lemon

There was an internal Lexus recall on the electric power steering rack (internal as not a federally mandated recall, but something Lexus did voluntarily before the goverment forced them to). The recall involved replacing the entire rack - something to do with the magnets in the rack coming loose and jamming up the works. Easiest thing to do is call Lexus corporate (you're in Canada or the U.S. I assume), give them your VIN number and ask if there are any outstanding recalls on the vehicle (outstanding in the sense that a dealer has not corrected the problem yet, not outstanding as in YAY!! Another recall...)

The brake system has to be bled. Apparently only the Lexus dealer can do this as the service computer must be hooked up via the OBDII port and the computer is then used to cycle the motors that provide brake pressure. Since there is no traditional brake booster (as in a non hybrid vehicle) you can't simply pump the brake pedal when bleeding the system. If you changed the fluid, you need to properly bleed the system.

All sorts of wiring, probably a new computer, maybe new suspension (likely new hubs at least - to connect the driveshafts to)....how much money do you have? Easier to trade yours in for an AWD probably..

OK..never mind any of them except for number 2. http://autos.aol.com/gallery/most-ex..._lnk2%7C213934 Don't want you to have nightmares, kids, but the picture is either a 400h or a HiHy (Highlander Hybrid)...lol. And the price is no exaggeration, either. Mine was replaced under the hybrid warranty and the part was $7000.

If you read the instructions/TSB, you're only supposed to run it for 30 seconds, and NO MORE THAN 40 SECONDS. It doesn't matter if the battery is fully charged (full bars), as long as you go the 30 to 40 seconds. Where on Earth did you ever get the idea that you're supposed to run it until the charge indicator is full? My guess is that parking with a full charged battery is not a problem, but you may have OVERCHARGED yours, hence the overheating.

If you look through the small grilled opening in the lower passenger side of the bumper you can see the pump and washer bottle right there. I think maybe that's why these things fail (mine is due to be replaced next week under the extended care warranty) so often - they get water and salt spray and dirt and debris tossed at them through the opening.

I just read an article stating that the Prius is faster than the CT200h. That being said, the CT200h is better looking inside and out in my opinion.

What weight oil did they put in at the Lexus dealer?

Search for "ISC reset" - you can do it yourself, or look in the sticky section for the TSBs, print the TSB out and take it to your dealer (because 90% of them have no frickin' clue what the ISC reset is). The ISC reset needs to be done if the battery is ever disconnected, or run below 7.2 volts (or thereabouts).

Audi should stick to talking about Audis and their great dependability... IF the dealership is using the Toyota 0w20 oil, it is supposed to be good for 10000 MILES. Me personally (and I do use the Toyota 0w20) I change it at 10000 KILOMETRES, but to sort of answer your question, YES, the 0w20 is fully synthetic. I don't know about the other grades. See here http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=62695 I see on the online maintenance manual download https://secure.drivers.lexus.com/lexusdrivers/info/my-lexus/resources/download-owners-manual.do?docURI=http://tis.tmsnet.toyota.com/t3Portal/resources/jsp/siviewer/index.jsp?dir=omms/T-MMS-10RX350&href=xhtml/T-MMS-10RX350_0001.html&locale=en that they are recommending 10000 mile oil change intervals UNLESS you drive under the 'special operating conditions' in which case they recommend 5000 mile OCIs. Just like in the old days, the special operating conditions are towing, high heat, stop and go, dusty roads, extreme cold etc etc. It's listed there in the manual.

Aside from mimicking the ICE reset procedure, have you actually done the ISC reset? The way you're describing it doesn't sound right to me.

Did you see my link in post #13 above? No need to keep a sledgehammer in the glovebox. Put key in ignition, hit key hard with palm of hand (in the direction the key is inserted, not the direction it turns) and...voila!! It works...

RhoXS, when it's time for you to replace, I would guess you would want a newer model. The 2010+ RX350 is a new generation. One thing they did was change the rear suspension to a multi link setup instead of a strut setup (so I was told, I never actually looked when I had a 2011 RX350 loaner last week). I will say that I thought the loaner handled better than my RX400h, but it had 11000 KM on it vs 150000km on my RX. The new interior was very nice as well. All I can say is test drive it before you buy a small, cramped X3. The NAV system still can't be used when driving, BUT the vehicle seems to recognize voice commands on the newer model better than on the previous model. I have given up on voice commands in my RX because it doesn't recognize 95% of what I say. The loaner vehicle was much better in understanding the words.

