code58

I'll let someone else answer some of the other questions but I'll answer the tranny fluid Q because that's the way I always do it. Well, pretty much anyway. I don't like to ever leave old fluid in and mix new with it so I always do a complete change. I ALWAYS pull the pan and clean the filter (my DIL's RX has the "screen" rather than a filter) and the magnets as well as the pan. I also pull the plug on the transfer case and drain that also, but not much there, and it is also feed from the trans. fluid. I then add the 4-4.5 qts. and pull the return line and run till the 1st air bubbles, then shut off. Add 4-4.5 more qts. and do the same. AS SOON as clean red fluid starts to come through, IMMEDIATELY shut off! Top it off (when warmed up) and you're finished. THE IMPORTANT THING is, it won't take 7 or 8 qts., the last time I changed my DIL's it took 11 QTS.! When I had the engine out before and pulled the convertor to replace the seal, as well as pulling the pan and cleaning, it only took 9.5 qts. roughly. That's because I drained the convertor, so everything was dry except whatever was in the aux. trans. cooler in the right fender well. Probably not much there because I had the hoses off. I only had to fill, not running through till the clean comes through. The reason it takes more when you do it the way you stated is because the torque convertor holds as much as the pan and when watching for the clean to come through, there's a little more lost than a "system empty" like I did the 1st time with the engine out. I DON'T believe in trans. "flush machine flushes", but I believe they normally charge for AT LEAST 12 qts. when that's done, maybe more. I would not figure on less than 10 qts. and from my last experience, done the way you're going to do it, 11 qts. and even then you'll have to get it shut off IMMEDIATELY when the clean fluid comes through. I don't believe, unless they've changed it, that you use ANY gear oil in the front. I believe it's all fed from the tranny fluid. I believe that's common in a lot of the FEFD, if not most. I checked the rear axle gear oil at 97k mi when I did a ton of work on her RX and it looked like it had just been put in, absolutely new. It's still there at over 150K mi. It will probably go to the junk yard with it in, as long as it looks like it does now. I doubt in So. Cal. if the rear axle has EVER actually kicked in.

I have replaced several of them and I can virtually assure you that's the problem. You need to remove the antenna (assembly) from the car and disassemble it to get the broken piece out. It is a little bit of work to get the trim out to get to the antenna assembly, but not hard to get the assembly out once you get to it. The cover plate will have to removed from the side of the antenna coil to access the broken piece. I always clean and lube the area where the gear strip retracts into before re-installing the assembly and then feeding the mast in.

Would love to see that bearing. I can't believe there isn't a solution other than replacing the whole strut, or God forbid, a used junk yard strut. Bet there is another solution, just like the door lock actuators. I realize that bearing is a side load bearing (most likely) but here in the U.S. you have OFTEN been able to go to a bearing supply store and get a bearing just by having the bearing # from the old bearing.

Greetings Kay, There are 2 A/F ratio sensors. one on the rear bank (B1) and one of the exact same sensor on the front bank (B2). I wish you had posted what the CEL fault code was. May I say one thing, a lot of companies make A/F sensors for the RX, but I wouldn't use ANYTHING but the original Denso sensor. They can be purchased on Amazon for about $100. Some of the other brands don't play well with T/L and MAY come back with a CEL when it's the sensor not interacting because they don't know how to make sensors as well as Denso does. This site is a very good site for OBD2 codes and the link is LEXUS specific. http://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/lexus/ Be forewarned that there is a mistake on the site though. P1155 SHOULD say (B2S1 instead of B1S1) BOTH front and rear sensors are the same sensors, both located shortly after it comes out of the exhaust manifold. The front one is VERY easy to see and the rear has to be accessed from the bottom, back by the firewall. If you had a code for an A/F ratio sensor, that code should be SPECIFIC to THAT sensor. If you are getting the SAME code, I strongly suspicion it may be the aftermarket brand sensor. Please post what the original code was. Edit: Kay, the info Joe gave you is incorrect, the front one is Bank 2, sensor 1, NOT Bank 2, sensor 2. Do a search here AND on Club Lexus, there is quite a bit on changing the sensors. Unfortunately, the rear is much more difficult to change because of where you have to release the plug on the pig tail. There ARE good instructions on how to do it without cursing a blue streak though. DO read up BEFORE you try to change it though. There are also good pictures to show you exactly what you're looking for. A male named Kay? Please tell me it isn't so! Is that a little like a boy named Sue? :)

