wwest

"Try defogging the windows w/o the A/C on and you'll find that its difficult." NOT! NYET! NO! The absolute best way, and the ONLY reliable way to defog your windshield and/or windows is to lower the relative humidity of the cabin atmosphere. That means bringing in FRESH outside airflow, heating it as high as possible, and moving as much of it to the interior surface of the windshield and windows as the MAX blower speed can accomplish. Heating the airflow will DRAMATICALLY lower its RH, increasing the vapor pressure on the condensate, and the heat will also help to quickly raise the temperature of the interior surface of the windshield to well above dewpoint. Please note that we humans have absolutely no way of sensing or detecting whether or not the RH is high enough for the A/C to be effective in any given instance. So, the ONLY safe thing to do, ALWAYS, is to use HEAT as the primary resource for defogging a glass surface. I do not disagree that in many cases the A/C can be used as an assist for lowering the cabin atmosphere's RH, but absolutely cannot be relied upon even for minor assist unless the outside climatic conditions are "correct". If you check your owners manual or ask your dealer service manager you will find that in COLD weather your A/C compressor is completely and totally disabled, by factory design. Some vehicles do this at ~47F and lower while others don't disable the A/C until the OAT declines below ~35F. In COLD weather (coinsidentally, that's also when your windshield and windows are most likely to be subject to fogging) depending on the ability of the A/C to efficiently dehumidify the incoming airflow is comparable to playing a game of Russian Roulette with a loaded pistol. In COLD, or even COOL weather, the relative humidity must be unusually high, one might even say extraordinarily high, for the A/C to be efficient enough to QUICKLY defog your windshield. Yet Lexus and Toyota both use NipponDenso, Denso US, automatic climate control designs, as do many if not most asian car manufacturers. NipponDenso's design is horribly FLAWED and has been since the introduction of the Lexus product line. This design relies EXCLUSIVELY on the ability of the A/C to dehumidify the incoming airflow although its ability to do so is highly questionable below ~47F and absolutely NON-EXISTENT below ~35F wherein the A/C compressor, by design, is completely disabled. Now, I should point out that this flawed design will work quite well unless the cabin atmosphere is "upset" by some event. Like picking up two sweaty teenagers, wet clothing and all, after a day of skiing. Or maybe even a life's partner after work who has been standing waiting in the rain for a few minutes. Or worse of all, having the system itsself cause the UPSET. Regretably a fairly common circumstance. Common Circumstances: Its a fairly cool morning as you drive your Lexus out of the garage and head down the road to work. The Lexus A/C system operates continuously, all year 'round, unless the OAT declines enough, you manually turn it off, and of course last night when you parked it in the garage. So last evening when you parked it in the garage the ~10,000 square inches of the A/C evaporator cooling vane surface area was still covered with a thin film of condensate, WATER! Now this morning about 5 miles into your drive the engine water jacket will reach the point, 130F, at which the system blower motor is activated. POOF...! Your windshield is suddenly covered with condensation. Unless you remember, night after night, to leave the windows slightly lowered in your garage so that thin film of moisture can evaporate and via convection airflow leave the car's cabin area, or at least most of it can. And by the way, for those of you with the A/C mould and mildew odors you can avoid that via the same method, let the car dry out each and every night in the garage. So, beware of using the A/C temporarily, say as an aid to defogging/demisting your windshield and windows and then turning it off. Within just a few moments of having cycled it off the vane surface area temperature will begin to rise to that of the incoming airflow and that previously condensed moisture on those vanes will begin to evaporate into the passenger cabin. Also beware of driving from a reasonably warm area, say above 47F, when the A/C continues to operate, and into an area of cooler or colder climate, say a mountain pass. As the OAT declines the A/C will beome disabled at ~35 and that will result in the evaporation of the thin film of moisture on the evaporator vanes. POOF! Your windshield has been CHILLED as a result of the COLD impinging 60MPH outside airflow and now the cabin's RH is rising rapidly due to the airborne water vapor from the A/C evaporator vanes. When, if, your windshield fogs over and you happen to be driving a car of asian manufacture then you should IMMEDIATELY: 1. Turn the heating demand to the highest extreme, MAX HEAT. 2. If the blower motor should happen to not rise as you execute step one then turn it to MAX Speed. 3. Now move the climate control system airflow mode to defrost/defog/demist. 4. Lower a rear window slightly so moisture being evaporated from the windshield and windows can quickly exit the cabin thereby helping to lower the cabin atmosphere's RH. That last, #4, is required because almost all modern day vehicles, and Lexus most especially, are well sealed and insulated to reduce the escape of previously conditioned air and thereby increase the fuel economy. I would like to say that it would do no harm to activate the A/C for use as an aid in removing condensation, but the aftereffects, windshield suddenly fogging over yet again, even more quickly than before, can prove to be deadly. So, unless the OAT is above 47F, AND you expect it will remain there for the duration of your drive, NEVER allow the A/C to operate, even in defrost/defog/demist mode. As of 2004 the RX330 has three C-best options, as likely do other Lexus models, that will be an aid in these efforts. 1. The A/C on/off control can be set such that if you turn it off manually it will remain off, indefinitely, multiple restarts, until you turn it back on. 2. The A/C can be unlinked from operating automatically (it does this without an indication to you) in defrost/defog/demist mode. 3. The climate control system can be "set" such that it does not automatically switch to COOLING mode once the cabin atmosphere rises to, or nearly to, your temperature setpoint. In COOLING mode there is NO warming airflow routed to the interior surface of the windshield to (hopefully) keep it above dewpoint. So, not only is cooling mode, cool and dry airflow to our face, discomforting to our human metabolism during the colder climatic periods, but due to the lack of warming airflow to the interior surface of the windshield in this mode our demise from an accident resulting from sudden and unexpected windshield fogging is made more likely.

