RX400h

Forget Florida and Arizona, everyone knows San Diego has the best weather! (Well, not for the last couple of days, but for every other time of the year.) BTW, our Parada X tires are wearing very slowly. I believe we have 30,000 miles on them and they still have plenty of tread left. They are superior to both the OEM Michelins and the Bridgestones we had, afterward.

Knowing CARB, I wouldn't be surprised if they raise the two test speeds from 15 and 25 MPH to 35 and 45 MPH. Hey, they have to make money in some way or another!

...good find for the site with exploded assembly drawings, Lenore!

In the past (for other vehicles), I've asked the dealership parts department person to print me an exploded view of whatever assembly I wanted to disassemble/repair. Without having a factory service or assembly manual, this was my only other option. Some dealerships that sell OEM parts, online, have exploded assembly drawings available on their site. However, I have not yet seen one for Lexus.

My 1989 Mazda MX6 GT auto tranny has almost 160,000 miles on it and is still shifting, perfectly. Over the 17 years that I have owned it, I have changed its fluid every 2 years. Most likely, I did not have to change it so often, but it was so easy to do when the car was up on ramps for its oil change. Really, it's the design AND maintenance that matter.

I heard that smog testing may be forthcoming for hybrids. So far, we are exempt.

Typically (many other vehicles), the water pump is replaced when the timing belt is. In your case, there should be no need unless the pump is leaking. We have 85,000 miles on ours with no issues.

Procedures? :whistles:

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.