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Comments
I have two issues and would like your guys' input:
1) weak to no crank: After driving 395 miles, stopped for fill up. When I went to start the engine, when turned the key to start, there was a weak, and almost dead spot in cranking, then it started. Everytime it did that, IP lights would go out completely and it would rest the clock to 1:00 AM. It did that all the way home. the battery posts are tight, and there is no corrosion on battery terminals.
2) flickering headlights: During daytime driving, I noticed the green shift indicator and cruise lights were flickering. At night, the headlights were doing it too. The IP and center diplay monitor do NOT flicker.
Since this RX has 59700 miles on it now, Do you think Lexus will take care of these problems under their 4 years/60K warranty?
Thanks,
Joe
Lexus Owners' Anchor
I hope this works out to your satisfaction.
Pete
If you did buy it from a Lexus dealer, I am sure they will make arrangements to have a local Lexus (or perhaps Toyota if no Lexus dealer is near you) take care of the electrical problem for you.
If you bought private party 1,000+ miles away, you're probably on your own. And it would not be easy nor convenient to take folks that far away to small claims court.
We had the same RX300 for 41k miles and never had an electrical problem. You probably still have two (2) Lexus warranties in effect - but neither will help with this type of problem.
The ones still in effect would be the emissions components warranty and the "anti-sludge" warranty offered by Lexus/Toyota for vehicles with their 3.0L V-6 (like your RX) in the last year; this one extends for 8 years or 100k miles from the original in-service date.
If you bought from a dealer, call their General Manager Monday morning and explain what happened; I'd be very surprised if they don't take care of this problem at no charge. It could be a relatively simple fix to the fan belt, alternator, fuse/circuit box, bad wire or connection, etc. Or, on the down side, it could be very expensive to trace and repair.
Let us know what happens and good luck!
I will replace the battery later today. We had a 89 Mazda MPV that the battery went out in the first year. The batttery in this vehicle appears original; Panasonic with holes to add distilled water! Who adds water to betteries any more?? Japanese batteries look like Lawn mower batteries. Very small.
I just changed the oil/filter. I thought the oil filter location was bad in the Camry, this one is much harder to reach and there is no good way of catching the dripping oil. Very poor oil filter location in both V-6 engines. Even, GM uses a little plastic deflector right under the filter to drip the oil away from engine block.
The RX however has located a perfect access for radiator drain plug and engine coolant plug. The engine coolant drain plug/tube is th best I have ever seen.
Thanks,
Joe
But the clock will lose it's settings, lights will flicker at idle, the A/C fan will speed up and slow down as engine speed varies................the battery has gone south.
Some Lexus OEM batteries last 5.5 years (such as the one in HER RX300); some last 2.5 years (such as the one in my GS430). But about 4 years is all one can reasonably expect from most standard wet cells these days.
is changing at random when fan/AC is not in use. Sometimes it shows 'toward face only' when you start the car, and then after a while it changes to 'toward feet only' or 'toward both face and feet'. I do not find any particular pattern of this behavior. But wondering if this NORMAL or something is wrong with it? Or is this a sort of feature, like a screeb saver on computer monitor?
Any comments from your guys? Thanks!
And while that sensor should normally only reflect the outside air temperature it can be temporarily influenced by radiant heat for the nearby radiator while stopped or moving slowly.
I relocated my OAT sensor to the driver's side front bumper area so the climate control would not be "upset" by the temporary variations.
But in reality the RX, as are ALL Lexii, is so well sealed, even the required exhauster port (bottom of the driver's side rear quarter panel) has flow restrictions, you will have almost no fresh air flow into the vehicle without a blower running.
There is still slight/faint flickering that you have to watch for, to notice it. The flickering was worse after 20-30 minute driving with lights on. I will check it again with night driving to see if it is still there. I may have to braek down and take it to the Lexus dealer.
The battery hold down bracket has a dumb design. The replacement battery must have the exact height for hold down to fit correctly. The replcement battery that I got is slightly taller, and the hold down bracket front bolt, does not screw all the way down.
The Lexus service dept. told me that warranty on 2001MY is 4/50. I thought Lexus has 4/60K basic warranty. I do not like taking my cars to dealership for service. I rather take this RX to a Toyota dealer than a Lexus dealer. I think the engine in RX300 is the same one that is in the Highlander.
Has anybody replaced the rear spark plugs themselves? How bad is it and what needs to be removed to get to them? Toyota has put contoured clearance in Camry's V-6 intake manifold for extension bars to reach the rear plug. The RX has no such thing.
