tta300

Hi Punkyrules,

If you are not a DIY guy, you might as well go to Toyota dealer to get second opinion and a quote. It's hard to believe Lexus dealer will turn your rotors. They simply replace them when they are warped. You'll know when you feel the vibration while braking. Good luck!

I just want to follow-up my earlier post. My Lexus dealer repaired the problem by replacing the throttle position sensor. Good job!

Thanks for your valuable advice. Not until I realized RX300 was prone to engine sludge and tranny failure, I though it was a vehicle to keep. The cold/hot fluid level is correct at this time, but I'll find out if there is any improvement by adding/removing some fluid, 1/4 qt at a time.

1. Miles on the vehicle--76,000 miles (bought new)

2. Old fluid color--pink/red

3. Small metal shavings or particles in the old fluid--negative, except the 3 pieces of magnet were covered with muddy stuff from wear and tear.

4. After the 30,000 miles service done by the dealer, I drained & refilled the tranny myself every 15,000 miles using only Toyota T-IV fluid.

If it is mechanical problem, why the clunk/shake disappears for a day after I reset the computer? Could it be the ECM going crazy? I just don't want to go back to my dealer, after I was told twice by them on some other issues, " They all do that!”

My '99 RX300 transmission clunks and shakes when shifting from P to D, or between R and D. The problem happened right after I cleaned the idle air control valve. I've done the following in the last few weekends, but did not fix the annoying shift shock.

-Cleaned throttle body

-Cleaned idle air control valve

-Replaced idle air control valve

-Replaced coolant temperature sensor

-Replaced transmission filter

-Drained and refilled Toyota type 4 transmission fluid twice

-Disconnected negative battery post overnight a few times to reset ECM

The problem disappeared for a day after I reset the ECM, but came back on the following day. The car runs fine and shifts smoothly while driving. I would appreciate any suggestions before I went to my dealer for diagnose.

76 lbs is the torque recommended by the manual, but usually tire shops put up more. I broke mine long time ago and did not bother getting new lock nuts. Instead, I went to my dealer and got 4 regular lug nuts, used but for free.

The tranny has never shifted like this since new; no matter the engine was cold or hot. It all happens after the intake cleaning exercise. I left the negative battary post unbolted last night. The shifting is much better now. Thanks for your advice.

It has been over two weeks since I cleaned the idle air control valve. The idle speed is back to normal, but I still have the abrupt clunky feeling and noise when shifting from P to D or between R and D. The tranny shifting quality while driving is fine. I wonder if the problem is still related to IACV.

In early morning, especially in cold weather, my transmission ('99 RX300) whines at lower gears while accelerating. I complained it to my dealer and requested a diagnosis under warranty. Their response was "They all do that." and charged me $60 since no fault was found. It has been "whining" for two years now. After reading numerous complains about engine sludge and transmission failure both from here and from some other sites, I found the powertrain on early edition of RX300 was indeed disappointing. I like the way RX300 handles; but at 75,000 miles, I'm on the crossroad whether to keep it or to let go. I hope there are more members whose RX300 have exceeded 100,000 miles will come forward and share their experience.

I would stay with Toyota/Lexus pads. I got mine from irontoad.com and replaced with success. They were about the same price as the ceramic type. If you can do BMW 5-series, you can do RX300.

Both the inboard pads on the front and the rear use metal clips as so called sensors. The clips will scratch the rotors as the pads are down to their minimum. At 74,000 miles, the pads might still be ok, but the caliper slides are probably due for fresh lubricant.

After cleaning the throttle body and idle control valve, the idle is steady but stays at 1000 rmp, a lot faster than it should be. Did I mess up or miss something here? I used the same procedure as I did to my other cars with success. Has anyone done the same before? Please comment.

Welcome to rx300 family! Make sure to change oil and filter every 4-5000 miles with quality synthetic 5w-30 oil for best engine cleaning power.

A week after replacing Bank 1 Air/Fuel sensor (Denso part#89467-48011), the check engine was on again with code P0171-Bank 1 system too lean. How could this be! Could I have a bad air mass meter too?

Lexus/Toyota pads are softer but easier on the rotors. If anyone's front/rear pads can last for 50,000 miles, why look for aftermarket? Normally, the rotors should last 2-3 sets of pads. If you do any tire jobs anywhere, make sure they do not over tighten the lug nuts (76 lbs. according to owner's manual). Over tighten or unevenly tightened lug nuts are the main reasons for rotor premature failure. If you live in New England area, of course you'll power wash the car/the brake a few times in the winter to prevent rust. By the way, the rear brake lower caliper slides tend to seize over time.

They all do this (I'm not from any dealership). With windows down, the space behind the back seat is similar to an acoustic chamber. If you fill the area with stuff, it should improve a little.

If you can do some research on the site and some other sites, you'll find out 2001-2003 rx300 are better model years than 1999, if you want to keep it for a long time. Good luck!

I replaced my '99 rx300 tranny fluid a couple of times. You'll need a 10mm allen wrench for the plug on the driver's side. You'll need 4 quarts Toyota Type4 fluid available only at Lexus/Toyota dealer for drain and refill. Unless you experience any problem, there is no reason to drop the pan, replace the filter, or even replace all the fluid in the tanny. If you do, you might as well do it at Lexus/Toyota dealer. It's about $200 for the complete flush and refill. Toyota Type4 fluid is very critical to the tranny. Any substitute will destroy the tranny for sure.

Thanks for your input. I replaced mine with some liquid wrench, an open wrench, and a mallet. It took a lot of patience but a doable job. My rx300 has only 72,000 miles. I just wondered why the sensor would go bad prematurely. The code was P1135-bank 1 lean fuel. I replaced the correct one for sure.

Has anyone replaced bank 1 oxygen sensor before? It is somewhere close to the firewall, but where? I can not see it from the top, or do I have to remove some parts to gain access to it?