Don't know what you mean when you say "very little voltage movement". Does your scanner "read" the running A/F ratio sensor operation? Unlike O2 sensors, A/F ratio sensors constantly "swing" to a much wider range of voltage in the normal course of operation. It may take a little digging, but this site has a ton of good information as well as good answers to your questions. Get to know the site and it will provide answers to a lot of the questions you may have without "throwing" parts at the problem. http://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/lexus/ You have to "wander" the site because it has a lot of "tenacles" to it.

I don't have the exact answer to your question, but I must say, when I get a CEL, I ALWAYS cancel it out and run the car and see what comes up when the CEL comes on again (if it does!) If you have a scanner or device to cancel the CEL, do it a 2nd or even a 3rd time and record what the codes were each time. IF you chase codes, you're often gonna be replacing a lot of parts that didn't need replacing. It has an electronic brain, not a human brain and many times will send you on a wild goose chase. Do what I suggested and if you don't own a scanner, you should buy one, it will pay for itself. A good possibility you didn't need the thermostat. By the way, though a lot of people call 'em Oxygen sensors, they're not, they're A/F ratio sensors. The only O2 sensor is behind the CC under the drivers seat.

Tom, May I say one thing. In this day and age, when you can get a very usable code reader or scanner for $20. to $50., EVERYONE who even knows how to gas their own vehicle should have one. Even though some of the parts stores will do it for free, It still is worth it for the little cost, to own your own. WHENEVER you have a flurry of codes like that, the only reasonable thing to do is record what came up, cancel them out and run it till the light comes on again and read what comes up as soon as the light comes on. You are much more likely to get a usable code that way. All you're doing is chasing your tail if you try to deal with all those codes. Do you seriously think that ALL those codes point to valid problems? Probably better chance of winning the lottery. I have read of as many as 8 codes at one time when a CEL is lit. Absolutely no chance of all those being valid, a small chance that NONE of them are actually the problem. A computer has an electronic brain, and although we couldn't fix a lot of the problems without 'em, the brain IS electronic, and sometimes I think, not very big or smart. Here is a good Lexus specific site to decipher the codes. There's a LOT of GOOD info on that site, just wander. http://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/lexus/

You know what they say, better late than never..... that is what they say isn't it??? Well, maybe not MUCH better.

I have used both the OEM and the aftermarket for about $18. SHIPPED off of e-bay. The e-bay ones from Ga. are made in China and are VERY nice quality (stainless steel), but are not 100% equal to the OEM. I would have no problem recommending the GOOD aftermarket ones, but probably would most often recommend the OEM (the ORIGINAL) that can actually be bought on e-bay for about $25. For the additional $12.-$13. over the aftermarket, the price is so cheap that it's probably not worth the money saved. Though the aftermarket ones I've used were very nice quality, you don't KNOW about the quality of the nylon gear strip, which is what actually breaks. You can't LOOK at the white nylon and tell what the quality is. (the $18. for aftermarket is SHIPPED, the $25. for OEM would have to have the shipping charge added to that.) BE SURE that what you order is stainless, some are steel (chrome plated) , and you don't want rust running down your quarter panel. One additional thing- I easily made a tool to remove the nut on top by taking a piece of 1/2 in. thin wall conduit about 12 in. long and grinding the end so all that was left protruding was the little fingers that go into the slots on the nut. That way it's EASY to screw the nut off and back on without any worry of scratching the paint.

Same sensor, Matt. That is the correct one. If no continuity, it's history. Time for a new one.

