RX in NC

One component that Toyota does indeed significantly overengineer is the timing belt in the RX series. Our previous 2000 RX300 AWD went more than 150,000 miles before the fellow I sold it to at 130,000 miles finally changed it, and it was still in fine shape just as expected. I'll change the timing belt on my wife's current 2004 RX330 AWD at 150,000 miles. Changing them at 90,000 miles is a waste of money and nearly everyone on this forum who has done so has echoed that opinion after seeing how good a shape they are still in at 90,000 miles. If anyone on this forum has ever reported a timing belt breaking on an RX, at ANY mileage milestone, I've never seen that post. Change it at 90,000 or even 120,000 if you wish, but in my opinion you're wasting your money....

I disagree completely. Firestone learned their lesson from the Explorer debacle and is far more customer-oriented now than they were back in those days. I hated Firestone too after what happened. But their Japanese side (Bridgestone) took over corporate culture and changed the company. I like having the Japanese in charge - keep in mind the custom of Japanese execs committing suicide if catastrophic events happen on their watch. Think any American execs would do that these days? Hell no, they'll just go sign up again for another federal bail-out.... Both Bridgestone and Firestone build some world-class tires right now, and Firestone really prices them right. I've said for at least four years now that the Firestone Destination LE is hands-down the best SUV or truck tire for the money. It is nearly a Bridgestone Alenza (probably the best SUV or truck tire if money is no object) at perhaps 60% of the cost if you work your Firestone dealer for the right deal like I do.... GoldenStateSilverSport, you probably can't go wrong on either of your choices between Bridgestone and Michelin. If I were you, I would allow the mileage warranty to make the decision. You say that the Michelin treadwear warranty is 45,000 miles. What is the Bridgestone treadwear warranty? If it is more than 45,000, go Bridgestone. If it is less than 45,000, go Michelin. If it is the same, then flip a coin. You'll probably be happy either way. Regardless of which way you go, be sure to sharpen up your pencil and cut your best deal. I've found that it isn't difficult at all right now to get just about any local tire dealer to meet my request for a buy-three-get-one-free deal, even when the specific tire I want is not on sale. These guys are hurting too as folks stretch out their tires just as they are stretching out their vehicles in this lousy economy. Use it to your full advantage....

Short answer - the unions have contributed to the downfall of the American auto industry every bit as much as the manufacturers have. They deserve each other....

You have way, way too much free time on your hands....

We'll see all of the domestic auto manufacturers drastically cut their model lines. Redundancy on top of building too many models that consumers just don't want is burning through their cash reserves and absolutely killing them.... I believe that the domestic manufacturers' best option for survival is to concentrate on what they do the best in the world - building full-size pickup trucks. There will always be a demand, particularly in the business sector. These guys have to face facts that they will live to fight another day only by giving up their all-purpose thrones and concentrating on a niche market. Trucks will allow them to survive, which is far better than going belly-up and building nothing. Fuel efficiency improvement across all truck lines in the short run and moving to hydrogen-powered trucks in the long run would be the best blueprint for survival for all of the domestic manufacturers in my opinion. But unfortunately, they all still have delusions of grandeur and until management is completely replaced, all of them still think that they can just keep asking for bailouts until they eventually wind up on top again through very little effort of their own. But reality will prevent it from happening that way....

Yep, in the old days you left your transmission fluid alone. Maybe you topped it up every now and then, but you sure didn't run the risk of changing it. Transmissions were simpler and built with heavier and stronger metals in those days.... My 1999 Ram pickup still has its factory fill of ATF+3 transmission fluid. The truck turns 10 years old next month. The ATF is still sparkling clean at about 54,500 miles. I check it regularly, but I leave it alone other than that. The transmission shifts are still smooth as glass, much moreso than either of our RX vehicles ever were or are. I'm sticking with the factory fill in my Ram until I begin to notice diminishing shift quality. I won't be surprised if I never do....

