GDixon

Read this post for more information: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...mp;#entry265116 Some state police have "radar detector detectors". Washington state is one of them. Recently manufactured radar detectors are invisible to such devices. In case you don't want to go to the link, here is some of the information. A Radar Detector Detector uses the same characteristics as a radar detector. Both search for a certain frequency to warn the operator that a device is being used. In this case, a radar detector detector searches for a radar detector in operation. Since all electronic devices emits some type of an electronic signature, this is what a detector detector is tuned for, a detector's Local Oscillator. There are different kinds of Radar Detector Detectors. There are either a specially made unit or a modified radar detector to search for radar detectors. Two that are in operations are the VG-2 Interceptor and the Stalcar. Others are actual radar detectors that are tuned to look for radar detectors. If you have run a detector before and had it go off as you pass another vehicle, this is called cross talk. This is what a tuned detector searches for.

After reading this topic, I decided to check the cabin air filter in my RX350 - now at 10K miles. It was not horrible but was plenty dirty and so was replaced. It will be done every 10K miles from now on. At least the filter is doing its job by getting dirty so it can be viewed as a plus. Instead of running around your cabin area and getting into everyone's lungs, the gunk is getting caught up in the filter. I may try the suggestion on another post of buying a HVAC filter from Lowe's or Home Depot and cutting it to size. A bit of duct tape may be needed to seal the edges. If a large enough filter is purchased then several cut-outs can be made for even greater economy. It appears that the thickness of the filter will be the deciding factor. Taking in the old stock filter to compare is recommended. The little locking tabs on the sides of the glove box door were hard to turn the first time and pliers had to be used. Maybe they will loosen up the more they are used. For those of you who haven't done it before. There are two black plastic tabs that hold the glove box from opening too far that need to be rotated a quarter turn toward the passenger and then backed out a bit - a screwdriver may be needed to slide the tabs toward the center of the glove box. The glove box then drops down and a white drawer can be seen behind the glove box. It just pulls out to reveal the filter. The filter pops out and the new one pops in but look for the "UP" indicator on the new filter and the drawer. Replacement of the whole assembly is the opposite of removal. At least that is the procedure for the 08 RX350.

I'd say that 21 mpg is above average. Of course, you own an "h" so that may seem low but only by a bit (like 20-25%). A few mpg plus or minus doesn't amount to much difference unless there is a long daily commute or a job that requires extensive and unreimbursed driving of your own vehicle. I'm retired on a fixed pension and the 50/50 city/highway average of 19 mpg is fine for me. Tooling around Yellowstone Park in the cold (snowy) weather at 7000 feet the reading turned out to be 27 mpg on the car's computer and the calculation at the gas pump. Of course, the speed limit in the park is 45 mph. Nobody has a lead foot there due to speed traps, curvy roads, hills, animals on the highway, and limited opportunity to pass. May that be a lesson learned on how to get higher gas mileage but it is not a real world situation. On a CA freeway that speed would get you killed or a least somebody's engine in your back seat. An RX would make a handsome hood ornament on an 18-wheeler.

wwest should be here any moment to explain. You might search his posts and you will most likely find the answer to how the RX AWD transmission functions. Check out this post to get you started. http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=42997

I didn't ask any further questions after the $90 quote for oil changes. :P I imagine they would charge more for additional inspections, which I would do anyway while changing the oil and rotating the tires. Quick question, before I post a new thread, does anybody know when the recommended interval is for transmission fluid changes? The service manual calls for an "inspection" every 15k. Seems like a very frequent change interval, but I don't really know how one goes about "inspecting" a lubrication fluid. The service manager at the Lexus dealer told me that the 08 RX350 goes 100K on transmission oil. Starting in 08 the oil used is full synthetic. Same for the other fluids - except engine oil of course.

