pauljcl

Hello everyone. I have a 2007 RX350 and I need new tires. On Tire Rack it tells me that Michelin Energy Saver A/S is compatible with this car, however, on the Michelin Canada website I'm advised the opposite.

Does anyone have any experience with these tires on this car? The reviews on TireRack are quite good, and I am a casual city driver so don't need high performance tires.

Advice is appreciated, thanks.

Aren't these the OEM tires in the US (on my 09RX350)? I don't like them. Wear is good, but they are not very 'grippy' and I find them noisy and 'harsh' in the last 50% of their life. I will be chnaging them this Fall, and I don't realy know what to put. On another website (the Club Lexus Forum) for the RX, opinions are between Bridgestone Alenza and Pirelli Scorpio, and some Contientals - DWS/DWS/ProContact as available.

I got the (small OEM) mudguards. I have no idea whether they really prevent much, but whatever they might prevent would be at a sharper angle to the paint and thus more damaging. Price is low and any protection obtained is worth it. They are probably smaller than the old because smaller impacts fuel economy less.

22% ? Just a guess? :)

.. or maybe 22/78 = 28.2%

(lol)!

For some unknown reason, I am 'subscribed' to certain topics and received e-mails advising me that a new post has been entered. I did not 'subscribe' to anything. Does anyone know how I can 'unsubscribe' from these e-mails?

Thanks!

Anytime you post in a thread, you automatically "subscribe" to that thread. Most people like to know when there has been a reply, and it's also to remind you of threads and conversations you have become a part of. If you don't want to be emailed or notified, go to your profile and select settings. Click on notification options. And un-select any or all that apply. But remember, that you will have to track your own conversations from this point on.

Thank you, smooth1 ! I did as you explained. Much better! (and, yes, I do check in regularly to see/track postings).

Best..

Paul

For some unknown reason, I am 'subscribed' to certain topics and received e-mails advising me that a new post has been entered. I did not 'subscribe' to anything. Does anyone know how I can 'unsubscribe' from these e-mails?

Thanks!

How about another variable....Ethanol vs Non Ethanol? I get better economy with non Ethanol regular than with Premium Ethanol. Premium non Ethanol provides slightly better economy but is now 25-35 cents a gallon more and I can't tell any difference in power over regular non Ethanol. I'm lucky enough to still have a choice of fuel and will pay a little more for non Ethanol. I'd buy Premium if it made a significant difference in power or economy. Maybe some can discern 5 HP but I sure can't.

Ethanol provides about 25-30% less energy (per unit of volume) than does gasoline. If you use 10% ethanol fuel (and if the fuel is really only 10% ethanol), you are losing some 3% vs. gasoline without ethanol.

I am trying to get 7 years/100,000 miles, 0 deductible platinum warranty on my 2008 Lexus 400h that is under 4 yr/50,000 miles.

Has anyone seen under 2100 for this? if yes, can you please write up your recommendation.

Thanks

I don't know if this will help: Check this old thread.

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=54527&pid=371423&mode=threaded&start=0#entry371423

I had spoken to TobyToyota a couple of years ago (when I had bought my 09RX350) and he seemed very 'honest' and straightforward. A couple of other sites have indicated his prices are (were) very good. Good luck!

here are pictures compliments of Carmax...enjoy

http://www.carmax.com/enus/carmax-owner/default.html?sn=7197539&cust_id=57842&name=Thomas&loc_num=7159&year=2008&make=Lexus&model=RX%20400h&v_type=U&ref_type=1&purch_date=02-27-2011

Lenore: the car looks beautiful, in great shape, like new! Congratulations - may you drive it long and in good health!

thx.. I have been pouring through all sorts of posts trying to determine if this was a AWD only sit or affected all... unfortunately most don't post which type of RX they have when the tranny failed. I suspected it to be more of a AWD problem.. however, it seems the siuation is related to the shifting software so I could see how that affects 2wd as well...

