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Lexus RX 300

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Comments

  • pschiffepschiffe Member Posts: 373
    Check the model code found on a sticker on the driver's side door (at the bottom under the barcode):
    MCU10 = 2WD (FWD)
    MCU15 = 4WD (AWD)

    Pete
  • tiger2dolltiger2doll Member Posts: 39
    Thanks Pete - I have the MCU10 on the sticker, so I guess its a FWD vehicle. Any suggestions on the Battery and "D" bulb replacement ?

    Regards,
    Rahul
  • mikey00mikey00 Member Posts: 462
    I copied this word for word from another site but can't put the link here due to Edmunds membership agreement.

    "Follow these instructions and it should take you no longer than 15 minutes.

    1. Remove 2 screws at the top of the black bezel around the cluster.
    2. Pull trim piece straight out on the left of the steering wheel, the trim that houses the seat memory switch.
    3. Pull trim piece straight out that is around the key.
    4. Tilt steering wheel all the way down.
    5. Remove black bezel around cluster, start from the bottom and pull out.
    6. Remove 2 screws holding cluster in. They are on the side of the cluster.
    7. Pull cluster out enough to get your hand behind and unplug the 3 connectors.
    8. Remove cluster from car, you will kinda have to move it around a little bit to get it out, be careful not to scratch the lens.
    9. Lay cluster face down on a soft towel.
    10. You will see a white plastic cover on the back, remove the 8 gold colored screws holding this cover on.
    11. Pull cover off, turn the cluster over and look where the gear selector letters are, on the oppisite side you will see 3 black and 2 green little cap looking things. These are the bulbs. Simply unscrew to remove. you may swap the park light bulb for the drive bulb. Or you can order one in advance.
    12. Put all together in reverse order.
    13. It sounds like alot of steps, but it is all very easy and understandable once you start."
  • dick1dick1 Member Posts: 21
    my 2000 rx300 seems to ride rough. It doesn't seem to take pavement holes ect very smooth.Ihave 64,ooo on it. How long are struts good for and how do you test them. On my old cars with shocks you could push down on the front fender and see if it bounced!
  • kurtnewkurtnew Member Posts: 8
    Hi all,

    I am in the market for an used Lexus RX 300 (Seattle area), preferrably a 2001/2002. There seems to be a lot of useful information here, so I was hoping to get your thoughts on a question I had. Does it matter if I buy from someone who bought the vehicle as opposed to someone who leased it? I have a friend who is leasing an Acura MDX, and by his own admission, he doesnt spend a lot of money on maintenance. Even for major services, like 30K, he says he gets most of it done individually and I am not sure if he did everything needed for the 30K service. By his own admission "since it is leased, we don't really do a lot on it". Would it be safe to assume that if I get a clean CarFax report and have a mechanic inspect the car, I am ok buying even a leased vehicle?

    Thanks in advance.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    about a Lexus is that its probably more reliable if not subjected to "gofers" in a Lexus service shop. I only change the oil and filters in mine and I own them outright.

    I would never buy one that has been used for towing but otherwise there is probably nothing a first owner can do, will do, to reduce the extreme reliability of these vehicles, Lexus.

    Redmond.
  • kurtnewkurtnew Member Posts: 8
    Thanks for taking the time to respond!
  • mnfmnf Member Posts: 405
    I would say it would depend who is leasing it, we purchased a 2000 RX300 last August that was use for a corporate car. We received all the records on it from the seller that was done at a Lexus dealer. There out there good luck you will enjoy it when you do find one.... Matt
  • mnfmnf Member Posts: 405
    Here is a link to a guy that we purchased our from he only sells high quality cars and SUVS and most of them are lease returns from out of state (Not California). You can call him and he will answer any questions.

    http://cgi6.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOther- Items&userid=california-fine-cars&include=0&since=-1&- amp;sort=3&rows=50
  • pdswaypdsway Member Posts: 14
    My high-beams wouldnt work (2000 RX300 AWD). All fuses good. Found out they are connected to the DRL system. Checked DRL relays, one bad.

    The kicker... The DRL relays are in "fuse box 1". This is a small box that sits up on the radiator, coudlnt find it. Apparently it was knocked off during my last service and has been hanging down near the radiator hose. Probably the heat down there fried the relay.

