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Okay I know enough about hybrids and electric vehicles to understand that some noise is necessary to let nearby pedestrians know that there is a vehicle. Hence the high pitched whine from the car at 20 mph or less. But does anyone know how this noise is generated?
Okay I know enough about hybrids and electric vehicles to understand that some noise is necessary to let nearby pedestrians know that there is a vehicle. Hence the high pitched whine from the car at 20 mph or less. But does anyone know how this noise is generated?
I remember watching CCN video on should you buy a Toyota hybrid and he mentions one of the reason you shouldn’t buy a Toyota hybrid if you don’t like how they sound. In the same section of the video, he explains the whining noise while you reverse is generated by a speaker may that located near by the front radar sensor area around the emblem so people know you are backing up. I’m thinking this is the same speaker causing that sound when you drive at low speeds.
Okay I know enough about hybrids and electric vehicles to understand that some noise is necessary to let nearby pedestrians know that there is a vehicle. Hence the high pitched whine from the car at 20 mph or less. But does anyone know how this noise is generated?
The whine, which shuts off when you hit 23 mph, is generated by a device about the size of a hamburger. It's located in front of the radiator, just left of center on the driver's side. If you remove the black plastic panel under the hood look straight down and you can see part of it sticking out. It is fixed horizontally to a metal crossmember. In our RX450h+ it is not really that noticeable but, it is quite noisy in our NX450h+. I got a thick piece of hard foam and cut out a round area in the middle and slipped it over the device to quiet it down a bit. It is still louder than the the RX but, I can now live with it.
I remember watching CCN video on should you buy a Toyota hybrid and he mentions one of the reason you shouldn’t buy a Toyota hybrid if you don’t like how they sound.
I used to drive a Toyota RAV4 Prime before getting my Lexus NX-450h+. Although both are mostly similar, it's interesting that the artificial pedestrian noisemakers are exactly the opposite. On the RAV4 Prime, the backup noise is super loud (my wife could hear the car with all windows on the house closed), but the forward low-speed noise is not noticeable at all inside the car. In contrast, the NX-450h+ backup noise is almost not noticeable, while the forward low-speed noise is super loud (and annoying). What I don't get is why the NX-450h+ sound has to be so noticeable to people inside the car. I would have hoped that enough sound insulation would be placed between the speaker and the cab of the car.
I used to drive a Toyota RAV4 Prime before getting my Lexus NX-450h+. Although both are mostly similar, it's interesting that the artificial pedestrian noisemakers are exactly the opposite. On the RAV4 Prime, the backup noise is super loud (my wife could hear the car with all windows on the house closed), but the forward low-speed noise is not noticeable at all inside the car. In contrast, the NX-450h+ backup noise is almost not noticeable, while the forward low-speed noise is super loud (and annoying). What I don't get is why the NX-450h+ sound has to be so noticeable to people inside the car. I would have hoped that enough sound insulation would be placed between the speaker and the cab of the car.
I'm guessing that you are correct, it may be sound insulation material or rather, lack of it in the NX. I would imagine that the noisemaker component is a universal part for all Lexus and Toyota hybrids but, why the big difference in the NX model? There must be a second one in the rear of the vehicle for reverse, as the sound comes from the aft area of the car.
The whine, which shuts off when you hit 23 mph, is generated by a device about the size of a hamburger. It's located in front of the radiator, just left of center on the driver's side. If you remove the black plastic panel under the hood look straight down and you can see part of it sticking out. It is fixed horizontally to a metal crossmember. In our RX450h+ it is not really that noticeable but, it is quite noisy in our NX450h+. I got a thick piece of hard foam and cut out a round area in the middle and slipped it over the device to quiet it down a bit. It is still louder than the the RX but, I can now live with it.
Can you please post picture of that device?
NX350h you think use same device in same area?
Thank you
I would think that the same units are probably used across many models, both Toyota and Lexus, I didn't shoot any pics of it when I muffled some of the sound (maybe 30%) but, here's a pic that I found on line. Keep in mind it's mounted horizontally with the grille facing down. I didn't want to completely silence it, just cut out some of the high pitched whine.
Just to be clear, I wasn't necessarily complaining about the whine. I just wanted to know if it was a natural part of the hybrid mechanism or if it was artificially generated. Seems it's the latter.
Just to be clear, I wasn't necessarily complaining about the whine. I just wanted to know if it was a natural part of the hybrid mechanism or if it was artificially generated. Seems it's the latter.
There should be two speakers the size of no more than your fist. These are unique to hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants of this model and the sound isn't created through the engine; it's meant for pedestrian safety and mandated in certain countries. In my previous CT200h, I was able to simply disconnect and so it drives silently. Times have changed and laws require that it be present with certain models/manufactures I guess since it's a life saving mechanism so unplugging it will shoot off errors in your system.
I've identified and am certain of the front one as I too was trying to figure out if disconnecting the speaker would be possible when I first got my 450h+. The front speaker module is on the lower bumper near the base of the radiator towards the right side (if you're looking at the front of the car). Depending on your grill (f-sport or normal), you should be able to identify it through the radiator gap when you have the hood open.
After reading up on the hybrid noisemaker, it was too cumbersome to try and disconnect it and jank up a hack to get the car to believe it was still on so instead, I just wrapped it in electrical tape to muffle the sound a tad bit similar to covering a speaker with tape to lower the decibels. For the rear for when you reverse, I'm pretty sure the module is somewhere in the bumper.
Honestly, I've grown to not care about the sound now.
I'd love to see a tutorial about how to quiet down the front speaker.
This is the material that I used to quiet the front speaker under the hood. This was my first attempt and the area that I cut out was too large in diameter and it would not stay on the speaker. I made a second one with a smaller diameter cut out and it worked fine. I bought this thick layered foam block and cut it to size with a razor knife. You simply just push it over the speaker and it muffles some of the sound. I only did our NX with it, as the RX is much quieter. I don't really care about the rear speaker as it is only on briefly when backing up.
Whine below 20 mph
