mh6

I have the same problem and it drives me nuts ......I am going to start chasing it down on how to improve it.

I will find a way to isolate it better.

I have a 1999 RX300 and have experienced transmission problems over the past 2 years and I think I have discovered a product that will help most of us. My problem started at about 88k miles I noticed that when I put it in reverse sometimes it acted like it was in neutral....this progressively got worse. Eventually as I would drive along it would stop, not engage the transmission....this was caused from the transmission fluid not getting to the torque converter or clutches and therefore as a protection of the transmission it more or less shuts down.

If you take it to your dealer they of course want to replace the transmission at a cost of about 5 grand....

The screen filter needs cleaning.... and have them flush out the old fluid in the transmission...this should cost about 300 dollars.....I have also discovered that you need to do this every 15k miles and I found that there is a product on the market called TRANSMATIC it cost about 30 bucks but since I put it in my vehicle back in December my transmission does not have that lag between shifts, when put in drive it pulls the vehicle forward, it just changes gears like it should have when it was new. The transmatic thins the fluid so it gets to all the parts that need to be lubricated.

Hey what do you have to loose, 30 bucks.... or pay out 5 grand....

Your dealer may say that this wont be a permanent fix, but of course he does want your 5 grand.....

good luck

roanokebarry

This the correct item you are talking about http://www.transmaticsc.com/index.htm

Sorry.......what I mean by "studs" are the post top and bottom on actual brake pad shoe that are used to secure the pad assym. in place on the caliper housing.

I concur ...the books call for a 04465-48060......and a 04465-48050's are on there now.

Getting ready to call Lexus service manager and discuss the course of action they will take.

If you have a spare moment, I would appreciate a copy, my mail can handle it no problem. :)

sabre223@bellsouth.net

COZ ........ "get over it dude" <_<

Thank you very much for time and effort.

Thanks for the link to get info.......lots of info however I could not find where it talked about the procedure for R&R of brake fluid. So the questions is what is the proper procedure for a complete replacement of brake fluid with ABS onboard ??

I jumped into the brakes this weekend and the first thing I found was the following:

The front brake pads do not match what is in the manual by look, mine are 2 stud top and bottom and the manual shows 1 stud pads. Also these brakes pads do not sit snug and such in the caliper hosuing .....there is a 1/4 gap and that whats causing the clank when going from reverse to drive. I could not find anywhere on the net that showed the 99 RX300 having the 2 stud pads I have

So I start calling this morning....keep in mind that the Lexus dealer where I bought it did the brake job 10 months ago, my bud at Toyota tells me the numbers on the back of the pad are worthless for tracking down info. I call my Lexus dealer and talk to the parts dude which I explain the situation and he looks up some numbers and this is what he had to say:

Lexus number front pads #04465-48060 (1 stud) is what the 99 RX300 AWD calls for as its front pad.

#04465-48050 (2 stud) like mine now .......... can work "OK" but is not the listed pad for the 99 RX300.

He thinks thats were the clanking problems lies as well.........I took pictures and I need to post them.

big frigging gap in there no wonder they are clanking....surprise they did not start clanking right away.

Apperently the pads were held in place with some type of glue........perhaps thats the wrong word for it.

Some type of pliable yet pretty hard substance that the brakes pads have come loose from thier shim plates and this allows the pads to move feely in the housing.

It seems that the 00-02 models take different pads according to him.

So at this point I dont know what to think.....been driving around 10 months with the wrong pads on

Clanking noise is for the birds....should not be making such a noise.........never have had a vehicle that did and I owned a couple of Toyota and Nissan's and never have had such issues.

It seems that it eveything is a mystery when it comes to Lexus parts .....just went through the same nut roll with the Transmission Pan gasket.

Now I have read some artilces here that say the 1 stud pads dont fit ....the stud is too big .....

so now where does that leave us

And of course still trying to track down the brake pulse

Perhaps I should have started anew thread with this info.

Thanks guys,

yeah the pads are good.....brake job done at Lexus dealer where I bought it one year ago. However having looked over the records, brake fluid change does not up show up anywhere that I can see. Some of the history of this RX is missing ...meaning nothing on record.

It acts like something intermittent,,,,,was suggested to remove the ABS fuse and see if its still there. Is it ok run that way ??? unsafe ?? or damaging ?? I was unsure about proceeding further with that.

