neumannu47

Why cannot I not buy just the plastic case? The blade is held in the case with a single screw. That screw can be removed, and the blade can be moved to a new case. Why is no one doing that? If I buy a Lexus key case, it's $58 from Sewell plus $10 for shipping. Please send me your contact information. No one around here will cut a key bought on eBay. I'll be glad to pass your name and address to others, so long as your return shipping charges are reasonable. These things can be shipped for $1.50 by First Class Mail.

The plastic on my wife's 2000 RX300 key broke. The blade will not stay in the plastic. The blade is fine. The FOB is fine. Everything is fine except the plastic that holds the blade broke with use. Replacement blades and plastics are available on eBay, but so far, everyone says the blade has to be recut. One automotive locksmith quoted me $89, and another quoted $40. The Lexus dealership will not sell me a blank key. If I had a blank key, I could remove the tiny screw that holds the blade in the plastic, move my blade to the new plastic, and move the electronics module to the new plastic shell. Why should I have to recut the blade? This whole process seems like a scam to me. Maybe there is something I don't understand. I understand that the key is cut on both sides, I understand that there is a chip. All of the pieces are good except for the plastic. Does anyone know where I can get just the plastic?

My wife has an iPhone 3G that she wants to play though the radio. Using an FM transmitter is not an option because of the high density of radio stations in our area. Adding a hard wired iPhone adapter is not an option unless I lose the multiple CD player in the glove box, which I don't want to do. None of the regular car audio dealers that I have checked (Circuit City, Best Buy, Crutchfield, and more) lists an aftermarket radio for this car. Where can I get an aftermarket radio that has an auxiliary or iPod interface? Alternatively, where can I get a Lexus AM/FM/CD unit to replace this AM/FM/CD/Cassette unit? If I get a factory unit with a single CD, I can get a Dice adapter that will serve the purpose. I've checked a few online junk yards for a radio out of wrecked Lexus, but I have not found one yet.

Regarding the flare nut wrenches, one of the links above is to standard. Isn't a Lexus all metric, making the following wrenches the correct ones? http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_0...yword=flare+nut

When I took my RX300 to an independent shop for the 90K checkup, I asked him what services he recommended. He went to a web site, printed a list, and then tore off the right hand side of the page before he gave it to me. I assume that he was tearing off prices or time recommendations, neither of which would have affected my decision to have him do the work. What web sites do independent shops use for Lexus information? The header at the bottom of the page he printed was not helpful. Moreover, it would seem that any confidential information on the web site would have been accessed with a password. Maybe it was accessed with a cached password on his computer. He did not type one in while he was waiting for the page to open. Heck, I don't mind the guy making a profit!

Transmission troubles with RX300s are discussed frequently here, but I'm not clear on which models are affected. Specifically, I have a 2000 RX300 two-wheel drive. Am I likely to have problems, or are those problems usually with all-wheel drive cars?

The original post was from 2004. Is the poster still providing them?

Further to my original post, I'm told that the error code indicates that the Bank 1 Row 2 O2 sensor is bad. Does that make sense, or have I misunderstand something?

Thanks for the responses. My wife had the code checked, so I don't know the exact code. Not only will I get the exact code, but I will shop for the best pricing before I take a stab at it.

The check engine light is illuminating from time to time on my 2000 RX300. It may stay lit for a day or for a week. According to the diagnostic code, one of the (front?) oxygen sensors is defective. AutoZone can supply the sensor for $130. How difficult is it to change? The last two sensors I had my shop replace were $500 each. The car runs perfectly, and the gas mileage is normal. I'm thinking that this is another case of the sensor failing instead of a functional part of the car failing. Of course now I need to determine whether this sensor is the same one that was replaced a year ago.

We have a 2000 model. Are all RX300s AWD, or is it an option? We bought ours used. The previous owner appears to have taken good care of the car, but I do not know how often he changed the transmission fluid. We just did a 90K checkup, and I have no idea if the fluid was changed.