If there is more than one Lexus dealer in Montreal, you should try another one - dealership experience varies widely between dealerships. Your other options (especially if you find the Lexus dealer expensive) is to try a Toyota dealership. The Highlander hybrid is very similar to the RX hybrid (at least the previous generation was) and the Toyota dealer is well equipped to work on the Lexus. I had my timing belt done at the Toyota dealer, for example - it was cheaper, but they misquoted me on the price. Even without the misquote, it would have been cheaper than the Lexus dealer - same goes for certain parts - cheaper at Toyota than Lexus, same part.

My 400h was in for service last week, and I sat in one of these at the dealership. It was the last one - the service manager told me they had been selling well and only had the one left. Very nice I thought, though small. I will say that I would rather have one of these than the Prius.

Typically, if the parking brake mechanism uses the calipers to hold the rotor, then the piston will be the screw in type. If the parking brake is the drum inside the hat of the rotor type, then they will be push in. I don't know about the current generation RX, but my 2006 RX400h is the drum in the hat type - yours likely will be as well.

You must not be the only one that complained about this because in the new generation 2010 +, there are two readings - AVG since fill up and just AVG. The AVG reading can be reset at any time, even while driving.

So, I got my RX back today. New tranny and some other assorted parts replaced (or on order) under warranty. Looking at the new transaxle, I can now see that the seam where it was leaking is not actually where the transaxle mates with the gas engine - that mating point is more towards the centre of the vehicle. The seam where it was leaking is actually where two separate halves of the tranny are put together. If you look at the bottom of your tranny, you can follow the seam (and you can likely see some dried out sealant that seeped out when they put the two parts together) right up to the point where mine was leaking. I'm not sure if the leak would have lead to a tranny failure down the road or not since I have no idea if the coolant was leaking somewhere important internally as well as externally. Anyway, I encourage you all to check your transaxles for a leak in this area.

My car has been at the dealer for the past week having warranty work done. I was given a loaner vehicle - a 2011 RX350. It had a full tank of gas when I got it. As per the mileage computer in the vehicle the 'average since refuelling' is 13.1 l/100km. The average today on my drive to work (95% highway) was 12.3 l/100km. In my 2006 400h, I can easily get 8 to 9 l/100km on my commute to work. Before taking it in for service, the mileage was 8.9 l/100km. In the summer I can get closer to 8. I imagine if I did all highway that the 350 would be closer to the 400h - it seems to be in the city that the difference is much greater. I will admit, I'm smitten by the 3rd generation - very nice interior, exterior is growing on me (initially I though it looked a bit bloated), seems to handle a bit better as well (I think the rear suspension was changed for the new model). On a happier note, a friend of mine told me of two friends of his with a Ford Edge. 18 l/100km and a Acura RDX 15 l/100km. Of course, it's not apples to apples, as they drive differently than I do, but still...

Previously, the Toyota brand 0w20 was made by Idemitsu. Currenlty, it's being made by Mobil. Having used both, I can tell you that the Idemitsu oil was lighter coloured. IF the dealer is and was using the Toyota 0w20, then yes, you may find the oil is now darker.

You'll be looking directly under the inverter. You'll see a smaller coolant hose leading into the transmission - it's just to the left of that hose. Look for the bolt with the dab of paint on it. Mine had pink paint, but I've also seen blue paint. The air intake snorkel will be in the way - you have to kind of look around the snorkel (or remove it - with the snorkel removed it's easy to see the spot in question). The second and third pics were taken with the snorkel removed.