The "abolition" of the old ATF line pressure control system is documented in the online factory repair manuals, etc, for the '99. If that is not the subject you questioned then what/which. That's what I was asking . Thanks!

Matt- Try removing the gas cap, take a look at the seal while you have it off and then re-install and make sure it's nice and tight. Then take a look at the hose on the back side (firewall) of the air cleaner and make sure it's installed properly to the back of the air cleaner. Next, go online to Amazon and order an A/F ratio sensor. (a lot of parts people, plain Joe's and even parts books call them an oxygen sensor). They are not, and an oxygen sensor WILL NOT WORK THERE! Amazon is the cheapest place I know to get them (around $100.) Or you can go to Toyota or Lexus and pay $250.- $300., your choice. You can disconnect the plug and test the sensor right on the car. Should be the 2 black wires from what I remember. All you have to do is test continuity with a DVM. Either way, doesn't matter because you're just testing continuity. If you have continuity, it's OK, no continuity, it's bad. The P1155 is SPECIFIC to the heater in the FRONT A/F ratio sensor. Has nothing to do with the A/F sensing itself, just the heater. That is the one that's easy to get to on the front pre-cat, just off the exhaust manifold. Test before you order, it's easy and it keeps the horse before the cart. The part on Amazon will be a Denso, who makes them for Toyota, just will have a Denso #, instead of a Toyota #. if you need more help, come on back.

And I bet they didn't even have a mask or gun, which makes it even worse!

Jaswood, what is the reference for the information that you have supplied? I would be very interested in reading that.

Same here did my timing belt at 90k, still brand spanking new. It was a complete waste. I order all my parts from Lexus to do the complete job. I ended up with a weird what sounded like a bad bearing noise. After many trips back to toyota where all was installed the replaced the OEM belt three times claimed it was the way the belt was riding on the cams.....the fourth time the used a gates belt from napa....no more noise worked great. John, did you do all the work the 1st time and then have Lexus (Toyota) do it the other 3 (or 4) times when the noise wouldn't go away? When I replaced the Goodyear Gatorback TB that I had installed at 97k mi on my DIL's '99 RX (long story) with a new belt from Toyota at somewhere around 127k mi., I was not exactly thrilled that it was a US made belt, not Japanese made. I had no problem with it but still, as a rule, consider the Japanese made parts to be of more unquestionable quality. The way the belt was riding on the cams??? Sounds like they're used to coming up with some pretty good stories. By the way, though I have always thought Goodyear Gatorback was high quality, this belt was made somewhere in Africa in a place I couldn't even pronounce the name of. No more GG for me!. The world is filled with GARBAGE GOODS anymore so we all have to be vigilant. Even big names will set up a factory anywhere they can get help for $3. a day and the workers don't even know what they're building!

John has given you some good advice. I have cleaned the IACV and it worked normally afterwards, but if the throttle plates are all gunked up it could be causing the high rev. I am a FIRM believer in removing the IACV and cleaning it properly which means COMPLETELY! Some guys do a crap, half way job (on the car) and it works for a little while and then problems reappear. There is no LOGICAL reason why cleaning the IACV would cause the high rev, but anything is possible. Do as John said and look into the throttle body (with the air filter body and rubber tube off so you can see the throttle plates) and see if it looks gunked up in there. Also move the throttle cam (part the throttle cable goes on) and see if it returns nice and solidly to idle (closed throttle plates) and is not sticky. If it is messy in there, I suggest taking it off and cleaning it properly. Also recheck your work on the IACV because that IS NOT normal. Did you reinstall the little wave washer (if you took it off and apart to clean it)? Also, there is an adjustment on the IACV, although I don't think it changes things a WHOLE lot. I don't think it's possible for the IACV to cause that high an RPM under ANY circumstances so it must be the throttle plates sticking. Don't try dropping it in gear with that high RPM or you may be buying a trans.- NOT GOOD!

