RX400h

Did you post this in the Lexus RX300 / Lexus RX330 / Lexus RX350 Forums? I understand that the non-hybrid RX350 is similar to the RX400h in many ways, but to be honest, I haven't seen any complaints regarding speedometer and/or odometer accuracy in this forum.

How far off is your vehicle's speed and distance measurement?

40 PSI, really? The manual says 30 PSI for the 2007 400h. Is yours different?

I suggest 34-36 psi. The 30 psi listed in the manual and on the door jam sticker is incorrect. (Many of us learned the hard way!)

As a reminder, you don't have to buy oversize tires to notice an improvement over the OEM Goodyears. Quite often, worn tires are noisey and harsh when compared to their brand-new state. My Bridgestone Alenzas are stock size and handle incredibly well. Somehow, I have a feeling that the procedure you mentioned does not recalibrate everything related to tire-related calculations. Of course, I could be wrong...

when you guys say techron, do you mean the Chevron gas?

I only use Chevron in my cars, nothing else. just premium Chevron with Techron. lol. Glad i made the right fuel choice to stay with.

There's an additive, as well, at auto stores. Put the contents in the tank, and drive it. I used it many years ago on an 83 MB diesel. We drove low annual mileage and the engine developed detonation. Literally, after about 20 miles with the additive in the tank, it stopped the detonation and it never returned. Good stuff, but if you already use Chevron it would be overkill unless you're trying to cure a problem.

I agree, although you could save quite a bit of money by pumping Arco gas and then using a can of concentrated Techron every so often. Chevron gas is expensive compared to most other brands.

Your problem appears to be rare among us RX400h owners. Another thing I should mention is that anytime you know you won't be driving a vehicle for more than one month, you should add fuel stabilizer to the gas. This prevents the gas from getting "sour", which tends to wreak havoc on components that come into contact with it. I throw a can of Techron in the gas tank of each of my 4 vehicles at least once per year. It does work!

Dave

I know that high-sulfer fuel has been blamed for many a gauge/sender unit malfunction in C5 Corvettes. Many have resolved the issue by pouring a can of Techron in their tank. California already has low-sulfer fuel, but perhaps other states do not? ....just a thought.

Guys, some forums have an "Off-Topic" section that allows almost any type of discussion. This forum does not, so in order to avoid animosity about a subject that was not the main topic of this post (thankfully), I think it's time for this post to end.

Dave

Keep in mind that the factory-specified tire pressure recommendation that is listed in the manual and on a door jamb sticker is incorrect.

The correct pressure should be 34-36 psi at approx. 70 degrees, before driving. The best I could do was to get free mounting and balancing after my tires were worn out at the inner and outer edges after 18,000 miles.

When you get new tires, ignore the factory pressure spec; your tires will last much longer. I recommend the Bridgestone Alenzas - excellent tires and highly rated by the Tirerack customers.

I guess the possibilities are endless and we may see some or all of what you mention, W. For an efficient, yet somewhat powerful sedan, the Camry Hybrid is stellar, IMO. Ah, but we are getting a bit off-topic again. What happened to the snow country comments. Maybe the original poster received enough information......

Dave

Okay, let's not get too far off-topic here. Debating whether global warming is real or not can easily get out of hand, so why don't we back away from this issue - at least here. The gas prices here are expected to go up to $4.00 or more, this Summer and I think that's reason enough to have a hybrid SUV.

Thanks,

Dave

I am still somewhat amazed that Jeeps are still selling, given their less than stellar repair history (according to Consumer Reports and neighbors who had them). I guess their two advantages are their off-road ability and their cost. Still, I will always remember my neighbor's comments about his Grand Cherokee: "Every time I look underneath it, I see another leak!"

The RX400h is light-years ahead as far as fuel economy, quality, and reliability - well worth the extra cost, IMO.