    Anyone know where I can pick up one of these relays? (Says "Toyota 12V" and some part numbers)

    PDS
  • pschiffepschiffe Member Posts: 373
    If you don't want to go to a Toyota/Lexus dealer, this Internet merchant discounts most parts 20%:

    irontoad.com

    Pete
  • clee4clee4 Member Posts: 103
    You know the noise everybody hears from under the hood when you insert the key. Does anybody remember what componet it comes from. My 01 use to make noise and now it does not. It is also very hard to start now since noise went away. Will not start without some gas pedal assist. I am contacting dealer tomorrow, but would like some intel prior to talking with service.
  • ke2feke2fe Member Posts: 37
    Has anyone had to replace their thermostat in the cooling system of the RX300? I wonder how long they last?
  • clee4clee4 Member Posts: 103
    Just to let people know, the dealer changed the idle air control valve and car is starting fine again. Had a great 04 RX 330 as a loaner.
  • ficklefickle Member Posts: 98
    I've asked this question over at ClubLexus but they seem to be of split opinions. Should you flush your transmission fluid or drain? At what intervals would you do either?

    Linda
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    twice as often as flush and drain.

    good timing would be to have your son do the second one long after you're 6 foot under.
  • gomangoman Member Posts: 4
    1. How does one check the tranny fluid level? Hot or cold, engine running or off, gear selector in park or neutral or drive? I checked the dipstick as well as the owners manual and there seems to be no guidance.

    2. How many quarts are needed to fill the pan after a tranny drain?

    TIA

    GoMan
  • slandyslandy Member Posts: 46
    Check the fluid when the trans is at normal operating temp, engine running, in Park. If my memory is correct the refill is a little over 4 qts.
  • gomangoman Member Posts: 4
    Thanks Slandy !
  • pschiffepschiffe Member Posts: 373
    From the Lexus Repair Manual:
    (a) Park the vehicle on a level surface.
    (b) With the engine idling and the parking and foot brake applied, shift the selector to all positions from "P" to "L", then shift into "P".
    (c) Pull out the dipstick and wipe off the fluid with a clean rag. Re-insert the dipstick fully and check that the fluid level is in the HOT range.
    (d) Do this check with the fluid at normal driving temperature (70 - 80° C, 158 - 176° F)
    If the level is at the low side, add fluid.
    NOTICE:
    Do not overfill.
    HINT:
    Wait about 30 minutes before checking the fluid after extended driving at high speeds in hot weather, driving in heavy traffic or with a trailer.

    Pete
  • beernutbeernut Member Posts: 329
    I'm thinking about picking up a 300 for the wife to buzz around town in and haul the two teenagers to all of their stuff. I'm sure most of you in this chatroom would think its a good idea, so to save space, the question is: Would you recommend AGAINST such a purchase? Why?
  • beernutbeernut Member Posts: 329
    One more question. Does the RX300 have any towing capability? I need to tow 2000#.
  • gomangoman Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for the info Pete.

    Where and how much did you pick up the repair manual from? Do you recommend purchasing one?

    GoMan
  • pschiffepschiffe Member Posts: 373
    I purchased the 2 volume Repair Manual for my 99 RX300 from Autonet Performance & Accessories in Lauderhill (Ft. Lauderdale) FL for $190.00:

    Autonet Performance

    It is very detailed and technical publication and most of the procedures require an OBD II scan tool or Lexus hand-held tester for troubleshooting. Does not include automatic transmission repair or electrical wiring diagram which are in seperate manuals. Not a DIY publication by any stretch of the imagination. If seriously interested in purchase, I suggest you also check pricing from irontoad.com. Like most Lexus items, the price is usurious and I don't think I'd buy another (manual that is).

    BTW the automatic transmission fluid capacity for the 2WD model is:
    dry fill: 8.25 liters (8.72 US qts, 7.26 Imp. qts)
    drain and refill: 3.5 liters (3.7 US qts, 3.1 Imp. qts)
    and 4WD model is:
    dry fill: 9.15 liters (9.67 US qts, 8.05 Imp. qts)
    drain and refill: 4.1 liters (4.3 US qts, 3.6 Imp. qts)
    ATF Type T-IV or equivalent

    Pete
  • glenfordglenford Member Posts: 138
    I have a 2000 RX300 AWD. I have three things I'd like to change, but otherwise like it a lot. I must admit I knew of all of them before I got it, and I am still happy with the vehicle.

    First, it gets about 19mpg average (I was hoping for a couple mpg better, but at least it uses regular fuel). Second, it rides more softly than I prefer (I changed to H-rated tires, it helped some.) Third, visibility behind me when reversing is not so hot (there are solutions to this, from practice to rear-view cameras).

    However, I drove or investigated every car I could find for highly reliable AWD vehicles, and it still looks like a good choice. I am buying another car soon, and having a heck of a time finding one to get. (Reliability being a big issue for me.)

