sami_remote

Hi, I have a set of winter wheels/tyres which I bought a few years ago for a winter trip to the Alps (hardly used). I have recently upgraded to an RX450 and wondering if these will still work given that the wheels on RX450 are 19inch.

Here are the specs:

Bridgestone Blizak LM25 235/55/18

18 inch wheels (with crust for winter)

Thanks,

Sami

I took my car into a Lexus service center today and they immediately identified the issue being the aircon filter. They showed it to me, it was completed black with lots of scary bits hanging to it. Apparently these filters are supposed to last a year but parts of London are heavily poluted making it a need to replace these more often. Once changed, the difference was immediate, no more toxic smell :-) [part cost 40 GBP]

hi check your coolant level as your heater matrix may have a slight weep on it so when the fan is switched on its the anti freeze you can smell

I had a look and the coolant level is above low but quite near it. I couldn't spot any obvious cracks/leaks. But my a/c still smells weird especially when I have it on circulate. Is there anything else worth checking or should I just take it to the dealer?

Hi,

My A/C is giving a strange light chemical smell for the first minute or so after turning on. Smells a bit like window washer but not exactly the same... and no I am not constantly using my washers :-)

I usually have my A/C in circulation mode as I live in London with lots of pollution.

Has anyone experience this before?

Thanks,

Sami

Hi,

I am considering buying an SC430 and was hoping someone could answer the following questions:

1. Are the back seats useable with the roof closed?

2. Is there an updated model coming up anytime soon which is worth waiting for?

3. What are the recommended colors? I saw the pic of a bronze one in this forum which looked quite funky, is that a standard color or custom order?

4. Any options that are must-have?

Many Thanks,

Sami

Will the RX300 is discontinued once the RX350 is out?

I have a 2005 RX300, does anyone know approx how much I would have to pay to get it upgraded with an RX350?

Thanks,

Sami

Hi Alan,

The Spike Spyders look very cool :P I've never heard/seen anything like this. More info here: http://www.spike-spider.com/comparison.htm

Sami

The front looks different. Has the shape been updated or am I just imagining things :D

Thanks for the tips all.

I think I will drop it in.

This is my 1 year service. Does anyone know how long it takes? Can I wait at the dealer while they do it? Or will I have to go and come back? Also, does anyone know the approx charges I should be expecting?

One last question, does it matter which garage I use? Are some better than others? (I am based in London)

Thanks,

Sami

Hi,

I received 2 seperate calls in the past couple of weeks from people claiming to be from Lexus service center. I am shortly due for my 1 year service.

I arranged a date on the first call and Lexus said that someone will come to pick my car up and return it on the same day.

I got a second call today from a different woman claiming to be from Lexus again wanting to book my car for service. I explained to her that someone has already called me a few weeks back and she did not have any record and told me that I need to re-book and arrange for someone to pick up my car.

I am getting worried that this is some kind of scam

Has anyone else experienced this?

Thanks,

Sami

Hi George,

I just returned from the Alps and as is mentioned by fluff, there is loads of snow + ice! I strongly recommend the tyres I obtained: Bridgestone Blizzak LM 25 4x4 which come in the required size 235/55/18. They handled very well in all sorts of situations. You should also look to get a pair of snow chains at the same time as it is compulsory in certain areas/situations.

The Austrian dealer is called 4x4 Styling | Website: http://www.4x4styling.com/indexE.htm | Tel: +43 2626 64492

Try to speak to Martin and mention my name (Sami) and he'll treat you well :D

Here is a pic of my RX in full gear

Have fun!

Sami

I am selling my extra set of chains on eBay if anyone is interested:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...item=8020721998

(These will fit standard size RX300 tyres 235/55/18 - VERY RARE!)

as monster-mat said, even with the 4wd function in place, its your front wheels that are the driven & steered wheels. therefore, it doesn't matter (in this case) whether the 4 wheel drive is in place or not.

