Lexus RX 300

joanzie · September 2003

Thanks for all your information, I will take your advice and go back to where I had the hitch installed. This is a great site to get info on the lexus and it is greatly appreciated. I figured someone probably installed a hitch on their RX. Thanks again!

wwest · September 2003

Last month we drove 2500 miles much of it in the south with temperatures predominantly above 100F. While traveling dead slow in a construction zone the temperature gage starting rising rapidly so I turned off the A/C and pulled over at the next opportunity.

I discovered that one of the two radiator cooling fans had failed completely. Okay, simple, now we continue our journey without A/C.

Not too many more miles down the road it was becoming obvious how much the temperate climate in Seattle has spoiled us over the years.

Unless we were moving at least 50MPH we could not use the A/C (of course at those speeds the breeze was sufficient) and the temperatures were basically unbearable.

What to do??

I finally realized that I could reduce the A/C load on the engine cooling system if I could bypass the A/C "reheat" function. So I turned the A/C temperature setpoint to max cool (no airflow through the heater core in this mode) and recirculate (no danger of interior windshield fogging at these temperatures) and manually controlled the blower speed to regulate the cabin temperature.

So for the next 2300 miles we had A/C comfort in spite of the fan failure and the gage never rose substantial even in slow moving city traffic.

Makes on wonder how much fuel is being sacrificed due to poor A/C design.

jeffmust2 · September 2003

...how your electrical mods in the HVAC system overvolted the fan in the past and it failed prematurely LOL.

wwest · September 2003

On disassembly of the fan motor it looks as if someone "shorted" the bearing grease amount at the factory. Rear motor bearing was quite "galled"

jeffmust2 · September 2003

Denso factory workers!

One wonders, however, how they KNEW just to short the grease in that particular fan...and no one else's...since no one else had reported a melted cooling fan on the '01 RX...

Too bad Scully and Mulder are in reruns.

rx330 · September 2003

I'm looking to buy a 2001 RX 300 with 34K mile
on it. Its a black ext.

The dealer is quoting $30K!

Any advise?

Thanks
/kmk

fickle · September 2003

Hi rx330,
I purchased a used 01 RX300, private party for $30,000 last month. It is white but it only had 5,000 miles on it. I think you will pay more because it's a dealer. I think I may have overpaid by a little but since it was "like new" I decided to get it. It also was my first choice in color since I had a dark car before and it was terribly difficult and a lot of work to keep clean. I know this isn't much help but if you really like it and it's exactly what you want, go for you. But if you feel it's a bit too much, not exactly what you want, you may begin to regret your decision. Good luck!
linda

wwest · September 2003

My 01 AWD RX has 30k with Nav and "private party" value comes out at $28k.

emc3 · September 2003

don't know about the above but I bought my wife a 2001 RX with FWD for $30,000 in July of 2002 that had 10K miles on it at the time. Bought it from a Dodge dealer. Sounds high to me...

jeffmust2 · September 2003

The only reason to buy a used RX300 from a Lexus dealer, IMO, is to get the factory extended bumper-to-bumper warranty to 100k miles.

If this is not being offered to you at the $30k price, negotiate the deal so the extended warranty is included (it only costs the dealer a few hundred bucks) or work on getting the price closer to $28k.

If these tactics don't work, buy private party - there are lots of better RX deals to be had. Your mileage may vary. Good luck and report back!

pschiffe · September 2003

I only paid $34,128 for my then new 1999 RX300 back in July, 1999! That was out-the-door including tax, title & inspection. FWD (2WD), leather, trac, cargo mat and wheel locks. Purchased thru broker CarsDirect.com.

