Lexus RX AWD vs FWD Questions
Purchased a RX 350 AWD, 2008 in January. Only 2K miles now. Recently some noise problems appeared. While moving out the car from garage in the morning. Gear in reverse, Loosen the brake pedal. Heard the detaching noise from the brake pad. Shifting the gear from R to D, noisy "Goo Goo" sound.
Visited 2 dealers. The first said it is normal for this SUV. The second said new car always has lots of sticky chemical under braking pad. Releasing the pad or changing gear may cause noise. This should be gone after more driving miles.
I am not convinced by both dealers. I talked to friends who own this SUV and they don't have this issue. This is a brand new Lexus! I expect it to be perfect.
Any opinion or comments? Thanks a lot.
Visited 2 dealers. The first said it is normal for this SUV. The second said new car always has lots of sticky chemical under braking pad. Releasing the pad or changing gear may cause noise. This should be gone after more driving miles.
I am not convinced by both dealers. I talked to friends who own this SUV and they don't have this issue. This is a brand new Lexus! I expect it to be perfect.
Any opinion or comments? Thanks a lot.
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No change detected in performance using the snow selector switch. The RX held it’s own as compared to other 4wd vehicles in my group.
My only criticism is the lack of an emblem indicating AWD as I was stopped in a “chains required” area by the Highway Patrol and had to explain it was in fact an AWD vehicle.
I’m curious, has anyone else been stopped for not having chains and how did you prove it was AWD? Fortunately I still had the window sticker in the glove box.
J2
Thanks for the tip. I will just keep my window sticker in
the glove box in case of "emergency".
It seems like every other 4WD / AWD vehicle I saw that day had badge indicating it.
I’m open for suggestions other than carrying a dozen crispy cream donuts.
The most sure way is to look for the driveshaft/rear differential under the car. Even if not mechanically inclined, if you can look and you don't see a way for the mechanical transfer of power to the rear wheels from the transmission, you have 2(F)WD. In other words, if you do have AWD, there will be a drive shaft (black, about 2" diameter) going through the center tunnel (next to the exhaust) from the transmission to a (differential) gear box (about 12" square) distributing between shafts going to the rear wheels. If it's empty of driveshafts, to and in between the rear wheels it should look like the middle of the car only has an exhaust pipe, but no shaft.
I hope it helps.
You might be hearing any of these:
1. The sound of the brake pads "hooking up" and "unhooking" for the first time after R-D shift.
2. The hydraulic sound of the ABS pump priming for the first time after the car was started and moved forward.
3. The hydraulic sound of the transmission pressurizing.
All are perfectly normal sounds for this or any car. You may notice it more in the RX because it's unusually serene for a car of it's type, but not built to the same refinement as a $60,000 + sedan.
How perfect would you like it now that you've had it long enough to notice subtle noises? There might be others but these are my guesses from what you've said.
I hope you enjoy your car...
Apart from the dealers words, is there any way to know if my rx350 is AWD? Normally, on few suv's they mention it on the vehicle as "AWD" if it's an All-wheel-Drive, but Lexus doesn't.
Is there anyway to check if my Lexus is AWD?
Also, if you can look under the rear, the absence of a driveshaft and rear differential is a pretty good indicator it's 2WD
Thanks for any advice and guidance you can give me.
nice car. I've had no problems, except for a few interior rattle issues.
That being said, I've had an opportunity to drive the 2009 RX350,
not the 2010, as a loaner vehicle when I take my RX in for the oil change, tire rotation(this last service trip also involved putting new
front brake pads) This may be a subtle difference, but I like the
way the 2009 RX's drive! They seem to drive or handle a little tighter and the steering seems a little less boosted than on my 2007. Also, the suspension when going over bumps and imperfections on the road seems to soak those up a little better, but that could be just that my car is more than three years old now and the suspension feel would end up being a little different from a car that just came out last year.
My lease is up next year, and I kind of wish I could find a used
2009 RX. But it's got to be in Matador Red!
I've seen a couple of them in the service area of my Lexus dealer,
and, gosh, are they beautiful!! Lexus didn't offer this color on my
model year RX. I understand a 2009 would be higher in price right now, but if you could try test driving one, hopefully you'll notice what I experienced. Good Luck!
Thanks
jack2
The other possibility is that the thermistor used to detect the EPS' electronic drive module's overheat condition is marginal or has an intermittent connection.
Yesterday, driving for first time in a rainstorm, parked and opened drivers door and was drenched. There is no Drip Drain and rainwater drops straight down as you exit. Not a pleasant experience! All this I am sure to enable designers to achieve a "clean line." Whatever happened to practical?
The Pickle King
I have bought a RX350 2010 last week and on my first mountain road trip I had the same experience with the message on my display showing Power Steering problem.
The problem is my power steering stopped working and I have to stop the car and turn the engine off and on to get back my power steering working. It happened 3 times and in all cases my speed was very slow. However it could be a disaster if it stops working at high speed mountain roads. I checked the user manual and it says it is because of EPS malfunction. Have you been able to solve your problem?
Dose any one has a clue on this failure. I would appreciate your comment.
Cheers,
Behzad
But I have understood that the above is explained in the owners manual.
