TunedRX300

Did you check the thread about how to clean IACV about 8 threads down?

So you are saying the transformer outside of your house blew because coal was burned to generate electricity instead of nuclear?

I just bought a Highlander coil for $74 shipped, will replace the rear right, which is the hardest to access, when I replace my spark plugs.

The spare will be the old coil.

I've lost a coil pack on a front cylinder on my 2000 RX300 and verified it by moving the coil pack to another cylinder and seeing the OBD codes move with the coil pack.

I also noted that if I unplugged the coil pack, I got a different code, but the engine was MUCH smoother. It made me wonder if it was easier for the computer to compensate when there was a non-intermittent problem.

Can I unplug the coil and run on five cylinders while the new part arrives? Is the system smart enough to shut off fuel to that injector?

Seems a bit silly, but I've only got one car!

Thanks.

Steve

If fuel was to shut off, it may be good for the catalytic converter since no fuel was left unburned. How many miles you got out of the coil before it went bad?

Hi,

I have a 2001 RX300 awd (not 2wd), and I recently changed the thermostat, but realized that the air bleed hole needs to be aligned in order for the thermostat to open and coolant to circulate.

What position does the thermostat need to be aligned in (in regard to the bleed hole)? Is an OEM part the only recommended option or would an aftermarket part work just as well?

No mentioning of alignment in the shop manual. What makes you believe that the coolant is not circulating?

Change the tranny filter, do an Used Oil Analysis to reveal current condition of the tranny instead of guessing what is the proper change interval.

I have a 1999 RX300 with 123k miles and I think I should change the tranny filter now, before too late, even though it still run OK.

Please let us know the part numbers for the filter and its gasket.

Any directions how to do it will be of great help.

How one can have an Used Oil Analysis done? I've never done this before.

I just change ATF every ~10k miles.

One time I had an Indie did a ATF flush, and it made the tranny even worse and the fluid became so dark, much much darker than before he did it!!!

After that, I had to change ATF 6 times in a row at an interval of ~100 miles to get back to the original feeling of performance like before.

So, to me, no more ATF flush; just more frequent change intervals. The fluid color is now almost like of the new one.

Thanks.

Here is a link for complete Photo DIY Instructions

You may send your used ATF sample to either Blackstone Labs or Oil Analyzer. For $20 a lab will give you spectrum analysis of wear metals and Total Acid Number, these scientific measurement tell you how much metal debris is in the ATF and Ph value. It is not hard to learn to read them and if you can save one unnecessary drain and fill, you break even. More importantly, you gain information for your driving style and your car. For example, if your drain interval is too long, the lab will tell you to shorten up to a recommendated mileage.

If you pick Blackstone, you will get something like this. This is a Toyota Highlander with 20K miles on factory filled Toyota T-IV. You would THINK 20K is too short on factory filled ATF with 60% of easy hwy miles...read on what the lab reported.

http://theoildrop.server101.com/forums/sho...p;Number=915426

Blackstone says:

This is likely the original fill of ATF in this unit so we aren't surprised to find the excess

wear and silicon. Both should improve with subsequent oil changes. You didn't mention if this oil was

changed or not but we suggest doing so if you haven't. The wear metals make the oil abrasive, which causes more wear. No moisture was found and the trace of insolubles is okay. The viscosity read in the normal range for an ATF. The TAN read 1.0 showing some acidity in the oil. Universal averages

for this type of transmission are based on an oil run of ~13K miles.

2005 Highlander, 20,368 miles, 5-spd auto tranny, OEM fill, my results/universal averages:

Aluminum 26/16

Chromium 1/0

Iron 64/33

Copper 23/68

Lead 2/13

Tin 1/2

Moly 0/1

Nickel 0/0

Manganese 4/1

Silver 0/0

Titanium 0/0

Potassium 2/1

Boron 37/53

Silicon 30/20

Sodium 7/4

Calcium 109/132

Magnesium 2/26

Phosphorus 258/282

Zinc 3/78

Barium 8/3

SUS viscosity at 210 F = 44.0 (should be 43-51)

Flashpoint = 355 (should be >330)

Water is zero

Insolubles was listed as "trace"

This vehicle is mostly driven by my wife and has seen 60/40 highway/city driving.

Change the tranny filter, do an Used Oil Analysis to reveal current condition of the tranny instead of guessing what is the proper change interval.

I have a 2001 RX300 with the 3.0L. The engine has a "lifter" noise.

The dealer mechanic told me not to worry....no big deal its just a lifter making noise. It can be fixed but for some dough. He told me to leave alone.

