RX in NC

When a "check engine" light illuminates on your dashboard, go to the nearest AutoZone and they'll read the associated trouble code at no charge. If the trouble code indicates that one of your oxygen sensors is failing, it will point to the correct one and that's when you should obtain the correct replacement sensor and change it. These are relatively expensive components and you're usually better off not trying to change them as a preventive maintenance action. Wait for the dashboard light and associated trouble code. If the trouble code points to your mass air flow sensor, you should try cleaning this sensor before you decide to replace it. It's the easiest to find and remove yourself and is often the first sensor to begin to fail. It's also much less costly than the other oxygen sensors. There are several archived threads (and photos) on this forum that will instruct you on how to find and clean the mass air flow sensor. Do a search on "mass air flow sensor" or "MAF" and you'll learn quite a bit about this particular problem. If you have 85,000 miles on your vehicle now and you've never had a sensor failure, you're doing very well indeed. Many of these sensors fail between 60,000 and 80,000 miles. The original mass air flow sensor on my wife's 2000 RX300 failed at less than 50,000 miles.

Replacing oxygen sensors can be handled by an experienced do-it-yourselfer but it helps to have the proper tools since you can wind up damaging your exhaust manifold if you don't do it slowly and carefully. You may need to get the appropriate oxygen sensor wrench because a regular wrench tends to break or crack the manifold if it's handled too roughly. You must be very careful when initially breaking the seal which the sensor base has formed where it screws into the manifold. Don't get in a hurry and be sure to allow yourself plenty of time for the job. It would be a good idea to get a mechanically-inclined friend to help you or actually do the job for you if you decide to order the sensors and go for it.

Do you have friends or family in the U.S. who could purchase and ship a supply of T-IV fluid to you? You should also contact Toyota Customer Service, explain your situation, and ask them to assist you. If Toyota has existing trade relations with Cambodia, they may be willing to provide you with the proper contact information.

Yep, as much as I hate abused/neglected vehicles, this is too good a deal to pass up. And it sounds as if your aunt's RX has been more on the neglected side rather than truly abused. Buy that sucker, change the fluids and filters, set a couple grand aside for a maintenance fund, and tell your daughter that you expect her to show a lot more care for this vehicle than your aunt ever did. You have the advantage of knowing the person who owned this vehicle and you can easily find out if she indeed has it serviced by Lexus. Cosmetics shouldn't be perfect when you're handing a vehicle to your daughter for the very first time because she's not gonna keep the car perfect anyway. My daughter's first car at age 16 was a five-year-old 1986 Honda CRX. She kept that puppy for seven years and got more than 100,000 more miles out of it. I taught her all about car care on that thing and we had some good times getting greasy together. So go for it, buddy. As ReXus pointed out above, if it turns out that your daughter doesn't like it, you can still sell it for a profit and find something else.

SK performance, I realize that it is recommended to use the parking brake consistently on every vehicle in order to keep the rear pads adjusted properly. I assume that by asking this question, you are speculating that those who DON'T consistently using their parking brake are putting undue stress on their transmission components (especially if the vehicle is not sitting level) and are perhaps creating their own "clunking" problem as a result.... Yes or no?

Some vehicles require front-end alignments (meaning adjustment of the camber, caster, and toe-in components of the two front wheels to specifications provided by the vehicle manufacturer) while other vehicles are supposed to get alignments on all four wheels. The RX300 is supposed to require a four-wheel alignment but I've found with our particular vehicle that the rear wheels tend to stay well within the factory alignment specs while the front wheels need to be aligned every couple of years and certainly whenever I put a new set of tires on the vehicle. But that may not be the case for every RX300 owner. Much depends upon your road conditions, your ability to dodge potholes, and whether or not you keep your sidewalls off the curb when you park. Potholes and curb-bumping are the two best friends of the alignment shops. Check the fine print before you purchase a lifetime alignment agreement from anyone. I doubt if the contract will allow you to come in for an alignment as frequently as once a month. If it does, and even if you are only able to get in for an alignment every three months or so, you've still found yourself a great deal as long as you follow through with at least three or four alignments a year.

Depends entirely upon your driving style. My wife is a careful and cautious driver so I elected to replace her brake pads (her rotors were fine) back in March at about 75,000 miles. In looking at her old pads after pulling them off the vehicle, I figured that she probably could have gotten another 5,000 miles or so out of them. The front pads were worn more as is typically the case since 70% of your braking is done up front. The RX300 OEM pads (semi-metallic, not ceramic) are well-engineered and should last a long time if the vehicle is driven properly. Take a look at your pads before you elect to replace them. I always check the pads thoroughly whenever I rotate the tires. At just 42,000 miles I'd be willing to bet that you still have plenty of pad left. And by the way, the original pads should begin chirping before they wear down enough to damage your rotors. Listen to them, look at them regularly, and you'll know when it's time to begin thinking about replacing them.

