Rexlex

Its a case of going out of your way to ensure that you are talking to the right person, some people slate Halfords but I think if you do some research yourself so that you have some idea of what you want then find the right person to serve you and then you'll be in good hands, I was very impressed with Halfords in Poole they genuinely went out of their way to get the right battery for my car, the 72 Ah battery they had although physically smaller in length would have fitted but the technician wasn't happy, he said we need to make it the same physical size that Lexus put on the car and effectively ignoring the Halfords recommended battery, I think the staff will tell you these things are just a guide and that's why the technician stepped in using his knowledge and expertise, if you get some one that doesn't know what they are doing then it's probably going to end badly! In my case I felt like I was in good hands this guy wasn't just a salesmen he was trained, experienced and very knowledgeable but more than that he was determined to get this right, hope it goes well with the RAC and you get your money back! Just for the record there were no specifications stamped on my original car battery? Maybe the sticker came off? That's why this wasn't a simple match up, having said that the original battery could have been wrong for the car as in somebody changed it in the past and fitted the wrong battery! So its always better to get a pro to check everything out and make sure its right for the car, I expect your battery would be ok in a daily driver but under extreme use it doesn't hold up, I have no idea why they offer a choice of batteries for me I will always fit the very best battery to cover for extreme use but that's just me, I do the same on my boat £500 bucks worth of Trojan Batteries! I don't want to be offshore and not be able to start my engine so I have two massive batteries for that job, 1,720 cca's combined, just like a lightening bolt lol

I went to Halfords with my RX 300 2005, they said there was a range of batteries listed for my car and I think it went from 65 ah to 72 ah, they measured their 72 ah battery and it was physically smaller than the original battery on my car! So their tech set about searching for a battery with the terminals the right way around and the same physical size as my original battery, I ended up with a 75 ah Yuasa battery with 680 cca and their tech reckon that was spot on, the car will only use the amps it needs and always better to have a battery with a little bit in reserve rather than just enough! I regularly use my heated seats as one must have ones bottom warm... also the stereo going heaters demisters and I never had an issue with starting. My car is not a daily driver so sometimes it will sit for a week or so and I think the alarm will drain some power but it never even hesitates to start it roars into life at the first turn of the key, so I have to conclude that they got the battery about right, its been on the car since October and with no issues even on cold damp mornings

Thanks I appreciate your reply and I found it myself on the Thatcham website, be interesting to see if my insurance premium changes

Hi guys, I was in the process of obtaining insurance quotes when I noticed in my existing policy that it says an un specified immobiliser is fitted! I thought that these cars had a cat 1 alarm and a cat 1 immobiliser? I don't expect it will make any difference to my premium but I thought that it can't hurt to try, these cars are technically pretty secure so that should in theory make some difference to my premium, so my question is, is there any way to find out what the security system is and how can I prove it to my insurance company? You would think that manufacturers would issue a security certificate to say it has such and such security system fitted, wouldn't that be a great idea eh' these things can be resolved with very little effort...

My god they think of everything these days, thanks great tip I might just get me sum a that!

Yeah I guess that's true with a lot of So called "genuine parts" there has to be a certain amount of outsourcing, the way I look at it is that Lexus/Toyota commissioned a certain company to make said parts to their exacting standards, the pads that I took out had Toyota written on them and the new ones that I put back in had Toyota written on them, when I say I used genuine parts I mean parts that passed Lexus/Toyota quality control, the pads that came out did a good job they lasted well and they were very quiet in operation, I have come across aftermarket pads that were noisy, created a lot of brake dust and didn't wear very well, so based on what experience I have with this car the Toyota pads were the right choice I noticed that my alternator belt had Mitsubishi written on it and when I inspected it it looked brand new, its done at least 10k since I've had the car and probably a lot more than that, its given me no problems at all its very quiet in operation and clearly its lasting well, so when I replace it I'll put the same make back on, "if it runs good leave it be" my late father would say and that simple philosophy seems to work and so I stick with it until I know different, dad was rather annoyingly always right lol So I changed my brake pads yesterday but boy was that tedious in this heat lol, I just couldn't move took me about three hours! I gave the sliders a service just for good practice but there was really nothing wrong with them, took the car for a spin and it all feels nice, next job ASF sensor, I had a look at it and it looks fine no sign of damage so I think probably a new sensor will cure that problem.

