Barry14UK

Thank you for the info. Mesa Red becomes my first choice for next Lexus.

The Mesa red does look nice and I was sorry it was not available for the 3rd Gen RX (although reintroduced - or very similar red on 4th Gen) Interested to learn how well red stands up to ageing on Lexus cars as red compares badly for fading on many other brands of car.

Thank you for confirming 'it's just the way it is' on the 3rd Gen. You tend to notice little things and sometimes think,'Can that be right?".

Let's hope it doesn't!

I usually keep mine in EV mode with the fuel consumption showing in the small window. When I enable cruise control the MPG still shows in this widow but when I set the lever by pulling down, the panel goes blank. The MPG only shows up again when I brake or unset the cruise control. Is this normal or a fault does anyone know?

Thank you for this. I note that this kit is for up to 2008. Is there any news now or expected shortly about a kit for later RX models you may be aware of?

I can understand there are a number of reasons why people wish to change some/all of their speakers, particularly if they spend a lot of time in their car listening to music and the type of music means a non standard speaker gives the listener better results. (Of course one could spend enormous amounts of money upgrading car speakers and indeed amps and systems) I don't listen to such an amount of music in my car as to justify changes to the ML one installed. However, I faced the same situation in my property and it was a bit of a compromise finding a system that would be good for the sort of music I enjoy but also be reasonable if not quite so good for playing DVD's over the TV in surround sound particularly for action movies. (Ideally, one would have two separate systems.)

Maybe just my bad luck! A long time ago whilst living in Surrey, I had the alarm on my Opal Monza activate at night but the cause was readily identified as the light coming on under the hatch. From memory, I think there was a switch on one of the hatch struts that moved position, so easily sorted. There was another couple of times when I had unexplained activations on my 5 series BMW, also at my previous Surrey address rather than down here in Devon. I enlisted the help of BMW but nothing could be found and it was suggested that a spider may have been responsible but I never saw one and it only happened on one further occasion. I do believe that there is some seconds after an alarm has set for it to become active. This would explain why anybody or animal left in the car would not trigger the alarm if it was unset within a matter of a few seconds of being set. As stated earlier, I will try to simulate with pressure washer the blast of water that I believe may have been responsible for my two alarms and discuss with Lexus whether the system can be made less sensitive. I don't think it was attributable to a low battery as the car hasn't been used or alarm activated since the two false alarms (I say with crossed fingers) and I usually do a 20 mile run at least once a week plus occasional longer journey which keeps service battery sufficiently well charged. However, I guess this could be a possibility in some cases. I know on my BMW I removed the battery to charge and store it for a period and in due course the alarm started anyway. Apparently, there is a source of stored power which if it drops below a certain level will active the alarm and by removing the battery this had happened. I had to reinstall the battery in the car and connect to charger with the alarm sounding all the time until the reserve power source was topped up and all was quiet. I am not sure if the RX works the same way in this respect.

Thanks for thought Malc, Nothing inside car that wasn't secure except an umbrella, which I have now secured. I can only think that the sudden gust of wind accompanied by almost a wall of rain projected at the car may have triggered one of the several types of sensor I believe to be fitted to this model. (I don't wish to suggest where these might be for security reasons, although I may call in at Lexus Exeter Branch when I down that way early next month to discuss further). I might subject the car in alarmed mode to a blast of water from different angles by my Karcher pressure hose to see if this will activate the alarm..

Thanks John, Not possible to park other way as this would obstruct brick side walled path off drive leading to front door of property. Already had to polish out two marks left by (possibly postman's sack or another's) as it is.

Hi Folks, Yesterday evening my car alarm activated. I switched it off and reset. The same thing happened this morning. On both occasions this coincided with a particularly sudden and heavy gust of wind when my car was parked on my drive (too much stuff in garage to get it in there). This has not happened before yet the car would have been subjected to high winds that are quite typical in Devon at this time of the year. Before I was able to reach the remote the alarm stopped and I unset and reset it. Had I not touched it would the sounder activated again after an interval? Has anybody else had this problem and/or know can the alarm be made less sensitive? I don't want to leave the alarm unset for very long or to upset neighbours with false alarms. Appreciate any answers on this.

Regardless of the moral/legal aspect, the wide adoption of this practice would lead to an increase in the cost of warranty for all.

Always worth seeking replacement from Lexus or some goodwill towards replacement. The crack is likely to be due to shrinkage of the material under the external covering. Once exposed to sunlight the process increases. I know there was a firm who filled and made good or alternatively you could buy the materials an do the job yourself. (It could have been in a Magazine such as Practical Motorist.) You might be able to research this but it would only be worth doing if the rest of the dash shows no signs of cracking. Another option would be a second hand dash bought after careful examination.

I urge everybody affected to report to Police, the more that do means more work albeit perhaps only paper work for them to deal with and more reason to be proactive in catching these scumbags.

