cduluk

Thanks for the compliments guys :) In my opinion, the best replacement HID bulbs are the Philips Ultinon 6000k. They have just a slight violet/blue tint which really makes a difference. Quality is perfect, as Philips makes the Lexus factory bulbs as well. I love them! Best place to get them is on eBay, you can usually get a pair for ~$185 or so NEW. Kind of expensive, but well worth it. I believe the bulb number is 85122WX for D2S (for rx400h). These bulbs are a direct replacement, 100%. Just remove the old ones and put these in their place. They "statistically" produce less "intensity" in comparison to the factory bulbs, 3200 lumens for the factory 4300k bulbs and 2400 lumens for the philips ultinons. BUT... the eye does pick up "blue" light better than yellow light, so it all works out. I've been using the 6000k ultinon's since... 2006, and i wouldn't go back. Had them in my Rx300 and bought new ones for the 400h.

On the 01-03 HID Rx300 headlights, the low and high beam reflectors are attached, and move together. Might be the same for halogen, worth a try.

Aw thanks guys! :)

I went through the same thing. The warning indicator on the Rx400h was VERY annoying. Not only did i get a yellow light on, but it "dinged" every time it came on, and my gauge cluster LCD screen read that there was an issue with the system. Therefore, i couldn't get it to read the outside temp or my mileage. So, i ended up buying a set of TPMS sensors on ebay for about $100 (for all 4) and had the dealer program them. Whenever i switch between sets, i just press the button under the dash to tell the cars computer which set to look for. The car can keep track of 2 sets (of 4) with a flick of a switch. So you don't need to see the dealer every time you want to switch sets. Dealer didn't charge me anything to program them to car. Just MAKE sure to write down the numbers on each sensor to give to the dealer for programming, as they need the individual codes. <_< Just bite the bullet, it will be worth it.

When i had my Rx300, i swapped the seats for another Rx300's coach edition seats. Both my 03 Rx and the donor 02 Rx CE had the same seat controls and heated seats, and all the plugs were identical. Only difference was the perforated leather. My guess is that it's the same for the LS.

Not specific to Lexus, but http://car-part.com/ directs you to mostly every used part for any car, anywhere in the country.

Oh yeah. <_< You'll need to remove the front bumper to gain access to the headlight in question. But believe it or not, it's not that hard to remove the bumper and re-install. The bumper for the Rx330/350 is a little different from the bumper of the Rx400h, but i'd imagine it comes off the same way. There's a few bolts (10mm) at the bottom of the bumper, and one...well, let me make a diagram. (ignore red arrow in this pic) Remove the clips holding the wheel well liner to the fenders, and pull the liner away from the side adjacent to the front bumper, just enough to get your hands in there. Remove the rest of the clips/bolts/screws and the bumper will come off. Pull "outwards". WARNING. Put masking tape here, on both sides: As when you remove some of the bolts, the edge of the bumper will go UP and potentially scratch your fenders in this area. So just mask it off where i have it red and it will be protected. Once you've removed the bumper, you should be able to see the bottom of each headlight. there will be a square panel (the size of the ballast) that you'll need to unscrew and pull downwards, separating it from the headlight. Then, remove the ignitor from the back of the bulb (rotate counter-clockwise and pull out) and switch the ballast. Here are some pics of the Rx headlight that might help: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=66226 Can you share the details as to why you need to replace your ballast? Does your RX have factory HID and you just need to replace a broken one? Or are you trying to convert? If so, it's a different procedure...

This happened to me before, only on my Rx300!! I had just finished one of my projects and noticed that the horn suddenly dropped in intensity, maybe half as loud. I don't remember the specifics, but i know there wasn't anything wrong with the horns themselves. I think i had just removed/installed the steering wheel, and i didn't hook it back up properly. BUT... i could be wrong, as it was a few years ago. Not sure if they're related, but the symptoms sure sound the same.

Just a quick correction - the 400h heater is not electric - the system still depends on hot coolant to produce heat. Where the electric comes into play, however, is the 400h has an electric water pump in the cooling system (separate from the engine coolant pump which is traditional, driven by the timing belt) that keeps circulating the hot coolant into the heater core to keep producing heat even when the engine is off (when the engine is off, the engine coolant pump is not turning and coolant is not being circulated so the electric pump is needed - in a traditional vehicle the coolant being circulated by the engine coolant pump is also circulated through the heater core for cabin heat. When in park with the ignition on (and in colder weather) the system will not let the coolant temp fall below a certain point so that cabin heat can be maintained. Also, the catalytic converters need to be kept hot for emissions control, so you will notice the engine run more frequently in colder weather and start with less of a push on the gas pedal. Due to this, you'll see a corresponding drop in your mileage as well - in my case summer is around 8 litres/100km and winter is closer to 10 litres/100km. Oh fantastic... Why couldn't lexus just put a damn space heater in there?? I guess the engine would need to stay on longer to make the extra electricity, but it would be worth it for more heat!!

