dgorrie

About a year ago, I had a mechanic friend get me the two-volume set for my '99 RX300 through a local Lexus dealer. Got the set for $150. I actually don't recall if that includes wiring diagrams. But an alternative may be to subscribe to your car's repair information at www.alldatadiy.com, for around $25 the first year. It’s a little harder to find some there, but a good part of the content comes directly from the Lexus manuals. You can print off key instructions and diagrams as needed. I use the manuals AND the web site. Just a thought

Or are you talking about the ont that is high up?

I would think that to lose power and the catalytic converter be the causer, the catalytic converter would have to be clogged up. I have to think that is pretty unusual these days. A more likely cause is the air mass meter. Mine started acting up, causing loss of power, then the Check Engine finally came on after 2-3 weeks. Could also be the O2 sensors. Several folks on this forum have just pulled the air mass meter out, cleaned the filament with carb cleaner, then put it back in. That's worth a shot. It has two screws holding it in, somewhere behind the air filter. along with a simple electrical connector. I secured a replacement for my car ('99 RX300) at http://newlexusparts.com for around $115. How long has the problem been going on?

Alldata (www/alldata.com) indicates several possible causes for this code: 1) Fuel tank cap improperly installed or damaged 2) vacuum hose cracked, disconnected, blocked, etc. 3) fuel tank cracked, "holed, damaged, etc. 4) charcoal canister cracked, holed, damaged. etc. I have a '99 as well. I had to get a new cap a while back because the o-ring was leaking. It looked tight, but wasn't. I'd try a new cap first (Autozone, etc).

My '99 RX300 gets at least double that probably more. Do you have TWO keys? Does the other have the same limitations? I'd day if they operate significantly different, then one is "failing", and if in warranty, maybe get it changed out. As a test, they could also program the transponder from a NEW key to work wirh your car, see if the range improved. If it did, then just insert that transponder into YOUR key, or have them cut the key to match your car. Just some thoughts ...

This will be far-reaching, but MIGHT be worth pondering. Years ago, out daughter's car had problems with a transmission "overdrive solenoid", which apparently locks the transmission in its overdrive position when traveling "at speed" to get the best possible mileage. When slowing, the solenoid is supposed to deactivate so regular downshifting can occur, but in her case, when hot (after a long distance), it stayed locked up. So as you come to a stop, the drive wheels remained tied to the engine, and when the car stopped, the engine was drug to a halt as well. In that situation, you could put it in Neutral or Park and the engine would start fine, but going into Drive would stall the engine unless you immediately pounced on the gas. Maybe your "clunking" noise related to the engine being drug to a stop, and restarting clears the condition. If it happens again, you might try slipping the tranny into Neutral just as the condition begins and see if the engine continues to run. If so, that might suggest a transmission issue or something related. Again, a long shot, but you never know what thoughts might lead toward the answer. Good luck

I have to ask -- where IS the Toyota/Lexus web site?

I had a similar problem just recently -- low power at the high end, but pretty peppy at the low end. Problems was the air mass meter. The related codes (can't recall which ones) could have meant air mass or O2 sensors. The air mass meter is EASY to replace if that's the cause -- two screws and a connecxtor on top of the incoming air flow tube. Replacement time is 5 minutes. I got the part for about $115 from http://newlexusparts.com.

Somewhere around 60,000 miles on my wife's 1999 RX300, she began complaining about a "thunk" sound when on bumpy streets and similar situations. Turned out to be the top suspension support -- the round, black plate at the top of the strut. There is a big rubber ring in there that gives out over time, so lets the top of the shock absorber (strut) bang around. I was told they redesigned that support from the original, to make the center hole round instead of oblong. That may reduce the noise, some, but it doesn't keep the ring from wearing out, so "thunk" results. In my xase, the driver's side strut was leaking oil as well, so I had to replace the strut. I replaced the top support at the same time. I actually got the support and the associated bearing from O'Reilly's. AutoZone has them (or can get them) as well. The strut I got from www.pickproparts.com for around $95 plus shipping. I got a second one from them later for the passenger site. Wasn't hard to replace, but read the other posts on this site on how to do it and what to watch for. Biggest pain is the need for spring compressors. The replacements were KYB shocks. Seemed to ride like the originals. In fact, I believ the originals were made by KYB as well. Hope that helps.

