bluestu

RX In NC, I am not in agreement with you on this issue. You did say the transmission on your RX fried up after 70k miles and all you ever did to maintain it was a drain and fill. To me, that's more proof that a drain and fill is not sufficient for proper maintenance. Both of my RX300s have almost 80k miles and shift very smoothly, and I don't notice any jerking or shifting delays. The fluid is extremely clean and does not overheat. Maybe I'm just lucky, but I don't think so. You are the lucky one, seeing as how you were able to persuade Lexus into replacing your transmission after your warranty had expired. I guess persistence can pay off for some, but for most of us, it would be a costly venture.

If what you're saying is true, why drain and fill the transmission at all? I realize that in a standard transmission you can pull the plug, remove the pan and just about all the fluid drains out. Replace the filter, refill and you're ready to go. A RX300 transaxle is a different story and would have to require a different procedure. If the designers were so brilliant in their maintenance recommendations, then why are so many RX owners complaining about transmission failure and dirty fluid? Putting total trust in design teams and engineers may be OK for some, but considering the huge number of design flaws made by the auto industry through the years, I lean more towards making my own educated decisions and trusting the advice of reputable, qualified mechanics. I'll be getting a transmission flush on my RX300 every 30k miles.

I think I paid around $140.oo to have my transmission flushed. It was a bit expensive, but I know they did the job right. I got quite a few referrals before I let them work on my car. It's not a guarantee that your transmission will be problem free, but I believe clean fluids can prevent many mechanical problems. I would suggest using a mechanic that specializes in foreign car repair and make sure they use the right type of replacement fluid.

I bought Axxis pads for all four wheels and purchased them at City Foreign Auto in Asheville, NC for $100.oo including tax. I've seen them for sale on eBay for around $85.oo for a complete set.

I bought a set of Axxis Metal Master brake pads. They are a semi-metallic brake pad that produce vitually no brake dust or squeal and cause very little wear on the rotors like some of the semi-metallics can. I haven't noticed much difference in stoping distance, so I don't think that is an issue. I am just happy to have gotten rid of the brake dust and squeal.

OK. I've talked to at least a dozen transmission specialists, mechanics, and import auto parts stores and they all agree that the RX300 should have a total transmission flush every 30k miles. The RX300 has a transaxle in front which means the transmission and front differential share the same fluid, around 16 quarts. Does anyone think that draining three quarts out and refilliing every 30k miles is going to make a bit of difference in the cleanliness of the fluid? I called several Lexus and Toyota service depts. and as I suspected, none of them perform a total transmission flush on a RX300, and said it wasn't necessary. I take my RX300 to a Toyota specialist that has a transmission flush machine that removes all the dirty fluid and replaces it with new T-IV transmission fluid. Contamination is not a problem. They also replace the fluid in the transfer case and rear differential every 30k miles.. Both use gear oil, not transmission fluid. I'm not an expert mechanic, but I have researched this topic extensively. I would never take my car to a dealership unless I absolutely had to, because they overcharge for parts and services, and usually take care of their own best interests first.

itmdtr, You are the man!!! You are absolutely correct with your information. I have talked to several expert mechanics and they told me the exact same thing. They also told me to totally flush the transmission every 30k or kiss it goodbye. A drain and fill is useless. That's why so many Lexus owners are complaining about transmission failure. Comparable to extending the life of the engine oil until it turns to sludge. Trust the experts or trust the dealerships???

I think you should sell your RX300 and buy a car that makes you happy. I have two RX300s with almost 80k and have had only one problem which was the mass air flow sensor. I replaced that myself which took about one minute. Of course, I have had my transmissions completely flushed and all the other fluids changed. I have the engine oil and filter changed every 3,000 miles and started using only synthetic oil. No engine sludge or leak problems here. Keeping the fluids clean is vital in maintaining any car. The Lexus maintanence schedule is flawed, especially concerning the transmission. There is probably a good reason for this considering that dealerships make most of their money selling parts and servicing vehicles. I have to admit that I have learned a great deal of valuable information by reading and posting on this forum. I love my RX300!!!

16 qts!? Are you sure? The old fluid in my car is black and a little thick. 4 qts of new fluid is not enough then. I don't want to flush it (bcs I heard bad news on flushing). I may need to drain it in a few days again. Right? ← I'm positively sure. I just had mine flushed about a month ago and the fluid looks like new, pinkish in color. I did some pretty extensive research on this matter and found that the only way to completely change the transmission fluid is to have it flushed. Not only does this completely replace the existing fluid, but also cleans the wire mesh filter inside the transmission. Make sure you replace the fluid with the right type of fluid which is clearly marked at the top of the dipstick. You should also have your differential and transfer case gear oil drained and replaced every 30k mi. The reason your transmission fluid looks dark is because you've just been having a portion of the fluid drained out and new fluid added. The new fluid just mixes in with the dirty fluid, so your fluid just keeps getting dirtier and dirtier. Any qualified mechanic will tell you that the drain and fill performed by Lexus and Toyota is useless and a waste of money. I take my cars to a place called Mostly Toyotas and they say that they haven't had any problems with the cars they have flushed. They 100%, absolutely recommend flushing the transmission every 30kmi.

