mccldwll

I'm 6' /180# and the seats drive me crazy. Haven't tried an hour drive yet, but it wouldn't be pleasant. Bothers me after 5 minutes. Not only is it too hard, but too short and narrows too quickly so really hurts the outside of my thighs (especially right). I hope to find a 1" thick firm pad to fill that center of seat space.

Just had a 75K service (glorified oil change, plus cabin filter) done by a very good indy shop. Very good relationship. Today discovered that power tailgate does not work, either by remote, interior button or tailgate button to lower. The motor which completes closure after you lower it still works. What might be going on? Is there one fuse for that motor? Anything else on that circuit? Where to be found? Other possibilities? Thanks.

Driveshaft.

Cheapest (temporary) solution is an analog adaptor that goes into tape deck ($15-$20). I found it had better sound than the Monster fm adaptor I returned.

Dealer nuts or incompetent. Always change struts/shocks in pairs.

Call Crutchfield (go to the website for #). Customer service can not be beat. Crutchfield carries that interface, and does specify that only works w/ NAV, but I'll bet others have been in same situation you are in, and if anyone knows of a good workaround, they will. Until you fully resolve it, try a $15 tape player insert (assuming you have a tape player). Actually very good quality sound (and if you have an iPhone, call comes in/goes out over car speakers and music goes quiet while on call). Downside is visible wire and no recharge.

Don't know about the 300, but on my '05 330, the "button" is about 1/2" long when out and turning it controls intensity. Twisting it fully counter-clockwise results in a click, and the light goes out showing heated seats off. If the "button" is twisted counter-clockwise, but it hasn't clicked and the light is still on, heater is on but minimum rheostat setting and little/no heat. I suggest something like this since both not working.

I have an '05 330 w/ 18" wheels. I'd call it a luxury minivan.

Before going to too much trouble, are the stalks turned almost fully counter-clockwise (nearly off)?

No. I don't believe airbags should always deploy, and agree that sophisticated computers make split second decisions based on sensor feedback. However, it is far from correct that "f you walked away from the accident okay...you didn't need the airbags." Before airbags, many walked away unscathed from high speed collisions which totaled the vehicles. Most well engineered cars CAN protect occupants without deployment, but occupants shouldn't have to rely on that. As far as airbags themselves being dangerous, while that certainly was true with first generation bags, and especially for children, second generation (and now third generation) bags should not be considered dangerous. However, as I already acknowledged in the post above, it's entirely possible that the forces weren't sufficient to require deployment.

SK is correct and should be the priority position. From your "head on" description, I was assuming that mass and velocity of opposing vehicle made collision nearly equivalent to hitting an immovable object, an unwarranted assumption.

Of course they were supposed to deploy. Who told you they weren't? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I assume you bought this car used, and probably not from Lexus. In all likelihood, it was in an accident at one time where the airbags deployed, and they were either never replaced, or never properly replaced. Another alternative would be a car which had experienced flooding which again either caused deployment, or screwed up the sensors. However, in all cases your warning lights should alert you to airbag issues, unless someone has tampered with them. If, in fact, you didn't buy the car from Lexus, then first talk to Lexus for more info. In either case, you'll end up talking to an attorney, because "something is rotten in Denmark."

While recirc definitely shouldn't be left on, I don't think it's true that it traps the most moisture in the air. Since AC removes moisture, air should get drier and drier with recirc (which lets in limited but sufficient amount of fresh) if the area in question is in the flow. But it doesn't allow system to breathe and does trap "nasties." Original poster said "tried turning off the recirc button before shutting the car off " but this is far from sufficient according to advice I have gotten in the past. One thing to try is, in addition to running it with fresh air most of time, is to turn off the AC entirely a few minutes before destination. Allows system to drain. I agree with above poster who says problem related to clogged drain and vacuum lines. "Doors" regulating outside air probably are vacuum activated, so acceleration may not only cause door to shut, but may create an air draw through clogged up condensation accumulator. Vacuum operated baffle door may even be mostly stuck shut full time. Look for cracked rubber on tube or baffle.

ArmorAll is a perfectly fine protectant. It actually has much more in common with 303 than it does otherwise. Its an old wives tale that ArmorAll will damage plastics. I wouldn't use ArmorAll on a dash only because its too glossy for my tastes. The 303 is safe to use, but I doubt it will hide scratches. From another poster elsewhere: "Amour All, and lots of other interior gunk, have silicone which can degrade and crack your dash over time. Many also have formaldehyde, which is also very bad. The best interior protectant to use is one that has no silicone, no formaldehyde, and includes a UV protectant. Try Vinylex by Lexol. Pep Boys carries it, and lots of places online have it." Armorall makes a flat/satin product for dashes, but I wouldn't use it. Use Armorall if you want but no one I know would ever use it on any surface they cared about, or any other product with silicone. Not an old wives tale. I don't know about Vinylex, but Lexol has some decent products (though not as good as many think). 303 is the best, but I would first want to try it on another surface to see if would buff out with a dull enough finish. I would be cautiously optimistic. Buy some 303 and try it. If you don't like it for the dash, it's the best product out there for trim and tires (not a gloss look at all--just renews look of rubber).

I doubt that Chevron will make any difference, since you never know what the gas is in the underground tanks (distributors in any given area deliver same gas to everyone). I haven't read the fine print on the Chevron pumps, but I don't remember them saying how much Techron is in there. If BP gas gets delivered, dumping a 12 oz. bottle into a several thousand gallon tank may be legal compliance. But adding a bottle of Techron every 5000 miles not a bad idea. As noted by others, anti-knock sensors theoretically should allow you to use as low as 87 without pinging. However, I saw a post on here about sensors going bad, and the expensive replacement. I have to speculate that if such sensors are working overtime to correct for octane, they might wear out sooner. Couple that with claims by some that under many conditions they get a couple of mpg better with 93. If true, that's 10% better mileage. With gas at $3-3.50/gal, paying an extra $0.35 is a wash. And a big win if low octane does adversely impact the sensors. I think it would be worth determining exactly how mpg will vary, if at all, under identical driving conditions, with different grades. If mpg increases by 5-10%, it's probably worth using the 93.

