code58

P.S. Humor, decades ago my dad had a British sports car that leaked oil like a sieve. The manual said this was to aid in corrosion resistance in that it sprayed the bottom of the car with engine oil. Those Brit's were pretty sharp- why didn't we think of that? :lol:

Nick- Is it AWD or FWD? You need to jack it up with a floor jack and see what wheels are locked up. Anything is possible with the problems you've lived with for the last year. It should roll in any gear but park. Make sure it isn't a broken U-joint or CV joint or transfer case gear or rear axle gear or bound up brake caliper or even possibly a wheel bearing that has broken and is locked up. You probably need a new transmission but there are just too many other things that can keep it from rolling. You're going to have to have it towed anyway so get a flatbed wrecker with wheeled dollies (the locked up wheels set on them and they in turn have wheels to roll on) to get it up on the wrecker so you don't do further damage and to get it off when they get it to the repair shop. Probably too many possibilities for us to diagnose over the internet. Good luck!

Yep, I have the same problem, I was able to remove three torx screws and one screw inside, still doesn't have enough slack to take a good look and connect the rod, now I must warn everyone, after messing with all this (without any luck) I guess I messed up the setup now sometime my door doesn't close right and inside manual lock is little hard to lock/unlock. Still looking forward to do it, If I get clear instruction.. Please look at post #7 on the thread I started on 8/21/08 entitled Drivers Door Actuator Replacement. I had the same problem you are having and that post describes in detail what has to be removed in order to manipulate the existing actuator. Well unless I am not looking at the right thread, post #7 , doesn't have the information you mention, can you be kind and post it again, so we can see. PS. I love the global nature of the Lexus forums. Isn't it amazing that 3 people (doc2b07, abo and saikaiting) located in Houston, IL and Germany are posting the exact same questions using the exact same pics? Hopefully this post will help all 3 of you at the exact same time. Thanks 58. Yes, you have to remove 3 torx screws holding the latch in the jamb, another torx screw on the inside panel, a bolt holding the actuator, a bolt holding the window track and a plastic barb. I also removed the exterior door handle so I could disconnect the two connecting rods (one for door key cylinder and the other for the door). Also I removed the bolt holding the inside door latch to create slack on the two wire cables. Finally I disconnected the two wiring harness connectors. This was the only way I could move the actuator around enough to see what I was doing. Thanks Artbuc for helping those that need help. I'm going through a little bit of a tough time right now and it was 2 1/2 years ago that I did the locks in my DIL's RX and it was a tough time then and I was just focusing on getting it done (and a lot of other work on the car also). The car was heading to Seattle for an extended time and we lost our 14 year old grandson to leukemia in that episode. Anyway, thanks for being one of the ones always willing to step up and offer your help so freely!

The independent shop I use works only on Toyota/Lexus and has a running special of $189 for a timing belt replacement, but the water pump added a bit more to the price. I also replaced the serpentine belt. When I priced things, the Lexus dealer was right at $1000, the Toyota dealer was around $650 and the indy was $425. They Toyota parts, so I was comfortable with getting it done ... it does suck because the parts looked to be in very good condition. I feel they would easily last twice as long as Lexus recommendations but I certainly don't blame you for doing it at that price, and for OEM parts too! What is it with these guys that charge outrageous prices? The price they gave you was VERY reasonable but, $1000.-$1500., that's outrageous!

I agree with RX in NC, but my only concern is the fact that the RX330 is a valve bender, so I did it around 95,000 miles. The total price including water pump was $425. My wife was getting to take a road trip and I didn't want to take any chances. YMMV. Newtoncd- I stand by what I said in my post, but at the price that you paid (assuming that was total for the water pump, timing belt and labor), I certainly don't blame you for changing them per Lexus recommended schedule. That is about as reasonable as the $1500. was outrageous. ( The $1500. was on another Lexus forum- a "top notch Bosch" shop wanted that much to change the water pump and timing belt! )

Artbuc- Yes to Bridgestones- No to Generals! I don't think there's much comparison between the 2. I have no vested interest in either 1. Just my experience that I have loved all of the Bridgestones that I have had and have not been very impressed with the Generals- very mediocre tire, though I can't address the Grabbers specifically. I would not generally ever chose to buy another General tire. The ones I have owned had a tendancy to develop fine cracking in the rubber.

