Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
The new one made to more modern specs does not burn the fluid at all like the original did. The shifts are precise, smooth, and enthusiastic with no hesitation. I still change the ATF at least every two years (always specify the type IV fluid, not an additive "mix"). As extra insurance I also added a redundant cooler in the fender with a thermostatic fan (in addition to the factory "tow package" cooler and the radiator cooler).
Mine was first year, and had a variety of minor issues that Lexus took care of under warrantee, sometimes to the extreme that other makes would not have done. But now that it's getting older and doesn't get used as often, I can report minor trouble with door lock solenoids that are very un-Lexus or un-Toyota like.
A properly maintained RX300 that was not used for an idling air-conditioner waiting room/rolling phone booth is bound to last a long time, and be worth fixing minor glitches. One with few but all city miles, lots of soccer mom/dad air conditioned idling (which eats up lots of cars), or a smell of burned fluid when you check the dipstick should be avoided. Look for signs of excessive "city" wear (I call it the "air-conditioned shopping cart")... rusted muffler, door dings, worn brake pedal, are all indicators of a rough life regardless of mileage, and easy to spot.
And have the transmission serviced, not flushed. The service is important because contaminants (worn stuff) suspended in the fluid get removed with the filter, cleaning the magnetic pan, etc. Make sure they use the correct fluid.
Good luck!
Since the earlier RX300 used a mechanical coupling between the gas pedal and throttle plate the same technique could not be used.
On the other hand my '01's TC, Traction Control, dethrottles the engine via EFI fuel starvation control. Why couldn't Lexus use this same technique to "hold off" rising engine RPM/Torque for downshift delays...??
The throttle plate would still open, just as it does/is with TC activation, but the only harm in that is the engine ROARING to life once the downshift is completed. On the other hand there are circumstances with my RX300 wherein VSC activates and I am forced to completely release and the re-apply pressure to the gas pedal before the engine will respond at all.
what they should do on a transmisson service for my 2001 rx awd 300 ???
new gasket?? cleaning the pan??? clean the screen (if there is one), new trans filter??.. of course using only type 4 fluid. thanks... but also i am confused about how much fluid gets replaced, about 4 quarts according to the manuel or is it more like up to 15 quarts based on some posts here???. mine has 102,000 miles , never
towed anything. thanks!!!
The manual lists less fluid than some actually hold. My 2WD model needed more than 6 quarts to get the fluid level to be correct, the manual calls for 4. If you're having it done at a Lexus or Toyota dealer, they will make sure to top it to the correct level. 15 quarts doesn't sound right. Perhaps that's what the whole unit with 4WD needs during assembly, but don't worry about that.
at cost of 210.00. what do you think?? the wont drop the pan unless there is a gasket leak or already a problem with the transmission!!!
I stayed up way too late last night reading posts in this thread and the rx 300 transmission thread. (Did Lexus make any rx 300's that didn't have trans problems? ;-) But seriously, the post seem to heavily include 1999 and 2000 with trans problems. I didn't see many 2002's.
I plan on taking it to a Lexus dealer and having them look it over expecially inspect the rear seal, check the trans fluid and if possible check for gelling.
I would appreciate hearing any of your thoughts on this. Thanks.
Note that the posts on this forum are only usually from owners with complaints looking for resolution. Owners without complaints rarely have a reason to post. Yes there are owners who did NOT have transmission problems. I know of a close friend whose '00 RX is a good example at 199,000, no hesitation, and the fluid runs pink.
OTOH, there seem to be more reports of out-of-warrantee RX trouble from those who have low mileage. It could be that many high-mileage owners experienced trouble which was resolved during the long warrantee. But '02 model with 40k miles seems like either mostly city/traffic mileage contributing to the type of wear that could be trouble, or the vehicle was not used for extended periods which can also potentially be hard on the car.
Road test the car extensively. Look for any disagreeable shift anomalies under light load, downshifting, and any possible disagreeable hesitation. Not all models experienced this trouble either.
Check the fluid condition for burned color and/or odor. Clean, it should be clear pink with a petrochemical smell without a burned smell. Also consider if the purchase price is good enough, you can still end up OK even if you have to have the transmission rebuilt later. Plus you can control the transmission service interval, because dealer "service" packages based on their recommended schedule don't usually include any transmission service or concentrate on areas that are prone to failure.
With frequent oil changes, it's unlikely gel/sludge is a problem, especially '02. Any blue smoke from the tailpipe on cold initial start? Oil changes should have been done ahead of schedule in the Lexus manual, or for low mileage go by the "severe use" schedule. Mine called for 10,000 mile oil changes... In my opinion that's a bit too long, and I've always done 3-5,000 max.
Check that all the power door locks work properly. Sometimes the solenoids can get sticky if the vehicle is used infrequently. If that happens you have to lock the affected door manually or the security system doesn't work right. Again, it's not a deal breaker, either, if there's room in the price to have one fixed. Check the power antenna. If it's hit tree branches, low garage door, or car wash it could be bent and not work properly.
When considering price, do not add for low miles on this car. It's very easy to argue that low miles on an RX indicates "severe usage" even (especially) if only used a few miles at a time to go to church on Sunday.
Let us know what you find out. Good luck!
I'd try either a trusted local Toyota dealer or
A local trusted transmission shop. I would offer to get the type IV fluid from a Napa or Toyota dealer and bring it with the car, if they don't have it in stock (most don't. They use generic Dextron and add an additive). Bring 6 or 7 quarts with you.
My third choice would be a different Lexus service department, one who offers individualized service.
Here is a link from another user who shows some DIY instructions http://rx300how2.home.comcast.net/~rx300how2/xmission_fluid_change1.htm, to familiarize yourself with what the mechanic should be doing. When they service the transmission (and replace the filter) they can check for unusual wear.