I wonder if number plate of the A4 was noted, although may have been false or car stolen. Really needs a dedicated Police squad with 'bait' cars under scrutiny to catch these thieves. This would take Police resources at the outset but if it stops or greatly reduces the crime and need for subsequent Police time after the thefts, surely worthwhile.

could be a coincidence about the broken rod and another sensor.and that you have two separate problems. The best system seems to be Techstream to which I believe access can be bought for a fixed period. The alternative is to buy a Chinese alternative and the necessary cable unless of course you have LEXUS check it out..

Well done in fighting your corner and getting a satisfactory result. A lesson there.

Ha ha, yes comes of using spell check! Will try a different word I am more familiar with, 'Optician' (The Devil is in the detail (or spelling).

Thank you for your experience so far. I am sure members will be interested in this and your further thoughts in due course. Another aspect you might care to comment on is how you feel you new chariot rides compared to your previous one. As regards reading the HUD, I find this difficult with my polarized sun glasses. These were custom made for me with the darkest tint permitted for driving (according to my Occultist) and as a temporary measure I have resorted to an off the peg pair of lighter tint before getting replacement customized one that are less strongly tinted. Correction. For 'Occultist' substitute 'Optician' - can't get away with anything on this forum!

Not much in this that we didn't know already but perhaps more people will now be aware of this type of theft and hopefully somebody will spot theft 'during the act' leading to the thieves being caught. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7744581/New-breed-thieves-steal-catalytic-converters-car-minutes.html

That video highlights the problem caused by inadequate infrastructure. Of course a heavy car is going to need a lot of battery power. Maybe with battery advances longer distances between charges will be possible with the possibility of just exchanging battery packs for fully charged ones in a rack as I have seen in another country. Also Americans overall have longer journeys so not surprising need more charges rather than just using facilities at home or at work. I note that battery powered motor cycles are now being produced and there is even a race in the IOM for them. So ICE motor cycles will also be affected in due course like our cars.

If you buy good quality premixed windscreen wash the blocking of jets should be minimized. If mixing your own, try to avoid hard water because calcification can lead to block jets. I would suggest if this happens to remove the jets and flush through with fairly hot (rather than scalding water) with a touch of liquid detergent. One of those dental water picks that squirts a pulsed jet through the jet could be tried.

A good car is worth the wait. This might take quite a time, particularly if you are limiting yourself by colour, trim, mileage and price etc. Lexus being more exclusive than other marques, even premium ones, it's likely that you may have to travel further to get what you really want. Happy hunting!

One of the reasons why I bought an RX was because Lexus has a very good reputation for reliability but things do sometimes become defective and of course things wear out just as they do on any car. I have not yet fully established where the vulnerabilities are with the RX but it is clear that air suspension where fitted can be a problem in time and I would imagine the suspension components generally on such a heavy car could be an item requiring replacement in due course. Underside rust prevention also seems to be worth doing before it becomes a major problem. I do have a 2001 E39 BMW 530iSE which I bought in 2006 or 2007 (from memory). It has now some 100K miles on the clock. As a member of a BMW forum I became aware of the short comings with the model which largely center round the cooling system. So I proactively fitted a new water pump, thermostat, radiator and expansion tank. The auto transmission fluid was changed at about 70K miles. I changed the "hedgehog" (Final Stage resistor, a common problem) and control arms and drop links which do suffer early wear. The car let me down once when a convoluted rubber air pipe split and caused an engine warning light to come on. A drop of superglue and some insulating tape helped me complete a 200 mile plus journey before replacing the pipe. Headlamp adjusters now need replacing because the Hella ones become brittle and break over time but replacement adjusters are available and will be fitted although it's an intricate job but saves buying complete new headlamps. Other replacements have really been service items plus the need to replace some sections of slightly rusted brake pipe. The car has all the really worthwhile features of the RX and the central display even has a TV mode which can be upgraded to work with current transmission format if wanted. The leather interior is very good. There are no rattles, the car handles drives and brakes very well and there is a full sized spare wheel. If it was not for a back problem I would be more than happy to just have this car. I am sure that even if I had had my services done by BMW these would have been less than Lexus would have charged to service an RX. Incidentally, I am breaking another 2001 E39 for the sports parts which have largely been transferred over to my standard E39 by choice and I am very impressed by the build quality. It seems to me that those that knock BMW either have not owned one or don't know how to properly maintain them.

An advisory on the MOT on the car I bought at circa 37K miles mentioned there was 'wedging' on the rear tyres and I noticed there were small cracks developing in the sidewalls of the Dunlops too. Somebody else also reported on the wedging but otherwise wear was quite uniform. I replaced the Dunlops with Michelin Cross Climates which have greatly improved the ride but it is too early to know how they will wear. (My car has air suspension which could also have a bearing). I took the opportunity of having a full alignment check anyway and would certainly recommend this if contemplating buying a car with uneven tyre wear with the understanding any remedial work required would be undertaken as a condition of purchase.