wwest

You may have used LL, Long Life, bulbs in which case they do not draw enough current to "trigger" the icon off.

But if you enter a market and establish a reputation with some aspect and then discard that aspect but lie to future customers.....

A/C on = SOP Google for: wwest demist denso

If you haven't bought yet, I'd personally not buy either vehicle. I'm not convinced that there is no problem with the 99/00 transmission but I know I haven't seen or heard of near the amount of problems in the 01-03 range. Also in 01-03's the sludge problem was addressed so you are lot less likely to have any sludge related issues with those years. Bottom line is if you keep looking for an 01-03 you can just bypass the melee of facts/opinions/BS regarding the trannys and the engine sludge. Might just be worth a few extra bucks :P Correction.......... Apparently the '01 V6 is still subject to the engine sludging problem. If I remember correctly is was either mid-01 production run or '02 when the engine block design was revised to alleviate the problem. Additionally the '01-03 RX models seem to be subject to some sort of transaxle problem as the ATF scheduled maintenance recommedation has been revised from NEVER to every 15,000 miles for a drain and refill or flush. I did two sequential drain and refills on my '01 AWD RX300 because at only 40,000 miles the ATF was must definitely looking and smelling burned. Apparently the '04 and after RX models went to DBW to "protect the drive train" keep the engine torque from rising due to gas pedal depression (1-2 second delay) until the appropriate transaxle gear ratio clutches could be fully and firmly seated. That, of course, resulted in owner safety complaints due to unpredictable responsiveness to the gas pedal. There are a already few reports of '08 Toyota and Lexus models experiencing this 1-2 second delay/hesitation "feature". Ford has adopted a variable displacement ATF pump for the new Edge SUV IMMHO to address these issues so maybe Toyota will cross-license the technique for the '09 models.....maybe....

Yes, just like any open diff'l setup the engine torque will be evenly distributed across all driven wheels...... Just as long as all driven wheels have roughly equal roadbed traction...!! But just as soon as any ONE wheel slips the engine torque becomes LIMITED by the LOW torque level required to keep that wheel spinning. For the RX330 and 350 that's when TC, Traction Control, is activated, braking the slipping wheel(s), to sustain, maintain, a "higher" torque level, while simultaneously DETHROTTLING the engine to prevent inadvertent brake overheating. Apparently Lexus has totally (fraudulently..??) misled RX330 and RX350 buyers into thinking they have the more robust F/AWD system that came with the RX300.

4wdsyste.pdf

Hmmmm..... 89 Aerostar.... MY '94 AWD Aerostar now has 135,000 miles with NO ATF drain/refill/flush only band adjustment at 125,000. My son's '94 AWD Aerostar only has about 70,000 miles but also never with any ATF drain/refill/flush. Would have to check to be sure, but like my '01 AWD RX300 I would guess that no ATF "maintenance is called for in the owners manual. Yours..?? "...evident by the number of tranny shops...." Has it not occurred to you that with the number of "trannys" out there the "bread and butter" for all those shops just might be from overhauls due to ordinary wear..??

Disregard the phone number given to me above, it's WRONG. Called the correct number and ended up, yet again, being told that I will be contacted within 48 hours with research status.

The ML-350 and the X5, along with the X3, are R/AWD vehicles whereas the RX is F/AWD. Life saving features on this scale ARE generally more expensive. Is Scott AFB still in operation? I got the second half of my electronics training there in '58.

I would definitely value his opinions and recommendations over your speculations and suspicions. This shop acknowledges that the RX300 transmissions are burning up, but say it is from poor maintenance, not design. Now you're being insulting to me and many others who follow the Lexus owners manual's scheduled maintenance to the letter. First, my '01 owners manual does not call for, nor address, any sort of ATF scheduled maintenance. Second, I check the condition of my ATF at every DIY oil and filter change. Third, I have owned MANY automatic transmission vehicles going back to a 56 Ford purchased in '61 and have NEVER had to address ATF issues except for major overhaul issues, typically at 125,000 miles or greater. Two of those vehicles accrued in excess of 250,000 miles before being hauled off to the wrecking yard with no residual valve otherwise. So, maybe the design "flaw" was/is at the owners manual "composition" level...?? Here you go, why not ask "him" if my speculations/suspiciions are correct would he be able to "detect" that the real problem is a design flaw as I described. Note, I'm not saying it is, just asking if he might be capable, in "his" opinion, of detecting it, or even rulling it out, should it "be". They don't think highly of Lexus or Toyota's service depts.. Gee, isn't that a really big surprise...!! They work on RXs every day and are well aware of any problems associated with the vehicles. In their opinion, the RX series is among the very best of the bunch. If you restrict "bunch" to FWD or F/AWD SUV's then I would agree, the RDX is probably the only real contenter but it's still too new to the market. From what I have seen, I will have to agree. It is not by luck that I own two early model RX300s with over 120kmi. and original transmissions that shift like new. Maybe I have postponed the inevitable by having the transmissions flushed, but isn't that what service maintenance is all about???

