wwest

Yes, and the Freestyle has been discontinued as has the T-bird.

Landar--I now run 19s in the summer, so the Nokians on stock wheels are back to dedicated winter duty. So, did you find that the Nokians were just noisy in the summer? Why did you choose to switch out in the summer. Just curious. I had Nokians on a previous car. Worked great in the snow but thought they were perhaps a bit noisier that summer tires. FWIW, I think a good (big qualifier, I know) all-season tire can be effectively used in the snow. Perhaps of greater importance than the winter/summer tire debate is just the ability to know when to slow down, how to steer, brake, etc in adverse conditions. I see more 4 wheel drives in the ditch than any RWD vehicle. Over confidence and speed can get you into a lot of trouble. It seems that lots of modern day 4X4 drivers haven't enough expereince to know to unlock the diff'l once underway. On the hwy in "cruise" mode with the center diff'l locked a 4X4 is just as unsafe as any FWD.

You can be comfortable in your RX while at the same time avoiding instances of sudden windshield fogging. There are three c-best options you can have the dealer set to other than factory defaults concerning these issues in your RX. In the meantime if you over-ride the automatic setting for outflow air distribution to footwell and windshield and set the temperature about 3-4 degrees above your desired comfot level you will be able to travel great distances in comfort during the winter cold.

"....soon as I start to accelerate..." That would seemingly imply the accelerometer/yaw sensor module. There are only two sensors unique to VSC, the aforementioned and the stearing wheel rotational position sensor.

Yes.... Never again... First Ford was a '56 fairlane purchased used from Westside Ford in Seattle in '61. Last one was an '84 T-bird purchased new. The only possible Ford in my future consideration would be a Mercury Mariner hybrid with VSC/Trac but with any luck by that time there will be a Lexus hybrid version of the RAV4.

Yep, I've had both issues in my 08 RX 350. Check this forum for posts on both issues. You can search my name or click on it to get to my posts on the issues. The transmission lag seems to have gone away or has been gotten used to. The transmission is supposed to "learn" how you drive and adjust accordingly. Sounds like smoke and mirrors to me. Smoke and mirrors is mostly correct... There are many "learning" aspects of the engine/transaxle ECU, such as continuously tracking the paramter drift of of the various sensors involved in engine and transaxle control, especially for emissions control. And yes, these are driver style/tecnique parameters that are "learned" from the first time you start the vehicle in motion and all the way up to the time you switch off the ignition. At which point ALL learned driver style/technique parameters are ERASED. From posts throughout the various automotive forums on the internet as of the '08 MY Toyota and Lexus have not yet solved the 1-2 second delay/hesitation problem when a quick transaxle downshift is required for acceleration subsequent to a brief full lift-throttle event.

Can anyone help me please? Is the RX series just a bad design? Okay, first, the RX is NOT a "BAD" design. But frankly, were I buying today my first considerations would go to the Acura SH-AWD or the BMW X3/5. Or maybe the new Infiniti EX35 provided it isn't as UGLY as its brethren. There are some traditional problems with the RX in that it uses a flawed, SERIOUSLY flawed, NipponDenso, Denso US, climate control design. Second issue is probably that it is FWD which can be extremely hazardous in adverse, slippery roadbed conditions. The F/AWD version of the RX300 series used a (mostly non-functional) VC, Viscous Clutch to "stiffen" the drive to the rear whereas the later models, RX330/350, simply rely on TC, Traction Control, braking and engine dethrottling for LSD virtualization. So insofar as safety is concerned the F/AWD version is probably just as hazardous in wintertime conditions as is the FWD. It would help if you would describe your shifting problem with the '04 RX330. Starting in '04 Lexus used the DBW, e-throttle, system to ENFORCE a delay (some say 1-2 seconds) in acceleration, subsequent to a full lift-throttle event when/if the transaxle needed to downshift to support the level of acceleration required. There remain complaints of this delay/hesitation problem all the way into the '08 model year for some FWD Toyota/lexus vehicles. I currently own a 2001 AWD RX300 with close to 70,000 miles and fully expect to see a transaxle failure prior to 100,000 miles as a result of the obvious overheating of the ATF.

The most common reason for a VSC off light is a CEL, Check Engine Light. Check to see that your CEL bulb has not failed.

58-60 USAF in NH, 62-65 North central MT, Anchorage/Fairbanks/Barrow in the early seventies, computer service and sales. What I've been trying to say is that here in my area conditions that require winter tires are rare enough that it's better to simply rely on chains for those rare times. So I never have to buy winter specialty tires of any flavor (nor pay to have them swapped over) and I only have to buy new tire chains if the "next" vehicle I buy requires larger ones. Intermixed with all that is my patent/extreme dislike of FWD & F/AWD vehicles in ANY adverse roadbed condition wherein they can suddenly become extremely dangerous with no warning to an inexperienced driver. Were I still living in MT and had to make a choice between a FWD or F/AWD equipped with the best winter tire imaginiable and a RWD or R/AWD with summer tires I would choose the latter EVERY TIME..! On an adverse, slippery, roadbed FWD or F/AWD vehicles are just as dangerous, or even moreso, as a 4WD/4X4 with the diff'l remaining locked after underway, highway cruising.

