TunedRX300

OEM pads are semi-metallic. They provide brake dusts with fine metal particles - corrosive. They can be nasty when not cleaned regularly. Front brakes take 75-80% of braking, might be the reason they are worse off. I will try to clean those rims first and ask the dealer to replace them under warranty.

There is a thread on the maintenance forum on gasoline octane. I hope we don't start a new debate on regular vs premium. This link is very helpful Gas Grade

I think your 01 AWD is in the range Lexus specifies. Although you should do better with 89, what is your driving style? I installed K&N drop in air filter, removed unneeded weight for daily commune, (spare tire, jack, and wrenches from the trunk). Also I thermo wraped my exhaust header and pipes a while ago. Not to spark a debate on merits of doing these mods but combined I am getting >24 mpg on HWY and >20 mpg mixed driving with 87 octane gas. ← Looks like the climate has a big factor in it. I used to get 23 during October when temperature is in the 60s. Now I only get 20 while temperature is 30s. That is why I saw guys from CA are reporting better results. I am using KN drop-in air filter too. ← Possible, when my RX was digging out of snow in upstate NY, my fuel computer tells me single digit mpg. If you are due for an oil change, pick a lighter oil for the winter such as 5w20 or 0w20. Make cold startups easier and I heard better mpg.

Do you ever use Fuel System Cleaner to clean your fuel injector? did you check air filter?

Well the margin of error has created a lot of very unhappy customers of a quite expensive automobile. I still say it is important to let Lexus of America, and Consumers Reports know of this weakness so they either admit it or downgrade the reliability of the transmission in the AWD RX300. I am a consumer and expected the Toyota reliability that was promised. What a terrible dissappointment. I promised Lexus of America I would not let this go, and I will not. I love the RX300, but will not accept the responsibility for poor design. At least Accura MDX has come up to the plate and acknowleged their design flaw. I have more respect for Honda/Accura as a company that backs their product. Since I have come on this site I have learned that many owners are very complacent with the Tranny failures. I guess dropping $4500 to $8000 is not much to many but it sets me back when I want to do other things with my money, like vacations, family, and grandchildren. Lexus has no excuse, and will not take the blame, but I will give them the blame of not being a class act, as they so want to be. I have only owned 1 American vehicle in my life, but Lexus is the first to have turned me off in the way they treat their customers when they know they have a problem. Maybe their is too much American corporate in their ranks, and they have lost sight of their vision of a great auto which could be respected and compete with the Luxary class auto of the world. I applaud all of you that have responded to this terrible problem. I hope Lexus wakes up before they realize a black circle in the next edition of consumers report for reliability. The owners are the true test of a vehicle with their experiences whether it be good or bad. Good night and the best to all of you. ← Acura owners had to campaign for signatures for a Honda service recall on the tranny. Do you like to put up a similiar web site, I am sure RX owners will love to give on line singatures. Honda Tranny Petition

I am interested in Sonus Clay Bar, Lubricate Spray, and P21S/Sonus Gel wheel cleaner. Do you offer group buy that includes these products?

RX330's tranny is 5 speed vs RX300's 4 speed, you should have one additional gear. I also take out the spare tire/rim, wrech, tools, and jack to shave off 50 lbs for quicker acceleration. I bought a fix-a-flat to cover minor leaks and sometimes carry a new tire (so I pay only the mounting) for flowouts. It is up to you to decide whether you need/use the 5th wheel.

Gate shifting, with RX300 I would turn o/d off, start with L, 2, D, then o/d. You should be able to achieve higher RPM and faster acceleration than leaving at D. ← How can i enable and disable overdrive, all i can disable is traction control with the little button by the gas tank release. Im starting to drive L,2,3 but u said to go right to D. Can u explain more about O/D. ← RX330 has a 3, perhaps D is your O/D. But I think you got the correct technique of achieving high RPM at lower gears before shifting into higher ones.

Gate shifting, with RX300 I would turn o/d off, start with L, 2, D, then o/d. You should be able to achieve higher RPM and faster acceleration than leaving at D. ← How can i enable and disable overdrive, all i can disable is traction control with the little button by the gas tank release. Im starting to drive L,2,3 but u said to go right to D. Can u explain more about O/D. ← RX300s have an O/D button (smaller one) on the shift stick, you can toggle O/D on and off by pressing it.

