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Comments
It's a "Complain -- then prove it exists by shoving the document in their face -- to get it" TSB.
I did use the fader control to better isolate the audio. I hear the distortion in both the door speaker and the small post speaker. What's strange is that I don't hear the same problem on the driver side.
I agree with your thoughts on the FM signal. It is line-of-site and anymore, stations tend to put far too much compression on their signals. A little compression isn't all bad but too much compression makes everything sound muddy. I will spare you the rest of my thoughts on the overall state of commercial FM radio in this country today.
I will ask the dealer to check out the sound system at my 5000 mile service.
On the TSB...I'm convinced this is one of those TSB's that are only acted on if requested by the customer. Otherwise, every new RX330 sold would have the update installed during dealer prep.
BTW..did anyone catch the big article on Toyota and Lexus in the business section of USA Today on Thursday? The new Canadian plant was mentioned. And, someone with Lexus USA stated 10,000 RX's were sold last month and that Lexus hasn't sold 10,000 of anything in a single month. This same rep also mentioned that Lexus is turning it's attention to service and is encouraging dealers across the US to add more service bays.
Didn't I read that you are in the field of radio journalism? Actually, I would be very interested in hearing your thoughts on commercial FM radio. I would probably fully agree with them. I'm betting you would have some additional insight. Oh well, probably too far off topic to discuss in Town Hall, huh?
Good luck with the servicing of your stereo. Try to find a passage on a CD that consistently brings out the distortion, so that you can reproduce it for the service advisor. Hope it gets fixed the first time!
They also asked if I want the ceramic window film made by Huper Optik. Has anyone had this applied to the driver and passenger side front windows? They mentioned two shades, Stark 40, which is lighter than the Stark 50.
They also mentioned an exterior protection that contains Teflon, an interior protection with Banoyl, and a leather conditioner all made by MetroTech Chemicals (First Place Finish) in Charlotte, NC. Has anyone had this applied? I bought the car at Johnson Lexus in Raleigh, NC.
Sorry for the long post. I would appreciate your input.
You've found the first Lexus dealership to turn into a Caddy dealership.
These items are usually referred to in a negative way as "Mop & Glow" and they are usually pushed onto the new buyer just before the sale consumates by the Finance and Insurance ("F&I") person that completes your paperwork.
According to some recently published numbers in an F&I industry magazine, the average F&I person at a typical dealership accounts for 40%+ of the profit on an average car sale or lease - more than any other department. Lexus F&I people probably average less percentage wise.
These Mop & Glow items are wildly profitable for the dealer and usually serve no useful purpose.
So...buyer beware. Better to save your bucks and spend them on a professional detail job every 6 months or so at a local shop that has a good reputation on high-end vehicles. We have the same color RX330 and it has a lot of paint - so detailing it this often will not hurt it one bit.
And no, the extra wood pieces are not made by Lexus.
I did pay $210 to have something called digishield applied to the front-quarter of the RX and the back of the outside mirrors. This is a clear flexible material that is cut to the fit the RX. It is designed to help protect against rock chips. I have to be looking very closely at my vehicle to even notice that it is there.
Unlike the "invisible" paint protections dealerships offer, this product actually might help ward off or reduce the severity of damaging rock chips in the most vulnerable areas.
As for the other outside paint and inside leather or cloth protectors...I think this is a big waste of money. You could probably get several good detail cleanings done over the life of your ownership of the car for the price you would pay the dealer to apply their "protection" system.
a. Check them when Real Cold - good time is in the morning after the vehicle has been sitting all night and without any sunlight warming up one side of the vehicle. On our FWD RX330 with the 18" rims and Mich rubber, I've observed the "sunlight warmed" tire side of the vehicle reads 2-3 lbs. higher than the cold tire side even though all four started out at 30 lbs.
b. The digital tire gauges seem to be very accurate; many older bar or dial gauges vary all over the map. When buying one, consider its cost vs. the $700-800 cost on a new set of rubber.
c. Check the pressures before any long trip
d. Check the pressures at least once a month; more times is better.
