, the mirrors can get off-centered if you push them too hard when washing, etc. so you may need to re-center them by hand.