paolo137

I'm pretty sure my manual (2001) says nothing about it. I would be very grateful if you could quote yours: maybe the topic was added on the mark II manual. Anyway, as yu said, it's not really a problem: to me, it's just curiosity. Thanks in advance, Salemb.

OK, Fever. My theory is dead. Right now I'm betting my money on the gremlins... But it's interesting to hear that the same "problem" happens on cars other than the rx.

Sure enough the main electronic unit is in the boot. But (correct me if I'm wrong), the whole system relies also on an inertial tracking system, which works along with the satellite signal detector, providing a log of the movements of the car. My hypothesis is that when you start moving (forward) at the beginning of the trip, something "engages" on the front right wheel and starts keeping a record of the moves of the car. As I said, it's a long shot and I'm really guessing. Probably it's just a silly idea: my knowledge of the car is nowhere near yours, Colin!

Thanks, Chris! By the way, I've come out with a wild theory: could it be related to the inertial guidance part of the sat/nav system? I've the one with dvd and touch screen. Is your baby equipped with sat/nav? I know it's a long shot, but that might explain why the clunk happens only once, at the beginning of a "trip". If you don't have sat/nav, then we can focus on something else, e.g. gremlins !

no, only when I start moving after turning the engine on. After that, if I stop (i.e. at a traffic light or whatever), there's no sound. Also, I hear nothing when I start the engine and move backward first. Then, going into drive, I'll get the weird sound within a few feet.

Whenever I turn the engine on and start moving forward, well within a couple of meters (a complete turn of the wheel?) I can hear a sound like a spring being released ( ): it's like something engaging (or disengaging!). Noise comes clearly from the right/front of the car, possibly from the wheel. This happens every time, only once. Since the car runs smooth as silk ( :) ), it does not worry me at all, but I was wondering if anyone has an explanation for that. (Car is a mark 1) Thanks a lot!

don't get me wrong: I drool whenever I think of that beauty!

no wisdom to offer, sorry: I prefer the suv, but that's just my personal taste. but I do have a consideration for you: have you already tried to find a SECOND HAND 400h? I'm afraid that will be really, really hard... Good luck!

I've found the very same FAQ's in Lexus.co.uk (quoting): "- How long will a Lexus hybrid last? The Hybrid Synergy Drive system is designed to be as durable as any other Lexus, which considering Lexus' reputation is a pretty long time. - what's the lifetime of the hybrid battery? The high voltage battery used for the Hybrid Synergy Drive cannot be compared with conventional car batteries. It uses state of the art battery technology and is designed to last for the lifetime of the vehicle. In the unlikely event that your battery needs changing, your Lexus dealer will take care of that." That's all they have to say about the subject at Lexus. To me, it means: 1) That there's no way of telling exactly how many years/miles the batteries will go, because that will depend upon too many different variables 2) That, regardless of point 1), they are quite confident that replacing batteries is not going to be an issue any time soon, not even for the first wave of second owners, among whom I'm eager to be. I don't think the lifetime of the batteries should be a major concern if you're considering to buy this car: much better question is, given my usual mileage, traffic condition and average speed, can I make even with the higher price of this model in X years? I'm afraid the answer will be NO, for the 99% of us. I do love the car, but I believe the only rational reason to buy it might be to skip traffic blockades or congestion charges (like the one you have in London) on environmental basis. Apart from that, it's just a wonderful, wonderful toy.

how about a pet barrier? (no, I'm not kidding...) take a look: http://www.lexus-parts.com/partlist.asp?Su...D=17&ModelID=35 looks like it might do. Congratulations for your 400h and merry christmas!

on Lexus.it, in the hybrid FAQ section, I read that the batteries are expected to last for the lifetime of the whole car, and you're not supposed to change or recharge them.

thanks! Think I'll buy an s2000 and keep it in the trunk of the rx to be used as a dinghy. I see we share the same football team colours...

I converted to LPG a 2005 AUDI A6 2.4. Audi would not recommend it but I've driven it for 13000 Miles now and everything is just fine. You almost cannot tell the difference in performance. I recommend to have the car checked periodically (10000 miles). My opinion is that it is best to use a traditional tank instead of fitting a circular tank into the spare tire site. Conversion in Italy runs about 1800 Euro for a 6 cylinder engine. Check if you can get GDI type, Dutch made system.

and no. 1 was? just for knowing...

I've had my 2001 mk.1 for more than a month now, and I would like to add a couple of things: 1) SIZE: mk 2 is bigger (almost 20 cm. more in overall lenght). The turning radius of my mk 1 is really, really wide (parking the car in garage at the end of the day is definitely a pain in the back). Maybe they improved it in mark 2, but I would not recommend a car larger tha mine with the same turning radius. You'd better check. 2) WHEELS: on my mk 1 I can use either 16 or 17 " wheels. I believe that mk 2's come with 17 inches only. That will make quite a difference in terms of cost when it comes to change the tires. (I don't know if this is an issue only in Italy, because here we can only use the size of wheels that is stated on the official documents of each car) Referring to the level of refinement, I don't really see how it could be better than this, but consider that I've never been on a mark 2 and I'coming from a Seat Leon...

now, that's really strange. Sure enough the moisture can't cause that, too. Could it be the player is a little bit loose and it swings slightly when turning, putting the lens off focus, but I'm really guessing, there. And 290 is an awful bunch of money. With that sum I believe you can buy at least two non-lexus cdps, and given the size of the dashboard, finding a place to place one should not be that hard for a professional.

Hello, most simple reason could be condensation of air moisture within the player, particularly if the car is not garaged through the night. After a few minute run, the car warms up and the moisture dries off from the lens. If this is your case, I guess there's not much you can do about it, apart from waiting before using the cdp...

my opinion is slightly different. Buying cars, particularly luxury cars, is no longer a rational decision: we buy a car because we LIKE it, and we LIKE the way we feel when we drive it. Otherwise we'd all be driving a Corolla... I'd never thought about driving a SUV, then I saw an RX and the morning after I could not think of anything else (guess you know the feeling) So, to me, there's nothing strange in comparing the 7 series and the lexxy: they're both large, comfortable and luxurious. If our friend Gas has a crush for the 7, I think he should go and get it (lucky you!), regardless of the fact that it might depreciate or any other consideration: I'm pretty sure his mind is already made up.

Hi Paolo At least there's another italian here !!! I own a mkII RX300, so I'm afraid I cannot help you (but I've to check the presentation cd-rom included in my car). You can find a useful tutorial on how to use the satnav (latest versions, but yours should not differ so much) on the US lexus site (www.lexus.com), look for details about RX330 and you should find the link to the tutorial. Ciao Mauro ← Had not thought about lexus main site; I'll surely have a look. thanks a lot.

Hi everybody! Picked up my 2nd hand rx 300 mk 1 on saturday. The car is just fantastic: only possible remark so far is the steering range, which is too wide. I've joined the British chapter of LOC because the "european" one is in German, and I neither speak nor like the language. I wonder whether there's any other Italian among the members... Regarding this topic, the first owner had the car equipped with the optional original Lexus satnav. Unfortunately I was not provided with the instruction book for it (there's nothing about the satnav on the main instruction book). The dealer gave me a few hints and I managed to get something out of the device, but I believe there's more than that to exploit. I would be grateful to anyone who could tell me where to find a .pdf (or similar) version of the guide to download. Of course I might ask Lexus Italy, but I think that would take a little bit more. Thanks a lot and ciao!