Ramp Inspection Today...

[ChrisKaye]

Hi all,

Had my 12yr old, 105k mile RX300 SE-L up on a lift at Mr Lexus today and it was a mixed bag:

1) Underside rust doesn't look untoward/bad for an old jamjar - still going to underseal it but at least prep will require less elbow grease.

2) Front Lower Suspension arm bushes have started to split which is not really a surprise as I factored in for having to change them knowing the age of the RX's I was looking at purchasing before getting this one. Am hoping when I do change them, it'll sort the soft/muted chattery sound the car makes at low speed on slightly uneven road surfaces. Is this a hard job to DIY on an SE-L (air suspension)?

3) Rear diff case is mucky with fluid residue, I suspect seals but will be changing diff and transfer fluids shortly and will clean thoroughly and monitor for where leak is coming from, suspect seals or possibly loose filler/drain plugs.

4) Transmission fluid "cooler" pipes apparently very corroded (but no leaks) - possible to DIY? I wanted to change ATF fluid but will wait until I figure out what to do abouth these pipes!

5) Power steering pipes corroded and had fluid on them. Pump sounds fine and steering feel is good.

Thinking of replacing pipes with those made by local hydraulic company and buying the lexus p/s pump refurb kit as could be the seals... (Possible to DIY if needs be?)

I was planning on doing a big full monty service anyway (cambelt, water pump, tensioner, pulleys, spark plugs etc.) so could slip 4 & 5 above into this as I imagine a few bits will need moving in the engine for the service so the hit on labour shouldn't be as bad as doing it all separately?

Any advice or comments on the above from those with similar experiences greatfully received!

I'm planning to keep the car for 5 years as the family wagon, like Mr Plastic Orange, so a bit of effort/cost now should pay dividends further on...

Thanks,

Chris.

[ChrisKaye]

Hi all,

An update from tinkering this last weekend:

1) Chassis and floor pan seem fine, not much rust at all - most rust is found on drop links / ARB's and other components (not air shocks tho...) - drive train components looked ok, too.

2) No update as yet

3) Totally cleaned rear diff with degreaser and checked fluid level - other than suspecting that the fluid was changed very recently (with I suspect Halfords own fluid as was light yellow in colour and not bad smelling) - level was good too, maybe overfilled if possible? Lots of fluid came out of the fill hole when I had back wheels on ramps, so I placed car on level surface and topped up what came out to bring level back up to bottom of top filler hole. With everything cleaned, I'll be able to see if there really is a leak and think now that the grunge on the rear diff was a remnant of a messy fluid change before I bought it. Fingers crossed!

4) No update as yet, My friendly Mr T parts counter guy sold me 10L of Type IV ATF fluid for £50 inc VAT! well chuffed with that!

Quoted me less than £40 inc VAT for the replacement pipes and consumables (washers etc) - just remains to be seen if this is a DIY possible task. Oddly Mr T's computer has the latest RX model parts list and diagrams but Not listed as RX but a Harrier still!

5) Power steering fluid was disgusting in car and as I now have plenty of ATF, I drained most of the old fluid, topped up with fresh stuff and will use this as a flush and do a complete drain and refill this weekend (whilst checking for leaks with the rear diff now that's clean).

My local Toyota dealer has flat refused to work or quote me on a major service (inc Timing belt, tensioners, water pump and spark plugs) shrugging his shoulders and saying I should go to Lexus.... Grrrr :(

I also forgot to add to my list of things a brake fluid flush and refill, so picked up 5 x 1L from Mr T at the princely sum of £2 a bottle.

Happy days, it finally pays off having so many Toyotas and an account for parts for the best part of 10 years.

Thanks,

Chris

[ChrisKaye]

Oh, forgot to add that the rear back box bracket (by tail pipe on exhaust) has rusted and totally corroded away from the weld on the exhaust pipe. Will see what I can fabricate as the chassis mounting point and rubber hanger are all good and firmly attached - just not to the exhaust which actually looks in pretty good nick....!

[billgatesisaconman]

Hi chris, for your back box may I suggest attaching the rubber hanger to a large jubilee clip wrapped around the box .. I have used them in the past, easy to fit and they never break ... ;-)

[ChrisKaye]

Yep, great thinking, I knew that jumbo box of assorted Jubilees I bought a long time ago would come in handy some day!! :)

[nelmo]

Good on you for doing all that work - I'm far too scared to look under the car. The few times I've glanced under there, it's looked horrendous. I'll just wait until something breaks :(