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Also still having noise coming from the overhead crossbars. Dealer said they adjusted it but still with noise. Do any of you have problems with wind noise?
Thanks for your help!
This pays the MANUFACTURER'S advertisig and is charged TO the dealer BY the manufacturer.
We dont like paying it any more than consumers gripe when they see it as part of the cost of the car, but they do exist.
What does puzzle me is why Edmunds leaves out many of the national VW invoice items.
Bill
Dealer pencil whipped it.
I've noticed that if I have the console tray opened, things in it will rattle during driving. To make sure that there really is a rattle in your glove compartment, try taking everything out of it and the console bins, then drive out and see if there are any rattles. Make sure to empty the door pockets too. As quiet as the RX and other lux cars are, things will rattle. If you can isolate the problem to the build of the glove compartment or area around, that would help the dealer fix it.
Fees:
I had a long argument about paying the ad fee too but now realize that it is a part of the dealer's cost of the vehicle. When calculating the dealer's invoice, keep that in mind and you won't feel cheated. It is just unfortunate that it's itemized separately.
If that doesn't work I'd definetly take the Gimp's advise and trade it in, and don't, I repeat, don't pay for your new cars' advertising cost!!!!
Glad to see you've changed your ways and want to keep that fine RX300 purring along for many more years to come.
Now you'll be King again at your local Lexus dealer - hey, I bet they will even let you have a donut or two at the coffee bar as you tell them boys about how mean that ol' Stang GX gets when you're underneath the RX in the driveway, pullin' out the old Amsoil, puttin' in the new...
Heck, I bet you can't wait to buy off that lease come November and slap another coat or two of Zaino on that Bad Boy (the RX).
Pride of ownership - it's a wonderful thing.
The GX has fresh oil too. Took it to the track ran 11.30 @ 121 mph in 1/4 mile,on radials.YEAHCMON
Why would a supermarket heat milk? Does it remove Glycol from the oil when warmed?
Imagine going to the supermarket for a gallon of milk with the price posted as $0.39 and getting to the counter where they tell you that will be $0.50 extra for shipping and handling, $0.25 for heating and rent and, oh yeah, $0.15 for advertising. For good measure, we'll tack on an extra $0.05 as a restocking fee!
-Craig
I was referring to heating the store in which you buy the milk! We'll add the same amount for air conditioning in the summer. :-)
tidester
Host
SUVs
Is this something that an aftermarket supplier might be willing to custom fabricate?
First test, of course, was hammering the gas in a straight line. Very uneventful. Basically the same acceleration as on dry pavement. Didn't notice any wheelspin. The same test in our '96 Accord (auto) resulted in spinning the tires through 3 gears (my neighbors probably hate me now).
Next test. Go to the end of the street, stop, cut the wheel, and hammer the gas. The car made an initial jump, rear end skidded for about 1/2 second, the engine cut out, and a little orange car on the dash blinked and a loud beeping sound emitted. Whoops. VSC works. (that beep is WAY too loud for my liking - scared the crap out of me at first - thought I broke something). After the engine cut out for about a second and everything was under control, the car took off again and accelerated without any problem.
Next test. Exit the local plaza onto a busy road, up hill. Went to the exit of the plaza, stopped (exit area is cement - slippery when wet). The roads in this area were icy/slushy. Hammered the gas with the wheel turned (not as sharp as previous test). Very uneventful. Just accelerated like on dry pavement.
Next test. Hammer brakes on snow covered road. Turned back onto our street (very little traffic). About 3-4 inches of snow cover. Doing about 30 down hill, hammered on the brakes. Got that lovely clickity clack sound from the ABS. The rear end move slightly to the right, but nothing dramatic. It stopped in an appropriate distance considering the conditions.
In all, impressed with the drivability of the RX in inclement (snow) conditions, albeit not the types of storms the Northeast typically gets.
-Craig
It is, after all, a raised AWD Camary with nifty headlights and navigation.
-Craig
Did you have any indication, say steering wheel jerking left to right or vice versa, that TRAC was actuating the front brakes?
Snow-chains are completely appropreate on each and every vehicle going over a mountain pass when the State patrol insists, and many, MNY other instances.
Get REAL!
Moved here into the Seattle area 35 years ago and haven't really needed snow chains very often but when I did the was NO substitute. Helped our kids deliver their newspaper routes more than one time with chains on the rear of a Ford station wagon or a 78 Ford cargo van.