But it noisly and I don't like it.

Any ideas about this?

:cries:

Ask the Lexus mechanic is the noise there when the engine is new? You will get a real answer right there.

I have made several recommendations on this forum about Auto-RX, a cleaner that slowly disolved and cleaned up any sludge. People don't even want to check it out because

1) anything other than Lexus' recommendation must be snake oil or gas pill.

2) If it is any good, Toyota would have thought of it first. Therefore, it does not work

3) I have used xxx oil for yyyK miles and never needs this to work. If the engine has zzz problem, I feel more comfortable to have Lexus to replace for 100x$, never mind technology improves and new solution may solve old problems.

I am recommendating to you because my 2000 RX300 has seen only Mobil 1 synthetic oil ever since its 3rd oil change, I used Auto-RX to stop a leak. When I cut open oil filter I used during treatment and found fine sandy hard sludge particles. Apparently minor sludges formed to block the seal conditioning additives from keeping seals soft and pliable. The leak now is slowed significantly, no dripping to a dime size on the garage floor no matter how long I parked.

Here are pictures I took. Not saying this will definitely make the noise goes away but a clean engine could be part of the solution. Also worth a try since Auto-RX has 100% $ back guarantee.

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/342/sludgescrappedfv6.jpg

http://img20.imageshack.us/my.php?image=finesludgehe4.jpg

I forgot to recommend that you can always buy a good coil from Park Lexus in Plano, for spare or to swap around.

Haven't had to change them on my wifes RX.... but did them on my GS... simple.... I used some after market and do not like them.... going back to stock this spring to go with new cross drilled rotors I piced up on ebay... some good posts here regarding them... just drilled not slotted

While I understand what cross drilled and slotted rotors do for high performance cars, I am curious what benefit there might be to either type of rotor in a sedate car, typically driven easily, such as ours. I am not challenging you; I just want to know the reason for them? Fwiw, my 14 year old Acura Legend with 116000 still has the original calipers without any warping, pulsing, or appreciable wear. I only use the OEM equivalent pads so they wear instead of the rotors. My son's Civic went 130000 miles on his rotors and only replaced them because he was a teenager and wanted "cool".

Main benefits are heat dissipation, less unsprung weight, and more bite across the entire temperature range. You will probably notice the last benefit if you use cold braking capability in your driving. Cold braking is the best a brake can perform: at cold and never heated up. Cold braking is dominant design assumption for most passenger cars because automakers have one thing in mind: it is cheaper to make and most owners care less (well, until something happened). Warping takes place when brake rotor is super-heated beyond its cooling capability. The fact that warping takes place in passenger cars means automakers' assumption does not hold true 100% of the time.

Brake rotor is a heat sink, kinetic energy of a moving car must be transfered into heat to make a car stop. Holes in a cross drilled rotor allow more surface for rotor to be air cooled. Vented rotor design in RX's front end have vanes to double the rotor-to-air area over that of a solid rotor design. Cross-drilling and slotting use the same principle as the vented rotor. Today, no sedan car uses solid front rotor design anymore, reason? Every street car needs better cooling capability, not just performance cars. Kinetic Energy = 1/2 * mass * velocity^2. It is not just sport cars needs better cooling capability, heavier car such as SUV needs better cooling capability. It is simple: doubling the mass, kinetic energy is doubled, which demands brake to have better cooling capacity.

Given the same application, RX in this case, rotor with holes has less mass. Rotor with less metal has one drawback and two benefits. Drawback is rotor has less mass to absorb energy. However, having better cooling capability means it does not need the additional mass to store heat - energy will be transferred to the air before being stored. More holes means less unsprung weight, which helps acceleration and of course, less weight always helps mpg.

Run your finger across a rotor's friction surface will tell much bite the pad will experience with each compression of pistons in brake calipers. One important parameter to determine braking efficiency of the pad is friction coefficient. It is the same concept with rotor, holes have edges to introduce a rougher surface for brake pads to rub against at ALL temperature. In addition, at extreme high temperature, pad material can turn into gas, which can be trapped between pad/rotor and have a glazing effect to hinder brake performance. Holes will allow gas to escape.

Last, I will let you decide whether cold braking is what you use 100% of the time. Would you ever driving a SUV in stop and go traffic at a hilly area during hot summer day? Does Lexus' design assumption holds true for you? If Toyota designs a brake sufficient for Camry, is it sufficient for the heavier RX?

