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Hi,
On my otherwise trusty RX300/'04, the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and the engine warning lights just came on when I turned on the car this afternoon. Nothing else, just stays on when I turn on the car.
In the manual it says that it possible has to do with the traction control, or the braking, and that I should see a Lexus garage. However, the nearest Lexus garage is 100km away, and the warranty just expired. So, what should I do, what can this warning mean, and is there a way for me to self-diagnose?
TIA,
KB
Vsc And Engine Warning Lights Are On...
MultiQuote
#2
KillerBob 
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Lexus Model:RX300/'04
Posted 15 April 2008 - 07:52 AM
Funny:
I was pretty low on fuel when this happened, and this morning, with the VSC light and the engine warning still on, I filled up on gasoline. The lights stayed on, but when I turned off the car and restarted it, the lights are gone.
I have a suspecion that it has to do with some possible water in the fuel tank. That would then go through the system when the fuel level is low, causing one fo the exhaust sensors to go off. Then when I put in fuel, there is no problem.
Can this be the case?
KB
I was pretty low on fuel when this happened, and this morning, with the VSC light and the engine warning still on, I filled up on gasoline. The lights stayed on, but when I turned off the car and restarted it, the lights are gone.
I have a suspecion that it has to do with some possible water in the fuel tank. That would then go through the system when the fuel level is low, causing one fo the exhaust sensors to go off. Then when I put in fuel, there is no problem.
Can this be the case?
KB
#3
Rob
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Posted 15 April 2008 - 07:57 AM
hi bob where in CH are u?? if ur somewhere near basel i can come over with an OBD cable and see if anything is logged.
i doubt water in the fuel/ tank would have anything to do with the lights tho.
i doubt water in the fuel/ tank would have anything to do with the lights tho.
#4
martinb
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Lexus Model:RX300
Posted 20 April 2008 - 10:27 PM
Hi Bob,
About a month ago my 2004 RX300 lit up the VSC and ABS lights on the dash. The next day each time I started the car the lights would be off but light up again after only a short distance (a couple of hundred yards). I took it to my Lexus dealer who after trying to reset the system produced a Lexus technical document (dated Dec 2005) that explains that the problem is probably due to "water / corrosion within the actuator connector" (the connector that joins the brake pump to the wiring loom). They said that they had found water in the connector, had tried to dry it out but the problem remained. Sure enough when I got the car home I took the connector apart and found that there was moisture still within it. I was quoted £5,128.52 to fix the problem. £2085 for the wiring loom and £1725 for the pump (add to that the labor and Tax). As the car has been serviced as required at Lexus dealerships and was only six months out of warranty you can imagine how I felt when the Dealer told me that Lexus were not interested in contributing towards what to me seems like a design fault.
At the time I checked to forums and searched the rest of the web and could not find anyone else who has suffered the same sort of issue but it sound like you may be another victim.
To be honest I am unlikely to buy another Lexus.
Regards - Martin
BTW - If Rob does help you out with his ODB cable, the diagnostic code for this problem is apparently C0274
About a month ago my 2004 RX300 lit up the VSC and ABS lights on the dash. The next day each time I started the car the lights would be off but light up again after only a short distance (a couple of hundred yards). I took it to my Lexus dealer who after trying to reset the system produced a Lexus technical document (dated Dec 2005) that explains that the problem is probably due to "water / corrosion within the actuator connector" (the connector that joins the brake pump to the wiring loom). They said that they had found water in the connector, had tried to dry it out but the problem remained. Sure enough when I got the car home I took the connector apart and found that there was moisture still within it. I was quoted £5,128.52 to fix the problem. £2085 for the wiring loom and £1725 for the pump (add to that the labor and Tax). As the car has been serviced as required at Lexus dealerships and was only six months out of warranty you can imagine how I felt when the Dealer told me that Lexus were not interested in contributing towards what to me seems like a design fault.
At the time I checked to forums and searched the rest of the web and could not find anyone else who has suffered the same sort of issue but it sound like you may be another victim.
To be honest I am unlikely to buy another Lexus.
