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LXPearl

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Everything posted by LXPearl

  1. I had the wiring that connects to the back of the bulb heat so that it became brittle and corroded, then broke. I had it replaced under warranty. You might check to see if the connector to the bulb is loose and causing some arching. Some bulbs do not last long. I got some off brand from an auto parts store when mine burned out on a trip - it only lasted a few months. The oem and Powerbulb ones have lasted over a year - and my wife drives with the lights on, day and night. She does not like the DRLs.
  2. Battery warranties tend to only apply to a replacement from the same brand or at the same shop/chain. It sounds like you were having battery problems - I assume you cleaned the terminals at the battery to assure it was not a bad connection. Terminals can develop a film between terminal and cable, a common problem even when it all still looks OK at first glance. However, at 37 months, it could be a bad battery for a variety of reasons. The 84 month warranty is designed to be long enough so that when the battery fails, you will return to the same vendor for a replacement. Therefore the mean time before failure is going to be far enough before 84 months so the remaining warranty balance is enough to entice you to buy the same branded replacement. I am impressed with the Lexus dealer, they went above and beyond in giving you a $50 credit toward service. Another instance of why they are at the top on customer satisfaction lists.
  3. It sounds like the wrong fluid was added around 60K, and if they used brake fluid, it will ruin the system. It looks like the dealer was negligent and you should take up the issue with Lexus. When properly maintained they typically last well over 100K. I am at 110K on mine and they still work well. The 60K service is supposed to include the replacement of the AHC fluid, so the tech probably did it, but it sounds like they used brake fluid instead. Since it happened at the dealer, they should fix it, because it was their mistake. If you check out the ih8mud.com site you will find several who have had similar problems from adding brake fluid to the system. The membranes will be shot, so all the spheres will need replacing. The whole system must be meticulously flushed out to remove the contamination, including the shocks. If the dealer was at fault, they should replace the entire system, including the shocks, they should have known better and followed the factory procedures. If the brake fluid addition was your doing, you have a couple options. One is to replace the entire system and use only the specified fluid in it. The spheres Texasoil has appear better in construction than the original, so check his web site if you go that route. The other option is less expensive, replace the system with a non-AHC suspension such as the Landcruiser standard suspension. If you prefer a moderate lift of 3", then the EMU suspension works well. Sleeoffroad has information on that approach. I would start with the Lexus dealer so they have an opportunity to fix the situation at the lowest level before you take it up the corporate ladder. Best wishes.
  4. It may be the amp. The controls will become wacky, sometimes work or not. If under warranty it can be replaced. It was a known issue on pre-02 models.
  5. How sad about your experience. Overcharged and then to have incompetent techs working on it. I just had the 90K done on my LX (at Lexus dealer) and it ran even smoother than before. I noticed no evidence of scratches or grease. I hope they do well by you in correcting their lack of professionalism. Definitely worth taking to Lexus corporate if you are less than satisfied - that was a high price to pay for such poor results. Best wishes.
  6. Make sure they use the proper Toyota long life coolant - I have seen some Toyota dealers use the cheap green stuff and it does not last as long, nor will the hoses, radiator, and other components last as long as they should.
  7. Stoptech has a bedding in process that I used. I did a series of 60-5 mph "stops" (10 of them) then a cooling off period afterward without coming to a stop. I did the bedding in on a 4 lane hwy late (after midnight) and my cooling off consisted of driving for about 20 min at 60 mph after the series of 10 "stops." I then repeated the same scenario. No complete stops at any time during the process. The hwy was wide enough to do a u-turn at about 5 mph without ever stopping. My brakes are responsive and smooth.
  8. When balancing tires, make sure the balancing machine does a "road force" test to determine the correct balance. This makes a significant difference with tires that "pass" using the common balancing machines. The alignment needs to be done by a true alignment technician, not just someone who uses the computer printouts and does the minimum to get it within specs. If it does not track as it should, take it back and have them adjust it again until they get it right. The mfg specs are very broad and an alignment can be within the specs and still not track properly and wear tires prematurely. Tell the tech how you want it to track, then they can set it so it does accordingly. It may take a number of adjustments the first time you get it aligned properly, but after that it can usually be done the first attempt. I used to have tires wear out within 30-40K miles on standard alignments (within specs), but with a true alignment, I started getting 50-70K miles with only a couple rotations. I regularly check the air and the wear of the tires. Depending on the predominant roads I drive, I have the alignment set accordingly - based on the crown of the road and the number of people and weight. You know you have a real alignment tech when they understand such parameters are real factors in a real alignment.