That's basically it. But you do have to move the shims from the old to the new. You also need to remove some brake fluid and compress the piston back into the caliper or you will never be able swing the caliper back down after putting in the new pads. You should also use brake grease on the shims (comes in nice tear open and through away packets). Caliper pins should also be cleaned and lubed and the rubber boots checked. One other nice to know thing. If you are using Lexus factory pads, the front ones come without wear indicators. These are small spring clips that are easily transferred from the old pads. This is true for the 300 and is most likely the same for 330. Some of the aftermarket front pads have the wear indicators as a permanent part of the metal pad frame as does the Lexus factory rear pads.

Here is a link to a how to that describes the process a little better:

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread...1695#post551695

Thanks for the link and the techniques. I have been changing brakes, master cylinders, and other items like this for more than 20 years so what your words are confirming what I suspected. I should have prefaced my comments with requests to confirm anything UNUSUAL in changing out the brake pads. Btw, what are most of you using for replacement pads? Lexus or from the FLAP?

Gary

I tried some aftermarket ones for about two days, big mistake the originals lasted 75k miles, so I bought a set and replaced my new aftermarket pads... Ps I usually buy aftermarket, but the Lexus pad is awlsome, My next pad was akebono ceramics and brembo disks at 110k miles. they are wonderful....

FYI, Akebono is the OEM brake supplier for Toyota. So there is no quality difference, just slight design difference.

I am sure everyone is aware that bleeding the brake fluid after servicing is a good practice. If one has not changed brake fluid, it is a good time to flush the old and replace with fresh fluid. Safety first!

A quote from Car Bibles about brake rotors:

"An important note about drilled rotors: Drilled rotors are typically only found (and to be used on) race cars. The drilling weakens the rotors and typically results in microfractures to the rotor. On race cars this isn't a problem - the brakes are changed after each race or weekend. But on a road car, this can eventually lead to brake rotor failure - not what you want. I only mention this because of a lot of performance suppliers will supply you with drilled rotors for street cars without mentioning this little fact. "

Use blank stock rotors and pads. There is no way that one could drive on public roads to maximize the effect of d and or s rotors. The law would be on your a$$ so fast. Blanks are the best for everyday drivers. Less chance of cracking/warping and they last longer. Do what you want, It's your car. This is my opinion.

Brake stops the car. Why would a cop stop you if you stop better than other cars, especially after driving stop and go in a hilly area during a hot summer day?

A quote from Car Bibles about brake rotors:

"An important note about drilled rotors: Drilled rotors are typically only found (and to be used on) race cars. The drilling weakens the rotors and typically results in microfractures to the rotor. On race cars this isn't a problem - the brakes are changed after each race or weekend. But on a road car, this can eventually lead to brake rotor failure - not what you want. I only mention this because of a lot of performance suppliers will supply you with drilled rotors for street cars without mentioning this little fact. "

Depends on the design. Quality design such as casted holes are not as suspectible to cracking because there is no additional stress introduced to the rotor. Holes are casted with the rotor and not drilled afterward.

In fact, many MB cars came with cross-drilled rotors as factory design. They are luxury street cars and not really target the same drivers such as Porche or Farrari.

The key is quality and design. I understand it is easy to say "A is bad, B is good" but the answer from that link is kind of a stereo type answer w/o doing thourough research.

Of course, whether one prefer blank or slotted or cross-drilled is his/her own business. Not trying to convince anyone, but to provide some fact.

Attached is a MB C class picture, cross drilled rotor from the factory, remember if these rotors crack, MB is on the hook to provide warranty replacement.

I like details on advanced features described by Honda on 2G MDX. Something Lexus probably will never do.

Don't you love power gained from superior design, not just from bigger displacement?

Dual stage intake manifold is not new, but how about a dual stage (variable flow) exhaust?

How about MDX's modular catalytic convertor? If it ever goes bad, there is no need to replace the resonator, and exhaust pipe to the mufflor (guess which car REQUIRES the owner to do so?)

Now SH-AWD, all I can say is Wow!

Here is the link and some quotes:

http://www.hondanews.com/categories/712/releases/3758

Compared to the previous generation MDX, the new powerplant gained 47 horsepower and 25 lbs.-ft. of torque. Of that horsepower gain, 20 horsepower came from an increase in displacement and a new 11.0:1 compression ratio and 15 more horsepower are due to new intake port shape, valve design and VTEC® tuning. The final 12 horsepower is credited to the new MDX's high-flow induction and exhaust systems. Although more powerful, the engine is actually 17.2 pounds or 3.7% lighter than the engine it replaces and offers six percent more displacement

2-PIECE DUAL-STAGE INTAKE MANIFOLD

The MDX uses a dual-stage intake manifold that is designed to deliver maximum airflow to the cylinders across the full range of engine operating speeds. The 2-piece cast-magnesium manifold is also very light. Compared to the 1-piece, dual-stage unit used on the previous generation MDX, the new manifold weighs 53% less and saves 8.0 lbs. Combined with the new exhaust system, induction flow improvements contribute 12 horsepower to the new MDX's 300 horsepower total.