Yep, keep your negotiating rights with Lexus protected by staying with Toyota Type T-IV fluid in your transmission for as long as you intend to do battle with Lexus if your transmission fails. I don't believe T-IV is any better or worse than any other decent fluid you could pick and choose in the open market. But I DO believe that you should stay with it for the sole purpose of protecting your wallet in the event of failure. Once you reach that magic odometer reading of whatever it is for you, you may indeed get a better fluid if you choose Amsoil or the like. But if you do switch to Amsoil or anything else, you've just severed your ability to fight Lexus for a transmission rebuild. Keep that in mind.... My wife's 2004 RX330 AWD is pushing 87,000 miles. I change the T-IV in it every 30,000 miles and yes, the owners manual for that model year proclaims that the factory fill in this vehicle is "lifetime". I'll stay with fresh T-IV every 30,000 miles for as long as we keep the vehicle, probably 140,000 to 150,000 miles barring no accidents or other catastrophic failures. Would Amsoil be a better option in this transmission? Maybe, but I won't run that risk and lose my rights to negotiate if her transmission fails as it did in her previous 2000 RX300 AWD at 48,000 miles. That unfortunate event caused me to stay with T-IV as the best wallet protection possible.... Drain-and-fills for me. My periodic research on flushing always confirms that it simply carries too much risk, especially for the already suspect weak-trannied RX....

I agree that removing the door trim panel will allow you to do a better job of lubricating all components comprising the window apparatus, no question. But my point is that depending upon your vehicle, you may not have to. Some models are better designed and more permanently lubricated than others. Depending upon what you have, and what lube you choose to use, you may be just fine by lubing the vertical channels for many years. As I said, it has worked very well for my nearly 10-year-old Ram pickup (admittedly built with much stronger components than any typical "car" - very rarely does ANYTHING on this truck ever break).... My advice is to keep your vertical channels lubed on a regular basis. "Regular" can vary by vehicle, climate, and how often you routinely roll your windows up and down - for me and our vehicles, it's every couple of years. Then, if you notice straining or binding in your particular vehicle's window movement, it may be time to pop that door panel and lube the entire assembly, just as you said. But you may not have to do that, ever, and many folks get uncomfortable when they have to start removing trim pieces because depending on how well they are designed and attached, they don't always reassemble as well or as smoothly as they originally did (particularly if they are held in place by cheap plastic clips that tend to get brittle as the years pass).... So again, I believe this window lube issue can vary greatly out there in the real world. Just be aware of it, and use quality lubrication products for best results. If you decide to pop your door panels, be very observant how they come off and then go back on, and be prepared to have to purchase new plastic clips (usually at very high profit margins) from your dealer....

Tom, Thanks for your continuing efforts to get to the bottom of this unfortunate saga. If the new design was indeed put into production at some point in time, somewhere out there is an RX300 with a VIN number where the risk of transmission failure in it and all following RX300s rolling off the assembly lines may indeed decline significantly. But alas, we'll never know because Lexus/Toyota will protect this information as a mother crocodile protects her hatchlings. A class action lawsuit would be the only way to force this information into the light of day but now that the early RX models are pushing a decade old, any successful class action activity's chances diminish with each passing year. But thanks again for the insight. The more fact-based knowledge you can uncover, the better decisions owners and potential owners of early RX300s will be able to make regarding their vehicles....

Depends entirely on the vehicle. Our current array of my Ram (10 years old next month) and my wife's RX (5 years old next month) do just fine with me applying the Sil-Glyde to the window channels and then operating the window up and down six or eight times to maximize distribution. Don't know how our new Jaguar S-Type will do since we've only had it five weeks.... On my old Datsun 260Z back in the 70s and 80s, I did indeed have to take the door panels off every time because the regulators were poorly designed and not durable enough to last more than three years or so. I know I replaced the drivers door window regulator at least four times in the 13 years that I kept that car. It got to where I could do that job blindfolded.... Start with applying the Sil-Glyde to your channels with the glass down, work it in with a wooden toothpick so you minimize any damage to your channel rubber, and then open and close your windows a few times to distribute the product. If that seems to do the trick with no binding or pressure build-up over the years, you may never need to pop your door panels off....

