SW03ES

They're probably operating normally. You should feel a pulsation in the brake pedal and hear a grinding pulsating noise, this is because the computer is automatically pumping the brakes. You'll feel some roughness with the TRAC also as the system syphons power from one wheel to the other.

I remember when I was a kid we had an Aerostar van, I remember trying to change the plugs on it with my dad, 3 of them were only accessable through a panel on the interior underneath thew dashboard...

Interesting... Yeah thats why I stay away from higher profile wheels and tires, for one their harder and noisier, and two its harder to buy tires for them...

Lexus releases all kinds of TSBs for things on their cars. Because something has a TSB released doesn't neccisaily mean its a huge deal. They release TSBs on how to properly align wheels, fix rattles etc. Jon, Oh its not a good thing. The only possible reason I can see for it is the electronic throttle because Toyotas (which have traditional throttle cables) dont have that hesitation. All Lexuses have it, BMWs that I test drove (including the 7 series) all exhibit that lag, some folks that I've talked to attribute it to the electronic throttle. My only point was that there isn't anything that a dealership can do about this concern. Your dealership has been FAR more helpful than most. I dont see why Lexus has to have an electronic throttle. Thats why the Malibu that the fellow drove above was so smooth, its a standard throttle cable. I agree you probably wont find any details on this published on the Internet anywhere, this is all speculation among owners and techs as to what exactly causes the lag. If this is true, then theres not even anything Lexus can do about it short of retrofitting the cars with standard throttles, thats why all their fixes have been so useless. It very much depends on the driving style of the individual whether or not they're going to experience it. Some (Like me and most owners) never experience it, some (like your wife) have only experienced it at particular times, and some feel it all the time depending on their style of driving.

Thats a drawback to the HID lights, you get used to them. They're not being blinded, they're just angry. Theres a fairly large anti-HID crowd out there (none of which have ever driven a car with HID...) I love it, so much brighter and less eye strain at night, plus they look much more expensive and higher tech than halogen.

It doesn't make me uncomfortable at all. I'm just telling you that it is possible that the freezing that your wife experienced is not something they can do anything about. If you hit the throttle wrong when trying to pass the transmission will do that, it will literally get confused over which gear it should be in and just sit there. It can be very disconcerting I know, but you can stop it from happening by being smoother on the throttle. It doesnt like abrubt throttle inputs. My guess is your new transmission does the same thing she's just never hit the throttle the same exact way again. My ES (and every ES I've had as a loaner) my dad's old 98 LS, his new 04 LS, the RXs I've had as loaners (330s and 300s) all can be made to hesitate like you describe. What I'm saying is there really might not be anything they can do... I also agree that it can be unsafe at times, unless you know how to massage the throttle just right. I also agree that in a quality luxury car costing what these cars cost, it should be a non-issue. However its inherant in this style of vehicle with electronic throttle and isn't just confined to Lexus.

Cool, get him on here!

Always nice to get some praise by fellow car folks!

I assume $39,900 is the negotiated price, whats the sticker price?

No problem, always glad to chat with another car nut! What you're seeing is the evolutionary design track Lexus takes with its vehicles. The LS430 is the same way (my dad just got an 04, which has been mercifully redesigned and its much more attractive now) everything is totally different but you KNOW its an LS, from the design of the gauges and the layout of all the controls. It has a familiarity that you can't quite put your finger on. If you want to improve the steering feel of the 00 you might want to look into a strut tower bar, they're cheap and can do a lot to make the steering feel more precise and nimble without any drawbacks. They're great cars, best on the road.

hey Lex, have you read the FAQ? Sorry couldn't resist LOL

Well if thats the case then it probably is some sort of loose exhaust shield. If you can locate the loose shield then you should be able to secure it with a clamp by yourself.

Do you have the 18 inch wheels and what PSI do you run the tires at? The 18 inch wheels are going to give you a significant difference in road noise and ride when compared to your RX300 with 16s.

