Lexusfreak

Thats weird, it's the first time I've heard of that problem before & on a brand new car to boot is weird

I agree that's very suprising to hear......what has been the reaction from your Lexus dealer jr?

Agreed sw, have a look at my comments above ;)

I agree blue, it's not just Lexus however......many car makers put in my opinion "substandard" quality tires as OEM. I've asked the question before as to why & the general response has been about the different climates in different parts of the country (let's say Toronto compared to Miami as an example) to cover a vast range of weather conditions. I find that hard to beleive since most OEM tires (take the Bridgestone RE 92's for instance) can't even handle a normal rain storm never mind a snowfall so I mentioned that to them.......there was just silence on the other line! go figure! :whistles: They also purchase them in "bulk" so they get a deal on ten's of millions of tires.....the automaker dosen't care if they are a good tire or not (WHICH THEY SHOULD!), they only care about their "botton line" :chairshot: It's too bad, as the way I see it, if they purchased a tire that cost let's say $5 more over all per car they just might sell more of them because customers would love the way it drove that much better. If Lexus Canada is listening, I'm available for the Job (for the "right" price) at your company (perhaps the new CEO? :P ) & will propose this to higher management & substantially increase your profits & sell a lot more vehicles.........after all, isn't that what they are in business for to begin with? :D ;)

Just found this intresting article everyone. A survey that put Lexus on top in vehicle quality for the 10th straight year :D Click the link to have a look: http://www.canadiandriver.com/news/040630-2.htm

JPI is located in the Dallas area.

Good luck with your new tires blue B) agreed sw, a walmart tire would be an improvement over those Bridgestones lol B)

Perhaps try an auto wrecker or salvage yard. :)

I couldn't have said it better myself steviej! :D B)

This is JPI, he run's his own indepentent repair shop specifically for Lexus & Toyota. You can send him a PM to talk with him if you like. Click the link or do a search in the members area for JPI. B) Good luck! http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showuser=1442

The slight whistle can be helped by getting a sunroof wind deflector & by checking the weather stripping around the sunroof (I'm pretty sure it's the same one as on the same year Toyota Camry) but there is much debate if it looks good on the ES or not. Mention to the mechanic about the noise coming from the belt area, see what he/she says......has the timing belt been replaced before? You might try either an auto wrecker or ask some of the members in these forums or in CL (Clublexus) who might have or know of where to get a reasonably priced headlight cover......perhaps even e-bay. Glad you like your new ride......ENJOY! B)

Actually the tires I suggested to you don't look (and are not) like the rugged "off road" tires (some of which you listed originally) the are LT "highway all seasons" specifically for light trucks (the RX is the same as the Highlander which is built on the Toyota Camry & ES "car" platform) so much less tire noise on surface streets (that's exactly why I'm suggesting them :D ) especially cause let's face it.....who goes out of their way to buy a Lexus SUV to take it off road on purpose? :whistles: SW said it too......you can turn the sidewalls inside if you don't like the white lettering or I beleive you can just order them in blackwall. Snow is not a factor for you is no problem.......but you should consider the tires I suggested as far as "hydroplaining" in bad rain & wet weather is concerned. Compare them to the Goodyears in all categories. Check the tirerack website for what comments they made (especially the owners of Lexus & Toyota SUV's) B) on all the choices in your size & I guarantee you, the most consistant positive feedback will come from the Yoko's & second is the Michelin MUCH more so over the Bridgestone & Goodyears! Zoom in on the pictures of the tires on the tirerack website (go te the tire makers sites as well to see what they mention) & go see them in person before making your final decision. I have a buddy that has a Highlander & he put the Yoko's on several months back, he thought the tire place replaced his entire suspension he's so thrilled & you will see many comments that reflect that on tirerack. Good luck! ;)

My Lexus dealer offered to put on the MXV4's to replace the same as mine needed new tires......I said no thanks & put on the "V" rated Toyo Proxes TPT's...a much better tire overall......especially in the handling, rain & snow performance departments.....also about $50+ cheaper a tire. :D Good thread guy's! ;)

I got the dealer to do a tune up on my car before I took delivery, & asked for the original plugs back (I wanted to see what kind of wear they had after 45,000 miles). I watched the tech to the work & all plugs were factory NGK Iridiums. He replaced them with Denso Iridiums that are good for 100K miles. There are no spark plug wires on my 01 ES. B)

