pauljcl

Lenore: You were right. The first gen RX300 AWD has a transmission cooler, starboard side, behind the washer fluid reservoir. Tks! Paul

As promised, a short report... Left the RX300 in MI since early Jan., with a trickle charger set at 1W. Upon arrival yesterday, battery worked perfectly. Car started first try as if shut off the day before. Remarkable! Having been driving the new 2009RX350, I expected to feel the 99RX300 very old hat. In fact, just liked it so much... felt more 'real'. Too bad it has the design problems (rear engine gasket, transmission, exhaust manifold, struts...) that Lexus failed to overcome, and refuses to correct. It would have been one of the 'greats'.

Actually, the forum is quite active, but with relatively few people (but there are a good few who are good) who focus on the technical side. There have been a long series of posts regarding the RX transmission, the bottom line being that the early (1999 and 2000) RXs, specially the AWDs, suffer from transmission problems because the transmissions have a weak component (and AWD and towing stress it). It is believed that Lexus has modified the component (planetary gear) but no-one seems to know when the change took place, so the jury, so to speak, is still 'out' on the (2001?), 2002 et sequ. models. This topic has been rehashed to death - many times - and it rises anew, so most people are tired of it. A member 'lenore' has done much work on this, and can be credited with photos of the 'old' piece and the 'modified' piece, and has explained the weakness. What all this has to do with the neweer transmissions is open to debate, but the lingering feeling is that transmissions are a weak point of (all?) RXs, thus mention of towing / specially without the towing package / sounds like anathema. I am sure some members will correct my statements, and this may bring your topic to lfe...

Yes, you ARE lucky. I had the rear engine seal of my 99RX300 'go' at 66K miles, and Lexus told me to take a hike. They contributed nothing, even though I had my car serviced at Lexus prior. Just goes to show..... Shortly after that, a friend in Europe with a MB clk, now over ten years old, had a 'noise' which, upon checking, revealed to be a loose chain tensioner (The MB's have chains instead of timing belts... usually safer, last forever). MB took it upon themselves - iwthout need for a request - to advise the client (my friend) that chain tensioners arfe designed for a life well in excess of the age of his car, and they replaced it for free.... There is a difference in sense of honor, I guess, as well as in price.

trcr1: I just checked, and voila, it is right where you said it was! My dealer may not want to tell its location so that owners may have to bow to them and pay for resets. So much for "automatic" resetting; why else would they put in that button/circuitry? Thank you The location is shown in the manual. It resets to whatever pressure you are using so that you can decide where you want it to 'alarm'.

Sorry if I misled. The battery I have works it just does not fill the battery compartment. (seems small) So I was considering chaning it out because so much of what I love about my car uses juice! Thoughts? FWIW - Dealer battery is no better than the Sears. I had a new dealer (=Toyota) battery - lasted 4 1/2 yrs in FL (heat tires batteries), and, even with a 'discount' because of 'warranty', dealer was more expensive. Sears are all over the country, and their service is good. I had originally replaced it with a Eveready (Pep Boys) - crap! lasted one year - went to Sears and all is fine. You can check your current battery size to see whether the right size is what you have, and if it is, why not wait to change it until you need to do so? Even if a touch small, if it has been working fine and satisfies your needs, and you are not going to 'cold country', why not wait? The downside is minimal: a boost and then a new battery only when needed.

I really cannot help: I got a 09RX350 AWD, which comes with the towing package, and thus is 'approved' by Lexus for 3500lbs. Does your manual have no info. on this? You've done the dealer/Lexus check, so I would 'go' with the lowest. As a complementary comment: my 99RX300 (also AWD) had rear engine seal problems, and the transmission is said to be weak; the former becuase of overheating, the latter a combination of overheating and part(s) that are too weak to tow or to be put to effort. If I can give any advice: 1. what do you wish to tow and weight 2. Check with Lexus whether that would be OK (in writing is better) 3. any time you can have cooler oil under load is better given the stated proclivity of the RXs to have a 'hot' lower engine. Not much help, sorry... but I felt lonely for you... Good luck!

The original post was a couple of months ago, and the original 'post-er' has not repsonded.... IMHO, it is probable that he got the car he wanted at the price he wanted already........!!

Took positve off for an hour then hooked back in, no change ... nothing except dome and door ajar lights comes on ... and still can't shift out of park and move my car. At this point, I am really afraid that I will not be able to start my car and move it out of the parking lot corner (It's a dead corner, tow trucks can't even get in)... Another hour of google and a little bit of luck yielded a slight fortunate turn of event. Yup, some might have guessed it, I found the manual release button under that impossible to ply open plastic tap and I was able to manually release the interlock and move! Phew. Just ran a meter on my battery and is registering 11.62Volt … since I am a bit askance as to whether my alternator is charging my battery for the computer might be fried, I did not take my car out for a test drive. Since I’m sans lights except high beam, and it's raining really hard out and the time is 1am, probably a good idea, too. :) What I gathered from research is that since my lights are not working, PARTICULARLY the break light, ergo I cannot shift out of park. When I press on the break, I know the solenoid did not fire for I did not hear a click from the shift interlock release. Well, at least I can now drive to the dealer to get it fixed! Now, I just need to print out a big label and plaster it on the back of my car "LIGHTS NOT WORKING. I HOPE YOU STILL REMEMBER YOUR HAND SIGNALS FROM DRIVER'S ED!" Dropped car off on Thursday and signed off on 2 hr for inspection ($129 per hr). They call me back on Monday and said they found the problem, a blown 140 amp fuse. Yeah, he said 140 and I’m a bit confuse … didn’t know fuse run that high because the highest I saw was 40 in the fuse box. So there! One little fuse, all these problem. The dealer even said they are only charging one hour. Granted, I know how easy this could be for them – plug the scanner in and replace one fuse. Guess I am paying 200 bucks for a fuse, a full electrical diag, and a car wash! Thanks for all the help guys! I'm really pleased for you that the problem is resolved, and - yes - $200 or one-hour's labor cost is a lot but how many hours of your own time and effort have you saved? All in all, I would call this good news. Certainly better than facing the cost of a new ECU etc... Thank you for letting us know. I have a 99RX300 and if it does weird stuff I'll look for the 140 AMP (!!!!) fuse, first.

