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Lexus GS 450h Accessories & Modifications
Doing some aftermarket changes to your 450h? Talk about them here!
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Most hybrids have better city mpg because of the use of regenerative braking to charge the battery. But to really take advantage of regenerative breaking you need to let the battery drain down some until you can charge it back by slowing the car. Much of the (relatively) poor city mpg of the 450h is due to the bias toward keeping the batteries fully charged and ready for action. Another significant reason for the (relatively) poor city mpg is that the electric motors are very powerful and will drain more on the battery than say the motors used in the Pirus.
So how could we improve the gas mileage of the 450h without making any mechanical changes? Can we find a software hack out there willing to play with the program that controls this engine? If we can, I think we could make some changes that could really improve fuel economy. Here are some ideas for a potential hack out there. (I am sure people will pay you for the changes – I will!)
Idea 1: reduce the power used by the electric motors. Since you can’t disengage some of windings in the motors without a mechanical change, how do you reduce the power used by the motors? One relatively simple way is to disconnect one motor. In “economy” mode, the 450h would only use one of the electric motors to propel the car.
Idea 2: change the timing of when the combustion engine engages. If the batteries are allowed to discharge more, the combustion engine would be needed less. In economy mode the car would rely more on the electric motors and less on the combustion engine.
Idea 3: change the electronic timing in the combustion engine so that it runs on three cylinders. Actually I think this change would require some mechanical changes inside the engine but if it could be done you could improve not only city mpg but highway also.
All of these changes should be able to be turned on and off with a switch because the real reason for buying the 450h is not for fuel savings. But the average guy would love to be able to see how far he can go on a tank. I know that I hate stopping for gas so I would use the “economy” switch on my normal daily commute.
Is anyone out there capable of hacking for us?
The Treo sees the car as a headset and prompts for input of the security code. After entering the code, the phone thinks it is connected, but the car just waits with a message saying to "enter the security code in your phone". It doesn't recognize that the phone has connected already.
The solution appears to simply be to make a phone call while the car is still in the waiting mode (i.e. before it times out with a connection error). When you make the phone call, it must send a bluetooth signal to the car, which results in the connection being recognized. From that point on, it works fine.
Is there any way to improve the quality of the low beam HID's? Nice and bright, but not much help given that they're practically pointed down to the road. Consumer Reports indicated this as a problem with other GS models (and numerous other vehicles as well). What's the point of bright xenon lights if they're not pointed up the road?
By the way, I've yet to notice the benefits of the lights adjusting into a curve.
Simon Parvin
While the installation was well done by the technician, I was disappointed to see that a small black antenna was glued to the top of the right rear panel, just next to the trunk, and a wire comes out from the seam at the trunk. It looks like any after market installation (albeit a professionally executed one). Hard to believe this is how Lexus planned for satellite radio in this vehicle, given that most if not all other manufacturers have a more integrated solution. Dealer told me that shark fin antennas are now used, but it wasn't available on mine. I guess a 2007 model car wasn't new enough.
Lexus representative says that, because the car wasn't originally ordered with XM, the only option was for the dealer to install it aftermarket in the manner that they did.
Dealer salesperson claims that no GS's prior to Oct/Nov 2006 came in with roof mount shark fin antennas. All GS's with satellite prior to that, whether factory, port or dealer, are installed the way mine is.
I was hoping for (and swear I was promised) a color coordinated shark fin antenna, but I may be mistaken.
I don't think I would choose the dash mount over what I have now. I did that with Sirius in my prior car and the reception was poor. I think the roof was sometimes interfering with the signal.
There's also an override that allows DVD player to work while driving so that your kids can watch a movie from the back. But this one involves cutting some wires...
I would certsinly be interested in this fix if you could let me have it (or point me to it).
Simon
1. Hit MENU button to the right side of the Navi screen
2. Hit the VOLUME button on the touch screen
3. Once in the VOLUME menu, hit the SPEAKER icon in the upper left corner of the touch screen
4. Touch the lower left corner of the touch screen (there is no icon there).
5. Repeat step 3.
6. Repeat step 4.
This should open up the service menu.
7. ">On the service menu, touch and hold the Override button until you hear a beep. Once it beeps, the "Override" text on the button should become black instead of white.
You're done for this trip!
Is there a difference when you say "Hit" vs "Touch" as in hold for a period of time? I tried this is various timings and nothing happened. I have the Mark L. system in a 2007 GS 450h, is there a variation to this for system config? I just want my CD MP3 list to work more than anything else. When driving my list goes away and I a left with the knob and single line display. Can there the be anything more distacting that that? Lexus has gone over the top for safety here and is in the way down. I am so looking for anything to improve the usablity of this system. Even if I need to cut some wires..
Desparate in Boca Raton
lc
lc Boca Raton
Personally, I'm just waiting for someone to find the key sequence for 6.1... gota figure it's just a matter of time before someone figures it out.
Thank Chris