RX400h

Hey, Rey, It took you 5 minutes to do that? That's incredible!

False alarm! Lemon is absolutely correct. I just examined this area in our RX and there IS a textured surface, facing the oil fill hole opening. I have attached a pic.

Let me ask you this: Did anyone check this before the vehicle was purchased? Apparently, it was overlooked and the previous owner was negligent when it came to following the correct oil change intervals. Here's a good article on engine oil sludge: http://www.yotarepair.com/sludge%20article.html It is far safer to get rid of existing sludge, slowly vs all at once (via engine flush), so my advice would be to use a good anti-sludge oil (Castrol and Pennzoil are two companies that sell anti-sludge oils) and have the oil changed maybe every 2000 miles for 2 or 3 changes. Then you may be able to go back to the normal change interval of 5 months or 5000 miles. Fe experts recommend having oil flushes performed, so I would rule that out as an acceptable solution.

I think we have the next Chuck Foose right here in this forum. Seriously, good money can be had in custom work for the wealthy. Last year I put together a fiber optic demo system for high school students. It's not nearly as neat at Cduluk's creations, but I wanted to be able to trace wires to troubleshoot, occasionally. You can see what was involved here: http://www.sme044.org/technology_for_students.htm I like doing this type of stuff, but spare time seems to be getting more scarce as I get older!

Well, my son is 19 and has approx 4 different operating systems on his HTC Touch Pro phone, as well. He now has a backup computer; I told him he can use that for his experiments. I rely too much on my computer, so I tend to be conservative when it comes to trying out "uncommon" things.

Wow, this scenario reminds me of what happens to my son with his computer. He loves to experiment with different operating systems running in virtual environments and when something weird happens, we all get a headache, trying to figure it out!

Certainly, when the ambient temps dip, tire pressure should be checked and adjusted. Setting your pressure to 34 in a garage may mean that the pressure in the tires while driving on a 0 degree day is 30. According to Tire Rack,

RX, I am assuming that someone who drives a much lighter vehicle would know that they shouldn't mimic the tire pressure maintained in tires on a vehicle that weighs quite a bit more. An RX330 is not an RX400h; I guess I have to spell that out before you assume otherwise. Of course, the average tire temperature will also make a difference, but we've driven our RX in 38 degree through 85(F) degree temps which, while not as wide a range as is experienced by some forum members, it is still wide enough for me to recommend that 33 psi is a good starting point. By the way, I maintain each tire's pressure very consistently and am assuming that others know that a 33 psi max recommendation does not mean that 27 - 39 psi would produce the same results. I did add a comment, just in case others are not the least bit knowledgeable about tires.

I think you'll find that there will always be a newer/better feature in newer models. Otherwise, why would anyone want to trade up? I would ask the dealership service manager, first. Also, I'm a bit surprised that you call yourself a techie and yet don't have a real keyboard in your phone! I have both real and virtual in my Wing and I have to admit that the real one feels so much better to use.

They are truly, excellent tires, CD.

What does the door sticker list for your car?

As many of you have discovered, the factory-recommended tire pressure for RX400hs has been 30 psi for each tire. (At least it is specified as such for our 2006) Unfortunately, keeping the OEM Goodyear tires pressurized to this number often resulted in excessive wearing of the inner and outer tread areas, indicating that 30 psi was just not enough. Upon having Bridgestone Alenzas (factory size) tires installed, I adjusted the air pressure up to 35 psi. Well, that appears to be too high, as I am seeing more wear in the center area of tread than is evident at the inner and outer areas. Thus, I have lowered each tires's pressure to 32 psi. The tires now have over 25,000 miles on them. So, to those of you who are running Alenzas, I recommend no more than 33 psi air pressure. Oh, I forgot to mention that I rotated the tires the other day and was pleasantly surprised that the brake pads looked almost new. The fact that the RX has more than 45,000 miles on it makes it astonishing. The RX330 or 350 owner would have spent over $200 for new pads, quite some time ago, I would assume. Dave

I believe you are correct in that there is a sensor that energizes the airbag only if a certain weight is exceeded. Most experts recommend that a child below that weight be secured in the back seat. My Corvette has a switch (in the glove box) that will turn off the passenger side air bag, but this car is a 2001. At some time after that year, weight sensors became the norm.

