Execellent Website

[mh6]

Just wanted to say execellent website and thanks to all that participate.

I just picked up 1999 RX 300 Awd in suberb shape inside and out with 81k on it, this website has provided a wealth of information to me on my RX.

After taking several hours to read through the pages I found what weakness I need to be on the lookout for on this SUV.

I have started going through the vehicle from front to rear :

**Timing belt and all running belts replaced as part of the deal

**New rotors and brakes replaced part of the deal

**Engine oil changed to Mobil 1 Syn (all I use on my cars)

**Dif oil changed to Mobil 1 Syn

**THE BIG ISSUE on this vehicle....transmission 100% powerflushed at Toyota

(Tech said it was brownish, need to be changed no doubt but was not too awful, he had seen much worst. ) 16 quarts of T-1V now in, I will flush it every 15,000

**All Air filters replaced part of the deal

**I cleaned the MAF, was dirty.

**I cleaned out the Throttle body, some gummy build up.

**Coolant changed part of the deal.

**Will be replacing the Iridium Spark plugs in the next few days.

and of course starting to learn the Rx as qiuckly as I can, will need to aquire a manual.

2 things looking at now....

A ticking sound from the engine area at idle, suspect a fuel injector or one of the vac valves ......one particucalr one that sits up top and seems to be very ticky.......used stethoscope on valve covers and ticking was not coming from there.....hopefully ruling out a valve adjust at this point. Hate that sound <_<

the other is gas milage.......but I am going to give that another couple of tank fulls to truly see, especailly after cleaning the MAF and throttle body. But perhaps the plugs should be changed first.....was trying to see what causes an increase in miliage. Was getting a unhappy 18 mpg on the highway using mid grade gas,with 31psi in tires, no ac, doing 72mph in cool weather. I am sure it can do better.

Any other suggestions are most welcome :)

I look forward to participating in your forum from this point forward

Thank you for your time and effort

[RX in NC]

Unfortunately, 18 mpg is about right. My wife sometimes manages 19 to 20 in hers, but she is cautious and conservative. You may be wasting your money if you change your original iridium plugs now (they are expensive, about $10 each at NAPA or Pep Boys). They're usually good for about 120,000 miles. You may want to pull them and clean them before spending the money to replace them. And be aware that those three plugs in the rear are almost impossible to get to unless you know what you're doing.

Watch out for your transmission. That's the biggest weakness in the AWD RX models. You seem to have already deduced that by reading this forum. Good luck to you.

[RX400h]

Does the ticking go away after your vehicle is warmed up? If it does, you might want to consider using a K&N oil filter. It flows better than most filters and made a big difference when I installed one in my Corvette.

[mh6]

Unfortunately, 18 mpg is about right.  My wife sometimes manages 19 to 20 in hers, but she is cautious and conservative.  You may be wasting your money if you change your original iridium plugs now (they are expensive, about $10 each at NAPA or Pep Boys).  They're usually good for about 120,000 miles.  You may want to pull them and clean them before spending the money to replace them.  And be aware that those three plugs in the rear are almost impossible to get to unless you know what you're doing.

Watch out for your transmission.  That's the biggest weakness in the AWD RX models.  You seem to have already deduced that by reading this forum.  Good luck to you.

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Hi Rx, thats kinda a bummer to hear.....I am shooting for 21.......man hope that is not a pipe dream....last little survey was 252 miles using 14.1 gallons rounded thats 18.......21-18=3 3 miles x 14 gallons thats 42 miles ..2 gallons of gas !!!

eehhh :(

Yeah checked on the plugs that quote is about right.......the tech at Lexas where I got it .......showed me the proper tool and technique for the replacing of the rear plugs......very cool dudes down there. But just to get everything on the same sheet of music I will most likely replace them. Dont misunderstand me....I dont like throwing money away :)

Hi RX 400, it stays there after warm up, noticable at a stop light and idling in the garage.......man I hate that ticking noise :D ........ I will find it, may take some time, but I will get it I hope. I like a smooth idle, my wifes Toyota Solora SLE has the same engine and is very smooth.

[TunedRX300]

Flush your brake fluid, chances are it is never replaced.

I would recommend you to use 87 octane next time and put a bottle of Chevron Fuel System Cleaner.

K&N air filter helped me to get 20 mpg on mixed driving and 22 on 80% hwy driving on my AWD RX300.

[Matthew_McNally]

Just wanted to say execellent website and thanks to all that participate.

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glad you enjoy LOC

[mh6]

Flush your brake fluid, chances are it is never replaced.

I would recommend you to use 87 octane next time and put a bottle of Chevron Fuel System Cleaner.

K&N air filter helped me to get 20 mpg on mixed driving and 22 on hwy on my AWD RX300.

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Hi Tuned,

brake fliud was flushed when they replaced the rotors and brakes, I checked on that to make sure.....forgot to mention that ealier.

I was going to run a bottle of cleaner with the next tank full, I will go with the 87 grade and see what happens

K&N......do you mean replace the OEM filter in the factory airbox ??

Those are the numbers I am looking for ...that would make me very happy :)

I will post my findings.

Thanks man :)

[TunedRX300]

I suggested 87 since I ran an experiement with 89 and my mpg decreased. You should be aware that higher flow filter lets more dusts into the engine. If Tennesse has a dusty summer just put the OEM paper filter in if you want additional protection. K&N should be good for the rest of the year.

www.ajusa.com sells it for about $36 w/ free shipping

[SW03ES]

Welcome to the site, glad you enjoy it. We've got some great knowledgeable members here.

As for the ticking, thats normal on the 3.0l V6, its nothing to worry about.

[mh6]

Welcome to the site, glad you enjoy it. We've got some great knowledgeable members here.

As for the ticking, thats normal on the 3.0l V6, its nothing to worry about.

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Thanks.........great input from folks....lots of knowledge :)

[SKperformance]

I commend an excellent post that was beautifully researched.... first.

You alreayd did every thing pretty much needed, i tell members to get a motorvac and an inline tranny filter which should make the tranny stay bolted to the engine for a long time since the oem metal screen mesh is useless.

I don;t agree with 87 octane , i always see lower mpg on all 3 of my cars with anything but premium.

[TunedRX300]

99 RX300's factory recommended octane should be 87. There is a thread on gas octane in the maintenance forum that lists fact and opinions on both sides. You can research and experiement yourself but here is an pretty objective and informative site.

Octane

[mikey00]

I was expecting to get better gas mileage when I tried 89 octane because my wallet was so much lighter, but it stayed the same.

[SW03ES]

Yeah its not going to make much difference. The only reason to use 93 is because it makes you feel good, I use 93 because of that reason and its a tax deduction.

[lexus ls430]

I get 17.9 mpg

[ajvenuto]

To mh6,

Sorry I can't respond privately but we are restricted in this realm since we are new members.

I am also looking for a good repair manual for my 2000 RX300. I'm not having much success however, except for the Lexus brand two-volume set at around $200 or more. If you make a purchase before I do, please let me know what you purchased and how you like it.

Welcome to the LOC,

Tony

[SKperformance]

truthfully anyone planning to do anything more than change their own oil NEEDS the lexus factory manuals .They are worth more than their weight in gold when troubleshooting and modifiying anything on the car.

It also keep the fact from fiction answers that people may have in check.

[ajvenuto]

To SKperformance,

I'll take that as a hearty endorsement for the Lexus manuals !

Can you recommend a web site or store location for the best price?

I've seen quite a variation in pricing among the few web sites that carry them.

Thanks,

Tony