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Being the curious type, I have still to decide in my own mind all of the why's of engine sludgeing. I can see why some do it and yet there are other times when the history would give no explanation for it. I have done some reading in the past, on Toyota sites, before T/L took responsibility for the problem and you could not make sense of why some did it at such low miles, and they had always been serviced at Toyota dealers. I am a firm believer in synthetic (though I've never used it), just that using top quality oil and filters and changing at 3k mi. (all my life), I didn't feel the need. I let my wife's Camry go to 4k one time because it was SO CLEAN at 3k, but have since gone back to 3k. I have no intention to extend beyond 3k. It is not as well known as the Toyota sludgeing but there are other cars in the last 10-15 yrs. that have also had unexplained sludgeing problems. I have not yet used the German Castrol (Syn.) but have used Castrol for MANY years and trust it. I love to hear others opinions and experience (especially knowledgable and intelligent). Have a great weekend Lenore- Roger

SP- I am in no way attempting to make your decision for you but having followed the forums for about 3 yrs. now I have yet to find one person who used the inexpensive "Oxy Sens" and found that they worked. That includes me. I ordered 2 from a parts source in Fl. that were Denso universal and were supposed to be the correct thing and to work and they didn't! Toyota/Lexus use VERY high quality parts as original eq. and the cars are very fussy about what you use on them. I looked up the US Autoparts Network to see if the one they sold you was supposed to be the correct one and it seemed to be according to their listing but was only listed at $27.68 so they must have charged you a lot to ship it. I don't know what to tell you about the wiring colors but I know I wouldn't use anything BUT OE Denso. Too many people have changed them or had them changed and still had problems with CEL's when they used aftermarket on T/L. There is an online Lexus dealer that sells OE for $150. and the site you used sells the Denso OE (it is the correct one, with plug installed) for $163.29. The # is NP 2349009. It is the exact one but sold under the Denso name as aftermarket because the original # 89467-48011 (changed from 10 to 11) belongs to T/L. You MAY be able to find the aftermarket Denso online for less. Good luck and let us know how things work out.

PK- since it's in the manual and is easy to do and doesn't cost anything, I would certainly try it. Don't see how it could hurt. Isn't the modern world of electronics great? The downside is you never quite know when the dark side of that world is going to target YOU!

By the way Lenore, to a point, I do agree with your comment on savings. In time past, there simply wasn't a problem with sludge even with oils that didn't hold a candle to todays oils, except when they were abused. I did help an adjuster clean the oil return holes out on a Chevy 6 cyl. (sludge). This particular (major) insurance company at that time had a policy of keeping their cars 50k mi. and NEVER ONCE changing the oil !!! Just add!! Their bean counters figured out that it saved them a couple hundred dollars per car in that 50k mi. ! That's truly scary, but true!

Lenore- I just went out and bought stock in Castrol this morning after reading your post. LOL! I have changed my own oil my entire life (used to do it for a living in the dealership when I was a kid (teens)), because I don't, in general, trust anyone else. I have changed oil and filter every 3k mi. from day one and still do, though the quality of oil has improved dramatically. Still use conventional (Castrol) in the Camry and Motorcraft Semi-synthetic in the F-150, and have never had a trace of oil problems in all of those years. Having worked in Fleet Transportation the last 12 of those years where they had a standard practice of changing EVERYTHING in the Fleet at 5k mi. (I didn't work in the mechanical end, was just close to them), and seeing the occasional engine torn down, I can tell you, todays CONVENTIONAL oils do a great job even at 5k mi. I am a firm believer in preventative maintenance and synthetic oils but 4k mi. synthetic oil changes is overkill in my opinion (a true understatement) unless you only drive the vehicle 2 mi. to the market as a general practice. Your contributions are always tremendously appreciated Lenore, keep it up! Regards, Roger

Is that a fixed window or does it tilt out? If it tilts it MAY be doable. If it's fixed, that is a job for a glass shop, you wouldn't even want to think about tackling it.

