cduluk

Never done it myself, but it's rated at 3500lbs (same as the Rx330 and Rx350). The Rx400h has a LOT of torque and a very well ventilated engine and transmission, so it should be OK. <_< Some/most of the Rx400h's produced also have the towing "prep" package standard (extra cooling i assume). I know mine does, even though there's no tow hitch.

Do you mean the climate menu doesn't go away? Or that the climate screen goes away to something else other than camera (say, nav screen)? If you hit the MAP VOICE button after you've selected your climate position, does it go back to camera or just the nav screen? It should go back to rear camera if you're still in R.

They're easy to replace, but you'll need to get the bulbs from Lexus. The bulbs are a standard size (available at autozone, etc) but they each have a very thin rubber "blue tinted" cover over them to produce a whiter output. These rubber covers are impossible to remove in one piece to get onto a new bulb, so i recommend just getting them from the lexus parts department (they will come with the rubber covers already on). I believe there are 8 or so bulbs in the cluster.

Can you gain access to the tailgate area via climbing over the rear seats? You can remove the panels on the inside of the tailgate (they're held on with clips, so just pry and pull out) and gain access to the latch mechanism from the inside. Maybe you could play with it a little and get it open, then do some surgery to find the broken part.

Definitely sounds like a short somewhere. Is the issue only with ONE taillight (meaning left, or right, or one on the tailgate) or is the issue with all of the taillights? Are there any more warning lights on the dash at this point? what's the current state of the car?

I'm not aware of any known failures of the rx330 transmissions, so it's not very urgent. Check the color and smell of the transmission fluid- if it appears dark or has a burned odor, i would have a transmission flush performed. Some say that flushing a transmission with a LOT of dark fluid and debris could force the little particles in deeper places causing more damage, but unless the fluid is REALLY bad, it shouldn't be a problem. Or, you could do a simple drain and fill, but you would most likely have to do it several times over a month period to do the job of a quick flush. You could also drop the pan and clean out the screen (which i believe the Rx330 has). Based on the fact it's an Rx330 and of such a young age (7 years old isn't THAT bad) i think a flush would be your best bet. You should be able to get 120,000 miles plus, just as long as you check the fluid every so often.

Only cosmetic changes were made for 2008, including: -blue accented rear "L" badges -blue tinted headlights and taillights -exterior door handles were upgraded to chrome rather than body color. -front grille was now more of a metallic gray rather than more black on 06-07. -more exterior colors (including my color, smokey granite mica, which replaced the flint mica), maroon and a lighter red. -for ones with black interior, dark walnut wood replaced the yellow birds eye maple on the 07's. In 2007, changes were made from the 2006, including: -Upgraded navigation screen (brightness, pixel clarity) -radios could now read MP3's and WMA's as well as standard CD's -the 2006 interior silver trim was now replaced with yellow birds eye maple wood. -no need to reset the ICE system whenever the battery is replaced. I would go with the 2008 for the added cosmetic changes, much more appealing in my opinion. My only negative about the changes for 2008 was the discontinuation of the "neptune blue mica" color (dark blue) which was available for the 2006 and 2007 only. I would have really liked that color for 2008... And i'm not aware of any "known" problems for the rx400h series besides the infamous "white dust on dash" problem caused by a poorly designed evaporator core. You will notice white powder coming out of the AC vents, covering the dash after a week or so. It's a HUGE project to replace, taking a few days. The Lexus dealer will replace the evap core with a newly designed one, all for FREE (part of a TSB), sort of like a recall. I don't believe all Rx400h's have the problem, but most do (mine did).

Haha, i know it sounds strange, but it happens to me. I'm not unusually tall, only 5'11"... If the knob were a little shorter it might solve the problem

any chance the car's still under warranty? Doesn't sound like a ballast issue, so it must be something in the computer...

hey congratulations!!

does wax temporarily eliminate the stained areas?

I love my Rx400h :D

glad i could help! <_<

Are these spots only on the areas of the car that were re-painted? If so, i would bring the car back to the autobody shop. From the pictures i can see there's a lot of orange peel

There are leather dyes out there, but none of them will last very long. Also, they'll fill in the stitching and leave gaps at corners etc... It's OK for little repairs, but not for complete overhauls (unless the car's 20 years old, in which it might work). Look for used seats on ebay and such, and sell the present ones. That's what i would do.

It also doesn't help that the 010 hybrid RX is just as slow as the standard 010 RX. At least with the 06-08 Rx400h, it's quite a bit quicker. Heck, the 010 Rx hybrid or not is just as slow as the previous generation. I don't see much of a noticeable difference between the 010 hybrid RX and standard RX, definitely not worth $7,000... I'm waiting 5 years for the next RX... :chairshot:

Could these spots be from bird droppings? I know if you leave droppings on the paint long enough it will etch just like what you've got pictured there. My suggestion would be to lightly wetsand with 2000 grit and airbrush some clear over the spots and feather the edges a few inches or so. Then let dry completely and wetsand and polish. Should be a permanent fix.