Sorry to hijack your post but I was wondering if these hitches will fit the 2010 RX ? Thanks, Mike (newbie) I cannot answer that, but would suggest you verify part numbers. The hitch I had purchased was part no. PT228-48045. You might want to call a Lexus parts dealer and find out... Here are some numbers of Lexus dealers who do mail-order: (262)797-2000 (Lexus Parts Mall) lexuspartsmall.com 888-909-6633 (Sewell Lexus) www.sewellpartsonline.com www.lexuspartsonline.com (that is where I bought my hitch). They have an e-mail 'contact' form. Good luck!

Chances that the air filter caused your engine/VSC lights to come on is between nil and zero. There is another problem. Maybe something got 'knocked off' or 'disconnected' when you changed the air filter?

Does your dealer include mounting, balancing and repairs like Costco in thir price?

Not on my RX350. I don't know about the roll-down feature, but the roll-up feature is not available from the remote. Maybe from the lock, by keeping the key in the 'lock' position, like in the old RX300?

There have been a number of posts re: hitch installation. I tried to search/find the relevant ones I had consulted, but could not find them (there are an awful lot of them, however). This is just to thank the members who pointed me to getting a mail-order Lexus hitch for my RX350, and (I believe it may be GDixon) whoever posted good instructions which gave me the confidence to attempt the installation. Took a 1 1/2hrs (would be less second time around!) and I did not remove the lid to the anterior (large) trunk 'box'. Instead, I lifted the edge(s) of the box container (it is pliable) and accessed the bolts of the other rear boxes quite easily. I had to undo both rear box lids because the left box could not lift out without removing the right box's lid.... Anyway: all set and a big Thank You to all!

Thank you, blk_on_blk and RX_in_NC - I will follow your suggestions when I get to MI [and, blk_on_blk, I haven't forgotten that I owe you a report on the success or failure of the B&D trickle charger which - I hope - will have been working throughout single digit temperatures and five months.....]. We should be leaving Miami on May 19 or 20, so, by the end of the week after next....

I had noticed some of these issues being posted when I received my - then new - RX350 about three months ago. On delivery, the dealer had not set the tire pressure correctly, and, the evening being cooler, the tire pressure monitor indicated a problem the second evening I had the car. Checking the tires, I noted all were at 26psi except one at 25psi, and the spare was also at 25psi. I put more air into the 25 psi tires, and the tire pressure monitor went out. I then inflated all my tires to 30-332 psi (which I prefer), and haven't had a signal since. >>>> All this to suggest that setting/resetting the tire pressure monitor when the tires are at the usual pressure may cause unwanted signals: if you do check pressure regularly, why not set the TPMS with tires at, say 25 psi. In that manner, no 'false' signals, and if tires do really drop in pressure (e.g. while rolling), you will know it?

Thank you for your interesting comment. My '99RX300 recently started making a 'slight humming noise' at certain revs. (but not roughness), but had a noisier rougher idle when cold -- I thought an exhaust gasket might be the problem (but the car heats up on the way to the dealership... and I was going to address the issue when next in MI, i.e. next month). It would now seem that the cracked exhaust manifold might be a cause, particularly since I have read other posts that show it to be a weak part, prone to cracking. Do you remember which exhaust manifold it was: the 'easy' one in front or the 'hard' one in the back of the motor compartment? I could not 'see' anything visually. - Thanks!

Congratulations on good thinking and execution. Your experience may well prove useful to others!

I don't know what year your RX300 is, but mine has 16" wheels (tires are 225/70/16), so a 17" tire is surely the wrong size. Assuming you have 17" wheels, and assuming clearance is available, you might be interested in the following Website which gives you the tire size equivalencies or differences in circumference depending on the width/aspect ratio chosen: http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html It's pretty neat. Good luck!

Transmission, transmission, TRANSMISSION!!! Actually, I haven't heard of problems with the transmission in the newer (after 2003) RXs. I thought the transmission problems were the older RX300 model, among those, particularly the AWD 1999-2001?

I'm with you on that. I usually do a little less than 5K miles a year on my cars, and I use the "BMW" formula: change your oil once a year (synthetic) unless you have gone many miles (actually the BMW requirement with their synthetic is 15K miles or once a year, whichever is earlier). I haven't yet decided what to do on the new RX350....

You did the absolute right thing. From whatever level of analysis you wish to take (except for the primitive / primeval) you took the course that had the lowest downside to you, and additionally provides you with greater strength of thought and character. Keep in driving the LS and leave the Volvo at home!

Come on.... Somebody knows this... I don't know... but why don't you go to Lexus Owners, register, and consult your manual? Furthermore, on request, they will send you a new manual at no cost. Here is the address: https://secure.drivers.lexus.com/lexusdrive...icle-summary.do Good luck.

Here's a pic of the 330 step-pad on my 00 RX 300. I ended up using heavy duty double stick tape rather than epoxy so I'll see how it hold up (so far so good). It looks great! Congratulations!