If I were a betting man I'd say it didn't need your $465. pre tensioner. That may be the code that they got so they replaced the part and reset the light and it took it 500 miles to come on again. That doesn't mean that part was bad. The fact that the light came on again says the actual problem was something else (that you still have). When an airbag light blinks, at least with most cars, you can count the blinks and the space and the 2nd blinks and that will give you a 2 digit number that tells you what the problem is. Trouble codes DO NOT ALWAYS tell you what the actual problem is. It takes a GOOD tech to sort the actual problem out even with the the TC's. Sometimes you have to clear the codes and see what the code shows when it 1st. pops up again. Codes are many times only a sign post pointing the general direction and not the brain surgeon that does the work.

Where did you get the OX sensor? And if I may ask, what did you pay for it? I have a reason for asking. You do realize don't you that the 2 front sensors (1 on each bank) are A/F (air fuel) ratio sensors, not oxygen sensors? Many places will sell you the universal oxygen sensors and swear that they are the right ones, BUT THEY ARE NOT. If they are oxy. sensors and not A/F ratio sensors, they are the wrong thing. The problem is A/F ratio sensors are routinely called Oxygen sensors and they are VERY MUCH different! If it is the correct Denso sensor, it may be universal without the plug and work. Give us some details and we can tell you whether to waste your time figuring out the colors.

I had the throttle body off but believe I already had it back on when I decided to change the plugs and had to do it all by feel on the rear plugs. It wasn't fun but I was able to reach all 3 and take the COP's off and change the plugs with a little "rubber man" impression. Knowing how long it would be before they would likely have to be changed again (never) I didn't mind too much. My son and DIL usually keep their cars for about 150-180k mi. and with 97k on it when I changed them I don't anticipate ever changing them again on this car. Had I known what they looked like when I bought the new plugs I wouldn't have considered changing them, just checking and cleaning. I still have the plugs and am amazed at the Iridium plugs!

The $650. is not at all unreasonable but the $1700., now that is a different story! The timing belt and W/P shouldn't retail for more than $170-$180., even if they replaced the idler pulleys and tensioner (which you didn't say anything about) it still shouldn't run any more than $400-$425. plus tax. Now I've got to tell you $1300. labor is more than insane for a job that someone with a little mechanical ability and not ever having done it before should be able to do in 5 hours. Wish I could make that kind of money!

If you have the parts you mentioned changed, tell them to save the parts for you. I'll bet you'll find parts that look almost like new. I have never personally read of or known of anyone who had a timing belt break on an RX, regardless of miles. I just recently changed them all on my DIL's RX at 130K and they were in perfect condition. If it makes you sleep better at night, by all means do it, but don't do it because you think they are shot, they put some of the finest parts I have ever seen on Toyota/Lexus and doubt that you will ever have the car long enough for them to wear out, regardless of how many miles you drive

Just curious- how many miles do you have on the plugs? The original equipment plugs are Iridium and last forever, I would say you can get 150-175k miles out of them, they just don't wear out. $28.60 per plug? for platinum? that's absurd! You can get the iridium in either NGK or Denso for about $8. and change on the net and they are outstanding plugs. I wouldn't use anything but IRIDIUM.

Karch- Send me (post) an e-mail add. that I can communicate with you at. I tried to PM but it wouldn't let me. I have been out of town for over a week and couldn't respond from the computer that I was using. Roger

If you drained the pan and replaced that fluid to full once you put the pan back on (which you had to take off to change the filter), you changed less than half of the fluid. I am a firm believer in changing all of it at once but there are MANY here that are happy with the "fluid change" about 3 times. As Lenore asked, were there metal shavings in the pan when you had it off?

Are you sure avidlocksmith has anything to do with this problem? I doubt it. Do you own Avidlocksmith? Probably! ;) Jeffrey- If they're looking for a straight answer I think they have it. You own a Honda, other than trolling for business why would you be on a Lexus site? ;)

Alex- I'm probably not going to be much help on the clip because to me it looks like it is facing the wrong way (outboard) to be a "squeeker clip". Maybe not. The one reason I NEVER force fluid back upstream is #1 what you found out about it overfilling the M/C and #2 I have had problems in the past with it pushing the equalizer valve off center and having a hard time getting it re-centered. (I don't know if they even still have an equalizer valve but I imagine they do.) I prefer to open the bleeder valve just a little with the box wrench in my left hand and the large screwdriver type pry bar in my right hand. Place the pry between the rotor and the caliper in the opening in line with the bridge fins on the rotor (on the inside, towards the caliper piston). As you apply moderate pressure, open the bleeder a little to let it flow out until the piston is all the way retracted and immediately close the bleeder. There will be no air introduced this way and no fluid pushed the WRONG WAY back upstream. Much simpler and zero problems this way. Hope this helps in the future! Good luck with the light.