Ebay has TONS of them... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/07-08-09-Toyota-Camry-Set-4-Tire-Pressure-Sensors-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQfitsZMakeQ3aLexusQQhashZitem2eb0eb1ff0QQitemZ200536694768 Any sensor from an 07+ Toyota/Lexus will work.

Do you wanna try taking it off with rubbing compound just using a cotton cloth and your hands? I promise it can't do any harm. Just mask off the surrounding pieces on the radio, apply some rubbing compound (3M scratch remover or ultimate compound) on a cotton cloth or T-shirt, and rub in little circles. It should do the trick.

i want my 30 seconds back.

The fact that the ballasts are "slim" doesn't mean anything. Most aftermarket ballasts are junk, it's a crap shoot...

Why do you need to replace the clock? What's wrong with it?

Open the glove compartment. On the left edge adjacent to the center dash, there's a "mysterious" switch. Click it. See post #3: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=58822 That's my best bet. <_<

Its because you're a lot more mature than you used to be. You've got other things in your life that are more important, and thats how it should be. I guess you're right... School's been taking over my life. Not a lot of time to take care of the car. I got to wash it last Thursday as the outside temp hit a whopping 60 degrees! Before that, it went a good 5 weeks without a washing.

Agree, it's normal. The morning temp. ranges from the high 30's to low 40's this time of year in RI, and i've noticed the same thing with my Rx400h. You can definitely HEAR the engine working harder during the first 5 minutes of driving. Thankfully, the Rx400h's heating system is "somewhat" independent of the engine temp for producing hot air (Rx400h heater is electric). When i had my Rx300, the heater didn't produce any heat until the engine was hot. I used to drive in "LOW" for the first 5 minutes to get the engine and transmission to work harder in efforts of getting more heat. It really worked too! Definitely bad for the car, but well worth it for the quick heat. Can't really do that in the 400h (since there's no LOW gear, just "B") but i've found if i accelerate harder the engine would heat up faster. Also, when in PARK with the ignition ON, the engine temp doesn't go below the 1/5 mark. I guess the engine kicks on and off enough to keep it it from falling below...

ebay definitely. I had to get myself an extra pair for my summer tires and that's where i got them. Just make sure to write down all the numbers on each sensor and give them to the Lexus dealer for them to program them to the car.

H7 is a weird bulb type... Look here and see if this write-up (for another car, but same type bulb) helps at all. http://www.imazda.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2508 and this http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=227310

Hmm... I don't think those headlights have auto-leveling or AFS, and the projectors are designed for halogen bulbs. You "could" throw an HID kit in there, but you wouldn't get good light output. HID bulbs have a different focal point than halogen bulbs and won't work in halogen projectors. I believe all Rx400h headlights have AFS and auto-leveling, but it might be different in Europe. Also, do you drive on the left side of the road in London? If so, you can't install US headlights, as ours are designed for cars driving on the right side of the road. The "steps" in the cutoff lines are different based on which lane you drive in. They're designed to give more light to the lane in front of you, giving less light to the oncoming lane. So if you were to install a US headlight in a car that drives on the left side of the road, there wouldn't be a lot of light directly in front of you, and the oncoming lane would be blinded by your headlights. Have you considered doing a headlight retrofit? If so, you could make your own design. Anything is possible!

Thanks for the compliment! :) I did indeed use the soft-touch paint for the shells. Not only is it incredibly soft, but DURABLE! It's been a few months since it was completed, and there isn't a single scratch or abrasion on it. It's about 10x as resistant to wear with this coating on it. <_< Definitely the "coolest" thing i've done to this car. Wherever i go, i have people asking me about the key. :)

good to hear everything is OK now.

what's your budget? I have the Bel STi-R remote radar/laser detector and it works great...

OHHHH, that makes sense... I didn't notice your location. <_< I'm not sure about either of the links you posted. The first one is weird; the description seems OK, but the picture isn't correct. The picture is of the Philips 85122FS which are 6700k. The second link is also questionable. The picture seems OK, but the first line in the description reads: "This auction is for two(2) in Original Box BRAND NEW Philips D2S Xenon bulbs(part # 85122) for HID(Xenon) equipped vehicles such as BMW, Audi, Lexus, Mercedes, Acura, Nissan and Infiniti" which isn't correct. Here are the people i've purchased them from. I've purchased a total of 3 pairs from them, and every time i was satisfied. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-PHILIPS-6000K-ULTINON-D2S-HID-XENON-BULBS-85122WX-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem35a92c64a6QQitemZ230471525542QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories The part number should read 85122WX. They should also have the purple insulation rods (not brown) and the element in the center of the glass should be somewhat red in color. I'm not sure why there would be different packaging; the one from China doesn't look right. Hope this helps! :) I promise you'll love the bulbs. B)

Can you share what kit you are using...?