Actually controlling rust in the great white north when salt is commonly used for snow & ice conditions is quite simple. Salt on a car does not hurt the metal when the temperature is 32 F or below. When the salt does start to cause damage is above the 32 F mark........if the body on the car is in good condition when you buy a used car it's wise idea like I mentioned to get it rustproofed & undercoated religiously & make sure to wash the car often especially in the winter (if it's a drive thru car wash....make sure it has the undercarriage spray). Many cars (especially new ones that were rustproofed since they were brand new & as far as I know....Lexus undercoated all cars at the factory on top of the other anit-corrosion measures they use) here in Canada have body conditions as good as ones that never see salt or damaging chemicals used during the cold winter months. Rustproofing is also good not just for salt, but moisture in general as water is a large contributor to rust as well as salt (the salt just acts a lot more faster & over a shorter period of time compared to rain). A good rustproofing done correctly does prevent moisture from penetrating the metal inside the body panels making the body look better for much longer. B)

To help things out a bit, & depending on the cars maintenance history, give the car a complete "major" tune up, do an oil & filter change & put a full tank of quality high octand gasoiline before you get the vehicle......it won't hurt anything on the test I'm sure. B)

Sharp looking car Fred! B) congrats!! Give us some specific details on the vehicle like year, mileage, service history etc. :)

Oh good! :chairshot: Were you a game show host at one time?? Take the challenge? Tell ya what.....why don't you ask a Lexus engineer why not......I'm only going by a simple item called an "owners manual" (and the tire place card on the drivers door jamb) in my case a 01 ES.....which states to use a "V"rated tire as a replacement as that's what the car came with originally. Again, how much money are you saving by using a lower speed rating than suggested by the auto maker? BTW, The Michelin Pilot XGTH4 would NOT be on my short list of tires I would purchase in any category as I have quite a bit of past experence with them in rain & snow conditions as they are & that's being as kind as possible..... Here is the best answer I can provide: M-Kay!? Speed Rating In Europe, where selected highways do not have speed limits and high speed driving is permitted, speed ratings were established to match the speed capability of tires with the top speed capability of the vehicles to which they are applied. Speed ratings are established in kilometers per hour and subsequently converted to miles per hour (which explains why speed ratings appear established at "unusual" mile per hour increments). Despite the tire manufacturer's ability to manufacturer tires capable of high speeds, none of them recommend the use of their products in excess of legal speed limits. Speed ratings are based on laboratory tests where the tire is pressed against a large diameter metal drum to reflect its appropriate load, and run at ever increasing speeds (in 6.2 mph steps in 10 minute increments) until the tire's required speed has been met. It is important to note that speed ratings only apply to tires that have not been damaged, altered, under-inflated or overloaded. Additionally, most tire manufacturers maintain that a tire that has been cut or punctured no longer retains the tire manufacturer's original speed rating, even after being repaired because the tire manufacturer can't control the quality of the repair. Over the years, tire speed rating symbols have been marked on tires in any of three ways shown in the following examples: 225/50SR16 225/50SR16 89S or 225/50R16 89S Each of these was an acceptable method of identifying speed ratings. Early tires had their speed rating symbol shown "within" the tire size, such as 225/50SR16. Tires using this type of branding were not to have been produced after 1991. 225/50SR16 112 mph, 180 km/h 225/50HR16 130, 210 km/h 225/50VR16 in excess of 130 mph, 210 km/h Beginning in 1991, the speed symbol denoting a fixed maximum speed capability of new tires must be shown only in the speed rating portion of the tire's service description, such as 225/50R16 89S. The most common tire speed rating symbols, maximum speeds and typical applications are shown below: N 87 mph 140 km/h Temporary Spare Tires P 93 mph 150 km/h Q 99 mph 160 km/h Studless & Studdable Winter Tires R 106 mph 170 km/h H.D. Light Truck Tires S 112 mph 180 km/h Family Sedans & Vans T 118 mph 190 km/h Family Sedans & Vans U 124 mph 200 km/h H 130 mph 210 km/h Sport Sedans & Coupes V 149 mph 240 km/h Sport Sedans, Coupes & Sports Cars When Z-speed rated tires were first introduced, they were thought to reflect the highest tire speed rating that would ever be required, in excess of 240 km/h or 149 mph. While Z-speed rated tires are capable of speeds in excess of 149 mph, how far above 149 mph was not identified. That ultimately caused the automotive industry to add W- and Y-speed ratings to identify the tires that meet the needs of new vehicles that have extremely high top-speed capabilities. W 168 mph 270 km/h Exotic Sports Cars Y 186 mph 300 km/h Exotic Sports Cars While a Z-speed rating still often appears in the tire size designation of these tires, such as 225/50ZR16 91W, the Z in the size signifies a maximum speed capability in excess of 149 mph, 240 km/h; the W in the service description indicates the tire's 168 mph, 270 km/h maximum speed. 225/50ZR16 in excess of 149 mph, 240 km/h 205/45ZR17 88W 168 mph, 270 km/h 285/35ZR19 99Y 186 mph, 300 km/h Most recently, when the Y-speed rating indicated in a service description is enclosed in parentheses, such as 285/35ZR19 (99Y), the top speed of the tire has been tested in excess of 186 mph, 300 km/h indicated by the service description as shown below: 285/35ZR19 99Y 186 mph, 300 km/h 285/35ZR19 (99Y) in excess of 186 mph, 300 km/h As vehicles have increased their top speeds into Autobahn-only ranges, the tire speed ratings have evolved to better identify the tires capability, allowing drivers to match the speed of their tires with the top speed of their vehicle.

