strmrdr23

yikes! i guess we'll never know why the chicken crossed the road...at least not this particular chicken

These pics were from the Porsche forum. A Boxster going +120mph hits a chicken. A little more to one side and the driver is history... lucky SOB.

are you trying to put video up front? there isn't really any easy way to do it and have it integrated into the front dash. i've seen a few peeps on here do it but it seemed like quite an undertaking :whistles: i have dvd for my rear passengers utilizing a monitor housing that's replaced a portion of my center console. there are some folks that have done headrest monitors as well. the search function will be your best friend in finding those threads. ;) oh, and welcome to the club!!

you don't hafta remove the water pump unless you're going to replace it. that being said, most people just opt to replace the water pump the same time they do timing belt because they're already in there at that time and it's probably worth it to just do it all in one shot unless you enjoy paying for the labor again ;)

Just wondering in order to do a timing belt change on the 2000 RX 300, does it require removal of the water pump? Also can anyone recommend a good indy mechanic in Atlanta.

man, did you get any studying done??? hahaha...looks good! you got a big ol' speaker box in the back! i bet that pounds when your crank it

Hello All!

I have been working on my 1999 Rx300 Slowly over about the past 2 months and would like to share a few pictures of the progress. I am a college student so I really only get to work on it on the weekends when I get a chance to go home. Please remember that I by no means claim to be an expert, or would ever claim that any of the work I have done is anywhere near perfection. I am simply an avid car audio do-it-yourselfer. Anyone who knows how the RX300's center console looks factory will see how much work really had to be done. Just about all fabrication of trim panels were made using the "frame" of existing trim panels and then built up with fiberglass strand bondo, then bondo ultimate, then sanded for countless hours. Just about everything is a work in progress, with myself never being satisfied. I updated the entire sound system first with a Kenwood DDX-7017 DVD/CD double din head unit, then with two sets of JL Audio XR series components. For the front set of components I managed to squeeze them into the stock location on the dash for a really clean look. I also built a custom subwoofer box for three JL Audio 12w3v2's and 2 JL Audio amps and a soon to be hidden Sony X-Plod amp. Please take a look and feel free to give any feedback, good or....well you know. Thanks

i think blitzsafe.com makes an adapter so that you can use an after market cd changer thru your oem head unit. as to whether any of the after market changers fit in the factory location, i dunno...

The glovebox CD changer in my 2000 RX-300 just quick working. (Plays some CDs, but skips or doesn't play most.)

I have the Lexus Premium sound system, and the changer is made by Pioneer with a Toyota part number on it.

Anyone know where I can either:

(a) buy a replacement for the OEM unit (for a reasonable price)

(B) have the OEM unit repaired (without getting gouged), or

© find a suitable substitute that I can swap out in the same (glovebox) space?

I'd be REAL happy if I could install a unit with a single slot feed mechanism and dump that *$!#@$ Pioneer cassette!

Thanks!

dang it! the don't make one for the rx300 non-nav either :( booooo

I want to connect my iPod mini to my RX radio. Today, I found a company (http://www.densionusa.com) who claims they can connect to the radio and control the iPod via the radio/wheel controls. I am interested in hearing from other RX owners who might have purchase this solution.

Regards,

Mike

does it matter what year i tell him for a highlander? i thought the older model used the 3.0l while the newer ones have the 3.3l motor. or could i just say i have the 1mzfe motor?

The Toyota part# of the existing belt is clearly imprinted on the top side surface of the belt itself. Copy down this number and ask a Toyota dealer to match it. Or if you want 28% off on the price call 1stttoyotaparts.com (Bob Bridge Toyota)

If the Toyota dealer insists upon knowing what vehicle you have say "a Toyota Highlander". If you say "RX300" then the Toyota dealer will likely say "we don't carry Lexus parts" because his computer won't tell him what Toyota parts are shared by Lexus models

i had a similar issue before and it appeared that all the bulbs were in working order in the back...that is until i stepped on the brakes and noticed the brake light on the top of the lift gate (high mounted brake light) wasn't firing up. i had to have somebody stand behind the car while stepped on the brakes to see it. try that. i hope that helps ;)

Hey,

Thanks so much. I guess this does make sense.

