NX450h+ Remote Climate Control Issue
Pole Position
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 2,034
Likes: 855
YMMV,
MidCow3
4th Gear
Joined: Aug 2024
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: CA
My speculation when not starting if EV is depleted:
[QUOTE=Datanator;11330507]
It may be a function of the 12V battery not having the juice to run the A/C, not the EV battery, since it is the 12 V battery that runs accessories.
The car wouldn’t start by itself without hitting the climate control option? Sorry my NX doesn’t come in until September so I am not sure how the app works. I am putting out base on research I’ve done.
If you cannot start the car with the climate control function I would assume it is because of what I said on an earlier post but if the car doesn’t even start without using the climate control then indeed this is quite a design flaw.
I think I understand what you're asking - You can start the car from the app with or without the climate control option enabled. Starting from the keyfob will start the ICE but I'm not clear what the AC settings do - I'm guessing they stay on last-known settings when I was driving. I do have to qualify I have the 350 F-Sport, so the software and logic may be very different on the 'h' models which is what is in question here.
Bottom line in my opinion, the ICE should be start-able (is that a word?) regardless of EV battery charge level. If there are risks in starting the ICE with a fully-depleted EV battery, perhaps a 'are you sure you want to do this?' pop-up message in the app??? This whole thing just doesn't make sense to me - seems like a bug unless there's a solid engineering reason to restrict the feature. Even so, if there is a good reason, again, inform the owner with an error message "the car cannot be started due to EV battery depletion level below x%" or something. Seems like it would at least avoid confusion and frustration.
I'd love someone with an 'h' model to chime in and let us know if their experience is consistent with OP's issue. I think this will tell us volumes whether or not this is expected behavior or a problem with a single vehicle.
If you cannot start the car with the climate control function I would assume it is because of what I said on an earlier post but if the car doesn’t even start without using the climate control then indeed this is quite a design flaw.
I think I understand what you're asking - You can start the car from the app with or without the climate control option enabled. Starting from the keyfob will start the ICE but I'm not clear what the AC settings do - I'm guessing they stay on last-known settings when I was driving. I do have to qualify I have the 350 F-Sport, so the software and logic may be very different on the 'h' models which is what is in question here.
Bottom line in my opinion, the ICE should be start-able (is that a word?) regardless of EV battery charge level. If there are risks in starting the ICE with a fully-depleted EV battery, perhaps a 'are you sure you want to do this?' pop-up message in the app??? This whole thing just doesn't make sense to me - seems like a bug unless there's a solid engineering reason to restrict the feature. Even so, if there is a good reason, again, inform the owner with an error message "the car cannot be started due to EV battery depletion level below x%" or something. Seems like it would at least avoid confusion and frustration.
I'd love someone with an 'h' model to chime in and let us know if their experience is consistent with OP's issue. I think this will tell us volumes whether or not this is expected behavior or a problem with a single vehicle.
4th Gear
Joined: Aug 2024
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: CA
It may be a function of the 12V battery not having the juice to run the A/C, not the EV battery, since it is the 12 V battery that runs accessories. My NX450h+ seemed to “die”- not start at all after just using the EV. My dealership decided it was my driving pattern: shorter trips, only using EV, that were insufficient to charge the 12V battery. With a jump to the 12 V battery, it would turn on again. I’ve had repeated problems and need to take my car in again, so it may be that my car has a problem… e.g. the hatchback button to close and lock the car doe not work. Some people have resorted to using a trickle charger to solve the problem… but for a car at this price, I think that’s ridiculous. Toyota should have a way to assess the 12 V battery. It does just about everything else. Also, the connection between the app and the car can get glitchy. Once I could not charge the car with a level 2 charger because a “door was unlocked.” Problem was: all the doors WERE locked. Then I noted the app thought the hatch was open. I finally deleted the app and then could charge my car. Since reinstalling the app, it still sometimes has incorrect info about whether doors are locked. Well, the app does only have 2 stars, apparently for good reason. One would think Lexus could do better.
Pole Position
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 2,034
Likes: 855
YMMV,
MidCow3
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Mar 2023
Posts: 22
Likes: 7
From: Ohio
With plug in Hybrids and the way they are designed being both EV and HV, the NX450h+ ( and all of our PHEV's) may fail to remote start without a charged EV (high-voltage) battery because, the system requires sufficient energy to operate the climate control (HVAC) system, especially in cold weather when it cannot rely on the gas engine alone. If the high-voltage battery is depleted, the remote start fails to ensure the vehicle does not overdraw power from the 12V battery. With that being said, if we are driving ours, we consciously look to see how low the EV battery is before we get to our destination, if we think we may want to remote start it. We will then use the EV-hold/charge button to charge the EV battery. This will take the energy from the engine and regenerative to charge the EV battery, instead of the Hybrid battery, and every time, bring the charge up so we can remote start by the time we hit our destination. Even just a few miles will get it charged enough to remote start it. It could be perceived as a hassle, but it works! I know that they can not and will not change the current vehicles that do this, because it is impossible, again, based on how it is designed. Maybe moving forward they will take into consideration the negative feedback it is drawing for the next iteration of the plug ins, but we shall see!
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 295
Likes: 99
From: CA
It is interesting on the Facebook Groups, especially the RX ones, folks are reporting on the 12V Battery issues, that we have known about. I have noticed some change with the way the Lexus App now reports the EV Battery Charge status now reports % of EV mode travel rather than total EV Battery charge. Similar to how the Gas Fuel Gauge only represents 12 gallons of fuel rather than the 14.5 gallons the Tank acutally uses by subtracting the 2.5 gallons in reserve.