RXREY has posted a well-thought out and deep reply. Heeding his advice is highly recommended. Things will change so much after marriage that it may be wise to wait to buy a new car. There will be enough new things to deal with and heavy car payments a likely to be a burden that will prevent expanding other parts of your life as REY explains. Having a child will completely turn your life upside down and rearrange priorities to an extent not describable. It may be better to consider a used RX or a lease return in a couple of years for some savings there. The RX350 will also save some cash. The navigation will require expensive upgrades and is grossly overpriced/oversold in my opinion. My option is to use a Garmin 2720 portable that has more functionality and can be used in several vehicles. It is also far less expensive than the Lexus nav option. In CA, all the RX models seem to come with a sunroof as a standard. Very likely a special order would be required to not have one.

First, Thanks to all for some advices. I looked and checked my car headlight, they're moving up and down while parking on slope and start the key. This means the auto leveling system is seem to be working, isn't it? The light still comes on in dash board and goes off after driving awhile. Any advice is alway appreciated. That is not how the leveling system works. A slope, angle, or a gravity vector has no effect on the system. Rather, it is the angle of the body relative to the angle of the axle under load or unload. If you want to try an experiment turn the lights on while facing a wall about 10 feet away. Mark the top of the beam with masking tape on the wall. Then load the rear cargo area with something very heavy - a well-fed wife sitting on bumper area perhaps. The beam should adjust back to the masking tape instead of being high if the leveling device is working correctly. Do this with the car idling.

Good idea about the touch-up paint. A Lexus dealer has them all so just go in and tell them to give you the color (colour) for your car. Take the parts manager out to your car and say, "Match that!" He/She may also show you a metal plate or sticker attached to your car that has all of the specific manufacturing information.

My wife says that she loves our RX. She is not mechanically inclined and "loves" the driving experience and the amenities of the vehicle. I find it difficult to love an inanimate object and I do the maintenance so experience issues that she does not. The RX is a mechanical device, a tool if you will, that serves a function. There are better tools for different functions such as racing, off-road, performance driving, luxury, hauling, and so forth. It is similar to using a wrench as a hammer but the wrench is inferior and inefficient in that role. The RX serves its function very well complemented with style and comfort.

This thread may give you some information that might be useful. http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=41386 It is possible that mud or gunk has fouled the leveling arm. More likely the sensor that the arm connects to has failed. At any rate, you will know where it is, how it works, and what to replace.

That oil filter drain plug really doesn't need to be removed. It just gets rid of the over flow so you don't make a mess when you pull the oil filter assembly down. If you don't remove the oil filter drain plug, then you don't need to replace the o-ring that seals it either because you didn't disturb it. Here's a tip to help keep your engine undercover clean if you don't want to remove that oil filter drain plug... 1. Loosen your oil filter assembly until you can loosen it by hand. 2. Slip a thin piece of cardboard (the size of a piece of paper 8.5"x11) up through the engine cover hole and around the back of the filter assembly so it forms kind of like a chute. 3. Loosen the oil filter assembly slowly by hand and let the oil drain down the cardboard chute. 4. Remove the filter cartridge and install new cartridge w/new gasket. 5. Remove the piece of cardboard and reinstall the filter assembly. Hope this helps. :) Good idea.

Lexus of Roseville seems to be up-front, responsive, and honest. There are others in the area that all have good reputations as well. There is enough competition in the locality that the dealers have to be responsive to customers. I wish that more could be contributed but my only contacts have been for the purchase and 5K service. The treatment could not have been better than at the Roseville dealer.

Check out this new post for something that may work. http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...c=45758&hl=

Call the local junkyards and find out if they have a wrecked Lexus or ask the person where one might be found. I believe that all of the RX seats are interchangeable, even the hybrid. Someone else on this site might know more.

Have them leave the tire sensors alone. They do not need to be replaced. The question is not how the computer will react but why in the world would you want to replace, or remove, the sensors if they are functioning correctly? It sounds to me like a "lack of communication" is going on here.

My '08 RX350 now has no rattles or any of the other annoyances that are mentioned by the original poster. As with the second post, there were some minor things to work out when the car was first purchased but now it is exemplary. The comparative lack of posts on this site complaining about the RX vs. the other Lexus models is noteworthy - at least regarding the newer RX model. Even then, most of the posts list relatively minor issues. Sludge and transmission troubles seemed to be prevalent in the early RX years but Lexus has worked through those problems.