The induction system significantly boosts torque across the engine's full operating range by working in concert with the VTEC® valvetrain. Internal passages and two butterfly valves are operated by the powertrain control module provide two distinct modes of operation by changing plenum volume and intake airflow routing.

At lower rpm these valves are closed to reduce the volume of the plenum and effectively increase the length of inlet passages for maximum resonance effect and to amplify pressure waves within each half of the intake manifold at lower rpm ranges. The amplified pressure waves significantly increase cylinder filling and torque production throughout the lower part of the engine's rpm band.

As the benefits of the resonance effect lessen with rising engine speed, the butterfly valves open at 3800 rpm to interconnect the two halves of the plenum, increasing its volume. An electric motor, commanded by the powertrain control module, controls the connecting butterfly valves. The inertia of the mass of air rushing down each intake passage helps draw in more charge than each cylinder would normally ingest. The inertia effect greatly enhances cylinder filling and the torque produced by the engine at higher rpm.

Downstream of the close-coupled catalyst, a hydroformed 2-into-1 collector pipe carries exhaust gases to a single secondary converter under the passenger cabin. This high-flow unit has a revised shape and a large 62mm outlet (up from 55mm). Downstream of the underfloor catalyst, the system splits flow into a pair of underfloor chambers (the previous MDX used a single chamber) to give the exhaust note a more refined sound. Dual silencers near the rear fascia incorporate an exhaust pressure-activated valve to balance the engine's need for proper exhaust back pressure at low speed and free flow at high speed. With the valve in each silencer closed, the exhaust sound level is muted for quiet cruising. When exhaust flow increases sufficiently due to high rpm and a large throttle opening, the silencer valves open and provide a secondary exit path inside the silencer chamber. In total, the MDX's exhaust system refinements improve flow potential by 18%.

Other folks' experience is a great resource, but they are experiences that may or may not apply to your situation. I am sure you have heard "I have put XXK miles on my RX and never a single issue, how come you have multiple tranny failures?". You can't blame them since individual experience is a subjective opinion.

Best approach is to do a lab analysis of ATF sample in your tranny, it is scientific, objective, and the result is meaningful...to you. Cost is $20 to get important data to determine the ATF change interval for your RX: Total Acid Number, wear metal level, viscosity etc. These important info can never be accurately revealed by the ATF color. BTW, the cherry dye used is for leak detection and base oil is clear and colorless, had the dye been purple or black, would virgin ATF be drained since it looks dark?

There are many who have done UOA on ATF. Free data, which may be used for estimate for ball park range, is avaliable here

http://theoildrop.server101.com/forums/pos...amp;Board=UBB50

Someone just posted his UOA on GS400 w/ 22K on Toyota T-IV, Blackstone Lab analysis indicated high insolubles, viscosity has sheared, and high lead, all suggesting ATF must be changed.

http://theoildrop.server101.com/forums/sho...ge=0#Post855920

Again, if you want a MD to give a clean bill of health, wouldn't you have to ask the nurse to draw your blood, take a recent urine/stool sample, do a x-ray/cat-scan and have the doc to analyze the report? Would external superficial examination and good/bad reports from other folks be good enough, for you? My $0.02.

Legal settlement is nothing more than a bi-lateral agreement between Toyota and those who wish to sell their rights to sue. To those who opt out, the settlement means nothing. To Toyota, nothing but a cheap way to buy off future liability from those who 1) do not know they gain nothing but a mere additional 120 days to make claim 2) care less until sludge happen to them.

Please do post Group II dino UOAs when you are done, did you say 3 UOAs. I am all "eyes" and I am sure others will be interested as well.

Did you realize that people/companies tend to bend the truth if there are conflicts of interest? People value independent data and unbiased professional opinion. Ever heard of the information provided by Iraqi information officer? Or the wonderful financial statements before Enron's frauds were exposed?

Are you sure I don't have a baseline of my 1mz-fe? Please don't assume, I have a M1, in the process of getting GC + ARX UOA. Also I value UOAs from other 1mz-fe owners because data from many engines is far better than data from one.

