c.word

Good Oxygen Sensor Link: http://www.bobblick.com/techref/projects/o...r/o2sensor.html SK*!!! YES! Good point! One can spend hours and $$$ on parts, only to discover the sensor(s) may not be receiving correct current. With only a simple code reader, we could miss this data. I do business (make friends) with local "service stations" (yes they still exist) who use some of these: http://www1.snapon.com/compareplatforms.nws Code only is ok, but only if we *have* a trouble code. With a true scanner we can look deeply at all values of our engines' sensors. The fuel/air/exhaust/temperature relationships are truly fascinating. I would add -from experience- if OTHER issues result in changes to the normal exhaust composition, O2 sensors will foul & fail prematurely. Too much of anything (gas, oil, coolant) will slowly murder oxygen sensors over time. If I may share my case... a defective intake gasket led to what was interpreted (by the oxygen sensor forward of the catalytic converter on the right bank) as a lean fuel/air mixture. Result1 (without a check engine light): Computer calls for more fuel (fuel/air mixture) to all cylinders. Result2: All oxygen sensors eventually foul from rich combustion effluent (incomplete burning of fuel/air mixture). Computer then turns on check engine light. When scanned, all O2 sensors show a rich fuel to air mixture. One oxygen sensor is flagged as bad by a code-only reader. I replaced it. (without knowing the cause of the rich fuel/air mixture stated previously) Result3: another code on a different sensor. I replaced another, and another... NOT KNOWING WHY THEY WERE FAILING. Six shops and two dealers looked at this, saw the codes, and replaced sensors. Ultimately, my friends (see above) and I stopped and watched the values of the O sensors. They asked about the recent mechanical history. When I mentioned intake gasket, they did a smoke test which identified the bad intake gasket replaced two years before. One and all had tunnel vision with the codes and not what was creating the codes. POINT: I and a lot of experienced mechanics became wrapped up in troubleshooting the symptom and not the problem. One may say that I need to find better shops. One may say that this is logic 101. I am not wanting to debate, only share. But the one thing I *DID* do is go back to everyone involved to share the solution... and a chuckle.

I couldn't disagree more with this part of your post. We just went through the second snowiest winter ever recorded in NH(10') and my RX plowed through all of it with no problems whatsoever. 12" of snow and higher drifts presented no problem. The main reason, as written ad nauseum on this forum, is fitting the RX with dedicated snow tires, knowing your limitations(no unmaintained roads), and applying appropriate winter driver techniques. If you march off in the snow and assume that an all season or M+S tire is adequate, you'll be sadly mistaken and will likely end up complaining about the RX's snow performance or even trading it in in some cases. In my area, it's routine to see GMC Yukons and other 4WD's piled up on the side of the road largely do to inexperienced drivers on OEM tires thinking that 4WD makes them invincible. As the previous owner of a 4WD Sequoia w/snow tires who deals w/the snow routinely, I think I have a good basis of comparison. There was not a day this winter that my RX remained garaged due to snow and I never came close to "wrecking". I apologize; evidently my post count needs to be higher and my join date older before I am considered less of a dummy on this site. No offense, just an observation. After all, the only method of judging members and/or the credence of their rhetoric is via these figures. Yes I see there are posts in every model category on this site regarding changing to snows, studded snows, AT/MT, even chains. I didn’t address this at all. Yet I acknowledge your point! Absolutely! I stated “factory tires” above…that they perform… horribly… yes, I could have changed them for studded snows, but what would that do to my mileage or VSC/TRAC? I didn’t address that either so I will drop it. My point is/was the stock tires are HORRIBLE and mounted to pickup the highest MPG possible. And you do have a good basis of comparison! But did you have to change to winter tires on the Sequoia?

SWEET! Good stuff.