Thanks again "timely" for the post. I was dreading the oil change on the 08 RX350 after reading how the whole of the underside panels had to be removed. The Lexus engineers must have been thinking for 08. Only two 10 mm bolts had to be removed for everything to be exposed and serviced as stated in the post. The dealer had done the free 5K service and had torqued the pan drain plug and oil filter drain plug to the extent that I thought I'd have to use an impact wrench to get them off. Indeed, the drain plug was so tight that the whole filter assembly came off and a half quart of overflow oil made a mess. It took some doing to get the oil filter drain plug off even at the workbench. The plastic drain for the oil filter that was included with the new filter is interesting in that it also automatically removes the filter drain plug's O-ring. The plastic drain was not at all easy to insert into the filter. I'll have to figure out a way to make it easier for next time. Maybe it is easier with the filer on the car but it is not likely. The pan drain plug did have a fiber washer that should probably be replaced. Next time I'm in the Toyota dealership ten washers, or so, will be purchased. That will be good for another 50K miles.

Had the same thing happen on a Porsche 944 that was stored in a barn. The rats built a nest on the top of the engine. After chewing various wiring and disabling the engine the rat(s) crawled along the driveline and chewed through the leather shift boot to access the interior of the car. Then they raided the dry dog food and built a little warehouse of their own inside. The car was started monthly so all of this was accomplished within a month's time. It took quite a while to recover from the invasion with all of the clean-up, rewiring, and rat crap. I know this doesn't help your situation but at least you know you're not alone with such a problem.

Thanks for the post and all of the detailed information and observations. It will help me and any others attempting this job. I ended up buying an Assenmacher oil filter wrench (TOY640 or ASTTOY640) since it was cast metal and the NAPA plastic oil filter wrench looked like it would break too easily. http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/asttoy640.html It should make the filter removal simple given the small oil filter access plate that you describe.

My 08 RX 350 is 8 months old and has 10K miles. None of the problems mentioned on this thread have been experienced. A Garmin 2750 is used for navigation since it can be programmed on a computer to go where you want using the roads you want with the included software. It will find nearby places as well. The "Point A to Point B" nav systems are not flexible enough for my purposes.

Check out this post from the LOC site. http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...ic=41598&hl

Check out this post. http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=39543 Note the first entry and the one from August 15, 2007 where you can view the installation instructions (pdf file) that specifically states that the hitch does not work with active cruise control. I have no idea why it doesn't work except that with a heavy trailer the car may have enough inertia that it would not slow down quickly. The hitch may work as designed and Lexus simply makes that statement to cover themselves in case of an accident. The integrated electrical hook-up for the trailer lights may not be provided but it can be purchased separately from a Lexus dealer. Obviously, the car would not be equipped with a towing package either so no transmission cooler, HD alternator, and who knows what else. The towing limit is 2000 pounds vs. 3500 pounds with a towing package. There should be no problem installing the hitch for a bike rack since it merely bolts to the frame. It wouldn't interact with the active cruise control unless something involved with the control is mounted to the last foot of the frame in the rear besides the two metal shipping tie-downs.

Be sure to follow each of the reset steps in the order posted. Wix has filters for the RX. They are identical to the some of the Highlander filters so a bit of research, or the local Toyota dealer, should have the filters and/or parts at a substantial savings. Even Napa carries the Wix filters under the Napa brand with a single number left off. Try some of these links to see if you find what you are looking for. http://www.napaonline.com/MasterPages/NOLWelcome.aspx http://www.napafilters.com/filterlookup/ http://www.wixfilters.com/ Keep records, receipts, and bills to maintain your warranty coverage.

This link has some information that you may be looking for. Check the post from 2/9/08. http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=39543

The ball mount adjustment depends on the tongue weight of the trailer you intend to tow and the height of the trailer's tongue from the ground when level. You could measure the height to the bottom of the trailer's receiver and then to the top of the ball mount (without the ball) and then try to get them to match. Remember that the rear of the car will sag a bit depending on the tongue weight. Ball mounts of various drops and lifts are relatively cheap at auto stores or WalMart so you can get a match within an inch. There are even ones that are adjustable if you pay a bit more.