bochik

replace battery and service transmission NOW, not later NOW!!!

Take good advice and get rid of RX 300 before transmission goes out, or keep it and spend 4500.00 on another transmision that may last 35 or 40 thousand miles, if its a 2001, you better hurry too.

First, I doubt that you need to change the battery unless it is more than about four years old and been discharged several times. A vehicle's alternator is not a device designed to put a deep charge on your battery. It is designed to top off the battery after you start the engine and to run the electrics in the car when it is running. I always do a deep cycle charge on any battery that has been run down. That is using a battery charger and letting it charge for 5-6 hours. Letting a car idle for 20 minutes in the hopes that you are going to fully charge your battery is a HUGE strain on your alternator and probably won't put a dent into the charging needs of a fully discharged battery. Fwiw, a quality battery only has a few deep discharges and charges in it before it no longer becomes a reliable battery.

Most excellent advice grumpa, in fact some vehicles alternators will even cycle off on a low battery to protect themselves

First, I doubt that you need to change the battery unless it is more than about four years old and been discharged several times. A vehicle's alternator is not a device designed to put a deep charge on your battery. It is designed to top off the battery after you start the engine and to run the electrics in the car when it is running. I always do a deep cycle charge on any battery that has been run down. That is using a battery charger and letting it charge for 5-6 hours. Letting a car idle for 20 minutes in the hopes that you are going to fully charge your battery is a HUGE strain on your alternator and probably won't put a dent into the charging needs of a fully discharged battery. Fwiw, a quality battery only has a few deep discharges and charges in it before it no longer becomes a reliable battery.

I didnt join this club till just a few days ago when my wifes 01 RX 300 trans. fried. Now i have read through hundreds of threads and such here and i feel fortunate that i even got 150,000 miles out of this trans. I bought it for her with 80,000 miles on it and had the trans. flushed to start fresh. So I guess im lucky that she put 70,000 miles on it after all ive read now on these particular transmissions. This is going to be one expensive fix, but im gonna bite the bullet, fix it, sell it,and go with something else, and put the whine on hold. I think the problem with these particular transmissions may be one of pressure or clutch material, because they contaminate very quickly. As someone mentioned, it may even be poor cooling, but there definitely seems to be a problem with these particular years(99-02). Im tempted to scatter it all over the garage floor and do an autoposy, and not even sew it back up,,,hee hee

yeah, I see your point lenore, had just gotten off phone with lexus of austin and was feeling kinda moody, LOL. Its my wifes car and i guess its a pretty good one, I just wasnt ready to have trans. problems right now, guess theres no good time for that anyway. I have a 93 chevy Z-71 i bought brand new and its got 250,000 miles on it now, 350 TBI, and its never had any trans. work,(automatic overdrive). Its never even had a valve cover off, I think it spoiled me. I drive an 04 chevy aveo to work every day, (64 miles one way). I ignored GM reccomendation on replacing timing belt at 60,000 miles and it slipped in the parking lot after work one day while cranking it, I was really lucky on that one, just towed it home and replaced it, no engine damage, if i had been at cruise speed, can you imagine where the valves would be now? LOL. I will replace it on time now, wound up costing bout 600.00 just for parts, idlers, water pump, belt, tensioner, etc. I have had it changed on wifes rx though. Anyway, thanks for input and have a good day.

thanks code, yeah last night i stumbled across some of lexus repair manual someone had on this website and it looked rather involved, i havent made up my mind yet, lexus rep is supposed to get back with me within 2 business days to advise me if they will pick up part of the cost. From what ive seen the last couple of days online, the u140e transmission gives a lot of trouble. I have had all service done on it, but it has lost pressure and destroyed clutch pack now. thanks for your help

my wifes 2001 rx 300 FWD is going to need a transmission, it has 150,000 miles on it, lexus quoted 4500.00 on it, just wondering, if i do it myself, does transmission come out top, bottom, or pull engine and trans as one unit, then separate?