I guess it's the horrible reliability ratings from Consumer Reports (much worse than average for all years from 98-05, except 03 and 04s which were just average) as well as friends and family who did own Jeeps that have kept me from even going near that vehicle. Chrysler is at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to reliability of its vehicles - this has been published extensively. Believe it or not, I have known many people who love Corvettes and insist that they are reliable vehicles. However, one look at CR's Auto report and many years of personal experience have proved to me that this is just not true. On the other hand, we are approaching 5 years of ownership of our RX400h and it has not had one problem. This is beyond amazing, but while it is possible that this is an isolated case, ask folks on this forum who have owned an RX400h for over 4 years; I'm certain they have had similar experiences. CR's auto issue bears this out as well. Based upon others experiences (here on this forum), that appears to be the case. Whether having the extra traction is worth the cost and effort all depends upon where you live and how critical it is for you to drive in the snow on hilly terrain. To my brother in CT, having a set of snow tires is well worth it. Dave

But it IS a tire issue as well. A true snow tire won't slip nearly as easily as an all-season tire. Once your tire(s) slip, power is drastically reduced to the drive wheels and you go nowhere.

Unfortunately, few people who have owned one of the most reliable vehicles on the planet would buy one of the least reliable vehicles (any Jeep), whether it be good in the snow or not. At least Subarus are average or better when it comes to reliability. Mercedes has a diesel SUV, but it exhibited many problems, including no-starts as a Car & Driver long-term test vehicle. In any other case, fuel mileage suffers quite a bit when comparing non-hybrid SUVs with very good off-road/snow capabilities.

Perhaps, this type of tire would be a good compromise: Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3

Read Consumer Reports' last tire issue and you will likely change your mind about the differences between all-season and winter tires. There really is no comparison. My brother has owned Subarus for many years and he tells me all the time how much better winter tires are when it comes to even light snow. As you know, Subarus are all all-wheel drive. My brother lives in CT, so even though snow is not the norm, snow tires ARE during winter months for a good number of folks who must be on the road during inclement weather.

Based upon previous discussions about the RX400h in snow, the key is having very good snow tires. See the posts listed in the linked post, below: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...8&st=0&

Was the vehicle in PARK? If not, the tailgate may be disabled as a safety precaution.

I see it quite often, but then again, it never gets very cold here in San Diego. In addition, much of the last 3 miles is either down hill or level. Halfway down the hill, I see green.

Yes, this is normal, but doesn't bother me at all. I start the car and then fasten my seat belt, adjust mirrors, etc before backing out of the garage. You shouldn't have to wait more than 20 seconds or so. I keep my tire pressure at 240kpa (35 psi) and that seems to be just about perfect. I think they are a very valuable addition to almost any vehicle.

From what I've heard, a full shop manual runs over $1000 at the dealership. Thus, I'd be quite surprised if anyone does have a set.

Hey, maybe he has a $100,000 "main" vehicle and the RX400h IS his toy! :D I told my son that if he wants to experiment with a computer, don't do it with the one you depend upon - get one of our older ones and play around to your heart's content.

We bought our 2006 RX400h in April of 2005 (one of the first groups of buyers in San Diego). Since then, it has not had any problems at all and ranks as the most reliable vehicle we have ever owned. Over here in the US, the power tailgate is a standard feature. I believe there was one recall about a steering component and a wheel alignment was done afterwards (both, free of charge). One person had an inverter coolant leak, which was noticable after removing the right side engine cover. That's all I can think of for now. Perhaps others will come up with something else, but honestly, these are extremely reliable vehicles.