Gurakmr

My 2006 Hybrid 400RX is having battery issues. The energy monitor shows that the battery goes down to two or one red bar on the icons. I have no other warning lights or signs. Today I discovered I could not use the air conditioner as it immediately turned the battery bars from blue to two red. How risky is it to continue driving. My nearest Lexus dealer is 250 miles away. I do have a local Toyota dealer. Anyone help?

thomas1

;Your Local Toyota dealer should be able to handle it as the Highlander hybrid is same system. Do you have any battery rebuild centers near you, you may want to google and look for hybrid battery repair centers. However until you get it diagnosed it might not even be the batteries.

ukrkoz

FAlling down to TWO bars is not catastrophic, as far as ICE turns on right away and charges it. Now, if it does not - that's bad. You sure it falls down to ONE bar? God bless with Toyota. Around here they won't take on Lexus.
AC is electric, hence the issue you described. Sorry. it's pain. That's why I sold my both hybrids and don't really want 'm again.

ukrkoz

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/hyb...-starting.html

smassey321

Give these guys a call. https://greentecauto.com/mobile-inst...on/portland-or

smassey321

Also, check for water in the rear floor. Leaking water can end up in the batteries and cause issues. And your Toyota dealer may be be willing to run a diagnostic on your car. Or you can do some of the diag yourself with ebay techstream.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mini-VCI-J2...4AAOSwheFan4q6

Gurakmr

Thanks to all. I worked this a.m. but am on the right track now. Thanks to ClubLexus. Using the Google search I came up with a local for hybrid battery repair and two of you suggest Green Auto Tech (Once under Hybrid Installation Service.) I'm hoping it is a sensor or the inverter (see, I've been reading up) being as the quote from the local Toyota dealer for a new battery is $6,000 (plus approximately $600 for labor. And, no I will not get another Hybrid! Thanks again.

smassey321

The battery prices go down every time I check. https://greentecauto.com/product-tag/lexus-rx-400h

joedaddy1

iTrader: (1)

any truth at those replacement battery with higher capacity being better than the OEM ones?

Would be interesting... they don't list out the spec.

smassey321

I don't think they are saying higher capacity. It say "high capacity" which could be identical to what we got 10+ years ago. Most likely it is more modern in some way. There is not much info on the web about replacements. Most people have not replaced a battery and there are very few posts about the subject. I personally don't care about capacity that much. We don't have much traffic here so I rarely run the battery down.

Gurakmr

A thanks to all who had suggestions, including Green Tech. (They are very helpful and explain everything). I've learned much about the hybrid. Still much to learn. Bottom line, the battery is just old. Not holding a charge and going into red zone very quickly. Currently, it does recycle and recharge quickly,. (only to lose charge just as quickly - even the radio takes it down!) I have also learned that it is possible to rebuild only the failing segments/sections of the battery saving the cost of complete replacement. This also retains the core. Question there remains, the remainder of the battery is still just as old and might also start failing causing the original problem to recur. Anyone just had portions of their battery rebuilt?

jooksing82

That is what I suspected from reading your original post. If your battery is bad I imagine you will get a bunch of engine codes. I would not worry about the quick depletion as long as it drives.. The way you drive can affect the charging vs discharging amount of the traction battery. I would not use the center console to gauge the health of the battery. It may seem that the "radio" seem to drop the charge level fast but when your car is on quite a bit of power is used to power the car's electronics/accessories. I did not understand what you meant by "could not use the air conditioner as it immediately" did the AC not work? Is your car in "ready" or just the "ACC". the traction battery is not meant to run the car for long distances like an EV would. It just to help recapture some of the energy as you come to a stop and help accelerate the car to ease the fuel requirement to do so. What is your MPG?

Gurakmr

Jooksing82, thanks for your response. Not sure I understood all but will try. The battery I'm referring to is the large hybrid $3',000 one. Not what I refer to as the 12-volt. I thought the traction battery was the smaller, secondary battery. Also thought an EV was for electric cars. It is the big hybrid battery that depletes when the car is run at low speeds, or has any accessories engaged. My gas mileage is between 22 and 24 depending on how I'm driving. The battery gauge is always "ready" before I engage gears. I've now been told that the battery is just old. "I can replace and get more life out of engine or run it till it drops". If I am incorrect in my understanding of these batteries please let me know. Thanks again

ukrkoz

You are incorrect on quite several points.
What you need to do is to bite the bullet and take vehicle to a shop that specializes in hybrid vehicles. They will run diagnostics on battery. yes, on the big traction one.
Those batteries are known to reduce their function for one simple reason - corroded copper buses between battery cells. That battery is pack of many battery cells, connected together with copper flat bars, buses.
Folks take battery out, get to those bars, remove one at a time, clean, reinstall.
Unless that battery was run down from some other electric cause, as they are very reliable otherwise. "just old" does not apply.
Toyota Prius, Honda, and Lexus Hybrid Battery Failure Although the signs and symptoms of a failing battery are quite similar across the board, these are the top symptoms of a failing battery in your Toyota Prius, Lexus Hybrids, or Honda Hybrids:

1. Decreased MPG. Although there are other symptoms which can negatively impact your MPG, it’s likely to be an issue with your battery. If you begin to notice a steady decrease in MPG with no other rhyme or reason, it’s best to contact your reputable and knowledgeable hybrid mechanic for a state of health check.
2. Internal Combustion Engine Running More Than Usual. If the ICE (internal combustion engine) begins kicking in more often than usual, this is another big sign of issues with your hybrid battery. It may run much longer than expected or at strange times, both symptoms of a failing battery.
3. State of Charge. If you watch the screen and begin to see large fluctuations in your SOC, it’s a definite sign either your charging system or battery is having issues. Additionally, large swings in your charge rate point to the battery.
4. Unexplained Drop in Battery Bars. Noticing a drop in your battery bars with little to no usage? If you park the vehicle with full bars and come back to it with one bar left, there is an underlying issue with the hybrid battery that needs to be examined ASAP.
5. Unusual Engine Noises. This is due to the engine running more than usual, and can be pointing to an array of problems with your hybrid. However, as mentioned above, the I.C.E. kicking on more than usual is typically a sign of a failing hybrid battery.

Gurakmr

Thanks ukrkoz; Much of this discussion has been written while I'm away from my home state. I had been very undecided as to paying for diagnostic (with hybrid specialist) or just going ahead with battery from Greentech. Your reply with its signs and symptoms helped me decide to follow through with diagnosis. (I was affirmative to the first 3 symptoms/signs.) The garage i talked to did explain the cells but used a different less technical terminology. Enough alike i know you are talking of the same thing. Thank you again for your honest, straight comments and the "signs and symptoms"