RX in NC

Just a drop on the tip of the tongue can tell you a lot about certain automotive fluids. Keeps you regular, too. Just don't do it with antifreeze....

tmhtmh, As I've said a number of times regarding monarch's posts, "pay no attention to the man behind the curtain". I believe he's on Toyota's payroll somehow/somewhere but he refuses to confirm or deny. He's so OEM/Toyota that if Toyota sold its own special brand of air to put in the tires, he'd swear that the only way to prolong the life of your tires would be to buy it.... LexiRX330, When I said "2005 was a relatively trouble-free year", it means that our 2000 RX300 had relatively few issues during calendar year 2005. We don't have an RX330 (and rest assured that we never will) so I do not have the expertise to speak for that model and would never presume to....

Yes, the front differential and the transmission pan share the same "filling hole" - you fill both through the transmission dipstick tube. You'll find the front differential's drain plug behind, above, and slightly towards the passenger side from the transmission pan drain plug. I have to jack up the front end and crawl under the front of the vehicle to be able to get to it properly. The front differential's drain plug is mounted horizontally, whereas the transmission pan's drain plug is mounted vertically on the bottom of the pan. Both drain plugs require a 10mm Allen (hex) wrench. You're correct - it probably does take a few minutes for the new T-IV fluid to circulate into the front differential from the transmission pan once you crank the engine and engage the transmission. Just drive slowly and carefully for the first few miles, or don't drive at all. Instead, allow the engine to run while you shift the transmission lever through the entire gear range multiple times very slowly. Some have reported here that their old T-IV fluid drained from their front differentials was much darker and dirtier than the old fluid drained from their transmission pans. I have not found that to be the case in our vehicle - the fluid looked, smelled, and tasted pretty much the same from either source. After draining all the old fluid out of both the transmission pan and the front differential, our vehicle requires just under 5 quarts to get the fluid level back up to specs. Good luck to you.

tmhtmh, I've been maintaining my own vehicles since the 1970s and have owned approximately 25 of them. My vehicles have always been meticulously maintained and I assure you that my wife's RX300's many problems are NOT the result of anything I've done or not done to it. I've said many times that this vehicle has given us more problems than all of our previous vehicles combined. The RX300 AWD has many inherent problems and we've experienced just about all of them. The only reason the vehicle is still in our stable is because our local Lexus dealership stepped up to the plate and fixed these problems one-by-one as they arose. They recognize and admit that I keep our vehicles maintained and that these many failures should not have occured to us. That's one reason that the fixes have been on their dime, not mine. The good news is that 2005 was a relatively trouble-free year for the vehicle. No failures beyond a couple of burned-out taillight bulbs and it was time to replace the brakes. I'm hoping 2006 will be the same. We'll see. But that doesn't change the fact that I despise the RX and look forward to pushing it off a cliff when we're finally done with it. You sound fairly inexperienced as far as long-term automotive maintenance is concerned. Do your homework before you go pouring products into your vehicle's orafices that you're not fully informed about.

My all-time favorite is from back in the 1970s and probably wouldn't get past the license plate censors down at the DMV today. Of course, to get the full effect, it has to be a front-installed plate and some states don't use front plates anymore. Here it is: 3M TA3

The debate on whether or not any of these additives actually improve performance or extend lifespan has been going on for a number of years. I truly hope that some of them are beneficial because folks surely drop a bundle of money on them each year in hopes that they actually do work as advertised. My advice to you on this subject is simply this - don't experiment with these products until you have reached a point where you no longer plan to attempt to hold Lexus responsible for performing warranty repairs on your transmission or engine. If you contaminate your oil pan or transmission pan with foreign chemicals, they can be detected if Lexus decides to pull a sample of your fluids if you file a warranty claim. Foreign substances give Lexus an easy out to excuse any warranty claims you may file, and they will take every opportunity to send you home with a "too bad - improper additives have voided your warranty". Your transmission is probably far more at risk than your engine. Be aware that your RX carries an 8-year unlimited mileage warranty against engine gelling as long as you "show a reasonable effort to regularly maintain your vehicle". I requested and received this information in writing from Lexus Corporate (in the form of a letter to me) for my specific vehicle in December 2003 after we had recently had multiple problems with it (transmission replacement, cracked exhaust manifold, multiple oxygen sensor failures, etc.) and my level of confidence in the vehicle was rapidly declining. You may want to request this same letter for your vehicle. Call (800)255-3987 with your vehicle's VIN number at hand and ask for the oil gelling commitment letter. Last November, at about 97,000 miles, I had our local dealership pull the valve covers and do the oil gelling inspection at no cost to me (using that wonderful "goodwill" warranty again) to see where we stood. No signs of gelling were found. I believe this will be the case for the vast majority of RXs out there whose owners change the oil and filter at least every 7,500 to 8,000 miles or so.

