CardinalRG

Just got my RX400h Friday night and still learning a lot. Just over 100 miles on it and wondering a few things about the hybrid battery.

- So far have not seen the charge level go to the top of the battery, just up to the + - signs. Will it normally go higher after running more?

- I have been surprised at how quickly the battery level drops down with the car not running for a few hours or overnight. Is this typical?

- Coast or brake? When I coast, the display shows energy going from wheels to battery but the power meter is at 0. When I brake, the power meter goes down into the blue showing it is charging a lot. So is it better in the long run to wait until brakes are needed to slow down or start coasting and slowing down as soon as possible?

- Brake vs B? What are pros and cons of using B shift position compared to using brakes? Any point to to using B position when approaching stop signs/lights?

katzjamr

It is very rare to see the charge level go to the absolute top i have seen it only once in 8200 miiles of driving and that was only after a long descent down a steep hill. The most you will ever see is one bar from the top. It is normal for it to be in the range from two bars to one bar from the top. When you are at two bars the ICE (internal combustion engine) will always kick in to help rechage faster. Even at only two bars the main battery is still at 60%. Toyota found that keeping the battery constantly charged and never letting it discharge more than half will give it long life. Regarding overnight, the battery should be able to sit about two weeks with out losing much charge, certainly overnight it should read the same level it was when the car was shut off.

You will learn a combination of coasting and braking, driving a hybrid requires you to think ahead to maximize mpg. You might coast if you see traffic slowing ahead or you are anticipating turning off the freeway (still keeping a decent speed), you will learn to anticipate braking more gradually so that you can take advantage of the regeneration that happens when your Kw needle is in the blue. Be ready for a different brake feel when regeneration is not needed it will take more brake pressure to stop the car. Its something you will learn. So start coasting and use the brakes more gradually than you would in a non hybrid vehicle. You will find yourself leaving more room between the car in front for this.

Only use the B shift position for extra braking going down a long hill like a mountain road, or if you feel you need it in some short steep situation. Do not use the B position for normal driving, because in that position much less regenerative braking is allowed and the battery will not charge as much. Enjoy your 400h and if you are like me it will put a smile on your face each time you drive it.






















5

CardinalRG

Good info.
Enjoying it greatly so far. Only 130 miles on it, but running 4 MPG better than my 2005 Highlander Limited. Trying to avoid using the power, but it sure is tempting!

joako

How about applying the same techniques to driving a non hybrid? I think this is just a marketing gimic, look at the prius, probably the transmission and design of the car along with teaching you to drive a certain way contribute far more to the increase in MPG than the actual hybrid, what if they removed the weight of the motor + batteries and taught you to drive a ceratain way? I think you could get the same exact mpg.

jfelbab

I read recently that you have to charge your hybrid at least every two weeks or the batteries will run down and may be damaged. Can anyone here confirm this? I read a complaint from an owner that was told this type of damage is considered owner misuse and is not covered by warranty. I travel a lot and sometimes my vehicle could sit as much as a month or two unused. Looks like a hybrid may not be right for me. Anyone have any real life user experience they care to share here?

I'm considering trading my 04 RX330 AWD in for an 07 but am probably going to have to opt for the 350 instead of the hybrid.

gwapito

In conventional braking, the vehicle’s kinetic energy is converted to heat—through friction—and dissipated, essentially “throwing away” the momentum (energy) that was being used to accelerate the vehicle. In the RX 400h, rather than using friction to slow the vehicle, the hybrid system allows the Motor Generator and Front Electric Drive motor for front-wheel drive (FWD), or Front and Rear Electric Drive motors for all-wheel drive (AWD) to function as generators, capturing the kinetic energy (that otherwise would be wasted) and effectively recovering the vehicle’s momentum in order to convert it into useable electricity and charge the high-voltage (HV) battery. The RX 400h is the best vehicle on the city when you stop a lot rather
than on a highway...

CrazyMPG

iTrader: (4)

I think it would be hard to get better MPG from a non hybrid because there isn't a monitoring system in place to tell you how much MPG you are getting. I drive a Prius and it helps when you look at the monitoring system because it allows you to drive with an eye toward saving fuel...heh... ...I think they should put that system in a regular car...but I don't know how they would do it. As for exact MPG from a non hybrid, I don't think that would be possible because the engine is always on and when you need power you have to use more of the engine that a hybrid...since I believe it uses the engine plus the electric motors to give you that torque. I guess Lexus hybrids are built in mind for performance rather than fuel efficiency...but you still get better MPG than a regular RX330/350 and lower emissions. I know diesel cars give great MPG but the emissions cannot be matched with that of a hybrid, and I think people still associate diesel cars as being pollution machines...however it has changed into better emission vehicles...although far from a hybrid...