robski

Very nice indeed. It looks great in white!

I could never have a white car as I'd be constantly cleaning the thing! lol

Very nice indeed in my opinion.

I may need to undertake this job as My wheel is showing a bit of wear around the '2 o'clock' area.

Thanks for showing us as I'd just been looking on eBay for a matching steering wheel!

Sadly, our Lexus keys seem to have a built in life expectancy. I've not had a car key that has been so 'delicately' constructed before!

I must admit that the rear camera on my rx is a real godsend!

Now I just have to keep reminding myself that the foot operated 'handbrake' isn't a clutch. When I finally get that nailed it'll be perfect! Hahahaha! 

If you do decide to change your wheel size remember that your insurance company will see this as a modification and will happily lighten your wallet accordingly! If you have a particularly unhelpful insurer then they could even cancel your policy!

In my humble opinion tyre choice is a much better option to play with. Tyre pressures can be easily played with at home and hopefully it shouldn't take you too long to find the sweet spot you're looking for!

Out of interest, what tyres do you have fitted at the moment and do you recall what tyres you had fitted to your previous car?

Lovely car. Really lovely car. 

No more photos of the wheels though... They're too perfect!

I cringe every time I think of the state of my alloys!

14 minutes ago, rynd2it said:

That might be OK but they also looked at some corrosion on the underneath of the end panels on the roof rails. They recommend complete new rails at £1157  I'll be visiting the local body shop for this one.

I think this is a common problem with a simple solution.

Remove. Rub down alloy corrosion. Prime. Spray satin black. Refit.

Job done!

I think there are some good instructions on roof bar removal on the US site....

In fact, here you go!

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-second-generation/454203-roof-rack-removal-procedure.html
 

Hope that helps.

1 minute ago, DanD said:

It does indeed, but it's much more fun when it happens to someone else!

I just had my own 'blonde moment'. 

If you fancy a laugh have a look at my thread on locking the car without setting the alarm.  :-)

The only hack I'd ever contemplate undertaking would be if you could hardwire TomTom navigation to appear on the display screen. 

The nav system on my RX300 is from 2005 so the interface is a bit dated and as I've been a TomTom user since the early days, when you used a PDA and a separate GPS receiver, it is what I'm used to! The 3D view and lane indication are big advantages on more modern systems. I don't think this will ever happen due to integration issues with the other on screen functions.

It's not a big deal to attach my TomTom to the windscreen but it would be better if it were integrated!

2 minutes ago, ISJason said:

Well done

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

That really did make me laugh! :-)

Thanks fella!

I am an idiot.

My drivers door has a perfectly good manual key mechanism. I just haven't used it before!

Problem solved!

12 minutes ago, ISJason said:

You mean so hi can keep a dog in the car for instance? There is a button by the rear view mirror that cancels the sensors in the cabin.. is that what you mean by, without activating the alarm?

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Thanks for the response Jason but I'm thinking more along the lines of when your car is on a ferry and you don't want any alarm sensors operating.

My manual just says that locking the car by physically using the keys in the door locks will not set the alarm, however I don't have any key locks on my doors.

I'm guessing that if I press the lock button on the inside of the drivers door before actually closing the door it should work.... I'll have a go later and report back!

Could anyone please confirm the procedure for locking a 2005 RX300 SE without activating the alarm?

That looks like excellent value for money and has loads of features!

I was lucky enough to have an Iphone adapter with an AUX IN already in my car when I bought it. I'm using one of these:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/XDUOO%C2%AE-JZ4760B-Lossless-Supports-Formats/dp/B017K9XVX6/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1465037298&sr=1-1&keywords=xduoo+x3

The sound quality through either decent headphones or the car is pretty amazing and it actually supports two 200GB micro SD Cards, but I'm still a long way from filling up my 128GB card!!! It is my everyday music player so it goes wherever I go. Highly recommended.

15 minutes ago, Paddy Dzell said:

Thanks for the replies - yep, the lock switch was  the problem!

(Or, rather, the idiot who'd pressed it and not noticed!!)

mea culpa :-)

Cheers  - Dáithí

It happens to the best of us.

Don't you just love an easy fix!

51 minutes ago, ISJason said:

Have you checked the window lock is not engaged?

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I have a sneaky feeling that you just hit the jackpot! Hahahaha

Fingers crossed you've got to the bottom of it.

18 minutes ago, Paddy Dzell said:

Hi Folks

Although the drivers' own window switch works perfectly, all of the other window switches have just packed up. Neither the drivers' switch for the other windows ,nor each individual window switch works - only the drivers' window and switch are operating. Any ideas on how to maybe re-set?

Many thanks! :-)

I thought that each individual window still worked with it's own control when a reset was required but I might be wrong!

Has your Battery been disconnected recently?

Have a look here:

I believe that the reset procedures are the same on most Lexus cars. It can't help to give it a try. 

Good luck!

