Jim Nazium

I kind of dislike this 20k or 25k set and forget type of oil, synthetic or super synthetic. One of the reasons for this is oil contamination, and I believe the 400h will contaminate the oil more than a conventional non hybrid vehicle. The constant start and stop, as well as the ability to get the oil hot enough to burn off "excess". By excess I mean things like contaminants like unburned fuel, moisture etc. Then of course comes the actually efficiency of the oil filter. Can and will it last and be efficient to 20k or 25k? And if so, what proof do you have to satisfy Lexus. Also, how will it appear if god forbid you have an engine related failure or defect and you lay claim to 20K or 25k oil change intervals? IMH, stay away from this and you will simply save yourself headaches in the long run. Just change the oil more frequently and you will be "good to go". Cheers, MadloR

Welcome to the forum damon. Not surprised the dice wouldn't work for you. Your car's 7 model years old, and I think they're designed for newer cars ... say, no older than 4 or 5 years. Since this is the hybrid forum that you've drilled down into, the oldest model you'd likely find being talked about here, would be no older than 3 model years ('06 - 07' - 08' ... btw, anyone here even own an '08 yet?). Kinda curious though, what the web site info was, that you feel was misinformation. Maybe a link would be helpful? Please see my post here http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=41153 I just received the vehicle, transitioned from a 2007 ES350 Ultra lux. No offense, but... what is an ES350 Ultra Lux? Is it an option available on all ES350's, the Ultra Lux? :D

Base your decision on... Climate... The colder it is, then, you should choose at the very least synthetic for the extremely cold periods. Same goes for Extreme Months in the dog days of summer. Frequency... If you change your oil at the factory levels, you might want to consider using Synthetics instead. I use conventional oil and after each oil change from the dealer (with oil filter), I will dump the oil after 2500 miles and replenish it with conventional 5W-30. I do this simply because I find the oil filter located in a most retarded location. It reminds me of my 3SGTE engine. Beliefs... For those extreme months, as mentioned above, I will dump the oil soon after the dealer oil change and fill with synthetic 5W30, or if winter for the extreme January February I will use Synthetic 0W30. The debate of whether synthetics are worth it or not, will be endless. Do what you feel is right. My method to my madness may be completely contrary to someone elses beliefs. But at the very least DO change your oil, either way changing oil is a good thing. Cheers, MadloR

I believe my M5 has an electric element... no matter how cold it is, the system will start to blow (though sofly at first) heat into the passenger cabin. I always wondered why other luxury carmakers never followed suit with whatever device BMW use... Cheers, MadloR

I have experience ZERO wind noise, whatsoever. I have driven in summer, winter, in bad conditions with crosswinds and such, and have found no noise eminating from the overhead crossbars, or roof rack structure. This must be a point where Lexus spent some considerable time in the wind tunnel, and the engineers got it spot on. My previous history with roof rack with other SUV's I have owned have been mixed. My Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 2001 model was not great, but I did manage to mute the wind noise by adjusting each individual rack in the further position... front bar and rear bar aimed as much to the rear of the vehicle as possible. Wind noise was alot better, and only for those blustery days where you experience flying cows did the roof rack make that annoying whistling sound. My previous Infiniti aka Pathfinder was Horrendous. It was noisey, and there was nothing you could do about it far from removing it or drowing out the noise by duct taping chickens to the roof rack at all four corners. Audi S6 wagon was nice and quiet, except if installing the cross over bars... they weren't designed to be "on" all the time and they were much higher than normal so as to accomodate all the various adaptors for different needs. So if you left the cross over bars ON, they were plain noisey. I too was apprehensive about the 400h, and the roof rack. But I can honestly say it doesn't make noise and the look doesn't sway me in either direction (whether nicer with them on or off). Cheers, MadloR

I used my father's Garmin NUVI 660 NAV for quite a while and was very happy to get back to using the one in the RX - much better, IMO. And yes, gas prices are rising through the roof! Hmm.. Is that to say that the time to destination is not updated durring the trip based on your current location? My Acura NAVI system will update based on your current location such that the remainder of the trip is calculated based on speed limits of the roads. If I am stuck in traffic I can see the time estimate go up. If I am driving faster than the speed limit it goes down but only to the limit of the speed limits programmed in the database. I thought the RX's system was pretty much the same in that regard. As far as not being able to use the touch screen once in motion, I agree, that it total BS. My Acrua sedan has no such limitations. But, I was under the impression that the system could be changed with voice commands while in motion. Is this not the case? I am planning on purchasing an 08 RH400h in December. Location: San Jose /Steve My Navi system updates time and distance to arrival, as I make my way from my initial to final destination. I notice this when all of a sudden, my trip is bogged by traffic, as the average speed decreases the time factor increases for the same number of miles travelled. Cheers, MadloR P.S. the Acura system is probably my favorite Navi system to date. I like it better than my M5 system.

