wwest

Apparently you didn't notice that the two bolts you removed to remove the caliper are perfect fit of the threads in the rotor. But be sure and tighten them into the rotor threads at very close to the same rate.

I think the US mandated that the DRL "glare" be less intrusive than in Canada.

I don't know if it really makes that much difference, but DRLs for Canada run brighter, at a higher voltage, than in the US. The shop manuals for the 2000 GS300, 2000 and 2001 RX300 indicate that the resister used in US versions is shorted out for Canada.

Both of us, seemingly, have forgotten an important point. You just reminded me..... Most of our previous experience is primarily with RWD vehicles, or AWD/4WD vehicles with longitudinally mounted engine/transmissions. FWD vehicles' transmissions must, of necessaty, occupy a much smaller space/area than we have experienced in the past. Less space, smaller clutch surfaces, different frictional surface materials, higher hydraulic pressures, etc. All add up to a much lower margin of error for the designers.

I have direct "oversight" of 4 LS400s, 3 92s, and a 95, all with over 100k miles. Each time the oil is changed the odor and look of the transmission fluid is checked. None of these yet have any indication of the need for fluid change-out. So, at least in the case of the LS, the problem is not systemic to Japanese vehicles. On the other hand I have no question that something is very seriously wrong with the design of the RX series transmissions. Or maybe even all Toyota/Lexus FWD vehicles using the 3.3L engine and it's showing up first on the RX series due to the extra weight of the vehicle. There is no question in my mind at this point in time that the shift pattern in these vehicles is at the root of the problems, burnt fluid, early failures, and apparent engine hesitation problems. At certain speeds if you happen to be in 3rd gear and close the throttle valve fully, the RX transmission will shift into 4th. The Lexus shop manual leaves no doubt of this. Now your transmission has shifted into 4th, you see an opening to merge from the acceleration lane into a travel lane and you open the throttle "aggressively". In the RXes of 03 and early the transmission will now be downshifting as the engine is building revs/torque, now exactly easy on the transmssion clutches' friction contact surfaces. 04 and later....DBW/e-throttle. Nothing..... Until the transmission ECU gets into the appropriately lower gear, with the clutches fully seated and then "tells" the engine that it's okay to build revs/torque.

Well..... NOT! Your highbeam halogen bulbs will/might fail prematurely, >12,000 miles, due to operation at a voltage too low to allow the filament regenerative effects of the halogen gas. It will definitely be a worthwhile effort to check the bulb condition on a regular basis once you have reached about this level of mileage. The more use it sees at the reduced DRL voltage the more the inside of the glass encapsulation will "soot" over due to the effects. Having said that, it's still a good idea, for safties sake, to keep your DRLs operational even if it means changing out the high beam bulbs on a regular basis. The life you save may be your own!

RX in NC.... At 65 years of age I have driven many vehicles well over 100,000 miles and NEVER changed the transmission fluid absent a DIY overhaul, and even those typically at over 100,000 miles. MY 1968 Ford was driven over 275, 000 miles before the "end" came and insofar as I know the transmission was overhauled once, at ~150,000, and the fluid was changed only then.

TexasLexus94.... I'm willing to bet you're not the first owner.... My guess would be that someone didn't like the idea of the high mounted brake light, had it disconnected, and then discovered the cruise control didn't work, and then had someone install a 10 ohm resister to simulate the bulb load. The Lexus cruise control absolutely will not engage absent a fairly high current load on the wiring to the high mount bulbs. Look at all the people (red necks??) that go to the trouble of disabling the DRLs simply because they don't like the government telling them what to do. Why, how do I know this? I installed low current LEDs in my 92 LS and then in my 95 LS. I had to add a parallel resister to draw enough current so the cruise control ECU "thought" there was a bulb in place.

12 volts isn't very SHOCKING, if at all.

Both leak down simultaneously.... Only one fill/bleed valve at the rear. Leak in the electrically controlled bleed valve, sticks open occassionally, or debris in it?

If the system needs to raise the cabin temperature the airflow routing will go to footwell automatically and if the difference between the current cabin temperature and the "target" is small you will get low blower speed, large difference and you get higher blower speeds. Remember that if the cabin must be heated the blower will not operate in automatic mode unless the engine water jacket is above ~130F. Basically all you did by turning off the A/C was restrict the automatic system to the use of outside (cool??) fresh air for lowering the cabin temperature. All the other controls will still operate automatically. Unless you also select a mode or position for them manually.