330- You have opinions all over the map on this and it's your dime, you're going to have to figure out how to spend it. Having said that, I am one that votes on if it ain't broke, leave it alone! When I did the timing belt on my DIL's 99RX I was amazed at the excellent condition it was in. I did not change the water pump and when I was chasing another problem (trying to diagnose) at about 120k I had the idler pulleys off and checked the water pump (original) and all bearings were as smooth as brand new. There was no sign of leakage from the water pump. I attribute all of this to the outstanding antifreeze that Toyota uses and the oversized bearings and extremely high quality of their parts. I personally feel even 150k mi. is still in a VERY safe range for changing those parts. They are all some of the highest quality parts I have ever seen. To me, and I have spent my life in automotive work, I feel the parts that are recommended for change at 90k could easily go double that and rarely ever have a failure. There are those that feel the Lexus recommended maintenance needs to be strictly adhered to. As long as they don't send me the bill they are free to do as they wish- I just feel it is too ultra conservative.

Saikaiting- I believe you would probably be better off using the motors if they are "the exact" motors and not just close. I didn't have much problem cracking the actuators apart (I split them on the seam with a razor knife) and just "Super Glued" them back together. I prefer the other actuators but it may be too hard for some of the people that need to do this to visualize exactly what to do.

To bad you're not in the So. Cal. area, I would be happy to do it free for you. If you have any mechanical aptitude, once you've done it once you'll see how easy it is and you could come close to doing it with your eyes closed the second time. I would actually use the "dog knot" on the actuator end and use a modified "Z" (2- 90 degrees) on the other end where it attaches to the original actuator. With the door panel off, it shouldn't take more than 1/2 hour to do the actual hook up once you have done 1 and have a clear understanding of what to do (and how easy it is).

Since I didn't take the old actuator apart I don't know how easy if would be to replace the motor. I think Code58 did take the old actuator apart because he inspected the old motor to see if he could replace the brushes. I would say go for it and let us know how you make out. Thanks for the info on the motor. PS. There is a thread in the ClubLexus forum which gives a detailed description of the motor replacement. I don't know how to post the link but it is in the GS 2nd Generation Forum. Do a search on "actuator" and you will see a thread started by TRD911 on 6/23/07. I don't know if it translates exactly to the RX300, but it contains a tremendous amount of information. I did crack 3 of the actuators apart (2 of the door and the rear lid actuator) and though I had to figure it all out myself because I hadn't found the accounts of how to do it at that time (that was over 2 1/2 years ago), I still would prefer to do the piggy back. It is really quite easy with the aftermarket universal actuators. I did all 4 of the doors and used donated Ford CV actuators so my linkage was a lot more work but I would still do it that way. With the universal actuators it actually is a lot easier than it was for me. If the "hobby" motor was a direct fit I might be tempted to go that way but from what I remember those that did it had to do a little bit of changing of the fitting on the "business" end of the shaft on the motor. A search should show exactly what had to be done (with pictures). For those that want to change the motor rather than add the actuator, I believe the GS that they did it on is close enough that the instructions should apply to an RX also. By the way, I used a sharp "razor knife" and was able to split the actuator shell open neatly enough that it easily "super glued" back together nicely.

Unfortunately I disagree with you- it's called "ASIBED". I wish for his sake he was a troll, but after spending my life in automotive work I have seen it all. Every dealer prays for customers like this (though I know he didn't buy it at a dealer). Just not knowledgable about the automotive field. MOST people overpay for a car. If you don't believe it, take a car for a test drive and stop by your local Carmax store and see what they offer you for it (not knowing that you don't own it, you're only taking it for a test drive). On average, probably half what you are contemplating paying for it. Sophistication in auto purchasing is not a strong point for MOST people.

Thanks for the suggestion. The problem I have now is when the key is in the ACC position, all the panel lights and console lights came on with no problem. However , when I try to turn on the ignition, I do not hear any sound at all. It is as if there is no contact at all. My mechanic ordered a new lock assembly unit and replaced it. The same symptom appears. Any suggestion will be greatly appreciated. Thanks. I can tell you for a fact you NEED a new mechanic. That is unless you have a very large bank account because that mechanic doesn't know what he is doing. I would assume, since you didn't mention it this time that the issue of your lights going off when you turn the key has been resolved. How was that resolved? We need more complete information in order to help you. If you jumped juice directly to the starter (since it is so easy to get to), does it work then? If not it could be a bad starter but also may only be a bad contact plate in the starter selenoid. Find a more competent mechanic!

