Jim Nazium

I like factory equipped setups better than retro equipped accessories. I have seen a factory 400h that was NON ML equipped, but did have the Navi package with the RSS. Hence, I would like to know if the factory RSS can be installed, after the fact and function with my Navi equipped (and NON ML radio) '06 400H. Cheers, MadloR

Jim-May I ask what parts of your vehicle you have it installed? The bumper, hood, grill, fenders, mirrors, headlamps? I purchased the kit on ebay (as mentioned above) and it was not the $300 plus kit with the 3m scotch trademark or patent type. I installed the film on the... both rear view mirrors (a single piece each), the hood (a single large piece that covers the top portion of the hood and ends where the bottom portion of the headlamps end, and a single strip that covers the lower portion of the hood which is found under the front grill. I also have the bumper portion, complete but didn't install that part of the kit. It was first attempt installing one since last applying a similar product about 15yrs ago. Let me tell you, I will probably re-install it in mid summer. I originally installed it when I received my vehicle back in january and the cold weather just adds to the challenge. It is definitely alot easier installing it once your body panels have been super heated by the sun. I would recommend a spray bottle with a couple of drops of Johnson baby shampoo mixed in. You will require a squeegee and a hair dryer. The pieces are originally cut slightly undersized because you need to PULL / STRETCH them in place, helps in alleviating bumbles. Cheers, MadloR

On your cell phone, while in call mode in bluetooth, scroll or go into the menu function of your phone and you should have an option to " tx to handset", "tx to handset h/f " (if it has that option). My blackberry offers this mode and some if not the majority of phones offer this tx on the fly option. So if I need to hear something confidential while driving with a client and such in the car, I can hit the scroll button on my cellphone and select "handset mode" thereby tx the calling to the handset yet leaving the b/t mode on in case of another incoming call. Cheers, MadloR

Yes, I purchased it on ebay. I have it installed on my white 400h. The lighter the color, the more transparent it looks. Benefits? So far, no stone chips, so I guess it is working. Cheers, MadloR

The bottom line for me is that I originally picked the RX 400H based on it's quality of ride, style, reliability and enhanced mileage. Now, after having owned and driven it for 4 months it has literally changed the way I drive and think about the environment. I have always recycled, composted, and been of the mindset "waste not, want not", but this Hybrid Lexus really makes you appreciate what Lexus / Toyota had in mind in taking to consideration the World, Environment... and actually allows YOU the consumer to make a difference. Thanks Toyota. I'm eventually going to add a Pruis... Cheers, MadloR

I think the majority of squeeks and rattles can be fixed and requires a little mid afternoon free time on your hands on a nice lazy sunny afternoon... Hook and loop tape, especially the kind found at Staples. It is sold in a kit, and comes with something like 50' male (hook) and female (loop) that is approx. 1" wide. This is really helpful in that you use the female portion to like all the contact points found in the various cubby holes and trays in the rear cabin. You use alot less of the male portion on the underside where the top of the door sits against the bottom portion (the male hook snags the underside carpeting of the door bins and keeps them firmly in place). Also, you need to lock in place all the various tools in the main tray bin, a mega source of rattles. As well, under the shell housing of the main tray bin there are various computer modules that need to be dampened and I used some bubble wrap place between the tray bin shell and the tops of the various modules (basically taking up slack and keeping everything from resonating). I also found recently that the drivers (on mine anyways) rear seat map pocket squeeks and I sprayed some automotive "Armorall" around the bottom map pocket hinge (got rid of that squeek for now). The spare tire circular cover rattles against the spare tire main plastic housing. I fixed this with more of the female loop tape in between the two contact pressure points (about 10 of them). My truck is pretty much quiet as a german uboat... Cheers, MadloR

Oh, and nobody mentioned the "secret, hint hint" extra special initiation feeling you can only get when you change your own oil and filter the very first time on your very own 400H. Aaaaw laddy, it just warms my heart just thinking about it when I changed it the first time myself this past winter. Cheers, MadloR