The reason I am wanting to replace the fliud is that the brakes are a little soft ......not really spongy ...yet not a distinct hard push. You know what I mean.

I am all over that $ 10 download when I get home........is it the entire manual ??

I am going to be doing some brake work this weekend, I am tired of the clunking nosie from the front brakes and this brake pulse thats happening as mentioned in my last topic. Time to jump in and found out what the heck is happening.

I am going to replace the fliud first as I can not verify when or if its been changed.

I want to do a good R&R of the brake fliud, will I need to do some special step to insure that the fliud in the ABS is replaced ??

Second..... what are your suggestions on this brake clunking noise.......the pads are moving within the caliper housing causing the clunk when going from reverse to drive. Use to be smooth as glass and no clunk,

what has happened now

I am very disappointed about the problems I am seeing with this RX after owning it a year now.

Thanks for your time and effort :)

Thanks all for your responses.

I will check these issues and see if I get any further answers. I will post what I find.

I have checked the entire system it, no leaks and no drop in fluid level.

I going going to remove the front tires and look at things much closer.

Perhaps the caliper is not moving freely as it should.

Here is my situation,

my brakess were working well and smotth til a couple of weeks ago when all of sudden I started feeling

brake pulsing (not really throught the pedal) when coming to stops. Now it seems to vary sometimes, being worst at times than others and sometimes it feels smooth again.

Question is do you think it is a cailper slide sticking issue or caliper bore sticking issue ??

Hope I have my thoughts right on the above.

Thank for your time and effort.

I have this same problem.........I also see it in the interior lights also.

My wife said what heck is this going on ???

I had my alternator checked at the Lexus dealer some time back in reference to this issue and was reported good not much said about the flickering either. I have also read a few articles talking about this being a electrical flaw in the RX300 and no one can seem to track it down to what is causing it.

Not sure you will like the answer about your alternator, its most likely good.

It irritates me I am starting to see little things on this RX300 that are starting bug me.

A few off my head:

** Gas mileage

**Headlight and interior lights dimming issue

**Fuel injection tapping noise.....very irritating, another its normal

** Of course worries on the Transmission

** Front Brakes making clanking issue....was told this is normal too

man... I tell you I should have stayed with a the regular Toyota line. <_<

never had any such problems with my other toyota's....kinda sad.

I wish I had known about this site before I bought it, I would have definitly thought twice and most likely not gone this route.

Kinda blowing steam at the moment sorry.

There is a new style filter that has filter medium in it.

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Ar you saying that there is filter that now has a true filter in place of the screen ??

Hey WWEST, would like to hear more about the modificationed above.

Discussion threads on a TSB on Lexus brake pads making noise.  In addition, RX300's front pads do not have wear indicators integrated w/ pads - they are clip on.  Whoever design the OEM pads should be fired. 

TSB on Lexus Brake Pads Noise

OEM Brake Pads Shifting Noise TSB

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Hey Tuned ,

thanks for the info, I will study them and see what my options are.

"Whoever design the OEM pads should be fired." and for a few other designs :D

Greetings all,

done some searches and not coming up with a answer.

Here is whats happening with my 99 RX300 and it just started........when I put it reverse and roll back a little bit and then put it in drive and come to my first stop regarless of short or long distance, I hear the pads clank against the caliper housing after that it does not do it again til I go into reverse again.

I have had my RX now for 9 months and it just started.

Lexus said it was normal <_< give me a break......

I am getting ready to remove the calipers and paint them do to them being rusty in appearance (any suggestions on that subject are welcome also)

Any feedback is appreciated and thank you for your time :)

The "blend" door is the reheat/remix control. All of the system airflow is first cooled via flowing through/over the chilled evaporator vane surfaces and then a selected portion is routed through the heater core for heating and then both portions are remixed to attain a temperature outflow level that cools or heats the cabin without undue discomfort, not too hot nor too cool.

If the blend door were oscillating slowly that would result in periods of too cool and/or too hot airflow. Rapid oscillation and you likely wouldn't notice except for the sound of the blend door servomotor running.

When I need the use of the A/C in my 2001 RX300 I always use the recirculate mode, turn the temperature control to max cooling which "parks" the blend door for NO reheat airflow, and then I use the blower speed to regulate, adjust, my comfort level.

That procedure increases the efficiency of the A/C rather dramatically sometimes gaining me as much as 1 to 2 MPG in extra fuel economy.