Artbuc- I personally believe it's the first two. It amazes me. Since a brake's fluid system is pretty much the same in all vehicles (pretty well sealed except for the necessary air pressure equalization at the M/C cap) I would probably tend to rule the 3rd one out. (condensed version)

I called up the guy at iron toad to order the power steering and referenced the number above. He didn't find this part number in his system. I mentioned it was a toyota part number (not necessarily a lexus). He looked for the correct belt for my car (01 RX300) and came up with "90080-91088-83" and insisted this was the right one. Could the part number he provided me be the "Lexus Part number". As I understand it, Lexus and toyota often times use different part numbers for the same product. Thanks When I have to buy Lexus parts locally because I'm in a hurry I always go to Toyota and simply ask for Camry parts of that year. There may be some parts that are different but I have not yet come across them. They are definitely cheaper most of the time than Lexus. They WILL have a different part #. You can't ask for a part for one from the other, they have no way of looking it up.

Roger, do you think I am wasting my time & money replacing brake fluid every two years with an average of 10k miles per year? Gooday Artbuc- I am not sure that I know how to answer the question because no matter what i answer there will be those that strongly differ. So what i will give you is simply my experience and opinion. When i did a full brake job including new rear wheel cylinders and rebuilt front calipers on my son's 97 Suburban about 1 1/2 yrs. ago. I emptied the master cylinder, filled with new fluid and proceeded to flush the system by my favorite method, hand vacuum pump bleeding. The fluid was nasty and within a day the fluid in the master cylinder was somewhat dirty again, probably from some breakdown of the rubber components in it. It had never been changed (fluid or master cylinder). When I recently changed the fluid in my DIL's RX it was simply because I knew it had never been changed, NOT because it was dirty. I never cease to be amazed at the quality of what Toyota builds their vehicles with. When I had sucked through all the fluid in the system I had replaced it with new fluid that looked almost exactly like what I took out. How can a car 10 years old have brake fluid 10 years old that looks like new- don't know. I don't even know if it is silicone or not. All I know is most of the maintenance I do on Toyota products I am taking stuff out that looks (condition wise) like what I am putting. My wife's '02 Camry still has the original brake fluid I am embarrassed to say (I am a very firm believer in preventative maintenance) because it too looks like I just put it in! Make your own conclusions but I am convinced most of Toyota/Lexus recommended maintenance items would go double the recommended miles (or time) without much of any consequences. Flame away, it's only one mans opinion, but one who has spent his life dedicated to making sure the tow truck drivers are as lonely as the Maytag repairman. :D

50's Cad- I believe that is correct.

I don't think there's hardly any car company any more that offers just a lens. They are pretty much assemblies- the lens being fused on to the body. Personally, if I were concerned about the cost (I probably would be) and the crack is indeed a very small crack, I would use super glue very carefully worked into the crack. You can put a piece of masking tape over the crack, press down firmly and then with an exacto knife slit a line right over the crack. force the super glue into the crack and if you want it perfect, after it is fully dry, peel the tape off and wet sand with a block with about 1000 grit paper and polish with polishing compound and wax it. You can polish it back to a high gloss if you use a very fine paper like 1000 grit.

I always do a bleed or a fluid change as a one man operation. 1st. thing is to KEEP THE FLUID FULL! I use and prefer a hand vacuum pump bleeding system. It comes with everything you need. You just have to make sure you put teflon tape or heavy grease or whatever will hold the vacuum at the bleeder threads so that it doesn't just want to suck air at the threads. It's an easy, one man operation. I recently changed the fluid in my DIL's RX that way. Might I add, the fluid with 10 yrs. and 130k mi. on it looked new!! No, it's never been changed before.

I know this sounds like a stupid question but you did check on the lug wrench (at least I believe that where it's stored) didn't you?

Are you sure avidlocksmith has anything to do with this problem? I doubt it. Do you own Avidlocksmith? Probably! ;)

Pretty sure it's a "light out" indicator. Check all your bulbs (including stop and turn) and I'll bet you'll find 1 out.