You might also try http://newlexusparts.com, or call them at (972)407-7039 . It's a dealer in Plano Texas. Their web site pricing is a lot better than the usual exhorbitant retail, although finding parts like this is sometimes a challenge on the web site. Don't forget about junk yards as well.

I haven't replaced that sender on my '99 RX300, but I did have to disconnect the leads to it to measure resistance. I got to it from underneath, slightly right of center (toward the passenger side slightly), near the firewall. Look at the one at the front of the car to get a feel for what the connector looks like, and you'll see a similar one where you want to be working near the firewall. Might be something of a pain to get to, and getting the connector apart wasn't easy since you need at least 2 hands up there. Maybe if the car had been on a full lift that would have been easier, but I was on my back and kinda contorted.

I know the set of manuals cost around $150 IF you have connections through a garage or car dealer. I haven't heard of them being on a CD, but I suppose that's possible. An alternative for not many $$$ is www.alldatadiy.com. You can subscribe for a year to about the same thing for $25. Worth considering.

As follow-up to my post above about using streetkeys.com for a replacement master transponder key -- For whatever reason, streetkeys.com now charges as as much as the dealer for a replacement RX300 key. Pretty much a joke at this point. Might as well use the dealer and have some support in case something goes wrong.

I've had 3M Clearmask on my 99 RX300 for over a year. It goes across the hood and around the grill, and on the side mirrors. Haven't done the bumper as yet, although that's the area that needs it the most. Mine was put on by the folks at www.clearmask.com. It is 3M's 8 mil think plastic, with an adhesive on one side. The Clearmask folks determine the front-end layout of various cars and develop a pattern. When a request comes in for a film set for a car, they cut it out of bulk 3M material using the appropriate pattern. Personally, I believe in this stuff. I wish the whole car was wrapped in it. That would eliminate all those side dings. But on the front, it catches all those little road rocks that sandblast your front end all the time. The stuff is put on basically like tint film. You use a soapy solution on the material and the car to slide around and position. Once in place, be sure the wrinkles and bubbles are pushed out. Look for more instructions on this. The stuff can be pulled off a car later if needed, but don't be surprised if the area under the plastic is in better shape than the rest of the car !!

Doa search in Google for "P0171 code" and you will see several articles. The P0171 code apparently means "System Too Lean (Fuel Trim)". Thsi could be a bad Mass Air Flow sensor (MAF), or could just be an air leak caused perhaps by an air hose that got knocked loose. The MAF woild be expensive to replace, but you should have a full warranty up to 50,000 miles. So I suggest just taking it to the dealer. That way, you don't have to guess about it, and they have it on their records that you brought it in for that code if it shows up again. In some of the Internet articles, folks cleared the code and it never came back. I had a different code on my 1999 RX300 that came and went -- strange things happen sometime. Doug

Basically, Toyota has a policy out saying they will cover this issue, even outside the 3 year warranty. I have even seen the specifics on their web site a year and a half back, although I don't see it right now. Here are some links on this: http://www.autosafety.org/article.php?scid=&did=566 http://yotarepair.com/Automotive_News.html Doug

This may not help much -- sorry. The alldata.com site says the code is cause by: -- open or short in A/F sensor (bank 1, sensor 2) -- A/F sensor (bank 1, sensor 2) heater -- ECM It's interesting that the Trouble Area points to Sensor 2 while the Detection Item says Sensor 1. No idea why. Sorry I can't really help.

