RX400h

Okay, I have to ask: Did you look at the engine before you bought your RX?

What does your owner's maintenance manual list for transmission fluid change intervals? If 90,000 miles is listed, then a simple drain and fill is all you need. Regarding brake fluid changes: The mechanic should have testing strips that detect the amount of copper in the fluid. Brake lines are lined with copper, which will leach into the fluid if excessive moisture is present. Have the fluid checked to determine if a flush is necessary, but at a minimum, fluid should be flushed when pads are replaced. Hybrid pads typically last more than twice as long as non-hybrid pads, so it looks like you are easy on your brakes.

By the way, that is excellent fuel mileage! With my heavy weekend foot, we still average 25-27 MPG. It still amazes me that a 4600 AWD vehicle that does 0-60 in 6.6 seconds can get that kind of mileage running mid grade gas.

The last time this happened to me (in a Honda Accord), it was the battery that was causing the dash gauge malfunction. Therefore, I'd recommend that you have your battery and battery connections checked, ASAP.

My dad is old enough to be your (1990LS400's) Dad, so it is very likely that those in his generation (Korean war era) have little interest in streaming anything. But Lexus has to be careful with what it eliminates. That's why they were still equipping their audio systems with cassette players, way back in 2005-2008! I used to listen to lots of music when I had lots of time on my hands. Most of my time is now spent on the PC, either at work or home, and to be honest, I'm not one who can concentrate on multiple tasks while listening to music. However, I do have a nice stereo setup in the garage, allowing me to listen while working on the cars. As Paul says,

I did think it odd that our 06 RX came with a cassette player along with the 6 CD changer. However, the number of songs that can be burned onto those 6 CDs is plenty for the 15 minute commute to work and back. And while I agree that CD players are fading from being OEM, there are still lots of older folks with large CD collections. My Dad is one who will never use an ipod or MP3 player.

If that technique doesn't work, try changing "mode" from CD to FM (with button steering wheel) while turning your ignition key on and off. That seems to work when all else fails.

I agree. It was really not intended to use, daily. As a side note, we have almost 85,000 miles on the original brakes. That is incredible!

Layla, How often do you have your oil changed? If you do NOT take longer trips, say, every weekend, your oil may not have a chance to get rid of moisture which is more prevalent during Winter months. Of course, the only way to tell with certainty whether the moisture content is excessive at current oil change intervals is to have a sample of that oil, tested. Blackstone labs is a major player in the oil-testing field. If you're using non-synthetic oil, I would recommend that change intervals not exceed 5 months. Dave

No power steering fluid - electric steering doesn't require any fluid. I am almost certain that my manual specifies a coolant change at 90,000 miles.

Keep in mind that mileage drops during colder months (yes, even here in San Diego). This is true of any vehicle - hybrids and non-hybrids. I'm sure you've, on occasion, turned on the seat heater(s) on cold mornings, especially if you're not parking your RX in a garage.

I guess that's one of the advantages of hybrids - we have almost 90,000 miles on our RX and still have the OEM brake system (performing flawlessly). But getting back to your question about rotors, Bendix makes a nice rotor for about $33 (rockauto.com). I believe OEM pads are ceramic, so you may want to stay with that compound. Bendix and many other manufacturers make them for about $20 a kit (axle).

I was perusing through my MX-5's owner's manual, today and found advice that may be relevant to our Lexus CD players. The manual suggests removing the sharp outer edges of any CD before it is loaded into the CD changer. Sharp edges, according to the manual, may prevent the CD changer from operating correctly, resulting in an ERROR message. A depiction shows a pencil held against the upper CD edge while the CD is rotated. Repeat for the lower edge. After I thought about it, I realized that it does make perfect sense, although I'd use a small file or carefully held razor blade to do the same thing. Hey, it's worth a try!

The good news is that it'll never drop to a non-hybrid level, even during cold Winter months.

It could be something under/inside the fan shroud or possible, the water pump if the sound is coming from an area that is closer to the engine.

Did you replace them, yourself or have a shop do it? If you had the shop do it, recently, then take it back. They could've done something wrong. By the way, most people who change/have changed their brakes SHOULD have the brake fluid flushed, especially since most people do not have the fluid flushed every 2 years.

I think what you're talking about is the interruption of the regenerative braking action while traversing a rough patch of road. The RX feels like it suddenly accelerates when in reality, the slowing of the vehicle due to regenerative braking cut-off, leaving the vehicle's full forward momentum to be felt by the driver. This is a bit disconcerting but very normal for our RXs. If you know there is a rough patch of road where you will be braking, apply higher than normal brake pedal pressure to compensate for the lack of regenerative braking that may occur.

This procedure is in your owner's manual.

Hi Dave,Do you have an idea how much the Yokohama's are in your region? Hello, Paul, I normally check prices at tirerack.com and either order from them or use that price as a bargaining chip, locally. I did buy the Parada-Xs from Tirerack and had a Big-O Tire shop install/balance them. Currently, they are $159 each + shipping, but no tax.

What does your owner's manual state? As 1990LS400 mentioned, the change interval(s) should be in there. I think 90,000 is the transmission fluid change interval.

The Consumer Reports 2013 Buying Guide lists the Continental PureContact all-season (V-rated) as #1. In 2nd place is Pirelli's P7 Cinturato A/S and third, the Michelin Primacy MXV4.

After many thousands of miles, I still highly recommend the Yokohama Parada Spec-X tires. They handle well, are very quiet, and seem to be wearing very slowly.

Ours are on approx. 24000 miles and are still very quiet. We rotate every 5-6000 miles and have plenty of tread left. All-in-all, these tires have been great over the past 2 and a half years.

113 miles? Congrats! That's extremely low miles.

Are the front tires on ramps?