Lets just say I'm actually old enough to remember when my mom came to the door and said to my dad (working on the car in the driveway) that the president had just declared war. I was YOUNG, but I can remember it like it was yesterday. I'm still active and young at heart (and to the chagrin of my brothers) still have most of my hair and most of the color! :) MG, Triumph, Jaguar ??? My, Thomas, you WERE a glutton for punishment weren't you? Points?, yea, sure don't miss them!

When your Grandson pulls that jug of Delo 15-40 out and ready to pour, you better stop him! Tell him he better save that for a REAL diesel!

We've come a long way BABY! Thomas, when I was a youngster (yea, that was a long time ago) I drove Olds 88's, and though I didn't drive crazy, those Olds just WANTED to go fast. Open country in Ill. and not many on the road made it easy. I had to CHANGE the plugs at 10k mi. because they were burned up! Bet you're glad it's not that way now with your F-150, although it may have been the Champions (that you run) that were burning up, I don't remember.

I've done it, and that's the truth! Those parts will probably last 2 or 3 times as long as Lexus's recommendations. They are some of the best made parts I've ever seen, and that's from a lifetime of working on cars. I cut all those parts apart with a die grinder and 1/16 in. cut-off blade and they all looked new inside at almost 100k mi., except for the tensioner bearing being dry of grease, but there was still NO WEAR, just no grease. :)

Sorry, more precisely, it is coming out from uder the Air Filter compartment, dripping out from left side(driver seat) of engine . Hope it is not from the rear main seal. Would this possibly caused by the transmission shop?? thanks for the reply.. Peng, You've got to be more specific about where it's coming from. From what I remember, there IS NO ENGINE below the air filter box, there's only transmission there! Gotta either get under there yourself and take a GOOD look or find somebody who knows more about a car than you and have them look!

I'm not bad mouthing Pulsar plugs, but don't you think the car manufacturer would put them in as OEM if they were that miraculous? They should sell those at the county fair on the midway along with the rest of the snake oil. Denso and NGK Iridium plugs are some of the finest and long lasting plugs I've ever seen. I replaced them in my DIL's RX at 97k mi. and if I hadn't already bought the plugs, I never would have never replaced them. They were the ORIGINAL plugs and looked like they had no more than 20K mi. Checked the gap and it was EXACTLY what the new ones were. Iridium is the hardest metal known to man and just doesn't wear. (At least not on REAL iridium plugs, like NGK and Denso.)

HYP- The wavy washer on my DIL's RX definitely wasn't brass, it was steel. You wouldn't have to worry about magnetism, that washer isn't going anywhere. Also, did the gasket come in contact with ANY kind of oil or solvent or gasoline. That will swell rubber in a heartbeat, but you can usually shrink it back to normal size by CAREFULLY drying it out with a heat gun or leaving it in the sun, if it's a sunny day. When I did my DIL's, there was no problem with the gasket swelling at all and it went back in perfectly. It's made out of some really good stuff (neoprene?) and looked in perfect shape at 100k mi and at 150K mi and 13 years (early build) it has never leaked a drop. And your current idle speed is perfect!

F8 Bill- I think the Panasonic battery is probably a far better battery than you can generally buy here in the US. The Panasonic's I have had certainly fared far better than the batteries we have that are made here. Unfortunately we are not able to buy panasonic batteries here or that is what I'd buy for any vehicle I owned. Greatest chances are the battery you used in it's place won't last near as long as the Panasonic, especially if it was made by JC, which it probably is.

Peng- I don't believe it could be engine oil coming out from UNDERNEATH the battery. There is no engine or engine oil underneath the battery. Is it possible that it is the valve cover on the radiator side (front)? You need someone who is a little sharper to look at it. Even a transmission mechanic should be able to tell you where they think it is coming from. Easiest way to detect where it's coming from is to wash the area of the oil off with solvent or engine cleaner and dry it good with compressed air, and then watch for the 1st sign of fresh oil. It is common for the rear main seal to leak on the early RX's. If it were that it would be a shame because that's easy to change with the trans. out, but it would have to come back out to change the rear main seal. Let's hope it's not that.