Regards - Martin
BTW - If Rob does help you out with his ODB cable, the diagnostic code for this problem is apparently C0274
#5
stringbender
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Lexus Model:RX300 SEL
Posted 22 April 2008 - 03:06 PM
martinb, on Apr 20 2008, 11:27 PM, said:
Hi Bob,
About a month ago my 2004 RX300 lit up the VSC and ABS lights on the dash. The next day each time I started the car the lights would be off but light up again after only a short distance (a couple of hundred yards). I took it to my Lexus dealer who after trying to reset the system produced a Lexus technical document (dated Dec 2005) that explains that the problem is probably due to "water / corrosion within the actuator connector" (the connector that joins the brake pump to the wiring loom). They said that they had found water in the connector, had tried to dry it out but the problem remained. Sure enough when I got the car home I took the connector apart and found that there was moisture still within it. I was quoted £5,128.52 to fix the problem. £2085 for the wiring loom and £1725 for the pump (add to that the labor and Tax). As the car has been serviced as required at Lexus dealerships and was only six months out of warranty you can imagine how I felt when the Dealer told me that Lexus were not interested in contributing towards what to me seems like a design fault.
At the time I checked to forums and searched the rest of the web and could not find anyone else who has suffered the same sort of issue but it sound like you may be another victim.
To be honest I am unlikely to buy another Lexus.
Regards - Martin
BTW - If Rob does help you out with his ODB cable, the diagnostic code for this problem is apparently C0274
About a month ago my 2004 RX300 lit up the VSC and ABS lights on the dash. The next day each time I started the car the lights would be off but light up again after only a short distance (a couple of hundred yards). I took it to my Lexus dealer who after trying to reset the system produced a Lexus technical document (dated Dec 2005) that explains that the problem is probably due to "water / corrosion within the actuator connector" (the connector that joins the brake pump to the wiring loom). They said that they had found water in the connector, had tried to dry it out but the problem remained. Sure enough when I got the car home I took the connector apart and found that there was moisture still within it. I was quoted £5,128.52 to fix the problem. £2085 for the wiring loom and £1725 for the pump (add to that the labor and Tax). As the car has been serviced as required at Lexus dealerships and was only six months out of warranty you can imagine how I felt when the Dealer told me that Lexus were not interested in contributing towards what to me seems like a design fault.
At the time I checked to forums and searched the rest of the web and could not find anyone else who has suffered the same sort of issue but it sound like you may be another victim.
To be honest I am unlikely to buy another Lexus.
Regards - Martin
BTW - If Rob does help you out with his ODB cable, the diagnostic code for this problem is apparently C0274
Hi Martin,
That is serious money in anybody's language. Have you had it done? Or has the problem gone away? Wouldn't a good sraying of WD40 do any good? I've had a good look at mine and the cables are nice and dirty so heaven knows if salt and water has got itself in there. There's no protection for the cables/connector whatsoever. I think I'll make a shield myself to try and keep it from getting any worse. It's all very well having a posh black plastic cover over the ABS pump and power steering reservoir but not much cop if the important bits are going to get soaked. Would the extended warranty have covered this huge bill?
Hope you're getting somewhere with it,
Alan.
#6
martinb
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Lexus Model:RX300
Posted 22 April 2008 - 09:40 PM
Hi Alan,
Unfortunately I purchased the RX300 secondhand from a non franchised dealer (November 2006 - with 22k on the clock). And despite the services having been carried out and Lexus honoring the remainder of the warranty, replacing corroded wheels and roof rails and replacing the battery when it failed , they did not want to know about this problem as the warranty period was up, stating that the purchase from a non franchised dealer as the reason. (When the fault occurred the car only had 31k on the clock.)
Yep I would certainly encourage all RX300 owners to take a look and add additional protection to that connector, because as you point out it is rather a large chunk of change to fix a poor design fault. Although admittedly the connector does not look like a cheap under specked part.
I don't suppose they (the dealer) intended me to walk off with it, but I have a photocopy of the "Strictly Private and Confidential" Technical document that describes the issue and has a picture of the connector on the pump. The picture shows a bad corrosion; well that is what it looks like to me from the black and white photo copy. My connector however does not show any corrosion that I would consider should cause a problem.
