cduluk

That's the problem, Lexus uses SO many different types of bulbs and LED's for the interior applications. For the radio, shifter plates, and individual "switches" there could be 3 different bulb types and sizes, some actually "without" sizes, just little ones soldered directly onto circuit boards. After doing so many LED conversions, i know it's best to take apart the parts in question BEFORE even "thinking" about what they would look like with different color lights. In most cases you need to retrofit your own LED's and solder them directly in. It's very rare to find a direct LED bulb replacement for applications for the interiors... Some of the bulbs have a plastic twist base, while some are just soldered in place. For the tiny ones that have a twist base, there isn't a bulb size listed on the bulb, and i haven't been able to find any online to replace them, especially not in an LED form (they're just SO small!). I've usually had to solder in place a small SMD/LED with the appropriate resistors to get everything to function. I've also had to put off some projects after taking parts apart, realizing there wasn't a direct replacement LED-bulb available (ex's: radio light conversion, speedometer LED modification, rear license plate LED additions...). It's always difficult to learn these things, especially when you've wanted the lights changed so badly! Here are some quick examples, First these tiny "blue" ones. In actuality, they don't really light up blue, but more of an "aqua-white". They're just a small bulb with a blue rubbery cap. They're the smallest i've seen... These aren't twisted in place, but actually soldered onto a circuitboard! These are what illuminate the climate control/radio center consoles in the 04-09 Rx330/350/400h's. No idea what the bulb size is, and it wouldn't even matter since they're soldered directly into place. I had to solder in my own LED's with resistors directly onto the circuit board. Here are some from the 99-03 Rx300 speedometer cluster. Twist base, but two sizes- one for the idiot lights and another for the PRND21 lights. No idea what size these are, but still available from Lexus. No LED bulb replacement for the smaller type though. And here are two bulbs from the 04-09 Rx330/350/400h center console panel, these illuminating the heated seat and headlight washer switches. Both twist type, but no idea on the bulb size. No LED bulb replacement available. The smallest bulb Lexus uses that has a direct LED bulb replacement in existence is in size T4/T5... These are used in the old Lexus speedometers (before the use of CCFL and SMD) and in the old radios (before these tiny "solder type" bulbs and SMD's). You might get excited and think you can replace the interior lights to LED's, then open one switch to find it's the type that is soldered on- so you'll end up with every interior light turned to white, but one that's stuck on green... that unless you are able to do your own soldering and find an LED/SMD small enough to fit... So it's always best to open everything up before going out and buying LED bulbs. <_<

Try too remove all of the bulbs you want to replace, then check the bulb sizes then. Not all of them may be easily replaced. If you can remove them, then fine. If not, then you know.

You really think your Rx300 handled better than your Rx350?? I had an 03 Rx300 AWD and currently have an Rx400h AWD, basically the same handling as the Rx350... and I have to say the Rx400h handles MUCH better than my Rx300 did. I found the Rx300 to be more top heavy around cornering at least in comparison to what I'm driving now. The Rx400h is certainly no BMW when it comes to handling, but I find it to be better than the Rx300. The newer Rx does have wider tires which help a lot. And I do agree that the leather quality in the 04-09 Rx's is poor in comparison to that used in the Rx300; the newer Rx leather is quite "hard" in comparison and isn't as plush, and I notice a huge difference when conditioning the leather; in my Rx400h (same leather used in Rx350) the conditioner tends to "bead up" on the leather whereas in my Rx300 the conditioner would quickly be absorbed. I believe the newer leather has more protective coatings which make it more resistant to the elements, but don't allow it to be conditioned to make it soft. I also agree that the seats in the Rx300 were much more comfortable. My guess is that Lexus was trying to make the seats feel sportier, similar to those used in SUV's of BMW or Mercedes. Did you have nav in the Rx300? I did, and I can say the nav in the 07-09 Rx's is a HUGE upgrade in terms of screen quality and function. Lexus has never made a nav sytem that allows you to use it while driving... but you can get the kit to make it work. Besides this little issue the Lexus navigation system is one of (if not he best) systems out there, being the easiest to operate.

