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Comments
David
I doubt that you'll have much luck convincing the dealer to switch out tires.
Suck it up and give TireRack $620 for 5 Michelin CrossTerrains and your pulling problems will go away as mine did. Plus your RX will handle better. It will have better steering feel than my GS430 with RE030 17" Potenzas, that cost twice as much! And when you see the thickness of the sidewalls on the Goodyears, you'll be glad (for safety's sake) that you've dumped 'em.
Great tires to put back on the vehicle -- just before you return it!
Every way I have checked indicates the RX300 is torque biased toward the front. A 4 wheel dyno test indicated 75/25 with the VC fully "tightened up".
The F/R final drive ratios seem to indicate that the opposite should be the case, the front final drive ratio is 3.29:1 and the rear is 2.928.
That would seem to indicate that for every ten engine revolutions the front wheel tread surface will move 21.27 feet and the rears would move 23.90 feet, so the front wheel should "coast" and the rear wheels provide the driving force.
Can anybody shed some light on this?
Say it after me: "It just doesn't matter".
Even you were surprised at how well the AWD worked a few weeks ago for you.
On paper, the AWD of the RX, to you, looks pittiful. Meanwhile, in the real world, it works as advertised, and suit 99.9% of the owners out there.
Isn't that what's important? Test all you want. Even if tests showed the torque is 99.5% on one wheel, it just doesn't matter. It still works.
Also, as a note to a mikey00 on gas mileage. My wife and I drove from Boston, MA to Price Edward Island (about 10 hours) this past summer in our '01 AWD RX. It had approximatly 4000 miles on it at the time. I drove between 60 and 90mph for most of the entire trip (about 650 miles), and got 20.1 mpg. That's pretty damn good considering the vehicle.
-Craig
Some of us are part of that .01%
But then I doubt if the number is actually that low.
So, would you mine just being happy with your purchase and leave the rest of us to solve OUR problems?
Look at it this way if you will, if it really isn't a problem no harm is done, but if it is, and Lexus cares, you get to but a better vehicle next time around.
I find that the RX does best at these conditions and some slower highway speeds. Which is fine for me because that's most of our driving. All vehicles suffer somewhat at higher speeds due to wind resistance, etc. The RX is further hindered at higher speeds by it's low gearing. This reduces the mileage and produces more RPM per mile traveled creating slightly more engine wear.
If I were pucchasing a vehicle for primarily high speed driving I would take this into consideration when comparision shopping.
They've created a car for the masses. If you have a specialized need (ie. tire chains to climb up snowy mountains), then you bought the wrong vehicle - twice.
-Craig
Why not be a big boy and get some BFG Mudders? These would be nice for you Willard, you'll certainly get through rough terrain...
heheheheheh...
Bill
Market share, every .01% counts.
AND....
The squeaking wheel DOES get the grease.
If MB can do it with the ML and BMW with the X5 and even Toyota with the Sequoia, why not Lexus with the RX?
I'd even be willing to lay odds that the rear suspension will soon be changed so that snowchains can safely be used.
And eliminating the RX's VC by using the Sequoia's VSC/TRAC/ABS firmware would result in manufacturing cost savings and most likely a more reliable product (fewer parts to wear out or break) plus more customer satisfaction.
It would probably even increase the RX's already substantial weight advantage, 800 lbs, over the ML and X5 by another 100 pounds or so.
Why would I discomfort myself by putting mudders on for only the .002% of the time I might need them.
Do you know that in Canada The LS430 comes with an electrically heated windshield? And that the Canadian RX has an electric heater for the lower portion of the windshield and the wipers just like the US Chrysler T&C?
I live just about 100 miles south of the Canadian border but Lexus assumes their weather is more severe than ours I guess.
I've purchased it at Ray Catena, Oakhurst NJ and I'm very happy with the experience. The price for a fully loaded AWD rx300 was a barely $100 over invoice, at $35800. The sales person I dealt with was very sincere, put no pressure on me and stood up to every promise he made for example, timing of delivery. If every car sales person was like this one, this would be no doubt the most trusted profession (and not vice versa). His name is Mike Barrone, I highly recommend him to anyone shopping for rx300 in NY/NJ area. I've also got price quotes at three more dealerships,and the price from Ray catena was $400 less than the next closest quote. It took me extra 3 weeks to get the color I liked, vapor blue, (really liked black interior), but the delivery day was exactly as originally promised.
A couple of questions to experienced rx300 owners.
When I start the car first time during the day it usually takes me three attempts to actually start the engine. I usually turn the ignition key for less than a second, hear generator noise but the engine won't start after first couple of tries. I used to own 4-cyl Honda Accord, and it took me literally a fraction of a second to start the car by turning the ignition key. Aftr 7 years it would still start almost instantaneously. Is that because the honda's engine is smaller it takes much less generator time to start the engine? Is that okay to hold a key and let generaor work for a couple of seconds until the enine starts?