Looking backward in time... When the Camry/ES transaxle was being upgraded to handle heavier duty in the RX300 the engineers somehow seemingly neglected to add pumping capacity to the gear type ATF oil pump. IMMHO it's actually more likely that they redesigned the shift pattern/schedule sequence to eliminate a few of the more critical shifts, shifts that required a high level of ATF pumpiing capacity even with the engine idling, or at idle. So that's probably why the early RX's transaxles, '99 especially, are so prone to premature failure. At some point (mid-'00..??) Toyota came to realize their mistake/oversight and increased the ATF pumping capacity. But this time they overlooked the possibility that the extra pumping capacity would generate a higher heating level, localized heating level within the ATF pump itself, and the ATF would overheat and be burned in as little as 40,000 miles. So the ATF drain/refill recommended maintainance schedule was revised from infinitely, NEVER, to every 15,000 miles.

TIS. Used at techinfo.toyota.com to designate label/tab used to enter, click on, the technical information system.

Just take the push/pull cable off of the water valve so internally it is still free to move the reheat mixing vane. Just tie the water valve lever off in the fully open position. But come spring I would shut the flow off in order for the A/C to be fully efficient.

From the linked reference..: "..Their Adaptive Progressive Stiffness (APS) rubber technology allows the unique compound to soften at the road's surface, while remaining ridgid near the tire belt, thus providing intense grip and superior handling in all winter road conditions --- even on dry roads." Hmmm..."'superior handling" "even on dry roads." So tell me, why would any tire manufacturer reserve such a formulation ONLY for winter tires..?? Or do they...??!! Since the idea is to sell the public on buying winter tires why would the manufacturers tell us if the same "superior handling" rubber formulations aren't available for summer only tires? I'm not by any means saying that winter tires shouldn't be used in climates where adverse wintertime roadbed conditions are the rule of the day, season. And finally: "superior handling" "even on dry roadbeds"... Even on dry roadbeds...In comparison to what? Certainly not my "poorly" formulated summer tires. Were that the case why not run on winter tires all year around.

O/D depends on the engine being at "peak" performance so if there is a CEL it is locked out. Same with VSC, that is a default indication from a CEL, likely no actual VSC problem. Toyota dealer....Kill the messenger, ignore the message... Yes, the knock sensor "triggering" could mean a defective knock sensor, but it's more likely triggering due to any one of a myriad of problems that can result in knocking due to a too lean mixture under acceleration, a clogged injector, for instance.

Wow, WWEST--you normally have some really good wisdom here, but the comment above is flat out dangerous. Sure, summer tires may have more contact surface area, but the compound makes all the difference in the world, and any summer tire is patently dangerous in any icy, snowy, or even cold conditions. Summer tires are made of a softer compound, that while excellent in warmer, drier weather, gets very hard in colder temps--even on dry roads in cold weather, summer tires suffer traction greatly. I don't know what magical summer tires you have that you claim "outshining" winter tires, but in cold weather, whether dry, wet, icy, packed snow, or fresh snow, summer tires are far inferior to dedicated snow tires. Period. I live in an area where we get 90+ degrees in the summer and over 350 inches of snow per winter. It would only take you 1 drive on summer tires in the winter to swap them out immediately for dedicated snow tires. I run ultra high-performance summer tires in the summer, but when temps drop, I run dedicated winter tires. The LS400 is a real handful (and dangerous) on the summer tires in winter, and plows through anything winter can throw at it when running dedicated snow tires (combined with TRAC). And just when was the last time you looked into rubber compounds of winter specialty tires vs summer tire compounds...?? Twenty or so years ago, or certainly even more, your statement would be correct, winter specialty tires had differing formulation for the rubber. But competition has now run its course and since those specialty tires didn't cover many miles when compared to summer tires the winter formulation technique has been dropped in favor of the winter times having mileage ratings equal to their summer counterpart. As an example back in the sixties if your winter tires outlated the season you considered yourself lucky. Nowadays if the mileage achieved is at least close to taht of a summer counterpart its NO SALE. If those winter formulations were still available, and available for my summer type tire treads, I would willingly consider switching each fall and spring.

Wow, WWEST--you normally have some really good wisdom here, but the comment above is flat out dangerous. Sure, summer tires may have more contact surface area, but the compound makes all the difference in the world, and any summer tire is patently dangerous in any icy, snowy, or even cold conditions. Summer tires are made of a softer compound, that while excellent in warmer, drier weather, gets very hard in colder temps--even on dry roads in cold weather, summer tires suffer traction greatly. I don't know what magical summer tires you have that you claim "outshining" winter tires, but in cold weather, whether dry, wet, icy, packed snow, or fresh snow, summer tires are far inferior to dedicated snow tires. Period. I live in an area where we get 90+ degrees in the summer and over 350 inches of snow per winter. It would only take you 1 drive on summer tires in the winter to swap them out immediately for dedicated snow tires. I run ultra high-performance summer tires in the summer, but when temps drop, I run dedicated winter tires. The LS400 is a real handful (and dangerous) on the summer tires in winter, and plows through anything winter can throw at it when running dedicated snow tires (combined with TRAC). I don't make many wintertime trips back to central MT, Lewistown, but when I do I often find that my tire chains go up and over the snowy and ice covered Mmountain passes between Missoula and Great Falls (via Helena) while I get to watch the 4WD/4X4 struggling with their various forms of winter tires to get over those very same inclines. Anyone who has lived in MT, WY, area for a few winters knows there is NO substitute for tire chains, not even studs.