Most of the transmission issues seem to have been caused by a failing planetary gear, that was made of aluminium (later replaced by steel). It would appear that the failure is due to the inability of the part to withstand stress, which is caused when the transmission makes extra effort (e.g. towing). AWD RXs generally put some extra stress on the transmission compared to the FWD RXs, and, thus, the failure rate is higher with AWD RXs. Reading between the lines - and depending on the luck of the draw - I would guess that transmission where the car that has always/often carried a full load and has been driven with a heavy foot, will probably - other things being equal - suffer transmission failure more often than one driven gently with little load. In previous posts, there was some discussion about later RX300s having an improved planetary gear that is made of steel rather than the aluminium of the earlier ones. It may be that the 2002, particularly if a 'late' 2002 model, might have a 'good' vs. 'weak' transmission. If your Toyota friend can help people put a date on the change (to steel from aluminium), that would be useful to many, since there has been much speculation as to the date of change. Among 'posters' in this forum, 'lenore' has spent much time at, and written much about, this issue. It was from one of his posts that I learnt of the aluminium planetary gear weakness in early RXs. You might want to consult his posts....

I di not have a transmission problem in a 99RX300 I used to own, but I did have a rear engine seal problem which costs a lot to fix. It seems early rear engine seals would harden over time (the RX motor runs 'hot')and then begin to leak. You should check out the state of the seal on any one you buy. If it has any semblance of humidity or weeping, it is shot.

Good luck!

thx.. I have been pouring through all sorts of posts trying to determine if this was a AWD only sit or affected all... unfortunately most don't post which type of RX they have when the tranny failed. I suspected it to be more of a AWD problem.. however, it seems the siuation is related to the shifting software so I could see how that affects 2wd as well...

Most of the transmission issues seem to have been caused by a failing planetary gear, that was made of aluminium (later replaced by steel). It would appear that the failure is due to the inability of the part to withstand stress, which is caused when the transmission makes extra effort (e.g. towing). AWD RXs generally put some extra stress on the transmission compared to the FWD RXs, and, thus, the failure rate is higher with AWD RXs. Reading between the lines - and depending on the luck of the draw - I would guess that transmission where the car that has always/often carried a full load and has been driven with a heavy foot, will probably - other things being equal - suffer transmission failure more often than one driven gently with little load. In previous posts, there was some discussion about later RX300s having an improved planetary gear that is made of steel rather than the aluminium of the earlier ones. It may be that the 2002, particularly if a 'late' 2002 model, might have a 'good' vs. 'weak' transmission. If your Toyota friend can help people put a date on the change (to steel from aluminium), that would be useful to many, since there has been much speculation as to the date of change. Among 'posters' in this forum, 'lenore' has spent much time at, and written much about, this issue. It was from one of his posts that I learnt of the aluminium planetary gear weakness in early RXs. You might want to consult his posts....

I di not have a transmission problem in a 99RX300 I used to own, but I did have a rear engine seal problem which costs a lot to fix. It seems early rear engine seals would harden over time (the RX motor runs 'hot')and then begin to leak. You should check out the state of the seal on any one you buy. If it has any semblance of humidity or weeping, it is shot.

Good luck!

thx.. I have been pouring through all sorts of posts trying to determine if this was a AWD only sit or affected all... unfortunately most don't post which type of RX they have when the tranny failed. I suspected it to be more of a AWD problem.. however, it seems the siuation is related to the shifting software so I could see how that affects 2wd as well...

Most of the transmission issues seem to have been caused by a failing planetary gear, that was made of aluminium (later replaced by steel). It would appear that the failure is due to the inability of the part to withstand stress, which is caused when the transmission makes extra effort (e.g. towing). AWD RXs generally put some extra stress on the transmission compared to the FWD RXs, and, thus, the failure rate is higher with AWD RXs. Reading between the lines - and depending on the luck of the draw - I would guess that transmission where the car that has always/often carried a full load and has been driven with a heavy foot, will probably - other things being equal - suffer transmission failure more often than one driven gently with little load. In previous posts, there was some discussion about later RX300s having an improved planetary gear that is made of steel rather than the aluminium of the earlier ones. It may be that the 2002, particularly if a 'late' 2002 model, might have a 'good' vs. 'weak' transmission. If your Toyota friend can help people put a date on the change (to steel from aluminium), that would be useful to many, since there has been much speculation as to the date of change. Among 'posters' in this forum, 'lenore' has spent much time at, and written much about, this issue. It was from one of his posts that I learnt of the aluminium planetary gear weakness in early RXs. You might want to consult his posts....

