Jim Nazium

I'm sorry, but I don't mean to come off sounding negative... but the Lexus Navi system is less than ideal! And, if only for the Nav Hack (prior to ver 6) it is somewhat decent. What is the point to a Navi system, if you cannot make changes or requests on the fly through the screen (since the Lexus Voice System recognizes only Cobalt Commands dictated through a mouth full of peanut butter and Jelly Sandwiches on warm and moist oven fresh bread) by updating to 10.1 you are virtually crippling the system. I use my cellphone as backup if for whatever reason my 6.1 Navi CD cannot find a new street. In all honesty, Lexus / Toyota errored and should never charge Microsoft Like Prices to a System that is INHERENTLY flawed. Pay money to render a Navi completely useless... pfft! Cheers, MadloR

You can search ebay for... "04 05 06 LEXUS RX330 RX350 CCFL ANGEL EYES WHITE d3" as an example. Has anybody had the initiative or have experience with such a mod? I mod'ed the Fog/Driving Lights with 50W (and 35W) ballasts to have HID output, and was extremely disappointed with the Asian quality (tried 3 various kits / manufacturers). Bulb and Ballasts failure within less than 3 months, and that is without much actually "running" them ON. One other point, is I would like to physically know how to rewire the Day time running lights... I would much prefer having the DRL run as part of either the "angel eyes" or if that "kit" is not possible, have the mini bulb found above the High Beam Bulb powered on in DRL mode. I have already replaced the filament bulb found above the high beam bulb with a high intensity LED bulb. It does not output much light, the reason for safety sakes, would perfer to add Angel Eyes. Cheers, MadloR

There are some tricks to attaining better gas mileage... 1) Do not let others drive your vehicle. Obviously, another family member will not have the Technic down pat. 2) In winter, if you can, choose to drive with your heated seats in place of the Heater (leave off, hence the engine is not required to transfer heat to the anti-freeze in order to send heat to the heater core) 3) Try to accelerate initially by Electric, then at about 15-20mph when the ICE kicks in, steadily and gingerly without too much hesitation, get up to Legal Speed limit less 5-10%. This is a Technic, you can't be to hesitant about this yet you can't plant your foot to the floor either. In order to ride the coast factor, you need to be somewhere between 35 - 45 mph in the city (depending on legal speed limits in your area). This is one of the hardest Technics to master. 5) Hey, it's no secret, if you drive at 65mph (i.e. of legal speed in many states) you will get much better mpg by actually driving 58mph or so... Yep, you will be in the right lane and most everyone will be passing you. But that 5-8% variable pays off over a tankful of gas. 4) If you have the choice of driving in the city or the highway to get to the same destination, choose city. Anything below 50mph allows for more Electric Power and less use of the ICE. It is what it is, so to attain mpg you need more Electric mojo. 5) Coast. By that, when you know you are approaching either a stop sign or light, back off on the throttle even though you are less inclined to do so. This is what p!sses off the people behind you the most, but this is where you gain the most electric use and hence less ICE. And this also requires anticipation, so don't wait for the stale green light to turn yellow-red, back off the throttle and coast. 6) Bump up your factory tire psi by approximately 3 - 5 psi. You will need to take note of tire wear, because if you tend to over due it you may cause abnormal tire wear as well as experience a rougher choppier ride. But, less rolling resistance means better mpg. You can use 65% by volume Carnuba Wax (Zymol private collectors edition, that requires you to rub the product in your hand to heat and warm on the wax, because it can only be applied by hand) and you will never get any kind of mileage improvement. Zip, Zero, Zilch! Your car will be super shiny and have a very lasting wax finish, but the resistance of the wind over a waxed or unwaxed car will be ZERO difference in wind resistance. Cheers, MadloR P.S. I used to get over 30mpg's (averaging between 31 - 34 mpg) but now my wife drives the 400H exclusively and she pays ZERO attention to driving and she averages 23mpg with Zero effort on her part. On my last excursion driving 65 - 75 mph, I managed with the AC on to get 25mpg LOL).