I can report that the car is going really very well, might be my imagination but it feels smoother more responsive and as though I am not giving it so much gas but still getting good performance, maybe the original valve timing was off a tooth on the belt? Or maybe the timing belt was a bit stretched, I spent a lot of time getting the valve timing spot on and it looks as though my patients really paid off, very pleased with the car even gave it a full valet and put some of that Rain ex stuff on the windows, totally recommending the Rain ex! My wipers are working brilliantly and the windows go up and down even more silently! Got my new brake pads I went for genuine Lexus pads! Eighty bucks a set! Is that expensive? Been a few years since I worked on cars... I thought to myself cheap pads will probably burn up quicker so I'll just pay the money but also I just like using genuine parts Just noticed the ASF light flashing! I was wondering when the sensor would pack up as it does seem to be a common problem, I'll go for the WD40 approach first of all but the linkage isn't broke so maybe its just sticking, I guess older cars can turn into hobbies...although I can live with the little problems in fact it is quite satisfying fixin stuff lol I thought the rams on my boot lid were knackered as the boot wouldn't open! Then I thought about it and the rams don't open the boot they just stop it falling on your head when in the open position! They may "assist" the boot motor but I think the main function is just to keep the heavy boot lid open and it does that very well as I discovered after testing it, so I figured out the problem was that in the hot weather the boot lid sticks to the boot rubber over night and so the safety system kicks in and knocks out the motor when i try to open it, so I got some of that plumbers silicone grease and rubbed it round the rubber and also the boot lid and know it works like brand new! Another victory in project RX300! Yeay! Just needed some TLC Robs top tip for the day...get some grease round your rubber! Sounds almost rude! How very dare you! lol Probably the Carnauba wax in car wash products that causes the problem! When you think about it wax softens when it gets hot then it solidifies when it cools, so during the day its ok then it cools overnight and hence the boot gets stuck in the morning, just my little theory in any event the grease works...so no need to go buyin yo new rams!!!!! K-ching

So I finally finished up the timing belt change on my RX 300, and although the job went better than expected I'm not going to say that it was easy as it was very tight for space and really very awkward to get at things, a transversely mounted V6 is probably not the best way to go I only replaced the timing belt and I used a genuine Lexus belt, I have to say the idlers looked like they were brand new and the water pump was the same with no detectable wear and the idlers look very good quality, my friend was right I can confirm that the new genuine idlers are in the region of a 100 pounds each, some may disagree but I'm very happy leaving the existing one's in place they only did 66k no reason to change anything, I tested the belt tension-er and the function was perfect, also I thoroughly examined the drive belts for the alternator and the power steering pump and they also look new, no cracking nothing so either they were changed on a service or they are just awesome quality, for the record the old timing belt had no signs of wear or any kind of degradation but obviously this was replaced I took the car for a spin and everything is very smooth and quiet so I'm happy with that another good job off my list, I did however notice that my brake pads are down to about an eighth of an inch so I guess that's the next job!

I chose "summer tyres" because we don't really get winter in Dorset, I used the quote un-quote because I think certain "summer tyres" are actually all weather tyres especially when they are high load tyres for some reason, perhaps the manufacturers consider that they most likely will be used on SUV's so they need good all round performance We do get a couple of weeks of winter here in Dorset lol and winter tyres are mean't to grip better in really cold conditions but they don't wear very well in warm or hot weather, so it was a no brainer for me and because we get more mild/hot weather than we do freezing weather, I guess an all weather tyre might seem like the ideal solution, however when I looked into tyres the Michelin Latitude Sport 3's have a great spec for noise fuel economy and wet braking, plus to me they look like an all weather tyre anyway but with the benefit of greater wear qualities The 2 weeks of snow we had in Dorset this last winter was the perfect test and OMG! I could not believe how well the Michelin Latitude Sport 3's grip in the snow, took me completely buy surprise...I was driving around other cars that were left deserted and going about my business like it was just another day in the office...I have Michelin's on my T5 van and that was also brilliant in the snow, I live on a steep hill and I was able to get up and down with the van and the van is front wheel drive! Bugatti went to Michelin for the new Chiron tyres so I guess I'm not the only fan...

