lenore

Great job, you have inspired me and I am wood graining the center dash piece on my Ford F150 as we speak. It is being done in Cherry wood, First try was a disaster,but second try is so far very successful...You have a lot of patience for such a young man...I am 60 and have always enjoyed modifying things. Have thoroughly enjoyed your detailed posts...Keep them coming and hope your talent rewards you.

Question is did they look for secondary codes at autozone? Through my search the code has not generally been the only code...

I would go to an autozone, and read the codes. Also reset them...Buying a code reader is very affordable now, great tool for making some diagnostics to trouble shoot. They sell them online cheap or even at Harbor Freight tools with a 20% discount coupon...Good luck, the Thermostat is probably not the issue, probably a Air / Fuel sensor on the exhaust manifolds, but you need the secondary codes if they are there.

The quality of the original is quite good, why are you changing it.?

The thermostat faces toward the left fender from the valley between the two cylinder heads. You need to take off the Shroud on top of the engine to get a better view. It will be on your right when facing the engine from the radiator. follow the hose. This picture is looking from the left side of the engine. Unforturnately I had a intake manifold leak of Coolent.

Timing belt????I thought this engine didnt have one....Isnt it a chain...?

What hose are you talking about? Your posting is completely non informational...

The timing belt can go an easy 125k, but probably best to change at 100k....Toyota Dealerships can do it for around $550. As for the differential, Is the car All wheel drive? Because there is a differential and a transfer case....which one is leaking? Could be the rear main seal on the engine which leaks between the tranny and engine....

You should be able to get an easy 125k miles...When done make sure to use NGK or Denso iridium plugs....after all they worked well the first 125k...

The P0015 code is probably the culprit....Not good, could be the VVTi cam adjuster is frozen up. or if lucky the valve that controls it.

Probably, if the seal on the outside surface of the bearing is plastic or rubber. I have taken a sharp tipped knife and opened the seal carefully many times on those bearings. I then inspect, if the grease is dryed out I will take some polymolybodium disulfide (black grease high temp) and squirt some in the bearing and rotate it. I pack the bearing and clean the excess and push the rubber style seals back in the bearing...Have done this for years and never had a failure afterwards.... Note if the bearing is badly damaged it should be replaced. I can tell by rotating it after greasing and if it is not smooth it is toast.

Totally agree, dont buy, maybe a 2003 but look at the RX330 or newer...

Looks like Big government (the outhouses) going through the GNP with the spill over going to the taxpayers....

How do you tell awd or fwd...I know on the RX300 it is easy just look for a drive shaft....

You know I kind of think that a lot of the oil seal leaking is related to type of oil used and frequency. I have 177k miles and have not experienced the leak....yet. however this engine is prone to sludge and if it starts hard particles of oil residue can destroy seals...I have used synthetic blend from the start and switch to full synthetic at 100k miles...

The gap should not have been off. Are you using Denso or NGK iridium Plugs (original equipment)? If they are Bosch get them out of there...(Garbage in this motor)

Yup the way I look at it to repair the tranny is cheaper than a new car or a few months of cars payments. Should be able to get it done for under $3500 from and independent.....Also figure your insurance and license fees are cheaper on a older Lexus than a new car.....

You guys are great, now just have to figure out when I am going to buy one....

Which year Rx400h did you look at? The 06's didn't come with any wood interior trim, instead it was replaced with brushed aluminum trim. The 07-08's however replaced the silver with wood just like the Rx330/350. Some of the 2006 Rx400h's didn't have navigation, some were available pretty stripped. In 2007-2008 i would say 99% of them came standard with nav. Mark Lev sound was not standard on very many of them in any year, neither was the rear entertainment system. If you look on ebay and such, you won't find many without nav, and you won't find many with the Mark Lev sound system... All Rx400h's came with the HID AFS headlights (where this was an option on the 330/350) and all AWD models have the heated seats too. It was a 2006, and yes it did not have wood, thank you so much for your input....I have followed your mods with great interest...I guess it would have to be a 2007 and up because my wife and I like the wood look....When you get nav do they all come with rear camera too?

Yea the salesman called today, Still didnt know about the console sliding...Said gee, I will go check it out....Ok Guys the only other downside is the lack of wood in the 400h...I know there are some talented people that can add it...I know the 2010 is nice, but at 54k way too much...I just wanted to know if the 400h is going to be a good replacement for the next 10 years. My RX300 does have a few miles on it. Where there a lot of options on the 400h? I nav standard? I know do a search...

Thankyou, funny the Lexus salesman didnt know that???? I will look at one again...

Ok, so wife and I were bored after breakfast with the mother in law (love her by the way) and so Wife and I looked at the RX400H...Wow what happened to the rear seat leg room, the center console sticks right in the middle of the center seat foot room? Is there an alternate console to fix this problem...We have grandbabies and sometimes wife takes friends to lunch, that sucks big time. So on to the RX450H, Ok center console no longer a problem. We drove the car and were in ahhhhhh. We presently have our 11year old RX300 which we are original owners and have 178k miles. Thought I would entertain the Hybrid, but would prefer used...I was considering The 400h, but the 450H has better seat accomodations on the rear seat....I would not put us into that kind of debt (did not negotiate the 54k sticker price) but we are in no rush, so maybe in a couple of years a good used one for 20k less would be more affordable. Time will tell, but I am surprised at the first impression of both cars, both good and bad....The console is a real sore thumb...

You could do a fluid exhange instead of a flush...The Car is left running and the tranny pump flushed the fluid naturally. However, I would opt for a drain and fill without filter, drive a few days and do it again with either Toyota Type IV or Mobil Tranny fluid which is compatable.

could be your upper strut mounts,but also the sway bar mounts. The mounts look like these and are bolted to the strut, could just be loose... http://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/1999/lexus/es300/suspension/sway_bar_link.html

That is what Israel citizens do, and it deters a lot of sabatoge....We Americans can learn from there methods to stop attacks...If you are suspicious of something, report it....God Bless America