Engine Hours - OBDII?
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Pit Crew
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From: NOTL ON Canada
Engine Hours - OBDII?
I will be picking up a new NX450h+ in a couple of weeks. Most of my daily driving will be using EV mode, but occasionally trips using hybrid mode. Is there any OBDII dongles that can provide actual ICE engine hours to determine engine oil changes instead of tracking kilometers driven based on fuel consumption?
Intermediate
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From: MI
That is a good question. The dongles themselves are a simple piece of hardware, so the app you choose is the relevant question. Now, assuming that info is seen, how do you find out what hours to do an oil change? Would you copy another cars ICE hours? Send off for oil analysis? I wonder if you would "time out" on the oil first. Keep us updated please.
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Pit Crew
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From: NOTL ON Canada
That is a good question. The dongles themselves are a simple piece of hardware, so the app you choose is the relevant question. Now, assuming that info is seen, how do you find out what hours to do an oil change? Would you copy another cars ICE hours? Send off for oil analysis? I wonder if you would "time out" on the oil first. Keep us updated please.
Last edited by Castrum; Jan 14, 2025 at 07:40 AM.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2023
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From: Niagara Falls, Ontario
Keep in mind engine oil sitting in an engine will be exposed to cylinder washdown which is when gasoline that enters combustion chamber and passes by piston rings and into engine oil.
I would think this would especially be present in PHEV's and HEV's. I have a 350H and while I know it has an electrically controlled oil pump to ensure oil pressure into the piston rings, it also turns on and off the ICE engine very frequently which I'm assuming will mean a rich gasoline mixture to get it to fire up immediately. I'm not happy changing engine oil at anything longer than 6 month intervals, no matter what the hours or mileage is. Engine oil has a lifespan when sitting in your engine even if it's not being circulated. This constant on and off would most definitely increase the washdown effect. You can actually smell the gasoline on the oil dipstick in some cases.
Do yourself a favour and avoid damaging your engine. Oil change very 5,000 miles OR 6 months.
Video on do's and don'ts for Toyota (Lexus) Plug In Hybrids start at 13:40 mentions oil change intervals
I would think this would especially be present in PHEV's and HEV's. I have a 350H and while I know it has an electrically controlled oil pump to ensure oil pressure into the piston rings, it also turns on and off the ICE engine very frequently which I'm assuming will mean a rich gasoline mixture to get it to fire up immediately. I'm not happy changing engine oil at anything longer than 6 month intervals, no matter what the hours or mileage is. Engine oil has a lifespan when sitting in your engine even if it's not being circulated. This constant on and off would most definitely increase the washdown effect. You can actually smell the gasoline on the oil dipstick in some cases.
Do yourself a favour and avoid damaging your engine. Oil change very 5,000 miles OR 6 months.
Video on do's and don'ts for Toyota (Lexus) Plug In Hybrids start at 13:40 mentions oil change intervals
Last edited by TheCDN; Jan 16, 2025 at 02:11 PM.
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 305
Likes: 102
From: MI
Keep in mind engine oil sitting in an engine will be exposed to cylinder washdown which is when gasoline that enters combustion chamber and passes by piston rings and into engine oil.
I would think this would especially be present in PHEV's and HEV's. I have a 350H and while I know it has an electric oil pump to ensure oil pressure into the piston rings, it also turns on and off the ICE engine very frequently which I'm assuming will mean a rich gasoline mixture to get it to fire up immediately. I'm not happy changing engine oil at anything longer than 6 month intervals, no matter what the hours or mileage is. Engine oil has a lifespan when sitting in your engine even if it's not being circulated. This constant on and off would most definitely increase the washdown effect. You can actually smell the gasoline on the oil dipstick in some cases.
Do yourself a favour and avoid damaging your engine. Oil change very 5,000 miles OR 6 months.
Video on do's and don'ts for Toyota (Lexus) Plug In Hybrids start at 13:40 mentions oil change intervals
https://youtu.be/SEK0wN_IqgA?si=AjKUEIoGoJOJ_0wL&t=796
I would think this would especially be present in PHEV's and HEV's. I have a 350H and while I know it has an electric oil pump to ensure oil pressure into the piston rings, it also turns on and off the ICE engine very frequently which I'm assuming will mean a rich gasoline mixture to get it to fire up immediately. I'm not happy changing engine oil at anything longer than 6 month intervals, no matter what the hours or mileage is. Engine oil has a lifespan when sitting in your engine even if it's not being circulated. This constant on and off would most definitely increase the washdown effect. You can actually smell the gasoline on the oil dipstick in some cases.
Do yourself a favour and avoid damaging your engine. Oil change very 5,000 miles OR 6 months.
Video on do's and don'ts for Toyota (Lexus) Plug In Hybrids start at 13:40 mentions oil change intervals
https://youtu.be/SEK0wN_IqgA?si=AjKUEIoGoJOJ_0wL&t=796
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2023
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From: Niagara Falls, Ontario
An engine running at optimum operating temperature will obviously have best air fuel ratio I agree, but a cold, or even an engine at ambient air temperature is not quite there yet, so some enrichment is present until engine is HOT. Plus any heat the ICE creates the PHEV running parameters will pull that heat out of engine coolant to use in warming up traction battery to ideal temps and cabin temperature too, especially in cold weather. The running temp of the ICE in a PHEV will be going up and down like a toilet seat, unless you're able to maintain total EV driving conditions.
Pole Position
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From: Toronto, ON
Aside from that, I can tell you I did use an OBDLink MX+ BT dongle on my NX and there is a generic "engine hours" pid, but from my (non hybrid, not sure if that makes any difference), the value returned from the car was simply "0". Maybe its supported on the PHEV, but maybe not.
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... <snip>
Aside from that, I can tell you I did use an OBDLink MX+ BT dongle on my NX and there is a generic "engine hours" pid, but from my (non hybrid, not sure if that makes any difference), the value returned from the car was simply "0". Maybe it's supported on the PHEV, but maybe not.
Aside from that, I can tell you I did use an OBDLink MX+ BT dongle on my NX and there is a generic "engine hours" pid, but from my (non hybrid, not sure if that makes any difference), the value returned from the car was simply "0". Maybe it's supported on the PHEV, but maybe not.
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Pole Position
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From: Toronto, ON
Its an electronically control variable pump but it is indeed driven off the crankshaft.
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Joined: Jun 2024
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From: IN
I will be picking up a new NX450h+ in a couple of weeks. Most of my daily driving will be using EV mode, but occasionally trips using hybrid mode. Is there any OBDII dongles that can provide actual ICE engine hours to determine engine oil changes instead of tracking kilometers driven based on fuel consumption?
Last edited by jbrnigan; Jan 14, 2025 at 02:15 PM.
Instructor
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Posts: 1,103
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From: Niagara Falls, Ontario
Sorry I'll clarify as best I can. This series of new 4 cylinder engines use an electronically controlled oil pump. It controls the oil pressure based on engine computer parameters.
Start video at 6:25 for a brief explanation.
Start video at 6:25 for a brief explanation.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2023
Posts: 1,103
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From: Niagara Falls, Ontario
Here's a link to a thread I posted that provides some details into A25 engine design, including how the oil pump is designed and functions.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/nx-...scription.html
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/nx-...scription.html
Last edited by TheCDN; Jan 16, 2025 at 02:08 PM.
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