Not wanting to shell out just short of a 1/4 of what I paid for the car 14 months on, I have ignored it and hoped it would go away. Obviously I have brake tested it and she still stops OK, but last week I did have a bit of a wakeup call when the car in front didn't stop in time to avoid flattening the bumper of the car in front of them. This caused me to really stand on the breaks, at which point I deduced from the subsequent tire squealing and smoke that was generated, that the warning light showing that the ABS is not working is telling the truth! Needless to say I had adapted my driving style accordingly.
OK, so I can't ignore it forever, I understand that, and with the MOT due in September I will be forced to do something about it before then. My initial thought was to hardwire the loom to the pump - Cut the connector off the loom and solder “patch leads” between the loom and the pump. But that would be based the assumption that the problem is with the female part of the connector, as there is no significant corrosion on the male (pump) side. However if I do that and the problem persists, logically meaning that the problem is actually with a faulty pump rather than with the connection, I am stuffed and will face the prospect of having both replaced. So, what I am having to come to terms with is having the pump replaced, and if that fails to resolve it, then hard wiring the loom to the new pump. With that approach I am still looking at a bill for just over £2K. The dealers recommendation was to replace the loom first and then the pump if replacing the loom does not fix the problem. Seems like a more costly approach to me.
Before I do anything though, I think I will first bag up the connector with some silica gel and leave it for a day or two to make sure it is bone dry and give your idea of WD40 a go. Then try and find a local garage who can test / reset the alarm - but I am just not sure if any local garage will have the tools to be able to do that. Until I had this problem my opinion of the Lexus Dealership I have been using was very high, but now I rank them (rightly or wrongly) along with the other main dealer who have tried to rip me off in the past (both Ford and Vauxhall). May be this is a bit unfair as the problem is with the car, but my natural distrust (based on experience) just makes the £5k quote hard to swallow. Perhaps I'll try the other local(ish but less convenient) Lexus dealer once I am ready to have the system tested / reset.
As for the extended warranty, well hindsight is a wonderful thing. BUT, I was not offered it. Would I have taken it out if I had been?? To be honest I am not sure, as I have never had a major component like this fail on any of the cars I have had. Lesson learnt, the hard way.
Reagrds - Martin
BTW - just re reading my original post I should have added that shortly after the problem started the lights then remained on all the time.
Unfortunately I purchased the RX300 secondhand from a non franchised dealer (November 2006 - with 22k on the clock). And despite the services having been carried out and Lexus honoring the remainder of the warranty, replacing corroded wheels and roof rails and replacing the battery when it failed , they did not want to know about this problem as the warranty period was up, stating that the purchase from a non franchised dealer as the reason. (When the fault occurred the car only had 31k on the clock.)
Yep I would certainly encourage all RX300 owners to take a look and add additional protection to that connector, because as you point out it is rather a large chunk of change to fix a poor design fault. Although admittedly the connector does not look like a cheap under specked part.
I don't suppose they (the dealer) intended me to walk off with it, but I have a photocopy of the "Strictly Private and Confidential" Technical document that describes the issue and has a picture of the connector on the pump. The picture shows a bad corrosion; well that is what it looks like to me from the black and white photo copy. My connector however does not show any corrosion that I would consider should cause a problem.
Not wanting to shell out just short of a 1/4 of what I paid for the car 14 months on, I have ignored it and hoped it would go away. Obviously I have brake tested it and she still stops OK, but last week I did have a bit of a wakeup call when the car in front didn't stop in time to avoid flattening the bumper of the car in front of them. This caused me to really stand on the breaks, at which point I deduced from the subsequent tire squealing and smoke that was generated, that the warning light showing that the ABS is not working is telling the truth! Needless to say I had adapted my driving style accordingly.
OK, so I can't ignore it forever, I understand that, and with the MOT due in September I will be forced to do something about it before then. My initial thought was to hardwire the loom to the pump - Cut the connector off the loom and solder “patch leads” between the loom and the pump. But that would be based the assumption that the problem is with the female part of the connector, as there is no significant corrosion on the male (pump) side. However if I do that and the problem persists, logically meaning that the problem is actually with a faulty pump rather than with the connection, I am stuffed and will face the prospect of having both replaced. So, what I am having to come to terms with is having the pump replaced, and if that fails to resolve it, then hard wiring the loom to the new pump. With that approach I am still looking at a bill for just over £2K. The dealers recommendation was to replace the loom first and then the pump if replacing the loom does not fix the problem. Seems like a more costly approach to me.