Joe
This may be endemic to the RX300, Ours does/did it; I haven't driven HER RX330 at night so am unsure about the new model. But there is a thread over on ClubLexus regarding the same flicker. Don't know that there's a fix but there have been zero electrical issues otherwise with HER 300, nor has it changed over the 5+ years of ownership. (Willard, have you upgraded yet? The 330 is impressive!)
hpyu, the HVAC system uses several sensors within the vehicle (including allowing for the effect of radiant sunlight) for fan direction and speed control in addition to the OAT sensor. As Willard pointed out, the system likely remains active and continues to adjust the airflow vanes in the ducting.
I want to wait and see what the RX hybrid brings to the show anyway and I can always dump the X3 at a good price this early in its life.
Meanwhile I just bought another AWD Aerostar to be sure to get through the winter. If I get caught out in the AWD RX that's a chance I'm willing to take.
Did you get the AWD this time and if so what is your opinion at this point?
Definitely more spirited between the 5 spd and the increased torque. Feels bigger, definitely more cabin width, and front corners seem farther away. May just be that I'm sitting back farther from the windshield. I just wish SHE hadn't decided on Black Onyx. Guess I can come home from clinic every day at noon to wash it............and only God knows how many times a year I'll have to Zaino that non-clearcoated paint (Sal says four; God's not talking.). Oh, well, SHE is happy.
X3 reviewed in the print mags this month. Automobile said "ride quality of a hay wagon on all but glass smooth pavement" though they were impressed otherwise. But they were quite critical of the ride. C&D dishes worse: "....the X3's ride is hard-edged, concussive, and insufferable."
It appears that replacing the battery, took care of weak cranks and flickering lights.
Thanks fo your help.
Joe
I thought starting in 2001, Lexus started putting matching alloy wheel/tire in the trunk.
Joe
As one poster said:
"The battery hold down bracket has a dumb design. The replacement battery must have the exact height for hold down to fit correctly. The replcement battery that I got is slightly taller, and the hold down bracket front bolt, does not screw all the way down."
I have bought a Duralast Gold Size 35-DG. I would like to use this battery but the front bracket will be about a 1/2 inch higher (will use a longer bolt) but am not sure the hood will close.
Has anyone else solved this problem?
The books call for a size 24F but this battery does not meet O.E.M. recommended CCA's.
Thanks,
Pete
The new Duralast Gold size is 35-DG and raises the front bracket about a half inch. I will reinstall it tomorrow and check to see if the hood will close. If so, I will buy a longer 10mm bolt. The front of MY99 bracket is too heavy to bend.
The original Panasonic battery is 4 1/2 years old and the blue indicator light on top is "blue" for OK. But like yourself I'm making a long drive and it is time for a change out.
What is the size of your Sears Gold Diehard?
Thanks,
Pete
My 02 RX300's wiper making scracthy noise in raining days. I do nto know if it is adjustable by dealer to loose up the force applied on windshield when wiping, but the loaner car's wiper I had from dealer was very quite. One difference is loaner car teamperature is 75 F, but my car's ac/warmer air is turned off. In dallas, the temp outside is like 50-60 F. Is it because temp is low?
Any comments from you guys? Thanks.
Type of weather shouldn't matter - but you don't want to run them over a dry windshield of course.
I used a table grinder to remove the turned up edges on both sides of the front of
the bracket. Without the turned up edges, the front part of the bracket bends easily
as you tighten down on the bracket. I was careful not to over tighten and ended up with
about 3/16 inch between the bracket and the radiator cross member.
I used a standard but longer 10mm hex head screw (the head is smaller overall) without
a washer. The front of the bracket makes a little contact with the hood gasket,
but there was no need to remove any of the gasket.
I noticed on this message board that a lot of RX300 folks are having battery problems. Could it be that they are replacing the original battery with the only Group size that will fit - one that does not meet O.E.M. recommended CCA's?
If nothing works, try to clean the entire windshield with dentaured alcohol.
I've always cleaned the wiper blades every time I washed the car but this made no difference once they started to chatter nor did it seem to delay the inevitable. The RX330 hasn't started to have that problem but it's only a month old; if/when it does, more PIAAs for me!!
Thanks...Bill
Overall, a 3-year old Lexus under 50k miles is a great deal because the original OEM, bumper-to-bumper warranty is still in effect so you will not be hit with a large repair bill when buying it as a used private party vehicle. The extended warranty CPO from the dealer is not that vital on this model bec it is so reliable; the dealer pays a couple hundred to add this CPO extension and wants you to pay an extra two thousand $$ or so.
Lexus dealers seem to think these used RX300s are gold because they sure price them high. Of course, as a seller, I was glad to see that!
Also, it was a very popular car to lease back in late 2000 and a LOT of those 36-month deals are now ending with residuals in the $24-26k area - as mine did. So I bought it from Lex/Toy and resold it at a profit to help do my RX330 deal.
Anyway, it you find a 2001 under 50k miles with Nav, it should go for $26.5 to $28k in excellent shape. Without Nav it should go $1000-1500 less.
