cduluk

I have tried a few brands of HID bulbs, and i can tell you there is a HUGE difference between the cheap ones and the expensive ones. The cheap bulbs aren't built with the same quality, and don't emit as much light output. They also don't last very long. Many have over-heating issues which can also ruin a headlight if they were to explode or melt the housings. When you increase the kelvin rating on a bulb, you lose output intensity (brightness). Factory HID bulbs are rated at 4300k and they emit the most light out of all the HID bulbs out there. 6000k bulbs produce more of a violet/white color but don't emit as many lumens of output as the 4300k bulbs. The factory Philips 4300k bulbs emit 3200 lumens while the Philips 6000k bulbs only emit 2400 lumens. For comparison, the standard 9005 halogen bulb emits 1700 lumens. When you start getting into cheap HID bulbs, 6000k will bring you into the 1000 lumen range. Your color will be great, but you won't be able to see as much. The Philips 6000k Ultinon bulbs are the BRIGHTEST 6000k in production. And even still, the decrease in intensity is noticeable when driving adjacent to a car with the factory 4300k. And by DRL, i mean "daytime running lights" which is a feature on most Lexus'. During the day, the high beam bulbs are given about half their max voltage (~6V) so they light up (only slightly) so oncoming drivers can see your car more clearly. Then, at night they can be given max voltage (~12V) when you put them in high beam mode. So, if you were to replace the high beam bulbs with another brand, in DRL mode, the color output isn't going to change. At low voltage, NO replacement bulb can produce a white light. Halogen bulbs don't work like that... At low voltage their kelvin readings are very low, as the filaments are merely heating up, like a hot coal. There are a few bulbs that produce a higher kelvin reading at max voltage, but at low voltage they will produce that "rainbow effect" i mentioned before. This means that a different spots inside the bulb, the temperature will be hotter than others, so different spots in the bulb will emit a different color. The core may be orange, the base may be blue, etc etc. Therefore, while ON, the headlight reflector will be composed of many different colors (based on wherever on the bulb it's focal point is) looking like a rainbow. It just doesn't look good... The HIR bulbs emit the same color as the factory halogen bulbs, but when fully warmed up, are MUCH brighter. I have the HIR bulbs in my 400h right now as my DRL/high beams. I had them in my Rx300 as well, and transferred them to this car last year. They're a few years old and they still work perfectly. Their quality is excellent. I don't believe there's a single after-market 9005 series bulb that emits light that's even slightly close to the color of an HID bulb without sacrificing copious amounts of light output. There are halogen bulbs with tinted coatings on the glass which alter the color, but they have a HORRIBLE rainbow effect and the intensity will suffer. The longevity will also suffer with any after-market bulb that costs less than the factory pair. Also beware of the labels on many aftermarket bulbs, they may list them at a certain kelvin scale and claim they produce so many lumens, but they're most likely not correct. these companies aren't forced to follow the same standards that OEM bulb manufacturers do. I've been an active member on hidplanet.com for a few years, and have learned a lot about this stuff. I haven't heard of a single halogen bulb that can produce a color similar to the HID bulbs... :( But, you can try a few different pairs and see if you like any of them. If you're OK with sacrificing brightness, you may find a pair that works for you. But, the only time you'll notice the color difference is when you have your high beams on, and cosmetically I don't think it would be worth the trouble. In high beam mode you will want more brightness than looks... On my headlight retrofits i've tried to avoid the "angel eyes" as i don't really care for them... at least not on a Lexus. I try to keep the "OEM" look and such mods would jeopardize the look. <_< I should also add, you may need to remove the windshield washer fluid funnel to gain access to the back of the passenger side headlight. Just pull it UP out of its clip, and push it aside. I remeber it getting in the way...

GOOD IDEA. They messed up some serious parts when i had it done to mine... It was a hassle to get them to replace it all too.

touch-up paint for... what? Leather? Dash? other?