My 1978 911 Targa got "fitted" for chains one spring when I wanted to take it skiing, beautiful, bright and sunny, COLD day, with the top off but needed chains to navigate the ski parking area.
Worked just fine!
Notice that I started the message with IMO. Now anyone else's opinions are wrong if they dont coincide with yours.
BTW, our windsheild doesn't fog, nor do we have any mildew smells.
-Craig
I didn't notice any TRACS activation. Is there a light on the dash, accompanied with a loud beep, when it activates? I'm guessing that it takes VERY slippery conditions for TRACS to kick on, as having AWD should take care of slippage a good percentage of the time.
Our former '99 Acura TL had TRACS (or whatever Acura calls it). It would ALWAYS activate in snow (and even rain), causing a ABS-like vibration in the front end. Then again, it WAS the ABS turning on. It didn't do much in the Acura though. The fun pedal always overrode anything TRACS could do. They should have incorporated a fuel cut off as well.
-Craig
Any official word?
-Craig
I don't think VSC is programmed to cut the throttle so it was my presumption that you encountered both actions simultaneously. VSC to prevent understeering (you had the wheels turned already when you "hammered it") and TRAC to help you regain, or maintain, traction from a "standing" stop with WOT.
TRAC will first apply the brakes to try and help regain, maintain, traction in this circumstance and if the wheelspin persists it will then begin to de-throttle the engine. My 92 LS would de-throttle the engine far too quickly but I understand the newer madels have more of a delay.
Since you said you experienced engine de-throttling I suspected TRAC had been activated and asked what affect TRAC braking had on the front, if that's what happened.
From reading the MB material it appears that the TRAC type of brake application wouldn't be appropreate in a VSC circumstance. But maybe that's only true after the vehicle has gained some level of forward momentum.
I thought VSC use braking and/or engine/fuel cut off to control the vehicle. Wouldn't the braking portion of that be very similiar to the TRAC system? I know that TRAC controls wheel spin, which CAN cause loss of control, which then trips VSC. But in my case, the rear end tried to swing out from a stop, so the time between wheel spin and "loss of control" was very small (less than one second it seems).
-Craig
The moving map display doesn't really concern me so much but then I read on the internet about so many people being successful in playing movies on these screens.
It wouldn't really surprise me if we never see an update, maybe the manufacturer's are having second thoughts about providing such a "cutsy" driver distraction in light of what's happening around the country and the world regarding legislation of cellphone use.
What I would personally like to see in an update is a firmware change that blanks the screen entirely except as the vehicle nears a "true" decision point. "true" decision points meaning an actual deviation or turn is required, not, "continue on the road you're now on" message types.
Oh, while we're (I'm) on a wish list kick, instead of continuously displaying the moving map (and yes, I know I can blank it) why not continuosuly display all of the various parameters, radio, OAT, climate control, like the non-nav LCD and with high contrast larger "icons" that can be much more read by the driver without first depressing some button to bring them up and then leaning over closer to "see" them.
BTW, where does the washer fluid for the rear window originate from?
Senthil
Over-steering or skidding: (the rear of the car wants to LEAD) VSC applies the brake of the front wheel on the outside of the turn or skid.
Under-steering (or plowing{?}): VSC applies the brake of the rear wheel on the inside of the "turn".
Some have proposed that if under-steering is the problem and the initial VSC rear brake application doesn't work then applying both rear brakes, slowing the car so the front wheels can regain traction, might help.
You can probably readily see that de-throttling an under-steering FWD vehicle might be entremely detrimental, whereas in an under-steering RWD vehicle de-throttle might help. But then RWD vehicles are not as prone, nearly, to under-steering as are FWD.
Usual disclaimers :-)
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
Somewhere WAY back there, the host, I believe it was you, Steve, gave me props for my strategy on buying. Just wanted to say thanks! I prolly should sell cars, but I'd be nervous, being a chick, and all. I enjoy most all aspects of car ownership, with the exception being mechanic. I like to pay someone to work on the car.
I guess that love stems from my Dad's upbringing. He loved Corvairs and Porsches and in the '70's I helped him restore some *nice* 'Stangs, Firebirds and Camaros. We had a '66 Mustang with Pony leather interior, indash 8track and the spoked wheels.
Again, thanks for the props. Made me smile.
Thanks for advice.
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
Not my vehicle most of the time, but my mood gets very nasty (and ya'll know ah'm one 'a them southerners, so we're talkin' wantin' to kick some *ss) indeed when I have to drive or ride in said circumstance. Any suggestions? (And, oh, doesn't that leave me wide open........)