Thanks John, I see they have 220NM, I was told 219NM so it looks like I'm in the right area, manuals aren't what they used to be by the looks of things, ah the days of the old Haynes paper manual eh, they always provided what you needed!

Got my RX300 wheels fully refurbished for 250 plus they fitted/balanced my new tyres

Cool! I like the later interior nice colour combination too.

When I bought my Rx 300 it had 4 different tires on it! Two were on their way out so I Put 4 Latitude Sport 3's on and they've been amazing! Worth every penny, had them for 2 years now and they still look brand new hardly warn at all, If your tyres are going bold on the outside edge it sounds like you haven't got enough air in them!

No luck with John's WSM, I'm running win 10 pro and I don't think it's compatible, so I'm still looking for torque loading's for the bottom pulley bolt, I have been told 219NM ideally would like to get one or two confirmations if possible or I be ringing up Lexus on Mundy mornin, I come over all Dorset then lol

Did you try cleaning the cabin filter? In the back of the glove box... did mine the other day it was filthy! They don't take long to clog up

Muchas gracias, I give it a try.

My late father used to say if it runs good leave it alone! In a lot of cases I believe that's true, a friend of mine has a VW with 163k and I was looking over it the other day and its still got the original exhaust on it! The engine doesn't look as though its been touched apart from the usual maintenance and he's had this car from new, there is an argument for certain things being left alone but of course it always pays to change the belt over when its due, I think mine should of been done at 10 years not 13! I tell you what I bet there's nothing wrong with it...rather not find out the hard way though be a real shame to ruin a good motor...

Can anyone confirm 219NM for the bottom pully bolt?

Hi John thanks for your interesting comments, I have the car partially stripped down in my workshop, I'm a marine engineer and I always do my own repairs however not being familiar with the pro's and con's of these particular motors I decided to do some research, I like to be well prepared... I must be honest I started out with a plan to change the lot idlers pump everything, this was based mainly on thinking it would be a nightmare to get at should I get an issue with something else like the water pump later on, having got it apart its not as bad as I was led to believe, yeah its tight for space but it only took me 20 minutes to strip it down so this will probably take me 21/2 hours job time taking my time and I'm not familiar with this car At this point I'm seriously considering just changing the belt over and I'll have a close inspection of everything while I'm at it, I would prefer to leave the genuine Lexus parts in place rather than fit aftermarket parts if you know what I mean, also I'm not comfortable with dumping perfectly serviceable parts for no good reason, if somethings worn then that's a different matter I'll changed it out while I'm there You would think that Lexus would want to sell me more parts but far from that they were trying to prevent me from wasting it, rather refreshing I thought, good to get the opinion of others though thanks again.

Just spoke to a friend of a friend who happens to work for Lexus as a technician and this was what he said to me with regard to changing the timing belt on my 2005 Lexus RX 300 66k miles Just to compare prices of parts I asked him if Lexus do an actual kit of genuine spares to carryout this job, he replied huh? A kit surely you mean a timing belt, they don't actually supply a kit so to speak, no reason to, how many miles has the car done? I replied... the car is 13 years old and its done 66k He replied... ok so its hardly run in lol, you don't need a kit I would be very surprised if the water pump was worn out and the idlers are bomb proof, there not cheap rubbish like Fords...his words not mine! The Lexus idlers will do many many thousands of miles no bother at all, and the water pumps too, so you need a new belt be about £44.00 bud What that's it? I replied Yep, don't take in all this nonsense on the internet! (meaning what I read on YouTube) 66k is very low miles on these motors, purely in the interest of being professional and ultra thorough I would check everything over, all of the idler pulley's check them for wear/play have a look see the water pump is not leaking but I would be very very surprised if anything required replacing and by the way genuine Idler pulleys's are over £100 and that's because they are exceptional quality compared to some aftermarket parts and other car manufacturers parts Any of this sound like B.S or this guy sound like he knows his stuff??? I've had this car about 2 years and I am chuffed to bits with it, I would go so far to say I don't want to part with it, I do wish I had air suspension though as it is a bit choppy but four McPherson Struts are gonna do that, I guess new models have improved not that it bothers me all that much, I just notice it on bad roads but that's my only real gripe with the car I pulled out the dipstick for the engine and gearbox and the oil looks clean? How is that possible I ask myself??? I know that it's been in there 2 years because when I bought the car it had a main service carried out by Lexus, it's done about 10k so I was thinking about doing a change, I just can't get over how clean the oil is... There is a video on YouTube where a guy carries out scientific tests on oil filters from loads of different leading brands and Toyota came out on top! Perhaps that's why my engine oil is so clean, my point being I have no reason to assume parts on my engine would be defective/worn out at 66k perhaps I'm wrong if so please comment below