    I believe it does tow, but I don't know the specs.

    Good luck.
  • mikey00mikey00 Member Posts: 462
    You can get the 2 volume repair manual with the wiring diagram for less than $20 over at ebay. It comes as PDF files on a CD. I don't have one myself, but I did read that it is high quality and converted to PDF by Lexus/Toyota. It may be a pain printing out required pages but being able to do a keyword search should more than make up for that.
    Mike
  • bdhbdh Member Posts: 4
    The check engine light came on today in my 2000 RX300 with 50,000 miles. I have an appt tomorrow with the mechanic, but my question is: Is it safe to drive until then? It seems to be running fine.
  • avery1avery1 Member Posts: 373
    I'm sure there are a number of causes but when mine came on it was just a loose gas cap. I was out of town and called the service dept. They mentioned the gas cap and said it could take up to a couple of hundred miles to reset the light.
  • gomangoman Member Posts: 4
    Once again Thanks for the info Pete!
  • mikey00mikey00 Member Posts: 462
    It's safe to drive. The light is an indcation you need to have the engine checked soon, not immediately (check owners manual).
    If it's not the gas cap as suggested above, the #2 cause of check engine light is the vaccuum hose behind the air cleaner box. This hose attaches to the top of the air cleaner box and runs down behind it where it connects to a metal tube. When a owner (or quick lube place) checks the air cleaner they lift up on the top of the box pulling the black hose off the metal tube.
    If thats not it the next thing it could be is dirty or defective MAF sensor. This is located in the air cleaner box and can be cleaned with brake cleaner etc. After that it starts to look like one of the air flow sensors in the exhaust which is not an easy DIY procedure like the others.
    Mike
  • mnfmnf Member Posts: 405
    On our 2000 RX 300 at 49,000 we had the #2 problem come up. The shop code came up as the air flow meter with a price tag of $200 to fix. I paid the $50.00 fee and the readers on this board steered me in the right direction and it took 10 min to do. Very easy even a non car wrench like myself could do it and I did. type in air flow and the old post should come up.. Good Luck
  • bdhbdh Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for your help. The check engine light turned out to be an oxygen sensor, which my mechanic (not the Lexus dealer) says should be covered under my emissions warranty. I will call them tomorrow and see what they say. My mechanic reset the light so it doesn't come one anymore. I will probably have to wait for it to come on again in order for Lexus to deal with it. But I thought I read somewhere that those codes are stored even if the light is not on. Is that correct? Update: Just got off the phone with the Lexus service people. They say that there is no such thing as a 6 year 60,000 mile emissions warranty and that the oxygen sensor is not covered. What is going on here? I asked to speak to the service manager. He has yet to return my call. Any guidance here would be helpful.
  • mikey00mikey00 Member Posts: 462
    According to my 2001 owners manual and I am sure it was the same for my 2000, you have a 4 year 50,000 mile emission warranty that will cover most if not all of the sensors. Some things like the engine control module and catalytic converter are covered under the 8/80 powertrain warranty. Then there is also a California only 7/70 emission warranty. No mention of a 6/60 warranty.
    Mike
  • bdhbdh Member Posts: 4
    I also checked my book and found the same thing. Don't know what other people were talking about with the 6/60 emission warranty. In any event, the service manager called me back from Lexus and said he would help me out and pay for the part and I would pay for the labor. I asked for an estimate of labor and he said anything from $300 to $500. Does this sound right?
  • mikey00mikey00 Member Posts: 462
    I think the oxygen sensor is the same as the air fuel ratio sensors. Here is a quote from msn auto on the cost.
    "Occasional problems on this vehicle are failures of the Engine, the Air Fuel Ratio Sensors and the Mass Air Flow (MAF) Sensor. Failure of the Engine is caused because the engine oil gels. Engine oil gelling will also cause excessive engine oil usage. When proper maintenance schedules for oil changes are followed, oil gelling should not occur. Lexus has issued an 8 year unlimited mileage goodwill repair for this condition. Failure of Air Fuel Ratio Sensors or MAF Sensor will cause a drivability problem or the check engine light to illuminate. The cost to repair the Engine is estimated at $4500.00 for parts and $1514.50 for labor. The cost to repair the Air Fuel Ratio Sensors is estimated at $377.31 each for parts and $65.00 for labor. The cost to repair the MAF Sensor is estimated at $151.88 for parts and $32.50 for labor. All prices are estimates based on $65 per flat rate hour and do not include diagnostic time or any applicable sales tax."
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Keep in mind that even the AWD RX series is front torque bias to a minimum of 75/25% and normally about 95/5% and therefore any extra weight on a rear tow hitch "unweights" the front steering AND driven wheels.

