blautens

Our 2005 RX was done about 4 months ago - we were also about 2 years on the waiting list.

Still waiting for our replacement dashboard for 2005 RX - we call the dealer (JM Lexus) about every 2 - 3 months. *sigh*

You can use the 3M headlight kits - they're generally effective, but there is a lot of area to cover on these big headlights, and you can leave swirl marks if you aren't careful. I'm not saying not to use them - just noting the down side. But for really bad surfaces, you gotta remove the the material, and that means sanding. BUT...SInce you're probably out there ready to clay bar and detail your car anyway...:) - I find it much easier to just use a 6 inch DA orbital polisher/sander and a cutting pad (I like Mequiars Ultimate compound, but whatever floats your boat), then a polishing pad with your favorite polishing compound. Then a good wax - I've got a couple I like, depending on the surface, the temp, and the need for cleaning. I've used the Blue Coral headlight sealer on one light versus Mequiars NXT Gen Tech 2.0 wax on the other - not super impressed - they both yellow at the same rate, and since I'm waxing anyway. There is very little chance you will damage your headlight surface this way relative to the 3M headlight kits (which are down to like 2 different grit sandpapers...it used to be 4 I think). I do also have a number of different grit 3M sandpapers for the drill method (more than the kits), it's much cheaper to buy them outside of the kit (assuming you've got a lot of older cars like I do) but I reserve that for more severe damaqe.

Thanks! I'm downloading it now for our 2005 RX330 (with Gen 4 nav). Last week or so I obtained a 13.1 ISO file, and i copied the loading.kwi from our original factory DVD (which says 4.1 on the outside but when you check versions via the nav it reports 4.2), and I had pretty much the same problems you described, only picking my zone (which was indeed wrong) didn't seem to help - I still couldn't enter a destination address. Funny, as someone described, creating a new ISO and burning from the ISO file didn't work, I might as well have inserted a coaster. But burning the explicit files (extract ISO to folder minus the new loading.kwi, copy older loading.KWI to same folder, burn all files in that folder to disk using Imgburn) seemed to work much better. Soooo close! The maps definitely changed (and the nav reports v13.1)- I can see new streets there if I scroll over. And previously remembered entries work, but I never got it to allow me to type the address (and other buttons on that same screen didn't work - POI, etc.) I'll report back - thanks again!

The driver's side mirror on my 2005 RX330 is a little slow to move right/left - up or down is fine. I believe it is a common failure item. I manually adjust it if it's really sticky and I feel the need to change it - then go about my merry way - since only my wife or I drive it, not a big deal. There is an entire Lexus RX service manual available at this website should you be feeling up to the task of the repair: http://bahamutcars.free.fr/workshop/RX_03-07/contents/index.html

Good news - the link is working again. More good news - seems to download everything fine using a free (GPL) product called HTTrack - you don't even need to install it if you don't want (portable version works fine). http://www.httrack.com/ Just fire it up and point it at the URL, like http://bahamutcars.free.fr/workshop/RX_03-07/ and it will download everything from that folder and subfolders.

I took our 2005 RX330 in for the groan/howl and JM Lexus of Margate quickly diagnosed it (even though it was intermittent) and performed the TSB under warranty. No more groan/howl for us.

Wife's car...but I don't mind driving it, except it's a little cramped for me (6'5", 255 lbs), especially given how big it is on the outside. But definitely the SUV to buy your wife in my neighborhood (and she was 32 when I bought it for her). But honestly, she was used to and liked her (rather brutish) 4Runner, so next time I'd think about getting her something more along those lines (whatever the Lexus version is when we're ready...I'm not paying $40k for a 4Runner and dealing with the Toyota dealer). Me? I must be insecure...I drive a 435 HP SUV that'll run 13.5 in the quarter. But before that I had a CRV. So who knows? Maybe next week I'll buy a Honda Fit.

I can't testify to the Alenzas, but we put the Michelins MXV4 S8 on our 2005 RX330 after wearing out the OEM Eagles in only 18,000 miles. We immediately noticed a big decrease in noise (I could use the handsfree phone at 80 MPH + without issue, whereas with the Eagles it was too noisy above 65 MPH to use it effectively). We're at 38,000 miles now, and the Michelins don't appear to be wearing appreciably (we rotate them about every 5,000 miles, and get the front end aligned once a year - it seems to get out of whack easily). Dry and wet grip seem to be better than the Eagles, but quite frankly, this is not our "performance" car that we drive for fun (we have something else for that), and the VSC cuts in so early, I can't swear how they handle at the limits. So, bottom line is, we're VERY happy with the Michelins, and have never had a bad set on any car. I will certainly concede they will cost you more than the Alenzas. But given that you have them for a few years, that rarely is the deciding factor for me. Anecdotal evidence, I know, but there you have it.

Great choice - I wanted the MDX, she wanted the RX330. Guess who won? I'd really like that extra room...and personally I like the 2006 MDX much better than the 2007, at least in terms of styling. Congrats and enjoy.

2005 RX330 with 25K and we're knocking on the door for new rotors (a little shimmy when repeatedly braking hard) and pads. I actually don't think that's awful (I've had much worse before, and only my Honda was better - made it 36K once). But I'm still looking to replace them myself with Brembo OEM style replacements, and the pads will probably be something similar (premium aftermarket, but still ceramic). Nothing outrageous. I've always had good luck replacing factory brake parts with something like that. Funny thing is, Brembo makes a front and rear OEM rotor for the RX330, but the fronts are hard to find anywhere. But OEM stuff I replace with quality brand replacements and I'm generally pretty happy - maybe those will last a wee bit longer. Exceptions are maybe the few factory performance pads (if you have Corvette Z51 compound pads - they may be dusty as hell, but they're a REALLY good pad).

I think that thickness of the media is one issue. The same blank CDRs that work flawlessly in our 2005 RX330 with the 6 disc changer would sometimes not eject or load from our 1996 4Runner, and if they did load would display "ERROR" on the head unit. My 2003 Honda CRV loves them, as does my 2006 Chevy TBSS. I think older head units had less of a tolerance for media thickness. But 2004 isn't that old. Adhesive labels can also be bad, for a number of reasons - especially for CDRs that get left in cars and get hot, because sometimes the label adhesive doesn't tolerate that well, and that's an obvious issue. But if your 2004 head unit is the same as my 2005, I use almost nothing BUT CDR blanks in it (but no adhesive labels) and it works flawlessly.

My 2005 did it just once a year ago, on the right side, after a carwash. It's odd, because it's never done it since, even after going to that same carwash place (and the typical South Florida monsoons don't trigger it either).

Slightly off-topic, since I don't know anything about that grill personally, but I've been kind of disappointed with the grill selection for RX330s. I'm looking for a CTS-V type mesh, and I haven't really found one that's attractive. It's such a popular car and such a small and easy to replace grill, I'm somewhat disappointed in the selection so far.

The reason you shouldn't use anti sieze compound and THEN use a torque wrench is that it is a lubricant. The lubricant changes the friction coefficient of the stud and lug nut, thereby changing the torque specifications you should use for your vehicle. It's a small amount, but it's different nonetheless. Keep them clean and free of rust and debris, and you shouldn't need to lube them, which is essentially what those compounds do most of the time.