Does anyone use the Alldatadiy service for his/her rx (model/year specific)? I've used it for several years on volvos and while it's far from complete and doesn't come close to replacing a repair manual, it does have interesting info such as cost and repair time on many jobs, and all TSBs. This may read like a promo but it's not. I'm about to renew my volvo subscription and will add new used rx330, unless people here have already found it not very helpful.

I don't have a good picture of what you're referring to, whether it's the feltlike material also used on the headliner (on my '05) or the black vinyl on the large horizontal dash. If the latter, there is nothing better for vinyl (and rubber, plastic, fiberglass, etc.) than "303 Protectant". Better than sliced bread. Google it. Here's a link: http://www.303products.com Should hide the scratches, treat the vinyl and protect against UV degradation. It's nothing like Armorall (which should never be used). Of course, try in an out of the way place first. Use also on tires and exterior rubber trim. I just checked site and have a couple of new household products.

Here's my post from early last month: 1. I find the driver's seat on our '05 causes discomfort to my right thigh due to narrowness. I've noticed the same on other cars such as MDX, Pilot and Highlander. Not so bad on Euro autos. Possibly related to fact that sized for women since they make vast majority of buying decisions in this sector, but that's beside the point. Former owner who I know was a lightweight but I notice that the leather is very wrinkled on seat (not at all on back) which has to be due to either leather stretching or foam compressing. I assume one solution would be to have seat opened up by upholstery shop and have 1/2" to 1" of good quality foam added in deep section. Cheaper alternative might be to find a good quality pad which would increase height in that area. Does anyone know if such a pad which fits that center seat section exists, and where to find?

Consumer Reports thinks it is junk. Check some other sources as well such as Edmunds for reviews. Agree. Have been considered cars to avoid (from reliability standpoint). The XC70 is a much better choice and actually has a good reliability record past few years. That said, 2008 XC70 is a new model--6 cyl from S80 as opposed to 2007 5 cyl. turbo, so reliability unproven. Performance reviews have been good. XC70 far more likely to be taken offroad than XC90. I may end up with an XC70 since has nearly as many whistles and bells, and don't think the RX330 has enough luggage space for my needs.

Chick car. Most CUVs are designed for women, since women are roughly 50% of car buyers, but influence over 80% of buying decisions. That means if wife doesn't like it, "it ain't happenin." Recent article in Wash Post fully explored the phenomenon. Real men put beer and hot coffee between their legs, but women want lots of cup holders. Women want/need a place for purses. Vanity mirrors. Back seat dvd to keep kids occupied. Navigation (but men like that too since don't have to ask another person for directions). Dual heater controls (big plus for menopausal women). Backup camera since don't like turning around. Power seat. Auto wipers. Sit high for sense of empowerment. Reliable. Nice treatment/waiting area for service. Soft ride and safe cornering electronics. Adequate power. Main concessions/appeal to men that I can see are wide tires. Plus, the biggest appeal for me is the retained resale value. I'm driving our '05 330 at the moment, like (not love) it, and don't mind all of the above. However, the one feature that drives me crazy on all of these "chick oriented" CUVs is the undersized driver's seat. Too short and narrow for my tastes, unlike many larger European cars. But women with generally shorter "seats" (go "family chair shopping" sometime if you don't know what I'm talking about), different hip structure and much more padding love it, and Toyota is not stupid.

2. I've tried to lube the seal between the door and the body with vaseline, but that didn't help at all either. Does anyone else have this problem??? and if so how did you fix it. Get the vaseline off asap. Not friendly.

I read this post about knock sensors creating problems, and other posts about how it is unnecessary to use premium (91+) fuel since knock sensors correct for "ping", and can't help but wonder whether an over-reliance on the knock sensor to correct for octane leads to premature failure. I know I've heard something to this effect in the past. Any possibility this is the case? Also, I often hear that may get 1 to 2 mpg better with premium under certain conditions. That's 5-10% better mileage, and with gas at $3/gal, could easily be worth paying extra for premium.

IME, this poster is the exception. Remember that trolls live everywhere. p.s. I don't post a lot, but I read a bit. BobL Sorry BobL. I assure you I'm not a troll. My comment was directed at the poster, but rereading it I acknowledge it certainly lost something in translation, and could easily be so construed. I'll try again: As gordonw noted, the poster berated board members for "less than perfect" information. I've seen a lot of "less than perfect" responses on other boards over the years, and have never seen that kind of response before. I have not read enough posts/responses on the Lexus board to know how often this occurs. I'll assume (and hope) that it is extremely rare. The "entitlement" comment was misdirected--it has absolutely nothing to do generally with Lexus owners, and solely to do with the feelings of the original poster (who failed to assume any responsibility for figuring out what wasn't working, in spite of the fact that he knew enough to use Langka).

I'm new to Lexus, having been a Volvo driver for 25+ years and a frequent user of various Volvo forums. I've never seen anything like the tantrum I witnessed in his posts. I hope the original poster is in no way representative of Lexus owners because I do not in any way want to be associated with a**h**e* like that. Where do people get that sense of entitlement, and complete failure to take any responsibility for their own screwups. Anyone who knows enough to use Langka should know immediately if there is something wrong with a paint being used. It should not be necessary to remove several layers. Please tell me that his behavior was the exception.

See post below re: 05 RX330 tracking/pulling. Is that what you're talking about?