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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. So changing the fluid will not delay the premature failure of the bands and clutches.

Unplug the DRL voltage dropping/reducing resistor mounted under the battery bottom plate.

Add 1.2" wheel spacers, wider wheels/tires all around and always carry 4 tire chains and a good hefty tow chain. Due to poor suspension clearance at the rear wider wheels/tires nor tireschains could be used otherwise. Prior to 01 the RX could be optioned with an LSD so if you don't have one you might think of an upgrade. Do you know that an adjustable height air suspension kit is available from Japan? The VSC/Trac system from an 01 or later would be a definite asset but I have no idea how you would accomplish that level of retrofit. Your CB antenna will be more effective with a metal groundplane/mount. Insofar as I am aware ALL RX's have a front torque bias, natively, about 95/5 as measured on a 4 wheel dyno, 75/25 at best with continuing front traction loss. The only change I know of between 99 and 04 was the replacement of the mechanical LSD with a "virtual" one using Trac's rear differential braking capability. The big change came in 04 when the VC (viscous clutch/coupling) was dropped entirely since it had really been non-functional since Trac capability was expanded in 01. Also in 04 the F/R final drive ratios were changed from ~2.92/3.12 to ~2.92/3.48.

That's ten times in 100,000 miles, ten times more chances to screw up something, even DIY, that shouldn't otherwise be bothered with. Burned transmssion fluid at 38k miles, or less, in a vehicle that doesn't require any fluid service at all, according to the manufacturer, for the life of the transmission is undoubtedly indicative of a more serious problem somewhere in the transmission.

A couple of notes from the 2001 RX300 Lexus shop manual might be of interest. Anytime the brake pedal is depressed enough to activate the brake lights the torque converter lockup solenoid is disabled, deactivated. That would undoubtedly result in a reduction of engine drag torque but would likely only be felt by the driver if the brake was not actually "applied". The second thing is that the shift pattern indicates an upshift, from 3rd to 4th, with the throttle fully closed, at 21 to 24 MPH for the FWD transmission and at 19 to 23 MPH for the AWD. Apparently it then shifts back into 3rd at 11 to 14MPH (both). Since the shift pattern shows no further shifts as the vehicle continues to slow should we presume it remains in 3rd until we come to a full stop? Shifting upwards, 3rd to 4th(OD) during coastdown would certainly give one a "slingshot effect", feel. I can't find anything in these manuals relating to shifting at or near coming to a full stop but maybe someone out there has the RX330 shop manuals and can lend some additional light on this matter.

At 38k miles the fluid in my 01 AWD RX300 smelled and looked burnt. MY RX has the towing package, extra fluid cooling radiator in the right front fenderwell area, and the hitch was removed the first week I owned the NEW RX. According to the owners manual the fluid is good for the entire life of the transmission. I contacted customer_satisfaction_inquiries@Lexus.com and was told each time to take the vehicle to the dealer. I was told by the dealer that the new recommended fluid change out for my RX was 15,000 miles. I now firmly believe the new RX330's hesitation problem is directly related to the RX300 series burnt fluid problem. The RX330 has an e-throttle and Lexus has alleviated the burnt fluid problem by delaying the onset of engine torque delivery when the transmission is "caught" in neutral while the vehicle is still moving forward.

I wonder There has been some indication that left foot brakers are at fault with the hesitation problem. Suppose, for just a moment in time, that I am correct and the transmission is actually being shifted out of gear just before coming to a full stop. And let's further suppose that it will now be left out of gear as long as the brake is applied and/or the vehicle has come to a full stop. Under this scenerio if I quickly get off the brake and quickly onto the gas (not necessarily WOT) just before coming to a full stop I may catch the transmission "out of gear". Certainly then, the hesitation symptom would be more pronounced for left foot brakers. Absolutely no "fore warning", NONE, to the transmission ECU that I have changed my mind about coming to a full stop.