DRL's are Halogen powered, for the obvious reasons. HID's do not work with the same concept as a filament bulb, same concept as putting a dimmer switch for Neon lights, it just won't work. I believe most manufactures lower the overall output voltage to the high beams (most common form of DRL's, as they are also aimed more up and forward than low beams) by 2-3 Volts. The actual "dingier" beam is caused by the Temperature range of the bulb and in all honesty a 16Volt output to the same temperature range bulb will not appear any "cleaner" or "whiter" than say 12 volts or even 8-10 volts to the very same bulb. Trust me, long before HID were of fashion/available I always modified my vehicles to improve the "North American" standard. In Europe, they have long been ahead of us in headlamp design (E-spec) and layout. On the weekend I will try to getting around to swapping out the High Beams (god willing, I am helping someone renovate THERE home for free hehehe) for something like the Sylvania Silver Stars. I never liked the "look" of HID with the crossbreading of Halogen bulbs giving the mismatched look. Cheers, MadloR

I am not up to snuff on US law, as I mentioned, not being too sure about the laws state by state. But up here in Canada it is a law, and has been for a very long time. As for there effectiveness, it HAS been proven an advantage, DRL's work. You will spot a vehicle at distance better with the high beams on SOONER, than an identical vehicle with High Beams off... especially on bright days or early evening and / or late afternoons. Also keep in mind, that I think DRL's are even MORE important for Hybrid vehicles. On many occasions when driving in public places such as parking lots, the 400H is being propelled on battery power, hence SILENT. Hence, pedestrians, children, elderely, have to rely solely on sight, due to the very quiet nature while cruising on Battery only. This is not to say that accidents won't happen, but you have to believe that the Highbeams "on" cannot hurt, especially when driving on battery power alone, it can only help. I am not going to debate on whether someone should or should not de-activate DRL's, nor am I going to debate on whether or not there is an actual fuel savings. To each his own, much like those who believe in using Super Unleaded for better fuel economy etc... As for being pulled over, probably not, but I am of the belief to never give an officer a REASON to pull you over. Also, if you ARE pulled over for i.e. speeding or some other infraction, they may decide to throw the book at you. Cheers, MadloR

If it is a Federal State law, where you live, then no dealer in there right mind will agree to disable them. I am not sure about the state laws in the US of A, but I know it Canada it is a requirement. I do agree that some vehicles execute the DRL feature better than others. I hate them on my M5, but it is the law. I personally do not mind them on my RX 400H, but I will be changing the Halogen High Beams with something in the 4300K range so as to match the following... :D HID Fog / Driving Lights I haven't decided whether to go with SilverStar or some other "Name Brand" like PIAA. Cheers, MadloR

Welcome to the board mistafrizz... Alot of the information you have requested is available on the board by seeking out with the search feature... at the same time you will come across alot of interesting topics. Your "tips" that you suggest we share, are they based on modifications to our 400h's, or on everyday driving to maximise fuel economy? Cheers, MadloR

The one decent dealership in my area, in which I take my 400H to service, has courtesy cars, but not the US models. I purchased my 400H from the States and imported it myself, saved over 10k... only downside is for the 3 or so times I take it in to service a year I am not privey to a free lexus loaner. The "other" dealer which is willing to loan me a car (toyota product) tacks on a bundle of "necessary" costly service maintenance (though not outlined in the Lexus Owners Manual) such as brake cleaning, 4 wheel alignment (at each and Every oil change) etc... I do not know how they stay in business. Anyhoot, I am sure the dealers in the US of A are a whole lot better than the Canadian Lexus Dealers, afterall, it is the US of A that taught the rest of the economic world the meaning of "SERVICE" and "After Sales SERVICE". Cheers, Madlor P.S. Sewell Lexus of Texas is AWESOME, they are more helpfull over the phone than my present dealer service department is in person.

