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Kevin, I'll try to PM you with the details before the weekend

Seems the 330Ci is the same. How often do you think the dealer really performs the check when you go in for an oil change (motor)? The mechanics hope... NEVER, more work for them!

- I agree. My wife's new 2011 Camry doesn't even have a dip stick or provision to add any fluid so you can't even see or smell how the fluid is doing. I don't like that one bit, since I'm a hands on guy. By the way, when I change the fluid in any vehicle I pull the pan and clean and also change the filter, then fill with 4 qts. of fluid then pull the return hose and pump the system empty by running so that I change the ENTIRE fluid rather than mixing new with old. DON'T like that.

Check post # 5 above.

The 1st thing you need to check are the connections on the battery. Pull the cables off and use a battery post cleaning tool (a part to clean the + and - posts) to clean the inside of the cable ends and the posts on the battery. Then retighten well. If it still acts the same (which I suspect it will), take a hammer and "jar" the starter motor (it's easy to see right above the transmission case) while your wife HOLDS the key in START position. If it starts then, it is almost for certain the contacts in the starter solenoid. That is a very common problem with even a Lexus when it hits a 100k mi or more. The contacts get severely burned from the load of starting. Toyota now sells these parts, as well as aftermarket sources. They are quite inexpensive and there is a 99% chance you don't need a starter, just those contacts in the solenoid. Stepping on the gas has nothing to do it starting, that is strictly coincidental. As a matter of fact, on ALL current cars, you SHOULDN'T step on the gas, they are designed to start and run properly without your foot near the throttle, and indeed they will.

Purolator is a good filter. Keep in mind that they have at least a couple of different levels of filters. Wix is also a good one. I believe the Napa brand name is also made by Wix. They are 2 companies that have maintained quality over a gazillion years, when so many others have turned to garbage. Stay away from FRAM!!!

I don't have a knowledgeable answer for you but I'm assuming you mean "air bag off" light. My wife's 2011 Camry has a light that lights up "air bag on" when someone IS SITTIING in the seat. The rest of the time it's off. I'm assuming yours reads "air bag off" UNLESS someone IS sitting in the seat. The 1st thing I would do is put a large enough weight in the seat that it SHOULD turn the light off (doesn't have to be your wife) and the start wiggling the wires under the seat that go to the sensor. There is a possibility the sensor in the seat is broken. You could try unhooking the battery for a while (15-20 min.) to see if it will reset the light but I doubt that's the problem. There are sometimes as many as 3 fuses in an air bag system so you could check to make sure they are all OK. I'm not sure how many an RX has. I don't think an airbag light resets itself like a lot of other things reset with a battery disconnect, but worth a try. Airbag systems often do self check each time a car is started. I am assuming the dash AB light isn't illuminated, just the ABO light. My guess is that there is failure in the actual seat sensor, but I would check the wires and connections 1st. I doubt that there's a reset button. Some cars have to have a special "air bag scanner" (an expensive and dedicated scanner) to diagnose AB problems and do resets, others do scan and clear each time they're started.

If it didn't idle at all before (hard to drive it that way isn't it?), and now it's at 2k, I'd go back and take things apart and recheck 'em, I think something isn't right. There is some adjustment on the 2 screws that hold the black case that holds the electro-magnet, but there isn't any way that could do that. You might loosen those screws and adjust it back and forth, but I don't think that's your problem. Retrace your steps.

It's either 4 1/2 or 5 qts. with the filter. Either Pennzoil Platinum or Castrol Syntec are both good oils in synthetic.

Their story is so fishy it smells like the fishing dock from here. The antenna is at the rear of the car, right? If the antenna is still at the RR 1/4 panel area I don't see how the water could POSSIBLY get to the front of the car. I have had the antennas out more than once and from what I remember the water would have to climb UP to get to the front of the vehicle. I did water leaks many years ago when I worked in a dealership and we could ALWAYS find water leaks. You worked till you found it, or it would simply be back to haunt you. with 1 person IN the car and one outside SOAKING the car with the water hose, the leak would ALWAYS eventually expose itself. it takes a little while sometimes for the water to LUBE it's own path, but when it does, it is generally essy to find. It doesn't take high pressure, just a regular garden hose, on full, but keep flooding till the leak shows itself. I do not believe it's the antenna, sounds like incompetent personel to me.

