Kauz

I ran into the same issue on our 2000 RX300. The door ajar light on the dashboard would stay lit even after all doors were shut and the lift gate was closed. When I tried to lock the doors with the remote or using the button on the driver door the doors would lock and then always immediately unlock. The only way to lock the doors was manually at every door or using the key in the door, turning towards the front of the car. Based on this thread, I first checked the lift gate, but that wasn't the problem. I disconnected the connector shown in Figure 1 above, and the resistance across the two wires going into the back latch was zero (short circuit) when the gate was open, but became infinite when the gate was shut. This was contrary to the solution that was stated above on this thread. In any case, the switch in the latch seemed to be functioning. Next I checked the window/door lock module on the driver door. I had a spare module from the past with a broken window key, so I removed the module (look on youtube if you've never done it before so that you don't break any tabs), disconnected the module and connected the spare module. The door ajar light was now going off when the door was closed and I was able to lock the doors as normal with the switch on the door and the remote. So, this proved to me that the problem was with the electronics inside the driver door switch module. I also realized that this issue surfaced when the weather got close to freezing here one night. It could have been a coincidence but also could mean a cold solder joint on the circuit board inside the module which could have resulted in an open circuit when the temperature dropped. I removed the three large screws and the three smaller screws from the plastic housing on the back of the module, removed the plastic covers, and removed the circuit board. Examining the pins on the two ICs (Integrated Circuits) to me it seemed that a few of the pins were sitting a bit too high and perhaps not making contact with the solder pads underneath. Using a soldering iron with a fine point I carefully touched all the pins one by one with very little pressure and without any solder on the iron tip. I was only reheating the pins and lightly pressing them on the solder pads below. Next, before putting the module back together, I took the circuit board to the car and plugged in the connector. Sure enough, now the door ajar light was functioning properly and everything was back to normal. I put everything back together and reinstalled the module in the door. Keep in mind that a broken wire or a bad sensor inside one of the locks could also result in the same symptom as I was experiencing with my car. So, there is no guarantee that your car has a bad door switch module, but it may be worth a try. It's too bad the RX300 does not indicate which door is not closed.

Shocks....Another one of the old igniters (cylinder 6) went out. Fortunately, I was able to replace it in the parking lot with the spare one that I had from the last time and didn't have to have it towed to my house. I guess I should have replaced all of them last time. Well, no harm done. I'll just replace the 3 remaining old ones with new ones this weekend for peace of mind. -Kauz

All, I am replacing the axle seal on the driver side on a 97 ES300 and I can't get the seal to seat in properly. I am using an oil filter socket to drive it in with a hammer. The socket fits over the outer wall of the seal perfectly but I get the seal to go in 2/3 of the way and then it won't go in any further and eventually it will go in crooked and I have to pull it out. I've already ruined two good seals. I've replaced several seals in the past: cam shaft, crank shaft, other axle seals, but I just can't get this one to seat in right. Has anyone ever replaced this seal that can give me some tips. Thanks, Kauz

tmastres, That's not a bad idea. I can get the parts online for about $76 a piece which is a lot less than $91 plus tax each that I had to pay at my local Toyota delaer. Kauz

That's what I was hoping. I'll keep an eye on it... Thanks, Kauz

Thank you all for the replies. Here is an update for those who might run into a similar situation. The engine codes had indicated that cylinders 3 and 4 were misfiring. Since the spark plugs looked good, I figured it had to be the ignition coils. So I bought 3 new coils and put them on cylinders 1, 3, and 5 in the back. I then moved one of the good old ones from the back to cylinder 4 in front. So I'm still left with one good old coil that I will keep in the car. I figured that if another one of the old ones goes bad in the front I can easily replace it wherever I am. I also replaced all spark plugs while I was at it. After 108K miles they were overdue anyway. So the problem is fixed and the car is running smooth again. My only concern is that I might have damaged the catlytic converter by driving the car with the condition that it was in (catalytic glowing orange red). I wish I had had it towed to my house instead of driving it 40 miles to my house. But, since I replaced the coils, the cat is not glowing anymore, which is good. Although, I still might have shortened the its life. I'll wait and see if I get any new codes. I might even get it tested if I take my car to the dealer for an alignment or something. By the way, I read that normally any unburned fuel gets burned up inside the cat. However, the amount of unburned fuel is very small and even though the cat gets very hot it does not glow red. But, when one or more cylinders do not fire, then you have a whole bunch of unburned fuel combusting inside the cat and overheating it and causing it to glow. Driving your car under this condition will eventually melt the honeycomb structure inside the cat and ruin it (cause blockage). If this happens, then even after you fix the misfire, the cat will still probably glow orange red. Sorry for the long post, but I thought some may find this useful and learn from my experience. Best Regards, Kauz

