Lexus RX 300

stever · February 2003

We say 60,000 miles (for the '02's anyway). Are you looking at the factory recommendation or your dealer recommendations? You can also cross check at lexus.com in the ownership pages.

Steve, Host

gambiaman · February 2003

Has anyone ever mounted or had LCD monitors for a DVD system mounted in the rear of the front seat headrests? If anyone did what size monitor was used, 5", 5.6" or other size? Experiences?
Thanks

mrrogers · February 2003

I just read post #3529 in the Edmunds ES300 Board, and it appears Lexus will have a software fix for the ES300 five speed transmission in May. It only took eighteen months for the Six Sigma Black Belt engineers and their relentless pursuit of perfection to fix this. It appears this is also the transmission for the 2004 RX330. What about the RX330's built between now and May you ask? It appears there is a temporary fix. If you leave your dome light on, it will discharge the battery. When you jump the car to start it, it re-boots the computer, and the transmission shifts better.
This is another reason why people should choose Lexus over Toyota. It really gripes me when Consumer Reports magazine recommends the Camry over the ES300 and the Highlander over the RX300. Don't they know that Lexus owners put a premium on great technical advancements and great customer service?

rparis · February 2003

What octane rating do most RX owners use and have any compared performance with a lower octane vs a higher octane?

wwest · February 2003

no measureable difference

wwest · February 2003

What's up?

The Canadian Lexus site specifications for the new RX330 indicate the viscous clutch will still be used. Different strokes for different folks or simply a mistake?

jiamin · February 2003

Compared regular (97) and premium (91) on 96 Maxima, 00 RX and 02 QX4 for so many times. No difference that I could see and feel. Yesterday somewhere in msn.com I read an article saying that any higher octane than whatever minimum octane which does not cause pinging is a waste. It does not say higher octane can provide better performance. However owner's manual says so...

Now I use 87 100% times. I don't need higher octane just to have peace of mind.

pschiffe · February 2003

Only difference is in the wallet!

Pete

mikey00 · February 2003

I am comparing the Lexus owners manual with the Edmunds maintenance guide.

rparis · February 2003

I own both an ES 300 (2003) model and an RX300. I always use regular (87) in the RX, but the dealer tells me to use a higher octane for the ES which I just purchased. They say the performance will be better with higher octane and the mileage will also be better. I really have my doubts about mileage and do not believe performance would be better with the higher octane.

wwest · February 2003

rparis, IMMHO your dealer hasn't a clue.

The engine in your ES and RX are the same.

tomgb · February 2003

A couple of years ago I ran a fuel test using the two top grades of Chevron's gas in my Range Rover. I ran the tests over several consecutive tanks of gas, discarding the results from the first tank which had mixed grades.

With the best grade I got a slightly noticeable increase in power and measureably increased mileage. The lower grade gave less power and less mileage. But the cost per miles achieved worked out to about the same. I think at the time I ran the test the cost difference in grades was about 12-15 cents.

Where I noticed the best improvement in power with the top grade gas was around the Lake Tahoe area at 6000-8000 feet elevation. At sea level, power differences weren't that noticeable. Mileage was better everywhere with top grade gas.

mrrogers · February 2003

Willard,
I would think that the 2004 RX330 manufactured in Japan and the 2004 RX330 manufactured in Canada would both have the improved AWD without the viscous clutch.
Would your wife's company consider offering a retrofit kit so that owners of 1999 through 2003 RX300's could remove the viscous clutch to enjoy the benefits of the 2004 AWD?

unc8185 · February 2003

I am interested in discussing the still upcoming RX330. This is made difficult by the numerous posts about the current RX300 steering wheel noise, service costs, or tire selections. Such considerations are not of interest to prospective RX330 buyers or to others who are curious about the new vehicle.

The separate Future Sienna board is a great success. A separate RX330 board would certainly be more active and helpful than the combined board.

Activate the separate RX330 thread!

mikey00 · February 2003

If you get better mileage and more power using over 87 octane in your RX, it's only because your wallet is lighter.

lil4x · February 2003

Maybe they're paying attention out there! After 3 years of long-lamented $100 oil changes (with "free" wash), yesterday's oil change at Westside Lexus cost me only $39. Are they trying to say they're sorry?

marys235 · February 2003

Anyone who recently purchased an RX300, please let us know what kind of deal you got. I would expect the dealers to be offering some good discounts with the new model coming out shortly. I'm trying to hold of purchasing the RX 300 until I can get the best price, just trying to figure out what the best price will be.

wwest · February 2003

No, but I am wondering if the RX330 VSC/Trac/AWD(etc) ECU can be installed in the AWD RX300 and thereby put the VC in perpetual standby.

