dgorrie

I agree with many of the ideas above except that I would get a detector anyway. I've been using Passport/Escort for LOTS of years -- gone through 3 or 4 and that's years at a time. I have the 8500 and am VERY pleased -- very few false alarms. I like the way it sounds when it goes off -- very precise, quick beeps that tell you quickly what's going on. 8500 is about $300, but will last a long time. You can even get one on a 30 day free trial -- return it after 30 days for a full refund. But I suspect that you will like it so well that you won't send it back. Although the cop's instant-on feature can get you anyway, I find that local cops tend to run with the unit full on, so you can get a warning ½ mile + before you and he make eye contact -- plenty of time to stop there. I drive about 80 all the time if space is open, in the DFW area on the freeways, etc. It's usually too crowded in rush hour for the cops to figure out which car is speeding -- they all are. So they work the freeways outside rush hours. I've heard it said that most accidents occur within 25 miles of home. Same with tickets, so my thinking is to use a detector all the time.

I signed up for a year's worth of tech info on my '99 RX300 through www.alldatadiy.com -- about $25 the first year. That includes access to all TSB's + a lot of other stuff. I have no idea if the brake booster TSB is in there at this point. You won't get any extra details on the TSB besides what's published. You might be able to go to a local dealer and see their copy. It shouldn't be more than a couple pages.

I have a '99 RX300, acquired used in 2002. It had a weak driver's seat belt retraction unit, replace at that time under warranty. But it's weak again, and I've hard other comments in this site. Personally, I think there is a part's design issue here, at least for the older cars.

www.alldata.com/diy (membership required, but its cheap) suggests that the ignition lock cylinder is P/N 6905748020 and may retail around $132. The "ignition switch" is P/N 8445012200 and goes retail for about $76. I'm thinking that the ignition switch itself may connect to the ignition lock, and you turn the lock to turn the switch. I'd call another dealership for their pricing. Try to get and verify their part numbers with the other dealerships. If your dealer can't tell you what he plans to replace, and show you in this manuals where all this is going on, then "gouging" may be in progress. Even the local Toyota dealership may know how to do at , and at a lower price. There may be an issue with rekeying the lock to fit your key. Consider taking the new lock and old key to a loch smith to re-key the lock to fit the key, if possible, before installing. Let us know what happens next.

There is always good information here, and I try to contribute where I can. For future reference, I just acquired an air/fuel ratio sensor new at http://newlexusparts.com, for about $188. Shipping was noted as free, and if you send it outside Texas, there is no sales tax. The part, by the way, is a Denso (short for Nippondenso, I believe). My understanding is that Denso is OEM. Is it better than Bosch, which is typically cheaper -- I couldn't say. I can't believe that it would take more than 45 minutes to change BOTH air/fuel sensors - probably less. If you needed these parts, you could probably get them mail order and have any reputable shop swap all 3 parts (1 O2 sensor and 2 air/fuel) for about 1.5 hours of REAL time (versus book time)

Sorry about the delay in response -- I'm not always watching posts for replies. TSB is a Technical Service Bulletin. I'm not sure if "TSIB" is a misprint or just another term for TSB. I believe it's always the manufacturer that issues TSBs. Some are advisory, some are probably more significant. They usually describe a problem, followed by the available fix (new part perhaps, or a procedure that negates the issue). I'm uncertain if all TSBs are published, as they sometimes advise the dealer to fix something for free IF the customer brings up the issue. As far as accessing them, I use ALLDATA, a company that provides service information to repair centers and mechanics. For about $25 the first year, and $15 each year thereafter, you can get the same information the mechanics get for a single vehicle. TSBs are included in the subscription, and I wind up using the subscription MANY times through the year. It's good for understand the car, researching issues AND making repairs, plus I frequently get the part number of an item I need that helps me search the Internet for pricing. If you have a buddy in the mechanic business, you might also consider buying the 2-volume factory workshop manuals through him at a discount. I paid $150 for mine -- well below what the dealers want. Alldata has most of the same info, plus is kept current whereas manuals get somewhat out of date. I hope that helps.

At the Trademotion site just provided, the part number for the left side appears to be 6896049016, and the right side is 6895049016. FYI -- various Lexus literature also refers to these as "lift cylinder" or "stay assembly". I have to wonder if Toyota sells the same thing at a cheaper price, given the overlap of parts between their respective models. Anyone have ideas on that?

As a follow-up, I should point out that the RX330 appears to be different than the '99 RX300 I have. With the '99, you actually can program a key to work with the car as long as you already have a master to work from. I went through the procedure about a year ago. As best as I can recall, the process essentially copies the "smarts" of the old key into the new one. It's a shame they apparently blocked the newer cars from having the same option.