Behind the headlights, you'll see a round light gray circular cover (approx 4" in diameter). You'll need to turn it counter-clockwise about 90 degrees until it stops turning. Then pull outwards (you may use a flat head screwdriver to pry it off at this point). At this point you'll be able to remove the bulb igniter (silver bulky thing with a braided wire attached to it) by turning it counter-clockwise and pulling outwards. Then you'll be looking at the rear end of the bulb, which is still being held onto the projector by two clips. You need to pull the ends of the clips inwards and pull out... It's hard to explain but as soon as you've got it in-front of you, you will figure it out... I too have replaced the factory bulbs with 6000k, philips ultinon bulbs. Best quality and color in my opinion... As for the high beam bulbs... not much you can do. They're run at 1/2 voltage during DRL and NO replacement bulb will emit a white light under these circumstances. You cannot replace them with HID bulbs either. There are aftermarket bulbs that make attempts at emitting whiter light, but none that really make a difference without looking tacky in DRL mode (rainbow effect) or losing serious output in high beam mode. I've replaced my high beam bulbs with HIR bulbs. They emit the same color light as the standard ones, but boy are they bright...

Yeah, i don't think there's much i can do with carfax... they even wrote on the report that they only started reporting this knowledge since early this year. Really don't know why that would be. I've been taking this better than i thought i would be. I've been so damn busy this week i haven't really thought about it. I just hope this doesn't come back to bite me in the future, if i get into an accident and find out the airbag system was never fixed... :cries:

I agree, it chips off of the grille like crazy too!

Hmm... i know the engine in the Rx400h is also a 3.3, but i'm pretty sure it was only "similar"...

Not that i'm aware of... I know you can make it even sportier (Lexus even put out an Rx330/350 with a "Sports Package" that made the ride even stiffer) but i'm not sure what can be done to make it less so...

Hey guys, Tonight, someone on the forum posted a response to one of the threads i started back when i had my Rx300, and it got me thinking about it (since it was traded in last year...). I thought i should get a Carfax report to check up on it, to see if she's had any action with her new owner. When i got to the Carfax site, it asked me whether i wanted a single report for $35 or 5 reports for $45. Well, i got suckered in, and opted to go for the 5... I figured i could look up my Rx400h too, just for giggles. Last May before we purchased the Rx400h (it was used at this point), i noticed that the front bumper, hood and both fenders were replaced, as the VIN stickers were all missing. But, the bumper absorber was factory (i could see the sticker) and there didn't appear to be any damage underneath. The dealer also showed us the Carfax and it was totally clean, so i just figured it was minor and that it wasn't a big deal. A few months later, (last September) i bought the Carfax report for the Rx400h just so i could have a copy. Just as we viewed it at purchase, it was totally clean. Here is what it read: Well, when i checked the Carfax report TONIGHT, i got a little surprise!! Here is what it reads: All of a sudden, it now indicates warnings of "airbag deployed" and "accident/damage reported" and has inserted a new record dating to 11/6/2008 reporting that "it hit an animal", disabling the vehicle to the point where it was towed, and that THE LEFT FRONT AIRBAG DEPLOYED!! This report was TOTALLY MISSING when i downloaded it in September of last year! And there's fine print on the report stating, "Carfax began reporting this information on 02/06/2010." WHAT THE $^#%!?? I thought THIS is exactly what Carfax was supposed to report in the FIRST PLACE!? Apparently this accident took place on 11/6/2008 in KANSAS, and the reports indicate that the title was updated on 12/18/2008, and that the car sold at auction on 1/05/09. It suddenly shows up in MASSACHUSETTS on 1/22/09 and offered for sale right before we purchased it in May. So it's clear that the car was sold right after the accident. But i guess the unusual repair makes sense now, considering the report claims the car hit an "animal". I can imagine hitting an animal would exert only a little force to the bumper area (an animals legs don't weigh that much) and a lot to the hood and above. I should also add, that i noticed the windshield didn't read LEXUS on it, so i guess it was replaced as well. I can accept the fact that the bumper, hood and fenders were replaced (as they're all cosmetic) but i don't know what to make of the airbag thing. I checked under the hood and engine tonight, and i can't see a single thing indicating that the frame or engine was damaged in any way. I remember the radiator looking very used when we got it, as it had a lot of chips in the paint, indicative of 40k miles of driving. So i'm not sure what to make of this. I've had the car for a year and 3 months, and driven over 16k miles with no side effects. Everything seems to be fine... but this airbag thing is getting to me. Just knowing that the airbag went off and the fact that the driver ditched the car right after the accident kind of scares me. And i also have NO idea why Carfax didn't report this until recently. I thought this was the EXACT thing that they're supposed to report in the first place... Now because of this, it indicates that my car is $970 below average because of the reports. Good luck to me ever trying to sell this thing with this "new" report! So what are your thoughts?

