RX400h

That looks like a good plan, Tammy. 👌

A stuck thermostat could reduce interior heat (stuck open) or cause overheating (stuck closed or partially closed). Has anyone checked it?

There is another (potential) side to these types of stories, Tammy. Sometimes when I am waiting for a tire rotation at Discount Tire, a customer is told that he or she needs new tires. If it is Spring season here, I have at times told the customer that since it will not likely rain until November or December, a tire set purchase could be put off until a short time before then. Discount Tire does not want to be liable for NOT suggesting new tires if the tread depth is shorter than what is considered to be safe while driving in the rain (or snow for customers who drive to the mountains). It is sad that so many people are sue-happy but this is one reason why garages suggest replacing safety-related components. Of course, they make money, as well. You do have the right to look at brake pads and other "discoveries" which I have no problem doing. 🙂

Have you looked at tirerack.com? https://www.tirerack.com/suspension/Susptabl.jsp?autoMake=Lexus&autoModel=RX330&autoYear=2005&autoModClar= They typically have some decent aftermarket parts at good prices. Springs rarely fail due to age. Most likely, you don't need new ones.

The three top rated all-season tires, according to Consumer Reports are: 1. General Atimax 2. Michelin Defender T+H 3. Continental True Contact Tour The three top rated all-season SUV tires, according to Consumer Reports are: 1. Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max 2. Kumho Crugen Premium 3. Bridgestone Dueler H/L 422 Ecopia We have the Continentals from list 1 and they are excellent.

That is odd. Of course, it'd be great to know the cause of the short. Years ago, my son had to have his air conditioning harness replaced in his Honda. One day I was returning from taking the dog for a walk when I saw a gray streak run under his car. I looked underneath but found nothing, so I assumed a large rat had been hiding in the engine bay. It turns out that the culprit was a rabbit. I found it under the hood after going to Home Depot. Hopefully, a rodent is not your perpetrator. 🙂

Interesting find: During my draining of engine oil, I check fluid levels and clean up the engine bay. While looking at the battery's electrolyte levels in the cells, I noticed that one was dry, so I added distilled water. Could the false-positive code I had seen have been caused by this battery cell? Perhaps. So far, the code has not popped up again.

Also, check your battery to verify that no cells are dry.

Have you looked at www.crutchfield.com? Not only will they most likely have many possible selections of audio equipment, but they also provide detailed installation instructions.

Before you replaced the motor, did you check to see if there was power going to it?

When I need an out-of-warranty alignment, I take the vehicle to an alignment shop. That is their specialty, and they are very experienced.

I will - so far, so good!🤞

Nice review - thanks!

Last Friday, the check engine light illuminated, as did the Check Hybrid System light. Upon checking the code, I found that it was POA1D (Hybrid Powertrain Control Module) I then called two dealerships to question whether our RX400h should be driven to the dealership with this code/warning lights and they both recommended having it towed. We had it towed to the closest dealership and they did see the code listed as a history code but it was not "active", meaning it was most likely a "False-positive" warning. They also found the front brake pads to be 1mm thick. We bought this vehicle in April of 2005 and have never replaced the brake pads. This is amazing since we live on a hill and drive in the city with lots of stop and go traffic (125,000 miles on the odometer). But getting back to the POA1D code..... To be certain that it really was a false-positive, I gave the service technician permission to drive the vehicle to his home and back to work in the morning to verify that the warnings did not return. Thankfully, they have not returned. We had the brake work done and we were merrily on our way with hope that the front brake pads will last another 14 years. I am a bit puzzled why there was no audible warning that the brake pads were so thin. Typically, there'd be a small metal tab that would intermittently touch the rotor while it is rotating without the brake applied. You can hear this contact as a chirping noise, especially when your closest window is down and you are driving by something that is fairly close to the vehicle, allowing the chirping sound to bounce off of the car or other large object. I never heard this with the Lexus -- perhaps because the windows are rarely down + the vehicle is very well insulated.

Thanks for the update. Ours is still working well but I'll keep an eye on that camera.

I have Continental tires as well. They are very good tires for a great price.👌

Are you certain that the voltage is supposed to be about 6?

Has it ever been changed? If not, there's your possible answer.

I would suggest you buy tires, first. Consumer Reports rates tire noise for each tire brand and model they test. I look for tires that have good all-around performance and are quiet. Then try to determine if there is any other noise. At least at this point you'd have isolated one source of noise.

Common reasons for this to happen: Bad Fuse: Like many electronically controlled systems in your car, the cruise control has a corresponding fuse which will blow to protect the system if it senses a short circuit. When the fuse of for the cruise control blows, the cruise control will stop working altogether. Failing Brake Pedal Switch: The brake pedal switch turns on the vehicles brake lights when it senses that the brake pedal has been pressed. Because cruise control systems have been designed to disengage when the brake pedal is pressed, the cruise control is wired to the brake pedal switch. If the brake pedal switch fails, the car may think the brakes are engaged and not allow the cruise control system to turn on. Failing Speed Sensor: A speed sensor has many purposes including indicating the speed of the vehicle, regulating flow of fuel and ignition timing, and operating the cruise control. If the speed sensor fails the cruise control may stop working. You may also notice that the speedometer has stopped working and the engine has more difficulty when idling.

I would call a dealership's parts department to see if anything is different between the two assemblies.

My wife always uses a windshield cover on our RX400h, yet the dash needed replacement, anyway. It was the material that was defective. Nonetheless, I recommend that you use a windshield cover since it both reduces the interior temperature AND protects the dash. I use a car cover on my cars but it can be cumbersome to install on a large vehicle on a daily basis so she uses only the windshield cover. And by the way, Armor All does not accelerate drying/cracking/. It may have, 30 years ago but its modern formula has been proven to protect plastic surfaces from sun exposure. I use non-glossy AA on my interior plastics and the glossy stuff on door/hood seals and hoses in the engine bay.

Sometimes biting the bullet and having the dealership (Lexus or Toyota) mechanics troubleshoot the issue will save you time and money in the long run. It is more likely that they have resolved a similar issue. Based upon what you describe, this is not a simple component swap solution.

A few tips: 1. When looking for a used vehicle, arm yourself with information about it before talking to the owner. Many owner's manual maintenance tables are available online. In this table are maintenance requirements regarding frequency of replacement of air/oil filters, engine oil, coolant, timing belts, etc. 1.1 Conduct a phone interview and ask if the items requiring replacement (based upon the vehicle's mileage) were replaced. Ask the owner if records and/or receipts were retained. Ask about the length of drives to work and back. Short trips of less than 3-5 miles may require more often oil/filter changes. 2. Salvage vehicles can save you quite a bit of money, but precautions should be taken. 2.1 Does the owner have photos of the damage? Rear damage is often preferred. 2.2 Was the damage professionally repaired. Are there receipts? 2.3 Take the vehicle to an auto body shop for inspection/integrity of repair. The underside should also be inspected. 2.4 A good-looking and well-repaired salvage title vehicle should sell for 40-50% less than a clean title vehicle, all other factors being the same (mileage, options, overall condition) 2.5 Keep in mind that ST vehicles can be more difficult to resell but if you plan to keep the vehicle for many years, you can save quite a bit of coin. 3. I bought a salvage title Mazda, 7 years ago and saved $8000 over a non-ST MX5. It has been super-reliable and I have enjoyed it, immensely over the years.

The general rule is that if a repair or repairs within a short period of time are equal to or greater than 50% of the value of the car, then it may be time to buy a replacement vehicle.