You can speak with your checkbook all you want, more power to you, but I have to agree several members here (you in particular Jon) are getting far too emotional over the problem. When you get to that point, nobody is ever going to be able to help you and you're never going to be able to be satisfied. I'm not saying that these transmissions don't have some ideosicracies. What I'm saying is that some of the inherrant "odd" behavior of the transmission simply is not something the dealership can control, it is simply the way the car is designed. If you find it obtrusive then of course I wouldn't reccomend you buy another one. However, Lexus sales go up every year, especially on the RX model so most owners must be content. You can't take the experiences of some enthusiasts on a board like this as a true cross section of the entire population. There are a lot of biases here that taint the data. You say a significant amount of members here have reported problems? I see maybe 15. There are dozens of reasons for that (high level of discussion of the transmission leading to internet search turning the site up for one). We only have 5,000 members here Jon. If all 5000 members were RX owners with a problem, it STILL wouldn't be significant. How many RX units are on the road? 850,000 or more? Thats only .006% of owners. The 15 members that continually complain about the problem make up .0000015%. How is that significant?!? Lexus powertrains are somewhat "odd" in the way they operate. My father noticed this when he got his first LS400 back in 98, the slight hesitation when applying throttle that can sometimes be obtrusive. This is caused by the inherant design of the powertrain and there is NOTHING anyone can do about it. Its in my ES300 and his brand new 04 LS430. Both of us have learned to drive around the ideosycracies and they no longer bother us. Lexus 5 year dependability and customer satisfaction figures rise each year and are the best in the industry. Those that are unhappy are a minority. A vocal one here, but a minority nonetheless. I'm not defending Lexus, but I am defending the dealerships that deal with irate customers such as yourself looking for a fix when there isn't any fix out there short of designing an entirely new transmission. The car IS IN FACT designed to operate this way. Sometimes when the dealership says there isn't anything they can do, there actually isn't anything they can do. Sometimes the only thing you can do is move to another carmaker's product which is fine, the Lexus wasn't for you. I do however promise you that there is a way to drive around the ideosyncracies in the transmission. I do it every day. My car shifts smooth as glass because I've learned how to drive it properly. Its a question of whether you want to give this a try, or you want to stay angry and leave the truck in the shop. Lemon law isn't applicable because there is nothing wrong with the vehicle, like the dealership says, this is the way its supposed to be. If it were blowing spark plugs or throwing axles onto the pavement then thats one thing, but it "doesn't drive right" is not going to get you your money back. Its just not. Now, if people stay calm, stop trying to lynch Lexus and their dealers and work with them to find a solution then you'll get somewhere. Its obvious Jon that you dislike Lexus, thats been aparent in every post you've made, you disliked the vehicle before you purchased it. Thats fine, but quite honestly its getting more than a little old having every discussion about the RX transmission turn into one of your "I HATE LEXUS!" fits. Its not helping anyone, Its not going to get you anywhere. As a united group looking for a fix for your vehicles you can get somewhere. But I feel that you (and a few others) have made this personal. You dislike the vehicle, thats fine. However it is not neccisary for you to continue to post that fact, over and over when other vehicle owners are simply looking for discussion, help, and guidance.

The Lexus V6 oscilates normally when it idles, thats nothing to be concerned about. As for the shimmy, its probably as simple as a misbalanced wheel. Take it to Lexus, they've had some problems with vibrations and rattles on the RX330 and they probably have a TSB on this issue.

Do you JUST hear it upon acceleration, never under any other circumstances? Its possible that its a slight engine ping, sometimes this can be mistaken for something like a rattling heat shield. Try changing gas brands...

Yeah I know, they're calling for 2 inches here by morning and 5 when its all said and done on Saturday night. The Lexus will be snug and warm in the garage while I drive the Explorer lol Probably the #26 has created a sacrificial layer over top of the EX which is causing the extra durability. Throwing the Collinite on top of all of that should work fine.