Well, the fact remains, that K&N air filters contain oil as part of there filtering properties. That "stain", looks an awful lot like oil to me, and the only way oil would appear after the air filter, along the air box and through to the way to the MAF... is from the K&N air filter. Period. Clean it out, with isopropyl alcohol (diluted, or less than 50% concentration) the air box and air housing. Pat down the air filter with Paper towels, and blow dry it with a hair dryer. Remove the K&N air filter sticker. And if the problem persists, put back the factory air filter and have the stealer look at it for you if you find it somehow is affecting the performance of your vehicle. Cheers, MadloR

Hey Emim, Absolutely not. These are Pure Summer only tires, classified as a high performance SUV tire for summer use. You would be looking for a four season tire, and if you search the forums, some members have chosen the Yokohama Prada. I have no experience with them, so I cannot comment on there attributes or aspects. I have heard of Bridgestone being very good in producing a four season tire as well. I will not comment either, on your choice, but will say that I prefer to invest in the most important piece of equipment on our vehicles (for that matter, any vehicle)... Tires. So I have full blown winter tires during the winter months, and the Advan S.T. for spring, summer and fall. Good Luck with your search, Cheers, MadloR

I am offering my review of the following Tire, the Yokohama ADVAN S.T. Today, I have put on approximately 1250 miles on them since installing them a couple of weeks ago. I have some data to compare with my previous two tires, both manufactured by Good Year and with completely different viewpoints. The factory Good Year tires in the O.E.M. tire size were terrible in all aspects (tire noise, drive comfort, wet and dry handling). After the first oil Change, I swapped them out for Good Year Eagle Responsedge in a more appropriate tire size for our class of vehicle and weight, 255/55-R18. This tire exceeded my expectations in every department, they were super, super quiet. Excellent dry and very good wet weather traction. They were smooth throughout their entire tire life (which is usually pretty rare) and I put on approximately 33,000 miles on them (I use full blown winters, and do not drive much in winter) before they were replaced. I took the time to break in the tires (YOKOHAMA ADVAN S.T.) and scrubbed off the usual tire dimples and the anti adhesion silicon used to release a tire from there molds. I drove over various distances, but base my opinion mainly on one long trip along the eastern coast (from Montreal to Maine). I took both scenic routes, city roads, and highways. Experienced both hot, humid weather conditions, as well as cooler climates (mountains) and rain. I found the tires to perform well, and delivered what I was expecting from Yokohama. The comfort factor, driving over various road conditions were superior to the Respondege, probably due to the fact the Good Years used a very stiff Kevlar sidewall. But, I found the Respondedge to be a quieter tire. One big difference, was the Yokohama Advan S.T. is a fantastic tire if you happen to drive over roads where you tend to have tracking issues. By that I mean, grooves in the road or severe road wear where you see grooves that cause the tire to want to track like a train on a railroad track. The Yokohama Advan S.T. was FANTASTIC, literally ignoring any kind of road grooves, imperfections, and driving on exactly where you want to go, even when changing lanes!!! I did not experience any kind of tugging or tracking by the tire, whatsoever. If you happen to live in areas with high traffic wear (LA, NYC etc...), or roads with grating grooves that cause your vehicle to want to steer off direction, then I HIGHLY recommend this tire. I also found the Yokohama ADVAN S.T. to outperform the Responsedge in rain as well, marginally better (not a huge, huge difference, but in rain every little bit helps), even when the Responsedge were new. Now, if only the Yokohama Advan S.T. can improve somewhat in the next 1000 miles or so in terms of road noise, then they too can exceed my expectations. Cheers, MadloR

Actually, I believe your answer is in the Air Filter you are using... I noticed you are using a K&N air filter. Those filters require to be "oiled" as part of there air filtration characteristics. And, as a rule, more is not better. The filters when new come pre-oiled. When they are serviced, they are washed with the appropriate air filter cleaner, and then allowed to dry. Then, you are to re-oil the K&N air filter with the appropriate Oil. I believe the air filter was over oiled and therefore appears in the form of "oil sweating" through a seal or component (that being the mass air flow meter). I would suggest you open up the air filter box, and wipe everything down to remove any excess air filter oil. Cheers, MadloR