You might want to check the legality issues in your area. As well, ask yourself the reason why you want to de-activate vs there benefits or what you believe to be the disadvantages. Cheers, MadloR

Just curious for those considering upgrading there Nav CD, if the "I agree" screen will disappear as well, and if the newest cd will work if made into a Hybrid DVD... Cheers, MadloR

There isn't one. Lexus must of figured that with the Battery energy "percentage left" and what remaining fuel there is, they could not devise a way to exponentially know how to calculate a formula to display what "miles to empty" could be accurately displayed. And, more importantly the dangers involved if a customer were to push the envelope and run out of fuel, causing the vehicle to be propelled on battery power only would in effect run the risk of putting the vehicle in "dead battery state". A procedure that probably would involve too many owners stranded, requiring special start up procedures and hence incurring costly expense to both the owners and Lexus. If you search the boards, you will find some who have a pretty good idea, on how far you can run once the fuel idiot light comes on. Cheers MadloR

I am happy for you that you are happy with your choices. I think tires should be MORE than just about bang for the buck. Tires are different things to different folks. I think your choice in choosing the Alenzas are probably one of the most sound choices and in fact probably the best choice on the market. This is probably the tire Lexus should of chosen as Factory OEM but didn't for obvious reasons. But you know what? I wouldn't choose them for my 400h for the following reasons. I never choose tires based on "lowest cost", I first find the type of tire I am interested in purchasing and after narrowing down my choice, I will then shop for the price for THAT make and model. Second, I find the factory tire size TOO small, and hence went the 255/55 route and it is considered a PLUS Zero upgrade. Third I hate the look of the Alenzas (no offense to you intended) and simply find them Econoline look in they shape and tread. Fourth I was looking for a more Spring Summer Autumn Performance tire, simply because I live in a real world 4 season environment, and all season tires simply do not cut it for me and I do need full blown Winter Tires for the Winter Season. Fifth, my criteria also had to include durability, quiet ride, smooth ride, and good dry and wet traction and forgo the winter season (as outlined above, because I swap to Winter Tires) and combine all of these elements rather than exceeding in some and doing poorly in others (again, I am not saying the Alenza is weak in any of those particular areas). I respect others opinion, but people do need to ask themselves what are they expecting from there NEXT tire. It's a balancing act, and I think forums such as these are excellent in getting feedback from others before forking over the cash and being disatisfied with your new acquisition. Cheers, MadloR

Good point, BUT we are not talking about a $14,395 plus PDI TOYOTA Yaris. I am sure it would not take much for someone at Lexus USA to pick up the phone (figuratively speaking) and call someone at Toyota JAPAN and have them get one of there "Gofers" to go and cherry pick the needed parts and ship them DHL. WHAT!?!?! There are no GS450h's rolling off the production lines? Did somebody at Toyota stop paying there suppliers? Is there a strike going on by the employee's of Lexus / Toyota? In a Corporate world, it takes only one person to care enough to get things done... putting logistics aside, we are talking about a flagship product here not a run of the mill Yaris (no offense to Yaris owners intended) and you SHOULD get what you PAY for. If your hamburger is cold at McDonalds, well you know, it's McDonalds. Yes ok, there are some who will argue that it is unacceptable, but if you ask the majority of people if this is a rare or completely unacceptable the majority would say "hey, !Removed! happens, it's McDonalds after all". But if your 18oz 12 week aged New York cut steak @ $29.95 not including Hors d'Ouvres, nor side dishes, nor refreshements (well you get the idea), you better be damn sure that steak is served and cooked to perfection because you EXPECT it for THAT price. And if they fail in doing so, you are understood in your expectations to ask for another steak and not simply have the steak "reheated". In the end, it's all B.S. if they cannot get some parts delivered in a timely manner. Bottom line, we are not sending a man to Mars, some guy somewhere in the USA has a non functional vehicle that requires a few parts from a manufacturer that sells high end vehicles and whom the people who work for, do not care enough to pick up the phone and DO something about it. Now, I wonder how fast Lexus would of reacted if say it were not FineCarFanatic, but some guy named Jarno Trulli, or Steven Spielberg etc... I wonder what the Lexus people in N.A. would of done differently... hmmm, let me see... Picked up the phone and called Lexus Japan? Cheers, MadloR

Nonetheless... We know Lexus is not responsible for the accident, but come on... waiting months on end for parts is completely unacceptable. Have they (the dealer) offered you a loaner? Nothing like driving a Ford Tempo for 3+ months... The dealer NEEDS to go to bat for you, he carries more influence with respect to Toyota. Ask... NO, Tell... NO!!! DEMAND they do something about it. You have been patient enough. Best of Luck MadloR