Pic's please :) I am looking for one as well... Cheers, MadloR

I went for the same size... 255 / 55 - 18 simply because this is a much more popular tire size than the factory and than the 255 / 50 - 18 (which respects diameter). Because after all is said and done, the 255 / 55 - 18 falls within factory specs / tolerances, and some identical sizes even more so. I simply LOVE the Good Year Eagle ResponsEdge. They are AWESOME. I mean REALLY REALLY AMAZING. Zero Tire Noise, Improved Driveability across the board and I repeat SUPER Quiet. The New tire manufacturing process used by Good Year is ground breaking. Potholes and imperfections are soaked up like no other tire I have ever experienced before. Cheers, MadloR

AWD vehicles and 4WD have zero advantage in stopping distances over FWD or "Variable" versions of 2 and 4 WD. I live through winters in an urban city that cripples all other major metropolitain cities. We have the best (due to the amount of experience) on average number of winter capable drivers. When coming to a stop from 35mph or 60mph and you are braking on snow covered ice, there is no 4wd system in the world that will give any sort of advantage. In fact, you will probaby experience longer stopping distances due to the overall drivetrain "weight / drag" from the extra momentum carried by the additional driveshaft and differentials. I'm talking STOPPING, not Starting from a slippery condition. Bottom line, Tires... Full Blown Winter Tires.

It is AMAZING the technology found in todays modern "full" blown snow tires (not the M&S insignia found on four season tires). 1. Snow tires are designed with deep threads to counter deep snow and slush prior to any of the snow clearing trucks/equipment have been deployed. 2. The tire compound is designed to remain plyable in extremely cold -30F plus and yet still retain the flexibility required on damp or frigidly cold dry pavement. 3. The micro sipes designed in the snow tire is designed to catch snow and remain imbedded in the sipes (test have shown that embedded snow in the snow sipes offers more friction than rubber) and offers grip against black ice or hard compacted snow/ice covered streets whereas without the snow embedded in the sipes. 4. The quality of the rubber used and the overall structure of the tire is engineered primarily for the Winter Season, and nothing is comprised in it's execution since so much more innovation and technology has been invested that the Major Snow tire brands keep deploying more and more superior design and thought without the compromises of trying to build a tire for all seasons for all types of vehicles. Yes, you can benefit from one type of 4wd / awd technology manufactured by one company vs another, but you can gain more of an advantage by going the Full blown winter tire route than using summer tires only. Also vehicles that are 4wd or awd have zero advantages in the winter when it comes to braking. Ice is ice, snow is snow, the coefficient of friction is greatly reduced, and hence the drivetrain does not come into play whether 2wd, 4wd, awd etc. It comes down to the tires more so than drivetrain. Cheers, MadloR

There is no substitution for four full blown winter tires. Trust me. I live in MTL and have a country place up North (about 1.3hrs drive). I have had a few types of AWD, 4WD vehicles. The real element or benefactor has always been the tires. If all things being equal, the 400h is capable of tackling any of the slippery winter conditions. Is the ultimate urban assault vehicle? Perhaps, given all the other benefits. But if you trying to compare the 400h to a full blown Range Rover or Jeep GCL w/ Quadradrive etc... with four full blown winter tires and you throw in offroading, then no contest the 400h is easily over matched by the latter. Cheers, MadloR

