RX in NC

Good report. I changed the AC/Alternator belt on my wife's previous 2000 RX300 AWD and agree that your instructions for doing so are accurate. Never changed the Power Steering Pump belt and was not looking forward to climbing around under the vehicle in order to do it. We sold the car back in January so I never had to deal with it....

I concur. The Alenzas will give you the longest treadlife, best rain handling, and are the best choice (of very few choices in the 18-inch size) out there. I researched all available tires thoroughly back in February before going with a set of Alenzas on my wife's 2004 RX330 AWD. They now have just under 20,000 miles on them and have held up beautifully. I expected to get at least 55,000 miles out of them, but they may very well wind up going the full 65,000 miles for which they are warranteed....

Do a search on this forum using "transmission failure" as your key words. You'll be astonished at the amount of posts that pop up as a result. The early model RX300s are well-known for their lousy transmissions.... As a former owner of an RX300 with a transmission that failed at 48,000 miles, I always caution owners to run nothing but Toyota Type T-IV transmission fluid in order to protect themselves. I don't believe that Type T-IV is any better than some of the Amsoil or other high-end transmission fluids out there on the market, but Toyota requires that you run nothing but Type T-IV fluid or else you void your warranty.... If I were you, I would go back to the service station that did this work for you (after you do the necessary research), educate them on the topic and why you have valid reasons to be concerned, and make them thoroughly clean out your transmission system again using nothing but Type T-IV fluid (which can be purchased by the quart at any Toyota dealership parts department)....

Best of luck with Wayne. Let me know when it sells....

I'm sure the autos were impressive and fun, but I'm more interested in how you found the girls to be in Amsterdam and Lucerne. I think back to my visits to Europe in the mid-1980s - some wild and crazy times for sure. Any pub or nightclub stories to share on this board?

Lenore is correct - the 30K service is indeed a glorified oil change with your first scheduled air filter change thrown in for good measure. I always do it myself and spend $50 or less for all the parts and fluids that I need. Throw in a tire rotation and it takes me approximately two hours out in the driveway to do everything, and I know it's done right with attention to detail all the way around. Sure beats paying some dealership hundreds of dollars to rush through the vehicle and screw something up....

Yep, change those iridium-tipped plugs at 120,000 miles. The original plugs will still look clean and operate normally at that interval, but 120,000 miles is just about the maximum they're designed to run for according to the manufacturers. I do know of some cases where owners ran 150,000 miles before changing their iridium-tipped plugs with no reported problems, though. I did quite a bit of research on the topic before I changed the plugs in my wife's previous 2000 RX300 at 120,000 miles last October. We sold the vehicle in late January so the new owner is good to go with the plugs for years to come.... Many dealers will attempt to convince you to change your plugs at 60,000 or 90,000 miles. Don't do it - your iridium-tipped plugs are still running strong at those intervals (assuming you've taken proper care to keep your fluids and filters changed) and you'll be wasting your money if you change your plugs that early.... Stick with Denso or NGK plugs and you'll be good to go for another 120,000 miles....

Call Wayne Madsen. He and his brother Craig own the place. Both are great to deal with but I think Wayne is the nicer, more empathetic guy. I'm sure he can sell your car on consignment for you. They have top-notch inventory as you know, so they get a lot of serious, well-monied people through there week in and week out. Give Wayne a call, good luck, and let me know how it goes....

Hasn't Smokey already nailed you once in that Mazda? Sounds like you'd better be setting aside some cash in the cookie jar so she can throw your bail next time without having to stop by the ATM first....

Step up from the Murano to the Infiniti FX45 (same platform, far better engine and drivetrain) and you have what is probably the best combo package of small SUV and sports car out there today. Some would say no, that would be the Porsche Cayenne, but in the long run I believe that the Cayenne will prove to be far too expensive in the cost-of-ownership category and possibly a big loser in the maintain-resale-value category as well.... I took my wife out to test-drive an FX last year. She recognized (but certainly doesn't need) the performance but she finds the exterior appearance far too radical for her tastes. So I'm stuck with maintaining another mediocre RX. But I do acknowledge that her RX330 is a better vehicle that her albatross RX300 was. Glad to be rid of that pig for sure....

Don't forget, fellas, that Lexus builds some rather ugly cars, too. Earlier this year when my wife put her RX330 (not the most attractive SUV out there, no doubt about it) in the shop for some warranty work, she came home with an IS loaner for a few days. I thought it was rather ugly from the outside, but when I went to put my 6'7", 245 lb. frame into the driver's seat to take her out to dinner that evening, that's when I KNEW that little boneshaker was ugly....

