unknwn

I've decided to order the Nissen replacement due to those 'brag' indicators on the manufacturer's site. The upper/lower tank materials are touted as non-recycled material that is infused with a fiberglass admixture. The downflow heat transfer tubes are 'bragged-up' about the 5mm 'closeness' to their neighbors, versus 10mm as employed by all competitive products. There were several other manufacturing 'brag' aspects indicated, but I'd tend to believe that most all of that is quite similar to competitor's practices.

I bought and trimmed up a forward cabin set of WeatherTech cut-to-fit mats. They've served me well in this winter/slop season, and the weight/materials are impressive too!

The car ('01 RX) will before long be graced with enough parts maintenance to set it up for it's -next- quarter million miles+, and I figure that the 23 year old radiator has experienced -more than- it's fair share of heat stress. OE spec. (NOT Lexus parts counter, though) radiators from either Nissen, or Koyorad are very close in delivered cost. Would anyone out there with more experience than me make a recommendation between either of those manufacturers? I'm nearly steering toward the Nissen from several -brag- aspects on the manufacturer's site (tank materials, tube arrangement), but figured I'd run it past the Lexus group before I have one or the other sent from the warehouser.

I've been studying this aspect of the 1MZ-FE engine since I am gathering -everything- I'd ought to have for a top covers/manifold/cooling system -extreme- maintenance visitation to a 1/4 million mile RX300. My car does NOT exhibit KS codes (& related), but in all expectations that parts under the intake manifold are duly heat-stressed I am buying a genuine Toyo/Lex short cable and installing it along with the bypass hose & related parts. Since the KSs aren't problematic, I will trust the original Denso(?) parts with a refreshed signal cable. If I end up with a problem later, I will mount KSs externally, spoofing the ECU, saving all that money for the (nearly ALWAYs ignored!)valve clearance adjustments and myriad sealing components, high-end spark plugs, ect., ect. . To do a top cover/valve adjust/sealing parts maintenance cycle properly equates to -hundreds- of dollars of parts, and I think I'd rather spend money on an OE spec. radiator & hoses (Nissen(?)) than those KS that can be worked around in a non-smog inspection region.

I auditioned a dual filter carrier and sent it back once I inspected it and determined that it was largely 'eye-wash' (explaining adequately would take far too long, but basically, the filters weren't in series, and wouldn't be of any value other than taking up space, and instilling added capacity that wouldn't 'flow' nearly as effectively as one would figure (junk) ). I've been looking at other filter carriers since, and I think I've settled on a 'Summit' branded one that has ports arranged in such a way that including the cooler will allow for the shortest, and most straight-forward hose arrangement. It also has a large selection of filter types available to allow for space/capacity considerations. The filter bypass 'base' I've selected will allow a filter to be installed in the original position, but give me 'ports' that I'll be using with multi-braid covered hoses (stainless under/nylon over-braid) that have a .465" i.d. rubber/viton make-up & a allows for a variety of (mostly)AN8 fittings which are needed to be able to dismantle and remove the arrangement as might be required, they'll also allow ability to 'clock' the hoses as needed to avoid twisting & kinking. While I've been studying the -lack of space-, and types and variety of parts available I've determined that this won't be simple -by far- . Making a suitable bracket to hang the filter header, and cooler bank that won't look ignorant -or- slipshod has been a task in itself. The additional 1-1/2(+) qt of lubricant is leading to a need to incorporate an inline thermostat (I could have used a thermostat filter base-sandwich, but there were too many bad reviews, and I don't want to be reliant on a questionable oil supply configuration). Along with the thermostat (that will provide 'heat-up' pre-circulation, along with bleeding off 10-15% of over-all flow to keep the extra capacity full/cavitation free, and eliminate cold-shock of the lubricant supply) I think that installing a one-way valve to keep the added lubricant from possible drain-back and overcoming that crankcase oil height and result in oil puking out or hydraulic lock in the crankcase if a drain-back occurred somehow just MIGHT be in my best interests. I identified some parts that could be used for a -MUCH- simpler -just oil filter relocation- to get it out from it's original awful location if anyone were interested in some of the research. The whole 'deluxe' version I'm envisioning is nearly all conjecture at this point. I've been gathering a growing pile of components, and once I've got enough on hand (and worked out details-details(!) ) I'll be seeing if it's even possible due to space constraints, and I've also got to make it readily-removable for maintenance aspects. A project in development - pictures to follow, IF I'm able to make a 'go' of it . Over-all, a LOT more involved than -just- filter relocation (although -that- is highly valuable in it's own right). Many of the specialty parts and fittings were already on-hand, otherwise, the 'deluxe' project would never be able to be considered -affordable- in the 'big picture'.

