New tow bar fitted.......end up stripping out boot!!

[Connoisseur]

So picking up a caravan from the Lake District in a couple of weeks. Tow bar needed, Lexus want over £1k, err no thank you. Take to an independent, job done fine, but oh no. Parking sensors now throwing a fit🙄 'Not us guv, just a coincidence, honest, we've checked it all over' hmm. 

 

So this morning stripped the entire boot out,  cleaned and reconnected all the bits, including the sensors, and after two hours all working again👍 two clips missing from the wheel arch liners each side, which might explain small amount of water present in corners of the boot so off to get replacements. Trouble is however good a job done, it seems there are always bits missing or clips left lying around. Not good. Anyway proper job done now and feeling good about getting it sorted. 

[Farqui]

Pfft, you try and support businesses and then they only do half a job eh !

Yes, I remember when I fitted my tow bar and the dismantling / reassembly stages were quite involved.

Parts left over are all in the name of saving weight...LOL.

Well done sorting this out yourself 👍

[Cotswold Pete]

Michael,

Looking at the photo, I can see (on the left) looks like the drain plug mounted with the recess on the inside.

I noticed some water in my boot the other day and decided to turn the drain plug up the other way, and hey-presto no more water ingress. I had removed the drain plugs back last year when doing some work, and took no notice of which way they originally were fitted, which is why I am glad (rightly or wrongly) flipping them stopped the letting water in.

Not sure which way drain plugs should be set, but might be worth seeing if it makes a difference. 

Having pulled the boot apart a few times over the last couple of years, I always find clips and retainers breaking, and whoever fitted the tow bar to my LS (well before I bought it), left a nice pile of bits and bobs in a tupperware box (which was better than chucking them).

 

If you do find wheel arch liners not clipped is the problem, does that maybe indicate rust in the arches is opening up some holes.  I say that as on my LS the rear arches were startinbg to leak (LS does not have any covers on rear arches) and turned out rust had created a lot of problems, requiring a lot of ISOPON to be used to sort out.

[cruisermark]

I have experienced the same - had some work done on my car and they had to remove Battery and tray - couple of weeks later noticed tray not screwed back in - just placed loosely and Battery connections very loose.

[Connoisseur]

3 hours ago, Cotswold Pete said:

Michael,

Looking at the photo, I can see (on the left) looks like the drain plug mounted with the recess on the inside.

I noticed some water in my boot the other day and decided to turn the drain plug up the other way, and hey-presto no more water ingress. I had removed the drain plugs back last year when doing some work, and took no notice of which way they originally were fitted, which is why I am glad (rightly or wrongly) flipping them stopped the letting water in.

Not sure which way drain plugs should be set, but might be worth seeing if it makes a difference. 

Having pulled the boot apart a few times over the last couple of years, I always find clips and retainers breaking, and whoever fitted the tow bar to my LS (well before I bought it), left a nice pile of bits and bobs in a tupperware box (which was better than chucking them).

 

If you do find wheel arch liners not clipped is the problem, does that maybe indicate rust in the arches is opening up some holes.  I say that as on my LS the rear arches were startinbg to leak (LS does not have any covers on rear arches) and turned out rust had created a lot of problems, requiring a lot of ISOPON to be used to sort out.

Cheers for that great tip Pete, will check them out at the weekend.  Wouldn’t surprise me at all🤔

[Connoisseur]

Thanks all for the feedback and suggestions/observations. Have to say for a 14 year old the car is in good condition overall, which given I’ll be towing around 1600 kg is encouraging. In my experience Lexus do build to a different (higher) standard than most and it shows. Why have cotton when you can have silk as the saying goes. Service history is all Lexus👍

[Connoisseur]

ps, if any RX350 or 400 owner wants to switch off their rear sensors then there is a switch fitted in the o/s boot cubby box visible in the pic with wire coming from......I never knew that👀😅

[welland]

Connoisseur,

Any idea what sort of trailer electrics you had fitted? My Rx400h already had a tow bar when I bought it, and the electrics were a bypass kit. I have not come across a proper plugin canbus system for our cars, maybe one doesn't exist?

[Connoisseur]

afaik the only plug in electrics kit for the 350/400 towbar is the Lexus one, and yes it is a plug in to the car loom on the lh rear area. hth

[Gliderpilot]

The tow bar for the 400h is a Westfalia make sold by Lexus and comes with a wiring loom which has to be spliced into the car electrics. This has a bypass unit for the lights etc. I nearly fitted one to mine but it was expensive. I had no choice with my 450h as the only one that would fit was a Westfalia because of the air suspension and that also had a bypass unit.