Worth a try.

Maybe I'll cancel my RX330 order.....

cmvoss · February 2003

We just bought an RX300 about a month ago from our local Lexus dealer. The MSRP was $37,396. and we paid $33,656. ($3740 below MSRP) plus doc fee and tax. I don't know if this is a good deal or not, but we're very happy with the vehicle. We paid the dealer an additional $500. to install the Lexus towing package, which I thought was kind of high, but it looks good (unobtrusive). Good luck, I hope this helps.

learn2fly · February 2003

One of my tires on 2002 RX300 has a nail in the sidewall and local gas station mechanic says that this cannot be patched as it is on the sidewall and tire needs replacement. I have 9400 miles on the vehicle and the tires are Goodyear.

My questions are: would the tire get replaced under warranty? If not, is it worth replacing all 4 tires (which are obviously still in pretty good condition) with say Michelin or Bridgestone? Between the two which tires are quieter? My preference goes to a quieter ride.

Cheers,
-Sachin

wwest · February 2003

I think a true tow package includes a larger radiator, a transmission fluid cooler mounted in the right front fender and a larger alternator, typically only a factory option.

Your dealer may have voided your factory warranty by using an "aftermarket" tow "kit". Lot's of manufacturers have voided vehicle warranties in the past over the issue of inadequate engine and transmission cooling without proper cooling upgrades.

So $350 is a true bargain provided your dealer followed the "rules".

rparis · February 2003

Usually tires are under warranty by the manufacturer, not Lexus. Why not use the spare as the replacement tire and purchase an inexpensive tire for a spare.

Also, Costco usually has pretty good deals on tires, and no, I would not replace all tires at this time.

kente2 · February 2003

I see the existing rx300 does not have seat belt tensioners.

will the new rx330 have seat belt tensioners?

I assume yes as the es300 does have tensoiners.

lil4x · February 2003

In my conversation with my dealer yesterday, the salesperson indicated they would be willing to make a considerably better deal on a 2003 300 than a (2004) 330. When the 330 is finally available, demand for the 300 will dry up fast. Might be the best time to deal on a new car that you plan on driving for several years!

mrrogers · February 2003

Mr. West,
Your idea of retrofitting the ECU from the 2004 RX330 to your current RX300 to put the VC in permanent standby mode is interesting. Do you have a wiring diagram for your current RX300? I wonder if the is a wire between the ECU and the VC? If there is, and you cut it, does that put the VC in permanent standby mode?

wwest · February 2003

The VC is strickly a "mechanical" device, operates, increases F/R coupling coefficient, via heating of the viscous fluid resulting from disparate driveline rotational rates F/R.

If the RX330 ECU can be plugged into an RX300, in place of the existing ECU, then braking would be used to suppress disparate rotational rates F/R (and/or side to side) and the VC would never come into "play", not that it really ever does in the current design in any case.

And yes, I have a complete set of shop manuals, including wiring diagrams, for both the 00 and the 01 RX300.

gsenthil · February 2003

Sachin- I had a similar problem. The answer lies in how you use your spare tire.

I prefer to use the spare as much as the remaining tires and use it in the rotation cycle. At about 25k miles, one of my tire had an irrepairable damage. Instead of replacing a single tire with the same Integrity's, I replaced all 5 with Michellin Cross Terrains. Also, I was quite unhappy with the wet traction of the Integrity's. They were abvailable for a steal from OnlineTires and even if I factored in what I would have got for trading in my GYT Integrity's, it made sound financial sense IMHO. I have been quite happy with them- no increase in road noise and much better handling.

However, you seem to have a lot less miles on the blown tire. Replacing it with the same tire might be a good solution.

mikey00 · February 2003

The RX comes standard with "Towing Prep Pkg w/ Transmission oil cooler". I bet what the dealer added for $500 was the hitch and wiring. Thats a fair price for the dealer doing the work using factory parts. If you used aftermarket parts such as Hidden-hitch it would have been less than half.

wwest · February 2003

At lexus.com the specs for the RX330 show the tow package as an option. The 03 RX300 spec is unclear on this subject although it does seem to say the 4X2 comes without the tow option, implying that the 4x4 does.