Do a google search for: Denso + demist + exclusively

400h MPG??

If I were in the market for a new SUV at the moment the two vehicles highest on my list would be the new Honda Ridgeline and the BMW X3. The Ford FreeStyle would also be there if it had VSC. I think V8 performance in the class and weight or the RX series is pure overkill, I'm perfectly happy with the ZOOM level of my 2001 AWD RX300. So I won't be in the market for an RX400h GAS HOG anytime soon. I was hoping the HL hybrid would use the I4 as the base ICE but I guess not so it's off the list. The Ford FreeStyle uses the Volvo XC90 AWD system (not the V8 one)and with VSC added next year, hopefully, it will be a real winner. I was actually considering the RX330 but this engine hesitation being REAL takes it off my list. My wish list would be an RX with the I4 and a manual transmission and with rear wheel torque biasing. Or a copy of the XC90 AWD system since I'm apparently into dreaming at the moment.

There is no pollen filter in 1990 LS. If the smell is that of dirty gym socks see: http://www.airsept.com/eed.html

When the check engine light comes on the TRAC light is an automatic, default, condition. Doesn't mean anything is wrong with TRAC. On these older models TRAC is useless except for use as a warning indicator that the roadbed is slippery, and can be a safety hazard in certain conditions.

What is your definition of a "bunch"?? In this case mine would be "no more that a quart". Just don't do it with the water jacket hot and/or therefore pressurized. Open the radiator cap, gently, first.

Keep in mind that you absolutely do not want to have your lights go off due to artificial "brightness". The delay is a form of digital filter that prevents the lights from too quickly going on or off. You should turn your lights on manually before entering the tunnel, for safeties sake.

"These" is uglier that a Porsche 911/991 cabriolet with the top up.

The latest word from Lexus, or as quoted by the service manager at Lexus of Bellevue, is that the ATF in the RX300 series should be good for the life of the vehicle. He said that Lexus corporate had advised them to inspect the fluid each 30,000 miles but did not recommend as flush and refill unless the ATF appeared dark or smelled burnt. That was just last week. Next vehicle purchase. I was looking quite seriously at the BMW X3, but must admit that I am quite intriged by the new Honda Ridgeline. The only thing it seems to be missing is HID.

"driving" through a turn..... Then buy a RWD vehicle or an AWD with a system simulier to the non-V8 Volvo XC90 that biases the torque to the rear as you enter a turn and until you reach the apex, and then moves the torque primarily to the front as you begin to exit the turn. Or any full-time AWD/4WD that is primarily rear torque biased, such as the current 4runner model.

Accelerating through a turn.... This could very well be your VSC/Trac system activating and dethrottling the engine to prevent "impending" loss of control due to wheelslip from both the high lateral loading of the front tires and the high engine driving torque. Just a guess, mind you.