Good luck!
After 8 months I can report that the 330 has been a dream. Everything continues to work as advertised and it actually rides/drives better now than when I first received it. Gas mileage on the Hwy is in the 23-25 mpg range and in town 17-18. Other observations:
Never applied the TSB. Transmission seemed to have adapted to me and my wife's (she drives it most of the time) driving habits. No problem with downshifts, so I ain't fixing what ain't broke.
Nav works fine (not perfect), have successfully used it on many occasions.
Haven't experienced problems with the wind reflector, rear spoiler, or speakers.
Because of the restricted rear view, the rear camera option is a must-have.
Engine noise level is acceptable. Certainly not as quiet as my GS, but this is an SUV, so I don't expect it to be.
Water drips inside the cabin upon opening the door after a good rain. Probably a quirk in design.
Door guards have kept body nicks to a minimum. My GS is plagued with this problem because of a lack thereof.
I have felt an intermittent click upon applying the brakes. The dealer has checked with no culprit identified. It hasn't affected braking performance.
This has been the best vehicle I have owned for straight-line tracking on the Hwy.
Finally, I track this board, as others, to be alerted to potential problems that could eventually plague my 330. What's encouraging is that even though there have been niggling issues, I have not reviewed one major problem (correct me if I'm wrong) concerning engine, transmission, or electrical failure. That's quite remarkable when compared to other boards on the other fine vehicles in the luxury SUV category and is a testament to the focus Toyota has placed on one the key vehicles in its stable.
I now keep the tires at 32-33psi, instead of 30psi, on the small hope that we will get slightly better mileage. Compared to our other sedan, 32psi on the RX330 provides us with all the ride smoothness we desire.
If anyone has any doubts, feel free to read through the XC90, Touareg, X5, Murano, or M-class discussions. (How do we compare to FX35 discussions?) Of course, this RX 330 is more of a redesign versus a "new" design. One would hope our issues would be few and minor. However, I am still a bit surprised that nobody has reported any failure trends with some of the new "gee-whiz" high-technology options. These are the areas that often cause electrical failures to occur. For example, the adjustable air suspension feature seems to already be causing sensor failures within the Touareg. I haven't noticed any failures in here for the new features of the RX. I'm also glad we don't have all the rattle reports I've seen in other SUV discussions, particularly the Murano.
Thanks
It is a hard color to describe. It has a green undertone (versus the gold undertone on the Savannah) but the color changes in different light. On really cloudy days, the RX has a greenish undertone. On the show room floor, parts of the car appeared to have a pink cast. In my garage, the car takes on a bit of blue parked next to our Pewter C230. In bright sunlight, the RX looks silver. Most of the time I would describe it as a greenish-silver.
My dealer tried to get me to buy the Savannah but I made them go three two states away for the Bamboo Pearl. I have no regrets.
Before I purchased the RX, I shopped around other new SUVs, including the XC90 and the FX35. My favorite XC90 exterior color choice was not available unless I opted for an option package that I wasn't sure I wanted. Also, metallic paint would result in an additional cost to the vehicle, which is typical for many European automobiles.
In the case of the '03 FX35, half of the exterior color choices were not available unless one opted for the Sport Pkg (with those giant 20" wheels and extra firm suspension). Without the Sport Pkg, Infiniti provided only 4 basic exterior color options (white, black, silver, and sand) and only 2 very basic interior colors!
They better enjoy now what sales they do have - can you imagine what the RX400 will do to them next year with its hybrid drive system - power of a V8, incredible gas mileage in the 45-60 mpg area, and a supposed premium of just $5-6k over the 2004 RX330?
I get all sweaty just thinking about it - maybe I'll go out and get me some 20" rims for my RX; those 18 inchers look awful puny these days...
When Toyota made their announcement last month that they had brought the Prius-type hybrid drive system into their NORMAL factory production line...and that they could now pop either type of drive (gas or gas/electric) into any regular vehicle without much additional cost...well, those were words that Detroit didn't want to hear.
