Gryphon

Jim. I think this subject has been discussed on the forum. Try the search option.

Tom

Here's some interesting news on the incident:

"After improperly fitting all-weather floor mats in a Lexus sedan were named as a possible cause of a fatal car accident near San Diego, Toyota is ordering its dealers to inspect the mats in all Lexus and Toyota vehicles.

Plastic floor mats that were not the right size for the 2009 Lexus ES 350 are suspected of causing the August 28 accident that claimed the lives of an off-duty California Highway Patrol officer, his wife, their daughter, and his brother in law."

Tom

Update:

"Toyota Orders Floor Mat Inspections After Fatal Crash

Toyota said Tuesday it will order all dealers to inspect their cars for mismatched floor mats after a mat was suspected of snagging a gas pedal on a runaway Lexus, ending with a fiery crash that killed four family members in San Diego County.

Toyota Motor Sales, USA Inc. planned to issue an order Wednesday to about 1,400 Toyota and Lexus dealers nationwide to make sure each of their new, used and loaner vehicles had the proper floor mats and that the mats were properly secured, said Brian Lyons, a spokesman for the Torrance-based company."

Tom

I guessing that the price of tires will soon be going up if the 60% tariff on Chinese tires really happens. That would also include American made tires of course.

Tom

Chim, that is normal for the display and charge condition. You will rarely see 100% charge and never cruising at 70 mph. Wind resistance is not your friend.

The RX400h is not a great road vehicle; better in the city as with all hybrids. The revised EPA for your car is 27 mpg city and 25 mpg highway so you did about what was promised.

I have done as little as 19 mpg on a road trip with a strong headwind running 80 mph.

Tom

If it's a valid claim it will get settled. Perhaps for big bucks.

Tom

I don't know of any street vehicle and very few specialized racing vehicles that have sufficient power to overcome functional brakes (assuming that they were working on the this vehicle). In other words, if the driver applied the brakes, the car should have stopped, at worst in a somewhat longer distance.

This brings to mind the Audi unintended acceleration thing, when a few drivers claimed that the cars just wildly ran away from them in spite of standing on the brakes. In the end, Audi was vindicated but almost went out of business from the adverse publicity.

I think the accident investigators will find that there is more to the story than a stuck accelerator or jammed pedal.

Tom

The good news is that everyone is now clear as to the requirements for replacing a battery. Most OEM batteries, if not drained excessively, will last a minimum of 5 years. My Corvette's battery lasted more than 7 years.

Perhaps not in Arizona. I often wonder how battery dealers make money here. Our heat kills batteries in a couple of years which usually means free replacements.

Tom

I still haven't been able to find those covers...hmm...Oh, I just ordered a thndercloud grille and a Harrier emblem!

Pictures must follow. :)

Tom

Just changed the original pads on my RX300 after 150,000 miles. :P

I know you don't care! I am lurking, testing the 400h waters, and couldn't resist.

What was the first time you changed them?

Tom

You have the correct part number and, yes, it does fit the RX400h. Your dealer is an idiot.

Tom

Check cars.com, ebay, craig's list, etc., for comparable vehicles for sale and nada and kbb for use car valutions.

Tom

These guys say that the OEM wheels are 18 x 7 with 35 mm offset:

http://www.lextasy.com/Lexus-RX400h-Factor...rome-Wheels.htm

Tom

Man, oh man, cduluk, you are building the ultimate BabeMobile. Fill it with some girlfriends and post pics. :)

I wish I had your time and energy.

Tom

That is really terrible, FlyWright. I suspect it was the dreaded Armorall, which I think contains alcohol and silicone among other ingredients. The good news is that the shiny effect will diminish in time. The bad news is that any solvents you might use to remove the Armorall will also degrade your dash material.

Just a long shot, but you might try a phone call to Meguiar's and ask what they would recommend. They have some smart guys and some good products.

Tom

Dave, I agree with all you wrote. I used the K&N for my first "home" oil change and liked it's quality and the nut on the end but also thought it a bit pricy for an oil filter. I then bought the NAPA Gold (WIX) for $2.79 each for a quantity of 6. (I get a dealer discount at some auto supplies.)

Someone, the guys on the Porsche 968 site have made their own cabin air filters (0 or 2 depending on the year of the 968) out of home air conditioner filter material and come out fine. (The OEM filters are a substantial ripoff and there is only one aftermarket source which is a poor fit.)

Finally it raineth in Arizona after many months of dry. Wahoo.

Tom

Thanks, Dave.

I'm using NAPA's oil filters now, in part because I could find a spanner wrench to fit them. They told me that they were made by WIX but only have the NAPA Gold label. I'm guessing WIX also might supply the other filters you bought.

But I may still stock up from rock auto as they sell these filters very cheap--both air and cabin filters around $11-12 (prices seem to fluctuate). FYI we have two 400h's in our family.

Tom

Dave, were those filters from NAPA labeled WIX?

I'm curious because NAPA told me by phone that they only carried the engine air filter by WIX but not the cabin filter in any brand.

Tom

I have not seen all of the brands I listed above but of those I have seen they appear to be very similar in quality to OEM. They are available from www.rockauto.com among others.

NAPA also has the WIX brand.

Tom

I've done three oil changes myself now, and found it to be fairly easy. A few comments:

1. There is only one splash shield to remove on a 400h.

2. Changing from the top or bottom is somewhat a matter of preference to me at this point. I have tried both. I find the mismatched fasteners on the splash shield to be annoying so I will probably continue to access the filter from the top from now on.

3. R&Ring the oil filter is much easier if you use a brand of filter that is compatible with a spanner type oil filter wrench.

4. The oil channel thing works pretty darn well--GM would never have spent the extra buck to add one to any of its vehicles.

5. Any typical drain pan catches the oil filter drip-down and a little wiping with a rag from both top and bottom cleans things up pretty well. Thjere is a bit of a well at the back corner of the drain chanel which holds a bit of oil. If you don't get it wipes fairly clean it will probably contribute to future oil spray around the engine from windage.

6. I would not do this with a warm engine. It ain't necessary and it's just harder.

7. It is easy to overflow oil down the engine when refilling if your funnel or extension tube gets too close to the internal baffle. Pour slowly and watch for overflow. Don't ask me how I know.

Tom

Very nice work, Lemon. Thanks for the great effort.

Tom

The OEM cabin air filter is definitely paper and does not wash well. There are several aftermarket brands, none of which I have seen in person, namely:

Beck/Arnley

WIX

Fram

ATP

AC/Delco

Bosch

Tom

It does not take much to discharge the aux battery, expecially since the system actually shuts the vehicle down long before the battery is completely dead, to protect the main drive batteries. One Lexus tech told me that the shutdown occurs at somewhere around 30% discharge.

Tom

I'm currently trying to figure out how to stop the car from locking all the doors when you take the car out of park, but following the directions in the manual has given me NO success... As soon as i figure that one out i'll post it here too.:)

That's a Lexus Personalized Setting which can only be done by Lexus or Toyota dealer.

TomLexus_Personalized_Settings.pdf

Interesting news, CD. Thanks for sharing. This product has been discussed on a Porsche site I am a member of, and somewhat highly promoted. I have been skeptical of using it and now will likely not bother to buy it.

Tom