wwest

Looks as if one of those inexpensive a Costco tool sets would have saved you some serious money........ Enough for a family dinner at Outback anyway.

I don't understand why anyone would want to disable VSC, do you by any chance mean TC, Traction Control..?? No I mean VSC. And TC too. The RX350 is very capable off-road, but the VSC spoils the fun and it causes the vehicle to get stuck in sand. Unplug the MAF/IAT module with the engine idling, plug it back in after the engine dies, restart the engine and you will have a CEL & VSC/TC disable indication for the next few drive cycles.

I don't understand why anyone would want to disable VSC, do you by any chance mean TC, Traction Control..??

The smallish opening and spring loaded flap was to prevent someone fueling a catalyst equipped engine with LEADED fuel. By federal law/mandate leaded fuel pump nozzles had to be too large to fit the smaller unleaded fuel opening. Since there is now no leaded pumps around there is no longer a need for the spring loaded flap.

My '92 LS400, now at 120,000, runs just a tad above the 2/5 point on the gauge, always has, rock solid there. Look at the cold vs hot marking on the reservior, if the coolant moves up and down in that "range" from engine COLD to hot then you're probably okay.

I agree with your statements, at least from what little I know of modern FI systems. I was specifically addressing knocking from an octane point of view. The FI systems today will run on regular grade, some better than others. If you have a 500 hp, high performance beast, it may not run well at all. However, in most family style vehicles, I would bet that most of them run just fine on regular grade gas. As an example, my wife's '05 330 states that regular grade fuel is just fine as long as you don't mind suffering a small loss of horsepower. Like she would even know the difference? ;0 I drive a 2007 BMW 328xi and the owner's manual states that regular fuel of 87 octane is just fine but premium will give the most power. Sounds familiar doesn't it? Oth, the BMW 335i with twin turbos states that premium fuel is the minimum fuel requirement. There may be some instances where the 335 just won't run well with regular gas. Of course, what do you do with your vehicle if you are in Timbuktu and all that is available is regular? Gary "if you are in Timbuktu...." When we picked up our '01 Porsche 996/911 (300HP/high performance[??]) at the factory I was told that in our travels throughout europe we would not always be able to buy premium fuel, and that would be fine, but we should not refuel with leaded as that would require a new catalyst ($1000) before shipping stateside.

Actually there are two distinct causes for a modern day engine knocking. Too lean mixture, octane too low, or lugging the engine. Most modern day cars will simply enrich the mixture to correct for the first two and some will downshift the transmission, assuming a lower gear is available, for the latter.

you lose 2-3 mpg using the heat?? Since the A/C compressor operates, in a HIGHLY inefficient manner, all year around, heating, cooling, defrost, defog, etc, if the climate control is enabled in automatic mode, then yes, that can cost you 2-3 MPG. STUPID machines..Programmers....!

Try to search. There are a LOT of threads here about that. IAC valve is on PS pump, bottom side. You are not supposed to clean it. You are supposed to clean PS rack solenoid. Its on the PS rack with 2 wires sticking out... The IAC, Idle Air Control, provides the method whereby airflow bypasses the CLOSED throttle valve to supply enough airflow for keeping the engine at idle RPM. So the functional parts are likely to be mounted very nearby the throttle valve.

Insofar as I know there is NO FWD vehicle with LSD, mechanical or via TC braking. Too much danger of yanking the stearing wheel right out of an unweary, unaware, driver's hands, or breaking a thumb or two, due to EXCESSIVE torque stear that might result.

Small correction.... Most bi-xenon systems still have a halogen high beam bulb, the low beam HIDs are "switched" (unshaded) upward to aid the halogen bulb. Technically my '01 RX300 has bi-xenons since I modified the HID leveling servomotor system to move the HID reflector upward slightly when the high beam bulb is on.

I didn't say "all" MT farmers/ranchers, just many....!!

Auto-leveling HID were available as an RX option beginning in 2001. But the newer (2004??) bi-xenons with projector lens are undoubtedly a definite improvement.

Do you see your wheel on this webpage? --> http://www.primewheel.com/prime_wheels.aspx?size=15 It sounds like your wheel is one of the BBS look-a-like wheels that was very popular in the early 1990s. Yes, these are BBS look-a-like, replicas, that dealers were selling to unsuspecting customers at BBS retail prices plus a substantial markup. Be careful, some of the early ones had to be turned on a lathe to allow room for the brake caliper.