Before I do anything though, I think I will first bag up the connector with some silica gel and leave it for a day or two to make sure it is bone dry and give your idea of WD40 a go. Then try and find a local garage who can test / reset the alarm - but I am just not sure if any local garage will have the tools to be able to do that. Until I had this problem my opinion of the Lexus Dealership I have been using was very high, but now I rank them (rightly or wrongly) along with the other main dealer who have tried to rip me off in the past (both Ford and Vauxhall). May be this is a bit unfair as the problem is with the car, but my natural distrust (based on experience) just makes the £5k quote hard to swallow. Perhaps I'll try the other local(ish but less convenient) Lexus dealer once I am ready to have the system tested / reset.
As for the extended warranty, well hindsight is a wonderful thing. BUT, I was not offered it. Would I have taken it out if I had been?? To be honest I am not sure, as I have never had a major component like this fail on any of the cars I have had. Lesson learnt, the hard way.
Reagrds - Martin
BTW - just re reading my original post I should have added that shortly after the problem started the lights then remained on all the time.
#7
Valkirk
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Lexus Model:RX300
Posted 23 April 2008 - 01:00 PM
Hi Martin,
Very sorry to hear of the problems you are having! How anyone can come up with a figure that high for fixing is a joke, you can buy a new car (Albeit it a very basic one) for slightly more than that. If it was me I would probably end up just deciding to cut my losses, flog it to a dealer and not buy another Lexus - I know it's rare for a fault like that but the costs they want for fixing it would just put me off.
Hope you manage to resolve without too much expense!
Very sorry to hear of the problems you are having! How anyone can come up with a figure that high for fixing is a joke, you can buy a new car (Albeit it a very basic one) for slightly more than that. If it was me I would probably end up just deciding to cut my losses, flog it to a dealer and not buy another Lexus - I know it's rare for a fault like that but the costs they want for fixing it would just put me off.
Hope you manage to resolve without too much expense!
#8
jbanfie
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Lexus Model:RX400h
Posted 23 April 2008 - 06:45 PM
I agree, for stuff like this, that plainly should not happen in the time described, if no easy fix is possible, the parts should come at cost, a wiring loom does not cost over two grand, and a pump not 1700. If this was the case the car would cost about 200K to buy.
I had a similar experience on my Jag with an ABS reflector wrapped around a rear drive shaft. It failed, less than 10 pence worth of metal, but a new drive shaft was required. They let me have one "half price, Sir" which was still £250. Car was also out of warranty, hence I wouldn't buy another Jag.
It seems we are starting to discover a few more failings than wheel corrosion and lurching gearboxes! Is this a sign of things to come. Trouble is, you then say I'm not having another Lexus and they're supposed to be top of the tree, so now where?
My mate has so much trouble with his Supercharged Range Rover - forget it, Jag no, BMW no thanks, Merc - rubbish, Audi well ? So now what, I think you end up with a Kia Ceed and a seven year warranty. There in lies the rub and you end up still buying "nice cars" and paying again and again on faults like these.
Disappointed in Lexus UK's view on this, they need to do a better job I think or lots of us will leave the brand.
Jon
I had a similar experience on my Jag with an ABS reflector wrapped around a rear drive shaft. It failed, less than 10 pence worth of metal, but a new drive shaft was required. They let me have one "half price, Sir" which was still £250. Car was also out of warranty, hence I wouldn't buy another Jag.
It seems we are starting to discover a few more failings than wheel corrosion and lurching gearboxes! Is this a sign of things to come. Trouble is, you then say I'm not having another Lexus and they're supposed to be top of the tree, so now where?
My mate has so much trouble with his Supercharged Range Rover - forget it, Jag no, BMW no thanks, Merc - rubbish, Audi well ? So now what, I think you end up with a Kia Ceed and a seven year warranty. There in lies the rub and you end up still buying "nice cars" and paying again and again on faults like these.