Another question is related to the infamous sludge problem. Was there any change in the engine design in my 2002 vs. 2001? If no, and this seems to be the "official" response because engine re-design is not listed among changes for the 2002 model, why the 2002 year models are not covered by the Toyota SPA letter? I know this question has been asked before on other boards but I didn't see any answer to it. So if it's been answered could someone point me out to the answer.
Thanks.
It's likely Lexus hasn't yet addressed the 2002 sludge issue becuase few, if any, of those would have accrued the high mileage seemingly necessary.
at the bottom of this news article, it lists the models and years that will get the sludge letter. http://www.wusatv9.com/consumer/consumer_article.asp?storyid=4725
Different makes start differently, for reasons not clear. Chevys, Hondas, and Nissans light off almost with no more than a bump of the key (and almost always have, at least since the advent of fuel injection). Others take a couple of seconds. I've always wondered about the "fast" vs the "less than furious". Is it because some mfgrs want more oil pressure in the top end of the motor whereas others want the impression of, shall we say, eagerness at the expense of slightly more long term wear?
I dunno......but regardless, Willard is right. Your RX (nor any other Lexus) doesn't light off like your Honda and you are only stressing the starter components more with current strategy.
mooretorgue, I kind of miss the peppiness of my old accord when starting the engine. But I guess it's fine as long as I know the things are how they were designed to be. It'll get me a just couple of weeks to get used to the new routine.
That's a pic of a 2000 AWD RX300 that a business partner of mine owns. Hes an off-road enthusiast, and leased it because, well, at the time it was nearly free for him.
With the Mud-Terrain T/As it does reasonably well off-road, and if they are kept properly inflated and rotated, they arent really that noisy.
Bill
I deal in lots and lots of Toyota Products, many of which are very high mileage or on rebuilt titles (For Export) and have yet to see a sludged one, and, yes, I am removing valve cover gaskets.
Its also not a known problem in the arbitration departments of auto auctions that I have spoken with.
There are some highly vocal people on the net who seem to think that it is, but I do not know of a single Toyota that was proven to be properly maintained that sludged. From what it appears, due to the design of these engines, they dont tolerate abuse/lack of servicing very well.
Bill
Key/fuel: Most systems are designed so the pressure will be maintained for hours with the vehicle stopped but some "leakdown" will always occur. The fuel pump recieves power in the engine "run" position but not the accessory position.
I got the invoice price for the car with the optons I've got at around 35,700 on carsdirect.com. It included hid, heated seats, tow hitch receiver and pretty much everything else except nav and chrome wheels.
Where can I buy service/shop manuals for the RX300? Specifically, I'm looking at the 1year service and the owners manual indicates the need to retorque something (I forgot the name), but I have no clue what part that 'something' is.
I got the invoice price for the car with the optons I've got at around 35,700 on carsdirect.com. It included hid, heated seats, tow hitch receiver and pretty much everything else except nav and chrome wheels.
IMMHO anything else is just an excuse for you to pay the dealer's kid's college tuition.
That's all I ever did with two Fords, 68, 75, each of which carried me over 250K miles.
Mr_Shiftright "Engine Sludge? (Forum Closed But Check For Updates))" Apr 3, 2002 1:54pm
Check post #5034.
Now Willard can rest easy at night, even though he does his own oil changes by candlelight with filters made of duck tape and discarded kitchen sponges and oil collected in a coffee can by diving headfirst into the Reclaimation Bin at North Seattle Jiffy Lube.
I remember some old stories about the use of surplus rags as filter material but I had no idea Lexus would stoop that
LOW.
Engine Sludge/Oil Gelling--Toyota's Customer Response
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
Worth a try don't you think?
The dealers should love it, since they can now "check all fluids" even more often at $75/hr.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2002/04/04/toyota-sludge.htm
"It is NOT an engine defect"
Toyota/John Hanson:
"the company is making an IMMEDIATE change to its V6 engine..."
Good luck on that front.
By the way, sometimes it's important to be able to add 2 + 2. And get 4.
Check your previous post #4869 about percentages. Better bring a calculator and lots of pencils.
Toyota/John Hanson:
"It is NOT an engine defect"
Toyota/John Hanson:
"the company is making an IMMEDIATE change to its V6 engine..."
Do you know if they changed out your valve stem seals with new ones? Its my understanding that de-sluding material used is very caustic and obviously breaks down petroleum-based products (oil, seals, etc).
Guess this means that the service intervals in the manual are too long. my GOD!! Think of the reprinting expense on top of all those engine replacements. I'll be looking for my new manual in the mail.........
*The Lexus driver's front passenger's, front seat-mounted side-impact, and side-curtain airbags are a supplemental..."
I thought I had your answer until I read the footnote. The first line sounds like the same airbags as earlier models but then the footnote talks of side curtain airbags which usually come from the top.