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If in the process the Cayenne's weight could be trimmed to about 3,000lbs and they used an I4 hybrid of ~225 peak HP. Engine in the rear over the drive wheels and battery up front for balance...

Neither are the 10,999 who have asked for their money back!

Here you GO! www.powertraincontrolsolutions.com

As many of you know I am a total disbeliever on this matter, but I was able to find a "white paper" on the internet which I suspect was concerning the "auto-learn" feature of the Porsche tiptronic. What it said was that with 60 seconds of starting the car, putting it in gear and into motion, it will "map" your personal driving style into one of the modes, sport, moderate, or passive. Once it has accummulated 3 minutes of history it will now be able to "map" your driving style, adaptively, into as many as 10 modes, depending on roadspeed, etc. Thereafter it only keeps a running record, history, of just the past three minutes of your driving style, and might even remap you into one of the other modes if "history" warrants. I have no real idea which marque this might apply to but it was origined, seemingly, by one of the european manufacturers.

Toyota hybrids have a "virtual" engine compression braking system in that they simulate engine compression braking via regenerative battery recharge during coastdown. In the Prius you have the choice of regenerative braking/recharge or you can select the use of REAL/ACTUAL engine compression braking. CAUTION note says that if you chose ACTUAL engine compression braking fuel economy will decline dramatically.

Volvo is advertising an anti-rollover feature in their latest cars & SUVs. Does anyone know how this is being done? Meanwhile I'm seeing these many complaints about engine acceleration lag, delay, or hesitation and a few of them seem to have to do with trying to accelerate while turning right or left. The only instance wherein I have been able to replicate any sort of engine acceleration lag or delay in my 2001 AWD RX300 was in a tight turn with the gas pedal to the floor, literally. At about what I would consider the apex of my turn the engine died, or certainly appeared too. My educated foot was so quick to release the gas pedal and then reapply that I don't know what would have happened had I just stayed on the gas. In any case if I were writing firmware/software specifications to prevent rollover one of the things I would look seriously at is limiting the engine HP in a tight turn. Anybody have any factual input as too how the Volvo system works to prevent rollovers??

When your A/C is operating the evaporator vanes will be at very near freezing. When you shut down the A/C there will ALWAYS be a thin film of moisture left on those COLD vanes. After several nights with the very damp and dank A/C plenum at ~70F the microbes of the mould and mildew family will begin to grow in great abundance. If you park your car inside at night it will help to leave the windows down slightly so the trapped moisture can evaporate out of the plenum and then out of the car altogether. See: http://www.airsept.com/eed.html for more info. There are two C-best options available for the 2001 RX300 that might be of interest and another as of the 2004 RX330. As of 2001 you can disable the A/C from activation with the system in automatic mode and yet another setting allows you to unlink the A/C from defrost/defog/demist mode. As of 04 there is a c-best option that can be set to prevent the system from going into cooling mode automatically wherein the windshield is not warmed continually as it would be were the system left in footwell, heating mode.

The ambient noise level in the LS430 at 70mph is about 70db, your Sienna is likely higher than that. When you next buy tires look for QUIET summer tires, helps a whole LOT! Also emptying a whole can of undercoat in each wheel well helps too. Also frequent silicone lubricant of the window "gaskets" help to keep them "live".

Verbal communications can be conviently forgotten, written ones, email, fax, have transmittal trails.

customer_satisfaction_inquiries@lexus.com

An open IAT, interior air temperature, sensor will result in the HVAC ECU "thinking" its too damn cold in here, and always heating the cabin except at max cool, 65F. Behind the little louvered window above the drivers right knee in my 01 RX300.

"Braking was very very bad..." Why do you think AWD, or for that matter FWD, RWD, or even true 4WD will have ANY affect on braking.

With the advent of the move to (TOTAL) electronically controlled automatic transmissions Toyota/Lexus decided to take advantage of the additional capability to add several new "features". 1. Extend the fuel economy by significantly lowering vehicle "drag" from engine compression braking. Anytime the throttle is fully closed the transmission is automatically upshifted to lower engine compression braking. 2. Significantly reduce the danger of loss of control of FWD, or front torque biased AWD, on slippery roadbed surfaces by reducing engine compression braking. 3. Significantly extend the useful life of the transmission by reducing its "workload" from engine compression braking. Many of these vehicles were shipped from the factory with a transmission fluid life expectency of that of the vehicle itself. Keep in mind that by the year 2000 the analog, fluid based, "computers" previously used to control automatic transmissions were virtually PERFECT in their overall control operation. Toyota's electronically controlled transmissions represented a totally new, clean sheet, design. So, the transmission ECU firmware, software, detects that the vehicle is in a "coastdown" mode, throttle fully closed, and accordingly begins an "upshift" gear change sequence (and/or an unlocking of the torque converter) to reduce engine compression braking. But what happens if the driver suddenly decides that he/she wants to accelerate at just about the same time the transmission begins the upshift sequence? The only "feedback" the transmission ECU has to "know" that the previously commanded gear shifting has completed (other than elapsed time)is via a comparison of the transmission input shaft rotational speed and the output shaft rotational speed. Up until the 2004 model year these transmissions would react correctly to this sudden change of input, quick change from coastdown to acceleration, but by now Toyota had discovered an anomally in the design. In some instances you couldn't just change the commanded gear selection right in the middle, or during, a previously commanded gear change without compromising the operation of the transmission. The transmission momentarily being in two gear ratios simultaneously, for instance. So, the 2001 AWD RX300 required no transmission fluid replenishing or replacement for the life of the vehicle, according to the owners manual. But then a significant number of these transmissions began to fail prematurely. The dealers have now been told to advise owners of these vehicles that a 15,000 mile transmission flush and replenishment is recommended. So, as of 2004 the firmware was rewritten and an e-throttle was added. With an e-throttle the engine can be prevented from developing torque until the transmission can complete the upshift it started at coastdown, and then be downshifted into the proper lower gear for acceleration once the e-throttle is given the GO signal. A 1 to 2 second delay in acceleration wouldn't be all that unusual in this circumstance.