I agree, it is likely the Air mix servo. Pull the cover off below the passengers legs and then you should be able to see the Air mix servo that changes the modes. If you want a really good look at it, pull the glove box assembly out. It's easy and you have a lot better look that way. The air mix servo should move each time you change a mode position. Likely that's the problem, it's not able to move the "door" to direct the air to the W/S.

Peter, I suggest you get a mechanics stethoscope if you don't have one. You can buy one pretty cheap from Harbor Freight. You can pinpoint noises easier with a MS than any other way that I know of. I can't even imagine what would cause that kind of noise as a result of changing the TB. You didn't allow the camshafts to turn backwards when the belt was off did you? I know it's pretty hard to keep them from doing it when the lobes are on high center. I have had them turn backwards off of high center when trying to get the belt on the right cogs, without any adverse effect, but I know the manual says not to let them. I believe it has something to do with the VVT. Good Luck!

See my other post from this evening on this same subject. Almost for certain the IACV. I have had experience with the problem.

It's the little geribles in the cage up under the dash. They get restless after a while... least that's what it sounds like. It is indeed likely the servo motor(s) going bad. What I discovered is the motor on the lowest 1 gets weak and can't get the "over-center spring" over center. It doesn't do it in any of the other positions because it only has to try and "over-center" that spring in one mode position. You can get rid of the noise if you want to, but it may not blow out of the center dash position, or you can put it in the position you want and unplug it. Neither are ideal choices but they WILL get rid of the noise.

Do a search on IACV (idle air control valve) Will keep you reading for a while. My suggestion is to REMOVE the IACV and clean it properly. Some guys try the easy way (running some cleaner through with it on the car) and sometimes it works, sometimes for a little while, sometimes not at all. The part can be purchased for $175.-$200. online but isn't THAT bad to remove and clean if you want to save some money. On rare occasions it will need to be replaced. If a "blip" of the throttle returns it to correct idle, it MAY be a dry and sticky throttle cable or a dirty throttle body instead of bad IACV. The throttle body gets really gunked up from the fumes from the crankcase (PCV valve) and the butterflies in the TB stick easily. Probably wouldn't be a bad idea to clean it. Good Luck!

Peter, 1st off, the bolt is conventional, removes counter-clockwise. 2nd, I used a piece of fairly heavy strap iron that I had around, about 2 in wide by 1/4 thick by about 10 in long. I drilled 2 holes to line up with the 2 holes that are provided for a puller on the CS pulley. Also hole sawed a hole just large enough for the CS bolt socket. I rotated the pulley CCW with the strap plate bolted to the CS (shimmed with washers so that it didn't simply twist the bolts off from the high rotational torque you must use to loosen it) until it contacted the suspension crossmember. Laid down on the ground with a breaker bar on the CS pulley socket and PULLED! It DOES move, but it is held on by 150 ft lbs of torque and I am almost positive, Lock-tite. Good luck!

I agree with your friend. Toyota/Lexus builds their cars with some of the best quality pars I have ever seen put into a car. Course I would probably change the belt by 250k mi. even if the water pump hasn't gone out by then, which it probably won't have. It is also one of the most finely engineered and built W/P's I have ever seen. (I cut it apart with a cut-off blade and die grinder after I replaced it and it absolutely looked brand new at 97K mi. !!!) The timing belt also looked almost new at 97K ! No, I have NO connection with T/L, just appreciate quality when I see it!