Many OEM tires wear out far more quickly than aftermarket versions, even by the same manufacturer. This is why I stayed away from the OEM tires when it comes time for replacement. Still, one might assume that the Michelins are longer-lasting compared to the OEM Goodyears, but as I mentioned previously, it is those Goodyears that are made of a very soft compound, not the aftermarket Goodyears, which have been highly rated by many magazines and Tirerack buyers.

I bring up the warranty issue because many header manufacturers state in their warranty that it is voided if the headers are wrapped with a thermal barrier. I had Doug Thorley headers in my 68 Corvette and I remember seeing this warning. I can theorize why this is so. Stainless steel will corrode quite easily if moisture and anaerobic conditions are present. Let's say you take a piece of 316 stainless steel and immerse it in a pool of water. It should remain pristine as long as its passivation "layer" is exposed to moving water. Now take that same piece and bolt a plastic washer to it. After only a few weeks, the stainless steel surface that is under the washer will exhibit pitting corrosion. Perhaps if the entire exhaust pipe is hermetically sealed so that absolutely no moisture may enter, the stainless steel would remain pristine. However, chances are that a wrap of some sort may not completely seal the surface underneath it, allowing crevice (pitting) corrosion to occur.

So the key is to seal the pipes so well that no water could possibly wick its way in and underneath the "barrier".

Dave

Excellent writeup! However, I think I would research into this application a bit further, as most header manufacturers will void their warranty if thermal wraps are applied. Apparently, the metal used for exhaust headers is designed to radiate heat outward to help cool the metal itself. Barrier coatings are sometimes used as stated:

Thermal Barrier is an excellent heat barrier and is recommended for the bottom of intake manifolds & exhaust crossovers to reduce heat transfer. It may also be applied to windage trays, crank scrapers and crankshafts for oil shedding. In certain instances Thermal Barrier may be desirable on the inside of oil pans where good heat retention is desired, such as at drag races, where oil in the pan may become cold while waiting in staging lanes.

Although heat and sound are greatly subdued by applying thermal barriers, the potential damage to the underlying metal in exhaust header applications should not be underestimated. I would also check with Lexus to verify whether this type of modification voids its warranty.

Dave

Has anyone had the Michelin MXV4 S8's and switched to the Bridgestone Alenza's? I would be interested in a comparison between the two on an RX400h... Ride, wear, snow traction, handling etc... I've looked at the customer reviews on tirerack.com and the Alenza looks superior in almost every way. Is it significant enough to make it worth shelfing the Michelin's and switching to the Alenza's?

Thanks,

Jim

A good comparison should come after many thousands of miles, IMO. I've had many different types of similarly-sized tires over the past 10 years on our Nissan Quest van - Goodyears, Sumitomos, Coopers, Dunlops, etc. and most, if not all felt great for the first 5-10 thousand miles. It's the mileage that comes after that that will separate the wheat, so to speak. That being said, I continue to be cautiously enthusiastic about our Bridgestone Alenzas - great tires thus far!

Some people use a cage to contain their pets in the back. I find that if someone is in the back seat, he or she can keep my dog still. If I need to take her by myself or with one person, I take my 1989 Mazda; it's hard to scratch the fabric seats!

A.Box,

How did you end up with a RHD in TN?

Jim

Say, the steering wheel IS on the wrong side!

I've work at a dealer and almost every set of Toyo S/T equipped car at some after about 10,000 miles were making lots of noise. With the directional tread patten, you can't cross rotate for pulls/drifts either. I don't like those tires for those reasons. Hopefully yours don't sound like a helicopter on wheels.

I had a similar experience with Sumitomo tires on our Nissan Quest. The tires were perfectly quiet and smooth for about 10,000 miles or so. After that, the tread noise became very irritating, at best. We now have over 1000 miles on our Bridgestone Alenzas and from what I've read in the many reviews on the internet, they should remain quiet for a very long time (non-unidirectional threads probably help in this regards).

As was mentioned, though - time and mileage will tell. So far, our Alenzas get two thumbs up from my household.