Sometime ago, I posted about my inverter leaking coolant and being replaced under the hybrid warranty. See here http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=60231&hl=inverter&st=0 In my post, another user posted about a leak from his transaxle, BELOW the inverter See here, post #22 with pics http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=60231&view=findpost&p=423945 In December, I had my timing belt replaced and while checking the engine compartment to make sure that the dealer didn't forget any bolts/wires/connectors etc., I thought I might check to make sure that my transaxle wasn't leaking like the vehicle in post #22 (above). Was I in for a shock when I discovered a leak in the exact place as the other owner. I mean the EXACT place. See the attached pics. The stain from the leak in the other owner's picture (from above) is much worse than mine, so it was likely leaking for a longer period. It would appear that I caught my leak in the early stage. This location appears to be where the hybrid transaxle mates with the mechanical engine. There is a seam right there and the leak appears to be from the seam. I also noticed at this time that the hybrid coolant reservoir was low. Before anyone asks, yes it's leaking coolant, not transmission fluid because the electric motors in the hybrid transaxle are cooled by the same coolant that cools the inverter. There are two cooling systems in the hybrid, the normal gas engine cooling system and the inverter/transaxle cooling system - that's why there are two coolant reservoirs in the hybrid. It's also possible for this thing to leak transmission fluid, of course, but it's not in my case. I took the vehicle to my Lexus dealer, the technician was stumped, pressure tested the hybrid cooling system and said all was well. I sent them the same pics you're seeing and they sent them to Lexus corporate (to some engineer I would hope??) who said the only way to diagnose this would be to take the tranny out. The first pic was a week after the dealer had checked it and cleaned the area. You can see from the cleaner looking metal that the stain was much bigger when the dealer checked it, however, the technician cleaned the area and asked me to bring it back so he could assess how quickly it was leaking. The second pic was about two weeks later. You can see the pink coolant stain spreading. The third pic will hopefully give you a better idea of where to check on your own vehicle. Anyway, I took the RX in on Monday this week for this leak to be diagnosed and repaired (along with some other items before my extended warranty expires). (I got a nice 2011 RX (not a hybrid though) as a loaner...very nice vehicle, but the mileage difference between the two vehicles is huge - roughly 13 l/100km vs 9 l/100km). Today I got a call saying they were going to need the vehicle for a few more days as it's getting a new transmission. (or transaxle as Lexus likes to call it). I just hope they can put it together as well as the factory in Japan. A new hybrid transaxle, by the way, is $4500 CDN plus the labour charges (which I imagine woud add at LEAST another $1000 if not more). Luckily, there was one in stock at head office, because I imagine if they had to order one from Japan, it might have been quite a while, given what's been happening after the earthquake.

Look on page 28 of this .pdf http://www.lexusgb-press.co.uk/protected/product/archive/rx_400h/RX400h_pack.pdf Google is your friend, by the way. For the North Americans..looks like Lexus overseas had a few more models than us... Base model - RX400h, then going up in equipment, RX400h SR, RX400h SE, then RX400h SE-L. The SEL would be comparable to a North American RX400h, with NAV, Mark Levinson, and Rear Entertainment system, plus the other bells an whistles, like rain sensing wipers etc. In North America we only had the base RX400h, the RX400h with NAV and the RX400h with NAV and RES, correct?

So I guess it's true...size does matter... :whistles:

I understand that the dealerships have to service and be aware of all the nuances of every model they sell, but really, they should have a binder for each model with all the TSBs inside (or at least accessible on the computer) and the damn technicians should be required to read them and know them. Same as anyone else with a job has to keep on top of new and changing information. At minimum, they should peruse the TSBs for the specific vehicle they are servicing each time they service for anything more than an oil change. I find the ISC reset a bit ornery at times if you're doing it by yourself. I've had to perform the procedure a few times in a row to get it to work sometimes. Again my suggestions - disconnect the battery and let the vehicle sit for about 10 -15 mins (remember you will now have to reset your windows, sunroof and power hatch as well). Make sure the vehicle is warmed up (warm it up BEFORE disconnecting the battery). Follow the instructions - you likely will not get the power meter to move very much, but you will hear the engine running at a higher speed when you step on the gas. You can push the gas pedal right to the floor and you'll notice the computer won't let the engine rev too high. 30-40 seconds. Following the restart you should see the arrow in the display going from engine to battery ONLY. If I don't see this arrow, I usually shut everything off and start over, as it doesn't seem to work for me unless I see the charge arrow. Your experience may vary - you may want to continue even if you don't see the arrow. You will notice the engine running at a high idle. After a short time, you will notice the idle speed drop (the arrow may stop showing engine to battery as well). After the idle speed drops from fast to slow, the engine should shut off within a minute or sooner (two minutes is the max I would wait). If the engine doesn't stop running within this time (one time I let it run on and it didn't shut off even after ten minutes), I go for a short drive and then do the whole thing again, making sure I turn off the ignition and wait a few seconds before starting it again to do the procedure from the beginning. You should have the A/C off during this whole procedure as well (I like to shut the lights off too, if they are on)