wwest

Yes, I firmly believe that the DBW hesitation issue is the fix, patch job, that Lexus applied to the new RX330 as a result of the RX300's many reported premature transmssion failures. My 2001 AWD RX300 has the trailer tow package and I removed the hitch within a few days of purchasing it new. There is no recommended transmission fluid change or flush in the owners manual so I would presume this to mean the fluid is good for the life of the vehicle. At 38k miles my transmssion fluid was looking dirty and smelled slightly burned. I email Lexus about this and their response was talk to the dealer. I knew what the dealer would say regardless so I tried emailing again. Got the same result. So I went, hat in hand, to the dealer. I was told that Lexus had revised the recommended maintainence schedule and I now needed to flush and replenish my transmission every 15,000 miles. I was assured that this was actually a factory directive. So I drained 4 quarts of very dirty fluid and installed 4 new quarts purchased from Lexus. Within a week the transmission fluid appeared to be just as dirty as before. So now I have 4 more quarts plus a pan gasket out in the garage awaiting then time I have to do the whole job all over again, more thoroughly this time.

Sorry, don't really keep track of mileage vs tread wear, never have had a tire that needed replacing, other than road hazards, under ~40k miles. When my front tires need replacing I move the rear ones to the front and put new ones on the rear. Always best to have the most, better, traction at the rear. Exception being the 911's.

All Lexii have automatic climate control and my 2001 AWD RX300 did not come with a water control valve. My 92 LS does have one that is operated via a cable connected to the mixing vane servomotor

I have NEVER (first car purchased in 62) rotated tires and have no plans to begin. My 2001 AWD RX300 has over 40k miles and the michelin cross terrains have lots of tread left and equal all around.

Your vehicle has three c-best options that the dealer can set concerning the most efficient, proper, and SAFE use of the A/C. 1. Option one is so you can disable the A/C for an indefinite period, infinite restarts, simply by manually turning it off. It will not operate again in automatic mode until you turn it back on manually. 2. Unlink the A/C from operating automatically in defrost/defog/demist mode. Below ~45 OAT the A/C's ability to efficiently dehumidify the incoming fresh airflow is highly dependent on climatic conditions. Conditions which rarely exist north of the snow line where the defrost/defog/demist mode is most needed. Additionally there is NO A/C system that can operate efficiently below ~35F and most factory designs disable them at 32F and below. 3. Prevent the system from automatically changing the outlet airflow mode from heating (footwell airflow, with substantial "leakage" warming airflow to the interior surface of the windshield) to cooling (dash outlets). With factory default settings the system will automatically switch to cooling mode as the cabin temperature rises, approaches, your temperature setpoint. In cooling mode there is literally nothing to prevent the interior surface of the windshield from declining to dewpoint as a result of the COLD 60MPH airflow impinging on its exterior surface. Since Toyota and Lexus' climate control system's defog/demist capability relies EXCLUSIVELY on the sometimes non-existent ability of the A/C to dehumidify the incoming airflow you must be fully prepared to interact with the system in order to quickly defog/demist your windshield should the need arise. To most quickly defog/demist the interior surface of the windshield turn the temperature setpoint to max heat and then put the system in the defog/demist mode. Many years ago, say prior to 1990, allowing the A/C to operate in conjunction with substantial HEATED airflow to the windshield in defog/demist mode was a no-brainer, sometimes it helped and if it didn't, no harm done. "no harm done...." No longer true.

Sorry, my .....coming soon.............post was intended as a pun.

scoobie.... Shortly before Cadillac threw in the towel and abandoned FWD altogether they started limiting the level of engine torque that the engine would produce at inital startup from a full stop. That V8 Northstar engine, if not artificially dethrottled, just produced too much torque for safe operation of a FWD vehicle. Too many wipe-outs of their older generation (slow reaction times) due to total loss of directional control from acceleration wheelspin. Earlier FWD models had a reactive system wherein the brakes were applied to reduce wheelspin and then automatic dethrottling of the engine if the driver didn't soon react and lift, feather, the throttle. It sounds to me from your description that Toyota and Lexus may have come to the same conclusion and thus the same solution. Even if you have the AWD model the engine torque is allocated ~90/10 F/R during acceleration. Unexpected front drive wheelspin can be very hazardous in the wrong circumstances.

