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What Should I Watch For?


RX_4_surfin

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I just got an '01 RX300 with 80k miles on it. I thought that I was buyng a great car to put upwards of 200k on, but now I'm reading about some trans problems. Is that mostly on the AWD? (I got the FWD).

Also, the seats need to be cleaned up better, is there any home solution I can make that would work?

The last thing is the price. RX300's are a screaming good deal out here in OC. I paid only 16 grand for it--heavily negotiated of course--from a dealer. Seems good to me, what do you guys think?

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I just got an '01 RX300 with 80k miles on it.  I thought that I was buyng a great car to put upwards of 200k on, but now I'm reading about some trans problems.  Is that mostly on the AWD? (I got the FWD).

The transmission problems USUALLY occur in the all wheel drive models so you should be fine (actually i haven't heard of the problem in FWD at all).

Also, the seats need to be cleaned up better, is there any home solution I can make that would work?

Is it that the seats are "dirty" or just that there are many wrinkles in it? The dirt can be cleaned up with a leather cleaner and conditioner. But the wrinkles you can't do anything about.

The last thing is the price.  RX300's are a screaming good deal out here in OC.  I paid only 16 grand for it--heavily negotiated of course--from a dealer.  Seems good to me, what do you guys think?

That is an outstanding price for an 01. The mileage is a bit high, but that price is good for that mileage. Do you have any warranty on it from the dealer?

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The seats are wrinkled, but I'm only concerned about the dirt in the wrinkles. i tried some Meguires Leather care, and it worked okay, but I'm looking for something a little bit more aggressive and something that can get into the wrinkles a little bit better.

No warranty.

The only thing that the car doesnt' have that I think I would like is the wood on the steering wheel and the shft handle. Does anyone know a good place to get them? they are 3 grand from Lexus. On ebay, they are still about 750 or so for the set. I was thinking like a few hundered bucks is all.

You sure do have a lot of lexuses LexKid....

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...I'm looking for something a little bit more aggressive and something that can get into the wrinkles a little bit better.

You could always use a fabric that's a little coarser. What did you use to apply and rub it in? but just be careful, Rx300 leather has a tendency to "rub off." Well at least on the ivory leather. Some of the dark you see is actually just the leather pealing off. There is sort of a paper thin layer of the leather that's easiely pealed off if rubbed to hard. If you look at the thigh supports, at the seams (going parallel to the front of the seat), you can see some of the leather is pealing off a bit. Just take your time, and don't be too aggressive, too quickly.

The only thing that the car doesnt' have that I think I would like is the wood on the steering wheel and the shft handle.  Does anyone know a good place to get them?  they are 3 grand from Lexus.  On ebay, they are still about 750 or so for the set.  I was thinking like a few hundered bucks is all.

There are many posts on LOC that talk about the wood/leather steering wheels and shift knobs. They vary in price depending on where you buy them, and if they are new/used.

People that wear rings absolutely mark up their wood steering wheels, so buying used ones can be risky. These ring marks really make the wood look like junk. Also, about 1.5 inches (on the leather piece) under the top wood peice, the leather looks kinda strange on some of the steering wheels. It's kinda like a bulge in the leather. Look at this link to see a picture of what i am talking about: http://ebay.carad.com/viewItem/dsp_pho_img...2/a/04/91/ef/98

You just have to make sure you SEE an actual picture of what you're buying.

RX300, GS430, SC430 and ES300/330 wood/leather steering wheels (even though thy look similar) aren't totally the same. You need to make sure you get the one meant for the Rx300 too.

You sure do have a lot of lexuses LexKid....

Yupp and i enjoy every single one of them ;)

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I just got an '01 RX300 with 80k miles on it.  I thought that I was buyng a great car to put upwards of 200k on, but now I'm reading about some trans problems.  Is that mostly on the AWD? (I got the FWD).

Also, the seats need to be cleaned up better, is there any home solution I can make that would work?

The last thing is the price.  RX300's are a screaming good deal out here in OC.  I paid only 16 grand for it--heavily negotiated of course--from a dealer.  Seems good to me, what do you guys think?

Search "rear main seal" then go under your front axel and see if you have oil leak. Check your front side markers when you turn on parking light, if they don't light up, you have a burned/rusted out bulbs.

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mix a solution of Woolite liquid soap for fine hand washing. It is safe for leather and will do a better job of cleaning than those all in one cleaner conditioners. Wash the leather with a bath towel. Rinse at the end with clear water (wiping not drowning). Then put a conditioner on the leather. The woolite will do a better job getting the old dirt out.

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