Riley- This is a GS, NOT an RX, but close enough to give you a good idea, with lots of pictures. http://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-second-generation/399744-diy-on-changing-servo-motors.html

That's interesting. I checked 2 different OBDII sites and it didn't even come up on Lexus specific. I have the manual on CD but didn't have time to check it.

Curious as to where you got that code. I don't find it in the Lexus specific codes but rather in the Jaguar specific codes. Doesn't seem to show up at all in the generic codes.

My bet is it looks in excellent shape when you take it out. "This is not your fathers timing belt". Whole different animal than timing belts used to be. Does that mean you think I may not really need the belt changed just because the vehicle has 110k mileage? Also....wouldn't the belt exhibit some warning signs if it were worn excessively? Appreciate all comments here. "Bob"- This has been beaten to death and as long as time exists there will be differences of opinion that are at extremes. I changed the TB in my DIL's 99RX at 97k mi, and got after my son for letting it go so long thinking it was in danger of breaking. I was amazed when I removed the belt (original) because it looked like it had no more than 20k mi. I have since read about these belts and how they are made and what they're made of and I understand why they hold up so well. There was a post a year or more ago by a man who said he worked for a company that did testing to determine length of life of different products. He said they would determine normal point of failure and then set the replacement time at half of that. By those standards the belt should last a minimum of 180,000 mi. I have only ever read (on the Lexus forums that I frequent) of 2 people who CLAIMED to have had a belt break in a Toyota/Lexus w/ the 1MFZE engine. One said his belt broke when the water pump froze up and the other stated no reason, only the claim. I questioned both of them concerning details and neither of them ever responded. That's why I say CLAIMED. With what my DIL's looked like at 97k mi, I personally doubt that many would ever break in the average life of the vehicle. I worked with a fellow who drove a Ford Ranger PU. His belt broke one day at (who knows how many miles because the speedometer broke at 180,000 mi, a year or two before). The belt was supposed to be changed at 60,000 yet went WAY over 200,000 mi., and he didn't even know it had a belt on it! These belts are the reason I said "This is not your fathers timing belt". Whole different timing belt these days. I mean the FACTORY timing belt. All bets are off on aftermarket belts. Make your own decision, this is just my experience. I still have the TB off my DIL's RX. If I knew how to post pictures, I'd show you what it looks like, absolutely NO sign of wear or deterioration at 97K mi!!!

My bet is it looks in excellent shape when you take it out. "This is not your fathers timing belt". Whole different animal than timing belts used to be.

Mike, posted to you on CL, but my suggestion would be to get more than 1. They are so dirt cheap from Uneek that if you have another go bad, you'll have the extra 1 or 2 on hand and having them may just insure that you NEVER have another one go bad! Isn't that the way it works???

mhocutt- what you want to try when it does that--- while your wife HOLDS the key in START position, take a large wood dowel, rawhide mallet, handle end of a carpenters hammer, etc., etc., and rap on the side of the starter relay. (that's right on top of the starter) The starter is very easy to get to, look down at the back of the engine (that would be drivers side) and you will see it. One of the easiest starters to change in the world. The "jarring" will likely cause the burned contacts to make contact and the starter will work. (temporarily) Do you have ANY mechanical knowledge (experience) or tools? The starter itself on most Japanese cars are made so well that they are almost bulletproof. It is normally the contacts in the starter selenoid that get burned over many years and no longer make good contact. Toyota/Lexus now even sell the contact kit to replace the contacts. It's easy to do and you don't even have to pull the starter off. There are many places online (and maybe even parts stores) that also sell the kit for a few dollars. I don't think the starter itself will ever wear out in the lifetime of the vehicle, just those copper contacts. By the way, you do NEED to make sure that ALL battery cables AND connections are in good shape, clean and tight. NOT just visually, but take apart, clean with a wire brush and retighten.

The attached document may be helpful in tracking down the problem. Good luck! Joe- since the P1133 code (Lexus specific) says "Air/Fuel ratio sensor circuit response malfunction, bank1, sensor1", I was just curious why you referenced the file that you did?