I have news for everyone again. Your RX300 transmission holds around 16 quarts of fluid. If you don't have it completely flushed at least every 30,000 miles, then your transmission is going to fail. Lexus and Toyota dealers only do a drain and fill which is useless. They're draining about 1/4 of the dirty transmission fluid and replacing it with new fluid. They will tell you that if you do this often enough that eventually all the dirty fluid will be replaced with clean fluid. That makes about as much sense as the Iraq War.

I went to the Toyota dealer and bought one for under $20.oo. It was the same part number as a Toyota Highlander.

My 1999RX does the same thing as you described. I am clueless also. It does sound like the CD changer, but it isn't. Let me know if you find out what is causing the extremely irritating noises.

RX 300s RULE!!! That's why I bought two of them. Look around and you'll find great deals. I paid right around 18k for each of mine with about 60k mi.. People will unload them around then so they won't have to pay for their 60k service which is over-rated and over-priced. All I've had to do is change the oil, air filter, cabin filter, and flush the transmission. That was less than $200. Everything else checked out fine. I kept my first Toyota Celica for 15 years and it still ran great when I sold it. I plan on keeping these cars for at least that long.

That noise is very annoying and alarming. It is definitely the strut mounts. Nothing to worry about unless the struts are bad. To fix the problem you have to remove the struts and replace the rubber bushings at the top of the front struts. I think there should be a recall for this all to common problem.

I forgot to mention that I have both of my RX300s serviced at a place called Mostly Toyotas. They have a flush machine and told me that all the cars they have performed this service early on have never developed any transmission problems, including the 99RX. Just make sure you use the right type of trans. fluid and gear oil which is clearly marked on the trans. dipstick. Oh yeah, the RX300 is designed not to shift into third gear until the engine has reached a certain temp. On very cold days, you should allow the car to warm up for a few minutes before driving, otherwise you might be hanging in second gear for a while. A very annoying feature.

If you don't have the transmission completely flushed at least every 30kmi., your transmission is going to tear up. The drain and fill that the dealer performs is useless. They're only draining about a quarter of the fluid out and replacing it, so the fluid continues getting dirtier over time. A transmission flush will clean out the entire transmission and wire filter, and replace all the dirty fluid with clean fluid. (about 16 quarts). I have it done about every 20kmi., so the fluid is always clean. You should also have the differential service performed regularly. The dealership is taking everyone for a ride on the drain and fill scam. I guess they're wanting everyone to have to replace their transmissions after 70 or 80kmi.. They actually told me that if you have the transmission drained and filled as scheduled, that eventually all the fluid will get replaced and would be clean. I said, "You've got to f***ing kidding!!!"

I had the codes checked and the mechanic told me that it was the mass air flow sensor. He said it was real dirty, cleaned it and told me if the check engine light came back on that I would need to replace it. It came back on almost immediately so I purchased a MAF off of eBay for $20. I put it on myself. It took a total of 60 seconds. That has got to be the easiest part to replace that I have come across. I cleared the codes by unhooking the battery terminals and my RX300 runs much better now. I would like to thank everyone who gave expert advice on fixing this problem

I purchased one today and was wondering how difficult it is to install and if there is anything to be cautious of when installing?

That's annoying, isn't it!!! I had my brake pads replaced and they squealed for a while until the pads wore down a bit. Yours shouldn't be doing that since is fairly new. I would talk to Lexus about fixing the problem.

I saw a set of four OEM replacement speakers on eBay under Lexus RX300 parts

I took my car to Toyota because I thought the transmission was overfilled. I showed it to them and they agreed it was over. I asked them to go ahead and do a drain and refill. I got it home and checked it and it was exactly the same. It's a mystery to me also. I'm taking my car to a private mechanic who specializes in Toyotas. He says that he knows the exact amount to put in after flushing the entire system.

The transmission uses T/VI fluid and the other components use gear oil. I bought both my RXs with around 60k miles on them. I'm sure the transmissions on neither one had ever been flushed because the fluid looked very dirty. I did a drain and fill on both of them at Toyota for $45 a pop. The fluid still looks dirty. The transmissions still funtion properly, but after discussing this issue with numerous people, I've decided to have the transmissions flushed on a regular basis. Costs around $100.

I'm pretty sure the front differential and transfer case both use gear oil and share it. I can only see one drain plug. I have also been told by three or four mechanics that the transmission in an RX300 does have a screen inside for catching particles. I'll know for sure next week. I plan on flushing my transmission every 15,000 miles. A new transmission for an RX is very expensive.

I've talked to quite a few expert mechanics that have told me that you need to completely flush the transmission when the fluid starts to turn brown. What if every time you had your engine oil changed, they just drained out a quart or two and filled it back up? You would always have dirty engine oil. Doesn't sound like good preventive maintenance to me. I'm taking my RX next week to have all the fluids changed. I'll let you know what the mechanic says about the transfer case fluid. I think maybe the front differ

I talked with a mechanic who works strictly on Toyotas and he said just draining and and refilling the transmission is a waste of money because only a fraction of the fluid is actually replaced. He suggested totally flushing the transmission which he says cleans all the debris from the wire mesh filter inside the transmission. He said the transmission uses T/IV fluid and the gear box and differentials use the 80/90 gear oil. He recommended changing those also. He said you should flush the transmission at least every 30,000 mi. or whenever the fluid starts to look dirty. The fluid should appear pinkish in color when it is clean. I think this an important subject that all car owners should be aware of!!! This is comparable to having the engine oil changed regularly.