I did have a Jeep GCL w/ Quadradrive and the 4.7L engine. It was impressive in the way it handled snow, mud and slippery road conditions. The Quadradrive system was more mechanical than electronic so it was a little delayed in the way it responded (nothing like Stability Control)... I ran it on the factory GoodYear SR-A tires. As impressive as the Jeep was, the 400H on blizzaks is more than up to the task to handle foul weather and snow. Obviously, I wouldn't go offroad with it or choose the 400H to drive in Costa Rica (trust me, if you want to test 4wd, book a trip to Costa Rica), but for urban assault it is more than a capable vehicle. Also, the 400H is Front wheel drive even if you opt for the rear motor option (they call it 4 wheel drive / AWD, but let's get serious, it isn't), but this vehicle suffers from severe torque steer if you floor it. Now, this vehicle wasn't intended to be driven foot to the floor from stop light to stop light, but it's a fact that cannot be denied... a 45K plus vehicle that suffers from torque steer. My GCL was every bit as roomy and comfortable as the 400h, I never experienced any leaks or mechanical break downs. The engine was solid, powerful and smooth, as was the tricked out 5speed shift sequence (not 5 gears, but Jeep employed the gear down gear in the 1-2-3-4 sequence to enable a "5 gear"). The only gripe I ever had with the GCL was when Jeep issued a mandatory service bulletin concerning emissions, the ECU flash literally killed the engine. The 4.7L after the flash felt lethargic and fat cat like compared to prior being flashed, many on the boards complained and warned other owners not to have the mandatory flash at there local dealer when bringing in the Jeep for service. It was the main reason after 3 years of ownership that I sold it and vowed never to purchase another Jeep product again. How can a vehicle with such a wonderfull engine be marketed and sold and then have the carpet pulled from under the very owners who purchased one? Outrageous (ok, I'm getting off topic and my blood is beginning to boil again)! 400h ordering suggestion / opinion... ...AWD, NAV w/ bluetooth capability, HID AFS, Heated seats, Rain sensing wipers, factory Trailer Hitch, Wood Interior, Lexus m/s mats including rear cargo area. ...Aftermarket route, get the ipod radio adaptor (if your into music), winter tires (get oem rims they look the best and look right for this class of vehicle), tint the front windows to better integrate with the rest of the rear passenger and cargo area windows, upgrade the High beams to 4300K halogen bulbs, and upgrade the fog/driving lights to HID retro kit. ML and rear DVD... Hmm, I'm not sure if the ML is THAT much better than the factory premium radio. As for the rear DVD player, hmm, more and more are into the Ipod Video or mp3 portable device that is Mpeg2/4 with built in screen. Oh, one nice thing would be the cargo area dc to ac outlet that comes with the rear DVD player. Cheers, MadloR

Most important option you will need in snow country, is Full Blown Winter Tires... like the Bridgestone Blizzaks. So, you might want to invest in an extra set of rims. I picked up a set of 400H rims on ebay, so this way the summer tires and winter tires do not need to take a beating every year as they are mounted and remounted on the oem wheels. Also, you will save in the end since the cost of unmounting, mounting and balancing 2x a year is not cheap. Cheers, MadloR P.S. rain sensing wipers in the winter simply (in my case, anyways) do not work very well.

My previous experience with the my Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4.7L gave me the confidence to go ahead for my Lexus RX 400h. Like the Jeep, the Lexus exhaust is stainless (I checked with a magnet). The only metal I found was the bolts that hold the various components that make up the exhaust. Also, please note, that i did not wrap the Headers, nor the catalytic converters. For one, the headers are not accessible, and to really well wrap headers, they really need to be removed from the engine and a 1" wrap is better suited. On my 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4.7L I did wrap the catalytic converters, they were so far down the exhaust, they in fact were located underneath the front passenger footwells. The heat generated back in '01 through mid '03 by the exhaust and the additional heat generated by the catalytic converters, proved to me that the ThermoTec wrap was more than enough up to the task to handle the daily use over the 3 year period. At that time, the wrap was only available in white and over time turned a dingy light mustard color. Also, back then I didn't use the silicone spray. This time around I went a step further, by protecting the wrap with the High Temperature Silicone Paint. Also, my experience with the ThermoTec product, and further studies, have showed that even if used on metal exhaust plumbing, the accelerated wear and tear (including rusting out) is so minimal that it doesn't warrant any concern over the long haul and definitely not over the short haul. Also, I am curious to know as to how wrapping the exhaust can affect a vehicle warranty? If you mean the actual component of the exhaust, then I wouldn't be that concerned because in any case I would probably replace whatever component failed by an aftermarket Japanese quality component. And if and when it fails, I am sure it will be long after the manufactures warranty expires. As for any other components affected by the exhaust wrap, I cannot find what other major or minor component can be affected by such a mod. Cheers, MadloR