The ODBII code readers can sometimes be rented from local auto parts stores, sometimes even for free. After all, they want to sell you parts. On my 1999 RX300, the connection point is right below the steering wheel. The guys that rent it to you can probably explain how to use it. Doug

I acquired a used 99 RX300 2WD in the Dallas area about 20 months ago. It had come off a 3-year lease in Florida. So far, I think these are GREAT cars. They drive and ride like cars versus trucks, get great mileage (19+ in town, 22-24 on the road). Great sound systems, great looks. Weaknesses so far are few, the biggest one being the high prices that dealers charge for repairs and parts. You can find discounts on parts online, and a good amount of work you can do yourself (or with a buddy). I replaced a leaking front strut (shock) a few weeks ago, and put a narrative on this site. Work wasn't bad. Used KYB parts and it rides just as good as before. That's the only real repair so far. Performance is very good for a small car. Fun to drive. I did have the large master key break up on me, where the screw holds everything together. My second master is showing similar signs, suggesting a design flaw in how these are built. If you are in the basic warranty on the car you acquire, look the keys over closely for cracks, etc. Dealers want $180+ to replace and program these keys, although I got mine from Streetkeys.com for $100 and programmed it myself. I had a local dealer cut the key for an $8.00 charge, since I didn't want to risk having it messed up by just anyone. I can't say anything out the other years, but I like the 99 very well. Good luck Doug

I have a '99 RX300 as well. I haven't had to do this yet, but I do have an online account with AllData for this car (which is very helpful for not much money). The AllData page for replacing the "Vapor Canister" says the P/N is 7774048011 , but check with a dealer. AllData says it prices at $447, with a half-hour labor charge. At face value, this suggests that either your dealer's labor charges are exhorbitant, or their parts prices are exhorbitant (always the case anyway), or the AllData details are off. But I would definately dig around for alternate pricing, perhaps with other dealers as well. One web soite I just searched showed a retail price of $449, with a discounted price for $373. Try newlexusparts.com. FYI -- there is a service bulletin for a code P0446 that says "Under certain driving conditions, some 1999 Model Year RX 300s will exhibit a false M.I.L. "ON" DTC P0446. A Charcoal Canister Assembly has been developed to prevent this condition." The key word is False. I got this code once, then it went away on its own -- don't know why. The bulletin (EG001-99) says it is a warranty item if within 4 years and 50K miles. It might not be a factor, but you might consider getting a new gas cap. An emissions test I had failed because the cap had a leak past the o-ring, and that issue can cause funny problems with OBDII. Good luck.

I get pretty close to 20 in town, and as high as 24 on the highway. '99 RX300 Doug

At about 65,000, the driver's side strut on my 1999 RX300 was leaking oil -- a goner - and there were noises when going over bumps. I replaced the strut and the suspension support at the top, and it rides and sounds fine now. If your ride is mushy, look for oil around the upper part of the strut with the car jacked up. The passenger side on my car is making noise, which is probably the suspension support as well. I'll replace both parts on that side "soon" as well. The suspension support has a big rubber ring in it that holds the top end of the shock absorber portion of the strut. I understand that when that starts to fail, noise results. So I recommend replacing that support when you replace the strut. But a weak support probably won't affect the ride -- just creates noise. I got a KYB GR-2 strut by mail order from PickProParts.com. Their price for KYB struts was the best I could find -- $93.28 + shipping. Part numbers can vary between 2WD and 4WD vehicles, make note which ones you pick. FYI -- they don't carry the suspension support - I got that from O'Reilly Auto Parts. I had great success getting the part through PickProParts. It arrived right on time, works just fine, and has a lifetime warranty (as compared to dealer warranties). The ride is very comparable to what the car felt like originally. It actually wasn’t particularly hard to replace the strut and suspension support, although it did require a pretty large socket to get the lower strut bolts loose – around 22 mm, I think (can’t recall for sure). And those bolts are supposed to be torqued to around 150 ft/lbs when re-installing, and my torque wrench doesn’t go that high, so I went to 85 ft/lb and then cranked it more with a breakover. Not the best approach, but it works well enouh. I also had to replace the rubber insulator at the bottom of the coil spring -- $30 from Lexus. One thing to watch for when reassembling is -- the suspension support is “keyed” at the center hole to line up with slots at the top of the shock rod, just beneath the rod’s top bolt threads. So when tightening that shock rod bolt on reassembly, make sure those keyed parts line up. Could be a problem otherwise. Main thing I would do different is: 1) using white-out or something similar, before you take the strut out, mark one of the upper mounting bolts and put a spot by its mounting hole, so you can more easily align things during the install. 2) Once the whole strut assembly is out, use white-out to mark all the parts in relation to their neighboring part. That helps later when reassembling. The part I dislike the most in the replacement process is using spring compressors to compress the coil. Most folks say to use two, but I use three to make sure I don’t kill myself, and I always stand to the side in case parts start flying. Just makes me nervous. Just prior to all this, I had the car aligned. After replacing these parts, I had the alignment checked and it failed. You can drive the car for a while after replacing these parts, but I suggest getting an alignment fairly soon because the old and new parts won't be exact. So yes, $1800 is too high. You can get all the parts you need for $160 - $200 per side.

