KBRX330

My 2004 RX330 has never seen anything other than Shell or Marathon or Sunoco 87 in 143,000 miles. Never a CEL and the spark plugs went to 140k. However, I do use techron or redline s-1 fuel systems cleaner every 20,000 miles to prevent deposit build up. When I disassembled the throttle body at 140k for cleaning it was still fairly clean.

Good info. Wow that's alot of work just to change the spark plugs. I sure hope I don't need to change my plugs for a long long time. Hey Lexus, some of us owners like to do maintenance on our own cars. Wonder how much dealers charge for changing plugs?

It is a lot of work for plugs. But I did do the PCV valve replacement & TB complete cleaning which is important as well. The fuel economy on the car is definitely up as is the performance. So it's worth it. If you are pricing this service don't forget to add the disassembly & complete cleaning of the TB and PCV replacement. This total service at a local dealer here would be over $500. My cost was about $80. So, you are saving about $100/hr.

KB,

If I drive up to Ohio, would you do mine for free? Then again gas is more than $4....hmm.. :(

At $4 gallon it would be cheaper to have your dealer do it....... :D

I changed the Denso iridium plugs myself in my wife's previous 2000 RX300 AWD in October 2006 at 120,000 miles primarily because I knew that I would be selling that lousy vehicle in early 2007, and spark plug change jobs on these damn RXs are a major pain in the !Removed! to do (not to mention expensive if you have to pay a shop to do it for you)....

The original factory plugs still performed flawlessly and looked very good at 120,000 miles. They would have easily gone 150,000 miles and I wouldn't be surprised if some folks get close to 200,000 miles out of them....

Both Denso and NGK make superb iridium plugs. If you replace them prior to 120,000 miles you're just wasting your money. But that doesn't excuse you from pulling a couple of the front plugs (easy to get to) every 40,000 or 50,000 miles simply to take a look at them to ensure they're still in good shape....

When I did mine at 140,000 miles they were looking a bit worn but still functional for sure and would have gone 150k easily. Replacing them before 120k is a waste for sure. But I don't think going past 150k is good either. Their perfomance degrades so slowly you barely notice it. The tips on mine has some deposits built up which is expected but robs fuel economy by 2-3 mpg. You really notice the difference once you clean the TB & install the new plugs.

We have a simular problem, we own for many years a RX300 ( year 2000 ), 2WD. Last month the check engine light came on, we own a universal garage so I connected a OBDII scan tool and found code 0171 ( bank 1 lean ) My first thought was : probably a bad oxygen sensor, but I connected a Elmscan interface to my laptop and all voltage readings seemed to be correct. I did reset the OBDII code 0171 and test drove again the car with scantool connected, at that moment the overdrive was working, after a mile the check engine light came on and after 10 seconds the overdrive was gone. I did read the OBDII scantool and again the same 0171. I decided to reset this code again, continued my testdriving and yes at that moment the overdrive was working, but after one or two miles check engine light came on and overdrive not working anymore. I have been reading on several forums and know I'm not the only one with overdrive problems. I think the problem is not inside the transmission, we did oil changes / oil filter every 30k miles. Could this problem be related to the knock sensors ? Can anyone give me a logical explanation for this ? Andy / Dutch Caribbean.

Sounds like it's definitely sensor related. My first guess is a bad o2 sensor that is falsing or just aged/contaminated and the ecm is getting a weak or intemittent signal and shutting down the OD. Did you check all the wiring to the o2 sensor? (wild a$$ guess). The knock sensor would be my second choice. But the fact that your OD works for a few miles before it throws a code says to me the o2 sensor is the culprit. I have had o2 sensors read fine cold and then weak after heating up. Very common on motorcycles where they use really cheap o2 sensors. It could be a trans sensor but I doubt it.

Hi everyone,

Long-time lurker, first-time poster.

I need to do a major service, which includes oil change, replacing the air cabin filter, engine filter, and a brake fluid flush. I also need to replace my brakepads. Is there an alternative to going to a lexus dealer for all this work? I don't mind going to different places to get this done, but I'm going to be in the baltimore area for a week, and would appreciate any feedback for this.

Thanks HEAPS in advance.

I have done all of those items myself and they are definitely NOT rocket science. If you are not mechanically inclined look for an independent shop or like said before call a few toyota dealerships that are not associated with a Lexus dealership. Much cheaper.

Good info. Wow that's alot of work just to change the spark plugs. I sure hope I don't need to change my plugs for a long long time. Hey Lexus, some of us owners like to do maintenance on our own cars. Wonder how much dealers charge for changing plugs?