Dave

Generally when that happens, it means the base material was not properly prepared OR primer was not applied before painting. ALWAYs use a primer before painting steel or aluminum.

Dave

....impressive reply by WWest - good explanation!

Actually, I can say the same thing about the Bridgestones - MUCH better handling compared to the OEM tires. Another thing to consider is unsprung weight. The lighter the components, the better the ride. For this reason, I shy away from heavier wheels and/or tires.

Dave

I can't find any comparisons between this TOYO and the Bridgestone's for things like handling, road noise, wet/dry traction, snow etc....

Are these performance tires (dry pavement only)? Are they long wearing or soft? The tread looks like it is not an all season tire so it would have poor to hazardous winter performance in snow and wet... is this true?

Right now I'm leaning toward the Bridgestone simply becasue I can comprare it to the the Goodyear and Michlen choices as well as others like Yoko and see that these Bridgestones are the winners, hands down.

This is one of the reasons why I chose the Bridgestones:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresult...;speed_rating=Y

Every review by owners of SUVs were very positive about them. Even owners of RX330s were very impressed. I'm sure the Toyos are good tires as well; it's just that with so much positive feedback on the Bridgestones (and an incredible price of $600/4)m I just couldn't pass them up.

Never owned Mercedes but drove few of those and Lexus has long way to catch them with Luxury finish or feel.

I've driven in many Mercedes vehicles and I'm not sure what you are talking about. Lexus is known throughout the industry as having one of the best interiors. Audi does a good job, but I'm not impressed with Mercedes.

The lights-again-not the interior but reading lights-check this ones and you'll know what I mean.

GPS screen-somehow no one else is being sued by drivers so it's just a silly explanations-it looks more of a bad design than anything. Doesn't really make any sense considering that the same attention would have to be used to operate the radio i.e. regardless where is it being displayed.Remember that you have to click on the disclaimer every time you want to use GPS-and it's extremely easy from engineering point of view to allow using GPS whenever your passenger seat is occupied.

Lawyers would eat that up and go directly at Toyota's juggular on that one. As I said, what makes sense to the average person does not necessarily make sense to a lawyer. I can almost guarantee you that you don't trim a tree that hangs out over a sidewalk, some jogger will wack his or her head on a branch and sue you for failing to provide safe passageway. It doesn't matter if any normal person would see the tree limb and move out of the way. Again, lawsuit-happy gold-diggers could care less if their actions cause the rest of us to suffer daily.

Now speaking a "real world " and "real driving"-problem is that most RX owners here don't apply it to their cars.If you're talking about ML500 getting 12mpg - than please apply the same driving style to your RX400h and than compare-I did try a performance driving that I used to do on my BMW and on RX I got mileage in "teens" (anywhere from 14 to 18). It's so easy to say -" Ohh well I get 28mpg in the city as oppose to 12 or 14 that BMW gets"-what a joke. No one here wants to do honest comparison-I don't argue that RX has definitely better mileage but it's not as shocking as everyone pictures-therefore it shouldn't be a greatest factor.

If you get only 14-18 MPG with an RX400h, then you are driving like a maniac, pure and simple. I drive very briskly and my wife, as an average driver and we average 25 MPG. My previous coworkers, who both had RX330s, average 16 MPG. Both are VERY conservative drivers.

I think more honest way to describe that car would be to say that it gives you an option to save gas if you're ready to give up you driving habits and enjoyment from performance that the car delivers.

Saying that you'd go broke with a German car- come on if you can afford 50k+ car I think you can afford gas for it.

I did take a test drive-but it's a little hard to get all the cons from using a car for 20minute-don't you think?

I blast past X5s all the time and STILL average 25 MPG. I guarantee you, I am having fun when I see the look on their faces!

"Affording" the gas has nothing to do with it. I refuse to waste my money on gas for a vehicle that can't get better than 14 MPG in the city. Even my Corvette gets better than that. The German SUV manufacturers were caught flat-footed by the RX400h. How embarrasing to Porsche that an RX400h is faster than their Cayenne S, yet trounces it when it comes to efficiency. Where is the high-level engineering? It's at Toyota!