I just bought a replacement key from www.streeykeys.com for $100, plus shipping. That's the big key with the lock/unlock/panic buttons. They sell a service for an additional $60 to get it cut (and maybe programmed - can't recall) by a locksmith in your area -- that could be the best deal. They aren't inclined to give you the names of the local locksmiths they use, though. I think you can get a better deal on the $60 if you could reach tyem directly. But I took my new key to a local Lexus dealer in Dallas, where they can either cut the key using your VIN number OR copy the pattern from your old key. They charged me $8 ti cut it -- very reasonable. Different Lexus dealers may or may not have a key cutting machine. The high-end machines cost a bunch and have an associated computer to run them. But they all do the actually cutting using a vertical drill bit-type cutter, as far as I know. You don't want to mess up your $100 key -- that's the main concern. But not all dealers have the expensive cutting machine -- the one that does it REALLY right. One local Lexus dealer quoted me $185 to cut my key or $185 if THEY provided the key AND cut it. Needless to say, I won't be dealing with them much if they think like that. I'm not even certain they can cut a key on site. Regarding the $30k service, I have a philosophy on that. I do a lot of my own work on cars, and feel that much of the 30K service is stuff I can do or is optional. I can grease the hinges and latches, and that's if they need to be done at all. So for any such service, I suggest asking them what they do, then ask which of those are actually necessary, and which are necessary to maintain your warranty. Then ask pricing for the "necessary" items and decide. Keep in mind that a lot of things don't be done by the dealer. Changing a serpentine belt or doing an oil change are examples of things that can be done by any qualified mechanic. After you ask the dealer about the 30k service, you could post their comments here and get feedback on what they NEED to do. But along the way, keep in mind that you may get limited info from them on what they do, simply because if they give you an accurate list, you may just have your local garage do most of it. It's to their advantage to keep you somewhat in the dark, so you may have to call more than one dealer to get accurate info. Just my thoughts Doug

My experience with several manufacturers has been that TSB's cover a variety of issues. At the minor level, they are updates to maintenance procedures, even to the point of specifying small things like different tire pressures. They also clarify repair procedures like getting rid of rattles, or clarify steps left out of the original factory manuals. They can also specify recall items, and as you say, the dealer pretty much has to handle those. But the main deal is that they can be minor or major, and many can be useful to you in just knowing what's available. If you interested in the details of the TSB's, you might consider www.alldata.com. You can pay for a year's access to all their stuff about your specific vehicle for about $25, which includes TSB's, repair procedures, etc. Not a bad deal. Doug

I'll be doing some in the near future for the first time. I'm attaching instructions in HTML format. You need spring compressors to get the coil springs off -- be careful here. Doug RX300_strut_replace.htm