Bluestu, No Hummer for me, thanks. Too much of a gas guzzler and a totally impractical and pretentious vehicle in my opinion. I could never justify spending the money on something that unnecessary and stupid. I'm up for some hoops instead of a bout in the ring. I've had a team in a local 35+ league for years and even though most of my guys are in our early 40s through early 50s, we still usually win the tournament every April by playing smarter, finding the open man, and boxing out hard in the lane to set the tone (my favorite strategy, as you probably guessed). After our tournament ends in mid-April, I'd enjoy shooting hoops with you. Saxophone, huh? Alto? Soprano? I was fortunate enough to catch Bela Fleck and the Flecktones live at a local venue in late January and was blown away by Jeff Coffin's incredible skills. Do you know of him?

Tmhtmh missed the crux of my point, which was that even under warranty it is sometimes up to you to battle with the dealership over issues that you know are present yet the dealership attempts to cast them aside as "normal". It's your vehicle, you (or a family member) drive it every day, you realize that you have a problem that needs resolution. Some dealerships are known for stonewalling customers and making it difficult to get major warranty repairs done, even in situations where the customer has a valid issue. You've only been on this board a short time - spend some time perusing the numerous posts pertaining to this subject over the last couple of years and you'll have a better understanding of the topic. And as several of us have pointed out, there are avenues that you can attempt to take AFTER your warranty expires. The "goodwill" warranty approach offered by my local dealer has been much appreciated, and I recommend that you always ask about that since you may not get any concession unless you ask. Some service managers and general managers have certainly demonstrated their willingness to use it for a number of other members here, not just me. Nothing difficult about that....

tmhtmh, Don't assume what you don't know. Although our transmission was still under warranty at the time it began showing signs of failure, I did indeed have to fight with Lexus for nearly a month before they finally caved in and agreed to put another transmission in the vehicle. They tried the very common "no significant problem found" approach with me for a couple of weeks before I had to get tough with them in person, in their offices at the dealership. We had the replacement transmission in place about ten days later. I've had a number of well-known major and costly failures on this vehicle repaired by Lexus, at their expense, AFTER the warranty period had run its course (by as much as 8,000 to 10,000 miles). The key to success here is being able to clearly and calmly explain and document the problem, show evidence that it is a known failure (this website comes in quite handy for that), and be professional but exhibit the nerves (some might say cajones) of a Wild West gunslinger at the same time. I guess that explains why I've yet to pay Lexus a penny for even a single one of the more than $9,000 worth of major repairs that my wife's vehicle has required since October 2003 - some within warranty but quite a few more well beyond warranty. This clearly indicates the value of the "goodwill" warranty that some Lexus service managers or general managers will offer to their customers on a case-by-case basis if you are the victim of a known failure after your warranty expires. It's been utilized in our case at least four or five times....

My wife's 2000 RX300 AWD transmission failed and was replaced under warranty by Lexus at 48,000 miles (with a rebuilt transmission sourced by Lexus out of California). This vehicle is now pushing 106,000 miles, so that translates to approximately 58,000 miles on the rebuilt transmission. I change the Type T-IV transmission fluid every 30,000 miles (and just did so this past Saturday). Some owners on this board change their T-IV fluid every 15,000 miles. How long your rebuilt transmission will last is dependent on multiple factors, including: 1. The quality of the rebuild and its installation into your vehicle. 2. Your driving habits - this vehicle is not a rice rocket or sports car, so don't drive it like one. 3. Your willingness to change your transmission fluid on a relatively frequent basis even though the manual says that you don't need to. 4. The nature of your driving requirements - short, stop-and-go trips are murder on this vehicle. 5. A certain amount of luck. You let Lexus off the hook far too easily. I would have battled them to victory in this case; a transmission failure at 75,000 miles for a vehicle this costly is really inexcuseable, although we've known for some time that it happens to RX300 AWD models much more frequently than Lexus will admit.