Disappointed in Lexus UK's view on this, they need to do a better job I think or lots of us will leave the brand.
Jon
#9
Valkirk
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Lexus Model:RX300
Posted 24 April 2008 - 09:49 AM
Presume you left a zero off there...£250 for a drive shaft would have been a bargain!
Have so far owned Lexus, BMW and Merc and have to say out of all of them the BMW has been the best to run in terms of nothing broke and service costs were very reasonable (£400 inc 2 x new rear tyres) the Merc has been back to the dealer about 4 times in 6 months for bits stopping working (Nothing critical but hey still shouldn't happen) my RX300 1 year after buying went in for an Intermediate service (Had the 20k one just before I bought it) they came up with a bill for £380! Basically for changing the oil and filters (Which given they had only been changed the year before and done 4k miles I was not happy with either) in fact the cost of the intermediate was more than the full service it had had a year before.
Needless to say a £400 a year service cost + soon to be £400 a year tax and 20mpg has pushed the cost of owning a Lexus (At least an RX 300) well up.
What is annoying is buy a toyota and the service costs, spare parts, fixing etc will all be reasonable prices yet they share a lot of the same bits. Seems they just go - hmm how much did the car cost originally, lets just times the amount of anything needing doing by that much.
Luckily nothing major broke in RX although have found problems starting in cold damp weather; Lexus said they had a lot of same reports but haven't managed to identify problem. In fact never found the engine easy to start compared to other cars....
Bought a Lexus on the back of all the outstanding praise from owners but get the feeling they have been letting themselves go more and more; hopefully they will rectify before they lose it completely like Merc Benz did a few years ago.
Have so far owned Lexus, BMW and Merc and have to say out of all of them the BMW has been the best to run in terms of nothing broke and service costs were very reasonable (£400 inc 2 x new rear tyres) the Merc has been back to the dealer about 4 times in 6 months for bits stopping working (Nothing critical but hey still shouldn't happen) my RX300 1 year after buying went in for an Intermediate service (Had the 20k one just before I bought it) they came up with a bill for £380! Basically for changing the oil and filters (Which given they had only been changed the year before and done 4k miles I was not happy with either) in fact the cost of the intermediate was more than the full service it had had a year before.
Needless to say a £400 a year service cost + soon to be £400 a year tax and 20mpg has pushed the cost of owning a Lexus (At least an RX 300) well up.
What is annoying is buy a toyota and the service costs, spare parts, fixing etc will all be reasonable prices yet they share a lot of the same bits. Seems they just go - hmm how much did the car cost originally, lets just times the amount of anything needing doing by that much.
Luckily nothing major broke in RX although have found problems starting in cold damp weather; Lexus said they had a lot of same reports but haven't managed to identify problem. In fact never found the engine easy to start compared to other cars....
Bought a Lexus on the back of all the outstanding praise from owners but get the feeling they have been letting themselves go more and more; hopefully they will rectify before they lose it completely like Merc Benz did a few years ago.
#10
terry moore
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Lexus Model:crapmoble
Posted 24 April 2008 - 04:55 PM
KillerBob, on Apr 14 2008, 05:18 PM, said:
Hi,
On my otherwise trusty RX300/'04, the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and the engine warning lights just came on when I turned on the car this afternoon. Nothing else, just stays on when I turn on the car.
In the manual it says that it possible has to do with the traction control, or the braking, and that I should see a Lexus garage. However, the nearest Lexus garage is 100km away, and the warranty just expired. So, what should I do, what can this warning mean, and is there a way for me to self-diagnose?
TIA,
KB
On my otherwise trusty RX300/'04, the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and the engine warning lights just came on when I turned on the car this afternoon. Nothing else, just stays on when I turn on the car.
In the manual it says that it possible has to do with the traction control, or the braking, and that I should see a Lexus garage. However, the nearest Lexus garage is 100km away, and the warranty just expired. So, what should I do, what can this warning mean, and is there a way for me to self-diagnose?