Your battery needs to be -fully- charged, and only then can you depend on a diagnostic voltage reading. A battery at rest, with no draw, and after an adequate charge cycle -should- read 13.5 volts. A charging system, functioning normally, on an adequately charged battery -should- provide a reading of 14.5 volts at several thousand RPM. A Battery load test (using a carbon pile tester) will only provide a testing result of 'good' , on a battery that has received an adequate charging cycle. That aforementioned charging cycle -can- take many hours depending on how flat/discharged the battery, it's make-up, and the ultimate charging rate (slow is always better, the battery doesn't so easily suffer over heating).

There are -other- aspects- of engine geometry that will vastly affect how it performs, and when you mention that things changed -somewhat(?)- abruptly, then the solenoids (&-or-) sensors intimately involved in cam timing ought to be investigated, electrical resistance (and visible function of the solenoids) along with resistance & signal aspects of the sensor s can dramatically affect performance, discoloration of the plugs is another symptom I saw prior to a sensor issue. in-person and hands-on nearly always trumps interwebs forum opinions, -but- I've gone through some somewhat similar diagnostics since landing here, and my RX is better for my efforts.

Looking at the center electrode with a magnifier ought to help you discern whether the edges of the cylindrical area are 'sharp' 90 degree -or- rounded/worn. The fixed electrode (welded to the body of the plug (by the threads) are generally NOT iridium (except in the very highest cost versions), and will be an area that would likely exhibit erosion. If your well-enough off to feed it $100 of plugs (just because), then I wouldn't hesitate, but put your take-outs in the new boxes and store them somewhere out of the way. You might wish you had one day.

I was lurking on eBay, and came across this 'fix' for a problem that was being blamed on a solenoid. https://www.ebay.com/itm/273625443226 Made sense to me (I haven't taken things apart -yet-), and at $20 to -cure- 20+ years, 1/4 million miles, and very likely a zillion shifts, I bought one before the shifter protests irretrievably. As things are, the shifter has refused to move out of the 'park' position now & again, only co-operating -jf- the over ride button was depressed. Not all the time, but often enough that I suspected an intrinsic -mechanical- (rather than electro/mechanical(??) ) difficulty arising.

I'm considering this mod. to make the fluid capacity higher. The Summit racing website lists several kits that -might- be compatible (filter change-over on block -is- meant to be functional on the Toyota engine) but I still need to scrutinize the engine compartment closely to determine WHERE(?) the remote filter assembly could reside. If the filter carrier can mount acceptably, I'd also consider slipping a cooler in there somewhere too.

The print & video advertisements for Weather Tech that have made the media s since December 1st tout the 'Made in America' aspect of all their products. If I hadn't already been convinced by the exposure to the 1st rate sales job that their website, and the knowledgeable & personable telephonic sales woman, then the repeated 'Made in U.S.A.' - by Americans- messaging was enough for me to decide. I'll be heading out to the aforementioned dealer to order up a complete set + an extra pkg. of universal trim-to-fit that will get me the 2nd row one-piece, and a pair of front mats for the MX-5 too.

Read many product description pages about mats I intimated that I was interested in, and the only thing I've been convinced of by the offerings that I found was that I really wouldn't be satisfied by anything that wasn't beige in color (or resembling that hue), and that settling for slabs produced in china would be the only available for a reasonable price. There were also multiple turn-off factors apparent to each of the multiple offering all manufactured by a company called BDK, and marketed by several different brand markers, Then I came across the Weather Tech brand's All Weather floor mat offering. The mats were suggested by a phone rep., and are a semi-specific fitment. Molded in the United States with a proprietary mixture of rubbery material that touts a 'low stink' factor. Although I didn't care for the individual 2nd row mats, I was able to order -just- the driver/passenger foot well items separately, and that option turned into a $60 price tag when purchased through a -very- local (about 3 miles away) dealer in their recognized network that wasn't going to ding me with the exorbitant shipping fee schedule. The company's -matching color- trim-to-fit cargo mat product has a pronounced liquid-trapping surround rib, for a $50 price tag. These American production products have a higher-than-average combined shipping weight which indicates a thickness factor comparable to the most substantial chinese produced mats I found available. My -only- downside is that the company makes a 2nd row one-piece mat, but won't sell it separate from a complete set of a universal trim-to-fit 1st & 2nd row placement mat set. The Weather Tech signature laser-cut to specific fitment for the driver/passenger -ISN'T- available for an RX300, -but- that type of product -IS- produced for the 2nd row -AND- the cargo area mats, but has a price tag exceeding my tastes, (about $90 & $140 (+ shipping) respectively. Beyond my budget, and the cargo mat proved to be very constrictive for my pooch purposes.

