Topshelf

Thanks guys. We test drove a fully loaded IS350 last night, and while there are many things to love about the car, right now it's not right for us. So we'll be keeping the wagon for a bit longer. Thanks for the help though.

You're not kidding about the "options" BMW is nice enough to offer. Many come standard on cars costing half as much. So frustrating! And I'll admit that the Bimmers do sound nice when you wind them out, but the price I'm paying for that seems to keep getting steeper. I want something sporty, but luxury and a smooth peaceful ride are more important. I have the Z4C for pure sporty (Surely is no luxury or smooth ride in there <_< ) This is a big change, going from an AWD wagon to a RWD sedan, so it will be interesting to make comparisons. It's surprising to hear that not all Lexus dealers give out loaners. I've never had any issue with having a loaner waiting for me for any of my many services. lol Infact, I have to get my Z back in again for another issue. No doubt that this car will be gone when the warranty ends. I'll check into that with the dealer, thanks for the heads up. While I agree that the IS is easily better looking than the current 3 series, what isn't though, I'm not positive about the M3 vs. IS-F. I'll have to study some pics and think about that one. :D Thanks for the input!

Thanks for the reply smooth. It's pretty funny how we got to this point so I'll be real curious to see how the test drive goes tonight. We had an '02 RX300 which we loved, but it was maybe the most boring vehicle in the world to drive...not one ounce of fun could be had in it. So we traded that in for an '05 325xiT. Similar storage space, but worlds different as far as driving goes. Was actually a fun car, though it seemed like I was working on it every other weekend. Next we traded that in for an '06 325xiT because she wanted all the upgraded option the E91's had to offer. She loves the car, but again, there's always something that needs to be worked on. Now we're looking at going back to Lexus, the same brand we said we wouldn't buy again because they weren't sporty enough. Apparently there's a price to be paid for "sporty", so I'm hoping we can knock that down half a notch, but up the reliability/comfort factor a few degrees while still having a car that's fun to drive. I'm really looking forward to tonight because I have the experience of the current and previous gen 3 series for a direct comparison, not to mention that I drive an '06 Z4 Coupe every day. So this should be very interesting. Oh, and I've already been warned that any car we look at must have NAV and all the creature comforts available. Once you have them, you can't do without. :)

Hey all! Was hoping you guys wouldn't mind throwing a few opinions out this morning. Quick story is I'm taking the wife to look at a CPO '06 IS350 tonight because I just don't believe these BMW's are worth the hassle anymore. She has an '06 325xi wagon that is a fun car, but there's always something wrong with it, plus it rattles and squeaks like mad. It's super practical though and she does like it when it's working right. So basically I just wanted to get some basic thoughts on your impressions of the IS. I know this is an IS forum so you guys are hopefully going to love the car, but any real world driving info, known issues to look out for, must have options, or anything else you could share would be appreciated. I've been reading the reviews and comparisons over the weekend, and while the 3 Series always comes out on top as the better sport sedan, I have to wonder where these guys find constant wide open twisty roads to drive. The roads out here in PA are garbage, and sporty driving is hard to find. So I'm really thinking a more luxurious, reliable and comfy IS might actually be the better real world option. Thanks in advance. :)

Thanks guys. I did a bunch of research and it seems to be a good product. Like SK said, on a car that doesn't get any kind of regular cleaning, it seems to be more effective, but lots of people are even recommending a cleaning like this every 15k miles or once a year now as part of normal maintenance. I'm at 80k so I'm sure there has to be some kind of buildup in there, even if it's small. But I think I'm going to wait until I get back from the trip to do it. I'd just hate to take a chance on something going wrong right before I leave. But I'm sure a nice long 2500 mile drive would be a great way to clean that system out. I'm not a regular poster, but after I get it done I'll post my results just in case anyone else is interested.

Hey guys, I just got a flyer in the mail today from STS and on it there is a coupon for a 4 step Run-Rite Fuel System Cleaning Service. I'm about to leave on a 2500 mile round trip and thought that this might be a good idea to help with fuel economy. I think I've seen this service being talked about on an episode of Motorweek a month or so ago too. I have 80k on the RX300 right now, so I'm assuming there has to be some buildup by now. It's a $60 treatment. So I was just wondering if anyone has any good or bad info about such a service? I don't usually like to do anything major just before a trip, and I do consider shooting chemicals into my intake major. So any info on this? Here's the website for the product. Run-Rite

Yeah, other than turning it off for towing purposes (something I wouldn't do with an RX300 anyway), I see no real reason to turn it off. I guess it could be possible that the shift points would change to higher in the rpm band when the OD is off, giving the vehicle slightly more acceleration. But I don't know one way or the other on that. But really, start the truck and drive. No reason to turn it off.;)

Been meaning to update this. After 500+ miles of driving with 93 octane, my gas mileage dropped to a constant 16mpg with no perceptible improvement in performance. I've switched back to 87 octane, and am already back into the 18mpg area with no perceptible loss in performance. So after all this, I'll stick with my original thoughts. Until someone can show me dyno charts of 87 & 93 octane, run under the same conditions, with a true increase in performance for 93, I'll happily use the recommended 87 in my RX300 while both saving money and getting the same performance. That was one very long sentence. lol