Although none of my rear lights are out. Tried the

taillights, brake lights, reverse lights, turn signals.

Could this be a sensor problem? B/c my check

engine light came on a few hours later but it's

seems fine to me. I'll get it check out at the perfermance

auto this weekend

Thanks!

hey guys,

I have a 2001 RX300 Silversport. My headlights are the regular halogens.  This headlight housing isnt the "auto-leveling" one you guys mention of before right?  HIDs didn't come with my car so I would need to replace the headlight housing if i wanted the "real" HIDs, correct? I been thinking about getting new lights for my car so just wanted to figure out my options correctly.  the silverstars definitely look nice.  There are soo many 9006 "imitation" xenons on ebay.  Do you guys have a recommendation?

I am still not sure if I just want the silverstars (bright white) or if i want a kinda minorly blueish tint light.  any feedback is greatly appreciated! :)

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i'm not trying to mess with that aftermarket mess...there's a guy on ebay selling oem HID ballasts with rebased 9006 oem bulbs. that means they took the factory ballasts and retrofitted it for our power plugs and the factory bulbs and retrofitted the base of the bulb to fit 9006 housing. the bulbs are supposed to be focused for the reflector type housings as well. it's supposed to be completely plug and play...i plan on getting these after xmas (pockets are looking kinda tight right now :( ) but i think somebody else on here might have them already. these are the real koito/denso joints... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/9006-HB4-HI...1QQcmdZViewItem

I've been frustrated at how to hook my iPod to my '99 RX300 stereo. I've got the high end Nackimichi and connecting a high fidelity source like an iPod through a FM transmitter or fake cassette really s**ked. I searched all these forums and elsewhere to no avail, and talked to a varieity of car stereo shops.

Finally I found in San Diego. I pulled the radio unit out (easy) and shipped it to him, and for $250 he soldered a cable deep into the internals of the stereo. I now have a 3' cable coming out of the bottom of my dash with a 3.5mm plug on the end. It takes over the cassette deck and POW full high fidelity with my iPod jacked in.

Just thought I'd share.

Jim

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can you post some pics of your set up? does the ipod plug in from the top thru the headphone jack or the bottom thru the other jack?

I own a 2000 RX300 with about 60,000 miles on it.  In April 2005 it stalled while sitting at a red light, it started right back up.  Took it to the dealer and he said it needed the injectors cleaned which I did.  A few months later it stalled again while be driven, it started right back up.  This happen a couple of more times and it always starts right back up.  I took it to the dealer and he replaced the idle control valve for about $470.00.  A few weeks later it stalled again.  Took it back to the dealer and he kept it to drive to try to get it to stall for 2 weeks, it did not.  Took it back and a few weeks later it stalled again.  Took it to the dealer and he has kept it for 2 weeks and has found nothing wrong with the car.  I am suppose to pick it up today.  Does anyone have any suggestions, or has anyone had the same problem?

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i've heard this from a bunch of other folks and nobody has found a resolution yet...it just happens randomly

Impossible to tell whether to change a timing belt or not, but rightly or wrongly I have never changed one on any vehicle I have ever owned, and never had one fail.  As long as your engine type will not be damaged if the belt breaks, and you can afford to be stranded/inconvenienced if it does, the cost is about the same as fixing it ahead of time!

Currently, my 1996 Toyota 4Runner (175,000 miles) and 2000 Honda Odyssey (120,000) still have the original belts.  (Knocking loudly on wood!)

I hope to change the belts on these if/when the water pump goes, instead of the other way around.  Seems the pump would go before the belt... but what do I know?  Good luck!

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hmmm, an interesting take...personally, i'm of the preventative-maintenance school of thought and i figure i've rode this timing belt for about 100k, it's time to change them. i'm not trying to be that guy driving up to canada or whatever and be in the middle of nowhere with kids in the backseat and then have my car take a dump on me...it ain't cheap but on the flip side, if it does break on me because i neglected to change it before hand, i'm gonna WISH i had... ;)

Given the fact that you have the 18's and the 255's any issues with the ride quality, and performance?  Also did you need the spacers? 

Thanks and btw the ride looks nice.