It is a lot of work for plugs. But I did do the PCV valve replacement & TB complete cleaning which is important as well. The fuel economy on the car is definitely up as is the performance. So it's worth it. If you are pricing this service don't forget to add the disassembly & complete cleaning of the TB and PCV replacement. This total service at a local dealer here would be over $500. My cost was about $80. So, you are saving about $100/hr.

It was $189 (for the 6 Iridium plugs and labor) at the independent shop I use.

That is super inexpensive. I would have driven to Denver for that one... The dealer here wants $400+

Pull & replace the PCV valve (cheap) and check the hoses for obstruction. Take a good look at the old valve and check to see if the ball in the valve is still freely moving as it should still rattle when shaken. Change oil brands to a high calcium oil like Pennzoil Platinum which will have more of a cleaning effect on the engine. Fill it up with premium fuel and add a bottle of techron or redline s-1 fuel system cleaner and take it for a 200-300 mile freeway trip with some hard acceleration on the on ramps. If it still smokes take it in under warranty. You engine probably needs a good blow out if the previous owner did nothing more than short trips.

You could also consider trying a HM oil like Valvoline Maxlife 5w30 which has a seal swell additive. But if it is consuming more than 1 quart in 5000 miles after you give it a good blow out you probably have an issue. My 04 RX uses 1/3 qt in 5000 miles at 142,000.

See my oil change post several posts below on the oil change. No covers need be removed.

Our 04 Rx330 has been growling only when cold (goes away after about 5 minutes) for about 75,000 miles now. Sooner or later the compressor will give out. I have been waiting for it to go and now I'm like Kramer waiting to see how far I can get before it craps out.

My wife has tested the limits of the RX330 AC system in such a manner and now at 145k miles it still blows cold air. Note: There is a warranty extension on your radiator to 7 years 90k. Ours went bad at 89,500 and was replaced under warranty. The top seam of the radiator fails and you will see the coolant level in the overflow plastic bottle drop to zero. I noticed it because I check it every week along with the oil, tires etc. SO if your RX is running hot better get the radiator pressure tested. Ours never overheated because I caught it in time. FWIW, I run 5w30 Pennzoil Platinum synthetic oil which will take the idling abuse & punishment my wife & daughters hand out on a daily basis.

There should be an engine code sticker under the hood that will tell you which engine you have. Then find a wrecked one that was hit in the rear and all should bolt right up.

Almost all cars have them now, and all of them will soon. Been the law in Canada for years.

Its not to illuminate your path, its to make your car more visible to oncoming drivers.

Exactly! The GM testing showed that even impaired drivers in the oncoming lane will see you. If you have ever been hit head on like I have, you would never think of disconnecting them. Trust me on this one. But since you'll never know the accident you didn't have they seem like a nuisance.

Another consideration is the terms of the warranty contract. I do some simple maintenance on my vehicles like change oil, replace filters and rotate tires. Will this effect the Lexus extended warranty?

No, mine's a 03. My point was that the older models did have an OFF switch, and even then I leave it in AUTO because its a pain to have to remember to use the lights. My point was you get used to them.

What is to get used to? It's not like you see them while you are driving.

Hi, Is there anyway besides actually removing the bulb of the daytime LEDs to turn them off? I played around with the switches and the last "OFF" setting apparently turned off the LEDs on the corner of the headlights, which seems completely unnecessary to me. Also, is there anyway keep the headlights off while keeping the fog lights on?

Thanks!

Wow another one. Don't understand why you want to turn off a safety feature that has been documented by General Motors to reduce front end collisions. <_< You will notice newer model motorcycles now have no headlight on-off switch as well. Soon this will be a Federal safety requirement for all motor vehicles. All GM vehicles have had them for years.

No not entirely fixed yet. Mine flared on the 1-2 shift once at 50 miles on the clock. Has not done it since and now have 3,000 miles on. One thing I notice is that if you take your foot off the acclerator pedal it thinks you are going to slow down and begins downshifting. If you just apply the slightest amount of pressure to the pedal ( the weight of your foot) it doesn't. This is built into the software. So you need to learn to drive this car as it learns your driving style. This is not an issue for my wife since she only uses the accelerator and barely touches the brakes. :( So if you take your foot off and then hit the pedal hard you can cause it to flair under the right circumstances. My flair occured when I was turning left from coasting at about 10 mph on a level plane then down a driveway apron into an uphill turn and goosed the pedal. So the trans shifted 2-1 then 1-2 in rapid succession. I only assume the ECM got a series of signals that the vehicle was level and slowing then coasting downhill for a second then turning (rolling left) and accelerating uphill.

