Ascho

A friend has the 2023 NX hybrid and leaves home for 4 months during the winter. Does the car need to be started every few weeks? Does it need to be driven? Will the battery go dead?

LeX2K

It needs to be started during that time I would say at least once per month. Driving would be even better.. If the hybrid battery goes dead there is no way charge it short of towing to a dealer and even then they may not have the equipment to revive the high voltage battery.

Ascho

Wow!! Thanks.

BillUK

During covid, the advice from Toyota/Lexus was to start the car and leave it in ready mode for an hour, once a week. The engine will fire up to keep the hybrid battery charged, and the hybrid battery will top up the 12v battery.

https://mag.toyota.co.uk/coronavirus...omment-page-1/

lsft

Doesn't matter what car you have... it must be started. There are instructions for storage if it's prolong and the easiest way is to start it up and let it run for an hour to maintain the 12V battery and let the traction battery charge as well.

AM123

Please see below information straight from the owners manual. You decide how you want to proceed. But per the owners manual you need drive it every few months for at least 30mins. I don’t know what’s the definition of few months lol.

LeX2K

"If the hybrid battery becomes fully discharged and you are unable to start the hybrid system, contact your Lexus dealer"

Tank about a softball warning they forgot to mention your car is bricked and won't be cheap to revive.

Droid13

Hybrids with NiMH batteries (while still considered more reliable - presently anyway pending future hindsight) are a little more prone to having battery discharge from just sitting around due to its chemistry compared with Lion batteries. The Lexus warning about starting "every few months" is pretty much what they've been saying for as long as I can remember. In 15 yrs of slumming around hybrid forums when I had my TCH and RX450h I've seen most people be able to leave their hybrids sitting for 2 or 3 months with little issue (I personally never let mine sit much over 3 weeks). The risk of a flat battery (besides needing you to tow your car to the dealer to have them hook up to their special & expensive hybrid battery charger and welcoming you to help pay for it) is going to be potential longevity issues with the battery and other components; the need for additional brake servicing (to keep/free them from seizing up, especially with greater age and longer storage lengths), and also drying up of engine seals or internal rusting due to moisture contamination.

Cars hate being left sitting, its always better to give it a run or at least started and warmed up once a month if possible. Easy to get away with it when the car is stored properly, clean, fresh oil, charged batts, up on blocks for longer terms, etc. Serous "car people" will also remove spark plugs and coat cylinder walls with extra oil. But even when not stored properly most people can also easily get away with it in a newer vehicle but that doesn't mean you aren't very gradually shortening the life of some components. Somewhat like eating a double cheeseburger every day.

Ascho

Thank you all for the great responses. I am the one who goes there to start the car every few weeks but it looks like I should drive it around also. I appreciate all of you and this forum