Nate

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thanks! i put 5mm spacers but in retrospect, i think 10mm woulda been better...ride is softer but that's cause i'm comin' off 20's on 245/40/20...i've only had them for 5 days so i don't really notice any diff in performance yet...

Igot a RX300 and would like to put 18 wheels, but I heard that hte 255-55-18 tires won`t fit. Any ideas?  Help!  Thanks

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hey, so check out my posts on wheel spacers. i put 255/55/18 on my stock rx400h rims that i mounted on my rx300...the tires rub in back. i put 5mm but i think 10mm spacers would be better. i think i'd prefer 245/50/18 tires better as i think they would be closer to factory rolling diametre...what everybody said about having the correct offset is correct and super important in ensuring your wheel/tire combo will fit or not.

Do you have any pics of your tires on your rims?  I am putting the 330 rims on and plan to get the 255/55 because there are more tire options and they are cheper.  Any issues using the spacers?

THanks

BDA_Lexus

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ok, here's some pics of my ride. before you complain bout the pic quality, note that they were taken with my camera phone! ;)

i got 245/40/20 on my summer rims with no need for spacers but the rim size was only 20x8.5, tho...

i got a 5mm spacer and my tires now clear the rear strut...just barely, tho...i went and picked up the h&r joints and dude said i didn't need to extend the bolts for 5mm but he says i prolly shoulda got a 10mm for add'l clearance. it's all good now but inretrospect, i think i shoulda just gotten like some 245/50/18 or 235/55/18 tires instead...

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I 255/35/20 on rx300 with 1.5 spacers on and they fit just fine

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i got a 5mm spacer and my tires now clear the rear strut...just barely, tho...i went and picked up the h&r joints and dude said i didn't need to extend the bolts for 5mm but he says i prolly shoulda got a 10mm for add'l clearance. it's all good now but inretrospect, i think i shoulda just gotten like some 245/50/18 or 235/55/18 tires instead...

when i searched the tire size for 18" rims on tires.com it said that was the right size for an rx300...it did seem a bit wider even than the 245/40/20 i run on my summer rims...my tires appear to only be rubbing a little bit on the bottom of my shock in back...

Don't keep that size of tire on the 300 that is alot more power usuage than the tranny will want to keep working.

There are many spacers available.

3mm ones are easy to use with no mods but there are many who find them to cause the wheels to seperate from the hub as they do not fit flush.

I am not sure you have enough room to even fit a tire of 255 on a 300 so you may move from the inside fender to the outside one.

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ok i got some 255/55/18 tires on my rx400h wheels that i put on my rx300 and the back tires are rubbing ever so slightly. i think i need to get some spacers for the back, mebbe 2 or 3mm? what i wanna know is is there any difference in spacers? specific brands i should avoid or you would recommend? any insight would be great...

holy crap! that's a good deal! i spent more on my flippin' tires than you did on the whole ride! hahaha...have fun, man!

Yep, it's official. Threw him a lowball offer and he came down from $1800 to $1,000 and I'll have the car tomorrow night. I will heed the good advice here. Thanks all for your replies.  I will adress the safety issues first, then have make some better judgements on what to repair or not. Or I may just drive it until it gives up and part it out. The interior and exterior are incredible for a quarter million miles!

I'll post some pics in the next few days.

I just pulled out an original Lexus window sticker for a '90 with the same options, total price $43,763. I wonder what the price increase for 1991 was? I just paid for the car what the original owner paid for the Nakamichi upgrade alone.

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i think it ultimately boils down to what you expect from the '91. are you gonna try to restore it to it's former glory and try to flip it for a profit or do it as a daily driver? if that's the case, it might be a money pit...if the engine, body, and tranny are still intact but suspension is going, personally, i'd consider it a project car and "vip car" it up ;) that's a good price for a project car and if it ain't your daily driver, you can have it in the shop as long as it needs to be there. rims, tires, suspension and stereo are the first things i'd upgrade anyways so that takes care of most of the items from your "bad" list! boo yaa...my 2 cents

I'm always looking for a cheap "sidekick" to my '98 that I could play around with. This is a loaded '91.