Be careful... I just learned that the "transfer" case, its really the case for the front and center diff'ls, runs in ATF. That drain plug just behind the transaxle sump pan is to drain the ATF out of the diff'l case. The PTO, Power Take Off (mine is painted black and has heat dissapation fins), is bolted up to the passenger's side of the diff'l case and it does use gear oil. The PTO is basically a pass through for the right front driveline, and contains the VC, Viscous Clutch, and the ring and pinion for the rear driveline.

But. Just how many "boy-racers" will be interested in an SUV, a LUXURY SUV, even with V8 performance. And how many of those that are interested can afford the HL version, let alone the RX. Pretty small demographics, methinks.

Sent: Tuesday, July 27, 2004 8:05 AM Subject: No Summary [incident: 040723-000003] Recently you submitted a question to the Lexus Customer Satisfaction Department. We will assume your issue has been resolved if we do not hear from you within 120 hours. Thank you for allowing us to be of service to you. You may also update this question by replying to this message. Because your reply will be automatically processed, you MUST enter your reply in the space below. Text entered into any other part of this message will be discarded. [===> Please enter your reply below this line <===] You're basically asking me to allow the fox into my henhouse. Everyone is well aware of Lexus dealer's wish, desire, etc, to convince Lexus owners that all of them should abide by the rough service maintenance schedule. None of us should be placing blame on the dealers for these efforts, they're stuck with an extraordinarily reliable product line and most if not all are single marque shops. I'm asking Lexus to explain why the manual states that no preventative maintainence is required when the fluid in my vehicle, subjected to NOTHING like rough service, seemingly should have been changed out at ~30k miles. [===> Please enter your reply above this line <===] If your issue remains unresolved, please update this question here. Subject No Summary Discussion Thread Response (John Doe) 07/27/2004 08:05 AM Dear Mr. West, Thank you for contacting Lexus Customer Satisfaction regarding your 2001 RX 300. I apologize for any confusion regarding the transmission fluid change intervals. For proper diagnosis of the transmission fluid, we recommend that an authorized Lexus dealership inspect your vehicle. Your Lexus dealer will be able to properly determine and explain why the transmission fluid would have to be changed at certain mileage and what factors could influence the fluid. Please contact your local Lexus dealer to make inspection arrangements. I am sorry for any inconvenience this situation may cause you. If you would like to discuss your concerns further, you can also reach the Lexus Customer Satisfaction Department at 1-800-255-3987, Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Pacific Time. Sincerely, John Doe Lexus Customer Satisfaction Customer (wwest 07/26/2004 05:32 PM "may last 60,000 miles or longer..." This is in total and complete conflict with what I see in my owners manual. Has Lexus done anything to advise DIY owners of this change in position? And even that doesn't explain why the fluid in my 01 AWD RX300 appears to be burnt and discolored. Since the manual doesn't indicate a fluid change necessaty before 120,000 miles, can you give me an explanation as to why a "lightly driven", absolutely no towing, mostly myself and wife as the only passengers, and in Seattle's temperate climate, a vehicle such as mine would need a fluid change at 38,000 miles? Response (John Doe) 07/26/2004 08:28 AM Dear Mr. West, Thank you for contacting Lexus Customer Satisfaction regarding your 2001 RX 300. Per our technical department: 1) Transmission fluid should be inspected as recommended in the Owner's Manual Supplement or Owner's Manual. (This is typically every 30,000 miles or 24 months, whichever comes first.) 2) The dealer will check the fluid for signs of discoloration, a burnt odor, or signs of sediment. If the fluid shows any of these signs, the fluid should be changed. 3) If a vehicle is driven under light usage, the transmission fluid may last 60,000 miles or longer. Please contact the Service department at your local Lexus dealership for more information and proper diagnosis of the transmission fluid. If you would like to discuss your concerns further, you can also reach the Lexus Customer Satisfaction Department at 1-800-255-3987, Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Pacific Time. Sincerely, John Doe Lexus Customer Satisfaction Customer (WWest) 07/23/2004 10:46 AM In all my years of driving automatic transmission vehicles, mostly Fords (first was a 56, purchased at Westside Ford in Seattle in 1961) I have NEVER changed out transmission fluid as a scheduled maintenance matter. Two of those Fords, a 68 and an 72 SW, were driven well over 200K miles, admittedly with transmission overhauls somewhere after 100k. So I wasn't surprised to find that my 01 AWD RX doesn't recommend any scheduled maintenance fluid change out at all. What did surprise me was the discoloration and slight burnt odor of the fluid when I checked it during the 38K oil change. What?? My RX has the factory trailer towing package, includes extra fluid cooling heat exchanger in the right front fender well, and the hitch was removed and stored away the week I bought it. And it certainly hasn't endured anything I would refer to as rough service. When I previously posted this news someone else came back and said they had received a letter from the factory indicating a transmission fluid drain was now recommended at each 15k mile interval. Anyone else receive that notice? So. Is the RX series automatic transmission design not fully up to the task at hand? It also occurs to me that there is a possibility that the extra heating provided by the VC in AWD models may not have been accounted for during the AWD design phase. The VC does heat to fairly extraordinary levels when it is asked to "work", but I have little doubt that the VC fluid itself can endure the extra heat. But is the hermetically sealed case that contains this fluid "cooled" by the transmission fluid? Or is there just too much heat transfer via the metal to metal mounting contact from the VC heat to the tranny fluid? In the meantime I guess I'll drain and flush the fluid and install new. Also thinking seriously about adding an electric fan to force airflow through the fender well mounted fluid cooler. It's pretty obvious that there can be no really "free" flow of cooling air through this cooler, likely not even at hwy speeds.