Has anyone done strut replacement on an RX330 yet? Any suggestions would be helpful. I am aproaching 145k on mine and two of the boots are torn but no leaks yet. Ride quality is still good but I suspect I'll replace them at 150-160k.

Either you've got a problem with your vehicle (alignment, perhaps) or you're simply not taking care of your tires. My wife's Alenzas have nearly 34,000 miles on them right now and still have more than 65% of their original tread depth left. Alignment is good and all four are wearing evenly with absolutely no increase in cabin noise since the day they were installed. I run them at 36 psi yearround, rotate them every time I do my own oil and filter change, and most importantly, I check the tire pressures every weekend without fail....

If wet-weather performance declines or tire noise increases once my wife's Alenzas reach 40,000 miles and beyond, you can bet that I'll post it here. Given the manner in which I take care of our tires, I do not expect this to become a problem. Time will tell....

Same maintenence as you. They got noisy very suddenly. Not one but all of them. I ditched them with 30% of the treadwear still there. No problems with the vehicle either. I drove them about 50-55,000 miles. The NTB dealer in my area said they have seen that issue with them before. BTW, I do think they would have gone 75k. BUt I couldn't take the noise anymore.

Any way to toggle off the daytime running lights?

Whe it is 95 degrees I dont see the benifit, does anyone like DRL's?

cheers

I'm getting rid of my DRL, ABS, Traction control, seat belts & air bags. Then I'm stripping all the padding off the dash..and getting rid of the air conditioning and power steering. I want my kids to get the feel of what it was like to ride in a car like my Dad had in 1957 If I have to panic stop with them in the front seat I'll just put out my arm to shield them from the force of 20G's throwing them against the dash & windshield like my Mom used to. Today's Mothers need to learn the "safety arm" manuever like my Mom & Aunt had down to a science. Oppps almost forgot...power brake booster...definitely has to go.

Are these rims too wide.

Yes, they are too wide for that application.

The Alenza is a far better tire than the Michelin Energy MXV4 S8. The Alenza has a 65,000-mile treadwear warranty while the Michelin has no treadwear warranty. The Alenza has a new tread depth of 12/32 while the Michelin new tread depth is only 9/32. The Alenza is rated much better in rain and snow conditions than the Michelin. Both tires are priced about the same, but with the Firestone sale noted by newtoncd, it becomes an even better deal.

I've had the Alenzas on my wife's 2004 RX330 AWD for about 2,000 miles now and they blow the Michelins away. Keep in mind that the Alenza is a true SUV tire while the Michelin is designed for sedans and coupes. This is a no-brainer - if you want the far better tire for an SUV application, go with the Alenza....

I ran a set of alenzas on my rx330. They were good to about 40,000 miles and then got very very noisy. So noisy I got rid of them before they were worn out. So unless you are hearing impaired the 65,000 mile warranty is useless. They are good for 40k.

I bought a set of 18" Kumho's from a local dealer after seeing them on tire rack. Total cost with install and balancing & alignment was under $600. Very nice riding tire and excellent winter snow & ice traction. I highly recommend them. Softer ride than the Alenzas that they replaced

I do the 5000 because this is my wifes car and gets lots of stop and go driving, idling etc. If you are a freeway driver then 7500 is probably ok but my schedule is severe service.

Now, that all being said, we are not happy with our RX because of how it drives. Electronic throttle and variable steering makes us both less than enthusiastic about the way it drives. It's really a shame too, because we find the size, looks, styling, etc, all great. And we got it used with the CPO 100k B2B warranty for a great price. Too bad we don't love it.

If you drive it, and love it, buy it. I would suggest borrowing it for the weekend or something from your dealer to make sure you really like driving it. maybe my wife and I both just like more of a driver's car than others do.

The RX330's do drive different and my wife noticed it right away. We have an AWD but it feels like FWD when I drive it. That said..she got used to it in short order and now it's the pass down car at 140k to the teenager as I bought the wife a new ES350 that she really likes. The ES still has some FWD steer and feel as I drive a Yukon but the RX did the crossover job it was intended to. We have had a Mazda MPV (total lemon traded at 21,000 miles) then 2 Chrysler T&C Mini Vans then several of the old style Dodge Durangos. Then the RX. My wife liked the way the Durangos drove best but by far the RX was the best way to transition out of an SUV into a car again without too much pain. As for station wagons...I offered to get her a BMW, Mercedes, Audi wagon....."absolutely not....station wagons are for old people" was the response.