tmastres

Richard, I understand your feelings about RX, The constant RX bashing becomes a bit tedious but Irealize that its tedious to me because I make it a point to read almost all of his posts. I do that because he's owned the absolute worst RX 300 ever produced and been near 100% effective in getting that thing taken care of by Lexus at every turn! Thats no mean feat and that provides a heck of a lot of information to this group as well as the confidence for others that they can do the same. Believe me Richard, I understand where you're coming from but RX has provided this forum with a HELL of a lot of good info over the years and while I may disagree with some of his opinions and I'm not a fan of his editorializing (usually:-), I respect the integrity of his information completely and I trust his facts to be truth. Period! I don't know if RX and I would be friends if we knew each other personally (each too Alpha, I bet) but the fact is, this isnt a dating service, its a forum on Lexus RX's and there are a few people on this list that KNOW RX 300's. RXn NC "IS" one of them. You don't have to like him but you'd be a fool not to listen to him.

Thats a good idea, but remember, no drive-in carwashes for you :)

I agree, the QX4 would be a better off-road and heavy snow choice and , perhaps more durable IF you used it in off-road conditions, but like RX said its a truck, and up until 01-or 02 it was terribly underpowered. Coming from a 4Runner it would probably be similar only a little more comfy. The RX is a completely different drive, much more car-like and heck-of-a-lot more comfortable and quiet IMHO. And, although the RX 300 is no powerhouse it moves better than QX for sure and probably a little better or similar ot the 4Runner of the 99 vintage.

If you havent done so already I'd invest in a code reader so you'll be able to read and reset your codes right there in the driveway. Cleaning the IACV is a good idea and probably worth doing but usually the rough idle a sticky one causes is not as severe as you've mentioned. I'd be very interested in your findings if you can determine which coils are bad visually (since I anticipate doing this myself in the future) PS you may already have a great set of tools but after reading many posts regarding access to the rear plugs I suggest having several types of extenders and knuckle joints available to extract the plugs. Good Luck! :)

I've had pretty good luck with my 2000 RX, I've managed to avoid the biggest two known problems the trans failure and the sludge issue. I've been on this forum a long time and those are the only to problems that seem to recur on a regular basis. Sure there are cases of failures and problems of all types of things but even the ones that I've had, such as coil packs going bad or antenna failures are not even close to what I would call "common". A word of advice though that will probably save you in a number of ways. There were/are many more failures and problems reported for the 99-00 model years. If I were to do it again I would get an 01-03 instead. 99 was the first model year for the RX and although we tend to ignore it we all know not to buy the first year model from ANY brand for obvious reasons. The 00 was better in some respects but not completely. By 01 the two major problems (sludging and trans failure ) seemed to have been addressed. Whats the cost difference between an 00 and an 01, can't be THAT much and it'll most likely be worth it.

I'm not sure that bad gas would cause a trouble code fo rthe MAF and a misfire in only 2 cylinders but hey, who knows. I'm putting my money on bad coil packs( or plugs) just because it sounds like an exact description of what it felt like when mine went bad.

This will depend entirely on the time you have available and your aptitude as a shadetree mechanic. I believe the MAF (mass air-flow) and IAT (intake air-temp) sensor are the same thing of part of the same sensor . I do NOT know this for a fact but I believe that info should be available somewhwere easily. I'd replace that first and see what happens. If you've still got the problem I'd first check the sparkplugs. Since you've got both 3 and 4 bad that means a trip to the back of the engine (not a friendly place). I find it virtually impossible to get my hands and tools back there but it can be done with the right tools and a ton of patience. If the plugs are good then I'd replace the coil-packs which sit on top of the spark plugs. I've yet to actually do the replacement of the coil pack myself (physically) but my Mech got them for about $100 and only charged me $65 to install each time so I'm guessing its not all that complicated (again I could be wrong). I only have the weekends to wrench on cars and I've already got 4 to maintain so anything that takes more than 2 hrs to do goes to the shop. As an aside, the 2 times my coil packs went bad there was no warning. One day i put the car in the parking garage at work running fine and that evening when I started it up it felt like an army of Gnomes were trying to tip my car over. The second time I was actually idling at a light and next thing you know... Unfortunately it makes me a bit cautious nowadays I'm just waiting for the rest to go bad. Good luck and if you go it yousrself, get a copy of the RX 300 shop manual that was available on this forum as a PDF a few months ago, its obviuosly a great resource.

