BobQ Tampa

I wired up my 2002 RX300 2wd that did not have the towing package. I'm including a diagram of the connector and explanation as I didn't find others that were specific and had to figure it out from multiple sources and my own test light. 1. there is a white multi-pin connector at the 10 o’clock position of the spare tire. Remove the spare and you should have plenty of access. See the attached diagram for the pin-out. Note that the +12vdc pin is hot when the fuse is installed. Leave the fuse out while wiring things up. There are a couple of threaded studs studs near the connector, one of which will make a nice ground connector point. 2. I got a universal Trailer Light Power Module from my local U-Haul dealer and was shocked that it was the best price of any I'd seen online, just $40. Part 13493. 3. The power module had 6-wires out the vehicle end. One was a ground and it had a connector on it for the stud. Of the wires the 12vdc wire was the shortest at about 9 inches so I cut all the others (except the ground) to match. Removed 3/8” insulation from each wire and tined them with solder then flattened each end with the pliers. The power module had double sticky tape on the back and I stuck it to the surface at the 9 o’clock tire position. I slipped the 5 tinned wires into the connector as labeled. Tested the output with a load (hooked it up to the trailer, and put the fuse in) . It all worked so I used some silicone (RTV) glue on the wires that stuck into the connector so they would not come loose and glued the connector down to the metal as well. Job done. Note: The power module uses the +12vdc line to power the trailer lights. Each of the other wires going to the vehicle connector are simply sensor wires that draw only a miniscule amount of current. This way the vehicle does not detect any additional drain on any of the light circuits and no fault lights are thrown. Lastly the U-Haul connector includes green LED test lights that indicate power for the various circuits. I used these when initially testing and when they worked right I went ahead and connected the trailer. The power module kit included zip ties and extra wire etc that were not needed though I did tidy up with the zip ties. I figured out the connector using a standard test light.

RE: propeller (drive) shaft See www.box.net/shared/o55c5697lt and read the file on propeller shaft. This belongs to gabap, one of the forums frequent posters. It is a 3 part system with 3 spider joints (I always called them u-joints) and what looks like a CV joint. Typically a spider joint has a grease fitting on it. Add grease till the seals start to bulge (if there is a grease fitting). The CV joint should be good for life. RE: Interference engine. I did a good bit of searching and pondering. While a master tech is an excellent source what I missed was a reference to the factory tech manual. Since you have a good contact would you mind confirming the source of his information? Is it Toyota/Lexus shop manual, Personal inspection or other. If anyone has an AllDataDIY account for the RX-330 3MZ-FE (VVTi) please see if the section on timing belt replacement has a large caution stating it is an Interference Engine and post here please with the yea or nay. A goggle search provided a lot of statements that the engine is an Interference design but there was also much about the 1MZ-FE (not VVTi) being the same and I know that not to be true, thus I’m looking for source data. Till I get some hard data I’ll go with Mickey00’s input but …

Best to be sure! The Gates com pany web site has a nice lookup both to determine if it is an interference engine and to explain just what that means. I checked the 05 and Gates states it is non-interference. OTOH Gates has been wrong before. I helped my sister in-law when both Gates and Michelin One service stated it was an Interference Engine. The shop was quoting her $3k to fix. I checked AlldataDiy and they had a service bulletin stating emphatically that it was not an interference engine. Bulletin posted due to confusion in the field. In this case I’ll go with the Gates site. Also my AlldataDiy lookup did not warn it to be an interference engine and they would have had that been the case. [bR] Re: Drive Shaft. Typically they use 2 U-joints and have a grease fitting in the center of each joint. Jack a rear wheel up so you can rotate the shaft placing the grease fitting where it is visible. Not having an AWD I can’t say for sure this is the case but it is for 99% of the RWD systems I’ve seen.

RE: timing belt. If the vehicle gets hard use (taxi, police harsh conditions etc) 90k miles to replace is called for. BUT if you are a typical highway driver then it is inspect vice replace IMO. Second; the important issue here is knowing that this is a NON-interference engine (which it is) so if by chance it just dies and a quick inspection of the timing belt shows it is not moving when the starter is turning then replace it then. The engine won’t be damaged. It is a matter of odds. I replaced the belt on my Avalon at 90k Miles (very similar eng) and it looked like new. I could have left it alone for years! And since my wife drives it and has AAA, I wouldn’t worry about it. The manual recommended only inspect at 90. (The RX recommends replace but the AlldataDIY site only recommends replace if heavy duty use!) My 03-RX has 86K on it and I’ll start inspecting the T-belt via the little inspection hole soon but I really expect it to be working fine at 150K miles. Lastly, these belts typically fail when the engine is cold and you go out to start it and the crankshaft gear strips the belt teeth because the rest of the system is tight and not lubricated at startup. The crankshaft gear being smaller and having higher force applied to the teeth on the belt. So chances are that in the rare occasion of failure it is likely in your parking spot in the morning and you’re late for work. But the likely scenario is you never change it and sell the car before 150K miles. But be nice and advise the buyer that the belt is original. OTOH the dealers children have tuition payments due <g>. BTW I have no Idea what a "prop shaft is." is this unique to the 4w drive versions? What we used to call a drive shaft on a rear wheel drive car.

My 03Rx antenna was groaning going up or down. After reading about the internal nylon strap with gear teeth on one side being the mechanism that makes the mast move I figured I’d better fix it before it broke. I removed the antenna and opened it up and after taking a look at the system I took an oil can and pumped about 4 tablespoons of 30wt mobile 1 into the gear strap area and put it back together . In short this worked just fine. BUT I spent a lot of time getting to the antenna and doing the R&R. I found there is a much faster and easier way to fix the problem if like me you have the simple “groaning” problem but the thing is otherwise working. The antenna housing has a water drain on the bottom of the case with a 3/8 OD black rubber hose that goes out the bottom of the body straight under the antenna. Note: there is also a 3/4 in OD clear tube next to it. Solution, remove the plastic tray with right side of spare tire. Then remove the plastic half moon tray to the right of that (it has a couple of plastic push-in thingies, a screw driver works but there is a special tool used to get door panels off that works). You can now reach in and feel the bottom of the antenna motor housing. Feel the bottom and follow the hose down to where it goes through the bottom grommet. Give it a pull and it will come right out. Now you can sit on the back and finish the next step. I use a pump oil can that holds about a cup of oil but you can use any number of techniques to add about a half cup of oil into the antenna motor housing through this tube. Plug the tube with a pencil or clamp it with vise grips. Now run the antenna up and down a few times. Get a cup and set it down in the well and drain the oil back out. The oil will loosen up the grease that is already in the motor housing. Later push the hose back down through the hole and place a tray on the floor to catch the dripping for the next several hours. By now you’ve thought of two things. 1 Couldn’t you do this from underneath and not take anything apart. Yes, and in fact I would do that myself should the need ever arise again. 2, will this cause a problem with the electric motor etc. I don’t think so. The actual motor and a small circuit board are both in the top half of the antenna motor housing and the nylon gear strap winding is in the bottom. The half cup of oil should not get near high enough to be a problem and in fact even if you filled it full of oil I suspect it would be ok assuming you drained it back out after running the mast up and down. The actual motor is a well sealed unit and the circuit board is likely immune to the oil. Bottom line is – my system is now silent and using this info you can fix yours with minimal effort. Just look for the 3/8in black tub next to the 3/4in clear tube under the car directly below the antenna. Note: I use Mobile 1 because it is synthetic oil and does not get gummy over time, (or as gummy). Good luck. BTW I will update this if I find a future problem.