I di not have a transmission problem in a 99RX300 I use dto own, but I did have a rear engine seal problem which costs a lot to fix. It seems early rear engine seals would harden over time (the RX motor runs 'hot')and then begin to leak. You should check out the state of the seal on any one you buy. If it has any semblance of humidity or weeping, it is shot.

Good luck!

I have a 2002 RX-300 with 29,200 actual miles. The last time I brought my car in for routine maintence the Lexus Service Dept had to change the belts on the car due to small cracks. Based on this, I was told by the Lexus Service Department, that due to the age of my vehicle that I needed to have the timing belt replaced as well since it was made of the same material as the other belts on the car. I was under the impression that the timing belt first, is much more durable than the other belts and second, is not exposed to the elements like the other belts. Anyway, I could not find anything anywhere that states that the timing belt should be replaced based on age vs miles. The manual only discusses vehicle milage as the criteria for replacement of the timing belt. It does not state replace after Xyears or Nmiles whichever comes first as they do for an oil change for example.

Does anyone know if the timing belt really has to be replaced based on vehicle age over milage? We are talking about $1600 here. I value safety over money but just don't want to have it done now if it is not really necessary.

The manual of my old 99RX300 stated that the timing belt should be changed (and other maintenance items completed) at 90,000 miles or six years. All the mileage numbers were linked to a period (like the 5,000 miles or 6 months for oil change). Lexus talked me into changing the timing belt after six years even though I had only 60K miles. After reading various posts in this forum, I am close to certain it was not needed.... but I did it.

It may be that the manual of your 02RX300 does not contain the same requirements...

I need help finding a long term solution to this.

My 2007 RX 400h's ignition key would not turn to start the car and it happens too many times.

It started about a year ago. Before that, I did not have this problem.

Now I am pretty good at unlocking it since I had to deal with it at least 10 times.

It takes me a long time to unlock it, at least 10 to 15 minutes, however, it unlocks eventually.

I never know when it might happen.

I wiggle the key, turn the steering wheel back and forth while I step on the brake.

I took it to my dealership and they could not find anything wrong with it.

They just said it is an anti-thief feature and I should not turn my front wheels too much while I park the car.

This problem drives me crazy because it happens too many times randomly.

I find myself stuck in the car trying to unlock it while I am in a hurry to go some where.

Is there any way I can disable this anti-thief mechanism?

I would rather not have this feature than deal with it so often.

This happened again this afternoon at a shopping mall while I was alone.

PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP ME.

I am having same issues. Just found some pointers about the merits of tapping the key while in cylinder with a hammer, screwdriver and WD40 on postings on PAGE 2 of this RX330 Forum. Didnt go back far enough last nite when I was trying to find help with this problem. Worth checking out..... Whoever would have thought????.... Hopefully one of these suggestions posted earlier will solve your problem. Could just be jammed up but it does appear unfortunately to be a bit of a design error... Good Luck and sure hope it works for u. Keep me posted. <_<

Rather than WD40, I would probably spray a touch of graphite in the lock... [i'm on my second RX, and have never had the problem, thankfully. But if it were to happen, I would try the screwdriver/tapping trick and some graphite of the screwdriver/tapping worked.]

I recently got new tires and they don't replace the permanent TPMS sensors (integrated with the metal valve stem), but they charged me ($3 each) for some kind of service kit for the TPMS sensors. I'm not sure exactly what was part of the kit but it's specific to each type of vehicle with TPMS.

$3 seems inexpensive. Places here charge up to $10 'extra' for TMPS when changing tires. I believe (but am not sure) that they change the battery.