Linkage is the "silver rod" which came with the new actuator. It will link the new actuator to the old actuator. I assume it is about 300 mm long with a right angle (90 degree) bend. After the bend it is about 25mm long. At the end of the 25mm length it terminates with an enlarged head. This head is too big to push through the hole in the old actuator lever hole so it must be ground or filed down. You could enlarge the hole in the old actuator lever but it is plastic and enlarging the hole would make it too weak. Artbuc-Isn't the end of the rod with the "dog knot" the end that's meant to go through the end of the actuator? And then you cut and bend the other (straight end) in a modified Z (2- 90 degree bends) to fit through the unused hole in the actuator arm. (assuming he has the unused hole, some seem to have a different setup) Maybe I'm not understanding what you were saying but at least that's the way I understand it. It's really quite easy when you visualize it. I had to do all of my own engineering before I found this site and I replaced all 4 of my DIL's with Ford actuators and made my own rods- a lot more work. I wish I had found this site 1st. before I did her RX, it would have made it a lot easier for me.

Red- I'm betting since it is a clean cut that it was setting a CEL and a code for brakes and whoever cut it didn't want to pay the princely sum that they get for that cap with sensor. That's not the way to deal with things but it is the way SOME people deal with em. Reconnect the wire (just tape it so it contacts) and see if that turns on the light. If it does, you know what was going on and how to take care of it. No, i don't think that would anything to do with the other problem. Do a search here and on CL and you'll find discussion on the brake cap and sensor.

Lex- don't know anything about a GS, but does that have 1 serpentine belt or 2 belts like the RX's? That is a lot of money for a belt. Do you have any mechanical ability at all? Any tools? A belt replacement is about the easiest thing you can do on a car and they are probably charging you over a $100. to change it plus the belt. How did you check the belt tension? Lexus belts don't GENERALLY squeal if they are tensioned properly. DO NOT use anything but original Toyota belts on a Lexus! Yes, they say Toyota on them, not Lexus. Let us know the answer to these questions and we will try to help you from there. I speak from experience when I say only use orig. eq.

Red- try unhooking your battery for about 10 min. and see if the light goes out (it should) and see how it runs and if it comes back later. A reset is always the 1st. step, then if it comes back on read it again and see what you get. It's not a bad idea to buy your own reader or scanner, they are so cheap now. Then go to www.obd-codes.com- there is a Lexus specific page. It is a very good site- a lot of good information there. Don't go throwing parts at it- makes the parts guys rich and you poor! Know that what your replacing is bad, don't guess at it.

I have a carbon pile load tester and an OTC electronic tester- I like both of them but they both tell me pretty much the same story. I load test the batteries in my wife's car and my truck about every 2 or 3 mo. I have found that a battery may start to weaken from a year to a year and a half before they actually bail. You will never know from the way the electrical or even starter operate. You will see this decline gradually with a load tester and replace the battery before it leaves you hung out to dry, even with just a trip to the market when it started fine when you left home. I have done this for years and have never had a battery bail unexpectedly on me with the warning that a load tester will give you. I have also seen corrosion on the surfaces of the clamp and post when none showed in a visible area. You can also get a black oxidization on those surfaces caused by the flow of electricity that will create the same barrier to electrical flow that corrosion does so don't assume just because you don't see anything externally that you have good contact. Remove the cables and visually inspect. I have actually seen corrosion on the post and clamp surfaces with the post covered with the red spray corrosion inhibitor.

You also need to check the ground cable. Remove it and make sure there is no corrosion- nice and clean and tight. As a matter of fact, remove both cables and do that. It could very well be the battery needing charging or shot, but check the cables 1st.!

OCL- It's been a while and as I said though I'm the mechanic, the car is my DIL's. What I would do is loosen the line that is farthest from the bottom rad. hose. That at least should be the incoming line from the trans. You could take both of them off, put hoses on both of them and into a jug. That way you can tell without making a mess. The return line won't suck out of the jug, it doesn't have vacuum, only the pressure line has any work to do. The return line is only along for the ride and without it being hooked to the cooler, it should do nothing. Sorry I wasn't more help but that should eliminate any mess anyway.

Marc- Did they flush the radiator? There may not have been much if any mixing of the fluids- it's my DIL's RX so I don't remember right now where the tube from the O/F exits to the radiator. Sometimes from the bottom and sometimes from the top. If it's the bottom, it may have only primarily exchanged coolant as it warmed and cooled and if from the top, probably the same because the pickup goes to the bottom of the tank. The fluid (oil?) would stay on the top as it did in the bottle. It doesn't look like brake fluid to me, at least in the picture, because brake fluid is never that dark. (new fluid anyway) You should be able to smell it and tell if it is brake fluid or tranny fluid, they smell enough different. As a matter of fact, most fluids used under the hood smell enough different that you should be able to identify most of them by closing your eyes and smelling. Google "Bob is the oil guy" and you'll not only find an excellent site but also find info about testing labs. I have always changed my own oil but even if I didn't, I would hit myself in the head a few times with a large hammer before I would ever trust my vehicle to a "Quick change oil place". I've seen and heard enough horror stories to keep me awake at night.

