240dae

Hello all, just started to hear a irregular clicking / chattering coming from within the steering column. It's there from thr final turn of the key before cranking and for several miles after the engine is running. However once the car has been started a few times and ran a bit the noise goes away. It's not the ventilation fan as I turned it off. Sounds like a relay clicking in and out but if it is there are no other signs like lamps coming on, wipers moving column adjustment etc. Has anyone else had anything similar? Thanks.

So, new starter motor fitted no problem and has worked ok so far. cranking speed is higher and the sound when cranking is noticeably different, too early to say if that's for better or worse! fingers crossed.

Just taken the starter motor out, fairly easy once the battery and air inlet ducting is removed, no special tools needed. starter motor turns by hand and had no rattles coming from it, nothing is jammed or corroded, so must be something internal such as brushes or contacts. searched online and got an OEM equivalent with 12 months warranty for £100, delivered. Original Denso one from Toyota was over double that. considering how many starts the car has had over its lifetime the original starter has done well. ill let you know what happens next.

Hello everyone. 2004 RX300 with FSH and 80,000 miles is now intermittently not turning over. AA man showed me an alloy part approx 24inches below the air inlet assembly, which if I repeatedly bang with a brush handle cures the problem for about the next 15 to 20 starts. Has anyone else had this problem? Do I need a new starter motor, or is this a kind of solenoid that can be cleaned up? AA man said both battery and alternator are both healthy. Thanks everyone

Hello all thanks for the replys and answers, very helpful. I found myself at my local Franchised Lexus dealer yesterday and asked similar questions, nobody could answer any of then. I had a salesman and the head of service talking to me, but neither of them knew any technical details of the (or any I fear) the 400h or later 450h. Quite staggering. I know I'd last about five minutes in my current job if I didn't know anything about it! Looks like I'll be getting a 400h then, and see how it goes. Thanks again

Hello all, I'm still pondering if a 400h is right for me, can anyone answer these questions. How does it stand up to short journeys? My wife's daily commute is about a mile and the current 300 is fine with that and even starts to get the cabin warm. However it's an up and down hill journey so will this simply flatten the starter battery in a short space of time? Can the engine be manually started and idle on the driveway in order to warm up the cabin in the winter, or run the AC to cool the cabin in the summer? Many thanks Damon

Hello all, thanks for your reply. My RX300 still does roughly it's published 0-60 time, however when Range Rovers and other similar vehicles are over a second quicker, it feels slow. I've recently driven a 400h and like the pace but still have concerns about traction and stability in snow. For example if there is no connection between the front and rear axels, how will it cope going down a snow covered hill, changing direction and controlling the speed? Will the back end loose traction and slip round? thanks again, I appreciate all your advice and experience. Damon Earlam

Hello everyone. I'm looking to replace my 2004 RX300 which although I'm very happy with, I find just too slow for keeping up and overtaking in modern traffic. I've been tempted by the RX350 bigger and more fuel efficient engine, and further tempted by the 400h with even better performance and economy. However while the RX350 has the same 4x4 drivetrain as my RX300, in not so sure with the 400h. I've called several Lexus main dealers and get a different explanation from each one! Although my RX300 is not as capable as my previous Range Rover, it has still got me home in moderate snow conditions, and this is the most important factor for me. Therefore can anyone answer these questions. Is the 400h permanent 4x4? Is there any connection between the front and rear axles? Will it get me through a snow covered uphill section of road? How can you asses the health of the battery pack? Will there be any damage or ill effects from repeated short journeys? Many thanks

Hello all. Sorry for not updating you. Yes all sorted now, bought a new radiator from a local independat radiator firm. Was put onto them by local Aston Martin specialest who claims radiators from there far outlest original Aston Martin ones! Paid just over £100 I think and it came with a two year warranty. Special Toyota / Lexus cooling fluid was expensive but necessary I supose. After this experience I will NEVER take any of my cars back to main dealers, they simply dont know, dont care and want to charge like the light brigade! Thanks everyone

Hello all. Quick update for you all. Made enquiries with Lexus Manchester and Lexus Stockport about possible faults and solutions. Lexus Manchester very helpful but quoted over £700 for a radiator change, quite steep as they claim the part costs £450 when in fact it's available online for around £150. Lexus Stockport were there usual unhelpful, disrespectful and patronising self, claimed the radiator and heater matrix were the same part! Member of the service department confessed he didn't know the difference between either! Nobody could tell me how the matrix is plumbed in, ie compression fittings, flange, push fit with O-rings etc. Quite unbelievable! In the end they called me back and quoted over £1400 for a heater matrix change and the same as Manchester for the radiator. Manchester could fit me in this week Stockport didn't know when! Stripped down the front end myself and found a tiny crack weeping from the radiator on the bottom edge, drivers side. Think I'll change it myself, as I've lost all faith in the main stealers, highway robbery simple as that. Shame as the car has been quite good otherwise.

Hello everyone. My 04 Rx300 SE-L with 78000 miles has started to loose engine coolant. There are no puddles forming under the car but there is a slight wiff of chemical coming from the air vents. So I'm guessing the heater matrix or associated pipework may have a leak. The carpets in the foot wells are dry though. So far used about four litres of Toyota super long life coolant as per the Lexus handbook, but at £35 for five litres it's not cheap. Car has full main dealer service history and owned by myself for last four years. Therefore has anyone ever had a similar problem? Has anyone had the heater matrix renewed, do you recall how much this cost? Has anyone any experience of using radweld chemical? I used it ten years ago in a Toyota Carina with success, but should I risk it on the Lexus? Many thanks.

Hi, thanks for that, unfortunately its not a scale issue. I'm on the maximum zoom already. Used it yesterday to nav a route and it worked fine. I'm just missing detail I know was there before.

Hello. I've read lots of posts about sat nav systems not working and displaying error messages. Mine is different. It's stopped displaying the road names of streets your approaching. It continues to show the name of the road I'm on, and all the roads are still there. Has anyone else experienced this loss of detail? It's a 2004 Rex 300 SE-L. With 2004-2005 map data. Thanks

Hello thanks for your help. The noise turned out to be the drivers rear wheel bearing starting to fail. Took it to a local Aston Martin independant specilest who will work on any car. Bridge Mill Motors in Macclesfield. They found the problem and fitted a new bearing and housing for £150+vat. A significant saving over my nearest main dealer, who I have now lost all faith in and will not be using again. Modern day highway men, except you drive to them! So it's a good recommendation for Bridge Mill Motors from me. Thanks.

Hello all Just started to hear a dull humm and rumble coming from the driver side rear wheel. I'm thinking wheel bearing. Car has done 76000 miles with full dealer service history. Dealer now suggest renewing the bearing and the hub, a cost of over £750! Getting fed up of playing the main dealer think of a number game. Does this sound like a bearing problem to anyone here? Can anyone suggest a quality independant in the Macclesfield, Cheshire area? Many thanks.