What has been causing you to have to prematurely drain your "boxes" (do you mean engines?) so often? I've driven some fairly temperamental cars during my 42 years of driving and I can't remember having to do anything like that. Absolutely! I love explaining! But I can't seem to get the proper quoting format! I will figure it out at some point... Well no, of course nothing on either Lexus! But I reference cases when I have made “upgrades” to previous vehicles. I have put hours of work, design and planning as well as far too much coin into engines, transmissions, and gearboxes for on and off road use. I am of the opinion that once you seal a motor project (believe it to be DONE/FINISHED) it becomes somewhat of a curse – due to the fact that you believe your work to be perfect. I can triple check all my work, tolerances, and setups but it seems when I do and bolt it together, a defect comes about. Thus resulting in the vague scenario I described. I have an example I will show you (In PV,KS btw) of an AIR "BUBBLE" cast within a RWD pinion shaft which resulted in the pinion gear breaking and dropping into the differential housing wedging between the ring gear and the case. Now, not that all things are out of my control - I make mistakes, we all do, but often get longer life from my projects when I don't "sweeten them up" (have excessive pride/sense of accomplishment prior to reaching a level of mechanical functionality.) The use of expensive lubricants right off the bench did nothing for the short term mechanical efficiency of the engine/trans/gearbox which I installed. That is my opinion… your results may differ. Additionally, I now EXPECT and PLAN for failures and in doing so, have a higher success rate (mechanical reliability). And I could be wrong. No wait.. Murphy’s Law states something along the same lines. Well... a lot of members of this forum do exactly that. There are many forum members driving generation one 1990-92 LS400s including a friend who is still driving my first LS400 which I bought in early 1990. That's over 18 years and, I am told, is doing quite nicely as it nears 270,000 miles. Apologies and no offense intended. I should have put in some sort of appropriate emoticon post script. I was being sarcastic here... but it didn't look like it because I was bashing the use of synthetics without a defined need such as excessive temp, RPM, and/or turbo lines getting choked by oil coking (not COOKING). But looking back at this example, I indeed feel that a high mileage engine cannot be miraculously “saved” via the use of synthetic oil once it suddenly reaches ~100/200/300k. Simply switching from a 5w30 conventional to a 5w30 synthetic will not address the issues of a motor with 250k operating in an ambient environment averaging 100 degrees Fahrenheit each day in stop & start traffic. (For example alone – situations may differ) In my opinion, the operator of the vehicle needs to understand the internal conditions of such an aged motor and compensate by switching to thicker multi viscosity oil in extreme driving conditions as detailed above. Yes that may mean running a winter weight different than a summer weight of oil. (GASP!) I will say that I believe synthetics do have their place - such as a cradle to grave situation which the owner intends to drive it off the showroom floor and put many miles (~100-300k) on the car. Synthetics used from retail purchase onward absolutely extend engine life! I do approve! Hail old motors! They go faster and make better noise. I am a huge fan of old B.O.P. big blocks. I snatch them up whenever I can. But it’s not a GM site. OK ... I recently retired after over 30 years with one of the top U.S. providers of extended warranties sold by car dealers. Yes, I was a big fan of extended warranties too since they are wildly profitable for both the selling dealer and the warranty company. But they are rarely a good deal for the consumer unless the car model is of particularly low quality or the consumer is cash poor. And what do you mean by "They pay for themselves once a vehicle gets to the ten year mark."? I saw the value in it and it saved me often. Once I collected my complaints and brought them all into the dealer at the same time to best make use of deductible. Previous vehicle (SUV) hit the 10 year mark and the spider gears locked up in the rear end (different case from the earlier mentioned), the front axle seals were dripping everywhere, and it wouldn't shift into 4wd. Oh and the rear wiper wouldn't move when dash button was depressed. Right, so my all my payments to the extended warranty company suddenly were cost effective!!! Very! But again, that’s just my experience. I could handle a $75 monthly payment. I was young and NOT prepared to cover a $5000 rear differential R&R. I viewed it as insurance and I don’t regret it. I still will not drive a car without a warranty. I don't save, I spend it all at Diamond Joes ;) It is not unusual for the repair costs over a 1 - 3 year period for an older car to exceed the car's market value. That doesn't mean that continuing to drive an older vehicle doesn't make economic sense. Lexus V8 engines can easily go far past 300,000 miles with only routine maintenance. Yes, some external engine components (e.g. power steering pump, alternator) may need replacement but it is extraordinary for the basic engine (bearings, pistons, rings, camshafts, etc.) to fail. These cars more frequently meet their end when they are crashed and the cost of the crash repair exceeds the car's market value. Or when owners allow the interiors and exteriors to get trashed (scratches, dents, upholstery rips, broken glass) and the cost of repair exceeds the car's market value. Or when the owners never do any maintenance at all. Hey, PM me and I'll buy you a pint at my favorite bar in O.P. If you are in Kansas City, we can't live all that far apart. Agreed! I was speaking of absolute engine failure. Well said however. Newcastle!!!