TIA,
KB
#11
digihead
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Lexus Model:rx300
Posted 09 November 2008 - 11:53 PM
martinb, on Apr 22 2008, 09:40 PM, said:
Hi Alan,
Unfortunately I purchased the RX300 secondhand from a non franchised dealer (November 2006 - with 22k on the clock). And despite the services having been carried out and Lexus honoring the remainder of the warranty, replacing corroded wheels and roof rails and replacing the battery when it failed , they did not want to know about this problem as the warranty period was up, stating that the purchase from a non franchised dealer as the reason. (When the fault occurred the car only had 31k on the clock.)
Yep I would certainly encourage all RX300 owners to take a look and add additional protection to that connector, because as you point out it is rather a large chunk of change to fix a poor design fault. Although admittedly the connector does not look like a cheap under specked part.
I don't suppose they (the dealer) intended me to walk off with it, but I have a photocopy of the "Strictly Private and Confidential" Technical document that describes the issue and has a picture of the connector on the pump. The picture shows a bad corrosion; well that is what it looks like to me from the black and white photo copy. My connector however does not show any corrosion that I would consider should cause a problem.
Not wanting to shell out just short of a 1/4 of what I paid for the car 14 months on, I have ignored it and hoped it would go away. Obviously I have brake tested it and she still stops OK, but last week I did have a bit of a wakeup call when the car in front didn't stop in time to avoid flattening the bumper of the car in front of them. This caused me to really stand on the breaks, at which point I deduced from the subsequent tire squealing and smoke that was generated, that the warning light showing that the ABS is not working is telling the truth! Needless to say I had adapted my driving style accordingly.
OK, so I can't ignore it forever, I understand that, and with the MOT due in September I will be forced to do something about it before then. My initial thought was to hardwire the loom to the pump - Cut the connector off the loom and solder “patch leads” between the loom and the pump. But that would be based the assumption that the problem is with the female part of the connector, as there is no significant corrosion on the male (pump) side. However if I do that and the problem persists, logically meaning that the problem is actually with a faulty pump rather than with the connection, I am stuffed and will face the prospect of having both replaced. So, what I am having to come to terms with is having the pump replaced, and if that fails to resolve it, then hard wiring the loom to the new pump. With that approach I am still looking at a bill for just over £2K. The dealers recommendation was to replace the loom first and then the pump if replacing the loom does not fix the problem. Seems like a more costly approach to me.
Before I do anything though, I think I will first bag up the connector with some silica gel and leave it for a day or two to make sure it is bone dry and give your idea of WD40 a go. Then try and find a local garage who can test / reset the alarm - but I am just not sure if any local garage will have the tools to be able to do that. Until I had this problem my opinion of the Lexus Dealership I have been using was very high, but now I rank them (rightly or wrongly) along with the other main dealer who have tried to rip me off in the past (both Ford and Vauxhall). May be this is a bit unfair as the problem is with the car, but my natural distrust (based on experience) just makes the £5k quote hard to swallow. Perhaps I'll try the other local(ish but less convenient) Lexus dealer once I am ready to have the system tested / reset.
As for the extended warranty, well hindsight is a wonderful thing. BUT, I was not offered it. Would I have taken it out if I had been?? To be honest I am not sure, as I have never had a major component like this fail on any of the cars I have had. Lesson learnt, the hard way.
Reagrds - Martin
BTW - just re reading my original post I should have added that shortly after the problem started the lights then remained on all the time.
Unfortunately I purchased the RX300 secondhand from a non franchised dealer (November 2006 - with 22k on the clock). And despite the services having been carried out and Lexus honoring the remainder of the warranty, replacing corroded wheels and roof rails and replacing the battery when it failed , they did not want to know about this problem as the warranty period was up, stating that the purchase from a non franchised dealer as the reason. (When the fault occurred the car only had 31k on the clock.)
Yep I would certainly encourage all RX300 owners to take a look and add additional protection to that connector, because as you point out it is rather a large chunk of change to fix a poor design fault. Although admittedly the connector does not look like a cheap under specked part.
I don't suppose they (the dealer) intended me to walk off with it, but I have a photocopy of the "Strictly Private and Confidential" Technical document that describes the issue and has a picture of the connector on the pump. The picture shows a bad corrosion; well that is what it looks like to me from the black and white photo copy. My connector however does not show any corrosion that I would consider should cause a problem.