In my area, I believe I got very lucky. On Christmas Eve I was looking in a local dealership at the 2011 RX series when I found out they had a "few" 2010 which were used as loaner vehicles for the dealership. Long story short, I ended up buying a "slightly used", but titled as new for warranty purposes RX350. This vehicle had 8400 miles on it. Original sticker was 48,800 plus. Not sure about which packages it has, but obviously NAV, HID light system, moonroof, wood wheel and knob, AWD, sense wipers and lights, 12 speaker package, back up camera, XM radio, bluetooth, cargo mat and net, and body side mouldings. (They put these on all their loaner vehicles)

I ended up getting this vehicle for 38,000. I also got 1000 back because I own a 2006 es330 and had a 2003 es300 before that. I think it was that Lexus for life program. Anyway, I have had no problems with the vehicle. Can't see any indication of abuse or neglect. The 5000 mile sevice was done by the dealership a few months ago, and the 10000 was thrown into the deal, which I just had done. Vehicle was detailed and spotless.

It sounds like a great deal! Congratulations! (Enjoy!!)

its a huge rip off.the only wear n tear are the brake pads n tire .orther then that this car 2/5 years old is still in full warranty . make a complain to the head office .i am surely you will b taken care off

To maintain the warranty, required maintenance as detailed in the manual must be completed. The manual will give you a list of the items that Lexus expects. Anything more is dealer padding.

There is no single set of symptoms that I am aware of. I have 159,000 miles on my 2000 RX300 AWD and it's served me well. But, to answer your question regarding when you should start worrying, I'd say Right Now!! What you need to worry about is getting the transmission fluid flushed and the filter replaced since that is the life blood of the transmission. I just completed my 2nd fluid replacement and it's the cheapest money you can spend on an automatic transmission. Anything mechanical can fail at any time but if your transmission hasn't been abused and if the fluid is changed SOON, there is no reason to think it won't serve you well for many more thousand miles. I would have them drop the pan to do a visual inspection and be sure there is only the expected minor sludge adhering to the pan magnet. My transmission does not have a paper filter but has a metal screen that only needs to be cleaned and flushed with a solvent; blow dried and then reinstalled. Most transmissions have a paper filter and if yours has one, that filter will certainly need to be replaced.

I'd be more worried about the engine sludge problem. I bought mine new and since the warranty expired, I've been running Mobil 1 10W-30 and changing both oil and filter every 5,000 miles. The engine sludge issue seems to be tied to using non-synthetic oil and going too long between changes. As with the transmission, frequent oil service is the cheapest money you can spend on the most expensive component in the vehicle. Yours in a 2002 model and I can't remember if they resolved that engine sludge problem by that time or if it was later. Regardless, 5,000 miles is the change interval for all my cars.

However, your mileage may differ. Good luck.

The opinions I have heard to date are to avoid a 'flush' for the transmission: just change the oil and hope for the best. A flush may cause failure by moving pieces of metal to places where they shouldn't be.

As for the engine sludge problem - You have done what I did: change to Mobil 1 10W30 and change oil and filter every 5,000 miles. Any sludge should, slowly, be removed. (And slow, of course, is better than in gobs which may block too-thin oil ports). Some people recommended Pennzoil Platinum, which is said - not verified by me - to remove more sludge than most. Or, in some BMW blog where oil was not changed for 60K miles (!) and huge amounts of sludge were evident on removing the valve covers, an additive called (appropriately??) OilRX or something similar is said to help slowly reduce sludge. If you are really concerned, a simpler way is to remove a valve cover and check, but it is likely that, if you have been using M1 10W30 for a while, and continue using it and chnaging oil every 5K miles, nothing bad will happen due to sludge...

I got some useful insight after reading about the "ride" quality on LS460 - which is the flagship lexus product. It seems that tires play a big role in the quality of ride.

The RX 300 has 225/70R16.

The RX 350 has 235/55R18. You can also get 225/65R17 for an RX350. From what I read the higher aspect ratio improves the ride quality significantly. Michelin has a brand called Latitude Tour (225/65R17) that they claim gives an extra quiet ride. I have Michelin's on the RX300 and they are smooth as silk. Apparently, when someone complains of ride quality even Lexus dealership is changing tires on new vehicles.

I am going to order the 225/65R17's from Michelin and see how they work. I read additional articles in the forum that said that going from 235 to 225 shouldnt cause any issues. Any thoughts ?

Wish me luck - i think i may be getting closer to solving this mystery and begin enjoying my RX350.

If you have 18" rims, you will need 18" tires, rather than 17" tires. (Unless you also change rims).

For peak performance and MPGs stay with the recommended premium.