Debunking.... Really?? Just give some thought to what the fuel economy might have been if T/L wasn't going after the boy-racer set.

Maybe when he started the battery was FULL and at the end it was EMPTY.

As you can see I have an AWD RX300. This one now has 45,000 miles. I traded up from a 2000 AWD RX300 but I don't remember the mileage it had. So lets assume I have driven an AWD RX300, the 3.0L one no less, for at least 55,000 miles altogether. Seattle area, summer and wintertime trips to North central MT, trips all over the pacific NW. I have yet to encounter a circumstance wherein I wished for more HP or torque. Now I suppose that if I wanted to tow something heavy it would be otherwise. But in all of my travels I can't remember ever seeing an RX towing even a small boat. Not saying, by any means, that it doesn't happen, just that in my experience and personal opinion towing will be very low on the totem pole for most buyers of the RX series. Probably lower for the hybrid RX. So, why not a smaller engine that still yeilds enough torque for highway cruising and the batteries as a "supercharger" backup for acceleration, with the "net" being overall performance equal to the current 3.3L V6. And while you analyze all that please keep in mind that the HL, approximately equal weight, size, etc, can be purchased with a small I4 and there are some forum posters who own them and claim they're just fine for towing. Just what is the displacement, HP/torque, and fuel economy ratings of the 4 cylinder HL anyway?

ABS will still work because the pump for it is in the assembly just behind the intake air filter. Early models only. Insofar as which lines to block off I'll have to look and get back to you.

Maintaining confidence in hybrid technology cannot be accomplished by building GAS HOGS.

Weird, life is sometimes so WEIRD. Just returned from Lexus to pick up a quart of transaxle fluid. Dropped by the service manager's desk to see if he had any input on why my RX300 needs 15,000 fluid changes. He said that it doesn't, all they do is inspect the fluid and if its okay then they abide by the owners manual! I reminded him of having told me that Lexus now required fluid changes every 15,000 miles. His response was that only the dealers were saying that and Lexus corporate had recently sent them a memo ordering all dealers to abide by the book. Strange. I have an appointment Tuesday AM for them to look into this.

With that kind of demand, if true, wouldn't most dealers who didn't take pre-orders and are still getting allocations find some way to blackmarket the cars for say, at least 10% over MSRP? On one hand we have someone trying to sell their place in line for $5,000, and on the other we have dealers who are getting allocation without pre-orders. Does that make sense to anyone? Certainly not to me! Unless it ends up that there are NO takers for the $5,000 offer, then I will understand.

"do you have a cooler"....hmmmmm......DAMN. Yes. Didn't think of that, probably should have opened the hose and drained that too. Have to look and see if its mostly above the drain point. That probably would definitely mean 5 quarts.

Lexus only sold me four, insisted that would do the trick. But four doesn't even show on the dipstick so a 5th is obviously required. I only drained 4.5 quarts so maybe they were playing it "safe".

Complainin! Me? NOT! Just stating the facts. I have no cause to complain, I dropped off the wait list years (seems like) ago. Now that Lexus is marketing to the HP/Torque set and not their Prius base I'm rather glad I did. Back when I worked at Boeing if a vendor delayed the scheduled delivery of a machine tool we always sent an engineer to look into the reason. You just simply wouldn't believe some of the things we learned that way.