All vehicles' window glass channels need to be lubricated periodically in order to keep them functioning properly, particularly on vehicles that live outside year-round. As pointed out above, if you don't do this periodically you'll eventually lose a window motor or a window regulator as a result of your glass binding in its channel and exerting too much pressure on the components responsible for moving it up and down. Neither one is a cheap or quick repair in most vehicles.... You can certainly use a silicone spray like WD-40, but it tends to evaporate rather quickly meaning you'll need to do this job more often. For decades I've preferred to use a silicone-based lubricating compound called Sil-Glyde. It comes in a 1.5-ounce tube and can be squeezed into the channels then distributed using a toothpick or piece of small-gauge wire. Then, rolling your window up and down will distribute the product all along the channels. Unlike WD-40 or any other spray in a can, Sil-Glyde stays where you put it because it isn't a liquid that runs down inside your doors just following the laws of gravity. A little goes a long, long way and it does not evaporate like WD-40 will. I've had my current tube for at least 10 years, maybe more. The product is not just for cars - it is also sold to lubricate the channels in your home's windows. I also put a dab of it in my garage door opener channels once a year or so to keep it functioning smoothly. Normal operation of your garage door distributes the Sil-Glyde exactly where it needs to be.... You can find Sil-Glyde and products similar to it in auto parts stores, big box home improvement stores, hardware stores, etc. I find that as long as I use it very sparingly in our vehicles' window channels every couple of years, all windows in all of our vehicles continue to operate smoothly and with no binding whatsoever. We live in a "moderate" climate here in central North Carolina - those of you way down south or way up north may need to use the product on a more frequent basis than I do....

I find it highly amusing that BillyShaft is annoyed by my opinion of the RX series and accuses me of being childish by voicing my concerns about it, yet he takes every opportunity to denigrate our new Jaguar even though I've explained my reasons for purchasing it and also acknowledged that there are definitely some risks involved in that decision.... Sounds to me that we've got a case here of the pot calling the kettle black.... And 92es-96es, I certainly didn't mean to annoy you. I agree - BillyShaft and I should take our differences offline at this point....

BillyShaft, I certainly do have a bone to pick with the RX300. Ours was the worst vehicle I've owned in nearly 40 years of driving, requiring more than $9,000 worth of warranty work to keep it roadworthy - inexcuseable.... You've obviously missed my multiple posts over the last couple of years stating that my wife's current 2004 RX330 is a better vehicle than her previous 2000 RX300. I've provided credit in the areas where credit is due. But it is still overpriced, underpowered, and far overrated in my opinion. I'm perfectly within my rights to express those opinions here having owned both flavors that I discuss. And I'll continue to do so regardless of your squeaking. Get used to it.... As far as our Jaguar is concerned, I did voluminous research before I decided to make my best-and-final offer. I had the same decades-long perceptions of poor reliability and sky-high upkeep costs as you do. Statistics show that component mix and build quality improved dramatically for the S-Type by the 2004 model year so I decided to accept the risk given the minimal amount of money I knew it would cost me to acquire the vehicle. After 2,500 miles of driving our S-Type, it is still a fantastic car for our purposes. Will I be able to say the same 3 years and 60,000 additional miles down the road? Only time will tell. One thing you can consistently count on from me - I'll be honest about it. If the Jag disappoints and becomes a money pit to maintain, I'll be the first to speak to that, both here and on the Jag forums.... And no, we won't be dumping the RX330 anytime soon. We need it as a dog-hauler. That's the best fit for it in our household - it's been demoted to canine carrier duty. No way are our dogs setting paw in the Jaguar - it's far too nice a vehicle for that.... Good luck with your RX and whatever you choose to use it for....

I loved the original Q45 when it first appeared in the early 1990s. Still think those cars are great lookers and if they've been maintained, I'll bet they're still great performers as well.... You've already decided that whatever you get, it will be for your Chicago duration only. Previous posts have indicated that you expect to be there for maybe three years tops. So now is the perfect time to find out for yourself if a newer Q45 is everything you hope it will be. It should be less costly from a routine maintenance standpoint than a GS300 as well.... I vote for the Q45....