14 minutes ago, rynd2it said:

OK, video with sound - sorry it's upside down, used a "smart"phone 

 

20160602_104334.mp4

Don't worry, it looked the right way up for me. For info, it's a 40MB file.

I can see how that would get annoying. Very strange that there are no warning lights associated with the noises...

Have you tried checking the information display screen for clues?

I've been through a similar process to yourself whilst looking for an RX300 and my thoughts on the advisories list are:

parking brake - it's common to find faults here as they are rarely used. An adjustment / cleaning / refurb of the mechanism will more than likely resolve the issue.

brake pads - needs no explanation.

power steering pump - I found a genuine Toyota seal rebuild kit for about £15 on eBay (US).

suspension bushes - these do degrade and if you're ok with suspension rebuilds are a fairly easy fix. I remember watching a lower control arm rebuild on an RX and I think they said that it was simpler to change the entire lower control arm Take a look here:

anti-roll bar - fairly common for these to corrode. A bit of treatment and a lick of paint will sort it out. It's not like they are flimsy and will rust through!

And finally, the only point that would concern me....

subframe corrosion - this could be anything from a light coating of rust to something a bit more serious. The only way to really find out is to take a look yourself. A lot of the time MOT engineers won't even mention these thing but sometimes they have a day when they do! 

My advice is if the car really does tick all the boxes for you then take a look at it as it could literally be of no concern whatsoever and very easily fixed. However if it is a seaside car and the old 'tin worm' has got a proper hold then I'd agree that it's probably best to walk away!

I hope that helps and that you find the 'right car' soon!

As long as they keep us moving whatever the weather it's all good!

56 minutes ago, Samui10 said:

It def runs as permanent 4 wheel drive, not two wheel FWD, not ever. I had this confirmed by a friend (mechanic) who works in Lexus Glasgow.  

My car (350 SEL) feels more like a 60/40 split to the rear wheels, if you floor it, back end sinks a bit and you can spin the rears (ever so slightly) if you jab the throttle hard n quick. Not sure exactly how the snow button actually does it,  but it feels like it electronically (?) locks the diffs. In snow it makes a difference, tho to be fair the general 4x4 system has never failed me in over 8yrs of good old Scottish snow, slush and ice.  We had a really bad snow spell about eight years past, about 7 weeks of permanent snow/hard packed ice (especially on the small roads into and around my house) and even on Bridgestones, i never ever got stuck ! I was the only car that drove up its driveway every night, my neighbours X5 couldn't get up the first hill. 

If you "play" with it in snow without the "ECT snow" button selected, from memory I'm sure the rear tyres will slip first, again very slightly, ...before the other wheels starts gripping and the vehicle moves forward.  Hence re-confirming my guess its more a 60/40 split in normal driving. I had a quick look thru my manual (for the 350 SE L) and can't find anything in print defining the rear/front ratio. If anyone has a SEL reading this...remember... ALWAYS to switch the Air Suspension off (little switch right under the dash below the steering wheel, right at the pedals almost) prior to jacking or towing. If you jack it with the air suspension still active the whole car ends up sitting too high as it tries to level itself. 

Very interesting. thanks for that!

Perhaps the 60/40 split you perceived in practice is a result of the weight distribution of the vehicle? I'd imagine that there's a considerable amount more weight over the front axle than the rear which would aid traction on the front....unless you were carrying a load of bricks in the back! :-D

It wasn't great but I hope that over time the chemistry between the presenters develops... Clarkson,Hammond and May had many years together so I'm hoping it will improve...

On 5/30/2016 at 4:59 PM, The-Acre said:

Too true, wouldn't it be nice if there was just one universal coolant!  The problem is not knowing if being "unique to Toyota" is just a unique way of relieving you of more cash for something you could buy elsewhere with the same properties and half the price!

My thoughts exactly!

At this point I'm fairly sure that the Valvoline stuff will outperform the OEM stuff.* Technology marches on! 

*please note that I'm about as far from an expert in these things as you can get! LOL

**edited because I'm a simpleton who misses out words and doesn't notice for over a day! 

18 minutes ago, The-Acre said:

When I replaced my radiator a couple of weeks ago I phoned Lexus to confirm what I needed, which was red.  It may be best to do the same, they're generally very helpful on the phone, just ask to speak to a technician.  I bought mine from a Local Toyota dealer @ £25 for 5 litres. 

Thanks TA,

I'll give the local Toyota guys a call after the Bank Holiday.

I've spent the last couple of hours researching coolants and it seems that the Toyota 'Pink' coolant I require is indeed unique to Toyota!

However, there are modern 'universal' coolants, such as Valvoline MaxLife, that use a similar hybrid technology and include lubricant properties that the Lexus 'Pink' achieves through the use of phosphates. I need to more research but it looks promising. It also has the added benefit of being non reactive with all other coolants so, should the worst happen, any other coolant can be used to top up!

Obviously if the cost of the Toyota stuff direct from the dealer is anywhere near the Valvoline Maxlife then I'll just go for that.

The number of different coolants these days is mind boggling!