At first I was really pumped by the initial response for the HID retrokit. Personally, I think it's how Lexus SHOULD of equipped the fog/driving lights in the first place. After the fact (I'm not going into the history of the thread and the sidetracking) I didn't bother pursuing the options for those interested given the turn of events. But, if there is still initial interest I can get back to those with an avenue or option. Otherwise, if there is only Ken or one other person, you can email me at lormad36@hotmail.com and I can forward your requests to the distributor. Cheers, MadloR

Initial product Experience I have used since 1995 Thermotec exhaust wrap on my project 1993 MR2 Turbo with much success and extremely satisfying results. The main purpose in this application was to offer additional shielding for heat from the Greddy Aftermarket Turbo along with the custom exhaust plumbing (no cats)... the goal was achieved to help reduce under engine heat as well as protect various components from the 22psi pounds of boost being generated by the Turbo and hence much higher exhaust gas temperatures. An additional benefit, was the sound deadening, which was a plus since it helps reduce some of the raspyness of the freeflowing exhaust. Project I Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4.7L - Thermotec'ed I then experimented with some left over wrap on my 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited with the 4.7L engine, and I was blown away. The huge benefit was how much quieter the ride became, especially out on the highway. In cabin noise dropped dramatically since the entire length of the exhaust from just after the manifold to the rear of the muffler was wrapped with 2" thermotec exhaust wrap. The results were stunning. Project II - Lexus RX 400h - Thermotec'ed Well, project Thermotec Exhaust wrap is now complete on my '06 RX 400h. One of the things that bothered me was the marbles or diesel like sound the engine makes when you get on the gas. The engine sound is not very fitting for such a class of vehicle. Also, I wanted to enhance the benefit of keeping as much of the exhaust heat in the "exiting" gas flow so as to help keep the catalytic converter at optimum temperatures. As well, this added benefit should keep the engine off longer, hence saving additional fuel. Well, it has been two weeks since I wrapped 75% of the exhaust. The V6 front half of the 3 cylinders on the front side, feed from the exhaust manifold, into a 1 3/4" pipe. I wrapped that portion of the pipe that comes off of the exhaust manifold, all the way into the Y portion of the other side of the exhaust portion coming off of the other bank of the exhaust manifold and into the first cutoff / or / bolt off section of the exhaust. Doing it this way, helps keep the exhaust in tack and is perfectly bolt on, bolt off in the case you would ever need to remove or replace any portion of the exhaust. I then wrapped the second portion of the exhaust that begins where the original exhaust ends and feeds all the way through a resonator and past the damper (our cars have a nice little exhaust damper directly beneath the front and rear passender area) and onto the where the rear muffler is then bolted on. I wrapped the exhaust resonator as well since it is rather small as well. The final section I wrapped is where the last piece of the exhaust bolts off of and leads toward the front entry of the rear muffler. The areas that were not wrapped were... catalytic converters (they have there own additional shields), and the rear muffler, as well as the pipe exiting the rear of the muffler that feeds into the chrome tip (there just isn't enough pipe length to wrap). In essence the most accessable part of the exhaust is the most critical in my opinion, and hence gives the maximum results. Thermotec Exhaust wrap Above is the link for the homepage of Thermotec. What is required is two rolls of 100' (black is preferred) 2" exhaust wrap. Approximately 8 stainless steel exhaust "tie wraps", this is what secures the initial part of the wrap to the exhaust and what holds the end of the exhaust wrap to the end of the exhaust your wrapping. They are stainless steel and are designed in accordance for the exhaust wrap, and is part of the Thermotec exhaust wrap kit as well. It is recommended to soak the exhaust wrap overnight before applying to the exhaust, as it helps in loosening up the "threads" if you will and gives you a much tighter result given the fact the wrap will shrink once dried and then molds itself once it is cured. During that initial period the wrap will give off a slight smell for about a week or so. Once the wrap is nice and dry, you spray it with a special silicone black spray to help protect and prolong the longevity of the wrap. All of this took about 2hrs to install, and about 30 minutes a week or so later to protect and spray the exhaust wrap. RESULTS Damn, what a difference. You need to drive it to believe it. PLUS ONE: You no longer hear the engine marble / diesel like sound when accelerating. This is huge for me, and the additional sound deadening due to the mechanical noises created from the exiting exhaust from the engine is phenomenal. The engine is much more muted, and the sound eminating is much more V8 like than V6 diesel like. PLUS TWO: The vehicle, if you can imagine is even quieter when the engine is running at all speeds, especially highway. The passenger cabin while driving is even more stealthy and the exhaust is much more pinpoint in nature. In other words, you no longer feel the exhaust under you and you hear less of it. And from what exhaust noise you do hear, you hear it only from the back of the vehicle, in that that exits from the rear exhaust tip. PLUS THREE: Pressing on the accelerator is much more forgiving, in that you are not setting off the engine while accelerating from a standstill in city driving. This is not due to my present climate condition, the past two weeks of testing the ambient temperatures have been constant from the previous weeks in the month of march and april (the benefit is not due to warmer climatic conditions, temperatures have been around 32F - 38F on average). Hence the benefit of the exhaust in maintaining overall exhaust temperatures holds true, thanks to the Thermotec Exhaust Wrap. The catalytic converter is holding its optimum temperatures more effeciently hence requiring less engine cycling to keep the catalytic converter efficient. Early next week I will get back under the vehicle and take some snapshots of the exhaust wrap. I know some of you will think I'm bonkers, or that I went over the edge. Perhaps I had too much free time on my hands, but, say what you will... if only you could drive my Thermotec RX 400h and then compare it with your stock version... then you would be able to fully appreciate the end result. Approximate total cost of this do it yourself mod... $200US maximum. Cheers, MadloR