I'm only averaging 22.4 miles/gallon in my Rx400h, 90% city driving too. I think it's because when i get to school each day, i park with the ignition ON for a good half hour or so just waiting for spots to open up- with the engine turning on and off getting 0 miles per gallon, just burning fuel... But still, it's much better than what i was getting with the Rx300!

The bulb size for the 8 or so that illuminate the gauge "dials" is 286, also known by T5. The bulbs for the little "door open" or "high beam" icons is a smaller type bulb. You'll need an LED bulb replacement with several LED's firing in different directions, sometimes called "360 degree". And they should all have built in resistance designed for 12V. I should caution that many of the LED bulbs out there aren't "actually" designed for most car applications, as most bulbs in cars can receive voltages as high as 14.5V, depending on the cars battery charge and alternator function. Try to find an LED bulb with a built in voltage regulator and heat sinking to help with overheating. Also, make sure the "LED" part of the bulb is NO wider than an actual bulb, as the hole in the cluster may not be large enough for some LED bulbs to fit through. And LED's are polar, meaning the positive and negative sides must match with the positive and negative leads from the cluster. So if you put an LED bulb in the cluster and it doesn't work, just remove it, rotate it 180 degrees and put it back in, and it should work. Good luck!

Also, headlights must be ON and it actually has to be dark out... Unless light sensor senses darkness it can't go into night mode. <_<

Are the needles illuminated? These are all common problems on old LS models. Do a search and you'll find the fixes.

Are you positive it's on the inside? It may actually be on the outside, in which a simple polish will remove. But if it is indeed on the inside, the only way to remove it is to separate the plastic lens from the housing, which isn't logical to do. You'll have sealing issues and it will begin to fog, etc. You're best bet is to get new(er) headlights. Ebay has many...

I'm not surprised... I can't say i'm in love with any of the Lexus models out right now either!

Do you need to take apart the radio itself? Or just remove it from the dash? What's the issue that requires this work?

My guess is a lose connection in the wiring where it reaches the plug. Try switching the bulb on that side with the bulb from the other and see if it works. If not, then it's definitely the wiring. If that's the case, there are 9005/9006 plugs on ebay, you can cut the broken plug and solder in a new one. <_<

Ahh i see. Normally during DRL mode the high beam bulbs are just given less voltage so they illuminate only slightly. Then when the high beams are flicked on, the bulbs are given their max voltage for most intensity. You "could" just cover the light sensor which would trick your car into thinking it's always dark out, but then all of your parking light, license plate, rear marker and all of the interior lights will be on as well- which will burn out very quickly. And most are very hard/annoying to get to in order to replace them. Can you just leave the stalk in the "ON" position, so the lights would be ON all the time? That's the equivalent of covering the light sensor. Try to contact another dealer because i think it's possible to get the DRL's working again. I doubt it's a permanent thing, but more of a "programmed" thing that can be edited by a Lexus intelligence tool. Tell them to look under "light control". <_<

Yeah, unfortunately there's no way to convert the DRL/high beam bulbs to HID's. Like Paul said, during DRL mode the bulbs aren't given their full voltage, so it wouldn't be enough to ignite an HID bulb ballast. You could however run a 6-15V relay and make your own circuit to get an HID bulb to function during both DRL and high beam modes. Have the DRL (and high beam wiring) control a relay which would open a switch whenever your DRL's or high beams are on. You could then use this switch to turn on the HID bulb and ballast using voltage directly from the cars battery. Only drawback of this is that you'd only have one intensity, either ON or OFF. And if you were to install an HID bulb in the high beam reflector, you'd be blinding people even during the day. Another option is installing LED bulbs. There are several out there in size 9005/9006 in white (same crisp white as HID bulbs) however the intensity is pretty bad, and I doubt they'd last very long. You wouldn't be able to see them during the day since it's the same color as daylight (specifically why factoy DRL's are halogen which contrasts better with the white sky) and they wouldn't give you much light at night in high beam mode. Your best bet is installing a halogen bulb that emits more of a white color. There are only a few out there and I've tried about all of them with absolutely NO satisfaction. There are some that claim to have higher kelvin colors, but they're all awkward or lacking in intensity...