I know that the fast lube industry says Mobil1's claim of extended oil life is true, but recommend changing the oil filter per manufacturer's recommendations. From Mobil1.com: Mobil 1 Extended Performance is guaranteed to deliver oil performance and engine protection for 15,000 miles between oil changes. Designed for today's longer oil change intervals, Mobil 1 Extended Performance with the Advanced SuperSyn system helps keep engines running like new and helps extend engine life by reducing wear and oil breakdown. Mobil 1 Extended Performance motor oils have been tested to be fully compatible with engine seals and do not require a special oil filter. http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorO..._Do_For_Me.aspx so whats it do? Probably nothing other than cost ~$7.25 per quart. Try it and go run a 1/4 mile and see if it makes you go faster. If not, why use it? Explore that site and see if there are any test results (other than the Vegas Taxi Cab) which will demonstrate a significant return on investment within a controlled environment. I've run Slick50, Royal Purple, blah blah... when I thought you get what you pay for. If I had a large investment in a modified engine & drivetrain then I liked the idea of synthetics. But with a sexy drivetrain, I found myself having to drain the boxes more frequently for other reasons. (dumping my freshly contaminated Royal Purple) For a daily driver, go with standard oil. You probably won't put enough miles on the car to reap significant benefits from synthetics/Teflon/cling-on lubes. That is, unless you intend to drive it for more than ten years... and who does that? Save your money! I do agree that one should do everything you can to keep an engine running if it is out of warranty. BTW: I am a huge fan of EXTENDED warranties (3rd party). They pay for themselves once a vehicle gets to the ten year mark. Lexus engines normally tend to die right as the repair costs surpass vehicle's worth. (that is good stuff, kids)

Front brake pads provide up to 70% of vehicle stopping power. In general, front brake pads wear out twice as fast as rear brake pads, 2 to 1. This is all normal. Lexus is using the cheapest pads possible in the IS 250. Almost designed to dissolve. You and I have the same issue and I am going to go in and ask for it to be resolved as you should. Reference this from Lexus on 06 and 07 IS models and ask them to fix the issue. http://www.lexustsb.com/attachments/93/BR002-06.pdf Applicable Warranty*: This repair is covered under the Lexus Comprehensive Warranty. This warranty is in effect for 48 months or 50,000 miles, whichever occurs first, from the vehicle’s in-service date. * Warranty application is limited to correction of a problem based upon a customer’s specific complaint SO GO COMPLAIN!!!! I don't want to absolutely say that excessive dust = excessive wear, but it makes some sense, right?

Agreed!!! The PWR mode does a fine job of “assuming” what you are going to do next. Try breaking suddenly from 70mph after a sustained romp at 70mph (where legal). Transmission will normally drop and hold waiting for you to hit the accelerator to return to your original speed. They did a great job of observing how drivers act, where the transmission should be in a variety of scenarios, and then programming this mode around them. And it learns from the driver as well???::: “…The ECT-i computer also has a limited ability to adjust for transmission wear and to learn and respond to a person's driving behaviour. (based on the resulting engine input conditions).” But that aside, the greatest feature of the PWR mode is that it holds the engine within the sweet spot of its power curve. Meaning, we don’t have to wait for the transmission to downshift to the optimum gear to deliver the desired power (response) at the current speed. Great discussion here: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...c=46602&hl=

Seen (smelled this) a bunch in many cars. But on the Lexus we have a unique problem which is AUTO climate mode not only controlling the temperature but also the air source for the cabin (fresh air or recirculated air). As we all know, recirculated air gets much colder and therefore is desirable. In fact, Lexus has programmed your AC to spend most of its time recirculating air. *Unless you had it set not to default to this behavior by the dealer changing the "Lexus Personalized Settings" http://www.lexus.com/pdf/service/IS_LPS.pdf But if you did, you are not likely to be having this issue. If you DO have them make this change, fresh or recirculated air is then not handled by the AUTO mode. It becomes a manual setting selected by pushing the dash selector button. (blah blah, read the manual) Although the recirculated air is dryer and cooler when you are driving, the recirculate mode presents a problem as all vents to the outside are closed. Thus normal moisture from condensation is retained inside the AC system when the car is turned off. That is to say, the AC system remains in the state at which you leave it – sealed for the most part. Mildew then sets up and creates your problem. Mold and mildew (the smell) we know to thrive in damp, cool, dark locations – as in basements. But we do not want it in the depths of our expensive sleds. We need to make it hard for mildew to continue doing business by providing a lot of fresh air to the system when driving and more importantly, when we shut off the car. Here’s how: 1: Start by setting system to "fresh air" as much as possible while driving and for sure set it to fresh air 15-20 seconds before shutting down the car for the day or at night. (Open the VENT as you say???) 2: Cut a deal with service guys to change the AC LPS standard setting. (#15 in the above PDF) 3: During the day - and after step 1 - park in the sun with windows rolled up with no sun shields up and sunroof shade pushed back exposing as much glass as possible. (yes I see the posts about having the windows cracked, but more heat in the cabin will dry the system and fix this issue faster after doing step #1) ((Just trust me... or I can provide references from happy people who have followed these steps for resolving)) (((plus, its free!!!))) Fresh (dry) air and heat will eventually take care of this if you do as I suggest. Likely it is too late to get the free LPF change by the dealer so just don’t hit the AUTO button if you wish not to pay them to make the change. That is to say, control the system manually via the climate screen and leaving it on FRESH air. It may take several weeks to permanently clear up, but it will. I mostly see cars with this issue who are in home garages at night and covered parking during the day. The above steps should also be used to PREVENT this problem. And this problem really does suck!