OCL- the answers to your questions are yes. That is the way I prefer to do it. The way I do it (because I'm normally working alone) is to pull the pan, clean and also clean the screen (if it still has the original wire screen) and once the pan is replaced, add about 4 qts. of tranny fluid. I use the original Toyota T-IV fluid. If you have someone that can help, have them run it and shut it off the second you see the 1st. sign of air. If I'm working alone I just run around and do the same thing- no danger of damage in the 2 seconds it takes to do that. Another 4 qts. and the same thing. It should only take around 10 qts. to completely change the system. When the new red fluid comes through it's all at once, check and fill to full at full temp and you're done. I much prefer that way to the drain and fill 3 or 4 times and you know you have changed it all, and at one time! If the filter has been changed to fiber filter- see if you can get wire mesh- I think it might be better to maintain tranny pressure and then you never have to replace, only wash. The complete system shows as holding about 9 1/2- 9 3/4 qts. so if you get 11 you should have plenty and maybe a qt. or so for spare. I'm not sure that you're going to be able to pour in as fast as it can pump, that's why I said to do it the way I did. I have also used this method at other times and feel it is the best way to know it is all changed. Good Luck!

Marc- Yea, that's bad news if it is actually cross contamination. The coolant in the trans. (if it is) causes the paper (pretty much what it is) on the clutch faces to soften and come apart and travel throughout the trans. Not a pretty sight. If caught when it 1st. happens you can flush it out good and maybe save the trans. as long as the clutch facing hasn't soften and come apart. Hope for your sake it was low IQ dude at "E-Z Lube". Seems to be no shortage of them. I wouldn't darken the door of a quick lube place.

I replaced the front valve cover gasket on my DIL's 99RX and when I got the gasket it called for (Felpro brand), it was very much different than what was on the car. They simply gave me the other 1 it listed in the book and -viola- it was the right 1. I don't know what other gaskets (if any) may be different but they definitely changed the shape of the valve cover in the middle of the 99 model year. That might give you a clue as to which 1 you should have. (which complete gasket set).

Two things you need to do before you take it to have the front end aligned. 1st. is make sure the tire pressure is at what manufacturer calls for (should be on the left door post). Next, switch your R&L front tires.(R to L and L to R) to see if that changes the pull to the opposite side or otherwise changes it. If it does, it is more likely tire pull (radial pull). I spent 30+ yrs. in body and in the coarse of that did front end alignment also. I am not certain but I don't believe the RX has caster or camber adjustments on the struts, front or rear- only toe in or toe out. I have done many cars that I knew the alignment was dead on and because I always took a test ride after alignment, I knew if I had a pull it had to be radial pull. I would switch tires until I got rid of the pull. Tires don't have a lot of problem with radial pull now like they used to but they can still have it. It's a problem with the construction of the tire and they CAN develop it when they didn't originally have it.

Good idea, I did just that and the belt looks new. bright letters and belt is shiny. I'll still shoot for 130K but at least it looks like it isn't so much of a roll of the dice. That's actually not a good way to check your timing belt. The problem is that the belt itself doesn't break. It's the teeth that fall off. The back of the belt may look excellent but when the teeth fall off the belt "jumps" on the sprocket you have a problem. Take it from someone who's had to replace two pistons plus valves due to broken teeth off a timing belt (the back of the belt looked brand new). It was NOT a Lexus by the way. To properly check the belt, you have to look at the toothed side. I can tell you for a fact that my DIL's RX had the original belt when I replaced it at 97k mi. I could not believe the condition of the belt- the teeth were in perfect condition, no fine cracking or wear evident on the belt at all, only a small amount of wear on the lettering on the face of the belt. I have changed timing belts before and have never seen a belt with that # of miles look in that good of condition. They are made of some VERY good stuff! I gave it to my son and he put it in the cabinet drawer. I look at it occasionally and still can't believe the condition of it. I did not change the water pump either because there was no sign of leak, the original red anti freeze was in it and was pristine condition (I did change that) and now with 130k mi. still no trace of leak.