Flushing can cause more problems than an improperly installed pan gasket. And the dealer's service department should be able to install a gasket without problems. But I'm not surprised the "volume" dealer deals in volume, quick in & out. I'd definately avoid them, and go out of my way for good service.
It is today my firm believe that this particular "fix" involved reprogramming the transaxle control firmware to hold the ATF line pressure at a higher pressure level than previously, and/or even installing a higher volume ATF oil pump.
In any case the result appears to be localized(***) overheating of the ATF since the addition of the external auxillary ATF heat exchanger does not seem to have helped.
If the vehicle you are considering does not have the external ATF cooler (UNLIKELY) then I would PASS.
Even if it does I would want to know the maintainance history in great detail and upon purchase I would monitor the ATF condition like a HAWK. Every oil/filter change.
*** For instance, the gear type ATF oil pump itself overheating due to having to sustain a higher ATF oil pressure than the original design called for, or a higher volume oil pump than the original design allowed for. The external cooler results in the AVERAGE ATF temperature remaining in bounds but not that flowing through or just leaving the ATF oil pump.
If I wasn't a DIYer and the ATF again looked burned the flush machine would likely be my choice. There is no filter, just a screen, and mine showed NO evidence of clogging at 40,000 miles. There was debris, ~1/8", in the bottom of the pan which I cleaned out. The three magnets had some minor level of "fines" but nothing in my opinion to give worry.
ATF is specifically formulated to allow such debris to settle onto the sump bottom where it does not create a concern.
That's a lot of miles for any car.
Did you hear any clicking coming from the dash area. I had lots of clicking noises for a couple of months before the heat stopped coming out.
Or failed servomotor that drives the reheat/remix door/vane and all air flow bypasses the heater core.
To the best of my knowledge, the antifreeze was replaced about 7 years ago, and it recently tested "OK" at the dealership, but 7 years? Really? In my '05 RX330, the toyota antifreeze is good for 10 years, but in '99, I don't think they had this durable fluid.
I know the Differential, Xfer case, and brake fluid has NEVER been changed...
Does one go by the age of the car in this case, or by the mileage when determining when to replace such fluids.
I welcome everyones comments!
Thanks,
Bob
2. I would do it myself, if it was me. I just had the U shaped wood panel with the plastic shifter surround removed to install a red blinking (fake alarm) light, and saw what I thought I remembered. The shifter bulb is right there.
The "D" bulb in the instrument cluster seems much more involved, so I haven't done anything about that one.
To remove the U shaped wood and shifter surround, I used a couple pieces of soft plastic (like parking pass placards) to protect the panels and a thin screwdriver to pry the panel up. Be careful not to scratch the panel, and it will pop right off. It took me about two minutes being very careful. The bulb for the shifter was right in view, but I'm sure skinny fingers would help. :shades:
Pete
Over the life of the car the rpm level was always about 3K while driving at 70mph.
Is this a transmission problem or something else? I checked the transmission fluid and it looks clean and does not smell burnt.
Please advise
Ken
However, i have some questions about the car maybe some of you can help me.
1. How do i know if the car has AWD, also how does the AWD work? Is it full-time running all 4 wheels, or is it front-wheel drive based then switched to AWD like Acura/Honda?
2. How can i tell if it has HID's by just looking at pics? Since this generation does not have projectors like the second gen, its kind of hard to tell, but i know that some first gens do have HIDs, i just wanna know if this one does.
3. I know the car has VSC (becase of badging) however it puzzles me that some have the TRACtion button on the center console and others dont, in this case the one my parents are looking at does not have the TRAC button but it does have VSC. Do ones that have VSC have TRAC as well? Im kind of confused on this one.
Thanks in advance
Player4
2. I don't think HIDs were offered in 2002 but just turning on the headlights should reveal if they are HID by the blueish color.
3. I believe VSC and TRAC are both standard features.
Some of these options vary from year-to-year so you may wish to verify the above information. Assure that the timing belt and water pump were replaced as this is recommended at 90,000 miles. Hope this helps a bit.
Pete
Prior to the adoption of DBW for the RX330 model the RX series was HIGHLY subject to premature transaxle failure, exceedingly so for the '99 & early '00 series.
Thx for anymore info you guys post
Pete
Ken
Bottom line is for as many people that have had problems, the majority of those who own these cars have had no issues. Remember, when you get to 150k+, it is probable that you would have to get ANY transmission serviced, replaced, or rebuilt. Also consider that there are many out there that don't share their driving habits at the same time they post problems about their transmissions.
Check the transmission fluid, and make sure it is Cherry Red, and not a dark red color. If it is the former, I would have it changed right away. My '99 has only 46k miles on it and when I started reading these boards, I checked it and it was slightly off color, so I had it drained and filled twice over a period of 4 months, and that turned the fluid back to a Cherry Red color. Will I have problems with mine? Time will tell. But, to do the preventive things like this can never hurt.
I would say if you have all of the service records on file with Lexus, then check to see if the trans was ever serviced. If it has, then I think you are fine. Wehn you buy ANY car with that many miles on it, you are rolling the dice to some degree.
Happy New Year!
JBL
Check the transmission fluid, and make sure it is Cherry Red, and not a dark red color. If it is the former, I would have it changed right away.
NO!!! I Meant to say that if it is the latter, not the former...SO if the fluid is DARK RED you should change it ASAP!
Sorry for the mistype.
The earliest RX I might trust would be an RX330 with DBW (Drive-By-Wire). DBW was used to "protect the drive train", prevent the engine torque from rising in response to gas pedal depression when teh tranxale has no yet completed, fully completed, a downshift.
But you would still be encountering, potentially, the dangers related to the 1-2 second downshift delay/hesitation.