If an S-Class is what you want, by all means go for it. Just be sure to research the car's service history thoroughly and spend some time on the S-Class forums so you'll know what to expect from a maintenance cost perspective. The more you can do yourself in terms of turning wrenches, the more you can cost-justify your decision. Now is the best time to purchase a still-under-factory-warranty vehicle that I've ever seen. A week before Christmas, we purchased a showroom-perfect 2005 Jaguar S-Type 3.0 with only 18,000 miles for mere peanuts. I refused to bargain with the Jaguar dealership and they had to make a decision to either accept my one-and-only offer or watch me walk away. They accepted within 15 minutes. As the consumer, you are in the drivers seat so use every bit of the power at your command.... I'm also considering an extended warranty on the Jag since the electronic modules are so freakin' complicated and interspersed with each other. Never had (or needed) one before so I really don't want to have to resort to that. I have six months of factory warranty left so I have some time to do the research. Make sure you're in the same position with your deal as well - the more factory warranty you have left, the longer you'll have to shake out the car and make the best decision.... I've spent some time talking with some of the third-party extended warranty vendors out there and the two that I trust the most at this point are as follows: Hal Moses, President Auto Advantage Inc. autowarranties.com 800-933-9190 SmartAutoWarranty.com 877-739-8363 Ask for Stephanie Be sure to obtain, read, and understand all of the fine print. Some expensive and critical items that you would expect to be covered may not be (such as the exhaust system). I'm not saying at this point that I would purchase the product from either of these two sources, but they have certainly been the most helpful and understanding. I will continue to research these two sources over the coming months - both of them have quoted me much better extended warranty packages than my Jaguar dealership has. Of course, I haven't gone back to the Jaguar dealership to negotiate a better price on their extended warranty. Armed with the third-party extended warranty information that I now have and will continue to obtain, Jaguar will quickly realize that if they want to sell me their extended warranty, their pricing must become much more competitive with what is out there on the open market. I expect that they will quickly drop their quotes significantly. Extended warranties are a big upsell for dealerships and there is much room for price negotiation if you've done your homework in advance. Bottom line - take your time, do your homework, and play these extended warranty companies like a virtuoso violin to drastically reduce your costs if you do indeed decide to spring for an extended warranty. As I said earlier, I'm hoping that my continued research will eventually indicate that I don't need one for this Jaguar. We'll see - I have plenty of time to decide....

That depends on how the cable is routed from the cockpit to the rear brakes. Never done one on an RX so I can't be of much help here. However, to do it right you're probably going to have to elevate the vehicle on a hydraulic lift.... My buddy (he's a retired GM factory tool & die mechanic) and I did a cable replacement on his Ford Expedition a few years back. The ground clearance was enough that we didn't have to elevate the Expedition. But it was a hell of a job - took us half a day to get the old cable removed and the new cable properly routed and adjusted. Keep in mind that he spent more than 25 years in a GM factory in New Jersey so he has vast experience in this type of job. If you decide to tackle this yourself, find a buddy who knows braking systems very well. You'll be glad you did....

You probably need a parking brake cable adjustment. Not uncommon for a 9-year-old vehicle. As jgr7 pointed out, get it resolved now before that cable snaps and a $50 adjustment turns into a $500 repair. Don't go to the dealer - any brake specialist shop can do this cheaper, faster, and better than your dealer will....

Thanks for the feedback, nc211. I assume that that "M1" is Mobil 1 - correct? Is the product mineral oil-based? Most domestic transmission fluids are not, and I'm looking for a suitable mineral oil-based transmission fluid alternative. Due to the extreme expense of transmission repair in this Jag, I believe it would be safer post-warranty to stay with a mineral oil-based fluid if I do indeed decide to deviate from the factory fill of the outrageously expensive Shell import product. I've spoken with the technical specialists at Castrol and they tell me that Castrol Import Multi-Vehicle ATF is indeed mineral oil-based (but I'll need proof of that before I actually use it). If Mobil 1 is mineral oil-based as well, then I will certainly add it to my list of potential transmission fluid options when I finally have to do a drain-and-fill on the Jag (which is hopefully still years away)....

I'm searching for a suitable replacement for the factory fill of Shell ATF M1375.4 mineral oil that serves my 2005 Jaguar S-Type 3.0's German 6-speed ZF transmission. Compared to Toyota Type T-IV transmission fluid at about $5 a quart at my local Toyota parts counter, this Shell ATF mineral oil product sells for $57 a litre at the Jaguar parts counter and perhaps $50 a litre at the Mercedes parts counter. At those prices, just the fluid required for a transmission drain-and-fill on this car would run between $500 and $600. Outrageous and downright scary.... Castrol's website shows that their Castrol Import Multi-Vehicle ATF is an equivalent replacement for Shell ATF M1375.4 mineral oil (as well as for Toyota Type T-IV). While I would never consider using the Castrol ATF product while my car is still under factory warranty, I may consider switching to it once the warranty has long since run its course. The ZF transmission in my Jag is supposedly "sealed for life", but we all know that one should take any claim of a "lifetime transmission" with a grain of salt. I know that if we keep this Jag long-term, I'll eventually need to do a drain-and-fill on the transmission and dropping $600 on just the fluids required to do so is not particularly appealing to me.... So if any of you out there have any experience, positive or negative, with this Castrol ATF product in any of your import vehicles, please chime in here. Thanks in advance....