There are many cars with CVT transmissions, and YES, CVT do drive vehicles in reverse. I.E. New Nissan Sentra w/ CVT. The statement by the previous poster is completely false. Cheers, MadloR

Coastaltech.com sells a nice permanent override, which also works to defeat phone lock out as well. The only thing is, does it work in all applications, or is it suspect to the revision of the software? i.e. I have a 2006 RX 400H, production May 2006, PDI June 2006 and the manual over-ride does not work for it... I can never get a straight answer from Coastaltech on this, compatibility. Cheers, MadloR

AWD = for models that possess the rear axle electric motor FWD = for models that do not have the additional electric motor in the rear. Cheers, MadloR

Hey Rey, nice writeup. Looks really nice. I had planned to do the same, take outdoor pics and post the results of my 255/55-18 but haven't gotten around to it. I'm running 40psi and might try and take out 2 psi all around. I had taken off the GoodYear OEM's and been through the winter with the Blizzaks at 40psi. So far, the difference has been night and day. I may go after a little more plushness and better ride over the extremely poor roads that we have and try out the tires at 38psi. I'm glad to see you posted pics... Cheers, MadloR

The sidewall is a ratio of the height and width of the tire wrt to the sidewall. Again, fwiw, I went with the Eagle ResponsEdge in 255/55-18 and this is a much more available tire size than 255/50-18 because I wanted a choice of tire simply not available in the marketplace in 255. I feel, and still believe the 2+ ton vehicle is simply too heavy and puts too much demand on the factory 235mm tires. Again, the ratio is dependant on the width and height of the tire. IOW not all 55 or 50 ratio tires are the same given that there are tire widths and tire sizes all over the map. Your choice of 255/55-18 will give you an approx error as I outlined elsewhere for jditom's original post but it is more than within tolerance imho. In fact, discount tire offers this size as a plus0 option. Having driven now for the past two weeks I must say that the RX feels alot more sure footed and better suited to the 255 than the factory 235. Also, I have not missed any freeway exits due to the voice navigation system lmao. In fact, after reinitialising the Navigation computer for the New tires, I find the guidance wrt to actual turns and exits to be spot on where as before I was getting advance warnings to turn well in excess of 150ft. Cheers, MadloR

