monarch

Both Toyota & Nissan now have their own 75W-140 GL-5 synthetic gear oil that's ideal for the differential http://www.saber.net/~monarch/fluids.jpg This oil is substantially thicker than Mobil 1 75W-90 gear oil so there isn't the gear noise problem. Toyota dealer mark up on fluids varies widely. For example, Type T-IV has a Toyota suggested retail price of about $3.75 a quart, but some dealers offer a 25% discount off retail so you can get it for around $2.50 a quart. At the other extreme, some Toyota dealers charge *above* retail @ $5-6 a quart. Bear in mind corporate Toyota isn't to blame for the outrageous markups some dealers charge - it's the opportunistic Americans who own and run the Toyota dealerships. Also bear in mind Toyota dealers can buy aftermarket fluids & lubes more cheaply than they can buy genuine Toyota fluids. So here again the $profit$ motivated Americans who run Toyota dealerships will commonly service your Toyota or Lexus using aftermarket fluids and lubes instead of genuine Toyota stuff. Savvy Toyota / Lexus owners will just accept and work around this situation and buy genuine Toyota fluids from a discount dealer. That way they get the best of both worlds; i.e. a reasonable price for top quality fluids & lubes.

Here's an example of the kinds of troubles a 1999 4WD JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE owner has to deal with: Automotive Recall and Technical Service Bulletin Titles for 1999 Jeep Truck Grand Cherokee 4WD L6-4.0L VIN S. Safety Recalls TSB Number & Issue Date TSB Title B06 MAY 02 Recall - Intake Manifold Debris Shield 866 FEB 00 Recall - Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster Bolt 809 DEC 98 Recall - Rear Outboard Seat Belts Emissions Recalls TSB Number & Issue Date TSB Title 839 SEP 99 Recall - Reprogram PCM 840 SEP 99 Recall - Sensor Wiring Heat Shield 807 APR 99 Recall - VECI Replacement General Recalls TSB Number & Issue Date TSB Title C07 FEB 03 Campaign - Avoiding Unintentional Vehicle Movement 874 JUN 00 Recall - Incorrect Instrument Printed Circuit Installed Service Bulletins TSB Number & Issue Date TSB Title 02-002-04A MAY 04 Suspension - Front Suspension Squeak/Squawk Noises 23-009-04 MAR 04 Interior - Popping/Clicking Noise in Front Seat Frame 23-026-03 OCT 03 Body - Poor Air Deflector to Hood Fit 18-031-03 SEP 03 Fuel System - Hot Start Misfire/MIL ON/DTC's/Rough Idle 21-009-03 AUG 03 A/T - Diagnostic Teardown Procedure 03-002-03 AUG 03 Drivetrain - Rear Axle Vent Cap Leakage 19-003-03 AUG 03 Steering Column - Pop/Tick From Steering Wheel Area 09-003-03 AUG 03 Engine - Multiple Cylinder Misfire 23-015-03 JUN 03 Body - Wind Noise from Top Rear of Front Doors 05-003-02B DEC 02 Brakes - Pulsation During Light to Moderate Application 24-009-02 OCT 02 A/C - System Leak Detection 03-003-02A OCT 02 Drivetrain - Rear Axle High Pitched Whining Sound 18-020-02 JUN 02 Engine Controls - Flash Reprogramming Failure 23-020-02 MAY 02 Liftgate - Will Not Open Correctly 19-005-02 MAY 02 Power Steering - Honking Noise 23-015-02 APR 02 Outside Rearview Mirror - Glass Replacement 08-007-02 MAR 02 Keyless Entry - Programming Procedure 08-004-01B DEC 01 Seat Heater - Inoperative 08-025-01 NOV 01 Air Bag - On/Off Switches 21-011-01 NOV 01 Transfer Case - Fluid Seepage 19-009-01 OCT 01 Driver Airbag - Trim Cover Service 05-005-01A SEP 01 Brakes - Roughness Or Pedal Pulsation 03-001-01A SEP 01 Front Drive Axle - Whining Sound 08-010-01 MAY 01 Airbag/Clock Spring - Service 18-012-01 MAY 01 Generic Scan Tool - Reference Information 24-007-01 MAY 01 A/C - Automatic Temperature Control Setting Changes 25-004-01 MAY 01 Evaporative System - Leak & DTC Diagnostics 14-002-01 MAR 01 Fuel Pump - Long Cranking Time to Start Engine 18-001-01 JAN 01 Engine Performance - Enhancements 08-006-00A DEC 00 Wiring - Revised Splicing Procedure 26-012-00N DEC 00 Electrical - Wiring Updates 23-008-00B NOV 00 Child Seat - Tether Anchor Part Numbers & Labor Time 23-041-00 NOV 00 Roof Rack - Optimum Positioning Instructions 23-038-00 OCT 00 Seat Belt - Turning Loop Cover Replacement 03-08-00 SEP 00 Differential Cover - Updated Sealer & Fluid 23-30-00 AUG 00 Seatbelts - Slow To Retract 03-04-00 JUN 00 Rear Propeller Shaft - Intermittent Stop-Bump 26-06-00A JUN 00 Electrical - Wiring Schematic/Connector Pin-Out Updates 14-06-00 JUN 00 Engine/Fuel Pump - Abnormally long Crank Time 23-17-00 MAY 