Not wanting to shell out just short of a 1/4 of what I paid for the car 14 months on, I have ignored it and hoped it would go away. Obviously I have brake tested it and she still stops OK, but last week I did have a bit of a wakeup call when the car in front didn't stop in time to avoid flattening the bumper of the car in front of them. This caused me to really stand on the breaks, at which point I deduced from the subsequent tire squealing and smoke that was generated, that the warning light showing that the ABS is not working is telling the truth! Needless to say I had adapted my driving style accordingly.
OK, so I can't ignore it forever, I understand that, and with the MOT due in September I will be forced to do something about it before then. My initial thought was to hardwire the loom to the pump - Cut the connector off the loom and solder “patch leads” between the loom and the pump. But that would be based the assumption that the problem is with the female part of the connector, as there is no significant corrosion on the male (pump) side. However if I do that and the problem persists, logically meaning that the problem is actually with a faulty pump rather than with the connection, I am stuffed and will face the prospect of having both replaced. So, what I am having to come to terms with is having the pump replaced, and if that fails to resolve it, then hard wiring the loom to the new pump. With that approach I am still looking at a bill for just over £2K. The dealers recommendation was to replace the loom first and then the pump if replacing the loom does not fix the problem. Seems like a more costly approach to me.
Before I do anything though, I think I will first bag up the connector with some silica gel and leave it for a day or two to make sure it is bone dry and give your idea of WD40 a go. Then try and find a local garage who can test / reset the alarm - but I am just not sure if any local garage will have the tools to be able to do that. Until I had this problem my opinion of the Lexus Dealership I have been using was very high, but now I rank them (rightly or wrongly) along with the other main dealer who have tried to rip me off in the past (both Ford and Vauxhall). May be this is a bit unfair as the problem is with the car, but my natural distrust (based on experience) just makes the £5k quote hard to swallow. Perhaps I'll try the other local(ish but less convenient) Lexus dealer once I am ready to have the system tested / reset.
As for the extended warranty, well hindsight is a wonderful thing. BUT, I was not offered it. Would I have taken it out if I had been?? To be honest I am not sure, as I have never had a major component like this fail on any of the cars I have had. Lesson learnt, the hard way.
Reagrds - Martin
BTW - just re reading my original post I should have added that shortly after the problem started the lights then remained on all the time.
#12
digihead
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Lexus Model:rx300
Posted 10 November 2008 - 12:03 AM
[quote name='digihead' date='Nov 9 2008, 11:53 PM' post='602462']
[quote name='martinb' post='535326' date='Apr 22 2008, 09:40 PM'
HI there Martin did you manage to get your VSC and ABS light off? as my RX300 just developed the same problem.
I have run some tests and the fault code is showing up, but can't see much wrong. The tests said to check ABS pump relay but I can't get a wiring diagram to help me locate this.
Would appreciate any help.
[quote name='martinb' post='535326' date='Apr 22 2008, 09:40 PM'
HI there Martin did you manage to get your VSC and ABS light off? as my RX300 just developed the same problem.
I have run some tests and the fault code is showing up, but can't see much wrong. The tests said to check ABS pump relay but I can't get a wiring diagram to help me locate this.
Would appreciate any help.
#13
ihpj
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Posted 10 November 2008 - 12:32 AM
Having joined Lexus [from BMW] I have found the whole Lexus Ownership experience to be very satisfying. I have posted back my own expediences and findings on issues that I have come across while owning our RX and I really can't fault Lexus, their Dealer network and Customer Services at all. Sure, at times they have needed a little prompting - but I have always got the result I have set out to achieve.
You do get some freak faults - and given the type and nature of these vehicles, they are/can be costly to put right. \but in the overall scheme of things - and I know this does not soften the blow if you are faced with such a costly price to fix - these cars are reliable and brand is justifiably rated as #1.
When I buy a car like this, I take on the costs associated with running it. Thats why I renewed my [Lexus] Extended Warranty last year and will do so again when it comes for renewal in early next year...
Just as an aside, it would be nice to hear back from the Posters on how they managed to resolve the issues.
