SeaDuck79

Thank you veterans on this day to commemorate you.  I know there are a few of you out there.  Army of one gets my first thank you.  If you served, list your branch of service.  I was Navy from 1968 to 1974.

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Marine Corps - 1977 - 1980. All on the same team, though!

Semper Fi!

Does anyone know how to raise the auto-leveling headlights on the rx300 (HID)? I searched here on LOC and in the manual but couldn't find directions for the 300.

Thanks!

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I asked my dealer to do it, and they did. Much better now!

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did you have to pay for this service? Do you happen to know how they did it or did they use a special tool?

Thanks!

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They didn't charge me. I explained that it was a safety problem because I was basically driving blind at night if I was going faster than about 45 mph. They noted that it was out of adjustment.

The Verizon phone connect. You cant download the phonebook . The E 815 is a better phone then the V710 they also offer an LG phone thats bluetooth. They all connect and offer good reception but because of the block it limits the downloading options.

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Thanks for the information on the E 815. It appears Verizon has replaced the V710 with the E815. Looks like a nice little phone ! I like it better then the LG VX8100 Verizon offers.

Thanks again Lexus411

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I have the E815, and I love it! It's not integrated w/my 330, cause it's the '04, but maybe someday...

Does anyone know how to raise the auto-leveling headlights on the rx300 (HID)? I searched here on LOC and in the manual but couldn't find directions for the 300.

Thanks!

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I asked my dealer to do it, and they did. Much better now!

"Why even make an AWD?"

Does the statement "One born every minute" suffice?

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Didn't have much choice. Our dealer (Lexus of Bellevue) said that all of the 330s shipped to the NorthWest were all AWD. Certainly all I saw on their lot were. I don't mind - makes the spousal unit feel better about driving in inclement weather.

Yesterday i dropped off my rx300 to my dealer so they could fix my broken moonroof.

The only problem they said, was that it was something that would take a long time to fix, so i would need to leave it there overnight. I asked for a loaner car, and they said no problem.

About a half hour of waiting around the man came in and gave me the keys to what i thought would be another lexus loaner. :o  It turned out to be a toyota camry SE...Is this what they give for loaners now?!?! Now i have to take this front wheel drive tin can in a foot of snow i'm supposed to get tomorrow    I think Lexus customer satisfaction is going down the tubes...

This camry doesn't even have leather or anything! I don't even think it's an 05; it has 28k miles on it (still better than the 61k miles i have on the rx, but still). I am really mad at my dealer. Oh and did i forget to mention that i have to pay for this loaner!!

What loaners do you get?

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The 2 Lexus dealers close to me: Sewell Lexus in Dallas and Park Place Lexus in Plano, TX have plenty of RX330 and ES330 to loan out.

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Lexus of Bellevue usually has enough Lexus loaners, especially if you give them a day or two notice. Since I just need a ride to work and back, I usually just get their shuttle driver to get me there and back.

hmm, for the past week or so, ive been getting really low gas milage. I know that i have an SUV and an AWD for that matter, but i still get at least 15 street. recently, i checked it and i get 12.3, which i think is ridiculous. anyone else?:chairshot:

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I have RX330 2004 AWD. I only use premium gas, and get about 17~18 in city. When my wife drives it, she gets about 19 mpg. :)

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My wife gets about 18-19 in normal city driving. We just took a long trip that was lots of freeway, but some mountain driving, too, and got 24 for the trip, with 4 adults and our gear, averaged over 3 tanks of Regular.

Sorry, but your statement  was....

"maintaining the same speed under the same conditions..."

That says to me, your true intent or not, that you were modulating the throttle in order to maintain the same speed regardless of flat, uphill, downhill, etc.

And you didn't have to pre-accelerate, all you had to do, did, was see the upcoming incline and thereby be fully prepared to apply more throttle just as soon as the car reached the incline.

The CC, on the other hand, was flying blind, and had to wait for the speed to decay, however so slightly, before applying more throttle.

I am in some agreement with you in that I often notice that upon cresting a hill the CC causes the vehicle to overspeed slightly and then the slowdown, when it comes, is always a bit abrupt, somewhat discomforting.