Check the interior of your car for scratches or kicks- when Lexus replaced my evap core for this reason they damaged a TON of stuff. Also check the "gaps" at the top (sides) of the dash where it meets the felt windshield pillars. I had a 1/4" gap on each side that wasn't supposed to be there.

You need to remove the panel below the steering wheel column and the entire glove box to gain access to screws/bolts at the sides of the panel you want to remove. I've done this before for the same reason you describe... the bolts i dropped (from navigation and radio) ended up going into this little cavity and i needed to use the magnetic tool to find them. They were rattling like crazy! I just took some pics to show how to get started... After these are removed, you should be able to pull away the panel under the steering wheel column and see 2 bolts (screws i think actually) that attach the left side of the panel you want removed. Then remove the glove box and you'll see the two bolts that hold the right side of the panel in place (symmetrical location to the left side). Then lift the shifter surround piece and remove the two screws holding it to the shifter area (pictured). There may be 2 more screws at the top of the shifter panel, i don't remember. Then you should be able to remove the panel. Pull "out" and watch the center shifter area as you'll need to guide a flat piece (connecting left side of panel to right) out and over the shifter plate. If your socket and extention fell in the same place as my bolts did (and i bet they did) then you may need to remove the center console (the one with the cup holders) and remove the flat tray at the bottom, followed by the air duct that feeds the center console rear vents. My bolts were right underneath the duct about 6" from the front. You'll see a round hole into a shallow (2" deep) cavity. Try driving back and forth very aggressively to see if there's anything rattling down in there. If you have everything removed and can't find the socket and extension, take a few pictures of the car opened up and let me see them, i can draw arrows to where i think they might have gone in the cavity. If you need me quicker, my email is cduluk@cox.net. Good luck!

Hey guys, Just wondering if anyone has a problem with the location of the radio volume/ON/OFF knob. Every morning i get to school (i'm a college student) a good half hour early and take a "wake-up" nap sitting in my car. I slouch in the seat (getting relaxed) and listen to my favorite radio morning show, but often get interrupted by my knee accidentally hitting the radio knob to OFF. The knob is located in such a way that it's in line with your knee, so just a little tap and POOF! It's OFF... Has anyone had this happen to them before?

Oh boy! http://www.necn.com/06/19/10/All-survive-Plymouth-small-plane-crash/landing.html?blockID=257304&feedID=4215

Hey guys, If you haven't heard already, there have been a few commercial airline accidents reported recently and i thought i'd share my thoughts on them. On Tuesday (6/15/10) an Airbus A330 taking off from Boston's Logan Airport had to turn around for an emergency landing due to an engine fire. The Alitalia flight was headed to Italy with ~250 passengers and 50 tons of fuel when one of the passengers noticed flames coming from the left engine. Pilots shut down the damaged engine and were able to turn the plane around with the remaining engine and land safely, only popping two tires due to the weight of a full tank of fuel. No injuries thankfully. Here's the video report from FOX news: http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/local/plane-makes-emergency-landing-at-logan-shortly-after-takeoff-20100615 This is footage of the plane as it landed: http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/06/15/flaming-engine-forces-alitalia-flight-to-return-to-boston/ This is the complete recording of tower communications between ground control and pilot as the incident occurred: http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/06/aircrew_control.html Then yesterday (Wednesday 6/16/10) an Embraer 145 jet made a crash landing at Macdonald-Cartier International Airport in Ottawa, Canada after losing traction in heavy rain. The plane by United Airlines was carrying ~30 passengers from Washington D.C. when the incident occurred. Upon landing, the plane lost traction and hydroplaned ~500 feet past the end of the runway onto a grassy field, several feet from a road. The front landing gear and belly of the plane collapsed, causing injuries to the pilot, co-pilot and one passenger. Here's the video report from CTV News: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20100616/united-airlines-plane-100616/ There are no official reports as to the causes of these accidents, but pilot error isn't to blame. Some are saying birds may have been the cause of Alitalia's engine fire, and worn out tires a possible cause of the United crash landing. One can't help but wonder the outcome of these accidents had the circumstances been different. What if the Alitalia engine caught on fire in the middle of the Atlantic v.s. only a few miles away from an airport? I know pilots are trained to fly with only one engine, but it could have been disastrous if this happened several hours away from land. And for the United accident, if the plane was directed to one of the airports smaller runways, things could have gotten a lot worse. There have been a lot of commercial airline accidents in the past year, and it's really making me afraid of flying. On May 22, a Boeing 737 for Air India carrying 166 passengers crashed upon landing, killing 158. A few weeks earlier on May 12, another Airbus A330 for Afriqiyah Airways crashed upon landing, killing all but one of the 104 passengers. Back on April 13th, a Boeing 737 for Merpati Airlines, again while attempting to land, overshot the runway injuring a few on board. What are your thoughts about these incidents? Is there anyone else out there who's afraid of flying like i am? I know chances of a plane crash are MUCH lower than chances in a car, but it's still a scary thought...

Oh yeah, that's the "wrap around" (meaning it covers the lights as well as the grille).

You "can" run 87, but the manual recommends premium (91-93). I use 91 or 93 (highest depending on the brand). I do believe i get a little better performance with the higher octane.

That's exactly what i would do <_<