For years, Pep Boys ran sales on conventional motor oil that was usually "buy 5 quarts of oil and one oil filter for $9.99 after rebate, limit two offers per household". The oils involved would rotate from Pennzoil to Castrol to Valvoline to Shell to maybe one or two other well-known brands. The Pep Boys flyer in our Sunday newspaper would always list the coming week's sale. I looked at that flyer every Sunday morning and whenever the deal was on Valvoline oil with a Purolator filter, I maxed out every time either with 5W-30 for my wife's RX or 10W-30 for my Ram. As a result, in my garage right now I know I have at least 30 quarts of 5W-30 and at least 20 quarts of 10W-30 along with at least 10 Purolator oil filters, probably 7 or 8 of them for the RX since it gets driven and therefore serviced much more than my Ram does. I was diligent about sending in the rebate forms and Pep Boys was always very responsive in sending me my rebate check, usually for about $12 or so. This was by far the most cost-effective way to do oil-and-filter changes on our vehicles. My average cost for each oil-and-filter change was $10 plus tax on the RX (5 quarts) and $11.50 plus tax on the Ram (6 quarts). This went on for years, even as oil escalated to perhaps $3.50 a quart if you just bought a single bottle. What a deal this was, and that's why I stocked up every time Valvoline/Purolator rolled around even though I sometimes had to clear more shelf space to hold all the fluids and my wife complained that I was cutting into her garden supplies storage area. But it appears that Pep Boys has finally recognized this as the loss leader that it had to be. I have not seen this offer for any brand of oil or oil filter now in at least three months. I assume they lost too much money doing this. I'm sure the deal was originally constructed years ago knowing that most consumers would not follow through with sending in the rebate requirements. But as oil continued to go up and the economy got worse and worse, I'm sure that far more Pep Boys customers started mailing in the forms and claiming their rebates. I don't blame Pep Boys - this was the best oil-and-filter deal going for years and years, and many times when I walked into Pep Boys, that was all I bought. Sure wish this deal would make a return appearance. I don't expect it but it would be nice. Deals like this kept me from even remotely considering switching to synthetic oil - the cost differential couldn't even begin to be worth it....

Could be. She upgraded to a Crackberry phone back in mid-September and that mandated a different charger unit. I'll keep an eye on those new fuses. You can bet she'll let me know if it quits working again. Her phone set-up hasn't bothered our new (to us, anyway) 2005 Jaguar S-Type though. We've had it about three weeks and no problems there so far. Sure hope it stays that way - these Jaguar electronic modules are far too complex and I don't want to open up that can of worms if I don't have to....

Fuses 63 and 64 in the driver's footwell fuse box (both are 15 amp mini low-profile fuses) were indeed blown. I couldn't see that in the darkness last night. Bought a 5-pack of 15 amp fuses at Advance Auto Parts and we're good to go. Is it just me or are they making these damn fuses smaller and smaller? Pretty soon I'll need a microscope to check fuses....

Yep, I read it (and chuckled the whole time) years ago. The debate will go on forever (or at least until all conventional oils are phased out of the marketplace).... My position hasn't budged over the decades. Conventional oil is fine as long as it is changed frequently enough (5,000 to 7,500 miles) and a reasonably decent oil filter is used. Oh, and don't abuse your vehicle as if it is a Formula 1 supercar and you are Emerson Fittapaldi. That approach certainly keeps me covered under warranty as far as Jaguar is concerned, and that's all I need at this point....

I've been so busy researching this vehicle that I haven't even thought to take any photos. If I do, and then can figure out how to post them, I'll do so for your benefit. It's a "Quartz" (sort of a graphite grey) exterior with a "Dove" (very pale grey) Connolley leather interior and gorgeous Madrona wood trim throughout. Truly a beautiful car, but I wish it was a white exterior. White is by far the easiest color to maintain and resists fading far more than any other color regardless of manufacturer. But my wife really loves this Quartz exterior (plus I virtually stole the car when I made my offer to the Jag dealer) so I can't really complain....

Thanks for your reply. I was working on this issue last night in the dark and all three of the indicated fuses looked good to me in what was definitely not the best of available light. Of course, just because the fuses look good doesn't necessarily mean that they ARE good. I'll take another crack at the fuses this afternoon when I have much better light for crawling around in the fuse boxes. I never realized that there was a power outlet in the back. Is it located in the back seat area or in the cargo area? She's out in the vehicle again today so I'm not able to run outside and look for myself until she gets home this afternoon....