    Potentially a VERY dangerous circumstance.

    Other things being equivalent FWD vehicles can never equal, safely, the towing capacity of RWD vehicles.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    During braking the vehicle's weight shifts toward the front resulting in the front brake's doing 70-80% of the braking effect. Now remember that the more severe the braking need, the more severe will be the towed weight shift toward the front, unweighting the front tire's roadbed contact even more greatly.

    So at the worse possible time, the need to stop extremely quickly, you are threatened with complete loss of both braking activity and steering control.

    But then all of that is also true of any vehicle drive configuration.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    The Sienna v Odyssey folks are wondering if AWD is a safety advantage - feel free to pop in at the AWD vs FWD with VSC + Traction Control discussion.

    Steve, Host
  • magic1688magic1688 Member Posts: 10
    My 99 RX300's passenger side rear brake light is out. Can someone tell me how to get to the light bulb area to replace it? This is located at the outer panel. Thanks in advance for your help.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Open the rear hatch and look closely at the black surround for the brake light assembly. Two round plugs can be removed and that will give you access to the only screws used to hold the assembly in place, ball and socket retainers otherwise.
  • brianwbrianw Member Posts: 1
    I have a '99 RX300 with 64000 miles. It recently developed an oil leak. The Lexus dealer confirmed that it was leaking from the engine rear seal and would need 1 1/2 days in the shop to repair. Luckily the repair is under warranty still. Has anyone else had this problem, the dealer indicated that this was fairly common?
  • pschiffepschiffe Member Posts: 373
    Approaching 80K miles on my 99 RX, no signs of an oil leak (yet)!

    Pete
  • avery1avery1 Member Posts: 373
    103K on my '99. No oil leak but I do have an annoying noise in the dash area that appears to be one of the climate control fans making a scrathing noise. Anyone have anything like that?
  • erik_herik_h Member Posts: 77
    My '99 has 72K and no leaks, it goes in next week for a High speed vibration issue. That's my only issue currently.
  • slandyslandy Member Posts: 46
    I have 126k miles on my 01 RX AWD. I have no oil leaks at all, original 02 sensors actually nothing has had to be repaired as of today! Only routine maint and brakes. BTW I only use Mobil 1 10w30 every 4k miles and Toyota filter. I have the oil analyzed every time. My engine is in perfect shape, showing no signs of wear since break-in. If you want yours to go this good, ask me how to do it!!!
  • andrewfomandrewfom Member Posts: 8
    I recently had the transmission replaced at 78K mi on my 99 RX. The car just wouldn't run in 'D'.
    Since my 5.5-year old vehicle was over 70000 mi (or 6 year WCF) drivetrain warranty, the expected replacement cost was quoted at $4500 (Wow! :-(). However Lexus kindly agreed to absorb 80% of the costs so I had to shell out "only" $900. So my customer satisfaction has gone up significantly :-) although replacing a tranny at 78000 seems to be unusual for a Lexus (I heard stories of Land Cruisers reaching 175K mi without a single major break). Just wanted to share my experience.
  • erik_herik_h Member Posts: 77
    My tranny was replaced at around 58K and the experience was good, it took about 3 weeks to receive the trans and have it installed, but I had a rental the entire time. I have had at least 1 O2 sensor replaced, but no other major issues.
  • dangutmandangutman Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1999 RX300, under extended warranty until 100K. I currently have 75K miles. I took it into the dealer in Redwood City for list of small issues, one being that the brakes vibrated when doing some moderate braking.

    The dealership is telling me my pads are around 2mm. They are suggesting replacing pads (good idea), but also turning the rotors, and servicing the calipers/disks. Their quote is over $700 for this work, which to me is essentially a brake job. They aren't telling me that the rotors or disks are bad.

    Question
    - Does this seem reasonable?
  • pschiffepschiffe Member Posts: 373
    I paid about $800 for a similar brake job on my 99RX from a Lexus dealer a couple years ago, your quote seems reasonable compared to my experience. Since brakes are not covered under the extended warranty, you might try getting a quote from a Toyota dealer. They are likely to be more competitive.

    Pete
  • craigster1craigster1 Member Posts: 1
    My 01 RX300 clock mysteriously resets to 1:00 upon startup, periodically. However, all selected radio stations are accurately held in memory. This usually happens only after the ignition switch passes the accessory stage and the vehicle is started. Everything else on the panel is fine.

    Any suggestions would be appreciated.
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