00 Cargo Cover - Inoperative 26-05-00H MAY 00 Electrical - Connector Pin-Out Updates 08-11-00 MAR 00 CD Player - CD Compatibility 08-08-00 MAR 00 Keyless Entry Transmitter - Intermittently Inoperative 21-03-00 MAR 00 Transfer Case - Sector Shaft Leakage 23-10-00 MAR 00 Window Regulator - Sticks at Top Of Travel 26-03-00F MAR 00 Cooling System - Radiator Fan Shroud Service Update 08-03-00 FEB 00 Power Door Locks/Windows/Mirrors/RKE - Erratic Operation 21-01-00 FEB 00 A/T - Harsh Reverse Gear Engagement 24-01-00 FEB 00 Driver Side Floor Duct - Inadequate Air Flow 18-01-00 FEB 00 EVAP System - Leak Detection Pump Misdiagnosis 26-01-00I JAN 00 Drive Axles/Electrical - Specification/Schematic Update 02-11-99A DEC 99 Front Driveline - Vibration/Noise/Harshness 02-06-99A DEC 99 Front Hub Seals - Grease Purge Explanation 24-06-99A DEC 99 Heater-A/C Housing - Condensation Formation 26-12-99L DEC 99 Electrical - Wiring Schematics Revisions 03-08-99 NOV 99 Differential - Pinion Nut/Spacer Update 18-25-99 NOV 99 PCM - Erroneous Engine Misfire 24-24-99 NOV 99 Heater A/C System - Defaults To Defrost Mode 24-25-99 NOV 99 Plenum Seal - Cold Air Leaks To Footwell 05-02-99A OCT 99 Front Brakes - Roughness/Pedal Pulsation 14-05-99 OCT 99 Fuel System Pressure Loss - Diagnostic Procedures 26-10-99E OCT 99 ABS System - 'No Response' Test Revisions 23-35-99A OCT 99 Child Seat Tether Anchor - Labor/Parts Identification 23-38-99 OCT 99 Roof Joint Molding - Distorted/Protruding 03-05-99 SEP 99 Differential/Drive Axle - Diagnosis 08-12-99A SEP 99 Electronic Vehicle Information Center - Wrong Value 24-16-99 AUG 99 A/C - AZC Module, Innacurate Temperature Settings 02-12-99 AUG 99 Front End Alignment - Adjustable/Offset Ball Joints 21-01-99A AUG 99 NV 247 Transfer Case - Low Speed Grinding 21-01-99 AUG 99 Transfer Case - NV 247 Low Speed Grinding Noise. 02-10-99 JUL 99 Tie Rod And Drag Link Sleeve - Bolt Torque Revision 08-23-99 JUL 99 Radio Communication Equipment - Recommendations 05-05-99 JUN 99 Brake Rotors - Match Mounting 18-12-99 JUN 99 Leak Detection Pump - Monitor Test 18-13-99 JUN 99 PCM - Engine No Start Condition 08-20-99 JUN 99 Sunroof - Revised `Express Open' Position 08-16-99A JUN 99 RKE Transmitter - Is Intermittently Inoperative 08-18-99 JUN 99 Radio - Clock Defeat 21-09-99 JUN 99 Transfer Case - NV 247 Shudder at Slow Speeds 03-03-99 MAY 99 Front Propeller Shaft - Popping/Snapping/Grinding 08-14-99 MAY 99 Antitheft System - Vehicle Stall/No Start 18-09-99 MAY 99 DTC's - Caused By Open Fuses 23-14-99 MAY 99 Door Weather Seal - Does Not Fit Properly 23-15-99 MAY 99 Front Power Window - Tips Forward When Raised 24-08-99 MAY 99 Heater Blower - Whistle Noise 08-07-99 MAY 99 Power Distribution Center - Service 23-17-99 MAY 99 Roof Rack Cross Bar - Shipping Location 21-08-99 APR 99 A/T - Buzz/Whining in Reverse When Cold 24-07-99 APR 99 Heater, A/C - Reduced Airflow From Center Outlets 05-01-99 FEB 99 Rear Brakes - Squeal on Light Application 08-04-99 FEB 99 Universal Garage Door Opener - Reduced Range 14-01-99 FEB 99 Fuel Filler Tube - Slow Fuel Fill 21-02-99 FEB 99 A/T - Slow Neutral To Drive Engagement 24-01-99 JAN 99 A/C - Refrigerant Charge Specification Change 24-02-99 JAN 99 A/C Compressor - Service Precautions 08-17-98C DEC 98 Air Bag System - ON-OFF Switch Availibility 18-46-98 DEC 98 Engine Idle Undershoot/Driveway Die Out 23-61-98 DEC 98 Liftgate Flipper Glass - Water Leak 18-37-98 DEC 98 PCM - Addition of A Clear Flood Feature 18-44-98 DEC 98 PCM - Cold Engine Start/Partial Cool Down Sag 18-43-98 DEC 98 PCM - Engine Sag When A/C Compressor Cycles 18-45-98 DEC 98 PCM - Engine Vibration At Idle/Drone Noise 18-35-98 DEC 98 PCM - False Mil ON, DTC P0443 Set 18-40-98 DEC 98 PCM - High Idle RPM On Deceleration 18-41-98 DEC 98 PCM - Idle RPM Undershoot/Overshoot 18-36-98 DEC 98 PCM - Start and Stall, Idle Undershoot/Lost IAC Steps 21-11-98 DEC 98 Diagnostic Tool - Transmission Simulator 14-07-98 DEC 98 Fuel Filler Cap - Difficult To Remove 08-44-98 DEC 98 Memory Power Seat - Travel Range 23-60-98 DEC 98 Sunroof Sunshade - Fabric Delamination 21-16-98 DEC 98 A/T - (42RE) Revised Front Band Adjustment 21-14-98 DEC 98 A/T - 45RFE Quick Learn Clutch Volume Procedures 26-12-98A DEC 98 Antitheft/Electrical/Lighting - Manual Revisions 08-47-98 OCT 98 RKE/PDL or Power Windows - Erratic Operation 25-02-98 OCT 98 I/M Testing - OBDII CARB Readiness Monitor