Cheers buddy 👍

Hi guys, Just about to do my timing belt change and I'm looking for a complete kit water pump idlers everything, would be nice to get all the other drive belts as well... also I want the very best quality Can anyone steer me in the direction of a good supplier or just go to Lexus directly?

I have an issue with my gearbox or at least I think that is what the problem is, ok the symptoms are these... when approaching a roundabout for example when I lift off and slow down but don't need to stop completely and then I go back on the gas then I get a thump through the transmission, it's quite abrupt! If I'm really really gentle with the accelerator I can get away reasonably smoothly, I'm quite a smooth driver anyway I don't race the car but this seem extreme and rather annoying because sometimes I forget to be really gentle and so I get the thump again I've done about 6k since the gearbox oil was changed by Lexus and it still looks pretty clean on the dip stick so I don't think that is the problem, I'm thinking maybe a sensor a speed sensor malfunction or something, anyone else had this issue before?? Thanks guys..

Did some research and apparently wet celled lead acid batteries need regular charging to stop the cells from sulphating, some kind of corrosion, when this happens it kills a good battery even if its not that old I'm happy to report the cells in my Panasonic battery look really good! So either it was replaced at some point or Panasonic sure know how to build a good battery!, I checked the condition indicator and its Blue which indicates good to go... the car starts like it was brand new so I think I have saved a battery from landfill which I feel pretty good about... The problem is the car isn't a daily driver so I've gotten into the routine of charging it and over charging it every fortnight, apparently its important to over charge the battery and most modern chargers do this automatically, I guess it cleans up the cells inside, anyhow its working well so pretty chuffed that an idiot like me repaired my own battery and didn't need to dump it! I think there must be a battery drain on these cars, perhaps the alarm or something? My buddies X5 does the same, its quite common on suv's to drain batteries if left standing for a while so it seems Next job cam belt, gulp! Cars 12 years old but only done 60k, apparently its 100k or 10 years and then the belt needs changing, its a bit scary to think that there is only a rubber band driving my cams? My VW was shaft driven off the crank, got to be a better idea... also got to do the water pump and idler so i'm told, the car runs and drives like brand new so I'm not thrilled about the idea of someone pulling it apart! My local Toyota dealer is owned by the local Lexus dealership so the prices are the same! I heard that Toyota are usually cheaper but not in my case, that is unless I go out of the local area, either that or I do it myself but looks a bit tight on space under the bonnet, could be a nightmare without a car lift...

Thanks so much for my only reply, yes I looked at the Yuasa and not bad prices however I managed to get my old Panasonic charging by connecting another battery to it using jump leads It seems the charger won't charge a completely flat battery, if it sees the voltage of another battery it starts charging both batteries, I left it like that for two hours charging and then I took the jump leads off and it continued to charge the Panasonic battery on its own, by 6pm last night it was fully charged! (12 amp charger) I'm going to cycle the battery a few times and hopefully it will hold up on a battery load test The cells look good so I'm quietly confident that I may have saved this battery to live a few more years... Thanks again for your response and now back to fitting my kitchen, I just love being indoors on such a lovely day! Not