"...to the revision ('01) models " I've since, found this revision on a '00 model I found in a boneyard.

But can you fault the aforementioned national franchise parts dealer's Lifetime (to an original purchaser) Replacement warranty? If you prefer the utter loyalty to the Original equipment manufacturer (Denso) so that you, as a customer, can expect their adherence to the 12 months replacement as described under the 'warranty', then your ONLY avenue is to -pay- the price -expected- to a recognized (by Denso -only!-) member of the fraternity as designated by Denso. That will cost 3-times (plus) as much for the part described as Denso on a website operated by Amazon -or- RockAuto,

The only DTC code I was presented while troubleshooting this 01 AWD was the Intake Air Temperature sensor as faulty. While investigating, I learned that IAT was an integral part to the MAF, and while performing testing I learned that the IAT thermistor does NOT pass muster. Everything I've learned indicates that this is absolutely important for proper ECU signaling and fuel injection system to function properly. I found and tested half a dozen in a bone yard, all deficient. This particular part number is used on a -raft- of different car brands/years/models. Replacement parts are readily available, but the pricing (and warrantee coverage) is all over the map (MAF heh-heh) from about $40, all the way up to -or- exceeding $200. And expect that for the high end cost, a name recognizable (Denso (?) ) part generally won't have warranty going past one year. I also learned, by trading messages with the Denso company, that they feel, unless you purchase from -their- recognized distribution network, for the -rather high- manufacturer's suggested retail pricing, that they aren't going to be overly concerned with any stated warranty that their replacement parts are touted to carry (so, forget Amazon, or RockAuto, the manufacturer doesn't recognize them as legitimate (!) ). So, I found that for about $100, AdvanceAuto will warranty THEIR house-brand MAF sensor ( -and- ignition coil-on- plug units) on a Limited Lifetime basis, to the original purchaser. Would a price/warrantee conscious consumer be best served buying the $100 unit, -or- get involved with the 1/2-of-that circus for what is ultimately a part that is imperative for proper function of the vehicle? Oh, something else I learned by quizzing the folks at Denso, is that you needn't expect that your genuine Denso product is any longer necessarily going to be manufactured in the United States (as nearly ALL of their stuff had been for a LONG time), or -preferably- Japan, but could/might/(who's to say ?) be sourced in CHINA now. I initially discerned this on the Amazon product page, where Country of Origin for Denso branded coils -plainly- showed CoA as China, but had that -utter let down- verified by the response I received straight from the representative's keyboard at Denso themselves. It looks like the -ONLY- way you can expect to get -THAT- part sourced/produced by a genuine Japanese manufactory is to spend the high-end (nearly $200 -or more!) for a Hitachi unit, and even THAT won't get you any better than a 12 month warranty. I'd prefer to not buy $35 parts for $100, and periodically rattle the cages at AdvanceAuto for warrantied parts, but, how can a person realize any other suitable option for this racket/go-around?

There are shift kits available that might help overcome suspected problems that might turn out to be actually less severe than anticipated. Also, a friction materials and sealing parts set -might- be all that is ultimately required (I'd give it a new torque converter though) if you could find a reputable technician to perform overhaul work. If you've kept up on the fluid changes, and aren't discovering 'chunkies' in the pan/strainer/magnets, then the possibility of hard parts could be much less likely. I'd be looking for a -relatively- lower mileage used unit, and have an overhaul performed on it.