It's simple enough to look for the transmission fluid cooler in the front fender of the right front wheel. If it isn't there and you have a tow hitch installed be worried.

mooretorque · February 2003

gsenthil makes good sense, but let me drop an alternate viewpoint in your lap (tho it's not the most cost effective solution). Use this incident as the impetus to replace the Goodyear Notegritys with the Michelin CrossTerrains. Yes, you'll spend $5-600 that you wouldn't have had to spend yet BUT they are a far superior tire to the Goodyears in all respects and are at least as quiet (speaking from 25k worth of experience with 'em on wifey's RX). And, interestingly enough, TireRack actually sells the 235-70-16 CTX for $96 whereas the OEM sized 225-70-16 is $139. I might add that the 235 fits with no clearance problems. The odometer/speedometer difference is only ~ +1%, which is certainly well within factory tolerances for the instruments themselves.

Most of your interface with your car comes through the steering wheel and the seat of your pants; to me, that change alone was worth the money (and even non-gearhead wifey noticed and approved!!).

buckeyedon · February 2003

Getting to 330 discussions is not intuitive. Very poor selection from options; you must have a better solution for those who wish to access 330 discussions without going through several disjointed steps??

Please take a look to improve.

tidester · February 2003

You can save yourself a lot of time by "subscribing" to a particular discussion! Then all you have to do is click on "read subscriptions" and you'll arrive exactly where you want to be.

Click on the "Town Hall Help" link at the left of this page near the top to find out how to set up a "subscription!"

tidester, host

rx330guy · February 2003

I couldn't agree more with the requests to bring back the RX330 board.

As a prospective RX330 buyer, I found the previous separate board extremely helpful to the research process. I have no interest in reading about $100 car washes, tire selections, fuel octane, steering wheel noises, etc. Prospective RX330 buyers are ONLY interested in accessing information that pertains to the new RX330, without having to weed through 7000 posts on the soon-to-be defunct RX300.

There are several other future vehicle boards operating. Please count my vote to re-activate the RX330 board! Thank you.

rcf8000 · February 2003

While you're at it, re-activate the SRX discussion, too.

jrdowney · February 2003

I agree there is probably a place for a separate RX330 board. However, the information contained here should be of value since it gives a sense of problems, owner satisfaction, and vehicle insights that will certainly apply to the new version of the RX. In addtion, I'm interested in any contrasts between the two vehicles.

Peterun · February 2003

I've totally stopped looking at the "merged" board. Every forum - Mercedes; BMW; Honda . . all separate each forum by the year the specific model radically changed. There's really no crossover between the RX300 and the RX330, right down to a different engine. Please, please, please return to the separation of these two different vehicles. Thanks. Peter

jeffmust2 · February 2003

Would that be Lexus' new Hemi V-8 that's also in their line of pick-up trucks?

Inquiring Minds Want to Know!

tidester · February 2003

I thought we had a consensus that a single board was adequate and that a 330 board was premature. Do we need to revisit that issue?

tidester, host

mooretorque · February 2003

jeff, you mean the IS?? 'Cause ya know it's got a Hemi, too.......(or will).

I guess it would be good for some posters to have a seperate 330 board; then they can post about the $100 car washes and $75/hr fluid checks (that will remain the standard of Lexus care since they'll be getting them from the same dealers that sold the 300) on their own forum!!

"Meet the new boss.....same as the old boss......" 1972, The Who

rx330guy · February 2003

Tidester- Consensus of how many about the single board? I was never given an opportunity to "vote." I was involved in discussions on the RX330 board on January 7th, when suddenly this message was posted: "In order to consolidate all of the great discussion about this vehicle, let's continue in the topic, Lexus RX 300/330, which we're sharing with the SUVs board. Thanks!"

There was no discussion on the RX330 board (only the RX300 board) about combining them. The majority of prospective buyers of the new vehicle are not interested in reading about the very different RX300.

I don't think a 330 board would be premature, since the vehicle is due to be released in 6 weeks, prototype 330s are now making the rounds at the dealerships, and several previews have already been published. Yes, the issue of seperate boards needs to be revisited. Thank you.

tidester · February 2003

I was involved in discussions on the RX330 board on January 7th

By a very strange coincidence, that was about the time we had the discussion here! :-)

Let's revisit the issue - all those in favor of separate boards signify by typing "Aye!" and opposed "Nay!"

tidester, host

borg1of2 · February 2003

Nay

amontgom · February 2003

A big "Aye!"

coolguyky7 · February 2003

tomgb · February 2003

Aye

mikey00 · February 2003

03 RX AWD still comes with tow package as standard equipment. It's on the window sticker.

wwest · February 2003

suvgal1 · February 2003

Aye! Thank you!

wmquan · February 2003

mhe · February 2003

Aye!

Lexus RX 300

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