Pete

mooretorque · September 2003

I bought HER a 99 RX 5/29/98 AWD with LSD, Nakamichi, etc......everything except roof rack (nearly useless but not nearly silent) and trailer hitch (who tows? virtually no one tows.......) for $37880. Probably could have done better but it was pretty soon after initial release and SOMEONE didn't want to wait..........so $30k for an 01 with 34k miles def sounds high.

aveghte · September 2003

I was able to purchase a 2000 RX300 with AWD, leather, roof rack, CD changer and 35,000 miles for $22,500. This sounds like a great price to me. By the way, are there bicycle racks that fit on this roof rack?

fickle · September 2003

I think it all depends upon where you live and the demand for the car. Here in Hawaii, the demand for Lexus and Toyota cars are extremely high and therefore, command top dollar. For instance, I had a '02 Toyota Camry to sell. I had been scanning the paper for weeks for anyone else selling to see what they were listing for. Not a single one available. Even a month after I sold mine, not a single one listed. I had 3 people interested in my car just by word of mouth. So for me, paying $30,000 for my 01 RX with 5,000 miles was fortunate. In fact, the previous owner had someone offer them $31,000 but since she had committed to me, she didn't take the offer.

Did you (original question-asker, whose name I don't remember) buy the car?

claytont · September 2003

I'm getting ready to replace the OE Goodyear's on my 2000RX. I've gotten a lot of recommendations for the Mich Cross-Terrain. Has anyone bought them? If so, how do you like them? This is a commuting car so I'm just looking for a quiet smooth rid and decent traction in snow.

Thanks.

aveghte · September 2003

That is a good question about the tires. I replaced my Goodyear Integrity tires with another quartet of Goodyear Integrity tires halfway through my lease (at 20K miles). Now I live in Florida so it is important to have good handling in wet weather but winter weather is not an issue. Are the Goodyear tires that best choice for me or should I try the Michelin Cross-Terrain or another tire brand (e.g. B.F. Goodrich or Bridgestone?). I originally purchased the vehicle in Ohio so the tires may have originally been more suited for ice and snow conditions.

mikey00 · September 2003

I had cross-terrains on my rx for about 15k. No complaints, they are a great tire. Their design intent is smooth quiet ride with good snow traction. Just be careful not to upsize to 235's when you make the switch. They have a poor wear rating. You can see this by looking at the specs on the tirerack and Michelin websites.

wwest · September 2003

Upgraded to Michellin Cross Terrains, 235/65/17 right after purchasing new 01 AWD RX300. 30k+ miles and LOTS of tread left.

frank09 · September 2003

2000 RX300 w/21k miles
Yesterday I found out the hard way, after turning off the engine, that the ignition key could be removed between the lock and accessory position.
When I went to start the car later on, the key would not go all the way into the cylinder and would not move in either direction. 2 hrs of jiggling, coaxing, steering wheel and shifter futzing (using the shift release button)...no luck. Short of having it flat bedded to the dealer f/a cyl lock replacement (hopefully under warranty) ne1 have a suggestion or experience w/this problem. (BTW-obvious tip-make sure your lock is in the "lock" position before removing the key) At least this happened in our driveway!

mikey00 · September 2003

The Michelin wear rating spec for the 225 is 700 and is only 420 for the 235. This means a 225 should last 1.7 times as long as a 235.

wwest · September 2003

More rubber at the roadbed, more surface to carry vehicle weight, traction, braking etc. Seems reversed.

jeffmust2 · September 2003

...because the Michelin CTX in 235x65x17 is an OEM version made especially for the Acura MDX.

As such, it's a cheaper tire with less rubber - to be exact, 11/32nds of tread when new, versus the 13/32nds of tread on the regular Michelin CTX in the 225x70x16 size that fit the RX300 in 2001.

Also, the rolling diameter of these two tires at 45mph, according to Michelin, when mounted respectively on 16" or 17" rims, differs by 1.7%
(28.9" vs. 28.4").

Just enough difference to throw the Nav system off kilter when one mounts the larger tire and fails to recalibrate the GPS system...

Oh well.

LOL.

mikey00 · September 2003

The 225 does have a better wear rating than the 235 but I am not sure if I agree with your logic as to why.
Where are you getting the 13/32nds spec from? Michelin website is showing 11.5/32nds for the 225 and 11/32nds for the 235. Not enough there to account for the wear difference. Also the 235 has the larger diameter, resulting in less RPM and you would expect it to wear longer. I always assumed the 225 used a better wearing rubber compound than the 235.

jeffmust2 · September 2003

You're right - here's the Michelin page in question:

http://michelinman.com/assets/pdfs/doc_crossterrainsuv.pdf

The difference comes in the two versions - the 235 tire is marked as an "OE" - original equipment, which it is on the MDX. At the bottom of the Mich page it explains that OE compounds are rated at a tread life of 420, while their non-OE compounds are rated at a longer life 700 - which should wear about 175% as much as the OEs.
Both tires, however, share the same temp and traction ratings.