Provided the aftermarket magnetic one seals well I can't imagine any harm. And when you change the oil if you find particles attached you can take it directly to the dealer for an engine swap or overhaul. If you find particles attached then something is failing or has already failed.

With two small wrenches.

WTF, over. A supposedly "green" SUV touting "estimated" mpg, 0-60 times and HP/Torque at launch of 3500 ft/lbs. GEE. No, thanks, I'll wait for the MDX with a Miller 2.3L I4, 0-60 times with absolutely NO bragging rights, and ACTUAL mpg ratings of 30/26, or better.

I adjusted all the height sensors on my 92 LS400 so it was lowered. I have no doubt that some bright engineer could do this electronically, much like "chipping" the engine ECU for more HP.

You have purchased the wrong vehicle, ABSOLUTELY, if you want to tow a trailer that needs the type of braking control you propose. Keep in mind that your transmission requires fluid changes every 15k miles even if you only add 150lbs to the roof rack. Towing 3500lbs would likely require fluid changes at each gas fill-up.

Noticed the turning lights on my friends 98 LS400 weren't working. Removed the light to check for failed bulb and no bulb, nor place to put one. The back of the assembly is plainly labelled 12 Volt, W5W bulb, but no hole, no socket, no wiring that we could find. Anyone know why Lexus would go to the trouble of having a non-functioning turning light?

As of 92 Lexus added an RF choke, inductor, inline to the rear window heater and that apparently helped matters a lot.

If you press the key edge firmly into the bottom of your chin while pressing a button the range will be extended by about 2X. Your body acts as a huge transmitting antenna.

Trac system was/is useless, simply remove the traction asembly and block off the fluid lines.

A/C runs even in COLD climates... SOP....NORMAL! Well, at least for the idiots at Toyota, Lexus, NipponDenso, Denso US, and most other asian car manufacturers. When the switch was made back in the early ninties to the new refrigerant a few things had to be redesigned to make up for the loss of efficency. One of the most major things was to reduce the amount of flow-thru air through the vehicle and out the exhauster port. The idea being that once the air is "conditioned" keep it inside the car longer. That worked just fine during the summer months but led to the build up of too much moisture within the "closed" passenger cabin during the winter months. So, run the A/C constantly and sometimes (not nearly always) it helps to "dry" the incoming airflow and prevent windshield condensation. ALL system airflow is first passed through the A/C evaporator and thereby CHILLED to as close to the evaporator cooling vane regulated temperature of ~33F as conditions (blower speed, evaporator density/efficiency, etc.) allow. Then a varying portion of the chilled airflow is routed through the HEAT exchanger, such that when remixed with the other flow you get system outflow air that is warming or cooling as conditions warrant. If the airflow entering the A/C evaporator has a high enough relative humdity, RH, then some of the airborne water vapor will be "squeezed" from the air mass as it is chilled. Later Lexus (and Toyota) have added several c-best options to improve the wintertime performance of these systems. In the 2001 RX300 you can have the dealer set a c-best option that allows you to completely disable the A/C through all restarts by simply turning it off manually ONCE. It will then be disabled until you enable it by turning it on. Another C-best option as of 01 was the ability to inlink the A/C from operating automatically (with no indication to the driver) in defrost/defog/demist mode. By 04 a third C-best option was added which when set allows the system to continuously warm the windshield during cool or cold weather operations. Absent the use of this C-best setting the system will automatically switch into cooling mode, airflow from the dash outlets only, once the cabin temperature has neared or reached your comfort (temperature setpoint) level. In cooling mode NO warming airflow reaches the interior surface o fthe windshield to keep it warmed and thereby hopefully above the cabin atmosphere's dewpoint. Keeping the A/C disabled and warming the windshield continously in this manner dramatically reduces the possibility of encountering the instances of sudden and unexpected windshield fogging that these vehicles (NipponDenso and Denso US HVAC designs) are famous for. Oblique information at: http://www.airsept.com/eed.html

There is no doubt that given the troubles being reported, granted by a CLEAR minority, you should pay good attention to the condition of your transmission fluid. Every time I change the oil and filter I check my transmission fluid for color, it should have a definite red tint, and odor. It will smell slightly burned if it needs to be changed. But let's be quite clear.....! The factory recommendation for flushing your RX transmission fluid DOES NOT EXIST! That means that at the time it was shipped, including my own 2001 AWD RX300, the factory had absolutely no expectations that the fluid wouldn't outlast the useful (first) life of the transmission. I know of at least three 1992 LS400s and one 95 LS400, with well over 100k miles and the fluid still looks factory fresh. It is therefore quite clear that something unexpected, from Toyota/Lexus viewpoint, is going on with our transmissions. Now if you respect the opinions of others posting here moreso than the engineers that designed the transmission, and the manufacturer of same, and you have money to burn, you can go ahead and change out your fluid as often as you like. But IMMHO, changing the fluid may delay the failure, but will not prevent the failure. But again, if the fluid appears burnt or smells burnt, then certainly it should be changed.

I would first look into why your car is running so poorly.... Sparks? Valve grind? "used" engine from a wrecking yard will be a complete unknown.