I just checked at Motor Trend specs. for the 2009 Highlander and the 2009 RX350

Same motor designation 2GR-FE

Same compression ratio: 10.8

3,456 cc

Toyota: Power: 201 kW , 270 HP SAE @ 6,200 rpm; 248 ft lb , 336 Nm @ 4,700 rpm

Lexus: Power: 201 kW , 270 HP SAE @ 6,200 rpm; 251 ft lb , 340 Nm @ 4,700 rpm

It may be that the Lexus has a slightly more aggressive timing or camshaft (or not) but the specs are so similar (max. power and torque at same RPMs) that I don't see that there really is a need for premium fuel for the one and not for the other.

As a first step, I will try using 89 octane fuel (mid-grade here in Miami) instead of premium 93.

Hi,

I have looked up some specs and found that Toyota Highlander and Rx350 engines have the same displacement, very similar output (favoring Lexus), and compression ratio. I wonder if they are in fact identical but Lexus has modified the software to squeeze out 5 more hp with premium fuel requirement.

Thoughts?

Given the compression ratio is modest and that the engine is identical to that of Toyota Highlander, I am starting to think that the Rx can accept regular fuel with little compromise with regards to reliability and performance. Ok, I give Lexus that 5hp lol

Comments are welcome.

Is the compression ratio on the RX350 and the Highlander the same?

I am considering 2006-2009 Lexus RX330 with awd. The only situation I would need the awd is when we go to our cabin which

has a slighly steep incline to get up. I have a 4runner 4x4 now and have to use the 4wd high to get up. Once I forgot to put

it in 4wd and the rear spun for several seconds then finally got up, just to give you an idea of the incline. No loose gravel

mostly rock and dirt, little muddy in the rainy season.

I read somewhere about the later models having a snow button or lock that you could press. All I need in my 4runner is the 4wd

button to get up... never have to touch the seperate 4wd H/lo stick.

2008 and 2009 are RX350s, not 330s. The 'snow' button in the AWDs just makes the car start in second gear instead of first, and extends the change sequence slightly thereafter. The AWD is always 'active' (fulltime AWD).

Just wondering if it wouldn't make more sense to have the 330 and 350 as one forum (since they are very similar body and mechanical, except one is 3.5 litre engine the other is 3.3 litre) instead of the 300 and 330 being one forum, as they are very very different - body, engine, mechanical etc.

Yes, I agree. In fact, Club Lexus does something similar by grouping the RXs as "first generation" (RX300), "second generation" (i.e RX330/350), "third generation" (2010-on). It makes a lot of sense, and it 'works'.

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/

Look under the car... <_<

but from the vin,

2WD should look like: 2T2GK31UX8C040465

AWD should look like: 2T2HK31UX8C074362

Indeed -> fourth character of VIN on AWD is an "H"

I seem to have lost my key for the car and am curious if it is possible to have locked the doors ( via the remote ) with the rear hatch open and then to have locked the key in the car?

Not in my 09RX350. Doos won't lock if any door or rear hatch is open.

Paul- thanks for the input man. I'm thinking it's probably something with the fuel/air too. Thing is, when I first stop the vehicle it idles fine. It's smooth. So the motor mounts are doing their job fine. But then it slowly starts to vibrate and quickly increases.

So that says to me it could be one of two things. 1- someone else on here said maybe the mounts are just tuned poorly, and maybe the increasing vibration is caused by the idle naturally slowing down at a stop, and it's hitting just the right frequency to vibrate. ??? maybe. 2. Or it's something out of whack with the fuel mapping, and when I stop it just becomes more apparent. My fuel economy does suck even when I drive like my grandma. I've got a Scanner that gives me all kinds of Live data coming off the computer- including fuel mapping. But, it's just numbers to me! So yours is still doing this too?

I don't think the mounts are tuned poorly because everyone commented on how smooth and 'soft' the idle was when the car was new. My RX would become what was in my opinion more 'diesel-like' at slow idle (i.e. with gear engaged). I don't have the car anymore, so I'm speaking from memory. On the other hand, even when in gear, until the motor was quite warm, the idle seemed to be at the same RPMs as later, but the mixture was obviously richer, and I did not have the 'shake'.... I wish you luck!