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As of 2010 the RX350 has adopted the Venza's F/awd system, much more functional than ours, but still well below the Acura SH-AWD system for true "AWD" functionality. This new F/awd system has been rife with problems over the past ten years or so in other marques. Failures mostly related to driveline component overheating due to driveline windup and/or tire scrubbing. The new Ford Explorer seems to be addreeing this failure prone issue by adding cooling to the PTO assembly, maybe also the rear clutch/diff'l assembly. Unclear on this latter point but in the past Ford has had failure problems with/at the rear clutch/diff'l assembly due to overheating.
Anyone know for sure if the new RX F/awd system using water cooling for the PTO..? The rear clutch/diff'l assembly...?
So, I would whole-heartedly recommend adding a switch to disable the rear drive clutch except for times of certain, actual need, "AWD" functionality.
My current "love" in this market is the new F/awd I4 (187HP) Venza, rear drive via the new rear clutch system. But I just can't justify the purchase as long as the '01 F/awd RX300 remains mostly functional. I keep hoping the Venza will go hybrid (RS225-250h ??) and the I4 will not only get the Atkinson intake valve timing "treatment" but also be upgraded to DFI, Direct Fuel Injection. Base/native compression ratio as high as maybe 17:1, 14:1 effective.
It was still laying there in the trunk when the CEL code recently repeated, both this time, shortly after a KNOWN TC/VSC event. Within 2 weeks the oxygen sensor CEL cleared of its own accord.
Apparently an inrush of "pure" oxygen for a few seconds will somehow modify, temporarily, the "chemistry" of the oxygen sensor element.
Anybody in need of a 10 year old NEW oxygen sensor...?
Oh, with an active CEL the transaxle shift pattern is modified plus OD will NOT be used.
"..misfire.."
Fuel injector(s) (sticking) or ignition problem most likely.
I don't trust Subbie's "symmetrical" AWD hype. Some say that statement only applies side to side, not F/R. The Subbie being a base FWD vehicle I would be suspect that it is mostly front torque biased.
In any case I NEVER wish to unknowingly own/drive a front torque biased vehicle.
Yes, absolutely.
For some reason the VSC system "thought" the RX was not fully following the left turn radius that the stearing wheel position indicated. One of the 2 sensors unique to VSC apparently had a "soft" failure.
I'm voting for the incremental encoder used to track the rotational position of the searing wheel. It's located in the stearing wheel/shaft/assembly.
I don't know for sure but I have always been of the mind that the stearing wheel position sensor automatically recalibrates itself. Otherwise an incremental type position encoder would be useless.
Title says it all. Not sure if it is happening while I am driving. The beep is not as loud as the beep when I engage the alarm but it is a similar sound.
The only thing I can notice that is an "alert" is my rear light out warning is lit. I checked all my lights and they appear to be on.
Is this even related?
Thx
Jim
Codes indicate replaciing all fuel sensors...Can someone please help??
Thanks,
Denny
Does anyone know the solution to this problem?
The knock sensor wasn't bad.
RX300 2001 or later expect a transaxle failure sub-100,000 miles even if the ATF is drained/flushed every 15,000 miles.
RX330 model or better, DBW to "protect the drive train", alleviate the issue of premature transaxle failures.
With DBW expect to randomly encounter, at the worse of all possible times, a 1-2 second re-acceleration "downshift" delay/hesitation.
2010 RX or later if you have true need for AWD functionality. Previous RX AWD was only "pretend", for marketing purposes ONLY. '99-'00 AWD was a bit more functional than '01 to '09 but many suspect that was the causative factor for those years having a more extreme level of premature transaxle failures.
My RX300 (2001 model) has around 110K miles. it has auto transmission (which I believe is std). While I was driving back from a long distance trip, it suddenly started having this problem. Sometimes while speeding up from low speed (30mph or less to 50+) I feel that the transmission doesn't shift from lower gears in to Drive. I see the RPM going really high and staying high as well as I can hear the engine revving in low gear. Pls suggest what could be done to fix this.
Thanks!
1999, 2000, 2001 RX premature, 80-100,000 miles, transaxle failure is SOP.
Premature Trans failures are NOT STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE for these first generation cars, period. Yes some folks have had their transaxles fail prematurely, but the overwhelming majority of these vehicles run well into 200, 300k, but if you listen to this guy, you'd be lead to believe every one of these cars is a complete failure.
It's just not true. It is true however that some people aren't happy unless they're complaining about something.
Thanks for your contribution.