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OK thanks. I guess I'll be selling my extra set then! :D

driven wheels are the wheels in which power is transferred to the road

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So I assume that the RX is only front wheel driven, hence the reason why the manual says to only put chains in the front. But what happens when the 4WD kicks in?

chains are only ever fitted to driven wheels.

on an AWD vehicle the chains should then be fitted on the driven steered wheels

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Thanks for the tip. Just to make sure I understood this right, could you please clarify the definition of "driven wheels" and what this means for the RX? (is the manual right saying that only front wheels should be fitted with chains? )

I finally managed to get hold of some snow chains which fit the standard size RX tyres (235/55/18). It was a real challenge as they are very rare to obtain for this size:

Konig SuperMagic 4x4 chains http://www.konig.it/SchedaProd.aspx?ID=141

I did a quick test and they were surprisingly easy to put on. I obtained them from an Swiss dealer who said that they were the last ones they had as stock is apparently sold for the season.

I bought two sets (each set has 2 chains) and I just read on the RX manual that chains should only be put on front wheels (written in bold)

I might sell my extra set on eBay if above is true, I'll post the auction URL if I do.

Sami

Does anyone know if the cigarete lighter power source switches off when the ignition is off? I am worried that I might forget the DVD plugged in and that would drain my Battery

Hi Sami, i got one from Toys Are Us a few months ago for about £350 you get 2x screens that fit around the back of the headrests, DVD player, car power lead, mains power lead, remote control, sound through there own speakers but easy to play through car speakers, excellent quality pictures all in all a really good buy. I believe wooleys are selling them as well. Baz.

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Thanks. I found a nice tablet style dvd with slot-in & built-in speakers at around 170 GBP on some site. More info here: http://www.next-base.com/Products/SDV37-S.html

These sound pretty reasonable. All you would have to do would be to buy a dvd and have them connected.

Should easily get that done for around £100

Monitors

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Cool thanks. Does this affect the Lexus warranty in any way? Isn't it best to get these kind of things fitted at an authorized dealer? (do you know any?)

Thanks,

Sami

What part of the UK are you located?

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London

This will really depend upon your budget?

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Can you give me an idea on what I can expect for what price? I would ideally like to spend under 500 GBP. But if it makes a big difference, I will go to 1000 GBP.

Thanks,

Sami

Which is the best phone that can be used to connect to the RX400H? I have a Motorola but it does not work as well as I would like? My old Nokia 62301 works a bit better. Is Sony Ericsson T610 the phone to go for?

Cheers

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Sony Ericssons work very well. T610 that's way too old. I recommend one of the following: Sony Ericsson K750i, K600, V600, V800.

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My Sony Ericsson K750i is 'paired' with the car, but as soon as I try to send contacts from the phone to the car, the connection drops. Sony, Lexus Customer Services and my dealer have not been any help at all in offering any suggestions as to what the problem could be.

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I've had this happening occasionaly if Bluetooth is kept on for long times on my phone. Try to power the phone off then on and it should work.

Hi,

I'm looking to fit ja DVD system in my car (for back seats) and wanted to know if anyone knows of a good value solution. Can anyone recommend any specialist garage? Does anyone have any approx costs?

Many Thanks,

Sami

6310i/8900 - these handsets are way too old and have too many Bluetooth bugs. I would not use these for testing.

6680 - although this is a new handset, sorry to say that this one too is known to have a number of issues. I am not sure about it's Bluetooth stability but I know it has lots of memory issues.

Also, bear in mind that most of the Nokias have issues transferring your complete phonebook, you have to transfer one-by-one.

You should borrow one of the recent Sony (V600, K600, V800, K750) and see if you get any issues. I am near certain that it could just be the phones you have.

Which is the best phone that can be used to connect to the RX400H? I have a Motorola but it does not work as well as I would like? My old Nokia 62301 works a bit better. Is Sony Ericsson T610 the phone to go for?

Cheers

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Sony Ericssons work very well. T610 that's way too old. I recommend one of the following: Sony Ericsson K750i, K600, V600, V800.