So check the local papers and check online ads for your area (autotrader.com and cars.com)
Good luck! Also, don't forget that dealers are likely to come down from their windshield prices on their used '01s. Next month they automatically become a year older - like horses!
I tell you those Southern cars are very clean. The bolts/nuts in underbody area are still shiny.
I would never buy a used Lexus from a Lexus dealer, as one of you said it, they want too much for the used ones.
Neither was replacing the OEM blades every few months. Overall, I've spent much less with the PIAAs plus have not had the aggravation of chattering blades. Plus, compared to other sources of vehicle expense such as maintainence and depreciation, it's the proverbial drop in the bucket.
Sounds as if I won't have to be doing this with the 330, though.
Q: Aren't hybrids slower than conventional vehicles?
A: Not the Lexus hybrid. In fact, it's been engineered to be more powerful than similar vehicles with conventional engines. The electric motor increases the overall horsepower from 230 hp to 270 hp. So in addition to reduced fuel consumption and emissions, you can also look forward to noticeably faster 0-60 acceleration.
Seems to mean a single 40HP electric motor and thus my guess is FWD only. Not a big surprise since the Toyota license to Ford to duplicate the drivetrain for the Escape is FWD only.
Also with just 40 extra HP I wonder what the "performance of a V8" will really equate to in terms of 0-60 and quarter mile times, given the fact that the vehicle will weigh several hundred pounds more. And if all the extra weight is in the front, what will be the effect on its weight distribution and handling characteristics?
V8 performance....
If I remember the numbers correctly the electric motor in the Prius puts out 400 ft/lbs of torque up to 1000RPM.
Do a search on the Toyota Estima. Another amazing Hybrid from Toyota that is sold in Japan. This is probably closer to the RX hybrid than any other,
One of the best features of the Hybrid Synergy Drive is the regenerative braking. During normal braking, the brake calipers and rotors are not even used when braking at speeds above 15-18mph, allowing extended brake life.
Here's a quote from Toyota Jan 2004. The Prius referred to is the 1st generation:
"The RX with Hybrid Synergy Drive has a V6 engine with the power and torque of a V8 and delivers the fuel mileage of a compact car while producing a fraction of the emissions of standard SUVs," said Toyota Motor Corporation President Fujio Cho.
The hybrid RX operates with front and rear electric motors and a front internal combustion engine. The system in the RX operates at nearly double the voltage of the current Prius and generates more power with high efficiency, dramatically cutting fuel consumption and emissions. In addition, the front and rear electric drive provides the benefits of all-wheel drive in a lighter and more compact package.
Imagine I have to change tire on the highway with no easy help around me...
Most leases designate not more than 12-15k miles/year. Extra mileage is usually really expensive if not buying out.
Even if you had a 15k miles/year lease, that's 45k over 3 years. At 80k, you're 35k over and typically those miles are 15 cents each with a Lexus factory lease - in your case, $5,250. So if you DON'T buy it out at $25k (which was approximately the buy-out of my '01 FWD/Nav RX300), you would have another $5k+ to toss to Lexus Corp as you return the vehicle.
Don't know where you live and how many Lexus dealers there are to choose from...but I think $30k for a CPO '01 RX is too high. You also didn't say how many miles are on the typical CPO unit at that cost figure. You should be paying not much more than $1k-$1.5k for the CPO extended warranty vs. a private party sale for the same mileage and featured RX.
Check www.autotrader.com and cars.com for your zip code and see what the private sellers are asking for their RXs. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
Jeff
Two things (ok, maybe a few more) have always bothered me about the RX300. First is the lack of steering wheel audio controls. Seems that should have been obvious and I know has been taken care of with the RX330. The other is the lack of a coin holder. Well after hunting around quite a bit I found one at Walgreens of all places. It holds quarters, dimes, and nickles, but not pennies. However, it fits perfectly in the front of the lower storage compartment between the front seats! In fact it looks like it was original. I know its a small thing but if your like me I prefer to put change in a holder. The cost is about $3.00. Check it out.
Jim d.
My guess on a private party sale with that low RX300 mileage you could get $24-26k assuming it's in good shape, no accidents, etc. Dealers will want to buy it at $2k-3k under that, assuming you get a good deal on the new RX330's purchase.
On the west coast, new RX330s can be had for $3-4k off the MSRP sticker price depending on options. Could be quite different where you live with some dealers still around the MSRP price if there's little competition. You can have a California RX330 delivered to your door for $600-800 over the sales price so keep that in mind.
The internet dept at Lexus of Riverside (So. CA area) does a dozen RXs per month in this fashion from what I've been told. Of course, you would need to sell your 2001 privately but they go quickly if priced right.
Good luck and report back!