Should be interesting when the new fed gov tire standards & test results start appearing - much stronger than the rating system today.

wwest · September 2003

that those wear ratings only come into play at or near max rated speed??

mikey00 · September 2003

I doubt it. From the NHTSA website "The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate of the tire when tested undercontrolled conditions on a specified government test course."

mooretorque · September 2003

The Michelin CTX is a good choice for both snow as well as the wet Florida conditions. Here in Arkansas we don't get much snow (but enough that I can tell you that the CTXs perform well in it) but do get plenty of rain. The Michelins are far more confidence-inspiring in terms of road feel/dry traction/wet traction than the Goodyear Zerotegritys that Lexus saw fit to equip many of the RX300s. They are also just about as quiet and ride just about as comfortably as the NotsoGoodyear rim protectors. I might add that the RX is wifey's vehicle, so noise and rough ride would not have flown well at ALL!!

pschiffe · September 2003

The October, 2003 edition on newstands now, rates Lexus RX330 AWD as the Best New Car Value in the Luxury SUVs catageory while the Lexus RX300 is the Best Used Car among Large/Luxury SUVs:

SmartMoney Magazine

Pete

jov1 · September 2003

sierravista · September 2003

Hello -- new to the forum. Have an 01 rx300. One drawback was the lack of an in dash cd player. The 04 has an in dash -- anyone tried to fit the new player into an older model, or any suggestions on aftermarket. Particularly like the idea of direct plugin for ipod. Any ideas?

Thanks

mikey00 · September 2003

There is not much available in the way of in dash custom fit afternmarket stuff. But I am sure a custom shop could hook you up with something.
However, IROCK, has a nice solution for playing your IPOD through the RX sound system for only $29.99.
http://www.myirock.com/players/irock400fm.asp

mslexuscrystal · September 2003

Any input would help!!!I am negotiating a deal of $2178 off MSRP which is $40178 Is this a fair deal. This price includes the Premium Plus Pkg..

hd665 · September 2003

I would like to get some new wheels (larger) for my RX300. Does anyone know if the 18" RX330 wheels will fit the RX300? Or can anyone make some good recommendations?

kwh · September 2003

My wife told me there was a slight hesitation in her RX 300 when the car has been left sitting for several hours. I drove the car and heard what I call spark plug knock. I haven't heard that in years, but heard it all the time when I was young as my famly always drove fords.

I looked in the owner's manual and could not find when to change the spark plugs. Do anyone know when the plugs should be replaced? Do you think that is the cause of the hesitation?

Lexus called me Saturday to offer an extended warrenty. It was $1340 to cover the interval from 50,000 to 100,000 miles. Any suggestions? Thanks!

mikey00 · September 2003

Spark plugs are at 100 or 120K, I don't have my owners manual in front of me. Usually engine knocking is followed by the check engine light coming on sometime later. Quite a few RXs have the mass air flow sensor fail causing this. A quick fix is to fill up with premium. But you should not have to do this and the problem will return when you go back to 87 octane which is all that is required. If you are still under warranty have the dealer fix it.

mooretorque · October 2003

Don't know if the offset compares but you definitely will need spacers in order to fit 18s to an RX300.

ke2fe · October 2003

I had the plugs changed in my 2000 rx300 at 103k miles. I spoke with the service advisor about the need for changing the plugs. He said, they are changed at 60k, so according to him, I was well passed that number. I told him that a person on this chat said, "why change them ever?" An interesting idea! When I looked at the old plugs that were removed, they looked brand new. They are made of an alloy of platinum-iridium and perhaps they could last forever. Anyway, I bought piece of mind. I did not notice any change in the way the car/engine performed with the new plugs.

ke2fe

mikey00 · October 2003

I just checked the manual. They are due for change at 120k. Remember, the service advisor is a salesman whose job is to sell you services, not look out for your best interest.
Here is an ad a local dealer placed in the employment section of the newspaper:
"Service Advisor. We are seeking an aggressive, self-motivated person for a fast growing customer driven auto dealership. Must have excellent people and sales skills..............................."

kwh · October 2003

Well mikey, you hit this one on the head. The check engine light came on for the first time ever today. Unfortunately the car has 51,000 miles and I will have to take it in for the first time w/o the warrenty.