Sure just rub the free shipping in my face! When you get the Collinite don't follow the instructions that say let it haze first. If you do it'll be terrible to remove. The best way to work with the product it to apply it to an entire panel, spread it around well then wipe it immediately off while its still wet, then it'll be real easy to work with. I applied it with my PC but its just as easy to do by hand.

Why would cloth seats make the car quieter??? I've seen a couple LS' with cloth seats. I'm not a cloth fan, I think leather feels and looks much more luxurious. As for comparing the two, the 98-00 model is quieter, faster and smoother (which you would expect with it being newer). The gen III has a significantly stiffer structure, thicker window glass, more sound deadening etc.

I haven't been able to change mine either...

Well, the 476 is so durable that your probably dont have to seal the paint first. You certainly can and that will only add to the protection. The Poorboys EX isn't appreciably more durable than a good wax anyways (3-4 months) so I more applied to because I like the way it looks. I did a comparison side by side on two panels both polished with the P21S, one with EX and 476 and one with just 476 and they looked identical. Probably the EX was wasted time in this application. As for topping it with the P21S, every wax and sealant has a different look and highlights certain aspects of the paint others do not. The 476 is not regarded as "good looking" a wax as the P21S but it is far more durable. The car looks quite different in person with the 476s than it does with EX or P21S (both of which look similar) I actually really like it, and I like it more every time I see it. Its all a matter of preference, and thats part of the fun of detailing is trying all of these different combinations in an attempt to find what you think looks the best on a particular car. Adding the P21S also serves the purpose of adding a sacrificial layer that would be destroyed by contaminants and washing leaving the 476 untouched underneath. The P21S would have to be applied weekly or by weekly on this car during the winter. There is however some debate whether or not you can layer different waxes on top of each other like you can layer a sealant, some feel that the waxes just all mix together instead of forming specific layers. I may not go the P21S route now since I like the look of this 476 and I dont want to risk the durability factor. As for polishing, you should always polish before waxing. However when using a sealant you'll have to strip the oils before applying it or it wont bond. Without a machine probably there would be no point in polishing with a rich polish like P21S before sealing.

I think it was actually $8. I thought that was high for a little tin of wax, but it came swapped 3 times in bubble wrap, you'd think it was fine jewlery or something lol

Its only $.45 less, but the free shipping would have been nice! Oh well lol

Any dishwashing liquid will remove most waxes. I myself have never used Liquid Glass, but I've heard that its not a particularly layerable or durable sealant when compared to something like Zaino or Klasse. In an independent lab test that I sent away for the results from (when I get them I'll post them here for everyone to see) that compared the Collinite 476 and the Collinite Insulator Wax (which VB uses) and a bunch of other waxes and sealants and rated their durability under several conditions, heat, automatic high detergent washings, saltwater corrosion, and compared them on some subjective levels like gloss, ease of use etc. I'm looking forward to getting the report. Anyways I was told that in all the durability tests Zaino (widely regarded as one of if not the most durable sealant) and the Collinite 476s that I used were neck in neck, with the Collinite even edging out the Zaino in some areas. The 476 and the IW were close, but 476 edged IW out in the saltwater tests. Both IW and 476s lasted over 12 automatic washings which is simply incredible for a wax. Most of the waxes were gone after 2-3. To me this was ideal, I get to use my rich polishes to hide marring and get deep gloss AND get the protection of a sealant. Whats not to love there? I don't like the sterility of polymers on my car, dont mind them on other colors though. I dont know if LG or Klasse are part of that test, but when I get it I will definately let you know. I've still not experienced the durability of the 476, but I have with Zaino and Zaino lasts and lasts. Since 476 was pretty neck and neck with Zaino in this test I was very confident in my decision to use it. Generally its accepted that LG is not nearly as durable as Zaino. If you want to be able to pressure wash and not lose protecton then you definately want a polymer, but I dont know about LG.

Thanks ;)