Hi folks

Having recently acquired our 2008 Lexus 400h I have three questions that I'd like to ask and apologise in advance if they have been asked before.

Firstly no matter how many times I read the manual I cant seem to get my head around why you would put the car from drive (D) into (B) which for a while I thought stood for battery?

Secondly we have had some cold weather down here in Australia so on starting the car the engine starts immediately is this normal as I thought the electric motors would kick in first?

Thirdly and I think I know the answer to this one where the hell is the Distance to empty information. I'm fairly sure now there isn't one

With the above being said and having previously owned a 2006 RX 350 L/S my wife and I are not only stoked with the fuel economy but the over all finish and drive of our H

thanks aussie

 

Sorry mods

Could my post please be placed into the 400h hybrid section my bad sorry.



aussie

 

Hi there.

The engine will always kick in first no matter what, even if the engine is not cold. They all do this, be in 2 seconds after you turn the key or immediately. On a cold start, the engine has to warm as quickly as possible so that it runs as efficiently as possible, so it will stay on to accomplish this. Also, if you require heat, the engine will need to stay on more frequently. Only when the engine is warm will starting off at low speeds be under electric.

B stands for braking, as in engine braking. Since the engine usually shuts off when you are not accelerating, you do not get the usual engine braking from a traditional transmission's lower gears as you would a gas engine. Putting it into B keeps the engine on while going downhill, and keeps the continuously variable transmission on a higher RPM in order to aid you in slowing down. If you ask me, its unnecessary to do so.

Distance to empty should show up if you has a navigation equipped model on the fuel consumption screen. I am not sure if the non nav equipped models have it on the MPG area of the smaller LCD screen

 

Thanks for your reply

Cant find the Distance to empty on my navigation equipped model on the fuel consumption screen or anywhere thought I really don't think there is one.


aussie

 

It should be on the Consumption screen, something like this. Its that 115 number on the image below

 

Actually that's the distance traveled. I don't believe there is a distance to empty on 06-08 RX400h, unless someone can prove me wrong.

 

Oh my mistake then. I had an 04 RX and granted it was an older version of nav software, it did give me distance to empty on the consumption screen

 

Definitely no distance to empty feature on the 400h. You'll have to use your fuel gauge and get used to how many miles you can go on a tank.

 

Thanks mate

But why why why

 

They are on all new Lexus models now shown not in the navigation but in the instrument cluster display

 

I just had a 2014 RX450h while mine was in the shop and no Distance to Empty either. I think they don't put it the hybrids because the distance can be hard to calculate depending on terrain and weather and how much the engine kicks in and doesn't kick in. That is just my guess though.

 

Sounds like a good guess - there are just too many variables to get an accurate estimate, and people would complain if the estimate turned out to be wrong and they ran out of gas early.

 

Same could be said for gasoline only cars, however, my Infinti has a DTE and it updates the value every few seconds depending on how hard I drive it.

 

No, my hybrid does have distance to empty. Its not in the navigation, its in the central instrument cluster display screen, which you have to scroll to see, and labeled Cruising range

 

That picture isn't a hybrid. The hybrids don't have a tachometer...They have the power guide instead.