Since the carpets in this car are still in super condition, even at 1/4 million miles, I'd like to protect them with some rubber mats. I spent too much time -already- considering three or four offerings in beige, and would prefer to steer toward some deep-dish types, but don't know enough so figured to ask the folks here what their experience s are. Amazon seems like the ware houser of merit, with several MotorTrend, a Caterpillar, (and others) to choose from. There is a cut-to-fit aspect with all, and the higher cost offerings -may(?)- stink of chemicals LESS(?) than cheaper offerings... A cargo area mat wouldn't need to be exact match of brand, and it's looking to follow the same (spend more -maybe- better(?) ) Staying with beige all around is best, too.

My additional concern (and point of inquiry) would be along the lines of -How much did the st(d)ealership's repair entity charge you for a mis-diagnoses -AND- that someone in charge of the service department would have been more than happy to pick-your-pocket for that ersatz $1500 mistaken fault with your car? I have some less than charitable thoughts & feelings for a situation where someone (you?) knuckled under and set the potential-for-thievery loose. Do you really think that if the service department commenced with their 'repair', and it didn't solve the problem that you'd be met with anything other than a shoulder-shrug, or, an invitation to feed them some more cashola? How about if during the journey to collect your $1500, it was 'discovered' that something else (unrelated(?) ) was the culprit, that you wouldn't STILL be roped into paying the full scope of the original mis-diagnoses ? Having worked an automobile dealership in a facility maintenance manager position (routinely on site before anyone else arrived, and often until everyone else left -daily-) I discerned that there is nary any other type of business that doesn't take unfair advantage of their customer base (AND employees too!) than an automobile dealership. All in unrestrained scramble for those almighty dollars.

Since I'm going to be cycling fluids into the quarter-million mile RX (two complete flush intervals for the AWD -140F-) I wanted to get an adequate supply of the best stuff going. The race-car supplier priced the coolant to $15 gal. (need right around three to do a complete system evacuation on a tow-packaged RX300), and the eighteen bottles of the Mobil One I'll have delivered came in at $40 per 6 pack. The ATF qualified me for a $10 gift/Summit bucks. And the whole business shipped for -no cost-. A FelPro rubber-infused cork engine oil pan gasket was less than half the cost of anywhere else, so cleaning up a sorta' weapy area there was easy to set up for too. The steel transmission cooler lines that mount just below the radiator -MUST- be replaced, Dorman deemed it profitable to produce reproduction of that part. The trans. pan gasket is going to be replaced with a Mahle rubber-infused cork gasket along the same line of the OE Toyota/Lexus original. These last two items, along with an Aisin thermostat were sourced through another supplier. I'm trying to decide what product to use for a coolant system flush/clean before I set the car up for a timing belt/water pump maintenance interval ( I'm going to spend the extra money for the Aisin replacements kit). Got a cool deal on a FelPro valve cover gaskets set on Amazon for a Black Friday pricing which couldn't be ignored ($15). Now if I can just find someone who's got a shim selection and the sneakin' tools so It could benefit from a valve adjustment.

Taking my steps toward making my impound auction Lexus a going concern has -finally- yielded positive results. The (expensive) trudge through the uphill battle to get keys that allow the starting circuit to be operational provided me with a fresh set pf potential difficulties. With the ECU being flashed, and nearly 10 months sitting inoperable after being towed into the police impound area left me with more questions than answers as to why it wouldn't start after introducing an operable key set. I spent quite a few hours learning what I could on forums and listening myriad utube opinions about troubleshooting(??) my non-starting Lexus, even going so far as 'paper clip trick' . All to no avail. Determining that I -seemed to- have an ignition difficulty (some popping & framming while engaging the starter) there wasn't any discernable spark with a -new- spark plug inserted in the easily accessed coils. I decided that I would buy a new trio of genuine Denso camshaft -&- crankshaft position sensors. Having read that often times these sensors respond -best- to being ALL replaced at the same time with components produced by the same manufacturer. I decided to go with parts that just might prove to ALL be good-to-go when taken from their sealed packages and produced by the Original Equipment manufacturer (Denso). Installing the camshaft sensor on the head under the throttle body was a rough time. Even though you could see the crankshaft sensor through the wheel well, it wasn't too easy either. With all three sensors in place, I barely turned the key to 'start', and the engine jumped right to life (!!) Yay!! I brought the engine up to operating temperature, lowered the car off the work stands, checked fluid levels and drove it back & forth on my rural stretch of road until I lapsed 10 miles on the odometer. It seems to be working satisfactorily, transmission wasn't problematic. I'm going to institute the in-depth maintenance of transmission and coolant fluids before driving it the nearly couple hundred miles to get it's State Highway Patrol inspection performed so that I can get a normal Ohio title which will allow me to purchase license plates.