It sounds very similar to a faulty coil. Since the RX's have individual coils for each plug when one goes out it's like (is) being down a cylinder. Unfortunately I've had this happen twice and the car is still driveable even though its runs rough, it doesnt stall but feels like you're towing a freight train with no power to speak of. Part is about $100.

I don't recall hearing about many head-gasket problems onthese vehicles, so that to me sounds suspicious. But hey , it sounds like its got a lot of new parts so why not? Check the condition of the transmission fluid and have a local mechanic give it the once-over. Unless they replaced the entire engine that model v-6 is likely to be prone to sludging so IMHO you'll want to use a good synthetic oil only. (sludging may have been what prompted these repairs inthe first place!) You can read endless amounts of commentary on the dino-vs syth and sludging issues on this site so I'm not going to go into it here. As RX mentioned, the 99 and some 00 models seem to have transmission issues, but they may just be the AWD versions. I say may only because a relatively small percentage of RX's are 2wd so it could just be that a proportionately small number have had the failure but its definitely something to consider. I've got a 00 AWD with 98kmi and love it. I've been fortunate to have not (yet) experienced the problems some others have (Transmission, oil seal and sludging to be the major ones I remember). I have had a dead electric antenna, a drivers door lock that wont work with the remote and 2 ignition coils go bad so it hasn't been trouble free but I like the car so much I just grit my teeth and bear them. good Luck!

Great news, glad to hear Lexus stepped up. Thanks for keeping us informed on your situation.

I knew we wouldnt be losing you anytime soon :) as for the Data dots, I just happened to be looking at their site the other day: From their site: The product consists of polyester substrate micro-dots, each the size of a grain of sand, onto which unique information is laser etched. These unique dots come pre-mixed in a UV based adhesive for ready application onto assets such as cars, motorcycles, snowmobiles, laptops and other electrical equipment, business assets, cell phones, tools, Powersports equipment, and other high value items. http://www.datadotusa.com/technology.htm

I knew we wouldnt be losing you anytime soon :) as for the Data dots, I just happened to be looking at their site the other day: From their site: The product consists of polyester substrate micro-dots, each the size of a grain of sand, onto which unique information is laser etched. These unique dots come pre-mixed in a UV based adhesive for ready application onto assets such as cars, motorcycles, snowmobiles, laptops and other electrical equipment, business assets, cell phones, tools, Powersports equipment, and other high value items. http://www.datadotusa.com/technology.htm

Heres a link to a very straightforward process for cleaning your MAF. I've yet to do it but ut seems quite simple. http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/knowledge...p;id=50&c=9

Wow you guys are really taking it to a new level here! I don't think either of you (SW or Tuned) are really arguing different points but rather nit-picking each other to death. Of course its difficult to prove 7,500 mi is too long of an OCI with dino oil yet we all (most) seem to change our oil at 5k or less with synth oil. We can certainly argue that 7,500 is OK but we certainly don't practice it ?! Also I think that saying " I don't care what you do. I do however think this issue is way overblown and constantly reading the whining from people like you " is a bit insulting. But then again thats just my opinion and I can't prove it as a fact :) C'mon guys lets lighten up a bit :D

Thanks for the great info, much appreciated!!

Sorry to keep the oil debate going but we've been discussing it so long know I'm finally realizing how much I don't know. Anyhow I'm actually just looking for some clarification regarding the "gen III, IV " thing. What exactly does this refer to and how does it ralate to the oils we use? Thanks!

Kudos to anyone who post useful information here, even if they're informed opinions. The one question I'm still interested in is whether Amsoil actually makes Dino oil? The discussion revolved around the use of Dino oil and then the use of Amsoil. For one , I couldnt find a dino oil that Amsoil makes for cars on their website.

If you've only tried it at one station its a bit too early to tell. Once you've used a few gallons try it at another station and if it still happens I'd say the filler neck of the tank may have gotten bent or crimped and is impeding the flow into the tank. Problem is, I've had the same thing happnen becuase in CA. we have very odd "vapor recovery" apparatus on our gas pump nozzles. These things suck the vapors up as the gas goes into the tank. Occasionally the return hose gets clogged up with liquid gas and automitically shuts off the flow each time you squeeze the nozzle. I have this happen every once in a blue moon but its not unheard of and it was usually the last person to use the pump (before you) overfilling their tank that causes it.