Walmart carries a digital thermometer with a wire sensor you can stick inside the center dash vent. When the system is set for maximum cooling and to recirculate interior air, the temperature of the air coming out of the center dash vent should be 37-44 degrees F. even on a 110 degree day. This 37-44 degree rule has been true of all Toyotas and Lexus's made since the late 1970's. The early 70's Toyotas allowed the car owner to manually adjust the temperature of air coming out of the dash vent to only 20-30 degrees F !!! Yep, below freezing !!

What do you hope to gain with Amsoil or a magnetic drain plug? Of all the engine failures you read about on this and other Toyota forums none were caused by owner failure to use synthetic oil or a magnetic drain plug. In fact, some of the failures were indirectly caused by use of synthetic oil; i.e. the owner disregarded Toyotas warning not to extend oil changes when using synthetic oil.

To win back a portion of the legions of buyers that switched to the Japanese cars during the 70's, 80's and 90's. Current Japansese car owners aren't going to buy many Ford 500's or Malibu's just because they now ride and handle as nicely as a Camry. But winning ex-American car owners back does not appear to be their goal anyway and may even be economically impossible; i.e. it might be cost prohibitive for the American car makers to use the top grades of metal, plastic, rubber, paint. etc the Japanese use and match the assembly tolerances of the Japanese. A couple practical examples: it might be cost prohibitive for the American car makers to build 175,000 mile water pumps, alternators, or 300,000+ mile AC compressors, ignition systems, fuel systems, sag proof seats, etc.

I agree, plus Ford isn't even advertizing the 500 will offer better reliability, durability and resale value compared to the Taurus. Nor is GM making such claims for the all new Malibu as compared to the previous Malibu. And both the 500 and Malibu still offer only a 3 year, 36,000 mile powertrain warranty. Chrysler has a longer powertrain warranty, but it's not as comprehensive as the Toyota 5 year/ 60,000 mile powertrain warranty. So it looks like business as usual at Ford, GM & Chrysler; i.e. they aren't even attempting to compete with the Japanese on reliability / durability / resale value.