I though about trading it in for a new car, just in case it would fail soon. Now I want to keep it until it dies.
Do you experts recommend synthetic oil for this engine (possibly less likely oil gel)?
If you change your oil often and maintain your cooling system properly, you are not likely to have an oil gel issue. Have you noticed an issue with yours?
I do use full synthetic (Rotella-T 5w-50 non "Energy Saving" compliant meaning it has the old-school additive package, about $21/gallon at Walmart with OEM filter from the Toyota dealer) in mine, but you don't have to use synthetic if you change your oil before the oil condition has deteriorated. Just change it often, especially since you put such low mileage on the car.
Oh, and don't forget transmission fluid service (don't rely on the Lexus or Toyota dealer for this), especially because you put such low mileage on your car. Every year (not longer than two). Transmission pan, front differential (shared fluid with the transmission), and if you have AWD (separate fluids), the transfer case and the rear differential, too. Smell the fluid and rub it between your fingers if you want to have an easy way to guage wear. Burned smell, metallic look are signs of wear. Change tranny fluid often in any heavy FWD platform vehicle.
There are extensive threads on the Club Lexus owners forums on this subject, as well as transmission maintenance and DIY door lock solenoid replacements.
Good cars are worth keeping, even as they age. Mine's 14 years, biggest complaints: handles too lazy, wish it got lots better gas mileage.
Good luck with yours.
No, I haven't noticed anything abnormal. Compared to my 02 QX4 AWD, RX is very soft meanwhile quieter, accelerates quicker. Workmanship is noticeably better, paint is better.
I skipped a few scheduled services, just keep doing regular oil change. Now I need to have some serious sevices to get long life out of it.
For the '99, '00 models a fairly robust VC, Viscous Clutch, was used, plus a mechanical LSD was available as an option. As of the '01 model year the VC was made more flaccid, mostly non-functional IMMHO, and the LSD option was dropped.
So the '01 and later F/awd RX models became primarily simple ONE-WHEEL drive systems, with TC braking as the ONLY way to reapportion engine TORQUE to the rear drive. As of 2010 the RX got the new Venza type F/awd, a significant improvement but still no cigar.
The cigar goes to the Honda/Acura SH-AWD system.
So your FWD "only" RX300, especially a '00 model, may not be nearly as prone to the failure of the transaxle as would be a '99 F/awd model.
So the early RX's had some that experienced early failures... Mine (didn't fail but) was replaced under warrantee, and had at least one door lock solenoid replaced under warrantee and one since (and needs one more, I'll do a "piggyback" universal) but that doesn't prove statistically across the board failures or worse than other models. And the new "updated" transmission (2004) is as durable and well-designed as it can be expected from ECT4OD. And no, it doesn't have any of those "lazy" up or down shifts. Just the right rear door lock that's lazy. Go figure.
There was a rather substantive design change, probable mostly in favor of FE, made in/for the transaxles to be used in the new '99 RX300. The problem was/is that there was an unforeseen flaw in the design. But it wasn't long before this new improved FE design found its way across the Toyota/Lexus product line ('01 Camry) and then onto the rest of the asian and US fleet.
The final fix, 90% anyway, was arrived at via the adoption and use of DBW, e-throttle, to delay for 1-2 seconds the onset of rising engine torque in response to the accelerator until the transaxle could complete an upcoming downshift command.
There was a followup firmware change made in about '08 to help reduce the instances of encountering the 1-2 second downshift delay but that still leaves us with the few instances not predictable by the firmware.
In trying to troubleshoot it, I noticed that with the ignition on, when I turn the radio off and on I don't hear the antenna motor that can usually be heard. That lead me to think that maybe it was a fuse but I looked in the manual at the three pages identifying fuses and there is not one for the power antenna.
Any help is appreciated. Stay cool, 105 degrees here today!! Thanks.
Pete
Battery would be discharged after a day or so of just setting.
About 500 milliamp load on the battery with everything off. 200 milliamps through the ECU-B fuse and 300 milliamps through the dome light fuse.
Dome lamp driver circuit inside ECU-B, body ECU, over-heated...?
Anyone else experience this and have a fix other than body ECU replacemment...?
I expect I'll open the ECU just for a looksee....
I have a very strong banging noise when I accelerate from First to Second gear then after that the car runs fine, the car (RX300 2002) it sounds as it is coming from the muffler that bangs on the car's body however the dealer says the muffler is fine. I wonder if this is same what you have.
Some suggested that the cause is from the Transmission fixture that holds the transmission to the car body and it must be replaced, any ideas?
Thanks
Joe