True. Thats a variable I hadn't considered, I was just looking at NOACK ratings on the amsoil site and I can see the differences.

Well, now you've got me curious. I've thought about doing the oil-test thing in the past but I've always felt pretty safe with the syth oil so it wasn't too much of a concern. Any rec's on a testing lab? Thx

Not really wanting to perpetuate the whole argument but looking at the Amsoil wbesite I don't see any non-synthetic oils on offer. I may be wrong and I didnt spend hours looking at every sub-product but if you meant the XL Series , XL 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil - quart bottle $6.00, it sure looks like thats synthetic to me https://www.amsoil.com/storefront/SearchRes...px?CategoryID=3 . Not to mention the corporate slogan on the homepage which is "Welcome to the AMSOIL Corporate Website The Original Synthetic Motor Oil!" In any case I'll defer to you that you know what you put in your car better than I do so lets say it is Dino oil. Why the heck would you use $6-10 per Qt. Dino oil, which is hard to find, hard to get and costs more than Mobil-1 . Sure Amsoil is great oil and it is certainly better than the garden variety Dino oil out there but if you look at Amsoils own stats they finish just barely ahead of Mobil-1 in virtually all categories meaning that the oils are virtually identical in their protective and performance properties. Yet, Mobil can be found in just about any Auto-part store as well as K-mart, Wall-Marts and virtually any other Mart you can think of. I get mine at Costco for $4.50 (yes you have to buy a 6-pak, but still). Really, I'm not trying to be a wise-guy, I'm seriously curious about what makes Amsoil a better choice. You're point is taken though and I respect that you feel the sludge issue is overblown. The point I'm trying to make however, is that Dino or not, Amsoil is not what most people are talking about when they ask the question about how far they can go between Dino oil-changes. They're talking about the standard oils such as Pennzoil or Havoline etc.. and theres no way I'd feel comfortable leaving those in my cars for more than 3k miles.

In regards to two things brought up throughout this discussion. One being the oil light. As "idiot" lights go (thats just what they're called in casual conversation, not a comment on anyone :) ) I was under the impression they worked on oil pressure readings not actual oil levels. You can be low on oil but still have sufficient pressure to keep the sensor from alerting the engine manegement system. If the pressure gets low you're really in trouble and the light goes on. Second, I don't believe any Lexus should use a quart of oil between changes. I've got 100k on an RX and I don't lose any perceptable amount between changes. That doenst mean its a crisis or anything but that just seems odd to me.

As I've mentioned in other threads on the issue, I don't believe 5000mi intervals in this engine with dino oil is sufficient, 3000 max, maybe. Personally I think its foolish to run dino oil at all in these engines knowing they run so hot and knowing their history of sludging.

Just out of curiosity , whats your maintenace schedule? The sludging is definitely happening to some people, the only question is how long can you go between changes with dino oil and still avoid it? Perhaps secondly, why chance it at all? Just use synthetic.

If you stick to the 3k schedule for oil changes and are strict about it then you will probably be OK. The problem in the early RX series is the higher than normal heat put out by the Lex/Toy 3.0 V-6. The heat tends to break down conventional oils a lot faster and if you dont change the oil out often it will start to gel up on you. With respect to RX in NC, I'd reccommend moving to synthetic. Bottom line is that you've got the car, and it is succeptible to sludging/geling, period. Do you want to take the risk or mitigate the risk almost entirely by simply using synthetic oil. With synth you can go 4-5k between changes (maybe longer) without much risk of gelling. If we were talking about a vehicle that had no history of oil-gel I might be more amenable to the dino-oil, but with these, I say why take any additional risk. You may save yourself, $50-$60 a year on oil , is that really very much? As to the leakage issues, I've used or switched every vehicle I do or have maintained to synthetic oil and have no leaks to speak of, (knock wood) I agree it is sad to have to deal with this kind of thing in a Lexus, but any first or second year (of production) vehicle will have problems either not anticipated or covered up by the manufacturer. Its really not that un-common although it is painful and seriously annoying. Especially when the problems are as serious as the oil-gel and trans-failure issues are with the RX.