Tony A

Anthony Alderson · April 6, 2019

I have an Rx 300 2001 had it since 2003 good runner lpg by Prinz and well looked after. But a overheat has caused the gearbox to leak and l have been told it is to difficult to fix due to year of car etc.

So if anyone knows different or a fair offer for spares mot up 14 April and l have Been told due to an oil drip it won't pass Ive just returned from an 800 round trip to Plymouth no problem l will miss this car.new to this site or any for that matter !

m4rkw · April 6, 2019

I would get quotes from a couple of independent toyota/lexus specialists and see where you're at. If it's just a seal that needs replacing then it's a very cheap part but intensive labour. However, it may still be less money than buying another RX.

How many miles are on it and when was the gearbox last serviced? Be careful running it with a leak, if the transmission gets low on fluid it can cause a lot of damage and turn a £500 (I'm totally guessing here) repair into a need-a-new-transmission repair.

Anthony Alderson · April 6, 2019

Thanks m4rkw, a pipe to the oil cooler fractured in a lonely part of Scotland and l lost oil, carried to a local garage pipe fixed and oil added the drip started on the way back south and gets worse after a run stopping when the engine is turned off. have tried various fix it oils but keeps on dripping, have been told that a seal has gone in the gearbox and it would have to come out to repair,local garages don't want to take it on as the view is one thing always leads to another they argue and it could get out of control! I can understand this but l have had it a long time and as you may understand it's not just a car! The car has done 192k and apart from this has been super. l will pop into lexus Preston but don't hold out much hope.l do know l won't be buying a new one without the help of lotto.

m4rkw · April 6, 2019

If it's done 192k and the transmission has never been serviced then I kind of understand where those garages are coming from to be honest. The fluid is what helps the seals stay pliable, if it was never changed then failing seals are inevitable and at that mileage it's likely there's a lot of wear elsewhere in the transmission.

From their point of view, they could open it up and change the seal but if it fails and quits moving the week after you'll be back at them complaining when in all likelihood it would just be a coincidence because of it's age and the (I'm guessing) lack of proper maintenance.

If you really like the car it might be worth looking for quotes for either a rebuilt replacement transmission or a rebuild of your unit. Probably less than buying another RX and if the rest of the car has been well looked after it might be a case of the devil you know being better than the devil you don't. I have heard that the transmissions on the early RX models are weak but it sounds like you've got a pretty decent run out of yours.

It's not entirely clear from your post whether the oil that's dripping is engine oil or transmission fluid. If it's engine oil then one option is to just keep topping it up and carry on driving it. Not great for the environment but much cheaper than anything else 🙂

Herbie · April 6, 2019

47 minutes ago, Anthony Alderson said:

l will pop into lexus Preston

If you're local to me then I would only go to the main dealer as a last hope.

Go to Ribble View Garage, 2A Rough Hey Rd, (that industrial estate opposite the Crematorium) Preston PR2 5AR - phone 01772 798856. It's run by a guy called John Barton who really knows his stuff. He's a great worker, very fairly priced and highly recommended.