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Hi Piers, Great find, those Ruskies are full of useful info for RX300's! The link didn't work on my phone (I think there may be a stray character in it) but this one should be fine: http://st.club-lexus(blocked word)/files/light_373.pdf Ta! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Right, just cleaned my MAF and IAT (Mass Airflow and Intake Air Temp sensors). See pics below. Pop off the connector to the MAF, by depressing the little tab above the wires and gently wiggling it as you pull the connector towards the windscreen. Carefully unscrew the MAF from between the air filter box and throttle body. It has 2 Phillips head screws - find the best fitting screwdriver you can for this job, these screws are notoriously soft metal! Once undone, pop into your pocket to keep them safe. Pull up on the MAF and the little unit will pop out so you can take it over to your work area to clean it with contact cleaner or MAF cleaner spray. The MAF "wires" are inside the tube so just liberally soak a few times. Using a cotton bud and cleaner, clean the IAT so it is browny/red and shiny. Do not use force on the cotton bud, just gentle wipes. Using a rag or kitchen towel, clean the plastics to remove grime, dust and debris from the body of the sensor. Clean the screw heads to make the screwdriver fit better when re-installing. Leave the unit somewhere warm for 10-15 minutes (or blast with a hairdryer on low heat) to ensure all cleaner has evaporated before re-installing. Clean the hole where the MAF fits into to ensure the MAF seals back into the top of the assembly. Gently put the screws back in and tighten down, hardly any torque is required so don't over tighten them, you'll strip the heads! If you have dielectric grease, pop some on the connector and reattach it. I've not reset my ECU and this maybe necessary, I'm going on a quick test drive and will report back!

Sounds like your MAF sensor and air filter could do with checking and a clean (I'll be doing mine soon and will try and get some pictures) - start with the simple things. As for the gearshifts, I have noticed that it can be confused (hardshift) when slowing down to about 10-15mph (approaching a mini-roundabout, for example) and then accelerating to get back to 30mph if there is no traffic and you don't have to stop. This doesn't happen if you put it into sports mode and manually control the gears but is cumbersome and not practical it must be something to do with the shift program in the ECU and is probably more noticeable in the UK/Europe than the US (due to road layouts & lack of roundabouts!)

Well its not oil as its white smoke. Sounds just like condensation and not much to worry about. Any car will smoke in winter. Where are you buying fuel from and how much do you drive? You'd be surprised at how quick petrol goes off

I think your idea about rain is probably right. I have the same problem with my RX350. It started after heavy rain while I was in France last year. I have asked various people about it and so far no one has come up with an idea. Sometimes the AFSA light comes on but other times it doesn't. The first thing I did was to to pull off the plug on the leveling sensor (just inside rear off side wheel) and pack it with silicone grease which seemed to fix it for a while. I was gong to replace the sensor but they are pretty expensive (about £200 as I recall) so the next plan is to take the cover off and clean the contacts (I gather its a pretty simple rheostat but you have to be careful about an internal spring when you take the cover off). The short term fix is to switch off the ignition and then start the engine again which nearly always fixes it. Occasionally you need to do this twice. Good luck. I would be interested what you find out about it as well.

Disagree. Clearly those backing and promoting this aren't yet 70years of age Young drivers, uninsured drivers, drunk drivers, foreign drivers with micky mouse licenses, drivers with no licence, drivers of stolen cars.............probably all more likely to kill you on the roads than a 70 year old.

I'm back from a 34m round trip of urban and rural roads and I think the shifting has improved - there were a few occasions where I was sure I'd get a hard shift but smooth as silk, mpg was 28.6mpg and I wasn't driving miss Daisy all the time! I think I'll check tyre pressures tomorrow as it's been a couple of months to see if they are all still at 33psi (which for me is the best trade off between economy and comfort!) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No, if you have the satnav loom it factory fitted.

Oh no! After all the housr spent recently doing thye ball joint. Gutted for you sir.

Here's a pic of a height levelling sensor from the RX300 and the service manual page underneath with other useful info. This pic came from a post on this forum, unfortunately I can never remember who (boxbrownie?) originally posted it!