Hey Rey... With directional tires, you rotate them from front to back, keeping them on the same side of the vehicle. It's one of the drawbacks with directional tires, especially if the vehicle you drive has inherently bad or uneven tire wear, you cannot exploit tire rotation and benefit truelly from the gains you would normally achieve. The idea or benefit from unmounting and remounting the directional tires, front side in to front side out, if you will, would probably not be a good idea given the stress and cost incurred on/for the tires. You brougth up another interesting point Rey, and another point to consider when purchasing replacement tires. As for going against the "grain" or direction of the tire, well there is no inherent 911 danger in doing so if you choose to rotate your tires and disregard the directional treads. Alot of the benefits to directional treading is due to better hydroplaning resistance and lower road noise. The vehicle would still be very driveable but you would be sacreficing rain performance mainly and perhaps you may notice odd or offsetting tire noise at certain constant speeds. Cheers, MadloR

One little note, just remember that the RX 400h is an SUV, yes, but it is a Grand Touring Luxury SUV. Lexus did opt to equip the 400h with Grand Touring All Season Tires, for the obvious reasons. So if you are leaning more and more towards the performance side, you will have to be willing to sacrefice on the Grand Touring side. By that, I mean a harsher less forgiving daily driver, more cabin noise and perhaps less foul weather performance, and possibly much less durability. Also, tires that offer much better road stick, tend to also suffer from the effects of grooved or worn roads, hence the feeling that the vehicle wants to guide and trek the direction of the road irregularities more. They also tend to cost more and have a shorter shelf life. By that, manufactures faze them out quicker due to marketing reasons, or due to newer and better technologies. On the plus side you should benefit with better dry weather handling, and much sharper and responsive steering inputs. Also, performance tires esthetically look alot better than most of there Grand Touring counterparts. Either way you choose or go, they have got to be way better than the Factory Good Years. Cheers, MadloR

Factory Michelin MXV4 235/55 VR18 Tread Wear 440 Section Width 9.5" Overall diameter 28.3 Rev's Per Mile 736 Factory GoodYear Eagle RS-A 235/55 VR18 Tread Wear 260 Section Width 9.5" Overall diameter 28.0 Rev's Per Mile 746 Plus Zero Option GoodYear ResponsEdge 255/55 VR18 Tread Wear 440 Section Width 10.4" Overall diameter 29.0 Rev's Per Mile 720 Plus Zero Option Toyo Proxes S/T 255/50/R18 Tread Wear 420 Section Width 10.2" Overall diameter 27.9 Rev's Per Mile 744 Of course there are many brands of tires, and in all price ranges. 235/55-18 and 255/50-18 are not the most popular sizes available in the marketplace. The available alternate plus zero size 255/55-18 has considerably more choices and the offset in the overall Rev's per mile are completely within spec as an available choice. For example, in the case of the Eagle ResponsEdge the difference travelling at 35mph would be less than +1mph difference. And the true speed travellling at 65mph would be less than +1.5mph, as well as travelling at 80mph the difference would be less than +2mph. Of course every manufacturer of tire produces identical tire sizes, but not necessarily to a set specific size or dimension. More importantly, the bigger difference would be in what you expect from your next set of replacement tires. Ride quality, or raw handling, or four season performance, or winter and inclement weather... it really depends on what you value. So in choosing a tire, you should consider all factors as well, the one that makes the biggest difference, the seat of your pants driving. Cheers, MadloR P.S. Skyfish400h, here ya go... Toyo Proxes S/T