Great!!!! Now, if only the NAVI would recognize "Say command" :D Cheers, MadloR

Well, you have to ask yourself several questions first. 1) Do you plan on keeping the vehicle more than the typical 3 years or so, if yes, then will it be more like 5+ years and longer? If so, take it to the dealer at every 5K interval. Trust me, it will show committment, the same kind that will be shared when at the 5 or so years and you have a problem of major expense. The Dealer will have no reason not to go to bat for you against "them". "Them", being the people Toyota hire to deny EXPENSIVE claims, or rather find any reason to deny you the warranty repair. 2) If your going to change the oil yourself, then great. I won't, I tried it once and can't stand the location of the Oil Filter. I guess some Disgruntled Ex Toyota Engineer put one past the final approval team, before quitting or being laid off. If your not going to change the oil yourself, then take it to the Dealer. The jiffy lube place, remember, are hired at minimum wage and are NON certified mechanics. There mandate, is to change oil quickly. Do they really allow the time to drain the oil well? Whereas, once you are in the bay there 2nd mandate is to find ways to have you part with more of your money. Trust me, Jiffy Lube and other like quick oil and lube operations, are run as a Business. How much are you really saving, and does point 1) come into play for you? 3) At the very least, take your 400h in to service at the main and more important service maintenance schedules. If you know of more speciality like shops, for things like 4 wheel alignement (I know of one in my area, they have things like "on the vehicle, wheel balancing", very specialised equipment) where they have the latest and most advanced equipment. Usually this equipment is handled by one or two certified specialists who have been trained to use these types of sophisticated equipment. Make sure they have the right "specs" before proceeding. I am not implying that Dealers are not competent, but if you can get better, why not, right? The real truth though, is my point 1). If you are meticulous and keep all your records and have proof that you have used the right oil and at the very least used a Toyota spec oil filter, then it will be very difficult for the dealer to deny you service. BUT, from a business point of you, will they value you MORE as a customer then say someone who visits them 3 - 5 times a year? The other side of the coin, and perhaps the real question and thoughts by people like RXrey... Are you/we obliged to go to the dealer to have the brakes changed? No, you are not, but unless you have the right tools (some vehicles require strange Hex type sizes, for example, tools that are not typical of most peoples tool chests) doing this type of work does require a little know how and the right procedures and tools. «I do really prefer doing the brake cleaning myself, simply because most dealers simply do not show the same level of love that I and other owners show. It's time consuming, and dealers work on billable time. The more billable time, the more profitable they will be. Hey, if they are renumerated for 45 minutes of work, and the mechanic can do it in less time and take ONE more vehicle, the more revenue is generated.» Flushing brake fluid, changing radiator fluid, changing transmission fluid etc... is it really all necessary? By necessary, I mean, all of a sudden, the quality of these lubricants over the decades have improved by leaps and bounds, yet the interval periods have been cut in half and more so. It's incredible, by Dad's 1972 Ford LTD had oil changes, and brake pads over the years, with the once every year to 2 years, changing of air filter, spark plugs and distributor caps, and occasionally the spark plug cables. Sure, it spit up a thermostat once, but when it broke, you knew what to repair. Nowadays, I find the opposite has occured. That being everything is more reliable yet we SPEND on checking to see if everything is still within spec and we SPEND to prevent problems. Cheers, MadloR

The method I have mentioned above works on every single vehicle I have owned, including my last Toyota Product, a 1994 MR2 Turbo (tried ordering it without AC to no avail, even though they were available without). My M5 began to suffer a similar fate until I started doing the same, turning off the AC a couple of minutes before arriving to my destination. As well, I also open up my drivers window in the process allowing for any additional musty "backwash" hehehe air, to escape. So far so good, the 400h has worked flawlessly, utilising the same method. No more musty foul smell emanating from the air ducts, and YES, it only takes a couple of minutes. Cheers, MadloR

One thing I have noticed with the Hybrid 400h, the brake pads should last for a very long while. I have yet to notice any brake dust on my chrome wheels. As for inspection and cleaning, I think it would be a good thing, BUT not at every oil change. Usually a proper brake cleaning and inspection involves removing the brake calipers, removing the brake pads from the brake calipers, spraying them down with braker cleaner. Resetting the brake pads with anti-squeal compound / and / or replacing or cleaning the brake pad anti-squeel plates. Cleaning off an rust formation around the inner and outer diameter of the brake disc (the area where the brake pad does NOT contact the disc, you will usually find a build up of rust. A file or hammer to scrape or bang up residual rust from discs. Brake caliper sliders, are cleaned and a fresh coating of brake caliper synthetic lubricant is reapplied. This process if properely done, "by the book" usually will take a seasoned mechanic about 15 minutes per disc (including a tire rotation). As for the usefullness, well, I believe after 35,000 miles or so to be a good thing. Performed by the dealer, hmm, well that depends. If you really want it done right, do it yourself. If you don't have the time have the dealer perform it, it will prolong the life of the discs to an extent, and more importantly help avoid the dreaded brake squeal. Cheers, MadloR