Hi Everyone, I need your thoughts and experties on a problem with our RX300. Here is what I know: -. 2000 RX300, 108K miles -. A few days ago the check engine light came on and started blinking. -. The engine lobes and it's seems quite likely that one or more cylinders are misfiring. -. I got the codes and they are P0300, P0303, and P0304. I did some search on the forum and it seems that most of the time the culprit is the ignition coil. Unfortunately the misfiring cylinders are 3 and 4 and cylinder 3 is a pain to get to. So here are my questions: Q1. Is it possible that only one coil is bad and caused the code on the other? It seems unlikely that both coils went out at the same time. Q2. After driving the car around the block, I parked it in the garage and looked under the hood. In the dark, I noticed that the catalytic converter was glowing red under the heat shield that covers it. I know the cat gets very hot under normal conditions, but does it actually glow? Is this caused by the unburned fuel in the cat? I had to drive the car home with this condition for about 40 miles. Could the excessive heat have damaged the cat? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

As the name implies, the Mass Air Flow Meter measures the volume of air going into the engine. The engine's computer uses this information to maintain the ideal air/fuel ratio of 14.7-to-1. If this meter is not functioning properly, then your car will not run optimally or not run at all depending on how off the meter is. You could swap the Mass Air Flow Meter with another car if there is one available as a way to confirm the source of the problem.

I've never fixed this problem but, I've read in a few posts that sometimes the noise may be due to lack of lubrication in one or two places. First, check and lubricate under the steering column dust boot right above the brake pedal. I've read people using WD-40 for this. The other place is the U-joint where the steering column comes out of the firwall. This U-joint can be lubricated using a general purpose grease. Not sure if either one would help but may be worth a check. Kauz

Here are the torque settings for the front strut replacements. wheel nuts 76 ft-lb ABS wire harness 22 ft-lb stabilizer bar link 29 ft-lb 2 shock absorber nuts 156 ft-lb 1 shock absorbet rod nut 36 ft-lb 3 suspension support nuts 59 ft-lb

So when you dropped the pan did you see any metal shavings on the magnets or in the pan? I'm curious to know why the solenoid is stuck.

Yes. I am talking about the resistance from the SL signal on the ECM connector to ground, which should include the solenoid coil resistance.

I saw this in the repair manual too and it confused me. I think that the solenoid's DC resistance should not be more than a few Ohms. If you repeat your measurement using a finer scale you will probably read a few Ohms and not zero. Or, at least that's what I think!

I've never had to deal with this error code, but the service manual states, as you said, that the code is set when a short or open circuit condition is detected (2 trip detection logic) on the shift solenid (SL) signal. To determine the cause, you would have to check the entire path from the ECM connector to the SL connector, in addition to checking the ECM SL pins and the SL itself. The part that I don't understand is that you are not having any problems with the transmission. If the shift solenoid is not operating then you would expect some abnormality in the shift pattern. Years ago the transmission started acting up on an 89 Camry that I owned. The dealer said the problem was a shift solenoid that was stuck. They recommended that I replace the faulty solenoid and the other two as well. It cost me $850. Then, a week later after the fix, the same thing happen again but this time it was a different solenoid. Of course, the problem was that the transmission had started producing metal, and the metal shavings were getting in the solenoids and making them stick. Making a long story short, I ended up replacing my transmission with a used transmission based on the dealer's recommendation. So, be careful and ask questions. Make sure they don't blindly start replacing parts. If the cause of the problem is not fixed, as in my case, then the problem may occur again.