Take your business elsewhere - these guys are hosing their customers. Find a good tire/alignment shop. They do the best work and are always competitively priced. Many run coupons in the local newspapers or on their websites. Take the time to look for a coupon and you'll save $10 to $20. In this day and age, a printout of your before-and-after specs is always part of the deal. Make sure you get one.

BillK, Thanks for the tip. With the known problems inherent in the RX transmission (especially AWD models), this is great information to have. All RX owners should make a note of this for future reference....

That's way, way too much to pay. Most alignment shops will do 4-wheel alignments for $59 to $79, and you can save $10 to $20 with a coupon. Check the ads in your local newspaper or Google "four wheel alignment" in your area. I think the tire/alignment shops do a better job with this particular task because they do far more of them than the dealerships do, regardless of make and model. And they're far less expensive unless the dealership is running a comparable special.

As part of the 90,000 mile service that my wife's 2000 RX300 AWD will be due for by mid-June, I'm going to change the AC/Alternator belt since it is original and has begun to chirp slightly at idle. Late in 2004 several owners described the replacement of this belt here; it involves loosening three adjustment bolts and then pivoting the alternator downward in order to allow the original belt to come off and the new belt to go on. The position of this belt appears to give you marginally enough room to work from the open hood above. I purchased the replacement belt today and believe it or not, my local Toyota parts department had it priced several dollars less than either NAPA or Pep Boys - just over $13.00. For those of you looking to do this anytime soon, the current Toyota part number for this belt is 99366-21040-83. But the Power Steering belt on this vehicle is a vastly different story. It's located behind the AC/Alternator belt and not only do I believe that you can't get to it from above, I also haven't been able to spot the adjustment bolts that would allow you to remove and replace it. Has anyone tackled replacing their Power Steering belt? If so, how did you get to it and where are the adjustment bolts located? I'd like to replace both belts at the same time since the AC/Alternator belt has to come off before you can remove the Power Steering belt. Thanks for any assistance.

Thanks for the information. A true 640 treadwear rating is outstanding for a truck/SUV tire - time will tell if the rating is deserved. Any idea why tirerack.com does not offer Toyo tires? What online tire seller does? Thanks again for providing this information. It will be interesting to see how this tire will compare in price to some of the other highly-rated and moderately-priced truck/SUV tires such as the Yokohama Geolander H/T-S G051 and the Firestone Destination LE that sell so well at tirerack.com.

Use whatever black-out product you like. However, you'll get the best long-term results from a greasy or sticky substance (like a black grease pencil) that will attract and retain road grime and brake dust. Eventually the backs of your tires will all blend in to the typical brake dust charcoal color anyway. Rest assured, no one else is going to notice or even care that you have white letters on the insides of your tires. No need to obsess over it....

Are you positive that no power is reaching the washer motor? Did you check the circuitry at the power plug with a meter? In the old days (1970s and 80s), washer motors were frequently prone to seizing up if the owner allowed the tank to run out of fluid. Sometimes these seized motors could be rejuvenated by removing them, squirting a bit of fluid combined with a small amount of silicone spray into their plumbing, and then heating the motor up to perhaps 140 to 150 degrees (go no hotter than this, however, or you'll melt the internal wiring and seals). A few good hard shakes can help once the motor is warmed up. But don't pound it on a brick.... A highly-skilled and very innovative Datsun technician told me about this trick in the late 70s and years later I was able to use this information to help get a friend's Z-car washer motor going again after we had exhausted all other ideas at the time and I finally convinced her that we were not going to charbroil her motor. If you know the problem is in your motor, I think this is worth trying since you'll have to replace it anyway. But if you're convinced that your motor is okay and your problem is actually in the circuitry or switch, then I would hold off on trying this. That's why it's critical to test your wiring with a meter to prove or disprove that your motor is actually getting sufficient voltage in order to operate. But since you know you were out of fluid to begin with, I think it would be a good idea to lubricate your motor as described above before attempting to bring it back to life. Good luck and keep us posted.

Always keep your washer fluid topped up for this very reason. You created your own problem by ignoring your "low washer fluid" light. As part of my Saturday morning oil level and tire pressure check, I top up the washer fluid tanks on all our vehicles. Takes about one extra minute, but this story proves that it's time well spent.

Glad it worked out to your satisfaction, and it sounds as if you'll have sufficient keys for everyone in the family.

A 5-watt 168-type bulb is a regular incandescent bulb. There are a few folks on this forum who have converted various lighting fixtures on their vehicles to LED. Perhaps they'll chime in here with the details.

There is a Technical Service Bulletin covering the improperly-designed factory-installed front strut rubber bushings on the 1999 and 2000 RX300. It is a well-known problem on this forum and many of us have used this TSB to force Lexus to replace the original rubber bushings with the better-designed-and-manufactured new rubber bushings at no charge (at about 72,000 miles in our particular case). For my wife's 2000 RX300 AWD, this procedure immediately fixed the front end noise problem that all of you are describing. Her vehicle is silent again when driving over speedbumps or on rough roads, even during cold weather when the pops and creaks were at their most irritating levels. Perhaps there needs to be a similar TSB for the later versions of the RX300 and 330. I would take this information to your service managers and argue that your vehicles need the same front strut rubber bushing fix that the older versions received. The TSB that applies to 1999 and 2000 RX models is SU002-99. Visit your service manager, ask to see a copy of this bulletin, and get the wheels turning towards resolving this problem on the later RX versions. Good luck and keep us posted.

