xxstewart

I'm reminded of a personal story from back in the '70's during the oil embargo when gasoline prices shot up to (sit down for this) 50 cents a gallon! A co-worker decided he wasn't going to enrich the oil companies, so he traded in his Buick Riviera for a Datsun 310. He was taunted by everyone in the office for doing this (it was just un-American), but he boasted about the great gas mileage he would be getting. So a bunch of us pooled some cash and filled up a 5 gallon gas can every couple days and dumped it in his Datsun during lunch. This guy began bragging endlessly about how his Datsun was getting over a hundred miles per gallon, and how smart he was buying it. The fun started when we stopped adding gas to his tank. He kept taking the car back to the dealer complaining about how the MPG suddenly plummeted to only 31 from over 100. The dealer thought he was nuts.

Most any performance tire dealer can tell you if the tires will fit. If you need spacers, try Spidertrax (www.spidertrax.com).

Dubai -- I think I read an article a couple years ago about people there spending 7 figure money to acquire coveted vanity license plates.

I did a +1 rim upgrade on a BMW several years ago, and the change in the ride and handling with a shorter sidewall tire was very pronounced. More agressive cornering, but a very bumpy ride, and substantially less tire life. Since I can't see how cool I look when I'm driving my GX, paying $5K for custom oversize chrome wheels and low profile tires for others to stare at seems stupid. Call me Mr. Boring OEM.

If you're committed to two sets of tires for seasonal driving, you definitely want two sets of wheels and avoid changing tires on one set of rims. I used to have two sets of wheels, but now use a single year-round tire. You should be able to find an acceptable all-season tire for your RX. I'd look into Michelin LTXs and Cross-Terrains. In any case, $2700 for a set of wheels is way to spendy.

My 2008 GX came with Bridgestone HTs, which provided a smooth quiet ride, but proved worthless in an inch of Colorado snow. I replaced them with Bridgestone Revos - slightly noisier, but they ride smooth, and after 40K miles, still have about 40% of the tread left. The Revos have been an excellent year-round tire in snow, rain, dry pavement, and gravel. Other forum members recommend Michelin Cross Terrains and LTX tires. I have no personal experience with these, but may go with one of these Michelins since my tire guy no longer carries Bridgestone. I've had several SUVs, and have always installed LT grade tires instead of passenger grade, and have always opted for premium tires, despite the higher cost. The Michelins will set you back about $1,000, but you'll be more satisfied with them than with low grade tires costing $600.

My 2008 GX behaves similarly when driving hills with the cruise control on. The system is designed to maintain constant MPH, so the transmission down-shifts and the RPMs run up. Using cruise control in hilly terrains and/or heavy traffic is not recommended anyway, so this doesn't concern me much. Most of the time, other traffic maintains such variable speed that trying to drive at a constant speed is more trouble than it's worth. Regarding brakes, did the dealer check the fluid level? Sounds as if there could be air in the lines. Take the vehicle to a brake specialist and have them bleed the system.

There's got to be an input on the remote start module connected to a door switch that senses when the door's been opened. Maybe you can find someone with a shop manual and wiring diagram, find the switch, and bypass it so the remote start can't tell if the door is open or closed. I don't know if this option is being sold in Colorado. In Denver, it's illegal to leave your car warming up in your driveway unattended, precisely due to auto theft. Cops have better things to do than retrieve cars for persons that leave invitations to thieves. Here in Colorado, I'm usually brushing piles of snow off the car while it's warming up, so remote starting isn't high in my priority list of must haves.

I bought my 2008 GX after having owned a '99 Pathfinder and being really disappointed with the new Pathfinder design (the 2013 version looks interesting however). My experiences have been mostly positive -- no repairs necessary in nearly 5 years and 45K miles. I think, however, the navigation system/audio system/climate control system concept is a disaster, with some of the controls appearing on the touch screen and others as buttons beneath the screen. I bought the GX instead of competitive luxury SUV's as the GX is based on the 4-Runner platform, which has a long history, and should be relatively free of problems. Obviously, this doesn't apply to systems incremental to the GX. A four year life for a factory grade battery isn't unusual I think - especially if you live in a climate extreme (Minnesota or Arizona), as temperature takes a toll on batteries. The Mopar battery that came in my '95 Wrangler lasted 3 years. I replaced it with an Optima redtop, and I finally had to replace it last month after 14 years. I don't use my GX's moon-roof much at all, so if/when it fails it will likely be lack of use. The driveshaft and transfer case problems are interesting - maybe related to the infamous "clunk" issue(?). Mostly, I like the suspensioon and ride on my GX, even after I installed tires with more agressive treads than the factory tires (which were worthless in snow). The Bridgestones I installed have 38K on them and still have 1/2 the tread left, which I attribute to the refined suspension and alignment. But with 5 years on the GX, I'm thinking of trading it next spring for either another GX or LX. I keep looking at the competition, but can't get enthused about any of them.

Here are wiring diagrams for the height control system. I'd check all the fuses to start with, and if you have a voltmeter, check for voltages at all the critical locations. Hopefully the suspension ECU blackbox isn't the problem. GX470SuspensionWiring.pdf

The cup holder pops out if you pull up on it. Open the lid, grab it with both hands, rock it gently, and pull upward. However, denslexusGX470 is right about the center console compartment. If something slid down the door opening of it, there's a post elsewhere on the forum regarding removal of the entire center console assembly.

??? RX450 ??? Do you mean "LX450" or "RX350"??? In either case, probably not, although a Toyota 4-Runner hitch probably will.

I'm not sure what the meaning of this error is, but it might be an indication that the Lexus Link battery needs replacement. If you don't use this system, you could try popping out the fuse (it might be labeled "Mayday System"). I think the Lexus Link system is also tied into the door lock system, so disabling the first might lead to yet another error indication. The wiring diagram attached might help. Lexus Link.pdf

Check ebay - you might be able to find an uncut key with remote for less than $100. There are many sources online such as https://www.ikeyless.com/vehicles/Lexus/GX+470/2005/1000451/ Check with a local locksmith about programming the remote and the transponder -- likely one of them will do it for half what the dealer quoted you. You might find programming instructions for the remote online, but the transponder will require a locksmith or dealer. Don't lose what's left of your key. If you bought the GX from a Lexus dealer, you should have demanded extra keys. A new GX comes with 2 ignition keys, 1 valet key, a transponderless key blank, and a transponder card. Did you get anything other than just 1 key?

Removing the entire headlamp assembly sounds like no fun at all (see attached). Find someone with a small and nimble hand. Lexus_Headlamp.pdf