I NEVER go to Lexus for replacement blades.
I just put the new PIAA wipers on both my 99 and 2001 911s but too early to give a report.
senior moment here.
Couldn't remember the exact name so I had to skip back over to the net and do a search.
Bosch micro edge excel wiper blades.
Used the plain micro edge until the advent of the excel but both of these have given me good service and served me WELL here in the Great (WET) Pacific Northwest. Arkansas should be a piece of cake.
Damn, Doctor, you can't come to my dinner in Memphis and I can't have dinner with Bill here in Seattle if I'm in Memphis..
Well, a senator in a state had her windshield cracked by a rock kicker up from an 18 wheeler. So she lobbied for the mud flaps on 18 wheelers in her state to be of a size larger than is currently used. Then the argument was brought up on how the truck drivers would have to enter her state only, pull into a stop, and change their flaps to meet state requirements. Needless to say she lost. SO, about the Nav Willy........
Ravl, if you sell any cars in the future please get the name of the cookie supplier Lexus uses. Oh, how I remember that July afternoon back in 99' yummmmmmm.
Its a legit charge.. dealer makes not one red cent on it. Yell at Lexus, not the dealer..
Bill
Yes, if that's what you say I have no doubt that the Lexus dealers religiously, under pain of death, send off a check to Lexus Corporate each month accounting for each and every penny they collected as ad fees.
And I'll even take your word for it, in advance, that the dealer's don't profit from this in any way, not even as a portion of the rebate check they get each quarter for helping fill the corporate coffers with HUGE profits.
I made the mistake a while back when at a car wash, I sprayed the windshield during the "waxing" portion. The very next time I needed to wipe the windshield in the rain, the wipers bounced and skipped all over the window. So, I wiped down the windshield afterward with a good glass cleaner and replaced the blades and, viola, smooth wipes. :-)
Then a blinker bulb went out in the front at about 7k miles. I went into the dealership just to get to the service department. My salesman saw me and asked what was up. Told him the bulb went out. He himself went to the service department, grabbed a bulb, went out to my car, and changed it for me.
Nice service up until that point. About a year later, I started getting severe fogging of the windsheild and that nice maple syrup smell. Obvious heater coil problem. They tried to fix it 3 times without success, not once listening to my diagnosis. Ended up trading it in on a '99 Acura TL (actually more fun than the T5), which then got traded in for our '01 RX (now the wife's car).
-Craig
While you're kissing up to the senator, why don't you also recommend that the speedometer and tachometer be blacked out while accelerating, since those swinging needles, which are even in a more visible place than the DVD Nav screen, are much more of a distraction.
Better yet, just eliminate them entirely. If you actually NEED a speedometer to see how fast you're going, you're probably going too fast. And who needs a tach with an auto, anyways?
And a rear view mirror? Who the hell needs to see what they've just seen in front of them! Side mirrors? They only cause wind noise and lower MPG on the highway.
Go Willy Go!
But, you'd like a constantly updating screen with inside and outside temperature, MPG, miles left, current fan speed, how much weight is on the front seat, etc. on the DVD Nav screen in BIG BOLD TYPE (just like the non-Nav), but a map indication where you are is distracting.
Is anyone else confused by this?
-Craig
kmh, I know it's not a warranty issue and expect wear. Problem is, I can replace the blade and within an hour of total use, it's chattering again. Passenger side, you ask?? Nay, I say. No problems there. No RainX on front glass, no wax, nada. As I mentioned, I can clean the blade and it's ok for a few minutes. Just wondered if anyone else was experiencing this sort of situation.
Willard, thanks for the head up on Bosch and PIAA. One of those is my next step. Either that, or I'll just drive backwards everywhere, and use the rear wiper.
As for your situation, I'm beleaguered. I wouldn't know why you get the chatter on the driver's side and not the passengers. hmmm.
2. Anyone driving theirs with 2 toddlers? Have enough room?
3. Not sold on the chrome wheels. (Already confused enough about all the tire talk here - so let's skip that.) What's so great about chrome wheels?
Thanks for helpful replies.
Dorothy
Wondering if we'll get laughed out of the joint if we suggest $500-$700 over invoice.
Ever notice a male peacock vs a peahen?
Mooretorque,
My wife says as soon as I get off the plane in Memphis I start picking up a southern accent, just tuning up. Have you tried replacing the entire driver's side wiper arm?