I find that not all Lexus Dealers are the same. There is one in my area (Spinelli Lexus Lachine) that whenever I call (since it is much closer to my home) and ask for the cost for the i.e. 7,500, or 10,000 or 15,000 mile inspection, they are on average $150 more Expensive. They add, in addition to the "standard" inspection and fee additional things like Brake Cleaning ($75.00 EXTRA), Wheel Alignement (at EVERY oil change Interval ????) $100+, and it goes on and on and on when dealling with them. The part that is the MOST troublesome, is that when questioning them about what is required or stated in the Lexus Owners Manual, they ignore the question and state that is what is required. Incredulous!!! I am forced to deal with a Dealer that is further away, whereupon I am not privey to a Lexus Loaner Vehicle (since I imported my vehicle from the USA and saved 10K :D ), but at the same time the Lexus Dealer offers Service at the standard "Lexus" preset pricing. At the 15,000mile service, I asked them to be sure to rotate the tires (as it indicates in the service schedule, and wanted to be sure they were rotated) and was a little surprised at the cost. $22.00 dollars for a tire rotation? Give me a break. They have the car on the lift, and inspecting it (I am wondering what just exactly there checking for), how is it they don't include the tire rotation in the cost of the inspection? I don't want to bother with having to keep detailed copies of my service records, and it is the reason I have the vehicle serviced at the recommended intervals. Plus, I find the oil filter location to be located in the most @ss location ever seen on a modern day production vehicle, and is assured to create a mess when changing (further proof, as I find oil drops on my driveway days after having the oil change). I will outsource through i.e. Sewell Lexus, or other OEM parts for things like the cabin air filter, wiper blade inserts etc... seeing as how if the dealer is going to charge outrageous amounts for standard fare items, I will simply do it myself. Cheers, MadloR

I originally went the route of aftermarket back in January and ordered full blown winter tires Bridgestone Blizzaks and the Good Year EagleResponsEdge. I chose the 255/55-18 for my summer tire option. So far, I have experienced very minimal tire rubbing, and many times I cannot duplicate the rubbing even after taking the same corner at the same speeds. Hmm, go figure. Anyhoot I had inspected the rubbing / noises caused by the bigger tires back in March (when I initially installed the Good Years) and found the contact or source of the rubbing to be fenderwell (as outlined in the photos by skyfish400h) and to be of little danger if any. As for the "after", all I can say is the Good Year Eagle ResponsEdge is the way to go. I know that I will be replacing these tires with the same when that day comes along. I do feel the RX 400H is hard on its tires even though it is not a performance vehicle. I attribute this due to the massive weight of the vehicle and the suspension geometry. Cheers, MadloR

Acura, BMW, Mercedes... all vastly superior. Especially the Acura System, the Voice Recognition is spot on and most everything is plug and play in terms of on road use. Very nice. Lexus really did a poor job, and in fact there own people acknowledge it. Cheers, MadloR gordonew may have meant what AFTERMARKET NAV manufacturer has a better system, rather than switching car manufacturer just to get a better NAV. After all ... changing to BMW? Mercedes? Acura? That would be a bit of a trade off ... mpg wise, for a SUV. Then, regarding Benz & BMW, there's the quality thing (according to consumer reports, as well as several owners I've spoken with). But yes, at least their NAV's and some of their other features are nice. So ... gordonw, if it's a portable / better NAV, the Garmins are hard to beat. Pricy, but feature packed, and simple to operate. We got one because if we fly out of our area & get a rental car, it's great to just take it with you ... better than having to figure out functions in the ones that come in the rental cars. Actually, I think he as refering to other manufactures who produce vehicles with integrated NAV. And on this point, Lexus really messed. Going the aftermarket route is really half-@ssing it and getting one of those "Stick on the front Windshield and please crack my drivers window and steal me" units, then that pretty much defeats the point. They are not integrated and require even more hands off than a properely integrated Nav/Bluetooth system. Cheers, MadloR

Acura, BMW, Mercedes... all vastly superior. Especially the Acura System, the Voice Recognition is spot on and most everything is plug and play in terms of on road use. Very nice. Lexus really did a poor job, and in fact there own people acknowledge it. Cheers, MadloR