I didn't specifically say that a faulty RX spoiler screw seal would immediately cause water leakage inside the vehicle. What I said was simply that if you have exterior rubber or silicone seals that are breaking down on ANY vehicle, you are eventually going to be dealing with water leaks somewhere on the vehicle. Whether that water leak makes its way inside the vehicle depends upon where the leak is located, how gravity pulls the leaking water through, and where the leaking water eventually winds up. Every vehicle is different, and every water leaks behaves in different ways. The moral of the story is to replace your faulty seals whenever they pop up. I've learned from experience over the years with failures like leaking seals around high-mounted brake light housings. So if you discover a leaking exterior seal where you know that gravity will allow the water to run in, simply replace it....

We have two large dogs (a very tall, very long, heavily-muscled 95-pound male Greyhound and a medium-sized 60-pound female Gordon Setter) as well as a small dog (a 25-pound male English Cocker Spaniel). The only one of our dogs that is truly comfortable in his crate in the back of my wife's RX for any length of time is the English Cocker Spaniel. Our Greyhound is far too tall for the cargo area and his crate will not even fit through the hatch, so when we have to transport him in that vehicle we must put blankets down on the cargo floor and transport him without using a crate which we consider to be extremely risky because in an accident any uncrated dog becomes a projectile and is far more likely to be seriously injured or killed than a dog which is crated. Our Greyhound doesn't like riding in any vehicle and he becomes much more agitated when he has to ride without being crated. Our Gordon Setter's crate just barely fits through the rear hatch but it takes some manuevering to get it properly situated so other luggage or needed supplies can also make the trip without crowding her in her crate. She doesn't mind car rides but always prefers to ride in her crate. Large dogs in their crates really need a decent-sized SUV to be truly comfortable and secure for any length of time, and the RX series is just too small for that. We've had many large dogs during the past 25 years and various SUVs to haul them to dog shows in during those same 25 years, and we know from experience that larger SUVs are the way to go. We don't do dog shows anymore (it was her hobby, not mine, so I was more than ready to dump that activity) so we don't drive our dogs nearly as far or nearly as often now. To take all three of them somewhere at the same time, all in their crates, would probably require a van. We never do that so no van has been necessary in our household. I never feel comfortable when our dogs are riding uncrated, regardless of the size of the vehicle. Too many bad things can happen if you are unfortunate enough to be involved in even a minor traffic accident. If you don't transport your dogs in crates, I highly encourage you to look into it. Much, much safer for the dogs as well as the people in the vehicle....

Agreed. If your shop won't replace the missing panel, just leave it off. Every time I change the oil I keep saying "next time I'm throwing this ****ing trap-door lid away!"....

Your bottle is not bad - the Crystal White touch-up paint is always far too thin. You just have to keep applying layers, letting them dry, then applying more layers. Worst touch-up paint I've ever used in 30+ years. Lexus is well-known for paint that is too soft and easily damaged, but this touch-up paint is ridiculous....

The Bridgestone Alenza tire is your best all-around tire for the money on those 18-inch rims. I did a lot of research before swapping out a set of Michelin MXV4 S8 tires for them back in mid-February. The Alenzas have much more treadlife than the Michelins do - the Alenza tread depth is 12/32 new while the Michelin tread depth is only 9/32 new. The Alenzas carry a 65,000 mile warranty. The Michelins carry NO warranty. Get the Alenzas - you won't regret it.... DO NOT buy any Bridestone Dueler tire other than the Alenza. Only the Alenza is worth having. Take it from someone who has had regular Bridgestone Duelers on a previous RX300. They were only adequate and went only approximately 44,000 miles before I had to replace them....

The long-time owner of our local Lexus dealership (Johnson Lexus in Raleigh) recently opened a local Hyundai dealership (Johnson Hyundai). Get ready, RX330driver. Cross-pollination between Lexus and Hyundai will begin at any moment (here on the East Coast, anyway)....

Hyundai has improved its engineering, products, and image by leaps and bounds over the past couple of years. Give them time and they'll get there. As for attempting to compare its new Veracruz to the RX series, I believe that's a damned smart marketing move that will win quite a few customers for them. And knowing how O-V-E-R-R-A-T-E-D the RX series is (since we've unfortunately owned two of 'em in our household thanks to my wife), I don't blame Hyundai one iota for taking that approach.... This is not the first time that RX330driver has accused Hyundai of unfair product comparisons lately. Do I sense a bit of up-and-coming envy there, ol' buddy?!

nc211, Good luck with the 4Runner. I completely understand the decision. At some point in time we all reach an epiphany after which we very seriously ask ourselves "why am I spending the majority of my free time working on this vehicle?" Sounds like you finally scaled that wall and you're happy with the outcome. So let the ol' LS go and don't look back. Life's too short and I'm sure there will be more project cars in your future if you decide that's what you want to do.... By the way, I'm looking to steal a well-kept 2004/2005 Honda Accord here in the Triangle area as a second vehicle for my daughter to supplement and eventually replace her 2000 Grand Cherokee. Needs to be a light exterior color (preferably white), automatic transmission, under 30,000 miles, and the 2.3-litre 4-cylinder engine in order to maximize the gas mileage. If you happen to come across one that fits the bill, let me know....