"....Our cars are NOT true AWD..." More correctly stated... "Our cars are NOT true 4WD/4X4...." AWD means different things to different people, or more correctly there are literally a MYRIAD of AWD implementations out there in the marketplace. For F/AWD, Front torque biased AWD, (mostly derived from a FWD "base") in the RX300 class, the Acura SH-AWD system is the OUTSTANDING choice. For R/AWD the BMW X3 would be my choice. Apparently the '08 models now have a TC disable and, sequenually, a VSC disable capability> some Toyota model even have an A-LSD capability that allow a significant level of intentional wheelspin. Consumer Reports SUCKS...!! They wouldn't know the truth if it hit them square in the face.

Slightly expensive and complex fix, but a PERMANENT one, for the dirty gym socks odor can be found at airsept.com, their EED.

My 92 LS has a heater coolant flow control valve in the engine compartment near the top center of the firewall. The valve is driven by a cable through the firewall attached internally to the reheat mixing vane/door servomotor. If you move the setpoint from max heat to max cool you should see the valve move about 90 degrees, from fully open to fully closed. If you detach the cable and it doesn't move full travel then the problem is inside the dash, probably the servomotor.

If you would bother to read, or even check, your owners manual you would find that there is likely NOTHING wrong with VSC or CC. Those are default indications when you have a CEL and brake light out, respectively. The stop/tail light failure light is self resetting so you probably still have a bulb out. Or maybe you used a LL, Long Life, bulb which doesn't draw enough current to reset the failure light.

Voting for Shrub to be able to go to war with Iraq, as a "hammer", negotiating point, is NOT the same as casting the vote KNOWING Shrub will go to war REGARDLESS. How many republicans cast their vote in favor not really believing war would really be necessary....? So a vote in favor of giving shrub the authority didn't necessarilly mean the person casting the vote, republican or democrat, was actually "for" the Iraq war.

Funny, the republican party once quite clearly wanted "emminently beatable" Hillary as the democratic nominee. "Be carefull what you wish for..." She had the perfect explanation for the Iraq "war" vote, but then the Iran republican guard vote.. Sheer idiocy, no better than SHRUB...!! Personally I would rather see Richardson. I don't understand why the republican's don't realize that McCain represents their best chance. Been too close to Bush I guess. Now with Huckabee denouncing SHRUB (shows BACKBONE..!!) and having the religious right in his hip pocket he might be the one.

Off-road definitions... SPORT......."boulder climbing" ....NOT/NEVER..!! Casual.......gravel, dirt,....OKAY (Black Nugget Rd, WA). Wash-out gully "private drive"......NOT WET. Mountain-side wash-out gully "private drive(??)" (Lynx Lake, AZ).........Questionable/NOT WET. Have used my (now daughter's) '00 AWD Chrysler T&C and my '01 AWD RX300 for all but SPORT.

That's just stupid. 99% of the time any car with winter tires will fare much, much better than a car with summer tires, especially an LS400. You would have practically NO traction at all with summer tires and an LS400 compared to a FWD or AWD car with winter tires. EDIT: 12/19 4:48PM EST I made an error above- fixed now. Actually, if you think about a bit more deeply, my summer tires will often have MORE traction, more CONTACT surface area, than ANY highly "siped", or "blocked" tread, winter tire. Your winter tires will be advantagous only if the roadbed surface has some "looseness". So, 99% of the time on dry, wet, icy, or packed snow my summer tires will OUTSHINE your winter tires. But, yes, I'd even give you 100% on a loose snowy (wet or dry snow) surface. And just as driving a 4WD/4X4 down the road, slippery road, with the center diff'l still locked is patently unsafe, so is a FWD or F/AWD for the very same reasons. The difference is the 4WD/4X4 driver probably knows to unlock the front drive from the rear, and can do so, whereas the FWD or F/AWD owner cannot. Both are quite good, exceptionally so, for getting up and going initially, but just as leaving the 4WD/4X4 in locked mode once underway would be potentially hazardous, so is your FWD or F/AWD. So yes, my RWD might be a bit harder to get up and moving initially, or maybe not at all, but once underway it isn't patently unsafe. But yet again. yes, winter tires will always outperform summer tires for roadbed traction if conditions are favorable. But what I was pointing out is that I would rather be on the road with my RWD and summer tires than a patently unsafe FWD or F/AWD (of a 4WD/4X4 "locked") even equipped with STELLAR perfprming winter tires. IMMHO it's best to leave the front wheels for directional control and the rears for "drive". PERFECT BALANCE...!! Well no, perfect balance would be with the engine at the rear.....