You do get some freak faults - and given the type and nature of these vehicles, they are/can be costly to put right. \but in the overall scheme of things - and I know this does not soften the blow if you are faced with such a costly price to fix - these cars are reliable and brand is justifiably rated as #1.
When I buy a car like this, I take on the costs associated with running it. Thats why I renewed my [Lexus] Extended Warranty last year and will do so again when it comes for renewal in early next year...
Just as an aside, it would be nice to hear back from the Posters on how they managed to resolve the issues.
#16
ditcher
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Lexus Model:RX300 SE
Posted 12 December 2008 - 12:55 PM
Hi digihead,
I had the same issue with my 2001 RX300SE about 6 weeks ago. After referring to the manual, I booked the car in with Lexus Woodford the same afternoon. They returned the car within an hour, they had reset the warning lights and charged me nothing for doing so (I have no extended warranty but the car has been serviced there since new. I bought it in June 2008) They suggested it was a problem with the catalytic convertor (I'm totally illiterate when it comes to cars so they could have told me anything) and the car needed a good run out on a motorway (I'm a 5 mile through the city commuter) which was handy as I was making a weekend trip to Manchester. I asked the cost of fixing the problem if it arose again and they quoted £950. I've had no problems since.
Hope this helps
ps I get 240 miles from a full tank if just commuting and have got from 450-500 miles on a pure motorway run (not using the trip computer)
I had the same issue with my 2001 RX300SE about 6 weeks ago. After referring to the manual, I booked the car in with Lexus Woodford the same afternoon. They returned the car within an hour, they had reset the warning lights and charged me nothing for doing so (I have no extended warranty but the car has been serviced there since new. I bought it in June 2008) They suggested it was a problem with the catalytic convertor (I'm totally illiterate when it comes to cars so they could have told me anything) and the car needed a good run out on a motorway (I'm a 5 mile through the city commuter) which was handy as I was making a weekend trip to Manchester. I asked the cost of fixing the problem if it arose again and they quoted £950. I've had no problems since.
Hope this helps
ps I get 240 miles from a full tank if just commuting and have got from 450-500 miles on a pure motorway run (not using the trip computer)
#17
jonthebarber
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Lexus Model:Audi Q7
Posted 12 December 2008 - 06:57 PM
Hi .
Is this problem also related to the rx400h ?
Jon .
Is this problem also related to the rx400h ?
Jon .
#18
digihead
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Lexus Model:rx300
Posted 13 December 2008 - 04:10 PM
Thanks Ditcher and Tel for your imput. It seems like there could be some connection in both your replys, just today I got around to checking the loom etc but have found no problem as of yet. Not sure if the jeep will reset the ABS and VSC lights off without going back on the diag machine. With this in mind I might have curred the problem without knowing it as I have repaired corrousion in the ABS motor plug.
Thanks again
Thanks again
#19
ihpj
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Posted 13 December 2008 - 11:41 PM
ditcher, on Dec 12 2008, 12:55 PM, said:
I .... have got from 450-500 miles on a pure motorway run (not using the trip computer)
450-500 from a petrol 3L V6? What speed do you drive at - 45MPH?
Sorry, but I don't believe you can get that @ even 60MPH. The most I would suggest you get is around 320 miles on a long run from your tankful.
#20
ditcher
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Lexus Model:RX300 SE
Posted 15 December 2008 - 02:33 PM
ihpj, on Dec 13 2008, 11:41 PM, said:
ditcher, on Dec 12 2008, 12:55 PM, said:
I .... have got from 450-500 miles on a pure motorway run (not using the trip computer)
450-500 from a petrol 3L V6? What speed do you drive at - 45MPH?
Sorry, but I don't believe you can get that @ even 60MPH. The most I would suggest you get is around 320 miles on a long run from your tankful.
Maybe I'm getting the maths wrong, but I would fill the tank and start the drive (London to Manchester) and get about 180-200 miles with the fuel gauge clearly not touching halfway. Then do the same on the trip back. I don't let the tank run low, can't take the risk.
Is it a case of not taking into account the reserve or the gauge not being accurate? as it isn't the easiest to read.
I'm doing the trip again in a few weeks time and will pay more attention.