This is why you don't buy diesel cars when driving less than 15k miles a year. Dpf gets clogged

Hi again, i thought i should edit this post (i've left what i posted underneath) AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!!!!!!!! :tsktsk: the damn noise has started again after a week!!!!!!!!!! Can you damn well believe it??!!!!!! SO far in the 6 months of having this car I have forked out over 500 quid on suspension, taken it to 3 separate garages, and after what i thought was the solution the damn noise has started up again. I really am thinking of cutting my losses and getting rid of this damn car. I did a bit more research and found this is more common than i thought. Someone mentioned its the shock. Well that shock was replaced 6 months ago so how could it? Can someone come up with another theory about how this can be cured? Preferably DIY as i dont want to chuck any more money at this issue, only for it to start again a week later Hi, i just thought to update this thread if anyone was following it before xmas. Knocking sounds GONE! (YAY!) Thanks to a very experienced mechanic called Bill at Elburton garages, Plymouth. It was the offside lower ball joint, which was made worse by resonating along the front anti roll bar. All done! And the car is lovely to drive without the rattle

Hi Chris Found the link. As you say very helpful. http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/54815-headlight-leveling-sensor/?hl=%2Bcleaning+%2Bafs+%2Bsensor#entry601804 WKR Mike

This??? http://www.mafcleaning.co.uk/

+1 for Katabrontes post! There is a great guide for cleaning the height sensors on here, well worth a try! If you have a multimeter, you can also test the height sensor before and after cleaning to know for sure if that is the problem...

Hi, appreciate the feedback, car has 79k on the clock, I will get the car checked over by our garage as they have the diagnostic kit and whist the gearbox oil is nice and red it probably could do with a change. It is a very comfy car that accommodates the 5 of us and has space enough in the back for 2 6'4" teenagers to sit comfortably.

I agree with mikeyv, on a daily basis I see young mums driving their cars as if they were at Silverstone and where are the kiddies, in the back playing on whatever 'i'thingy is flavour of the month, totally oblivious to the dangers mum is exposing them to. Equally I see elderly drivers causing chaos by their ultra slow driving and really getting up the noses of those following who can't get past them. It is without doubt a matter of common sense to realise that one's driving ability is 'not up to scratch' but it is quite another to admit that it is time to give up. I well remember the difficult time I had convincing my dad that his driving time was up. He had driven everything in his time, from an autocycle to massive artics. He did listen to reason in the end but, I have to say that it was quite upsetting at the time. I then became his 'driver' and he quite enjoyed it. I have been speaking to my cousin who has just passed the next stage of the Advanced driving test and I now have it in mind to go down that route myself.

I think this is what Lexus used on mine last time ... Shell Helix Ultra Professional AG 5W-30 :hohoho:

So sorry. Hope the culprits get what they deserve. You didn't deserve this. Glad you were not in it though...

Maybe the time to locate a good, recommended, local Lexus type specialist, independent garage. Someone that will get to know your car, and look after it as you do...

What colour smoke are we talking? Usually white smoke which is like vapour is just condensation. Thicker white smoke could be due to coolant burning. Blue smoke could be burning oil. Basically take a look at oil and coolant level and check to make sure it's not excessively consuming. Also check your mpg. If it's ridiculously low then you may be burning too much fuel

The 2nd gen RX300 does have a somewhat hesitant gearbox at times and will lurch forward sometimes. I had one before my RX450H and I can remember this very well but it never had too much impact on me. I think it is having more of an impact on you down to the coupling with the sluggish response you describe The RX300 had great throttle response. Could be anything e.g. clogged fuel filter, fuel pump, fuel lines or faulty oxygen sensor I'd be inclined to think the oxygen sensor is playing up as its a common thing but then I'd also expect the check engine light to be on. I'd get the car checked by a mechanic first buddy

Disagree. Clearly those backing and promoting this aren't yet 70years of age

i think the hardest part is to keep the puddle light in place when re-assembling the rear mirror housing i found it used to keep coming out of its location. and now you can now see why the original leds wouldn't of worked. glad it went well for you.

Very sorry to see that. A couple of xmas ago our whole road had every car rear window broken by some half-life! Including my daughter's Golf. Not a nice thing to wake up to on Christmas morning. Did they get the driver?