I think the TSB is actually su002-99. I'm going to try to attach it here. My apologies if it doesn't come through. Doug 1999_Lexus_Truck_RX300_2WD_V6.doc

Not sure if I was the one that mentioned the Lexus deal in Plano, but one link that goes there is http://www.trademotion.com/partlocator/ind...m?siteid=213808. However, the link I used to get there in the first place was http://newlexusparts.com (no "www" on the front. I frequently find it difficult to find a part by its name, but easier if you have the p/n. Maybe someone here knows the p/n

I haven't had to approach this area yet, so don't have any experience in this area on this car. I have a '99 as well. I know that over time, with all the heat cars generate, the seals around the crank and cam shafts will harden and eventually start leaking. It's just a matter of time. Some leakage isn't too bad, unless the oil leaks onto something critical like a cam belt, then it begins to weaken the belt such that it won't last the full 90K miles. If the mechanic is seeing oil leaks, then it is definitely time to replace. If not, it is a judgment call. If he has to pull a lot of parts off to get to the seals, and he is already pulling those parts off for your other work today, then it makes sense to do the seals IF he is also reducing the price from what the seal job normally costs by itself. In other words, if he charges $165 all the time just to do the seals, then he should charge less today because he already has that area open. He probably is doing that, and it probably makes send to do it now as a precaution.

I have a '99 RX300 as well and bought a child seat for it recently. After all the reading in the manual and elsewhere, I finally figured out that there are no anchor points built into the bottom of the back seats. There are anchor points built in to the back of the back seats, for only for the outside passenger spaces, not for the center seat. Again, these are anchor points, not anchors. They are just threaded holes that you can attach to. As I recall, you can feel the holes about a foot below the top. Lexus sells the kits to attach into those holes. In the end, all you can do is to anchor the top of the child seat to one of these, and the seat belts hold the bottom. For the seat I purchased, I could never make it work using the center lap belt -- I had to use one of the outside belts. I hope that helps some.

One option not mentioned so far (although you may have done it) is to rotate the tires. Sometimes, shifting positions front to back can eliminate the noise and also help smooth out the cupping. Sometimes though, rotating makes it sound worse. It's not normally recommended, but CROSS-rotating (versus front to back on same side) might make a difference. as well. Technically, that will go against the opinions of most folks that know much about tires. But like you, I hate spending money to fix someone else's problems. If you wind up replacing tires, definitely try to get the ones you pay for from someone other than the dealer, preferably a place that will rotate and rebalance the new tires for free (NTB, Discount Tire, etc). Also, if you wind up replacing all 4, consider getting another brand, partly because Bridgestone won't help, and partly because some tires just don't do well on certain models. I had a Porsche 944 for 20 years, and the original equipment Dunlops cupped frequently according to LOTS of 944 owners. I had that problem, and changing models cleared that up. I tried Dunlops again years later on the same car -- same problem. Just something to consider. Good luck - I know it's aggravating.

Like a lot of folks, I've found that Lexus master remote keys come apart often. The transponder and push buttons inside work fine, but the outside plastic is junk. Despite the flaws in design, Lexus continues to charge an arm/leg for a replacement key, and dealerships generally charge ridiculous amounts to program the new keys. Shame on Lexus. But a recently came across a better way, and at a Lexus dealership to boot. The folks at Sewell Lexus in Dallas will sell you a master key "shell" -- the plastic outside portion with a new metal key shank. The cost is $75, including the cutting. All you have r to do is move the inside parts of the old, broken key to the new shell, and your back in business for 1/3 the cost of a new transponder key. Even better, it appears that the aftermarket key shell is stronger that the Lexus "dealer" shell, so hopefully the Sewell shell is the last replacement you would have to buy. The shells can be seen at http://www.lexus-parts.com/prodlist.asp?SubCategoryID=91. I got one for my '99 RX300. They may not have these for all Lexus models, but there is a big savings where they do. I got mine in person at Sewell. Good folks there. They have their own fancy key cutting machine ($40,000 worth), so they don't have to "farm out" the cutting, and it certainly comes out right. FYI -- I have no affiliation with these folks, but anyone that does a really good job gets my praise. For most folks, this "shell" option also beats the pricing of keys on e-bay if its' just the plastic shell that broke. Of course, if the inside part is busted or lost, then things are different. Good luck. Doug

Here's some considerations. First, it's important to be sure that you don't actually have an oil pressure issue. Most likely, it is a sensor of some kind that is acting up, or perhaps the repair shop left a wire off of a sensor (or knocked it off without realizing). If they won't admit to their error, not much you can do. It doesn't have to be a dealer that checks this out -- I'm guessing that any reputable shop can diagnose what is actually happening. But again, if you are low on oil (check that FIRST) or if oil is not circulating, ypu could destroy your engine !! FYI -- based on issues and attitudes, I would use those guys in the future. Worst case -- you bite the bullet and have the dealership check things out this time. Better than destroying the engine. Where do you live? Someone on this list may know someone that can help.