Speaking of UOA, have you found that UOA of a straight Group II dino that lasts 5K in 1mzfe?

I do have a few UOAs that shows TBNs of oil used at Toyota dealer, Chevron Supreme, and other brands that are toasted around 3K. Want URL links?

What does Toyota owners' manual say on what oil to use and how long OCI for 1mzfe based models?

Oh, I forget that Toyota owners must be more lazy than owners of Honda and Nissan. Heck, Toyota' PR is right, owners' abuse (not just unknowingly forget) is the ONLY cause.

Let's see this NY Times reports say. Exact Quote

In Toyota’s case, 68 percent of its recent recalls can be blamed on design flaws, according to Goldman Sachs

Wait what does Toyota's own executives say?

At Toyota’s annual executive meeting in June, its departing chairman, Hiroshi Okuda; the new chairman, Fujio Cho; and its chief executive, Katsuaki Watanabe, all vowed to managers that the quality issue would be addressed, according to a senior Toyota executive who attended the meeting.

“The quality issue is a big concern. They’re embarrassed about it,” said the executive, who insisted on anonymity because the meeting was private.

“You think about Toyota, and quality is in our DNA,” he continued. “We are concerned about looking like the rest of the pack. The market is forgiving because of our long reputation, but how long will they be forgiving?”

Whoops, Goldman Sachs must be not credible as well, along with NYT and NHTSA. Because they report and post data against Toyota's interests.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/05/b...5e2a887&ei=5070

August 5, 2006

Repairing Some Dents in an Image

By MICHELINE MAYNARD and MARTIN FACKLER

The news is something no car owner wants to hear. Power steering on their hard-to-get hybrid could fail. Tires on their small pickups could bulge and possibly burst. Air bags may not inflate during a crash.

These recalls are the type that have long bedeviled American carmakers, but this time it was Toyota of Japan, long known as the crème de la crème in quality.

Just as Toyota appears poised to pass General Motors to become the world’s largest automaker, it has a growing problem with recalls that is sullying its carefully honed image.

In the United States, Toyota’s largest market, the number of vehicles recalled soared to 2.2 million last year. That was double the number of vehicles recalled in 2004, and more than 10 times the 200,000 cars it recalled in 2003, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In Japan, the number of recalled vehicles has jumped 41-fold since 2001, to 1.9 million last year. And because many of the recalls are for vehicles that are more than 10 years old, analysts fear that another wave of bad quality news may be in store.

The situation has alarmed Toyota’s top executives and angered the Japanese government. It ordered Toyota to explain itself, which the company did in a report delivered Thursday, accompanied by the latest in a series of apologies. In it, the company promised to create a new computer database to obtain information more quickly from dealers on repairs and complaints. The police in Japan said three Toyota officials were under criminal investigation on suspicion that they concealed vehicle defects over eight years.

Inside Toyota, the spate of recalls and the criminal investigation has caused a flurry of high-level efforts to diagnose and fix the problems, which have affected its Prius hybrid, the gold standard among fuel-efficient vehicles; the Tacoma pickup; and cars in its Lexus luxury lineup.

Quality problems can befall any company, whether based in Detroit, Europe or elsewhere. This week, in fact, Ford expanded a recall of its vans, sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks because of problems with cruise control systems that were prone to catching fire.

For now, Toyota’s quality issues do not seem to be damping its operations either in Japan, where it is the biggest automaker, or the United States, where Toyota passed Ford in July to rank as the No. 2 company in terms of auto sales. Nor is it affecting Toyota’s net income, which climbed 39.2 percent during the second-quarter, to $3.2 billion, the company said yesterday. [Page C4.]

But executives know they cannot let the situation fester, because it ultimately threatens Toyota’s ability to grow. If they fail to get their arms around the problem, they will have to pull back on the company’s expansion plans, which are set to include more assembly and engine plants for the United States, as well as factories elsewhere.

At Toyota’s annual executive meeting in June, its departing chairman, Hiroshi Okuda; the new chairman, Fujio Cho; and its chief executive, Katsuaki Watanabe, all vowed to managers that the quality issue would be addressed, according to a senior Toyota executive who attended the meeting.

“The quality issue is a big concern. They’re embarrassed about it,” said the executive, who insisted on anonymity because the meeting was private.

“You think about Toyota, and quality is in our DNA,” he continued. “We are concerned about looking like the rest of the pack. The market is forgiving because of our long reputation, but how long will they be forgiving?”

Interviews with car owners and dealers show they have some latitude.