The conventional RX series is not designed to be particularly fuel-efficient. Overweight, underpowered SUVs are simply not going to approach the all-around 25 mpg that we'd love to achieve. The best and most cost-efficient suggestions have already been posted for you above: 1. Keep your tire pressures up. 2. Drive conservatively, especially when starting and stopping. 3. Keep your filters clean. 4. Keep your spark plugs clean - good luck reaching the three rear ones. 5. Get any unnecessary weight out of the seats, floor, and cargo areas. 6. 87 octane fuel is recommended and just fine for this vehicle. My wife drives her 2000 RX300 as conservatively as anyone out there. She does a great deal of highway driving and some daily stop-and-go driving as well. I keep the vehicle meticulously maintained and the tires at 36 psi year-round. She averages between 18.5 and 20 mpg, and that's simply the best we're gonna do....

There will be common flaws in the 400h - predicting where and when they will occur is the challenge at this very early stage of the game. That's why it will be crucial to know the cumulative coverages of your base warranty like the back of your hand whenever a problem arises. On-line sites like this give owners the opportunity to expose and discuss common problems that manifest as time and mileage passes. This is extremely powerful information to have when attempting to get Lexus to resolve your particular issue. It is my belief (and proven history) that this information, when used properly, allows owners to achieve post-warranty repairs in lieu of needing to purchase extended warranties.

Most extended warranties are heavy profit centers for the dealership. But the RX series has suffered from a number of flaws for which extended warranties have paid off for certain owners. Personally, I'll never buy one - I prefer to battle the dealership with solid research and strong documentation when problems arise (and they certainly have with my wife's 2000 RX300 - over $9,000 worth of necessary repairs to date). Thus far I'm batting 1.000 with our local Lexus service manager in getting these repairs accomplished at no cost to us, all since October 2003. The hybrid version is a different animal and it is difficult to predict where and when the flaws will arise. Some folks suspect that issues may show up with the batteries. Before you purchase any extended warranty from any source, thoroughly study the Lexus base warranty on all of the components of your vehicle. Understand where the coverage is strong and where it may be poor. At that point you'll be in a better position to make an informed decision. Driving only 12,000 miles a year, an extended warranty may be a big waste of money for you. I'd spend the time boning up on the Lexus coverage you're provided with and then holding them to it as time goes by.

patt, Yes, there's a world of difference between lousy paint jobs and great paint jobs, but be aware that NO aftermarket paint job can come anywhere close to the factory finish regardless of manufacturer. New vehicle metalwork rolls through multimillion-dollar cleanrooms where it is treated, painted, and sealed using state-of-the-art materials and processes. Aftermarket painters do the best they can in less-than-ideal circumstances that make environmental control very difficult to do. You'll get a much better paint job from a long-time skilled craftsman who uses the best materials available, but even his best work will never pass for a factory finish. The bottom line is that you'll have to protect that repainted vehicle much better than you'll need to protect your new one. Keep it out of the sun whenever possible, and ensure that you find out how long you must allow your new paint to cure before you put any protective materials (i.e. waxes) on it. Depending upon the type of paint used and your particular climate this time of year, you'll need to allow your finish to cure anywhere from six weeks to three months. Ask your craftsman directly and mark your calendar by what he says. When your cure period runs its course, get some protection on that paint and ensure that it stays there if you intend to keep the vehicle for a long time. I personally like plain old carnauba wax but there are newer, more synthetic products that may last longer and be easier to use. Some of the detail junkies on this forum can help you here. You don't need to obsess over your finish with a six-step process that takes a whole weekend, but you will need to keep a coat of protection on it to give that new finish a fighting chance during the years to come. Good luck with the new paint job. Be very sure that a true craftsman is doing it for you before you hand over your keys. Ask to see some of his work, either in person or in the portfolios that all the best shops constantly add to and keep in their showrooms for their potential clients to peruse.

Sounds like you tried just about everything with the exception of squirting a shot of graphite into the key slot as a last resort. Let's hope that your warranty covers the fix, which indeed sounds as if you're going to need part or all of a new ignition assembly. I assume that the dealer will be able to program the new assembly so that you'll be able to use your existing key. Keep us posted on your situation....

Yep, you really have to love your vehicles to be willing to deal with a car cover multiple times a day for years and years in all types of weather. I just don't love 'em enough to do that anymore. And for the most part, today's exterior finishes are significantly better than those of 15 years ago.

After disconnecting and reconnecting the battery cables, did you try jimmying your steering wheel back and forth at the same time you were attempting to turn your key in the lock? Sometimes it takes a combination of all these things to get a stuck lock to finally release. If you didn't, try this before you let the tow truck driver cart your vehicle away. Good luck and keep us posted....