Well, yesterday (11/07/19) was the official day that the Good Year Eagle Responsedge tires came off the car and into retirement. I had the Yokohama Advan S.T. installed, mounted and balanced. I drove back from my US residency to Canada (my canadian residents) and will allow for a few tanks of gas so as to give the new tires a chance to break in. I will say, like any new tire coming onto a vehicle that previously had tires worn down to the thread minimum, you will immediately notice a difference in ride quality. The extra rubber whenever you swap from worn to new will immediately show a smoother more comfortable ride. Like any new tire, there needs to have a chance to scrub off the tire lubricant used to allow the tire to break away from the tire mold. As well, there needs the time for the tire to break into shape by wearing off the dimples and settle into a smooth wear. My first reactions were, like I mentioned above, smoother. The tires are road noisier than the worn Good Years, due to the dimples and brand new nature of the tire. I look forward to updating with a new thread about my initial impressions of the Yokohama Advan S.T. So far, they are a damn nice looking tire, and I hope to be equally impressed in terms of my criteria's when choosing a Summer Only tire. Cheers, MadloR

Zero Oil Consumption on my end, my RX has 44,000 pampered miles. Personally, an engine that burns oil is not necessarily a bad thing. Better Lubrication LOL. (FWIW: Most Alfa Romeo's that had sweet DOHC All Aluminum Engines like sucking back 3/4 - 1+ quart(s) of oil in between each oil change, and it was completely within factory specs.. 8 litre oil pans if I remember correctly.) Personally, I think the greater problem with the Hybrid Engine, is the constant cycling of the Gas Engine. Unless your oil CAN get hot enough, the oil gets contaminated with Fuel and as such, contaminates the oil quiet easily. Every time I change the engine oil, I find it smells like "Gas" much more than any other vehicle that I have owned. I find the upside down oil filter to be a poor design choice. I like the fact that the dealer service maintains proof, without any doubt, as per the fact that the vehicle was serviced according to Lexus. Yes, I know it's a 100 dollar oil change. What I do at home, is once I get the vehicle back, I drive with the dealer oil for about a week. I then drain the oil at night, while the engine is still hot and let it sit with the oil drain plug removed overnight. The next day, I drop in synthetic oil. I usually buy synthetic oil that is on sale and stock up when necessary. I like to use the 0W/20 stuff, if I can find it, during the Cooler Days from Autumn - Winter - and through to the cooler days of Spring. I have a lot of trouble finding 0W/20 (in 4.4 or 5 litre jugs), so the next best choice (and it says so on the oil filler cap) is 5W/30. But, during the hotter months, I will swap the oil out for 5W/40 or 5W/50, especially when I have the vehicle all loaded up and travelling about in stop and go city traffic. Cheers, MadloR

Yes, a remote engine start would work. The issue, is two fold. You have a vehicle with a slightly smaller carbon footprint, and then you install a car starter. If you leave the climate control on, with temp set to say 75 F, and start your vehicle (be it by remote starter or key) the engine will turn over. Heat is generated by the engine, and the hot coolant is sent to the heater core box so as to blow heat into the passenger compartment. The same occurs in the summer, the climate control is set to cool the passenger compartment. The AC compressor is electric, so the hybrid batteries are used to turn over the ac compressor. When the hybrid batteries are depleted, the engine will turn over and recharge the hybrid batteries while supply energy to the electric compressor. So, you CAN have an auto starter on a hybrid, but seems like an oxymoron thing to do LOL.

Some Photos of the Good Year's before they come off... You will notice the now smooth even wear. Absolutely no cupping, uneven tread wear of any kind. I also shined them up one last time with McGuire tire dressing lol...

A Big oversight of this optional keyless system, is the automatic trunk opening and closing. Something that we can now perform with our key fob.

Ah, Uh... Advanced Keys Group Buy?!?!?!

Welcome Arjuna... Not sure really what you are asking. If you are implying whether or not the cost of higher octane fuel offsets the cost of the fuel for greater fuel mileage, this isn't the case. I have found to achieve greater fuel mileage using regular grade octane. The only time I have found the higher octane to be of any benefit, is during the few weeks in the year where it gets super hot and muggy. On those occasions, I have found the higher octane to alleviate traces of pre-ignition (otherwise known as "pinging") while driving up moderate inclinations typically found on long stretches of highways. Our engines adapt well, but in the extremely humid and hot periods, find the engine mapping to be more friendly towards mileage than to avoiding pre-ignition. Alot of this is all due to the cvt imho, since it doesn't work exactly like a conventional geared transmission. Cheers, MadloR

With your happy disposition, I see you have invited many to respond to your request for help... ENJOY!!!!

Hmmm I sense a GROUP BUY ?!?!?!