Bruce Wachtell, 71, bought a 2006 Prius in March after years of driving a Toyota Tacoma pickup without any problems.

“It’s never seen a dealer,” he said of the truck.

Mr. Wachtell, a retired ship’s radio officer living in Stinson Beach, Calif., began buying foreign cars after growing frustrated with the quality of American-made vehicles. That sentiment is confirmed, he said, whenever he peruses repair records for various brands in Consumer Reports, and he has not lost any confidence in Toyota because of the recent recalls.

“I think recalls are just simply a function of the fact that no design is perfect,” he said.

Mr. Wachtell called his dealership after discovering recall notices that included the 2006 Prius on the Internet, but he was told his vehicle was not among those affected. Both the Tacoma and the Prius, however, are among the vehicles in Toyota’s recent recalls.

At Bredemann Toyota in Park Ridge, Ill., Don Ziemke, the general sales manager, said only a few shoppers had asked about the implications of the recalls. Other dealers said they had prepared their employees to answer such questions, but that no one had even brought up the topic.

“Toyota’s longevity and reliability has always been a strong suit,” Mr. Ziemke said. “That kind of takes a hit when there are recalls out there.”

Still, he said, “It’s against the grain as far as what Toyota has provided its dealer body and customers in the past.”

The primary reason for the recalls is Toyota’s overloaded engineering staff, say company executives and industry analysts.

Despite its global expansion during the 1990’s, it failed to hire enough engineers to keep up with production increases.

And it kept most of its development in Japan, even though it built research and development centers in places like Ann Arbor, Mich., and Brussels. At the same time, a new Japanese law required companies to pay for overtime for white-collar workers, raising the costs incurred by engineers, whose long hours on the job were the stuff of industry legend.

Analysts say that all this may have contributed to a number of errors introduced during vehicle development. There have been fewer problems on the assembly line, however, which has been a more common cause of recent recalls at other carmakers like Nissan.

Another issue is that Toyota, like other global auto companies, has farmed out the development of key components to its suppliers, both companies with which it has been doing business for years, like Denso of Japan, and newer ones, like the Delphi Corporation, the biggest American parts maker.

The damage has been slow to emerge — indeed, most recent recalls involve cars produced in the 1990’s. But that means potential problems from hectic growth years in the early 2000’s have yet to appear, and analysts warn that Toyota’s quality woes may only become worse before they get better.

“I’m more concerned about the future,” said Kunihiko Shiohara, an auto analyst for Goldman Sachs in Tokyo. “A fundamental turnaround in quality levels will take at least four years.”

It also does not help that some rivals appear to be gaining quality ground on Toyota, whose Toyota-brand cars and Lexus line of luxury cars had long topped quality rankings. It still dominated the recommended list from Consumer Reports this year. But in June, a survey of new-vehicle quality by J. D. Power & Associates, a marketing research company, ranked the German luxury carmaker Porsche in the top spot, and with Hyundai of South Korea in second place, ahead of Toyota at No. 3.

To be sure, rising recall numbers are not limited to Toyota. A reason that recalls have gone up is that automakers are using an increasing number of common parts across a number of car models, which saves money, but also means that flaws affect larger numbers of vehicles.

Another is the increasing complexity of vehicles, as companies rely more heavily on electronics and computerized features that used to be mechanical. “It’s not fair to single out Toyota for many problems,” said Takaki Nakanishi, an auto industry analyst with J. P. Morgan in Tokyo.

Still, the rapid rise in recalls at Toyota stands out in comparison with other carmakers. In Japan, where Toyota is the largest auto company, with about 39 percent of the market, its recalls quadrupled over the last four years, to 1.9 million in 2005. That compares with 199,000 at No. 2 Nissan and 205,000 at Honda in 2005, according to the transportation ministry.

In Toyota’s case, 68 percent of its recent recalls can be blamed on design flaws, according to Goldman Sachs. They include rubber parts not made thick enough to withstand engine heat and joints too weak to hold together. Of Toyota’s recalls in 2004, 68 percent were because of design problems, Goldman Sachs said.

Analysts say Toyota’s problems stem from the mid-1990’s, when Mr. Okuda, who was president, began expanding its global production. Toyota did not hire enough engineers to keep up with production increases because it was trying to meet tough self-imposed cost-cutting targets, analysts said.

Understaffed design centers have also forced Toyota to rely on large parts makers to help design major components “Toyota’s resources have been stretched quite a bit by the big increases in volume,” said Andrew Phillips, an analyst at Nikko Citigroup in Tokyo. “What’s remarkable is that most the recalls now predate the really big ramp-up.”