Dam! For $180 you could have had the sensor and the socket in 3-5 days. Oh well. As far as the socket goes, it's just a standard 22mm O2 Socket you can buy from any auto parts store. For the $10 they charged, it was worth it to me not having to fight with a wrench. And now that I think about it, I needed a breaker bar on that socket just to get it to turn. It's up to you, but it's only a few more dollars at this point. Oh, that link thing is wierd. It's supposed to point to www.oxygensensors.com

That's also quite a bit different than the wording from my '02. And just an update so far....No noticeable performance increase, and an average of 15.2mpg.:D I've done 100% annoying city driving so far though. Hopefully I can get it out on the highway at some point. Otherwise I might need to run 1 more tank of the expensive stuff before I can end this test. Hmm, I imagine that's really when I'll notice if there was a performance increase though.;)

24mpg!?!?!?! If that's what using premium gets me, I won't say another word. I average 18mpg. Using your calculations and $.30/gal increase for premium, I'm looking at $250 extra over the course of a year. And for what? To think I'm doing myself a favor? Unless someone can show me proof of either an considerable increase in performance, or mileage, then I'm doing myself a bigger favor by putting that $250 in my pocket. Running 87 will not harm your engine in any way. So don't think that using 93 is going to make it last longer. That being said, I'm filling up with 93 tomorrow to start my first test. And keep in mind that this test will be taking place under ideal weather conditions...Little to no need for AC and no need to idle the truck to warm it up in the morning. We'll see, but I'm not expecting much. And lastly, the manufacturers recommended fuel is 87!

No, Lexus recommends 87. But since the car companies and oil companies are tied together, they "suggest" that using a more expensive fuel, may give you improved performance.;)

Haha, it was a little snarky, but I expected much worse. :D Hey, if anyone believes their truck runs better using 93, then enjoy. I'm just not going to buy into it. I would love to see a dyno comparo done the same day using 87 and then 93. That would be interesting! That being said, the above quote is intriguing. Maybe I'll throw a tank of 93 in since I'm almost empty and see if my mileage increases. I would need to see an increase of 1.5 mpg to justify the added expense of premium fuel. I'm not expecting to get that kind of result, but I'm up for an experiment. Just noticed that you own a 330. Is that quote also listed for the 300? Edit: Yep, also listed for the 300. I'll fill up tomorrow with 93 and see what happens. I actually need to gain 2.25 mpg to justify premium. I thought it was $.20 more, but it's $.30/gallon more than 87.

I do agree that buying a high performance car, or any car that requires 91+ octane, and using 87 octane is a complete act of stupidity. My C230 requires 91, so I'm stuck using 93 as that is the lowest octane I can get around here without going below the manufacturers recommended minimum. However, a knock sensor is not a performance mod. It's a safety feature to make sure the fuel doesn't prematurely detonate due to bad gas or too low of an octane. To get the benefits of higher octane, you have to remap the ecu, or use an aftermarket tool. I've been around high performance cars and motorcycles for years, so it's not like I just made this up. Yes, you might see the slighest of tiny increases, but most of it is a placebo effect. Some people think that simply putting more expensive gas in their vehicle will add all kinds of performance benefits and better gas milage. Meanwhile, these vehicles have very complicated fuel maps setup by engineers using a specific octane level for the best compromise of performance/economy. Sure, have your maps redone for premium fuel, then I'll buy the benefits. But in a stock luxury suv???

If you guys think running higher octane is going to give you more hp and/or better mileage, you should really do some research on gasoline and octane ratings. The only thing you're doing is wasting money and making the oil company's richer. Most people I explain this to reluctantly try a tankful of the 87 or the manufactures recommended minimum and come back a week later saying they can't believe how much better the vehicle runs and how much money they are going to save. I'm not going to go into all the details, but honestly, you're only fooling yourself if you think it's better for the truck. Unless you're using racing fuel which is a completely different animal, use the lowest octane you can for the best results.