Unfortunately i don't have step by step instructions for adding the blue lights to the center cubby... I can tell you i used blue LED's and that it was pretty simple to wire them up, just had to drill holes in the console wherever i wanted them. If you click on the last link in my signature "TUTORIAL: Cup Holder Cover Wood Conversion Project (Rx300)" you can see how i wired the LED's in the flip-up cup holder of the Rx300. I was doing it for someone else and took pics along the way. I had done mine the same way. And you said you have an 05 Rx400? Is that a typo? If you have the Rx400h (06-08) then the blue lights in the cubby and cup-holder area are indeed blue LED's.

Nope, not for that area. And if you look closely you'll notice that the color contains a metallic in it as well. I would purchase two acrylic paints (small bottles) matte black and silver. Then mix them until the shade is just right. Apply with a toothpick. Michael's Craft store will have them.

That is one complicated motor... I can't tell by looking at it why it's not working. It could just be from wear, maybe the parts were shaved down to the point where the contacts aren't strong enough to work... I would just bite the bullet for a new one. Parts.com has it for $235+shipping. Probably the best price you'll find.

There might be a restriction on uploading pics because you have only 2 posts... So i would recommend uploading them through a hosting site. Try tinypic.com. When at the site, next to "File:" select the picture, wherever you have it stored. Then click "UPLOAD NOW". Enter the security code. Then copy the text under the "IMG Code for Forums & Message Boards" area Paste it in the same box where you type your responses here. It'll show on the forum. Show us some pics of the motor if you have them. <_< Also see this post by another member. Post 11 seems promising. http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=52146

They're most likely plastic clips. The panel would have the male plastic clip, the seat would have the female plastic clip. Can you remove the back panel on the passengers seat? Might give you an idea of what's "supposed" to be there. OR, take some pics... I think i'll be able to figure it out.

J-teck, can you provide more info on what the symptoms are? The soln all depends on what the issue is. When you enter the car and turn the ignition to ACC (so engine off, dash lights ON) are the speedo and tach needles at 0? Or are they set at another position? If they both read 0: If the tach needle reads 0 RPM when the engine is off, and 0 RPM when the car's really working at 500 RPM, then it's not a minor calibration issue. If it were, the needle would read -500 RPM when the engine was OFF. There is no pin limiting the needle from physically moving below 0. This is an indication that there is NO change in input to the needle motor whether OFF or when ON at 500RPM. IE: the needle motor is receiving the correct input at 0, but not at 500. Same goes with the speedometer needle. If it reads 0 MPH when at rest, but is suddenly reading only 15 MPH when it's really going 25MPH, it's most likely not a problem with the motor. This too is an indication that the motors aren't receiving the correct inputs once the car is moving. The needles are driven by stepper motors, which are VERY sensitive to input change. When the car is OFF (or at rest with the engine OFF) both needles are given a certain input to make them read 0. Even when the ignition is removed, there's a constant current being sent to the needles to keep them at the right positions. If you remove just the cluster cover while the car is OFF, you will feel resistance when trying to move the needles yourself. But, remove the cluster entirely from the car, and you'll be able to move the needles much more freely. And once you let go, they will remain in the very spots you left them in. The reason they stop wherever you leave them, is because of the friction in the clocksprings on the motor shafts themslves (sending voltage into the needles to make them light up). Let's say you've removed the cluster from the car and manually move the needles to random positions (other than 0). Plug the cluster into the car, and the needles will immediately move back to their 0 positions. The only reason they always know where the 0 position is located, is because of the input current given to the 4 leads of the motors. Only 1 combination of current to each lead will yield a 0 reading. So, if the needles are reading 0 when the car is OFF, then the motors are working. Otherwise, they'd be reading something different. There is NO way they can be reading accurately at 0, but not at another rate. If any single component in the motors were broken, they'd be reading inaccurately all of the time IE: off by a certain factor at all times. BUT... if the needles DON'T read 0 when the car is OFF: If the needles read below 0 (when ignition set to ACC with engine OFF) then the needles are most likely incorrectly calibrated. If the needles are ALWAYS +/- the SAME factor, then you might just need to realign the needles. In this case, the needle would read 0 RPM when it's really running at 500 RPM, and it would read -500 RPM when the car is OFF. For the speedometer, it would read 15 MPH when it's really traveling at 25 MPH, and would read -10 MPH when the car is OFF. If your situation is the first, then there's an issue with the input being sent to the motors. I'm not sure if the issue is within the cluster or within the sending units from the cars computers... But if this is your case, i'm very doubtful that the cluster is to blame, as the only parts in the car that could read correctly at 0 yet be inaccurate at any other degree are the sensors themselves... It's easy for a sensor to understand that a car's NOT moving or that an engine is OFF, but more difficult to be accurate when they're running. If the cluster were to blame, it wouldn't be accurate at 0 and inaccurate at any other rate. The needles don't care what position they need to be at, as they do the same amount of work keeping a 0 position as they do keeping any other position. However, i'm not totally sure how much of the computer systems that provide input to the needles are located in the cluster itself. I know the Rx300 and Rx400h both have these systems in the cars main ecu, but i'm not sure how they did it on the LS400...