The Good :D :

It's a Lexus

Engine Smooth and Strong

Tranny Smooth and Strong

Body Excellent, Paint Shiny, No Accidents

Nakamichi, LCD works, Hood Struts Work

Leather in Overall Great Shape

Timing Belt Just Completed

Pearl White with Gold Emblems and Factory Chrome Wheels

All windows, locks, antenna, htd seats, cd changer work fine

California car for 10 years, no rust

The Bad :( :

250k miles

Needs Tires, possible brakes and rotors

Slow Loss of Brake Fluid and PS Fluid

Coolant Low Don't know why

Front Suspension Noise

AC Needs Compressor

2 Rear Speakers Inoperable

Possible Tranny Mounts

The Ugly :cries: :

Shifter and Steering Wheel Leather Worn

Air Suspension and Not In Good Shape

Who knows what else?

I put the air suspension in "Ugly" because I know how much it will cost to convert or fix. I love my '98, and learned quite a bit on my former 92. I've never seen an LS400 for a price this low. He's asking $1800, but the real question is how much for all the repairs? I can have it inspected, but at this price it really comes down to repair costs. I really love the air suspension when it works right, but I may have to let this one die. I can bounce all 4 corners and they move very differently. After test driving, the front end looked like it took a nosedive. I keep saying that it's a money pit but for $1500 for an LS it could be a long fun project - what do you think? The car started right up, and still drove like an LS despite the issues. Basically a great looking LS with a strong engine and tranny but otherwise falling apart. Should I consider?

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get the d2r for the stock halogen reflectors...make sure you get a kit where the bulbs are rebased to fit into the halogen housings...the link you provided shows the bulbs are not rebased and prolly won't fit

did you purchase the denso oem HID kit w/9006 rebased bulbs? if so, all you gotta do is remove the old halogens from the headlight housing, disconnect the power plug from the old bulbs, insert your new HID bulbs (if they're the rebased ones they should fit right back in like the halogens did), connect the cable from the ballast to your bulb, find a place to mount your ballast in your engine compartment (make sure you don't have it near any moving or hot parts), and then plug the power plug into the adaptor that leads to your ballast and you should be in business. this is all assuming you've purchase that retrofitted HID kit that uses the oem denso ballasts and phillips 4300k bulbs that have been rebased to be compatible with 9006 bulbs. if not you should contact the seller and they should be able to tell you how to install it ;)

D2S bulbs came with the OEM denso Kit, so should I get the D2R bulbs or should the D2S bulbs work fine with the standard halogens headlight housing??

This is the kit that I bought from E-bay E-bay Link

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did you purchase the denso oem HID kit w/9006 rebased bulbs? if so, all you gotta do is remove the old halogens from the headlight housing, disconnect the power plug from the old bulbs, insert your new HID bulbs (if they're the rebased ones they should fit right back in like the halogens did), connect the cable from the ballast to your bulb, find a place to mount your ballast in your engine compartment (make sure you don't have it near any moving or hot parts), and then plug the power plug into the adaptor that leads to your ballast and you should be in business. this is all assuming you've purchase that retrofitted HID kit that uses the oem denso ballasts and phillips 4300k bulbs that have been rebased to be compatible with 9006 bulbs. if not you should contact the seller and they should be able to tell you how to install it ;)

You only need to pop them out and plug the new ones in. The whole headlight unit doesn't need to be removed.

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Thanks this helps knowing they're "plug and play"

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one of my parking lights (the tiny lights on either corner of the headlight) on my rx300 has blown out but i'm not sure how i can reach back there to change it...do i hafta remove the whole headlight unit? that would be a b*tch for just that tiny bulb. anybody?

welcome to the club, man! there's a couple companies that offer dvd playback thru the nav screen...peep out nav-tv.com or vaistech.com...not a whole lotta engine mods avail right now but you can do a quick search thru forums...

Hi everyone. New member saying hello. Bought an rx330 with nav a while ago. amazing car. Ill post some pics when I can get a hold of a camera.

My first question as a newb is if I could play DVD movies on the navigation screen?

Are there any performance upgrades for the Rx330?

Where could I find any TSBs/Recalls out for the Rx330?

Thanks.. :)

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