All this talk about transmission failures is scaring me. We have a 2000 RX that we bought used with 70K miles and now close to 95K miles. The service record shows that the fluid was changed at 60K and I have not replaced the fluid since. I checked the fluid condition the other day and still looks decent. The car has been in a warm climate all its life. So, I'm wondering what are the signs that the transmission is on its last leg out? Is the tranny problem just a 4 wheel drive RX issue? BTW, I'm going to drain and refill the tranny any days now just to be safe. Hopefully that'll not jinx it.

Are you experiencing any shift problems? Does the car skip a gear or try to start off in the wrong grear?

You sould be able to find a shop that will install them for you. My understanding is that the KYB struts are oem parts so there should be no problem. Also, you may want to consider replacing the upper and lower spring insulators. They are like rubber spacers between the spring and the strut/mount seats and tend to wear with mileage. When I replaced mine one side was sort of torn up but the other side looked OK. They are not very expensive. The repair shop should be able to tell you if they are good or not once they take evrything apart.

I am surprised that lubrication fixed the problem. I always thought that the noise was metal banging against metal inside the strut mount. I know as a matter of fact that Toyota/Lexus redesigned the shape of the rubber bushing inside the mount. Nevertheless, it's good that you were able to fix it without having to replace the mounts. Good information.

I think Tokico makes struts for the ES. Check on Ebay. Not sure about adjustable shock absorbers but if you decide to go with non-adjustables and prefer a sportier suspension, then you probably have to go with stiffer springs as well.

I think that there is a different code for the heating element malfunction. The car seems to be fine for now but I'm thinking that it will eventually show up again. I plan to purchase an OBDII scanner capable of showing live sensor data. Maybe I'll be able to do better tests. (Actually I think it's just an excuse to buy another toy. :P )

The check engine light came on and stayed on for a day or so (short driving distances) on our RX300 (90K+). Then, after a couple of days, the light went off and has stayed off for a couple of weeks. I read the error codes and found out that there were two of them: P1130 Air/Fuel sensor range/performance malfunction (Bank1, Sensor 1) P1150 Air/Fuel sensor range/performance malfunction (Bank2, Sensor 1) I also read the freeze frame data and it showed that the P1150 fault was detected at around 2000 RPM, 25 MPH, coolant teperature 138 degrees F, IAT of 50 degrees F. I have not checked the O2 sensor signals yet. I'm not really sure at this point what may have caused the error codes. But, since the codes indicate that both sensors malfunctioned at the same time and since every thing seems to be fine now, I am thinking that the problem may have been due to some other fuel related issues such as dirty injectors. Not really sure though. Has anyone run into a similar situation? Any thoughts? Thanks, Kauz

Emission related error codes indicate that the engine is not performing at its peak. So, you may get a poor gas mileage and low output power, but it's probably not going to hurt anything. Also, you will not pass emission inspection if it is required in your state or county. I am having a similar problem with our RX300 that I am trying to resolve. Sensors going bad at 48K is not typical. Usually they last for about 100K or more. Also, both sensors going bad at the same time is a bit unlikely. Kauz

I've read that the maximun towing capacity for the RX300 is 3500 lbs. Here is a link to a thread regarding the transmission change for the 2001 model. http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...8020&st=270 You can purchase a hard copy or pdf version of the factory shop manual to help you with DIY repairs. Working on the RX is not too bad and plenty of info is available on this site. You will run into the usual difficulties assiciated with working on transverse engines. Good luck, Kaz

I was not trying to be mean, in fact, the opposite trying to be helpful. ;) And, again I'm not trying to be mean, but I could use the instructions from the above link to change the transmission fluid in my 4 cylinder Toyota Camry! But, hey I could be wrong and this would not be the first time. Perhaps, others with more intimate knowledge of the RX330 could pitch in.

Fellow Georgian, you should always do a search for your problem first so more people are willing to help you on this forum. Here is a link that I found by searching for "transmission fluid change". http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...on+fluid+change Good luck!