This was a HUGE problem in my Rx300 and is just as bad in my Rx400h... Can't lower them more than 4" when going at higher speeds... unless the front windows are down as well.

Speedometer and tach needles don't just "go out of calibration" in Lexus clusters... They don't work like that. The issue must be with some types of sending units to those motors...

SPAM

I agree with you, compared to the seats in the Rx300 (i had one before my Rx400h) the seats in the 04-09 Rx330/350/400h are TERRIBLE. I don't believe however that seats can be swapped in, especially not because of the side airbags, heating elements (for the heated seats) and switches to detect whether or not anyone's sitting in them (for the airbag system). Plus, the mounts wouldn't match up... And the suspension in the 04+ RX's is more tuned to the "sporty" type whereas the Rx300 suspension was more for "comfort". It's also due to the larger (well, smaller) tires.

Are you 100% sure you need to remove the steering wheel? I believe the only screws holding the cowlings together are from the bottom, and on the front side (facing you). Try rotating the wheel left, and right to gain access to them. But if this still doesn't work.. then you'll need to remove the two torx bits, one on each side of the wheel. Pry off the side covers and you'll see them... Then pull the airbag off and use a puller to get the wheel off. You can also remove the car's battery terminal to prevent the airbag issue. You MUST remove the battery while doing this. If you forget, as soon as you hit the torx bits with a metal driver, it'll short and the horn will go off (just to warn you). But i believe this topic (wheel motor) has been talked about before, you might want to search a bit as i'm sure there's more details somewhere. And for the tire pressure monitoring system, unfortunately i don't believe there's a way to disable it without seeing the warning on the cluster. AND, the LS430 clusters don't use bulbs for the warning lights- they're LED's. So you can't simply remove them without gaining access to the front of the main circuit board and destroying it. Just check to see why the warning light is up, could be many things...

That's reality unfortunately... Some people can reach 25 or more if they REALLY, REALLY try... but day to day driving doesn't allow for it. I don't pay a bit of attention to the way i drive, and i'm getting about 21MPG in my Rx400h...

Nope, they're actually shaped differently, so they won't fit (look closely).

How is the Rx400h heat/AC system worse than the one in the Rx350? The one in the Rx400h is a hell of a lot better than the one in the Rx300... I like it because it still works 100% without the car even being on. <_<

I agree with SW, the LED-bulbs currently on the market for the 9005/6 series (or similar) don't produce much light, at least not at the "focal point" where the filament is located in a standard bulb. Therefore the light reflector won't be able to put light on the road, and you'll get a lot of glare. Plus, they create WAY too much heat and probably won't last very long. Most of these LED-bulbs don't have built in voltage regulators or proper heat-sinking.

Why do you hate the idea of disconnecting the battery? Besides the fact that you may need to re-program your window locks etc it's not going to harm the car any. Just remove one of the terminals from the battery... Shouldn't take more than 5 minutes to remove/reattach. Just make sure it's wrapped up as to not touch any other parts in the engine compartment...