Kauz

I noticed that the old strut bearing looked fine, so I'm thinking this was a waste of my time

I'm confused...The bearing has nothing to do with the strut mount problem. It's the rubber design inside the strut mount. Exactly what did you replace?

I've got the top three strut mount nuts in, but the lower two strut bolts (the big ones) aren't lining up. Any ideas?

Try using a large screw driver in the top hole and pry on it to get the holes lined up. Then put the bolt in the lower hole. After that you should be able to get the top bolt in.

P.S. Watch out for those ABS speed sensors...

Kauz

OK. Good luck! Let us know how it turns out.

The chirping is most likely due to the Alt/Compressor belt slippage. Here are some suggestions:

- Check the condition of the belt, especially the inner track and the sides. Use a flash light or a shop light if you have to. If you see any cracks in the belt or chunks missing, then you'll need to replace the belt. The belts should probably be replaced every 60K-90K miles.

- If the belt looks good, then it might need to be tightened up a bit. When the AC comes on it puts a load on the engine and the belt is slipping and causing the chirping sound. As a rough test, you can press firmly on the middle of the belt and if it goes down more than 1/2 inch then it's too loose.

Kauz

crain21,

As you mentioned, code P1133 is due to a malfunction of sensor 1 bank 1 (between firewall and engine). However, the new codes of 1150 (range/performance malfunction) and 1155 (heater circuit malfunction) are for sensor 1 bank 2 (between the engine and the radiator). Did you mess with this sensor at all?

Kauz

Have you checked the part numbers stamped on the old and the new parts?

You may have accidentally broken or knocked out one of the ABS speed sensors.

chadmg7 is correct. The strut mounts must be replaced. This problem was present in some 2000 models as well. Lexus has since redesigned the shape of the rubber in the mounts to corrct this probelm.

I'm curious to know where you had the struts replaced. Was it at the dealer? If so, the dealer should have known about the cause of this known problem.

Kauz