Bluestu, Your're on. I've got two pair of 10-ounce Everlast gloves and four pair of 14-ounce Everlast gloves. Your choice. I can supply all the pre-wrap and athletic tape you'll need for your hands. Headgear is required, and you'll need to size and acquire that yourself. Don't forget your mouthpiece. The Durham Armory hosts some great local amateur and challenge cards on many Friday evenings. To ensure ring space, I'd need to book us a couple of weeks in advance. If you want a corner guy, I'll let my long-time guy know and he'll have one ready for you (but I can't guarantee the quality). Just let me know when you're coming and I'll set it up. We'll need to talk prior to the chosen evening to ensure that everything is settled and legit. The only problem is that if you're more than one weight class below me, they won't let us spar there. Age is not a factor, but size is. I'm 6'7", 247 to 250 pounds. With a couple weeks of training and prep, my ring weight will be closer to 240. What's your height and weight?

I agree that these transmission flushes are rip-offs and carry the potential of doing far more harm than good. Bluestu has been suckered into the hype and believes that it is an essential procedure for keeping his transmission alive. If someone gave me a flush machine, Bluestu, the only thing I would risk running through it would be a lawnmower. And if you really believe that I'm an old geezer sitting around eating bran flakes and waiting for my Social Security check in the mail, next time you're in Raleigh, let me know. I'd be more than happy to meet you at a local gym and go a few rounds with you....

I changed the Type T-IV ATF in my wife's 2000 RX300 AWD at my chosen 30,000-mile interval again this morning. Drained the transmission pan as well as the differential by pulling both drain plugs. The old fluid was still in fairly good shape - slight discoloration, no burned smell or taste, and a little bit of debris build-up on the magnet attached to the tip of the differential drain plug. All in all, the old fluid looked better than I thought it would. I needed slightly under 5 quarts of fresh fluid to get it back up to specs, just like last time. I'll continue to check the fluid level over the next few days to ensure that I have the level where it needs to be. For those of you with AWD versions of the RX300, I can't stress enough that you should perform this procedure at least every 30,000 miles. It may give you a fighting chance at keeping your transmission alive for a significantly longer period of time. We're now approaching 60,000 miles on our replaced-under-warranty-by-Lexus second transmission that was installed back in November 2003. Although neither the original nor the replacement transmission has ever been as smooth as it should be for a vehicle that originally stickered for more than $40,000, this replacement transmission has never exhibited signs of the infamous "freeze-up" that our original transmission did. I'll keep changing the Type T-IV fluid every 30,000 miles and keep Lexus on the hook for as long as I can....

wwest, I'll give you the same unsolicited advice I gave you about a year ago. Quit rehashing and !Removed! around with the already-here, stop-gap hybrid technology and turn your proclivity to tinker towards hydrogen-fueled automotive technology. That is the true future of the automotive world , that is how America will finally emerge from our budget-killing addiction to oil, and that is where the next Henry Ford/John DeLorean/Bill Gates/Steve Jobs/Michael Dell is going to make a freakin' fortune....

tmhtmh and SW03ES, Relax, guys - I appreciated the humor (although if you lived here in Raleigh, tmhtmh, there's no way I'm maintaining your vehicle for you - I already have to keep up with enough as it is and the LAST vehicle I would want to take on would be another freakin' RX. You apparently don't know how much I hate 'em). Most of us who have decades of experience in maintaining our own vehicles will tell you that if you don't want to do it yourself, spend some time asking around town for a locally-owned independent shop that has a strong reputation and stays busy all the time. Shops like that develop a savvy and loyal customer base because their pricing structure is fair (though not cheap), they usually have technicians who have been employed there for years or decades (meaning that they have developed significant expertise in diagnosing and resolving a wide variety of problems), and the reason they have managed to earn such a respected reputation is that they prove over and over again to long-term customers as well as to new customers that they are damn good at what they do without the overhead of a fancy-schmancy Lexus service department. Don't kid yourself into believing that Lexus dealerships hire only top-notch techs - they wind up hiring a number of young guys who may only be a level or two above the typical DIY-in-the-driveway Joe, and they experience a hell of a lot more turnover than they care to admit. Our local dealership is ALWAYS looking for techs. Many of the inexperienced ones they hire with plans to grow and train them don't work out, so the faces change on a fairly regular basis. If you believe that you're ALWAYS getting the expertise that you're paying for at a dealership, you're going to be sadly disappointed sooner or later. Different makes and models will lead you to different independent shops. You'll likely end up with one that specializes in Japanese vehicles, not just Lexus. I'm not sure how large a city Rochester is but I guarantee you that if you ask enough car folks and spend enough time looking around, you'll find one....

What's your current mileage, and are you noticing increased oil consumption between oil & filter changes?