No, but since you bring up the subject of possible hidden agendas - sometimes I wonder if there might be an organized conspiracy going on against the RX300 because it seems like every week someone registers on LOC just to make a single post about a bizzare mechanical failure that gets owners deeply concerned and worried and then the person dissappears and won't respond to follow up questions.

Few used car shoppers understand the connection between driving style and mechanical wear and tear or the connection between frequent preventive maintenance and mechanical wear and tear. That's why few used car shoppers search out grandma / grandpa owned and driven used Lexus's or make an effort to acquire and study the preventive maintenance service records of a used Lexus they are considering. The used car industry understands this too so that's one reason they invented the CPO car marketing scheme. They know the average used car shopper views a CPO car in such high regard they will pay extra $$$ for one without knowing anything about the driving style of the former owner or the maintenance history of the car. So CPO is a great marketing tool for the used car industry

The Ford Escort was a top seller at one time too and yet Ford stopped production. All American car makers frequently change the names of their models. Reason? Nearly all have problems with reliability and durability and eventually the public figures this out and sales plummet. Then to attract the public's attention again, the American car makers come out with new names like Ford Focus in place of Ford Escort and Ford Five Hundred in place of Ford Taurus, Chevy Malibu in place of Chevy Lumina and so forth and the whole cycle repeats itself again. The few American cars that have kept their names for along time, like the Buick LeSabre, are the rare ones that at least have average reliability. The Japanese don't have to change names all the time because they don't build cars with chronic reliability and durability problems. So for example, Camry has been around since 1983. Corolla since the 1969. Nissan Sentra, Maxima and Altima have been around since the 1980's. Honda Civic and Accord since the 70's and early 80's and so forth.

AWD RX330's are rare in southern California as well as in Florida. AWD eats more gasoline and is more complicated to maintain. So in some respects AWD is a downgrade. An alternative to AWD in cold climates is to install a set of dedicated snow tires in winter such as Bridgestone Blizzaks.

The ball joints of a grandma owned Toyota or Lexus that's driven on smooth roads will still be like new after 55,000 miles. But very few GS owners drive like grandmas so the result is rather rapid suspension and steering linkage wear. Now on the other hand, if you are not a hard charging and hard cornering kind of driver then I'd get a second opinion on the amount of wear in the lower ball joints.

The 6 month, 5,000 mile service interval is the recommended MINIMUM allowable service interval required to keep the powertrain warranty in effect. It's an adequate interval to follow for owners who plan to sell / trade by the time the 6 year / 70,000 mile powertrain warranty expires. However, owners who desire a troublefree Lexus for alot more years and miles should change the oil even more frequently. Lots of first time Toyota / Lexus owners have unrealistic expectations. They expect a Toyota / Lexus to be troublefree for many years even if they do not keep up with the recommended MINIMUM allowable service intervals. These owners risk setting themselves up for a big dissappointment.

Any white smoke should be gone after you've driven about 3 miles and the temperature gauge is 1/3 to 1/2 the way up the dial

In general, MSRP window sticker prices should all be the same or very nearly the same. But actual selling prices can vary regionally and even within states and even within the same model line due to variations in factory rebates, optional equipement level and hidden factory-to-dealer incentives (if any). For example, the sales volume a dealer achieves can affect the size of the hidden factory-to-dealer incentive. Then there are seasonal variations as well (the slow selling months are typically Jan & Feb). However, my experiences are based more with Toyota dealers than Lexus dealers, so I am assuming Lexus dealers operate roughly in the same fashion.

That's good to know. When I've been on business trips and rented Hyundai Sonata's I was impressed by the look of the wood and told myself: "you know this looks as good as the wood in my Lexus and I really can't tell which one is real or which one is fake."

If you can determine the part number for the bumper or any other Lexus part then you can search the parts inventories of Lexus dealers nationwide at http://www.partsvoice.com/partsvoice/conte...earch_part.html

What part did the Lexus dealer say failed? Did the Lexus dealer tell you the reason that part failed? Or likely reason?

