ricky7

How long is it safe to let a 2010 Lexus Rx 450h sit without driving? I live overseas for 10 months out of the year. I was considering having a family member drive it once every couple months. Does it need to be driven more frequently? I don't want the expensive hybrid battery to die on me.

Droid13

The manual recommends the vehicle be run for 30 minutes "every few months" to keep the hybrid battery charged. I think once every 6-8 weeks would be my suggestion if you have someone that can do it for you. As Nate says, your 12V may be at issue especially if it's original still, and is being stored in extreme temps. My 12V is still original and its not let me down so far, but I would not trust it beyond sitting a week or two at this point.

ricky7

Thanks for the info and suggestion. I'm do not claim to be a very savvy car guy but it is great to get feedback and suggestions from owners of the same model/year. I'll post what I find works best for me. I'm mostly concerned about the hybrid battery but it seems like the 12V battery would go out long before the hybrid battery would discharge.

Does anyone else have personal experience with any hybrid system that has been left for extended periods of time? Does the 12V battery really lose its charge after 2 weeks or could it go longer?

I'm thinking of having a family member help me out but they would only be able to drive it about once a month.

riredale

I'd suggest having someone drive it to the market once a quarter to keep things topped off.

tempestv8

Does anyone know if the battery maintainer's positive alligator clip can be attached to the exclusive jumpstarting terminal and the negative alligator clip to an earthed point somewhere in the engine bay, instead of connecting directly to the 12 volt battery terminals under the rear cargo floor, for an extended duration?

The exclusive jumpstarting terminal is used to jump start the vehicle when the 12 volt battery is discharged, but what if its just to maintain the battery whilst away on holidays? I would assume so, but just thought I'd ask, in case there was a "gotcha" that I'm not aware of.

The recommendation from Lexus for leaving a vehicle for an extended period is to disconnect the 12 V battery. See this document: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/20...87543-5448.pdf

However, the owners manual says that when the 12-volt battery is removed, the power back door must be initialized. I really don't want to have to do that, so I'm hoping to leave the 12 volt battery connected and use a battery maintainer (smart charger) - but I want to use the exclusive jumpstarting terminal instead of connecting directly to the battery, meaning I don't have to keep the tailgate ajar. Is my plan flawed in some way?

tempestv8

Update: I left the smart charger on all night and disconnected it today, and drove my usual route, No issues at all, so I am guessing that it's OK to charge the 12 volt battery from the exclusive jumpstarting terminal.