I'd have it interrogated by a capable code scanner. You'll undoubtedly pay a repair shop a fee for an in depth reading of DTCs that are beyond a consumer code scanner, but it just might be ultimately worth the knowledge it could divulge.

When I started my '01 RX endeavor (auction purchased-no keys- eckk!) I was able to get a flat key cut to the info supplied by my dealer's parts dept. and my VIN verified by my title. At this point all I expected/hoped to do was unlock the steering column so that towing (and then parking) the car would be possible without crabbing the steering tires around to get it onto the deck of the tow vehicle. Key cut to VIN operated the door locks & glove box, but would not work in the ignition cylinder to unlock the steering. Tried & tried & tried. Lubed, raked key into and out of the lock -LOTS- of times, found the 'fix' for -stuck- lock cylinder suggesting to strike the inserted key, lock cylinder alone, tool slim & long enough to poke around inside the key slot, bottom out in the cylinder, and strike that tool too. Lube/jiggle/exercise/strike again & again. All to no avail. The auto locksmith I'd found to do ECU reflash and related key work even suggested that 'strike' thing too. Well, once I removed the ignition cylinder holder/steering lock-electrics unit from the car the locksmith was able to pick the cylinder, and remove it from the assembly. Since the car was expected to show hundred s-of-K on the odometer I didn't want to depend on a lock cylinder of questionable age/condition. Any salvaged parts I could find were of that same -unknown mileage-, so I didn't care to depend on any of them either. A new lock cylinder from Lexus would be about $350. A reproduction of the RX lock cylinder was going to be about $275 ! (insane). The absolute cheapest alternative I could find after copious research was $175 for a new reproduction(?). I learned that the same company producing the reproduction RX part also marketed a cylinder for the IS300 too. That IS300 cylinder sold on Amazon for under $70. I bought one. Closely scrutinizing the IS300 reproduction, and comparing it to the factory RX cylinder revealed that the trim ring with the positions marked on it was 180 degree opposite of my original. Otherwise, exactly the same. The lock cylinder is provided with a key code identifier tag that coincides with Toyota/Lexus key code, so having additional keys cut via code is possible with automated key machine equipment. I -COULD- have finagled the trim rings between key cylinders so that everything looked absolutely proper, but didn't feel the need on a 23 year old car. I'd suspect that the HUGE difference in cost between the reproduction parts between the IS and RX version was the call for the RX part mounted in the dash vs. IS mounted on the column additional stock number, retooling, or otherwise sourcing that particular trim ring proved cost prohibitive, and ultimately, stupidly expensive.

I'm working on a 2001 RX, and the vacuum switch valve(?) is an entirely different animal vs. the info supplied in the '99 version of the manual. I found the switching valve under the hood, plugged into a revised air box lid. The valve on my car was broken and severely buggered up with a stack of unrelated fittings and what seemed like a -mile- of black tape. I've since found some replacement parts to make things -whole- again in that area, but would really appreciate some access to repair manual pages that reflect this tremendous change from inception ('99) to the revision ('01) models.

I'm of the same mind about genuine Denso replacement parts, I've opted for the Denso camshaft position sensors, and crankshaft position sensor at the -much- higher cost vs. all the alternatives. Country of origin (U.S.A. and/or Japan - U.S. on the sensors from the packaging) has been a deciding factor. When I look up Denso coil products I am finding some somewhat unsettling C.O.A. indications. If you look up the product on the Amazon product page it is showing -China-. When I observe the info available on RockAuto, I get to look at a 360 degree photo that shows a decal on the potted top of the coil that denotes 'Made in U.S.A.' . Can I trust that the Denso products -aren't- going to be provided through a 'China' manufactory ? Or will I be hostage to 'where-ever it was cheapest' ? Attachment came from the aforementioned RockAuto product page.

Yes, -MANY- to choose from, but looking for recommendation (=or- other-wise) via experience about any particular product line.