That came after 2000, when Toyota’s annual vehicle sales rose to the almost 8.85 million expected this year, from about 6 million.

But Toyota has increased the hiring of new engineers, bringing on 979 last year, compared with 310 in 2001. A company spokesman, Paul Nolasco, said Toyota planned to hire at least another 850 this year.

In a departure from corporate tradition that stressed spending a career at a single company, Toyota wants 200 of its new hires to be experienced engineers hired in midcareer from elsewhere.

In June, Toyota assigned a second executive vice president to its quality control division and created a new senior managing director spot dedicated to improving quality.

“Everyone is taking this very seriously,” said a top-ranking executive in Toyota’s North American operations who spoke only on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. The stakes are high, he added: “If we can’t lick it, we will have to slow down” — a decision Toyota hopes it does not have to make.

Nick Bunkley contributed reporting for this article.

Problem is CR tests are poor at best. Again mostly the issues reported vs, have,are slight at best.

CR is not the one that did the sludge count, it merely reported Toyota's official released number of 3400 up to 2002. CR is an INDEPENDENT and reputable firm, which business is based on providing unbiased data and professional opinion. On the other hand, Toyota has a conflict of interest on the sludge issue and is in the business of providing biased marketing and PR messaging in order to increase profit. Anyone pays for Toyota sales brochure and PR statements out his/her own pocket?

FWIW, here is an exact quote from CR

Toyota, the company with the most engines in question cited 3400 complaints through 2002 but hasn't provided an updated number since.

CR reported The Center for Auto Safety has accounted for additional 1300 sludged engine from 2004 to August 2005 (publish date of the CR report). No one has the # of sludged Toyota engines for the missing three and half years and counting:

1) # of sludged engines from 2002 to 2004

2) # of sludged engines from 8/05 to now

My point is to inaccurate to use of 3000 as the total # of sludge engines against 3.3 Million because the data is incomplete. I understand you have a 1mz and no sludge. Great, but no way does one clean 1mz-fe engine means thousands of other 1mz owners do not have sludge.

If the Republican controlled US goverment says there is a sludge problem with certain Lexus's, I'm going off that personally. I have read more complaints about Lexus and sludge than I care too. They had a design flaw, it's fixed, but that doesn't make it better for the 100,000's of people who are effected by this settlement. If you get the letter or your Lexus falls under the years effected, get it checked.

Okay but if there was a "design flaw" why is there only 3,000 plus issues vs 3 MILLION engines produced? As why is the settlement stating there is no design issues with the engines? The settlement is a joke, like most out there. I bet 100 to 1, most do not have this issue...............

I had the letter and tossed it in the trash. It means nothing.

Because Toyota has not updated the sludge # since 2002, see this CR report, last paragraph of the left column. So not one sludge in five years? LMAO

If the Republican controlled US goverment says there is a sludge problem with certain Lexus's, I'm going off that personally. I have read more complaints about Lexus and sludge than I care too. They had a design flaw, it's fixed, but that doesn't make it better for the 100,000's of people who are effected by this settlement. If you get the letter or your Lexus falls under the years effected, get it checked.

Okay but if there was a "design flaw" why is there only 3,000 plus issues vs 3 MILLION engines produced? As why is the settlement stating there is no design issues with the engines? The settlement is a joke, like most out there. I bet 100 to 1, most do not have this issue...............

I had the letter and tossed it in the trash. It means nothing.

LMAO

Because Toyota has not updated the sludge # since 2002, see this CR report, last paragraph of the left column. So not one sludge in five years? Oh, I forgot Toyota redesign the 1MZ, but why would it redesign the engine if there is no design flaw in the first place?

I haven't had a tranny failure because I've had mine flushed every 15k. A 1999 and 2000 with 110,000 miles. That sort of eliminates your theory concerning the year models being the cause.

Well the theory was thet the 99/00 models have the problem and they're the vast majority to fail. I too have a 2000 AWD RX that I've only had a drain and fill at 60 and a flush at 90 and (cross your fingers ansd knock on wood) not even a hint of problem. As we've gone over in laborious and painstaking detail on this forum only a relatively small percentage of 99/00 tranny fail at all but most of those reported here are 99/00 with less than 100k. In fact many have failed even though the owners did some kind of trans fluid replacement so we cant even pinpoint that as the cause. The only thing we DO know is that after 00 we have far fewer reported failures.