The '92 LS has 7 brake light bulbs, 6 of them are ~18 watts, about 120 watts overall, so a slight, just noticeable dimming of the headlights might be normal. But the engine shutting down when you run the A/C isn't. When removing the alternator it is easiest from the bottom and even easier if you remove the ground strap from the engine to the body that's sort of in the way. Someone forget to put it back or didn't tighten it well??

Been here since '61, from AR/TN, lovin' every minute... PS: Its 35.6F and snowing here in Woodinville at the monent.

If the design flaw of the early RX transaxles is as I suspect, an under-sized, under-capacity ATF oil pump, it would be a practical impossibility for someone in the field to make that judgment.

Yes, so BRIGHT, VERY BRIGHT, that I'm beginning to think some these new LED brake lights should turn off automatically once the vehicle comes to a complete stop. Or maybe only have the high mount on at a reduced brightness level. I also think we need a federal mandate making it illegal to have ANY auxillary forward lights on along with factory low beams.

As I already stated, Toyota has adopted a new shift procedure commonly referred to as "uphill/downhill shift logic". They imply that there is a unique procedure involving brake application that the driver must use to "invoke" this new feature. Or they may simply be "watching" the level of torque the engine must produce to attain, sustain, a reasonably high roadspeed and react accordingly if the driver applies braking. The vehicle might essentially be coasting, very little engine torque required, and this may be used to trigger the new logic if/when the driver applies braking. My best guess would be that if you do a long "coast" all the way up to a stop sign with light throttle applied and then apply the brakes the downhill logic will trigger. Obviously this would be more likely to occur if the stop is being made while traveling downhill. On the other hand a period of coasting with no throttle opening at all would trigger the throttle fully closed upshift sequence at 40-30 MPH, or while slowing to a stop, OR NOT, at 10-0 MPH. Apparently the "OR NOT" is one of the documented causes for the 1-2 second DBW enforced downshift delay/hesitation.

Difficult park to reverse, just moving out of park, really, is generally an indication that the electric solenoid (Audi) safety shiftlock is beginning to stick/fail or the brake light switch on the brake pedal is intermittent. Check your owners manual, they is a manual over-ride procedure for this.

Canada requires street/parking/tail light be on along with DRLs. I retrofitted my RX300 so the it work that way. 12 volt relay energized by the OEM DRL circuit. N.O. relay contacts supply 12 volts to street/parking/tail circuit.

That's by no means the only thing GM has done, to fake their mileage into looking better. Consider, "Flex fuel" ... E-85, Corn. Grain alcohol. It actually gets worse MPG than gasoline. Don't even get me started on how much polution goes into refining E-85. The regulating agency here in CA (california air resource boad ... or CARB) for purposes of calculating MPG, only requires "gasoling" to be figured into the MPG formula. So by mixing the alcohol (for easy math example, say it's mixed 50/50 ) fuel with gasoline, a SUV that only got 18mpg NOW gets 36mpg ... because they only count the gasoline in the gallon of 'fuel' !! So you make flex fuel SUV's .... sell and lease the Flex Fuel vehicles as Fleet vehicles to major corporations (like Disney that I work for ... they have DOZENS of Flex Fuel TAHOES, Silverados etc) and that artificially pumps the stated mpg's way up. And sice it's flex fuel, you don't even have to use E-85. And who would want to? ... because it gets worse mpg ! ! (shaking head) OK, back on topic ... sorry for getting off topic. About 30 or 40 posts ago I inquired here about putting in an override light switch, so I could not only run without the HID's ... but even the running lights. I never mentioned the current draw, but yea, that too was in the back of my mind. A bypass switch can be a wonderful thing to increase (ever so small) MPG :^) Ethanol is one of the biggest scams ever. Corn farmers are laughing all the way to the bank. There is NO environmental benefit. It is complete BS. Growing corn adds oxygen to our environment.....

High beams are used as DRLs to get the highest distance visibility. In DRL "mode" the two bulbs are connected in series plus an additional voltage dropping resistor. Total power consumption is likely less than 30 watts.