We've been down this road before. Do it yourself. Changing oil and transmission fluid really is a piece of cake. The biggest challenge is getting to the oil filter under the exhaust manifold. Once you have a good spring-loaded cap-type filter remover and your trusty socket wrench, you're good to go. Changing transmission fluid in this vehicle is so simple, even a cave man could do it (sorry, Geico)....

Who is "they"? Are you reading from a service manual or is some Lexus service advisor telling you that you need to perform this service at a certain mileage interval? I've never seen a reference to anything called torque sensing LSD oil....

SK Performance, I'll clarify here. What I should have said (instead of "ceramic rotors") is that if you change from semi-metallic pads to ceramic pads, in all likelihood you're going to need to find new rotors that are capable of handling the greater friction and wear-and-tear that ceramic pads are going to inflict upon your factory rotors. I believe that blindly replacing semi-metallic pads with ceramic pads on vehicles that come from the factory as semi-metallic is usually a mistake if you value a long lifespan for your overall braking system. Sorry if I confused anyone other than SK Performance. I'll stay with semi-metallic pads on this vehicle. The original set delivered close to 80,000 miles with no problems. That's good enough to keep me from !Removed! around with ceramic pads that would cause more rotor damage and give me a shorter lifespan as a result. Never a good outcome from either a financial or a longevity perspective....

Be aware that for ANY vehicle, if you switch from semi-metallic pads to ceramic pads you must also change to ceramic rotors. Running ceramic pads on rotors designed for semi-metallic pads will tear up your braking system very quickly....

The usual culprit is a refrigerant leak in the hoses or couplings. Typically a moderate expense to repair. The more costly cause would be a failing compressor. Let's hope that's not the case for either of you. I wouldn't go to either Toyota or Lexus. I'd find a well-respected independent A/C repair shop. Your final tab will be less and your repair work quality will probably be better.

Are you guys getting your hearing checked every six months? Take it from a former headbanger back in the 70s, your ears are going to pay the price unless you're wearing earplugs while driving....

tmhtmh, I'm essentially retired at 52 and have accumulated all the money we'll ever need and then some. But one of the reasons I was able to retire from the corporate world at 49, completely debt-free since we were 36, is because I never waste money paying someone else to do something that I can do better and with greater care. Investing and asset management are passions of mine, and taking care of our vehicles falls into the asset management category (but don't kid yourself into thinking that your vehicles are investments - they are depreciating expenses which need to be managed). Try it yourself. You might save assets, build wealth faster, and improve your chances towards getting free and clear in life so you can do things you want to do instead of doing things you have to do....

As others have said here, the best solution is for you to control your emotions better. Some things are simply not worth raising your stress levels for. I'm meticulous about the interior of my personal vehicles. I don't eat or drink in them, I wipe my feet thoroughly before I climb in, I shake my floor mats out at least every couple of days even when there is no visible debris, I don't touch the interior glass unless it's with a clean rag, there are no onboard trash receptacles because there is never any trash, etc. etc. etc. It's an obsessive/compulsive thing, I know. My wife is completely opposite. She's in her vehicle on-and-off all day long, so it becomes a rolling office. She often eats lunch in it, grabs a soft drink on the run, stickies up the cupholders with soft drink overflow, tracks dirt and debris onto the floor mats, loses drinking straw wrappers down into the seats, drops loose change, and generally manages to turn her interior into what I've long called the "pigmobile" within two weeks. So every two to three weeks I spend thirty minutes to an hour cleaning, vacuuming, and treating her interior in an effort to keep it reasonably well-conditioned. My only rule is that whatever money I find becomes mine. Sometimes it's just loose change, sometimes it may be a $20 bill. But that's the price she pays for being sloppy with her vehicle interior. Her car interior sloppiness used to drive me insane and was the basis for many knock-down drag-out arguments. After a few years I realized that in the grand scheme of things, this just wasn't worth fighting about. So I made myself lose some of my interior meticulousness with the vehicle she drives and came to terms with the fact that I would have to expend much more effort cleaning her interior than I ever do with mine. But I do manage to get her back from time to time. She's as meticulous with her kitchen as I am with my vehicles. So every chance I get to leave a big mess in the sink for her to have to clean up, you can bet that I take full advantage of it....

255/65/16 series tires will probably not fit within the rear wheel wells due to the extremely tight space allowed under the rear shocks and springs. 235 is probably about as tight as you can push it. Go take a look above your rear wheels and you'll see exactly what I'm referring to.