Do you suppose that if wheelspin is detected at the front at initial start from a full stop the ICE will not be used regardless of throttle position? Much easier to modulate, limit, the torque delivery of an electric motor.

In general starting the car, cranking the engine over, is the heaviest load you will even put on a battery. If it can do that, assuming a full charge, then as a rule your battery is okay.

Colin.... Heads UP!! There are complaints posted all over the internet forums regarding engine hesitation, apparently in the entire Toyota/Lexus FWD e-throttle product line. Some owners complain that it takes the engine as much as a second or 2 to respond to removing the brakes and quickly going to half-throttle, such as one might do in an acceleration lane once a merge opening is spotted.

Remove the battery connections, clean and burnish, wirebrush, the connections and the battery posts, repeat each spring or as required. When you step on the brakes the engine is at idle or is rapidly headed in that direction. So the alternator output will start to "fall off" accordingly, AND you just added a fairly large electrical load via all those brake light bulbs. If the battery connections were good, and the battery fully charged, as well it might still be, the battery would instantly take up the slack, fill in the "gap", and you wouldn't see (as much of) a dimming and then recovery as the voltage regulator ramps up the alternator output. And a small note of caution.. Some of what you describe is normal, SOP. In order to maintain a good level of battery charge the alternator output is often a volt or 2 above the battery charge level, so as the engine goes to idle and the charge rate declines, and the brake light come on, you will often see the headlights dim slightly and then recover as the voltage regulator reacts to the lower system voltage as a result of the alternator reduction in RPM.

If, as I firmly suspect, the burnt fluid is the result of the transmission clutches not being fully engaged as the engine rev rise, then no amount of additional cooling will help since the source of the heating is localized to/at the clutch frictional surfaces. Like you, I was seriously considering adding additional cooling capability in the form of an electric fan to force more airflow through the auxilary cooler, but after I concluded that the problem is really that the transmission is not yet in the proper gear, or not fully in the proper gear, I abandoned the effort.

From the "horse's mouth".....!! "Consumers don't always do (what's) best with the throttle..." With e-throttle " we gain better overall control..." "It also simplifies "shift-shock" control by letting the computer ease off the throttle for smooth automatic upshifts..." Statements by Paul Williamsen, curriculum development manager for Toyota Motor Sales USA. http://www.sae.org/automag/techbriefs/02-2002/index.htm (page down) Translation: You fools don't have any idea how to manage the throttle so we're (Toyota firmware design) taking over and doing it for you. Or: When we (firmware design engineers) need to shift the transmission to hell with what the driver needs or wants, safety concerns be dammed, we'll dethrottle the engine until we can get the transmission into the proper gear and the clutches fully seated.

First of all its a resistor.... Grayish-white and I don't remember any labelling at all.

Earlier RX300 burnt fluid and transmission failures and RX330 hesitation problems are directly related, ABSOLUTELY. Neither Lexus nor Toyota can announce a fix nor explain the cause without admitting that FWD vehicles are potentially hazardous in certain slippery roadbed conditions. The RX300 series is burning the fluid and the transmissions are failing prematurely because the transmissions are being upshifted during coastdown and/or when coming to a complete stop to prevent loss of control resulting from front wheel engine braking. When the driver suddenly changes his or her mind about continuing the coastdown, or not actually coming to a complete full stop, and applies a serious level of open throttle the transmission must be quickly shifted into the proper, lower, gear. The engine is already building revs and torque and the transmission downshift will undoubtedly result in a seriosu level of slippage between the clutch's frictional surfaces. Enough times in 40k miles and the fluid is now burnt enough to be not fully functional as was the origainal formulation. With the advent of the use of the e-throttle in the 04 and later series Toyota and Lexus simply choose to delay the onset of engine revs and torque until the transmission downshifts into the appropriate gear and the clutches can be firmly seated. The Lexus shop manual for the 01 RX300 indicates that the transmission torque converter lockup is disabled any time the brakes are applied, significantly reducing engine braking. And during coastdown the shift pattern indicates an upshift from 3rd to 4th. Under just what circumstances would that latter move be appropriate other than removing the effects of engine compression braking? Owners of the RX330 who are experiencing the hesitation problem can likely overcome it by just slightly opening the throttle for a second or so before aggressively doing so.