Bad news! Go to your dealer Lexus dealer and walk around inside (new cars)... yellow/white? stickers on outside of windshields state "Caution, tires will last substantially less than 20K miles", and the other said "Warning, parts, repairs, and maintenance on this car will cost substantially more than that for a comparable non-luxury brand car and may result in severe financial injury or debt". And wait a tick… Look at the majority of posts on this thread and Google the phrase, “20,000 miles tires 2007” and then Book Up on tires here: http://www.dot.gov/affairs/nhtsa2205.htm http://www.insidercarsecrets.com/tire_grading_system.html (deep breath) ok, Lexus factory tires give the 400h as well as all new Lexus vehicles the best advertised mileage as well as stick to dry pavement for good Car & Driver reviews. When building the RX400h they used the lightest tire they could find to increase the EPA MPG figures (less rolling resistance = better MPG). On a hybrid, this is quite important. It resulted in horrible tread wear as well as horrific snow/slush stopping and snow traction because the tires are only designed to address wet traction requirements per NHTSA standard for the traction rating (see above links). And on wet roads, the Rx400h does VERY VERY well. However, attempt to turn (under power) or stop in snow and you are in trouble. My point is that the tires were designed (not chosen) to address the minimal points of the traction standard (WET CONDITIONS) and not snow. For us that purchased the 400h to replace a full size GMC Yukon SUV with superior snow and ice performance, this was a nightmare! (read on) I will always argue that the RX is only an SUV because of its profile and not its suspension. Customers who scaled back from full size SUVs, to the RX 400h expected the 4wd/AWD handling of an S U V in snow were *BLEEP*ed and/or wrecked them. I was told when I traded my 400h to the Lexus dealer, that they were happy I didn’t wreck it last winter. They then informed me that half of the 2007 Rx400h sold by them entered the body shop with front end damage - they could neither stop nor steer in the snow. In addition the Rx (350/400) has the suspension of minivan and not a TRUE SUV like the GX and LX models. The most basic test is to jack up/raise one corner (using OEM jack) and watch how little the wheel travels downward. Ok, Alignment issues? No, don’t believe that. Watch it disappear as soon as you buy quality tires after 20k. Ask the dealer for the before and after readings from the alignment process. Wrong wrong wrong. They are covering up a larger issue. The tires don’t come apart which would call for an NHTSA recall, they are simply of POOR quality. If you want to check for a recall, you can here: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ The issue isn’t alignment… the tires wear evenly on the 400h! I ran mine to 20k before trading it. If there is an alignment problem, wear will be noticeable on the front tires prior to service, correct? Unless both front tires are turned inward or outward at the exact same angle (not probable) you will see uneven tire wear somewhere, right? Not the case. The stock tires are insufficient on everything from Lexus and evidently Toyota in general. I’m sorry, that’s the way it is, accept it, there was already a class action lawsuit about it (resulting in warning stickers), get over it, budget for new tires at 20k. Read this external link please if nothing else… sorry, but it is very good http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=309240

I have amazing tires on my 400h. Toyo S/T Poxes 255/55 18". I have had them for a year and a half ,15k miles,and show very little wear and NEVER have they rubbed. The slightly bigger size makes the car look so much better. It fills the well a tad more but enough to make it very apparent that the car seems it should have been placed on 255/55 tires. Anyway I've really been happy with them. They look great,feel great and handle great....well, they ARE great...sorry for the fourth grade level review but I really love them! I have a bunch of pictures on the post that I placed, "Best tires when it comes time". I believe that its still on this first page of posts. Good luck but you'll be happy to get anything than what the car comes with. At least you got some miles from your Michellins, I got 11K out of the crummy Good Years! Rey Wow! I was told to NEVER NEVER use larger/heavier/knobbier tires on the 400h even if there were multiple sizes showing up in the parts catalog! (or at TireRack.com) I was actually refused Lexus upgrade wheels from the product catalog because of differences in weight! (swear guys) Imagine a Lex dealer shutting someone down who wanted to spend more money??? Yup... True. U.S. Dude told me that Kyūshū has the hybrid drive and suspension optimized for the different sizes as they leave the factory floor - & its not something we should screw with. So as a result, I respect the technology involved in the final product and don't want to screw with it. Thats what old SUVs are for, right? ...Lift and larger tires and all that... He said VSC and TRAC will be completely confused by larger tires! http://www.lexus.com/models/RX/features/sa...y_features.html Who knows, the 400h might self adjust to the larger tire. I still wouldn't up the tire size on any vehicle with the sexy traction and stability controls shipping standard with the all flavors of the 400h! But it looks good, RXREY, you are right!