  9. The gauge is a real one. At idle the oil pressure is lower than at highway speed. I had an F150 where the oil gauge always read the same when on... turns out it was a fake - essentially an idiot light with an artificial readout that looked like a gauge.
  10. Many times just turning the engine off and restarting will reset it all. If that is not working, then the battery approach may work to reset the setting. If the lights still come on, then it is time for a code check to find out why the CEL is on. Disconnecting the battery will cause codes to be lost, so it you are by an auto store, you might pull the code (free) before disconnecting the battery.
  11. You need to check the specs to determine if the readout is acceptable or not. I checked the specs on one of my Toyotas once and the acceptable readout when traveling 60 MPH was a display of 58 to 66 MPH. It sounds like all the readouts mentioned above fall within this range, and therefore would be within specs. When you check tire specs, you will find different tire lines and mfgs may have different revolution figures for the same size. I suspect the above specs serve a double purpose - the variation is such that you should not get a speeding ticket if observing the speedometer readout; plus you may run through your warranty quicker. However, I found the odometer more accurate than the speedometer on my questionable Toyota, so I suspect the two are not as directly related as they used to be in the 60s and 70s (gear drive) - the CPU must be doing some calculations and displaying each readout separately. I have noticed that the loaner RX350s I have driven tend to indicate about 4-5 MPH faster than actual.
  12. If you had the CPO or a warranty from Lexus, you could have them do the Tbelt and while they were in there they could check the water pump and replace it. You might check your ext. warranty for coverage. Lexus service tends to recommend the Tbelt replacement at 60K so they can check for other things and replace them under the powertrain warranty (70K) - such as water pump, cam seals, etc.
  13. LStoLX, It depends on how adventuresome you are. The 570 is a significant update with a major increase in HP. If you like the 470, then the conservative approach would be to get the 470 now. Once the 570 is out and you can see and drive it and know if you want to upgrade. My personal feeling is that you will enjoy the 570 because it will be more in tune with the newer offerings from Lexus.
  14. I thought one of my bulbs wore out quick, but when I looked at it it was still good. Turns out the wiring just in back of the bulb had a break in it. The short wiring was replaced by Lexus and everything has been fine since. I do not have your problem with dull headlights and the DRL fix has been done.
  15. Also: the owners manual is available for free from the lexus site if you register as an online owner.
  16. ATF loses its additives and effectiveness with time and wear; so consider the dipstick statement to equate to the warranty period. On my 01 it says to "check" the ATF every 30K (vs. replace). My current approach is to drain and fill at about 15-30K with a synthetic ATF (Mobil 1, now with Redline D4ATF). At least on your 03 you still have a dipstick for relative ease on doing a drain and fill. In 04 the trans went to a fill plug (like a diff or transaxle set up). Depending on your milage, you may want to do the flush as Jim described, then proceed with the drain and fill.
  17. Also: Sewell Lexus www.lexus-parts.com and Park PLace Lexus (Plano) www.newlexusparts.com
  18. The 98 takes 91 octane. It will run on 87, but with less power and less MPG. My 01 is rated for 87 with a "recommendation" to use 91 for added power. Mine does not have as much difference on MPG as Jim mentioned - I see less than 1 mpg difference, so it is a wash on using regular or premium. However, I run premium because it has better torque around town and seems to run smoother, and I like the slightly better MPG and throttle response. I get about 14.5 overall, and essentially equal the sticker on specifics (13/16) with premium. I had an 01 LC that I routinely ran regular in (except when loaded) and it was about 0.5 mpg lower than the LX.
  19. You can download them from Toyota at the techinfo.toyota.com site. There is a fee (day, month, year). If you go to ih8mud.com and look in the 80 series forum, you will find a link that you can use that will automate the downloads for the FSM along with others (EWD, ATM, New Car Features). It works well if you have Mozilla.
  20. I do not believe the door locks can be programmed on the 02. They can be on the 03 model.
  21. Yes, there is a slide out tray toward the bottom of the center console at the rear.
  22. If you use the TIS, there is a TSIB explaining how to change the running board light.
  23. I set to L frequently to improve entry/exit for my passengers. On a long trip recently the dash indicator stayed in L while driving on the hwy fully loaded. When I made my next stop on the trip and pressed the L button, the vehicle settled down like usual and dash indicator stayed in L. My conclusion was that the dash indicator or sensor malfunctioned. It operated properly the rest of the trip, even with more cargo added (did some shopping), as well as since the trip.
  24. I am amazed people want to spend big buck to put a NAV in their vehicle. The Lexus NAV is one of the best OEM units, but it is no match for a Garmin or Tom Tom. If anything goes wrong with the OEM, it will cost $5K to fix it (Lexus or Toyota).
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