So is our domestic auto industry 5 years behind the tech curve - or is it 10? Too many years wasted by designing vinyl roofs, Caddy compacts with trunk luggage racks, Chevette transmissions in Impalas, 350 cid gas engines converted badly to diesel, Caddy "8-4-0" (?) V8s, etc.
Whatta shame - actually, criminal IMO.
When is it due and where is it being manufactured?
Any other features besides the drive train (which is AWD?)?
Is it out in Japan already?
They may be counting the combined sizes of the gas and electric motors.
Like I said, once Toyota announced that it has the technology down pat enough to insert it seemlessly into their regular factory floor...what stops them from offering it across their model line?
True, some gas drivetrains are less adaptable than others, but the hybrid technology will be constantly improving, generation after generation, unlike the 75-100 year-old gas engine base design.
It becomes a drivetrain option, not a start-up, money-losing separate division like it was (is) for other manufacturers - like that toy electric thing from GM.
What bugged me most about that one was that Costco gave up their best parking spaces to install GM's 240v charging stations. Hey, if those buyers were so concerned about the environment, couldn't they WALK a few hundred feet to buy Kirkland batteries on sale?
Kind of like people going to the gym and circling the parking lot for a space closer to the front door.
That also very neatly describes what has happened, and continues to happen with ICE.
From 1960 forward...
Solid state ignition.
Fuel injection.
Computerized engine controls
Direct ignition.
100k/mile+ spark plugs.
Mazda Miller cycle.
200k/mile engine life.
Still to come...
Direct fuel injection.
Saab variable compression, SVC.
5-7HP electrically driven super-chargers.
Variable compression via intake timing.
Variable displacement oil, lubricating, pumps.
Shedable engine loads, water pump, A/C, alternator, power steering, etc.
HUH???!!!
I can't imagine how that is possible. If they're still building the thing why can't they come up with this part?
Moreover, this is a clear breach of warranty, which under the law of most states requires the warranty repair to be completed within a reasonable time. (Although I have not yet delved into the "secret document" to see if there is some unanticipated exception in the 330 warranty for camera replacement; cannot imagine that there would be, however.) I intend to write Lexus and tell them that as far as I'm concerned they've just extended the entire vehicle warranty for the period it takes to get the camera replaced. At minimum, I believe they are subject to some sort of liability for their inability to repair/replace the camera within a reasonable time.
How the he** does this experience fit within the concept of superior customer service???
When is that due? Should be lower-priced too right?
Trying to remember what the Highlander looks like. More conventional design I believe and looking roomier than the sleeker RX.
One thing I recall reading was that the electric rotors powered all 4 wheels. Some have expressed dissatisfaction with the RX's AWD system. Could the RX400 offer better AWD or 4WD (what exactly is the difference if any?) system than the RX330 AWD?
http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news160703-0- - 4
Supposedly the new RX400 hybrid will use a system that is double the voltage of the new Prius. And yes, there will be an electric motor to power each wheel so the AWD set-up and technology will be quite a bit different than the RX330.
As for mpg, Toyota has stated the RX400 will do as well as "a compact car." Pretty vague...but there are compacts that get 40+ mpg today. And, if it switches to all-electric power at cruising speeds, we could see unreal mpg ratings.
Interesting "Where's Detroit?" article on the right side column as well.
Primary/initial braking at the rear, wouldn't that be a nice safety novelty for a FWD vehicle??
But maybe the best solution would be the existing ICE/hydrid at the front, driving the front and an electric at the rear.
Or if Porsche engineering got into the act they would likely put the existing ICE/hybrid at the rear, driving the rear, with an electric at the front.
I'm betting on the current Prius configuation in the front with a single motor in the rear through a diff'l.
Also, click on the Carnut TV video...
Call me crazy, but I'm guessing this '05 RX400 hybrid will outsell it.
Info at Lexus.com
But is it good for short (around a mile) commutes as well? Is there a certain threshold of braking you need to do in order to recharge the batteries?
Some posts over under Prius will be of interest.