That's what I do with the Toyotas I own that have drum type rear brakes (since I do not know how to work on drum brakes) . I do not go to department store or tire store or muffler store shops to have them install Toyota brands brake pads or shoes because they'll all try to sell me new brake hardware and in California Toyota brake hardware lasts for 30+ years or 500,000+ miles in my personal experience. Then not only do you get charged for the hardware, you end up with aftermarket quality hardware. Since genuine Toyota pads don't squeal and squeak, chances are your noisy pads are aftermarket or the squealing noise is coming the wear indicator shim thats rubbing on the brake rotor to warn you the factory original pads are worn out. According to Toyota the benefits of using genuine Toyota pads are as follows: a) FRICTION MATERIAL: Genuine Toyota Brake Pads are manufactured with materials designed specifically to maintain the dynamics engineered in your Toyota's brake system. Non-genuine Toyota brake pad material can compromise your Toyota's braking performance and may lead to accelerated rotor wear, excessive brake noise or vibration and pulsation. B) BACKING PLATES: Genuine Toyota Brake Pads have precision machined backing plates which allow the brake pads to move freely within the calipers for smooth, efficient operation. c) TOYOTA DESIGNED AND ENGINEERED: Only genuine Toyota Brake Pads are designed and engineered specifically for your Toyota vehicle. In may cases, non-genuine pads are designed for use on a variety of makes and models. Genuine Toyota pads are not costly. About $50 a set from irontoad.com or newlexusparts.com I don't hardly consider genuine Toyota pads "marginal" because I've been getting 150,000 - 200,000 miles of life per set of pads and I've never worn out any Toyota brake rotor when I used Toyota pads

About all you can do is ask the dealer specifically what is wrong with the transmission and then get a second opinion from another dealer or Lexus specialty shop. If you have the time and interest you could also download a Toyota auto trans diagnostic manual from http://techinfo.toyota.com/

I'd pass on the car. It's got high mileage and no extensive preventive maintenance service records so it's likely got alot of mechanical wear and tear. It has 20" rims so it's been raced or at least driven hard by a young owner = severe suspension and steering linkage wear. Lastly, it's got engine valve tapping noise = symptom of racing or poor lubrication due to maintenance neglect. Some LS400 V8's with a history like that have blown up at around 175-200K The $5,000 price is also high for a '91 LS400 that has high mileage and has been totalled with a salvage title. Sounds like a used car dealer is selling this vehicle. There are some good, one owner, private party ads for early '90's LS's at cars.com and craigslist.org selling for $6,000-9,000 with 60,000-110,000 miles that were driven gently by middle aged or older people and have an extensive preventive maintenance service history. You may need to be willing to travel a considerable distance to purchase such a car and willing to drive it home

Depends on what's you're definition of best? For best engine reliability and durability use factory original everything - lubes, filters, plugs, plug wires, everything. Your owners manual gives the part numbers for the factory orginal Denso or NGK spark plugs.

The least risky, least costly and least complicated procedure is to drain the pan overnight (to get more of the oil fluid out), measure the amount drained and refill with the same amount. Drive the car normally for a day or two and repeat the procedure. A total of 4 times. Then to back to regular intervals (15k). If you have the time and interest, you can also drop the transmission oil pan and clean the pan, the magnets in the pan and the metal mesh fluid strainer, and install a new pan gasket but this isn't critically important until the transmission has alot of miles (150K or more) because the magnets and strainer normally don't get very dirty until 150K or more. The least risky fluid to use is the type of fluid that's engraved on your transmission fluid dipstick (which on your '96 ES is probably Dexron II or III fluid) from a major oil company like Mobil, Chevron, Shell, etc., or Toyotas own Dexron fluid http://www.saber.net/~monarch/typeTDexron.jpg available from Toyota dealers. Some Toyota / Lexus dealers and specialty shops refuse to flush transmissions because there is a small risk of transmission failure soon afterwards and they don't want to take a chance on having to replace a $4,000 transmission every month or two.

If you're talking about the external, accessory serpentine drive belt then yes you should change it at 70K miles because a broken belt could leave you standed. It's cheap if you order it from a discount dealer like newlexusparts.com or irontoad.com. A The timing belt lasts about 50% longer than the accessory serpentine drive belt.

You live in an area with over 50 Toyota dealers and virtually every one carries Toyota Type T-IV fluid in 1 quart bottles in the Parts. Dept. Since the RX is mechanically identical to a Toyota Highlander, you can also buy filters, spark plugs, etc from Toyota dealers and save 50% over what a Lexus Dealer would charge.

Are you factory original (genuine Toyota) brake pads and rotors? If not, that could be the source of your brake dust problem.