The RX300 DOES NOT require flush or replenishment for the life o fthe vehicle. If the dealer says the fluid should be flushed in order to restore normal, PROPER, operation then that SERVICE should be covered under the factory warranty.

Your vehicle, like my 2001, has a local area network and the motion signal is sent to the nav over this link. Unless you can decode the serial stream its unlikely you will be able to do this. Been there, wasn't able to do that!

And I'll just wave you on....and wish you good luck.... I NEVER accept challenges on the public roads. But try me at Daytona next year.

Personally I'm willing to place bets that the RX400h will never be released for sales to the general public.

A fix is coming... and coming... ...and coming... ......soon...... coming soon.............

Explore "hesitation" and "engine".

NO, fogs will not work as DRLs since the beam pattern is intentionally low (below the fog line??) and wide. The RX has a extra forward facing bulb in the outside corner of the headlamp assembly. I removed that bulb and have added tightly focussed 4W white LEDs.

European cars use a small 5W halogen operating at full battery voltage for DRLs. My 2001 RX300 had small forward facing bulbs in the outside corners of the headlamps assembly which I am replacing with 4W leds. Added a relay in series with the DRL circuit to energize the leds. Relay resistance prevents any noticeable illumination of HB (drl) bulbs.

Actually our friends to the north require forward DRLs, side markers and tailights be on 24/7 when driving.

Your DRLs are the HB bulbs being run at lower voltage to reduce the glare to oncoming drivers. Using the HB refleactor assembly gives them more forward range. Why are you concerned with the "yellow" look when its only the oncoming drivers who see them and you definitely want their attention!

If you go back and look at your dealer purchase invoice I'm sure you will find a line item for dealer undercoating. Hold the dealer responsible, the factory didn't ship it that way.

First, NEVER send your wife to do a man's job. Dealer service manager's are trained specifically on how to go about conning them into spending more, most, of your hard earned money. I recently I paid ~$80 for the full front set of brake pads on my E350 Mh. DIY is a simple one hour job. Depending on the total mileage it is quite likely that the rotors didn't need to be replaced either. What is the mileage? It would be highly unusual for both caliper pistons to seize up or not fully retract simultaneously. Usually one side or the other will fail first and that will result in the brake on that side dragging and the resultant early wearout, failure of the brake pad, and then damage to the rotor.

I installed the AW, all weather, style bulbs in my RX300, amber "tinge". I also modded the wiring so I could actually make use of the fog lights in the foggy conditions that often occur here. The modification allows me to have the fog lights on without the backscatter visual impairment of the low beams.

First, the traction control as implemented on the early LS series is worse than useless. I have found myself remembering to turn it off each and every time I start the car. My 92 will soon be at 100k miles. Each time I have had the Trac diagnostic come on a complete brake fluid flush has solved the problem. But if you have a dealer do it be sure they know of the additional fluid bleed valves on these earlier models vs the newer LS. Especially the one at the Trac pump/accumulator.

In the 98 LS the wiring was NOT there. Bought two sets off ebay, $80 each, took over 10 hours to do one seat, about six for the other. Friend's wife LOVES her new heated seat!

Nowadays with the engines more thoroughly sealed against escaping emissions vapors and no breather cap/path does the crankcase still accumulate all that much moisture?

An opportunity for someone to custom grind new intake cams, convert to the atkinson cycle? Change an RX400h to an RX330h and increase the gas mileage by 30%?

The engine in the RX400h makes use of the atkinson cycle (same as the Prius) therefore its HP/Torque output is reduced by about 30% from the norm to increase fuel economy. Electric motors make up the difference.