Yep, check engine and VSC both came on at the same time. However I didn't have the high rpm and idling issue. I seriously thought about replacing the Throttle Position Sesnor first since it was only $35. Figuring with nearly 75k miles, it wouldn't hurt. But after tons of reading and RX's advice, I went with the O2 sensor. I believe they call it Bank 1 Sensor 1, which basically is the pre-cat sensor under the truck. There's 2 pre-cats...1 under the truck and 1 infront of the radiator. Ofcourse it's the one under the truck that needs replacment. LOL Actually it wasn't bad at all. My only concern was stripping the threads as I read a few people had that problem, but there really isn't much you can do to avoid that. I simply rode the truck up on ramps, blocked the tires and put jack stands under it for security. Took all of about 2 minutes. Crawled under there and sprayed the sensor with some lubricant in hopes of it penetrating into the threads, but I seriously doubt it did anything then went up top and removed the EFI fuse to reset the codes. Came back 20 minutes later with a breaker bar and the sensor socket and crawled back under the truck. First reach up there with both hands, squeeze the release lever on the connector with your left and pull the other side to free the connector. Then pop that socket/breaker bar on, say a quick prayer and push toward the front of the vehicle to unscrew the sensor. Mine was pretty tight, but once it budged it just unthreaded very easily. Too easily I thought. But after inspecting everything there was no thread damage. So I put the copper anti-seize on the new sensor, threaded it in, tightened it up and plugged it in. Reinstalled the fuse, closed everything up and started the truck up. 250 miles later, no lights and everything seems normal. :) It sounds a lot worse than it really was. Infact, it was one of those jobs that after you do it, you're like "That was it???" One quick note is that the exhaust should be at ambient temp, so make sure it's only running for a few seconds to get it up on the ramps if you go that route. I bought the sensor and the socket here. Sensor Part Number is Denso 234-9009. Don't waste your money on anything else, many issues with the cheaper sensors. And after you add it to your cart, you'll see an option for the socket. I called to verify the size, and apparently 99% of the sensors are 22mm, so that socket is the correct one. I bought the kit since I like to have as many options as possible for unknown projects, but you won't need anything more than the socket for this job. Oh yeah, mine is a 2002, so if yours is a different year, you might want to verify that part#, but I'm sure it's the same since the motor is the same. Good luck, and let me know how it turns out for you.

Hey RX, just wanted to thank you for being the only person to help out here. Guess everyone else was too busy. :( Anyway, I replaced the suspected O2 sensor and everything is now working perfectly again. Thanks again. B)

Thanks man! I just went to a different AutoZone to have the code read again because it seemed so odd, and it was the correct reading P1135 - Pedal Position Sensor. I started to think it might be the cheap $35 Throttle Position Sensor, but all the reading on here does point to an O2 sensor. I'll call Lexus up today to verify, but I'm assuming that replacing the O2 sensor under the car, before the cat, will fix this issue. Again, thanks again for the reply.;)

Hey guys, CEL/VSC just came on yesterday so I stopped at AutoZone today to have it checked out. Turns out it's the P1135. So I hopped on here to do a search, and what I'm finding is totally different from what the computer listed. Here's what I'm finding on here... P1135 (Air/Fuel Ratio Sensor Heater Circuit Malfunction Bank 1 Sensor 1) But here's what the computer at AutoZone called a P1135 for a 2002 RX300 AWD... P1135 (Pedal Position Sensor A Circuit Intermittent) So what is the deal? Anyone know why mine is so different from the rest? I'd like to fix this thing immediately, but I don't even know what to do since these codes are so different. Any help here would be great. :)

That's what the person I bought it from said too, but I just wanted another opinion. Thanks, I have a compressor, so I guess I better blow the crap out of those lines this weekend. ;)

Last week I hopped in my '02 RX300 during a rain storm and noticed a couple drops of water entering at the rear passenger side of the sunroof. I checked the seal and everything looks good. No water damage on the headliner either. Any ideas on how to stop that? It didn't do it the entire time, but I didn't notice it a few times, so it must be a problem. With the sunroof closed, everything looks nice and tight, so I don't quite know where the water is coming in from. And I could tell if it was also happening on the driver side since I had to be moving a little to make it happen. How do I stop that?

Yeah, I'm totally loving my '02 also. I only have 2 minor complaints that I'm sure were addressed in the 330, but dam I wish I had them... 1) The memory seat doesn't control the side view mirrors. WTF? The whole idea is that all your settings should be just a button away. As it is now, I don't adjust the mirrors properly because I don't want to have my wife changing them over and over. 2) No radio controls on the steering wheel. After driving my wifes Benz, that's something that I've become overly attached to. Again, I'm sure it's in the newer RX's, but I would pay a good chunk of money if I could upgrade to a wheel that had it. Other than those 2 little items, we love the truck. It's funny actually, we're constantly driving around in it telling each other how nice it is even though we've said it like 1,000 times already.

Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza or Michelin Cross Terrain would be great tires. Both are priced competetively and both are a good highway all-season tire. I have the Alenza's on mine and have recieved numerous compliments on the plush and comfy ride. If $$$ is a concern, look into the Kumho line. I've used those tires on 4 other vehicles and swore I would never buy any other overpriced tire brand again. But these new Stones are superb!;)

Hahaha, I'm not looking to argue either. Just wanted to put the THREE main benefits in perspective since it's easy to lose sight of what's important or how great the effects truly are. I think there's more than enough information and facts presented in this thread fro tmh and anyone else who is interested in upgrading their rims. So let's just leave it at "to each his own" and enjoy our RX's. B)

Ahh, that's all I was trying to say. It's going to take 70,000 miles to save $218 on gas!!! I think I'll be just fine spending the extra $36 per year over the next 6 years in gas to keep my current setup. Again, if it's your thing please enjoy. Facts are all I'm concerned with. Oh, and usually when a larger wheel size is offered from the factory, it comes with chages to the suspension to compensate. And most go for a larger tire when choosing a sport package where the comfort trade-off is a given.