Thank you for the reply, a link or suggestion of a place where a rebuild kit can be purchased from would be appreciated. Thanks..... why not at Lexus or even Toyota...?? But if your PS pump ran as dry as you say, and acted as you say after a fill-up, I would invest in a rebuilt. The alternator failure on my '92 LS had NOTHING to do with the PS pump leaking. The alternator brushes had 50% left (100,000 plus) but the slip rings (SOFT copper??) themselves were worn right down to the metal shaft.

I was going to ask how many miles on your RX but in MT the "origin" of a used car might be more important, a LOT more important. Many MT farmers and ranchers could well afford a Lexus and many of them simply park/abandon a vehicle "outback" even for the smallest of problems. Additionally these folks often live in rugged terrain areas, VERY rugged terrain areas. Recipe for abuse of any vehicle. I don't think I'd buy a used MT vehicle absent being sure it was used primarily in one of your few "urban" areas and by someone with other than a MT farmer/rancher mindset.

I was disappointed in the fact that on anything short of smooth roads, I need to grip the steering wheel with both hands to keep it in my lane and going straight. The other issues are small and can be delt with. There are no Lexus dealers in MT and we had to drive 120 miles to find this one at a reputable Toyota dealer. I was impressed with the looks of the car, the nav. sys. and DVD player (not factory I discovered later.) I have driven my '01 AWD RX300 pretty much all around in MT, even Lewistown to Denton and on out to Everson. About 1/2 way of that is hill-n-dale gravel with lots of curves thrown in. Unless the stearing system was changed seriously by '04 I would suspect something be to be VERY wrong with your RX. Might be worth a drive over to the Lexus dealer in "nearby" (for Montanans) Spokane.

Correction..... The following assumes 50 liters of "atmosphere" equals one pound and gasoline is 6 pounds/gallon. In burning 1 gallon/(6 lbs) an engine "consumes" 90 lbs/4500 liters of air/atmosphere. 225 liters/min. (only 45 liters of oxygen content) at 20 MPG and 60MPH. Theroritically pumping in 10 liters of pure (95%) oxygen would increase engine HP by approximately 25% and allow the engine to maintain 60 MPH cruise at 1500 RPM instead of 2200 RPM provided an OD ratio in that range were available. But what might the fuel savings be to justify the $800 and 1/2HP cost?

Speaking of SuperCharging..... At 20 MPG with 14:1 A/F mixture ratio your engine "consumes" about 15 "gallons" of air/atmosphere for each gallon of fuel consumed. At 60MPH 45 gallons each hour. The atmosphere is 80% nitrogen and only 20% oxygen. You can buy an oxygen concentrator for about $800 that will supply as much as 5L/minute of 95% oxygen flow consuming only 400 watts. What do you suppose a 5L/min 95% oxygen intake flow would do for a 3.5L engine that normally produces 250 HP on 20% oxygen flow....?? Or does the 14.7:1 A/F mixture ratio already account for that 80% nitrogen content? 14.7:1 Oxygen/Fuel ratio...?? But even so......

VSC and TC are more for inadvertent, driver unaware, encounters of loss of traction, over/understearing. ECT/Snow is for when you can SEE you might need help "feathering" the throttle upon (initial) acceleration. And my '00 GS300 most definitely derated the engine in ECT/Snow mode, even when I "forced" a 1st gear start-off. Since most new vehicles now have DBW then ECT/Snow mode may simply modify the response rate of the throttle valve to the gas pedal position, self-feathering, as it were.

Define better, do you know what was "improved"...??

:chairshot: Oops... 20 feet....??!! Sounds as if your low beams aren't working at all and you're relying on the fog lights. I sincerely doubt if the rear axle adjustment has enough range to make up for that much disparity. Time for the service center.

20 feet....??!! Sounds as if your low beams aren't working at all and you're relying on the fog lights. I sincerely doubt if the rear axle adjustment has enough range to make up for that much disparity. Time for the service center.

The viscous clutch assembly is hermetically sealed and therefore the VC fluid cannot be changed absent remove/replace the entire VC sub-assembly. The fluid in the PTO, Power Take Off, assembly can be changed but now I have to go review my '01 owners manual because I don't remember such a notation. My '01 transaxle/diff'l drain required a 5 quart ATF refill.