2007 Lexus RX400H: 284k, $1k gamble

So it'll just sound like a dump truck going down the road?

I doubt the engine noise will be drastically affected by the loss of the 3rd cat. The main cats are in place, as is the rest of the factory exhaust system. There may be a slight resonance heard by replacing the missing cat with straight pipe but I doubt it.

Back when I had my Marauder, I deleted the 2 rear cats in an attempt to SLIGHTLY increase the sound of the exhaust. That car was equipped with 4... yes FOUR cats from the factory. However, like the Lexus, only the first 2 were monitored. After removing the 2 secondary cats, I can honestly say the exhaust note barely increased in volume. Noticeable? Absolutely, to someone that could compare the before and after first-hand. To a passer-by, it was more like the difference between listening to headphones at half volume vs. 3/4. Definitely a difference, but far from offensive.
 
You can still get universal cats on ebay for ~$53. Not a lot of platinum in them, to be sure. If you don't put a cat in, put a resonator or glasspack in so it doesn't sound like trash, but then you're halfway to cheap cat money.

I stuck one in my 1985 w250 plow truck that never had one, stock. Wife complained that I smelled like exhaust, driving back and forth in still air plowing my driveway. And there are some pretty big holes in my floor, LOL.

If you get "Torque" and an EML327 there may be custom PIDs for this vehicle that will give you all kinds of nifty gauges to check battery module health. I know there are for the 2nd gen prius. BTW, you can lose one module, change just the one, and motor on for another 70+k miles happily.
 
AFAIK, the hybrid battery is fine. There's no warnings on the dash that would indicate any kind of issue.

Even if it ends up needing a HV battery, it looks like reman packs go for about $1,800. I can easily replace the pack myself so the labor would be free. Still ends up being a net positive.
I'd probably play whack-a-mole before buying one of those "refurb" packs.
 
You can still get universal cats on ebay for ~$53. Not a lot of platinum in them, to be sure. If you don't put a cat in, put a resonator or glasspack in so it doesn't sound like trash, but then you're halfway to cheap cat money.

I stuck one in my 1985 w250 plow truck that never had one, stock. Wife complained that I smelled like exhaust, driving back and forth in still air plowing my driveway. And there are some pretty big holes in my floor, LOL.

If you get "Torque" and an EML327 there may be custom PIDs for this vehicle that will give you all kinds of nifty gauges to check battery module health. I know there are for the 2nd gen prius. BTW, you can lose one module, change just the one, and motor on for another 70+k miles happily.
ELMScan Toyota in the play store is fairly effective on older Toyota/Lexus OEM codes

It's also cheap
 
  • Helpful
Reactions: GON
stone-cold.gif
 
If this Lexus RX400h is a twin to Toyota Highlander Hybrid, then there is no driveshaft, but it is still AWD. Engine and CVT drive the front wheels, and electric motors in the back drive the rear wheels. At least that's how it works in our current 2012 Highlander Hybrid, and 2 previously owned 2006 Highlander Hybrids.
When our first 2006 Highlander Hybrid got t-boned - I had an idea of taking that whole rear motor drive unit to swap into a side-by-side or a VW Beetle, but didn't have the budget or complete knowledge to do that kind of EV swap.
Also there was a time when Borg-Warner took 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid and gave it a Turbo.
 
Last edited:
Back story: Being in the repair business, I occasionally have the ability to buy cars that customers no longer feel are worth repairing. I wouldn't say it's a common occurrence, as most of those vehicles really ARE past their usable life, however there are times when the stars align and I find a diamond in the rough.

Currently, my roommate is limping along a 2005 Chrysler Pacifica that's pushing 200k+ miles and it shows. The trans hasn't had reverse in years, the dash is lit up like Christmas, the AC compressor recently smoked it's clutch, and the front suspension makes the kind of noise you'd expect to hear from a senior citizen trying to get out of bed in time to catch The Price is Right. She's also going through chemo to fight cervical cancer and desperately needs a car that can at the very least allow her to park in a regular space without having to worry about whether she can pull back out when she returns.

After months of having no luck, said Lexus came in to my shop a couple months ago for a general check over. At 284k, it was tired. Used up? Not at all. But tired. That being said, it was obvious that it had not only been well cared for but by all appearances was a highway queen. The interior shows the type of wear I'd expect to see in a 100-150k mile truck, not something with double that. It had a few battle scars on the exterior, needed a couple tires, and the (likely original) struts were showing their age, but overall it showed promise. The customer declined the repairs, but I left a note for my service writer to ask the owner if he was interested in selling.

A couple weeks went by and I didn't hear back, so I forgot all about it. Then, one afternoon, I was told I had a phone call. Low and behold, it was Lexus guy. He was interested in selling, however he wanted (what I felt) was an unreasonable $2,300. After weighing the options and knowing I could spruce it up for about $500, I recommended my roomie take the leap and purchase it regardless. Everything was set, until the customer called and said he couldn't find the title... of course. I told him we were happy to wait for a duplicate, which he applied for.

Fast forward a month, and I get a call. The customer tells me that the title came in, however while the truck was sitting in front of his house the cat con was stolen. Normally, this would be a deal breaker. For someone like me, it was the perfect bargaining chip. I just went and inspected things today, and I'll easily be able to replace the cat with a piece of pipe and a couple welds. There's no emission testing here in MN, so no issue (other than moral). I offered the seller $1k given the circumstances which he immediately accepted.

To sum up: it's a 280k mile Lexus hybrid SUV, in fair condition, needing ~$500 in parts and elbow grease for $1k. Even if my roommate gets 2 years out of it, I see it as a win. It is a Toyota, after all! Taking everything into consideration, I think we all did fairly well. What say the great BITOG minds? Am I nuts?
14Accent,

You Sir are a HERO for helping your roommate who is in a bad situation out. I salute you!
 
If you feel the need to be proper, aftermarket converters are available in the $230 range
I’d throw on a Chinese aftermarket cat off eBay over straight piping it.
I do believe it's AWD. I don't remember the exact details, but I know it's got a sunroof (possibly standard), does NOT have factory nav, and does not have the Mark Levinson audio system. None of which my roomie cares about. AWD would be great, of course, however her Pacifica isn't AWD either and she gets by just fine in our MN winters.
The Toyota 4WD-i system in the HiHy/RXh is more of a safety feature and supplemental traction system vs. true AWD(Subaru, RT4WD/VTM-4, quattro/XDrive/4Matic). It kicks in when needed, kind of like Real-Time 4WD on a Honda but it’s switched on/off by the HV ECU using data from the ABS modulator.

The nice part about no Mark Levinson/JBL? If your roomie wants to upgrade the head unit, no finicky amp interface needed. Just a steering wheel control module and a 66ohm resistor across the AVC-LAN line.
 
Back
Top