Puzzling, very.... There now seems to be two aspects of the Toyota and Lexus FWD and F/AWD product line that customers appear to be uncomfortable with, some to the point of considering at least one of these aspects to be a design flaw bordering on being unsafe to drive. The aspect owners seemingly consider unsafe would be the 1-2 second transaxle downshift delay/hesitation in certain instances about which lots have already been posted. The latest complaint seems to involve the new firmware version which supports the newly implemented uphill/downhill shift pattern/schedule. I don't have any problem with the uphill aspects, it is rather nice to have the transaxle automatically downshift, and hold the downshifted gear for a prolonged period, if I have enter an area of inclined roadbed. But I'm not altogether sure I understand the logic behind how the firmware decides that I need, want, engine braking when trying to slow going downhill. It looks as if "daddy" has inadvertently encountered the downhill shift logic in a situation that would normally result in the upshift and delayed downshift situation. Strange. I have to wonder if the BA, Brake Assist, firmware is being "high-jacked" and now used to "trigger" the downhill shift, downshift, to "engage" engine compression braking. Brake assist is supposed to provide extra braking power, HEAVY brake application, if it senses a panic braking situation. I presume it "watches" the rate at which the driver moves from the gas pedal, say partial depression, to braking. How quickly you go from "cruise" to braking. That aspect I can understand and applaud. But how does the engine/transaxle ECU control firmware decide that I want engine compression braking for speed restraint going downhill...??

Lexus Chat dialog this AM. Darrius Brown: Hi, my name is Darrius Brown. How may I help you? willard: about two weeks ago now I used chat to put in a query about/if the RX350 actually has a viscous clutch across the center diff'l? Darrius Brown: Ok, How can I help you? willard: The RX330 shop/repair doesn't show one but my Rx300 manual does. willard: Detailed specification for the RX at Lexus.com says it does.. willard: Which is correct?? Darrius Brown: A viscous clutch? willard: Yes, if you go to lexus.com, RX350, detailed specs it indicates the RX350 has a VC in the center diff'l. Darrius Brown: One moment.. willard: The '08 RX350 shop/repair manual at techinfo.toyota.com seems to indcate otherwise. Darrius Brown: The AWD has a viscous clutch and the FWD does not. willard: What about the FACT that the shop/repair manual indicates it, the AWD version, does not..?? Darrius Brown: Which shop/repair manual is this? From the dealer? willard: At techinfo.toyota.com willard: Both the 07 nad 08 RX350 shop manuals indicate that they is NO VC in the AWD models Darrius Brown: I do apologize. I do show a viscous clutch in the vehicle. I will check the tech site. willard: Yes, I know, this was also done initially for the RX330 series, marketing stated taht it did when in actuallity it did not. Darrius Brown: I do apologize for the confusion. willard: I have hardcopy manuals purchased from the dealer for '00, '01 and '04 RX models. willard: Doesn't this border on misrepresentation or maybe even fraud...? Darrius Brown: One moment please. willard: The VC would add a significant level of functionality to an F/AWD system were it actually used. Darrius Brown: If you can please call our customer experience line at 800-255-2992 we can look further into you inquiry. willard: Who do I ask for..?? Darrius Brown: Anyone will be able to assist you further. willard: Okay... Darrius Brown: I do apologize for the confusion.

With EFI the fuel is injected right at the intake valve into each cylinder so there is NO way fuel aditives can clean the air intake path. Unless you have used on of those "highly efficient" air filters, say K&N, your intake isn't likely to need any "cleaning".

Have someone apply the brakes while you watch to see if ALL the brake light bulbs are working and fully bright, including the high mount. If not then replace bulbs and retest. If all bulbs are working then look for a bad ground/body connection on the bulb failure detection module.

"...Its room temperature...." My point, EXACTLY...!! When the radiant heat equation is in the negative, your body is "giving up" more heat than the surrounding landscape is contributing as "input". Your body will ALWAYS feel COLD even with a HEATED surrounding atmosphere. The warm, heated, atmosphere surrounding your body, localized to your body, can never bring the Human Comfort equation into balance on a cold winter day, let alone a cold wintery night. It will help, but not make you fully comfortable. Think of yourself in a chamber built with blocks of ice, you can make the the surrounding atmosphere as warm as your body can tolerate and you will STILL feel cold, absent multiple layers of clothing.

Sorry, my apologies in advance, but to be more exactingly correct do you mean to say that your climate control system switches from ONLY footwell airflow into dash outlet airflow or combined dash/footwell airflow...?? The system will return to "normal" airflow temperature, a more comfortable airflow temperature, after the cabin is initially heated up even if left, forced, or simply remaining in footwell mode.