But having designed a few servo loops myself, some in hardware and some implemented in software, "instantly" reacting servoloops controling mechanical devices often go into oscillation, and are extremely hard to "tune". When controlling a 2 ton mechanical device it is best to crank in just a little bit of correction each few milliseconds depending on the overall mechanical time constants involved.

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Well, I can see why you said what you said, but I think we're still misunderstanding one another. What I did in my manual tests was attempt to emulate the conditions under which the cruise control was operating. Since it's function is to maintain a constant speed, that's what I did, too.

Rather than reiterate the rest of the story, which I think you probably understand, let me ask you a question, based on your statements about servo operation.

Are you saying that what I'm expecting to be done (tunability of the CC servo to decrease sensitivity) is not physically possible or practical? Is there another technology that would or should take the place of the current one to act as a speed control - one that would better emulate manual driving conditions and not diminish fuel economy in the process?

The cruise control computer has no eyes.

When you are in control and want to maintain a constant speed up an incline YOU can SEE how steep and long the climb will be.

The cruise control doesn't "know" of the incline until the engine starts to "lug", load up, due to the extra effort needed to move 2 tons up an incline. The firmware may even have a delay built in for the instances where the "incline", engine load, is only short term.

So of course the transmission doesn't downshift with you driving. You saw the upcoming incline and were able to add throttle predictively, the CC has not choice but to do it reactively, AFTER encountering the incline.

Same with going downhill, reaching the crest, you know to start releasing the throttle, "IT" doesn't know to do that until the vehicle actually starts gaining speed.

And almost all modern day vehicles will downshift very quickly if/when the throttle is cracked open for even the slightest level of acceleration. Today's transmissions and transaxles want to remain in O/D gear ratio to conserve fuel and lower emissions. That REQUIRES that the torque converter lockup clutch be engaged as much as reasonably possible.

The lockup clutch is not of enough heavy duty to sustain the engine's high level of torque required to accelerate a 2 ton vehicle. The transaxle/transmission MUST be programmed to drop out of O/D with even a small level of additional torque required.

BUt here again you are denigrating the ECU for not having human "feel" and reaction times, etc.

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I'm sorry, west, I appreciate your knowledge, but when exactly were you in the car with me during this testing? I have a very steady foot on the gas, and I understand that my complaint would hold no water if I didn't compare my foot to the CC under IDENTICAL conditions. I held the gas steady - didn't pre-accelerate up the hill or let off the gas, I held it steady like the CC would. Multiple tests, and all had the same results. Without the CC, it did NOT downshift nearly as often or as soon as with it. The transmission should react the same way whether my foot or the CC is controlling throttle pressure. My contention remains that something in the CC workings is the problem - not a broken part, but a design flaw.

Cruise control technology is very simple. The computer simply remembers your set speed and then speeds up, or slows down to maintain it. The technology is basically the same as its been for the last 15-20 years and its basically the same in all vehicles.

I think you're expecting too much. If you want that kind of technology you're going to need to look into a much more expensive vehicle than an RX330.

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Yes, the concept IS simple, but the implementation may not be, and certainly not unique. The computer remembers the set speed and maintains it, as you say, but how it goes about it is SeaDuck79's complaint. I'm not an automotive insider, but judging from other gizmos found on Lexus vehicles, I'd think it should be easy to program the CC so that throttle opening is proportional to (or at least dependent on) the difference between set and actual speeds. From the description, it sounds like the CC operates as a simple "bang-bang" control system, all or nothing on the throttle.

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Thank you - someone else understands! The issue is why it STILL does what it does, when there's such a much better way of doing it using existing technology and information on the vehicle. Yes, CC technology hasn't markedly improved in years, but WHY NOT? I think I'll ask Lexus, for whatever good it will do.

It downshifts according to load ,you may not see it but  the computer is reacting to it.

Having a topographical map is alot of data and i don't know anyone who could store that much data unless they drive around with a server in their car.

It would be useless anyway as it uses engine load to determine downshifts and actual speed.

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Are you saying that the CC uses different data than the tranny to determine engine load? Because under identical load and road conditions, the CC is far more sensitive than my foot.