Unfortunately the service department was unable to reproduce the problem during a "lengthy and comprehensive test drive". Ironically my odometer logged only 1 mile which says a lot for their lengthy test drive or credibility.
So far I find my Lexus post purchase experience disappointing. What is the time element for one to receive a factory survey?
I live in Iran and I don't think that the factory will send me a survey at all. These cars are designed for Middle East Arabic countries like UAE and Saudi Arabia and are imported to Iran by individuals. However, I send the car to the local dealer of Toyota and they could not diagnose the problem so far.
As far as I think you have better access to services and supports over there, I really appreciate if you keep me posted on any progress to solve this problem.
Behzad
Thank you for your comment on my post. You have mentioned, EPS is powered for use at low speeds. Dose that mean, this problem will not occur at high speeds?
To be honest, I don't dare to drive my lexus anymore.
Behzad
As may already know less power stearing effort is required the higher you speed is.
I wouldn't go so far as to advise you not to drive your Lexus, just be fully aware of the EPS limitations. And in the past I thought the EPS would first drop into a low assistance mode when it began to overheat with a warning to the driver and then only shut down completely if the warning wasn't "heeded".
And I lost my steering power almost at the same time I received the warning message.
Upgraded to wider tire tread with more CSA, stearing force shock absorber added, lack of adequate cooling for the control module..??
Maybe even a failing CV joint.
I have even heard of the torque tube, stearing force sensor, being twisted, taking a permanent twist, due to extraordinary driver stearing input forces being used at some time in the past. The effect from this latter often results in the EPS partially fighting the driver's stearing wheel input, even to the point of opposite forces to the input.
Initially ETC Snow control and AWD lock mode failed to engage nonetheless I was able to drive through an un-plowed area in bumper high snow without the benefit of those features.
I felt my 2010 AWD RX ( 19" Bridgestone MS tires) handled as well or better than my 2007 AWD RX did.
A visible AWD medallion would be helpful when passing a chain control checkpoint.
Jack
In any case I would NEVER drive any F/awd system, and most certainly NOT the early RX350 version, without at least the rear tire chains when the "chains required" sign is up.
But then it's your life at risk, not "mine", mostly.
What were your indications of this, how did you know...?
To my knowledge ETC only modifies the shift pattern and the DBW gas pedal response rate/"gain". I also understand that the manual F/AWD lock mode only works at lower speeds, below 20(?) mph.
The RX series has not been even a "true" F/awd system since the beginning of the '01 model year. The revision in 2010 represents a VAST improvement but still NO CIGAR.
No RX should be trusted to perform dynamically, on an adverse condition roadbed, as would an actual F/awd or even a R/awd system, let alone a TRULY capable RWD/4WD vehicle.
"Lock mode" did cut off above 20 mph, my 2007 AWD did not have a lock mode.
Do you have an RX or have you personally operated one under adverse driving conditions?
This is my second RX, other than crappy paint that chips much too easily I like this vehicle.
Thanks for responding to my post, have a happy new year.
Jack
"I would NEVER drive any F/awd system, and most certainly NOT the early RX350 version, without at least the rear tire chains when the "chains required" sign is up. "
Why the rear? The manual recommends chains on the front wheels.
My first RX purchase was a 2000 and then the next year I traded "up" (or so I thought at the time) to get the TC, VSC, and HID headlight options. The '00 had a more functional F/awd system but as it happened that was at least partially the reason for all the premature transaxle failures for the 99-00 RX300.
So as of 2001 the rear LSD option was dropped and the VC fluid formulation was changed to forever remain "flaccid". The VC was really of no matter anyway since TC activation will never allow it to come into "play". That basically why the VC was dropped entirely during teh RX330 model run. The RX300, 330 and early 350's or basically ONE-WHEEL drive vehicles, 3 simple "open" diff'ls, front, center, and rear. TC, Traction Control, is used to "simulate" F/awd functionality but only reactively, AFTER wheelspin/slip is detected.
My '01 F/awd RX300, now at ~80,000 miles (2 ATF drain/refills) has survived no less than 10 winters, wintertime trips to MT, Ski trips, etc. We have about 3 inches of hard frozen, crusty, snow and ice on the ground here at this very moment.
Prior to ABS tire chains ONLY on the front of a FWD or F/awd vehicle was extremely hazardous. Hard braking on a slippery surface, especially downhill, and the front would "anchor" oftentimes with the result of the rear of the car taking the lead, jack-knifing, if you will.
Obiviously ABS serves to abate that problem to a great extent But then we have the issue of inadvertent engine compression braking sometimes resulting in the same outcome. Many newer vehicles have a new feature, "inverse" ABS, automatically up-rev the engine if/when there is an indication that engine compression braking has/is resulting in front wheelslip/skid.
So, I use "drag" chains first and then add the front tire chains only when more "drive" traction is required.
Oh, you will need to add wheel spacers at the rear in order to use rear tire chains since otherwise the clearance between the suspension and tire tread is to tire.
I have 1.5" wheel spacers all around and upgrated to 17X8 wheels and +1 tires. Wider stance against rollover, more tread on the ground, less suspension softness.
i hope one of these will fix your problems.
Don