Agreed RX400H, most any tire choice can be a compromise. Now, I do not want to rain on anybodies parade, for those who chose a four season tire like the Yokohama Prada-X, but as a rule a four season tire offers the highest compromise of all. As you probably all know, a four season tire will never out perform a full Blown Winter Tire in the snow, slush, sub-zero temperatures etc... And will never out perform a High Performance Summer Tire in the Hot scorching summer sun, running at high speeds and cornering loads, driving on a highway at night and being quiet and comfortable etc... But it does offer to one extreme, a season or two of mild winter driving ( if you happen to install them right before the first winter ) and about 2 or 3 seasons of summer driving. I run a full blown winter tire because I want the best for my winter needs ( as well, it is the law ), therefore I would of excluded any four season tire ( like the Prada-X ) for my summer needs. Cheers, MadloR

I was also a bit surprised. But he has 255's, the Parada is not available in that size. But I was surprised at his choice, there were other tires more highly rated in that size, particularly the General Grabber UHP. I don't think he researched it enough. But I hope he'll be happy with his choice. Well, research I did. In fact, I was probably one of the first on this forum to post and to actually go aftermarket and mod the factory tire model and size. I chose to go wider soon after taking ownership ( after the first oil change in fact) and ordered an extra set of factory rims and 255/55-r18 summer only tires. I still believe the factory short changed the massive weight of the vehicle when optioning out the oem tire size. The first point I tell everyone is to go with as wide as you can while trying to preserve overall tire diameter... And the size that gives you the widest width and most tire options is the 255/55-r18. The Good Year Eagle ResponsEdge was the best choice for me back in 2007 (Quiet ride, Wet Traction, Durability, and Response) based on my order of preference. AND the bonus!!!! Was they looked Hot and Maintained there sidewall clean mat look without the need to use harsh chemicals to clean the tire sidewall that happens so often with most tires (that dull bronze film). I think the Advan S.T. @ $129 + $15 shipping is awefully tough to beat. Oh, did I mention there was no other Real brand name tire in that size under $200> plus shipping. I am simply not interested in going with low end manufactures like General, Uniroyal, Sumitomo, Cooper, Nexen etc, and based my choices on a more higher end tire manufacturer. Cheers, MadloR P.S. Oh, did I mention, I got premium Yoko's for under $600!!!

Holy SMOKES!!! That was FAST! I ordered the Tires from Tire Rack on Wednesday, and they shipped from two different warehouses in the USA by UPS Ground. They arrived at the port forwarding shipping depo that I requested they be shipped to in upstate NY, on FRIDAY!!!! (July 1st). Dayamn! THAT was frigin' fast! I won't be able to get them installed before the week of the 17th :( So far, I have read nothing but good things about the Yokohama ADVAN S.T., they do mention they are designed for Sporty SUV's, and are a full blown summer dry and rain tire. The tire is still part of the Yokohama 2011 tire catalog, so I cannot understand why Tire Rack opted to liquidate them. Here is a photo of the tire, and it looks pretty similar to the size and diameter of my tire size 255/55-r18 From the Yokohama product info... FEATURES & BENEFITS: - Directional tread pattern - Exclusive rubber compound - Advanced construction design - W-shaped multidirectional grooves - Wide centre rib - 5-pitch variation ADVANTAGES: - Superior water drainage - Provides grip unaffected by extreme high or low temperature - Offers high speed stability - Offers crisp steering response - Reduced noise and better comfort

My all time favorite tire is on there last legs... Good Year Eagle Responsedge 255/55 r18 :( Found a hummer of a deal on Yokohama ADVAN S.T. $129 plus $15 for shipping... They look HOT, and are designated as Street/Sport Truck Summer tire... and I pulled the trigger on them. I wish I could of found another set of Responsedge, but I guess all good things come to an end. I swear, it was as if the engineers at Good Year and Lexus got together in designing these tires for our RX 400H. I mean, I didn't even need to add air, ever! Cheers, MadloR