If I owned an RX330 I'd have quick look under the battery to see if it's located in the same place.

You're kidding me, right..??!! The frictional surfaces on your automatic transmission's clutches and bands are there for the very same purpose, reason, as the frictional surfaces on your brake pads. And just like with your brake pads, lubrication will/does promote slippage. This lubricating aspect is overcome by the very high level of fluid pressure used to force them into contact and the quickness with which this contact is accomplished. Transmission fluid is formulated to provide lubrication and cooling to/for the metal/mechanical components, and as a hydraulic fluid that when pressurized is used to operate the various actuators within the transmission. And yes, those surfaces are sacrificial, but on the scale of 100,000 or more miles before becoming fully "sacrificed". 153,000 so far on my 92 LS.

"will surely slow the deterioration of the clutch packs..." It seems to me that were it possible to do so it would be desireable to keep the (lubricating) fluid away from the band and clutch pack friction surfaces altogether. So how do you figure this?

Are the transmissions failing due to band and clutch surfaces wearing out prematurely or due to friction on mechanical components? Motorhome manufacturers advise the owners to drain and flush the transmission fluid on a more regular basis than the engine manufacturer might because the engine and transmission are ALWAYS subject to a heavy weight load and most owners have no real idea how to prolong the life of the transmission otherwise, such as shifting out of overdrive on a steep or long climb. My RX300 has not been subjected to any type of extraordinary loading, nor is it likely to be. If I were towing a boat, even a small light one, I could excuse them, maybe.

I too was banned, for life, from clubless, mostly because the moderators felt I was unjustly, and too often, denigrating their "beloved". But then I will be 65 this year. Here is a post from another forum wherein someone was suggesting more frequent fluid changes might be the solution. I don't think changing the fluid more often will be an effective effort. The fluid is being "cooked" because something within the transmssion is over-heating. My guess is that that "something" is the bands and clutch surfaces because they are still not fully engaged as the engine builds RPMs and torque when the gas pedal is unexpectedly(***) and agressively depressed. ***The firmware in the transmission ECU is not downshifting from 3rd(?) to first until the vehicle comes to a full and complete stop. Accelerating just before coming to a full stops results in the need to quickly shift from 3rd(?) to 1st, all while the engine is already reacting to a (fully?) open throttle valve. Except in the 04 or later with an e-throttle. In that case the engine ECU chooses not to "see" the open(ing) throttle until the transmission has shifted into 1st and the bands and clutches are fully seated. That very like takes more than 1.2 seconds, the time the shop manual says it take to shift from neutral when you first move the shifter to D, drive. Same problem with/during coastdown, the RX transmission upshifts from 3rd to 4th (according to the 01 AWD Lexus shop manual) during coastdown, and now if you suddenlyn decide to accelerate the transmission must quickly shift from 4th to 3rd, or maybe even to 2nd, and while the engine is already building torque.... Except on the 04 or later models with e-throttle.

I don't think changing the fluid more often will be an effective effort. The fluid is being "cooked" because something within the transmssion is over-heating. My guess is that that "something" is the bands and clutch surfaces because they are still not fully engaged as the engine builds RPMs and torque when the gas pedal is unexpectedly(***) and agressively depressed. ***The firmware in the transmission ECU is not downshifting from 3rd(?) to first until the vehicle comes to a full and complete stop. Accelerating just before coming to a full stops results in the need to quickly shift from 3rd(?) to 1st, all while the engine is already reacting to a (fully?) open throttle valve. Except in the 04 or later with an e-throttle. In that case the engine ECU chooses not to "see" the open(ing) throttle until the transmission has shifted into 1st and the bands and clutches are fully seated. That very like takes more than 1.2 seconds, the time the shop manual says it take to shift from neutral when you first move the shifter to D, drive. Same problem with/during coastdown, the RX transmission upshifts from 3rd to 4th (according to the 01 AWD Lexus shop manual) during coastdown, and now if you suddenlyn decide to accelerate the transmission must quickly shift from 4th to 3rd, or maybe even to 2nd, and while the engine is already building torque.... Except on the 04 or later models with e-throttle.