Calm down guy's, have some dip! B) sorry, George Carlin line there :P One shouldn't put a lower speed rating than what the car maker has called for simply because that what they have designed & built the car to ride on.......it's just not wise. Can you get away with it? sure! But what exactly are you saving by going to a lower speed rating rather that what is recommended or slightly higher? a few bucks a tire? Not worth it in my opinion. Just my 2 cents! :) :whistles:

I'm in agreement with steviej on this one too! I have not had ANY issues with my K & N air filters (my 3rd filter in as many cars). I'm also very careful not to over-oil.......and there are no warnings on my air box either ;) :) 12,000 miles & counting.

Yes! B)

What year is your RX? & is the 225 70 16 the factory size of the tires? for the sake of arguement I will assume they are. The BEST 2 possible choices in your size are: - Yokohama Geolander H/T - S G051 (Treadwear 500, traction A, temperature B) (I personally think this would be my first choice as it is a fantastic value & an EXCELLENT all round performer in all weather conditions! Check out www.tirerack.com for more info on the tire. Price is about $77 each. B) - Michelin Cross Terrain SUV (Treadwear 700, traction A, temperature B) Quite a pricy tire compared to the Yokohama at about $136 each! :( But has good performance in all weather types as well. I hope this helps.....NOTHING else available that you mentioned even comes close to the traction you will get out of either of these 2 tires......I'd go with the Yoko myself as they offer the best traction & are by far the best overall value. :) Good luck!

I use Mobil 1 5W 30 in my 01 ES.......no problems & I recommend using synthetic always for the better protection, better flowing at extreme cold tempetatures not to mention many other reasons (but I don't want to write a novel here lol). Because your RX is under full factory warranty, I would see if you can arrange something with your servicing dealer to bring your own oil & filter to give to them & let them change your oil & charging you a labour fee of course......but the main reason is to get a receipt! Proof that the maintenance is being done & the records will be on their computer just in case there is any major engine related issue down the road. That way, they can't say anything about regular maintenance being performed! Just my 2 cents. :)

I usually go by what the automaker recommends for the car. However, having said that, there is no problem so going "up" a speed rating. If a car is an "H" speed rated tire & you move up to a "V" speed rated it's fine (might have a slightly more firm ride due to the sidewalls being more reinforced), but it's NOT a wise idea to go from a "V" rated to an "H" rated if your car calls for "V". Chances are you won't do any damage or put yourself in harms way as theoretically, maxium speeds are 75 MPH so you have lot's of room to go.....it's just not a wise idea. The Bridgestone Turanza's are a decent tire but too expensive in my opinion, I mean the Bridgestone Potenza RE 92's (which come as original equipment on many vehicles) are absolutly aweful in anything but dry conditions & ride VERY harshly & quite honestly very unsafe!....but are also expensive, the high price of a tire does not necessarily mean it's a good tire in the long run. Even if I were buying a brand new car & they had ANY Bridgestone tires on them.....the dealer would be replacing them with a tire of my choice before delivery for the exact same price, if not I'll go to a dealer who will & I would find one. Just my 2 cents as of how strongly I feel against Bridgestone & Firestone as well. Have a look at the rating of the Firestone Firehawk GTA-02 tires on tirerack.....205 50 16 size, you will see what I mean (and that's just ONE example!). :chairshot: Ebridge, I had my Toyo's put on at the Lexus dealer I purchased the car from & they installed, balanced & did a 4 wheel alignment as per factory specs. Small weights put on each rim (behind the spokes as opposed to on the lip of the alloy rim) and have been up to speeds of 100 MPH.....no vibrations or anything. One can't necessarily blame the tire being at fault, as it could be a number of other factors from improper installation, alignment, balancing, damaged rim and the like. I have recommended these tires for more than 15 people so far (and will continue recommending it) & will be getting a set on my wife's car as well.........I haven't heard one complaint yet from anybody when installed properly. :) Perhaps adjustments are needed in your case.

I can't recall I don't think that was even an option for the ES......try calling your local Lexus dealer & ask the question at the parts department. I don't know if they would look right to be honest mind you. I'm sure you could probobly get an aftermarket set.