Yes, PIAA also sells automotive light bulbs. Their product quality is outstanding and long-lasting.... As for Dixon/Jones music, check out Dixon's website at www.dondixonmusic.com. He also has a link there that will take you to his MySpace page where you can listen in to various projects in production. His music is all over the map - roots rock, indie rock, pop rock, blue-eyed soul, you name it and he's done it over the years. He's better known for his production and engineering work for obscure bands that nobody knew until he got a hold of them in the studio and made them famous. Examples include REM, The Smithereens, and Hootie & The Blowfish. I know that he does a lot of volunteer work now for the college radio station at Kent State.... Dixon lived here in the Raleigh/Chapel Hill area back during our college and post-college days in the 1970s and 80s and I spent many a night at various clubs and venues listening to his band Arrogance at that time. We became friends and have stayed in distant touch over the years. Dixon, Marti, and their guitar player Jamie Hoover played a 3-hour acoustic show in our living room for our 20th anniversary back in 1999. It was a surprise for my wife and she didn't know what was going on until she came home from an errand I had sent her on and found them in our living room that night with eight of our closest friends. It took me two months to secretly set everything up and pull it off. My wife still tells me that I'll never be able to top that.... Get yourself some PIAA wiper refills and check out Dixon's music. The next time he plays in the Cleveland area, you should go to the show. He is truly a world-class talent as is Marti, but she's essentially retired from performing now and spends her time raising their daughter....

I've found that PIAA wiper blades are the best bang-for-the-buck when replacing wiper blades. Just get the insert refills (not the entire wiper blade metal arm assemblies) and save yourself some money. The insert refills fit the original arm assemblies perfectly, unlike most of the insert refills you'll find at Pep Boys/Autozone/Advance Auto etc. Go to piaa.com and find a local dealer who carries them or will order a set for you. The insert refills typically cost about $10 each and keep in mind that the drivers side refill and passenger side refill are NOT identical. The drivers side refill is typically one or two inches longer and slightly wider than the passenger side refill.... By the way, my favorite musicians on the planet (Don Dixon and his wife Marti Jones) live in Canton. I assume that's fairly close to you. Don and his band will be playing here in Raleigh on July 13th and we'll be there, front and center....

I'm even older school and would wait at least 60 days. Why take a chance and screw up your paint? Just keep it clean and let it cure....

No, I wouldn't - too many annoying flaws that Lexus continues to have trouble finding and fixing. My wife's 2004 RX330 has been in the shop for the same squeaks and rattles four times since February and they still can't get it right. Servo motors have failed, the drivers side seat heater element has failed twice and the seat heater switch has failed once, etc. etc. etc. My 1999 Dodge Ram pickup is much quieter inside than my wife's 2004 RX330 and it works far harder every day than her little RX330 rattletrap has to. My Ram rides much better and shifts far smoother, too. There are many better SUV choices for less money than the RX series....

As you just proved, synthetic oil will always find leaks in an older engine that conventional oil won't leak through. As a rule I would never change to synthetic oil after the vehicle has hit 50,000 miles on the odometer. Contrary to what some believe, synthetic oil doesn't cause leaks in an old engine but it sure finds them. Unless you're willing to spend the money and time replacing numerous seals to keep the vehicle oil-tight for synthetic oil, it just isn't worth it. Stick with conventional oil in the future.

Search using key words "spark plug replacement". You'll find a number of posts dealing with the topic. Haven't changed the plugs on my wife's current 2004 RX330 but I did change the plugs on her previous 2000 RX300 at 120,000 miles last October. As many owners already know, it is a !Removed! of a job. You need small hands (my hands are huge) and a number of extensions and swivels to get to the three rear plugs. Took me almost two hours and I had to go find my small-handed neighborhood buddy to get the middle rear plug seated and torqued into place. A word of advice - if your vehicle has either the Denso or NGK iridium-tipped plugs, you are wasting your money and time by changing them at anything less than 90,000 miles. These plugs are engineered to go for a long, long time, and my experience shows that they indeed do. I was amazed at how clean and sharp-tipped the 2000 RX300 plugs still were at 120,000 miles and I know for sure that they could have easily gone 150,000 miles or more. Pull one of your very easy to access front plugs and confirm that it is indeed a Denso or NGK iridium-tipped plug. If you can't tell, post the part number here and we'll let you know what you have. If you have iridium plugs, put your plug back in and don't worry about them until 100,000 miles or more.