Gate shifting, with RX300 I would turn o/d off, start with L, 2, D, then o/d. You should be able to achieve higher RPM and faster acceleration than leaving at D.

True, but I'm not really comfortable with the idea of having Costco service my car, and I don't have the time to drive to multiple locations or to wait and have service done... ← If you are a Costco shopper, it is not down time as they can rotate your tires while you shop. Costco is for value (not necessary cheap) shoppers. For example Costco uses nitrogen gas instead of regular air to inflate tires now, a practice used by many race car teams for years. But you want something in addition to have an oil change and tire rotation, non-dealer shops are not the place.

Costco rotate members' tires for free. I agree with RX in NC that if you are willing to DIY, you will get better quality service and parts. BTW, Autozone has a promotion now for free Bosch premium oil filter (FILTECH) after rebate. Pep Boys has a "buy 3 get 3 coupon" for Mobil One synthetic if you buy one calendar ($1) at the checkout. I will have a $10 oil change, need to spend 30 minutes but driving to the dealer and waiting also take time :P

You can get a PIAA Super Silicone that comes with wiper and refill at tirerack.com, enter your car model the right part will come up

I think your 01 AWD is in the range Lexus specifies. Although you should do better with 89, what is your driving style? I installed K&N drop in air filter, removed unneeded weight for daily commune, (spare tire, jack, and wrenches from the trunk). Also I thermo wraped my exhaust header and pipes a while ago. Not to spark a debate on merits of doing these mods but combined I am getting >24 mpg on HWY and >20 mpg mixed driving with 87 octane gas.

What gas octane grade? my RX300 get better numbers both in city and on hwy with 87 gas.

Brake fliud (DOT3 and 4) absorbs water over time, which lower wet boiling temperature. They do not last forever. See the chart in this link Brake Fluid I am going to flush my 2000 RX300's braking system in two weeks for $65. You can pick the brake fluid of your choice. I believe it is $ well spent since a failed brake is worse than a failed engine. Personally I like ATE Super Blue or TYP 200 Gold, preferred by many BMW performance tuners - high boiling points and alternating color for bleeding. :D Brake Fluid Price/Performance

Try Ebay, for RX300 is $215. With the saving, I would find a 3M approved installer. Lexus dealer have less experience with the product. RX300 ClearBra

In the US, lots of $ is spend on educating drivers to change oil every 3000 miles. There is no reason to change oil that frequent. An oil test is done on Mobile One synthetic and found engine oil is good after 10000 miles but starts to degrade before 11000 miles. Anyone wants to do their own oil test can use Blackstone to determine what is a good interval objectively. Blackstone Laboratory

That's why there is a fuel filter. ← Exactly, I meant fuel pump won't be clogged due to the level of gasoline in our tanks. Sorry if I cause confusion...

I know some car use gasoline to cool fuel bump, not sure about RX though. If it is the cause, another reason not to run out of gas. Not sure about fuel deposits clogging it since road bumps, accelerations, and braking stir up everything in our fuel tanks routinely.

In this case, Lexus should tell you the tire size. Why asking the forum then?

You can use 3M Clear Bra to increase protection of front bumper and hood. Good thing is it will protect multiple minor scratches and dings for about $205 (installation extra). A perfect repair will last only until the next unfortunate event. RX330 3M Clear Bra On Ebay

In between drain and refill, I used Prestone Radiator Flush to get rid of deposit buildups inside the radiator. The diretion is written on the bottle and easy to follow. Exam your hoses and make sure they are not aged.

Upgrading RX330's 19 inch wheel will likely to throw off your odometer, speedometer, and navigation. This calculator will help you to tell how much. http://www.1010tires.com/TireSizeCalculato...p?action=submit I would go for 245/50/19, assuming your original tire is 225/65/17. Make sure additional tire width will not cause tires to rub though.

I understand, just let him know some tips if he decides to buy the touchup paint he posted. Insurance rate increases in direct proportion to number of claims. It is a cost vs quality of fix tradeoff. :D DIY will also help both RX and the wallet as paint chips and scratches become likely events in the future.