255/55-R18 Good Year Eagle Response Edge I purchased these tires soon after taking delivery of my RX 400H and I must say, in one word... AWESOME. Simply the best tire I have ever owned. They have been as QUIET from the day I put them on, and up until now (I am really pushing it, in terms of tread wear) where the tires are on there last legs. I have driven on them now for 4 years (spring, summer and fall) and they have been excellent in dry and in wet. They have NEVER required re-balancing during there lifespan and have never required any air during there lifespan either (I have checked the air, regularly, but honestly, have not required to add air other then sometimes adjusting tire pressures depending on what kind of road trips). As a bonus, the tires look awesome, nice tread, and really nice sidewall. The tires also had an additional ingredient or feature if you will, that really kept the look of the tire black that prevented the tire from fading or hazing the sidewall with that dungy bronze haze that so many tires do. Had Good Year Still offered them, I would buy them again in a heart beat. When they were new, I purchased them for about $140 shipped each, from the Tire Rack. I wasn't sure about them, but after reading there marketing babble about how the sidewall were built with kevlar and reinforced to enhance a quiet ride, I opted for them without hesitation. The Goodyear RS-A were awful. Now I am in the market for new tires, and tire rack has a blowout on the Yokohama ADVAN ST in my tire size, $135 shipped. The regular price is well over $200, and since they are being discontinued, they are being liquidated; they have 4 left LOL. I know I will be disappointed, compared to the Response Edge, but I cannot justify the price of the Bridgestone Dueler, Pirelli Scorpion, Michelin MX4's etc. Nor am I willing to take a chance on Nitto or Khumo, and certainly not Cooper, General, Firestone, Sumitomo etc... Here's hoping Yokohama ADVAN ST live up to the legend... Good Year Eagle Responsedge. Cheers, MadloR

OK, when charging a battery, part of the logic process that goes into determining if a battery is fully charged is a combo of measuring resistance and heat (among other factors, but the important criteria remains temp and resistance). So, whenever charging a battery, especially quickly or with a lot of current, the by product of doing so is heat. So, is it normal to quickly charge a battery and have the battery give off heat? Your proof is in your original post. As for the auxiliary fans running, I must say that I have never heard any fan for that matter turn on or blow out from where the hybrid batteries are located. You might want to investigate the matter further, because the Lexus system is designed to never fully charge the batteries for obvious life cycle reasons and to prolong there durability. When the system senses the batteries approaching 80% or so, the system will prevent further energy to be stored by the hybrid batteries. So, if for some reason you were capable in your attempt to reset the ISC, and caused the hybrid batteries to overheat in some shape, way, or form. I would book an appointment and have your system inspected and checked out. Or, if you have an OBD II scanner, see if you can see any kind of fault code and if so keep that knowledge with you when you have your vehicle serviced/inspected. To me, it doesn't sound normal. Cheers, MadloR

Works as advertised, but, I find it to be stupid. If I had intended to wash my headlights, I should choose to do so regardless of driving condition. Hence, only work with the headlight washer switch, and not with the very first time that I hit the windshield washer button while driving with my headlights on... Quirky, but livable. Cheers, MadloR

The vehicles Bluetooth feature is very poor (performance wise for sound and quality) compared to many other Bluetooth Enabled Vehicles. I have tried the iPhone 2g, iPhone 4 as well as various blackberry's in the RX 400h and the result is the same... it SUCKS! Acura TL, BMW 5 series, M5, Mini (particulary OUTSTANDING) etc... pretty much outperform GEN4 and Gen 5 Lexus / Toyota Bluetooth... Cheers, MadloR

I have tested Regular Unleaded (not the 10% mix stuff) and the Mid as well as Super Unleaded, under the same conditions (temperature, driving conditions, traffic, route etc), and over the same span (when I purchased the vehicle, and again a year later) on two separate occasions... found on a consistent basis that Regular Unleaded gave me results of 2-3 mpg greater efficiency. I drove at least ONE tank of gas, per fuel type. Made sure to operate the vehicle in an identical manner (with AC off, didn't require it, nor with the heater running), and after each fillup I went through the tedious ISC Reset procedure. Time and time again after that, when I had the chance to purchase fuel on sale (LOL, it happens, but not often and only the Super Unleaded stuff) driving for long stretches (like a trip of 6 plus hours) I had a reference point when taking a trip in one direction and driving back home along the same route. The Regular just delivered better gas mileage. The bonus, is you get to save a bit too at each fillup, so why pay for the Octane (that's really, why, Super Unleaded Costs more, not because it is refined or of better quality) when the 400h does not take advantage of it. Cheers, MadloR