Take a look at the message on this forum at http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...&f=5&t=6671&st=. I had problems along this line several months ago, and provided a narrative. You could probably get by in replacing just the top shock mounts ("suspension support" in some books), but at 106K miles, since the shock strut is off and apart, I'd replace them as well. Top mounts can be acquired at O'Reilly and others, and include the bearing ring as well. I hope that helps. Doug

Check out http://www.lexuspartsmall.com/ as well. Price there for a bumper cover is $68.29 -- same as what I paid for mine two years ago. Says it fits 1999-2002 RX300. Don't know about later models

I understand they are ceramic at the dealer, and some replacements I got recently at O'Reilly (Wahner ThermoQuiets) are ceramic as well. You can get non-ceramics, I believe, but I don't see much advantage. I put ThermoQuiets on the front of my '99 RX300 a few hundred miles ago -- no problems so far with noise. Plus, the ThermoQuiets don't require that you use all the old anti-noise plates, as anti-noise functionality is built-in. I did start to put the remaining ThermoQuiets on the rear, but had a fitment problem. I think the caliper was stuck somehow, but have to readdress it to be sure. If you want factory pads shipped to you, try http://newlexusparts.com (no "www"). Pretty good pricing for a dealership.

You really need to figure out the code that is causing the Check Engine light to come on. One approach is to visit your local O'Reilly parts store, or perhaps AutoZone or any similar, and "rent" their ODB-II analyzer. Many auto parts stores will effectively loan you the ODB-II reader that plugs into the connector under the steering wheel. Using that, you can get the code. Start there, report back here, and I'll bet someone can help.

The pistons compressed pretty easily anyway -- just used to tail end of a wooden hammer and leveraged them back slowly. I think I have a tool that I could have used, but wasn't necessary. One reason for going aftermarket was because my wife (it's her RX300) was complaining about some squealing. There was actually plenty of brake pad on the front end before I changed them, and the rears appear the same way. So there isn't any good reason for them to be squealing periodically. The ThermoQuiets appear to have a good reputation regarding noise, plus are ceramic just like the Lexus pads. I figured it was worth a shot to eliminate the noise. I may have to revert to Lexus pads, but unless they are thinner than the Wagners, I'll have the same issue. I'll take the Wagners with me to Lexus and see how they compare

This is only a "shot in the dark", but you might try disconnecting the battery for 24 hours and reconnecting. That often clears trouble conditions in ECUs, and MIGHT fix it. Be sure you know your radio code before doing so. Hopefully someone else has a better suggestion ...

I believe the part number for a transponder key (may also be called a "keyless entry transmitter" is 8907048020. The price at http://newlexusparts.com came up as $147.74 Doug

I sometimes get refurbished blank keys from www.streetkeys.com. Optionally, if you can get the Lexus part number, you can enter it at http://newlexusparts.com. I beleve their price was about $146 for a NEW key, plus any shipping and tax (no tax if outside Texas, I think). I got a ket cut at Sewel Lexus in Dallas once, less than a year ago. They quoted a charge of $8.00, but didn't even bother to bill me. They have the fancy "Lexus" machine that cuts from a computerized program. There are narratives on these forums that describe how to program a key, assuming you have at least one around to "copy" from.

I'm replacing brake pads on my '99 RX300, using Wagner ThermoQuiet ceramic pads. Fronts are done (easy job), but hitting a flitch in the rear. After fully retracting the caliper piston and inserting the new pads, I found that the caliper wouldn’t close all the way down so I could re-insert the bottom bolt. It’s as though the pads are too think, preventing the caliper from sliding far enough toward the center of the car for things to line up. I’m assuming that someone here may have encountered the same issue. Is there something I’m not compressing enough or need to move out of the way? I’m sure the piston is not an issue. Both Wagner and O’Reilly say the Wagner P/N is PD325. I even had O’Reilly stack two Wagner pads next to two “generic” pads to detect a thickness issue – both looked the same. Thoughts? Doug