What suggestions do you have for my talk with the service manager? Just tell him about the spark plug knock? I will mention the mass air flow sensor fail to them. Anything else you would have them check? I'm going to the Toyota dealer nearby instead of Lexus dealer which is 90 minutes away. The Toyota place has done almost all of the maintenance on this Rx so far anyway. Thanks for you help.

mikey00 · October 2003

Now that the check engine light is on they can plug in and get a failure code indicating what failed. I bet it is the mass air flow sensor only because it seems to be a common failure. Let us know how you make out at the Toyota dealer.
The emissions equipment warranty is longer than the standard warranty. Check your manual. Question the dealer about the mass air flow sensor being part of emission equipment. I read another post where the Lexus dealer charged $325 for the repair. He claimed the sensor is not covered under emission equipment but I don't see why.

enjeti · October 2003

I would like to know how often one has to align wheels. I have a '01 RX-4WD and the dealer is suggesting that it needs wheel alignment. I do hear some tire noise from the rear wheels and the dealer says that wheel alignment will fix it.

avery1 · October 2003

I have a '99 and the check engine light came on some where after 50,000 miles. Turns out it was the charcol cannister. No big deal I thought. Turns out this cannister is about $500. I checked on the warranty since the emissions warranty is longer but they said this wasn't covered, (called two dealers with this question). However, they said if I paid for the installation and diagnosis labor they would supply the part for free. I thought this was great. Never had anything like this happen at the Volvo dealer.

toydriver · October 2003

For whatever it's worth, don't forget the gas cap needs to be "clicked" by tightly screwing it back on after filling the gas tank.( Source of our "check engine light" issue once )

jiamin · October 2003

Reminds me of a friend's Toyota Sienna van. It's "Check Engine Light" came on. Brought to the dealer. First thing dealer checked was the gas cap. Found it was a Nissan's cap! Bought a new Toyota cap at the dearler and problem solved.

avery1 · October 2003

If it a gas cap problem it may take up to a couple of days to reset. Don't expect it to go off as soon as you tighten the cap. At least that is what I was told by a service tech.

avery1 · October 2003

Does anyone else have a problem with the CD volume being significantly higher than the radio volume? This is true for all cds. I was hoping to find a way to adjust the volume of just one or the other but was told that can't be done. Does anyone have any other thoughts on this?

mikey00 · October 2003

The fact that your engine was pinging before the check engine light came on tells you that it is not the gas cap in your situation. If you don't want to wait the few days for the check engine light to go out after trying a fix, pull the EFI fuse (#13) for a few minutes with the car off to reset.

jiamin · October 2003

I was with my friend that time to give him a ride, in case his Sienna had to stay at dealer for fix. I saw the "Check Engine Light" disappear after a new Toyota cap was put on...

mikey00 · October 2003

I am not sure what the deal is with the Sienna, but on the RX the light will not go out instantly when the cap is replaced. Try it on your RX if you want to confirm. Remove or loosen the cap and drive around until the check engine light comes on. Tighten the cap and see what happens. My Oldsmobile also takes a couple of days like the RX. Or you can disconnect the battery or pull the fuse to reset.

kwh · October 2003

I had the RX at the Toyota dealer yesterday. when they plugged it up it said
PO171 System too lean Bank 1
Recommnend take to Lexus if DTC returns

Not too sure about what all this means - from my experience working on boats running too lean means too much air with the gas, as opposed to running too rich - when I talked to the service manager he said it needed a new front oxygen sensor. (probably the same thing as the mass air flow sensor mikey predicted) I asked him if he could fix it and he said sure, but recommended I take it to Lexus for a warrenty fix. I told him the mileage (50940) and he said he would never question a warrenty fix for something that close within the warrenty period, that they would take care of it. I have contacted the Lexus dealer and am waiting to hear back. The car was purchased in March 2000 in case you wondered how your own vehicle might be treated. I'll let you know what Lexus has to say about this.

Lexus RX 300

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles

Your Privacy