As Lexus moves to more digital technologies, we will see more issues like this and the Backup Camera recall as Lexus is not really a digital tech company, Q/A shifts now to the consumer who now have taken on the role of the Q/A Engineers and now tests the products in the real world.
As Lexus moves to more digital technologies, we will see more issues like this and the Backup Camera recall as Lexus is not really a digital tech company, Q/A shifts now to the consumer who now have taken on the role of the Q/A Engineers and now tests the products in the real world.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2023
Posts: 1,101
Likes: 627
From: Niagara Falls, Ontario
Of note as well, I have a 350H and my app now only shows my fuel remaining gauge in a percentage as well. It no longer calculates an estimated driving range distance left using the fuel that remains in the tank. Yet my dash will still display a distance to empty figure. Gbobst; your information is revealing for 450H+ owners as well as 350H too. It makes perfect sense, since both types of hybrids don't use their 12 volt battery to start the gasoline engines since they don't have a typical starter motor, but use the high voltage traction battery to power the motor generator to provide the energy to 'rotate' and thus start up the gasoline engine. Without sufficient energy present within the high voltage battery the car will determine to not try to start up the ICE in order to prevent any possible electrical damage or other issues. So pre charging it up as much as much as possible before a shut down, especially in colder weather combined with a lack of the ability to plug in while not in use.
Toyota does use an algorithm on the 350H to begin a top procedure for the traction battery as you return home. It will begin to sacrifice mileage and devote more energy to recharging the traction battery as you get closer to your home. Not sure what it does when you're not going home though, I do notice mine never typically gets any lower than 1/3 remaining of its energy
Obviously deep down in the Toyota logic for their design and choice of the size of their hybrid batteries ultimately pushes the envelope when operating in a cold climate, to expose it's design shortcomings.
Toyota does use an algorithm on the 350H to begin a top procedure for the traction battery as you return home. It will begin to sacrifice mileage and devote more energy to recharging the traction battery as you get closer to your home. Not sure what it does when you're not going home though, I do notice mine never typically gets any lower than 1/3 remaining of its energy
Obviously deep down in the Toyota logic for their design and choice of the size of their hybrid batteries ultimately pushes the envelope when operating in a cold climate, to expose it's design shortcomings.
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 295
Likes: 99
From: CA
Of note as well, I have a 350H and my app now only shows my fuel remaining gauge in a percentage as well. It no longer calculates an estimated driving range distance left using the fuel that remains in the tank. Yet my dash will still display a distance to empty figure. Gbobst; your information is revealing for 450H+ owners as well as 350H too. It makes perfect sense, since both types of hybrids don't use their 12 volt battery to start the gasoline engines since they don't have a typical starter motor, but use the high voltage traction battery to power the motor generator to provide the energy to 'rotate' and thus start up the gasoline engine. Without sufficient energy present within the high voltage battery the car will determine to not try to start up the ICE in order to prevent any possible electrical damage or other issues. So pre charging it up as much as much as possible before a shut down, especially in colder weather combined with a lack of the ability to plug in while not in use.
Toyota does use an algorithm on the 350H to begin a top procedure for the traction battery as you return home. It will begin to sacrifice mileage and devote more energy to recharging the traction battery as you get closer to your home. Not sure what it does when you're not going home though, I do notice mine never typically gets any lower than 1/3 remaining of its energy
Obviously deep down in the Toyota logic for their design and choice of the size of their hybrid batteries ultimately pushes the envelope when operating in a cold climate, to expose it's design shortcomings.
Toyota does use an algorithm on the 350H to begin a top procedure for the traction battery as you return home. It will begin to sacrifice mileage and devote more energy to recharging the traction battery as you get closer to your home. Not sure what it does when you're not going home though, I do notice mine never typically gets any lower than 1/3 remaining of its energy
Obviously deep down in the Toyota logic for their design and choice of the size of their hybrid batteries ultimately pushes the envelope when operating in a cold climate, to expose it's design shortcomings.
Pit Crew
Joined: Nov 2024
Posts: 193
Likes: 127
From: NOTL ON Canada
HV Range and EV Range in App
Of note as well, I have a 350H and my app now only shows my fuel remaining gauge in a percentage as well. It no longer calculates an estimated driving range distance left using the fuel that remains in the tank. Yet my dash will still display a distance to empty figure. ... <abip>
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2023
Posts: 1,101
Likes: 627
From: Niagara Falls, Ontario
Interesting Castrum, I wonder if since my free trial has ended I'm now getting a 'basic' package now. The car's data it shares now is more basic and now uses less of cellular data, if any. Honestly I think I'm just getting the data points shared with the app as I'm shutting down the car and walking away. It's kinda is like a sports 'scoreboard' when you're in between periods. It's static with no actual monitoring present. So I get tire pressure, mileage, gas mileage as a percentage and notices like recalls TSB's and service required notifications which I don't believe would be sourced through the car at all but rather my account over the web.
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 295
Likes: 99
From: CA
Interesting Castrum, I wonder if since my free trial has ended I'm now getting a 'basic' package now. The car's data it shares now is more basic and now uses less of cellular data, if any. Honestly I think I'm just getting the data points shared with the app as I'm shutting down the car and walking away. It's kinda is like a sports 'scoreboard' when you're in between periods. It's static with no actual monitoring present. So I get tire pressure, mileage, gas mileage as a percentage and notices like recalls TSB's and service required notifications which I don't believe would be sourced through the car at all but rather my account over the web.
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