Conclusion: The hesitation is to extend the life of the automatic transmission bands and clutches. The reason for the need to extend the life of the bands and clutches is because the transmission is dropping out of gear during coastdown and/or when coming to a stop in order to prevent loss of directional control due to engine drag at the driven, front, wheels of a FWD vehicle. Once the transmission has dropped out of gear in these instances, or by pure happenstance is in the process of dropping out of gear, the bands and clutches would be quickly worn down if the engine were allowed to build torque before the transmission can be "put" into the proper gear. The 4runner will never exhibit this symptom because it is RWD or rear biased AWD/4WD. And yes, the driven wheels of a RWD, or a rear torque biased AWD might also "lock" due to engine drag torque, but you would still have directional control so the hazard there would not be nearly as great. Since this is done as a safety issue Toyota and Lexus will be extremely reluctant to admit the cause and effect. To do so would be an admission that FWD vehicles have been inherently unsafe all along.

I buy 3M filtrete furnace filters at Home Depot, take them apart and make at least 3 RX300 A/C pollen filters. $5 each.....?

Access is through the front of the wheelwell near the bottom, remove the front three screws adn pull the wheelwell liner back away for access.

Unless you have had the dealer set the c-best option so that the A/C doesn't operate in demist mode, it will operate but with no A/C indicator lit. It is my understanding that the RX330 has three options, disable the A/C from operating in automatic mode unless you enable it. It stays enabled through restarts until you turn it off. Disable the A/C form being "linked" to defog/demist/defrost mode. And lastly disable the climate control's automatic capability with regards to shifting out of footwell mode once the cabin temperature reaches or approaches the temperature septpoint. This latter will help dramatically to prevent misting of the windshield altogether. Once the system shifts out of footwell mode absolutely NO warming airflow is routed toward the interior windshield surface. See: http://www.airsept.com/eed.html for more information about mould and mildew. Meantime it will help to lower windows slightly in the garage at night to let the day's accumulation of condensed moisture trapped on the A/C evaporator vanes evaporate and flow out of the vehicle. Or it wouild help even more to set the appropriate c-best option to disable the A/C entirely unless you want to use it to cool the vehicle and then not use it at all unless the OAT is above ~60F.

NAPA "white box" rotors are as little as $28 each.

It would probably work if the resistor were only in the circuit at the WOT position.

ANY dealer!

A quick look at the inside of either rear wheel will confirm AWD or not. AWD will have a CV joint/boot and driveshaft entering the center of both rear wheels.

Valve leaking or clamp/hose leak??

You'll need a 24 volt battery for that.

The nav in my 01 RX300 is unreliable just enough to make it useless. If you're traveling within the urban area of one of our larger cities or on an interstate then it will probably work well. In smaller cities and in rural areas it clearly does have sufficient mapping resolution to be of any real help. In addition to all of that it has some serious firmware flaws, like computing the shortest time or distance between two points, it will often take you up to an hour out of your way on a 200 mile trip if you don't know or double check with mapquest. Personally I got around the "I Agree" issue by simply leaving the nav DVD door open when I have no need of the nav service, that turns out to be about 100% of the time.

Two possibilities. First, one of the battery posts/connections is broken down inside the battery. Sometimes happens due to over-tightening. Connection will sometimes "disconnect/connect" due to jostling, "flashover", whatever. Second, I would remove both connections, clean and burnish the battery posts and the inside of the cable connections, reconnect and tightly firmly. Repeat the latter each and every spring.

Buy a wireless remote relay for controlling fog lights and use the relay portion to indicate an open DVD nav door unless you use the remote to "close" the door when you want to use the nav.

I paid $100 for a complete Trac/pump/motor/accumulator assembly at Greenleaf wrecking yard in Woodinville. Works.

If you can find someplace where air can get to your brake fluid, other than at the refill point, then you have a serious brake fluid leak. I didn't say infinite, I said vehicle lifetime.

Modern day brake fluid formulations really do have an infinite duty lifecycle. Obviously if your brake systems is "opened" for some sort of repair then the fluid should be completely replaced. The only exception I can think of is if the brakes are used so strenuously for a long period and the fluid overheats and boils. But then you would certainly know that had happened.

Try turning the contrast down about halfway.... I was amazed at mine, high contrast, poor visibility.

labsr4me.... The problem you had, dirty gym socks odor, is not unique to your vehicle. You might want to talk Lexus into installing the eed device to prevent the same thing happening to your new RX.