I know the topo map idea is for the future - maybe someday! First things first, though. The other stuff I suggested is already doable, with information that is already being stored and used.

I'm talking Jethro Clampett dumb here, folks. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

With the Cruise Control on, driving over an incline as small as a freeway overpass causes the engine to downshift - despite the fact that it would not with the CC off (maintaining the same speed under the same conditions). I have seen this happen multiple times since buying this vehicle over a year ago. It also seems to think that it must take the fastest means possible to resume a set speed, even if it is already almost there. I had it downshift - on a flat road - at 68, when I told it to resume the set speed of 70. This is absolutely an insane waste of gas.

OK, now that I'm done ranting, I'll ask some who are perhaps more learned than I about a suggestion for improvement. Why can't the CC be more intelligent? The transmission already stores information about driving patterns (which include shift points), the CC servo stores the set speed, and the current speed, if not known, could certainly easily be accessed from other on-board computers.

So why couldn't a cruise control keep track of the difference between the set speed and the current speed, and recognize that it doesn't need to open the throttle all the way to move up 5 mph? Why couldn't the sensitivity be relaxed so that it could slip 1-2 mph, or see a modest increase in engine compression, on a small incline before deciding that it needs to downshift? This seems very doable with the current technology; all it requires is a bit more integration between the systems.

Carrying it a bit further into future possibilities, why not make the Nav systems topographical (i.e. 3D), to allow the CC to see the severity and length of a grade, and use that information to plot out when a downshift might really be most efficient prior to reaching that point?

Why, Lexus, is a usable, intelligent cruise control not a part of your otherwise fine collection of technology?

Hi,

I'm a little bit of a purist and don't like making modificatiosn

to listen to my I-Pod through the RX sound system (Nakamichi

I think) , but is there anyway that I can connect the I-Pod to

the 2000 RX stereo system without changing the look of the

interior of the vehicle (though the glovebox CD changer perhaps?)

Has anyone done this before?

Any input woudl help thanks!

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You also might check out Make magazine - a mag that helps people modify things in non-conventional ways. The current issue has an iPod integration in it, I think, and I know they have some electronic car mods in it.

http://www.makezine.com.

For those of you in either camp, would flashing the ECM be of some benefit when changing to the higher octane gas? Wouldn't it learn about the new octane on it's own?

I have a 1999 Lexus RX 300 and am wanting to upgrade to a wood / leather steering wheel as found on many 2001-03 RX 300's.

Does anyone know if a 2001-03 RX steering wheel will fit a 1999-00 RX 300?

Also, where can I find a good deal on one?...besides eBay.

THANKS in Advance!!!

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I would question why you'd want it. I own a 330 with that wheel, and it's difficult to regulate when coming out of a turn, because the different surfaces of the slick wood and the tackier leather make normal wheel-handling more challenging. It does look cool, but that's its main benefit.

Our local Toyota dealer, at a recent oil change, talked my wife into using the Castrol oil with some synthetic blend. Since I don't have a real problem with synthetic oil, and it doesn't violate the warranty, I was ok with it.

Does anyone have any experience or feelings about this before I do it the next time?

We have about 12k miles on our 330.

That's old school GM. The new breed utilizes hydro-formed frames that significantly reduces welds and joints that would normally produce squeeks and rattles. My 2001 Corvette not only rides as well as the Rx400h, but also, like virtually all C5 Corvettes, is squeek and rattle-free after almost 4 years of daily driving. My seats are more comfortable than any others I've sat in, and I've been driven in Porsches, BMWs and Mercedes plenty of times.

  Now, about competition with Porsche: Both Car & Driver and Road & Track compared the new C6 Corvette against the latest Porsche 911. Both magazines voted the Corvette as the better overall sportscar. By the way, the new Chevy Cobalt is as quiet as the Lexus RXs. If you don't believe that, try one out. GM has come along way from the dark days of years past. They still have a way to go, but don't base your opinions on vehicles that were designed 20 years ago.

As far as interiors go, the old saying applies to Lexus as well as it does every other manufacturer:

You can't please everybody!

