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Comments
I bought my 2002 Coach Edition 2WD a few months ago and have been very happy with it. It did not come with a tow package so I recently bought a Hidden Hitch and installed it along with the wiring harness adapter to hook up to my trailer. I installed the 20 amp fuse under the hood where it says "towing" and thought I was good to go, right?
WRONG! There is no power coming out of the factory towing harness plug. I know the fuse is good and I checked the trailer lights. All checks out well. I thought there was a problem with the vehicle so my wife takes it to the dealer. They proceed to tell her that if you didn't purchase the $1200(?!) "towing package", the harness will not work. They want $500 to retrofit some sort of "brain" to allow the harness to work.
Have any of you ever heard of this before? Is this something new to the RX300 lineup? The instructions for the hitch and adapter make no mention of this, nor does the Lexus Owner's Manual. The wiring adapter is the 4-wire flat style at one end and the 4-prong square Toyota style at the other end.
I called Lexus HQ and they did confirm that this is true! This is a first for me. The service advisor at the dealership stated we should have purchased the $1200 "towing package" and that by using an aftermarket trailer hitch, we could void our warranty.
What the hell difference does it make if I use an overpriced Lexus trailer hitch or one that is well designed and manufactured by a respected name? Besides, the vehicle didn't come equipped with the factory towing package.
The gentleman at Lexus was going to contact the dealership to see if there is anything he can do to satisfy this complaint. At least, that is what he said.
I am taking a trip up into the N. Ga mountains in the next 3 weeks and am not too happy about all this.
Is there something I need to modify to make this work?
By the way, I just installed a Hidden Hitch. It seems well-built (sturdy)and I like the angled contour which follows the shape of the back of the car, but what do you think of the paint job on it? Maybe, it's the matte finish instead of being semi-gloss, but the paint didn't strike me as being too robust. Seems a bit thin where there was a couple of small scrapes (albeit on the bracket mounting surfaces which gets hidden anyway).
Anyone who has had a Hidden Hitch for some time....how is it holding up?
-Paul
I ordered the 2002 tow package kit from lexuspartsmall.com for about $430. I sent it back in the end because I found that my RX was not pre-wired as the dealer thought, but anyway I got to see what was in the kit and got to read the instructions There were three 'items" in the box. The receiver; a mounting kit (included additional brackets which bolt to the receiver on order to use an extra mounting hole on the side of the box frames - which aftermarket hitches don't seem to use) and a wiring kit.
The wiring kit contained a wiring harness - the one you probably already have-, a 20amp fuse, and a toyota brand converter module (maybe the "brain" your dealer referred to).
The instructions said to install the receiver (same as the Hidden Hitch installation but with the extra brackets). Then install the wiring harness - the flat-4 connector has a small bracket which screws to the receiver, the other end connects to a pigtail of the vehicle wiring harness inside the black plastic cover underneath the cargo area (you've probably already done this). Then, install the converter. If you hinge up the cargo area floor and remove the spare wheel cover there should be a couple of studs on the left between the storage box and the back of the seat. The converter mounts on these. Also in the same area there should be a wiring harness with a pigtail connector splitting off from it. This plugs into the converter. The instructions said to actually remove the cargo area floor and the storage box but it didn't look to me as if that should be absolutely necessary - however, I may be wrong - my RX doesn't have the studs and pigtails and I may have been off in my visualization from the sketches in the instructions. Lastly you install the fuse. The top-left-most fuse position (as you look with the fuse panel the right way up), I think - but I'm working from memory.
The wiring kit with converter you should be able to buy separately from the receiver from irontoad or lexuspartsmall (aka NorthShore Lexus in Wisconsin)for about $85. I believe the part number is 08921-48070 - but you'd better check.
As far as the Hidden Hitch itself goes, I have only had it on for about a month. Like you said, very sturdy but the paint does look a bit thin. Probably because of the flat black. I am not going to complain about it because the hitch has a good reputation, it looks great, and I only paid $100 for it via etrailer.com. If push comes to shove, I could always remove the hitch and spray paint it with a nicer semi-gloss black finish.
Thanks again for the info!
Pete
winters.
kmouradian - hmm, strange. I thought the '99s and '00s would also need a converter to combine brake lights and turn signals for the trailer and to follow the recommendation to isolate trailer circuits from the vehicle's lighting circuits (and other more sensitive electronics such as the computer)by drawing trailer power directly from the battery. Maybe they have separate stop/turn lights on their trailers and use a 7-pin connector instead of the flat 4-pin? Maybe with no isolation, warranties are indeed at risk?
By the way, I made a typo in last post. 2001/2002 factory tow hitch kit was more like $330 from lexuspartsmall, not $430.
-Paul
Is there anyway this could be done as DIY? Maybe wwest can take it as a weekend project
Steve
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SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
Most climate control automatically go to "fresh" from recirc on activation of any defog mode, partial or full.
The torque wrench didn't go on until I had already confirmed that slight but firm palm pressure on the tread would prevent the engine torque from turning the wheel.
I'm about ready also, do you know if that deal will be only at Costco? We don't have one in these parts, or is that a promotion that should be available from any Michelin dealer? TIA
Pete
Oil changes I do about every 5000 miles.
Thanks for your help!
http://www.imakenews.com/autospies/071002_ML350_and_SE_Release.pdf
Pete
10,000 miles of happy driving on them. Maybe Bridgestone should be paying me to plug'em...nah.
Pete
Pete
Has anyone out there actually paid TMV for an RX300?
By the way my Car & Driver was twice as thick this month, Kia had a huge ad for Sorrento. I know exactly how much Kia spend on R&D for Sorrento ($36,100 + desintation), cause all they did was buy an RX300 and Duplicate it. There are so many similarities even the little drawer by the Driver's Left Knee. Come One. Rip Off !!!.
Kia does show a slick Roof Box that would look nice on the RX. Gonna get more info on that
Pete
Got them from TireRack for $72 + shipping. Local shop mounted them for $10 each.
It is a lot of money. Thomas Stanley, author of "The Millionaire Next Door" mentions in one of his books that most American millionaires drive Fords. He also mentions that he personally likes to buy used high end Acura, Infiniti, and Lexus autos to minimize his depreciation. Maybe your 5 year old would be better off in a used RX300? Good luck.
Pete
Ron
Fuel filters only need to be changed out if conditions warrant it, mechanics diagnostic say.