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-   -   Looking to buy a 2013-2015 RX450h, questions (https://www.clublexus.com/forums/hybrid-technology/917349-looking-to-buy-a-2013-2015-rx450h-questions.html)

Stevedud 04-28-19 04:58 AM

Looking to buy a 2013-2015 RX450h, questions
 
UI’m looking to buy a 2013-2015 RX450h. Looking for white with tan interior, AWD. My wife’s requirement is that the radio shows the song title and artist, does it?

found one with the option of:

Sport Appearance Package Includes: 19" F SPORT Wheels with Superchrome finish and All-Season Tires, F SPORT front bumper.
What does the front bumper look like? Haven’t seen car yet.

This 2015 I found, sits on blocks for 6 month, since they leave it at their winter home. Is that an issue?

Anything I should look for on these?

ukrkoz 04-28-19 07:20 AM

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=...56547289249506

Yes, that MIGHT be an issue. Thing is, hybrid battery gets charged only when ICE runs. So you either have to drive it or run engine ever so often. You CAN NOT trickle charge hybrid battery. So your question should be - how did THEY keep that battery charged during 6 mths? Don't buy into bull**** answers "we had charger on it", it does not work that way. Owner manual has instructions on how to stow a hybrid and how often it has to be driven to maintain charge.
Otherwise, you might as well be looking at battery that was starved several times during stowing. Who knows how that battery will behave thereafter and that just might be the reason they are selling it, as it's major expense to replace, if it was killed.
Either way, you MUST test battery cells state of cxharge. Easy way via OBD2 port BT dongle and phone app, like Dr Prius. DO NOT buy that car without that test.

Stevedud 05-14-19 02:42 PM

Ended up buying a 2014 with 50,000 miles and used frequently. Now to learn about it. What should be my first check?

riredale 05-16-19 10:08 AM

I believe the hybrid battery issue is not for the big 300v traction battery but for the regular 12v battery. It's an issue not unique to Lexus or the hybrids--it's due to all the circuits that stay alive even when the car is off and locked. Over 6 months or so the 12v battery can run down. By contrast the traction battery is a Ni-Mh chemistry and will very slowly self-discharge, but when the car is off that battery is completely disconnected via relays.

Some folks leave a little trickle charger on the 12v battery, others have found they can use a portable dashboard solar cell panel that plugs into the OBD port. There are such panels available on eBay, and I recall reading that many panels were made for new VW cars that sat in an outdoor lot for months after coming off the boat from the factory.

As for your new purchase, just follow the service schedule. Oil change once a year (sweet!) with the prescribed synthetic 0W-20 and the usual things like rotations and fluid top-offs. Traction battery designed to last the life of the car.

ukrkoz 05-17-19 02:27 PM


Originally Posted by Stevedud (Post 10517562)
Ended up buying a 2014 with 50,000 miles and used frequently. Now to learn about it. What should be my first check?

Nothing really. Oil. Air and cabin filters. That's about it. You can go fancy, get OBD2 port BT dongle and scope hybrid battery with app like Dr Prius of Torque.

Those are usually very reliable cars. ATF is said to be lifetime, it's up to you replace or not. Very very basic drain and fill, no filter. So is rear diff, if you have AWD.


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