Newer models on average pile fewer # of miles on the tranny. I think people focus on ATF because that is one of two items owners can service, DIY or perform at the dealer. Fresh ATF helps to prolong tranny life, but it is not likely the root cause of the failure, just one of symptoms.

He thought the drain and fill was rediculous since more than half the fluid gets trapped in the torque converter and connot be drained.

But doesn't it get recirculated and you would drain that out the next time? Nobody is saying that a drain and fill gets it all at once. Usually I've seen people advocating a series of 3 drain & fills.

I'm not sure about this and I started another topic about this very subject.

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=35506

If you mix new fluid in with old fluid, then the new fluid immediately becomes contaminated. You don't drain half your engine oil out and add a couple of quarts and then repeat the procedure and expect it all to be clean. This is really a no-brainer. It's not even worth mentioning or debating, and I'm very surprised that anyone would advocate such.

To be exact, drain and fill 4 out of 9.8 quarts of ATF is the same as replacing only 2 out of 5 quarts of used engine oil and left the engine oil filter unchanged. If one can not accept the later, why is he more than happy with the former solution?

Just because certain methods are commonly accepted, does it mean they are best for the car?

More importantly, what is the faulty transmission part/design. Details will help current owners tremendously.

GC...as in German Castrol? The green stuff? Where are you still able to find this stuff?

Yes, you can buy it at Autozone, gold is now the replacement for green but the performance is equally good.

http://theoildrop.server101.com/forums/sho...ge=0#Post711450

Napa Auto Parts may also be able to special order for you, but you need to ask.

Based on this topic and some research, I ordered some Auto-RX last night and now it's on its way to me and soon to be in my RX. I'll update my results.

Please update the forum what you experienced. Positive or negative. If you have picture or compression rating before and after, that would be super.

Speaking of research, actually Auto-RX was discussed in the past in this thread. I think doubting is OK but making a blanket statement on any additive as "miracle pill" w/o doing any research does not not provide much value. FWIW, "Search" function is a great tool, so is Google.

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...28530&st=20

Sorry, you are right. I should have provided a little more info than just being a naysayer. I don't take this product seriously, it's like gas mileage pills and JC Whitney fire injector plugs, and didn't want to take more time than quickly entering a on liner on the thread. But I will try to rectify that.

Even though it's only $20 a bottle, as you said, why would anyone risk putting this stuff in your engine? Spend your $20 on something without risk of doing harm. Lexus is already providing you with an 8 Year unlimited mileage warranty for sludge. If for some reason you suspect your RX was neglected causing sludge, pull a valve cover and check. Don't look for a miracle cure and make a scammer rich in the process. Consumer Reports in their 2006 Annual Auto Issue lists engine and transmission flushes under mechanic rip-offs.

I really didn't want to be drug back into this thread, but lumping AutoRx into the same category as all the other snakeoil out there with a waive of the hand is irresponsible. I appreciate and encourage healthy skepticism, but if you want to responsibly criticize a product, then take some time to google for evidence to back up your position, otherwise you are just lowering the signal to noise ratio. If all you wanted to express was caution, then say so without the hyperbolic comparisons to gas mileage pills.

tmhtmh has done some research and I have provided some links on the first page of this thread for further reading at a very well respected oil analysis website. I won't speak for tmhtmh, but I've concluded that it's a good product based on both my research and my own personal use in a sludgy 1.8t Passat. If you have evidence to the contrary, then I'd like to hear it -- I'm willing to admit when I'm wrong and I'd certainly rather be proven wrong (even publicly), rather than to use a bad product on my cars or spread bad information.

While I'm on rant mode, let me also point out that it's irresponsible for others participating in this thread to diagnose the sludge situation in tmhtmh's car with the information that we have available. tmhtmh purchased the car used and is concerned about sludge. I don't blame him given the history of this model. Pointing out that a well maintained Corolla motor or even a well maintained RX300 motor did not have sludge is less than worthless, it's potentially misleading.

The best advice I've seen here has been from RXinNC who pointed out that tmhtmh should take advantage of a free sludge inspection from the dealership. See, that's good advice because it enlightens the discussion rather than clouding it (like I'm probably doing now -- the irony is not lost on me).

To recap, I don't know if tmhtmh should use AutoRx, but I will say that based on my research and experience it is a good, safe product and if anyone has information to the contrary, I'd love to hear it.

Rant mode off -- sorry for wasting bandwidth, I usually know better.

Ben

Can you give us useful information such as 1) what kind of oil you used and what is your oil change interval 2) if going to the Lexus for inspection what dealer found out

Oil burning at your rate is not normal, find out about the above and let us know.