Guys I'm the owner of a RX400h for a year now. This is my 4th luxury car-Audi and Alfa Romeo back in Europe, BMW here and now it's Lexus. The only reason I bought RX400h was not to get better mileage but to be more environment friendly and at the same not to trade off luxury feeling while driving it (because if you're not into luxury cars get Ford or Honda). First and foremost:

RATTLES

As I said on the other topic-any car with over $40k price tag should have none-period-use the plastic and engineering resources to make sure that it's not acting like sub $20k car. If they claim to be a Luxury car makers-than they're falling short of Daimler-Benz or BMW

I guess you never read anything about the first-year Mercedes SUV. It was so full of squeeks and rattles that sales plummeted for years. I don't think they ever fully recovered from the bad press they received after that fiasco. Even today, Mercedes Benz has one of the worst reliability ratings of any carmaker. I think if you were to poll RX400h owners, you'd find that the majority of them have few-to-no rattles or squeeks. Ours is virtually perfect in that regard.

ELECTRONICS

Well-let's be honest-it's cool to see how your hybrid system is working- but what use does it have??-I'd rather see what my average speed is or how many miles I can make on fuel left in my tank (even Ford hybrids give you that option).

Two sets of keys should automatically select different user modes so when you open the door it adjusts the car to your likes-and if your wife does it-car changes settings (like other cars do).

Interior Driver and Passenger lights-it's so stupid that they don't turn off when you lock the car-I could forgive it if the car didn't need Hybrid System Calibration every time you run down AUX battery like it happens in this case

And not being able to work on radio using GPS display is just ridiculous.

My interior lights turn off after a few seconds of closing the door.

Not being to use the GPS protects Toyota from getting sued by all the sue-happy leeches out there. It's sad that there are so many, but they are there, waiting to sue after a collision that happened while they were entering an address in the NAV system.

RIDE

Agree that the car has a smooth ride but try to accelerate quickly- engine noise is annoying-did you guys try driving ML500??

Also lots of wind noises getting into the car.

The ML500 gets 12 MPG in real-world city driving - no thanks! Yes, other gasoline-only vehicles are quieter during brisk acceleration, but that is a small price to pay for the extra power and twice the fuel mileage if the RX, IMO.

FUEL CONSUMPTION

Not that I care but this is the biggest joke of all. Driving normally like any other car you would - there is no way to get even close to EPA number-and I don't care that RX330 has worse mileage and doesn't get close to it's numbers-think out of the box-there are other car makers than Lexus. My BMW was of by 10%-not 30-40%.Driving it in the city (live myself in NY) like a normal car - there is no way to get even close to 30. How about average 20. And I did try to challenge myself once-drove like a grandma for entire tank-what did I accomplish?- 24. But it gets better on highway-if you don't exceed 60-65 you can get something like 26-but who drives that slow??

Have you ever compared the "real world mileage" to that of any competing SUVs? The Mercedes and Volkswagens are horrible and the BMWs are not far behind. I'd go broke driving any one of the German SUVs, believe me.

TIRES

Enough topics here about that issue-nothing to add

Sure car has few other cool features but this is what the others have to offer-nothing special in case of Lexus.

For sure this is my last experience with that automaker-and definitely I can't recommended them to any of my friends.

It sounds like you never test-drove your RX before you bought it. While this is not the vehicle for everyone, it is rated #1 by Consumer Reports for very good reasons. I kindly suggest that you buy the Mercedes and don't forget to wave to us as we pass you at the gas station.

I agree with Gordon; many of today's luxury vehicle seats are loaded with electronics and related safety components. I believe that the RX400h seats were designed to accomodate anyone who weighs anywhere from 90 to 290 lbs. Unfortunately, we who are in decent shape, end up with the bench-style seats. Perhaps we should let Lexus customer service know that adjustable side and thigh supports would be much appreciated.

Dave