How is the sound quality of your parrot? Any issues with it? Who installed the control panel and did you install it under the dash? From the company website, it appears to be a pretty decent system but my car is still under warranty and I don't want to compromise that. how did you work around installation and warranty? I just bought a BMW 328 with Bluetooth and the stereo system plays the phone conversation. It is impeccable sound without road noise or any distortion. My wife likes it enough that we would like to find something for her '05 330. Gary i did the installation myself and i placed the module under the dash. the sound is clear without any noise and i like the system alot. if you don't want to cut into any wires, then just buy the plug-n-play harness which is about $60. i didn't care for that so i just cut into the wires in the back of the radio. Never heard of Parrot. Where did you get the unit? The web site says that Best Buy sells the brand, but I did not find it on their web site. Does Parrot make a GPS-equipped unit for a 2000 RX300? I want to give my wife one for Christmas.

Is there supposed to be some sort of indication that the emergency brake is set on my 2000 RX300? My wife always sets it, but I never set the brake in my own car, so I have a bad habit of trying to drive the Lexus with the emergency brake on. (Why doesn't a LEXUS have an automatic release??? Buicks have that!) The shop just told me that the left emergency brake cable has to be replaced for $200. They just disconnected it until we can get the car back to the shop. Also, after the 90K service, the check engine light came on. The code says that it is the rear oxygen sensor. We thought the shop had screwed something up during the service, but them my wife noticed that the gas cap was not on tightly. Can a loose gas cap cause the check engine light to come on? It's off now, so I hope that is the case.

Okay, so I had the 90K service done by the shop that has done good work for me over the years. There was a communications problem, so they rotated the tires that had just been rotated. But there is a problem. Sometimes when we first start driving the car, it feels like one of the tires has a separated cord or missing weight. Then, after a few minutes the problem disappears. When it gets cold, it does it again. It definitely feels like a tire problem, but I don't know where to look. All of the tires look fine to the untrained eye.

Yeah, that makes the most sense. Thanks.

This Lexus is my first one, and I need for it to last a long time. With other makes of cars, I have had timing belts break, and I just put a new water pump on my 1997 Jeep Cherokee with 75,000 miles. My mechanic warns me that if the timing belt breaks, the engine could be destroyed. (This same thing supposedly happens on Honda because the valves lose sync with the pistons and the wiggle stick pushes through the radiscold. Or something like that.) When I had a Chevrolet, the timing belt broke, and there was no other damage. I hope others will chime in on this topic. I'd really rather not spend $900 on a "checkup" if the money is wasted. I'm inclined to do the timing belt and the water pump, but as I said, this is my first Lexus. Maybe that's being overly cautious.

Two independent shops are giving me conflicting recommendations for the tasks to be performed at the 90,000 point, which has arrived for my 2000 RX300. Where can I find an official recommendation? One shop wants to flush things that the other shop says they would never do. Both shops have done good work for me (with other cars) previously. There is also a $300 cost difference between the two shops. I want to maintain my car properly, but I don't want to waste money.

My 2000 RX300 has a multi-disk CD player. It is a pain to change CDs, and it is totally unsafe to do while driving. It is my understanding that a single-play CD is not available for this model. Is that correct? Also, does this model and year require premium gas? We are using premium, and our mileage has increased four miles per gallon. And the knocking has gone away. I have always heard that octane ratings were somewhat of a hoax, but my experience has been otherwise.

An eBay seller just sent me this link: http://www.autolocksmithfinder.com. There is a guy in my town who will sell me a blank for $5 and cut it for $35. That's still a ripoff, but it solves the problem. Maybe if you own a Lexus you should not complain about a $3 key costing $40.

The plastic cover on one of my master keys is broken. Research seems to suggest that trying to replace the plastic only is not a good idea since the key blank is molded into the cover. Trying to glue the blank produces less than desirable results. It appears that the most inexpensive solution is to purchase a new key blank with plastics only (no electronics) and transfer the electronics to the new key. The key has to be cut, though, and a special cutter is required. Can someone personally recommend a mailorder service (or one in Raleigh/Durham NC) that can cut the key? There are plenty of people on eBay, but you never know what you are going to get there. Thanks.

Yes, please upload it again.