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Wrong! I actually liked some of the old Chevys my family owned in the '70s. It's the recent ones that suck (although the trend started in the '80s). I'm talking about almost new ones that are already falling apart. The sad part is that if they spent maybe $50 to upgrade the plastics in their interior, it would increase the saleability much more than that. Shortsighted morons.

Thats just GM's excuse. They havent been able to build an interior yet as nice as the Japanese and German competition. They're not willing to spend the money. Somehow the new C6 delivers all that performance with a much better interior...

As for the RX, I've always found the interiors high quality, haven't seen a 400h yet though.

Too right, that! Every time I drive a nearly new GM rental car, it's in worse shape than my 5 yr old Focus with over 100k miles, not to mention my RX330. GM uses crap parts, which break easily and won't last. Road & Track or some car mag did a head-to-head between the Vette and the 911, and the results were pretty much what you'd expect. The Porsche beat the Vette on the curves, and the Vette was faster on the straights. Overall, it was about a push - except that even in a brand new car, there were rattles and squeaks that made testers think that the $40k difference in price wasn't as significant as it would appear.

Until they deal with the fit and finish issues and spend a few more bucks on better parts, I will NEVER own a GM vehicle.

I've picked up 3 screws in 2 months in my factory Goodyears. Driving patterns, destinations, etc. haven't changed, so it could just be the way the cookie crumbles, or maybe the tread pattern on those is more conducive to welcoming the little buggers than other tires are. The only saving grace is that the tires (3 different ones, natch) stayed inflated for days until we took it to get it fixed.

Has anyone else had this happen to theirs?

I'd rather wait for a perfect car than have a flawed one on the date I was told I could have it. I see too often in the software world the push toward delivering whatever it looks like on X date, rather than waiting until a release free of major bugs is ready, and anyone who even uses software does as well. Don't you wish Microsquash was quality driven vs. market driven? Why would you want to buy a car from a company that wasn't? I know I won't.

Wife doesn't want a Wal-mart bag hung from the front armrests to collect the refuse, and I don't want crap all over the car. Is there a more aesthetic solution that someone out there is using, and where could I get that?

Thanks!

I just got the TSB performed on my 330 a few weeks ago - it helped a lot, but still smears a bit at the top. Is that what everyone else is seeing as well? I sure with it worked as well as the front ones do - those suckers WIPE!

:cries: I own a 2001 RX300 When only one rear window is down a loud reverbrating noise pulses through out the SUV. If I roll down another window or open the sun roof the noise goes away. Has anybody else encountered this problem. If so how did you resolve it ?

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Anyone with a 330 should be seeing this. It's a product of an airtight construction. If only one window is open, the air pressure is working to equalize, and it doesn't very well. That's why opening a second window stops it.

It's not a flaw in the car, it's a product of the quality of the construction of the car. We just have to make adjustments for this particular quirk.

SEADUCK79,

How would you interpret by only reading this in the owners manual, ""USE THIS MODE WHEN STARTING YOUR VEHICLE IN ICE AND SNOW", since English is your mother tongue???

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I would apply the same logic as that of SW032 and say to myself "Hmmm...the transmission has almost nothing to do with starting the engine, so it must mean when I start to move the car. Since the presence of snow would also not make any difference when starting the engine (issues of temperature aside), I would have to corroborate my initial hunch with the likelihood that the only snow issues that could have anything to do with the transmission would have to do with traction.

Since the most likely way the tranny could affect traction when starting to move the car would be to reduce wheel slip by starting in 2nd gear, and since I was taught to do this manually 30 years ago, I would need no more convincing that this was not only the intent, but the function, of the ETC button.

So knowledge of the language is secondary to knowledge of driving and cars. I'm no expert on either, but I'm not the one who doesn't understand this particular point. When the manual isn't written clearly (and I agree that this isn't), we must use deductive reasoning to discern the true intent.

They're cheaper in the states...sort of.

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I would assume those are Canuck $ they're quoting. Brings it down to the $40-45K range for American $.

That said, I, too, am glad I live in America instead of America Jr. It's lovely up there, and I love visiting, but...I'll just leave it at that.