Press the push start button once or twice without having your foot on the brake, puts it in "ACC" mode.

Now i could be wrong... but i "think" you need at least one functioning master key to program another one. BUT, i could be wrong. I know this to be true about other Lexus key models. Have you asked your dealer if a new key can be programmed? I don't believe they come from the factory already programmed when you get it, i think the dealer needs to program a new remote by using another working one. And you haven't been able to get in the car since you lost the key? Have you tried calling a towing company or lock-out service?

So the car "as it is" does NOT have daytime running lights at all? Or do they only come on when the stalk (on the steering column) is set to either "ON" or "AUTO"? Lexus modifies their cars settings based on where they're being sold to. Here in the US, the Rx400h is designed to have daytime running lights (DRL) ON whenever the nighttime low beam lights are OFF. So if the car is ON, lights of some type are always ON, either low beams or DRL. If the car is ON, the headlights will always be emitting light in some form. If the stalk on the steering column is set to: "AUTO": during the day, DRL lights are on only. At night, DRL's are switched off and low beam lights turn on automatically. "ON": during day or night, low beam lights are on. "PARKING LIGHTS": during day or night, DRL's are on along with parking bulbs in high beam reflector and on the sides. "OFF": during day or night, DRL lights are on only. How do these settings differ with your Rx? Your stalk switch may actually have more settings than the ones i listed above. I know some Lexus model cars even have a "DRL OFF" setting, but our US version Rx400h's don't. Also, do your high beam lights work? These are the same bulbs used for DRL's. If one of the bulbs is burned out, you won't have any DRL or high beam functions. It's like Christmas lights; if one burns out, they all do. So if neither your high beams or DRL's work, you might just have a burned out bulb. But i doubt it... And for AFS, whether they work or not shouldn't depend on whether the stalk is set to "ON" or "AUTO"- if the low beam lights are on, AFS should work. There is however a switch for AFS "ON" or "OFF" on the lower console near the gas tank cover open button. At least this is how it works on the US version models...

You don't NEED to replace both bulbs. Philips (the manufacturer of the HID bulbs in the IS300) makes a color-match bulb, part # 85126CM which will match the used 85126 bulbs in your IS. HID bulbs change color and brightness over time. A brand new 85126 (stock bulb for the IS300) is at a 4300k color. After several years it produces a more "blue/violet" light, of about 5000k color. So Philips made the 85126CM which when brand new is at the color 5000k and intensity of a used 85126 bulb.

So you have a valet key that has the correct blade and starts the car? And you have a master remote that can lock/unlock the car? Then you're good! There are 3 components to a key: 1. cut blade 2. remote (piece with the buttons) that can unlock/lock/panic the car 3. small "chip" that allows the engine to start. The valet key has parts 1 and 3. The chip is embedded in the plastic. The master key has all 3 parts. Here's a master key. The remote can be removed. Note this is for my Rx400h, but the remote for your car is very similar. If you take the remote apart, you'll notice the gray/black "chip". This is the part that is programmed to the car to allow the engine to start when near the ignition cylinder. This chip can be removed from the remote. What you need to do is destroy your valet key and find the chip burried inside. The chip is VERY "hard", almost like a solid piece of rock, so don't worry about breaking it. Then remove the chip from your master key remote and replace it with the chip from your valet key. Now you'll have a working remote with the chip that's programmed to your car. Then you'll need to buy a new master key shell and have the blade cut to your car based on the pattern from your valet key. Then assemble and enjoy!

Ah yes that's the issue. During normal nighttime driving one of the filaments is illuminated, and when you hit the brakes, the other filament illuminates to increase brightness in the housing. My guess is that the second filament is burned out, so replacing the bulb should work! <_<