Later models of theh RX300 and 330 have two new c-best option settings. One of these allows you to disable the A/C compressor when the OAT makes it needless and the second unlinks the A/C from the defrost/defog/demist mode when it becomes hazardous for use.

Before those c-best options were available I simply disconnected the electrical connection to the A/C compressor clutch during the winter months.

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Well done WWEST, answered some questions I have been meaning to ask about. :)

Thanks dude, much appreciated and have a good weekend.

It figures it would be a pain in the rear ...lol :)

I am work at the moment but will research it this weekend ......oh I'LL get it out....lol......No warranty.

Thanks for your help bud

So about the confusion.....let me see if I can explain a little better.

The preset radio station buttons which also act as controls for some cd functions, located just below the lcd screen.

After close inspection they have a small recessed area on the front of the buttons, now these buttons are only about 1/4 high, which seems to have had a green film, tint, paint ...something along those lines that when the lights are on at night, I can see a very faint remainder of whats left of this material on 2 of the buttons and it seems to be gone the others or almost gone...just little remnants remain.

I beleive when new, these areas illuminated green for fast acquisition of the button at night. I would like restore that if possiable.

As for the white stripe it does seem like it would illuminated doesnt it.

Hope this helps  :D

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yes that does help ;) I think i understand now.

On those buttons under the LCD screen, see the tiny rectangles (recessed areas) on each of those buttons? Those are the only areas that should light up green at night. Not the WHOLE button, just that little recessed area should be green at night. Right?

The way the buttons are made (if i remember correctly from my 99 rx300) is that at first, the whole button is clear plastic. Then, they paint, black paint, on the whole area of the button EXCEPT for that recessed area, and the bottom which you can't see...At night, a bulb (or bulb(s)) turn on, shine light through the bottom of each button, and ONLY pass through that little recessed area on each button. Light can't pass through the black paint... So if a bulb is out, more than one of those buttons will not light up (well at least not as bright). This is what i think has happened to you. It's not that there is a missing green film in these recessed areas of the buttons, it's that the light source has quit on you.

these buttons work the same EXACT way as the window switches on the door. take a look...turn the car on, and you can see that they suddenly light up in the areas of the swtiches where it looks "foggy"

hope this helps a little? Am i missing something else?

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Yes this is the area I am talking about,,,,you got it :D

I shoud have said 8 buttons

yes I was just getting ready to write that the window buttons look as I think they should look :)

Ok ....cool....that takes me down another road to look into.

I will see if I can get the bulbs for those areas.

Hey thanks for your help

So about the confusion.....let me see if I can explain a little better.

The preset radio station buttons which also act as controls for some cd functions, located just below the lcd screen.

After close inspection they have a small recessed area on the front of the buttons, now these buttons are only about 1/4 high, which seems to have had a green film, tint, paint ...something along those lines that when the lights are on at night, I can see a very faint remainder of whats left of this material on 2 of the buttons and it seems to be gone the others or almost gone...just little remnants remain.

I beleive when new, these areas illuminated green for fast acquisition of the button at night. I would like restore that if possiable.

As for the white stripe it does seem like it would illuminated doesnt it.

Hope this helps :D

Greetings all,

my question is about the radio buttons on my 99 RX300.

I have notice that it seems originally there was a green tint film or transparent paint that was in the small recessed areas of the the radio buttons (1-6 pre select buttons...up top), at night I noticed a very faint sign of this on 2 of the buttons....it seems that it may have worn off the others ?

If this is the case any suggestions how to reapply or is button replacement needed ?

Also the volume control knob has a white stripe on it, is it suppose to be ullminated as well ?

I appreciate your time and effort

Hi Tuned,

any concern with more dirt getting into the engine than normal or does it do a good job of filtering ??

What type of maint. do you do to the filter in your experience thus far ??

Man I would like that same milage if I can. Best I have gotten was on a highway trip to Indiana, doing about 72-73, was 22.1 MPG. That was with stock filter.

Once you hit 75 and RPM's are at the 3000 mark.... milage starts going down.

2800-2850 RPM's seems to be the best economy.

I agree with the octane level .....done test with higher and as you saw I got lower as well...people never beleive me when I tell them that...............glad to see some else saw it as well.

I have a 99 AWD.

I too would have to ask the above question that Monarch asked ?

The picture that you have posted...those are not Iridium plugs.

Iridium plugs is what the manaul calls for.

Just wondering :)

Where did you find it ?? Can you list the source.

Thanks.