sylvia

Hi. I bought the car in august, 2001 RX 300, 107 000 miles
water pump and timing belt were just changed and I have the feeling now the car idles heavier, before it was absolutelly silent when I was on a red light, now I can feel the engine noiser. But I have crazy good ears, ecpecially after I sold my 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee last year on 330 000 KMs, original transmission, original motor, oh yes.

Is it good to change the transmission fluid? I know how to check it and add but I cannot say if it is good or bad. And from the carfax history I do not know when it was changed last time. I hear somethinl like wistling (don;t know how to discribe it) when the shifts are switivhing form 1st to 2nd , or 2nd to 3rd, on the low RPMs. It is like haveing hard time to switch, is I change the fluid is it going to improve?

Thank you. Don't forget I am a woman and I am not a mechanic.Sylvia

sylvia

why is noone writing, there is something wrong with my question or it is too simple? I don;t get it

hypervish

You should drain and fill the transmission every 15-20k miles. Use a fluid compatible with Toyota- Type IV.
The "whistling" noise is normal. I've heard it in many RX's and Highlanders. My RX made that noise somedays in the winter (cold days, 20F), before I switched to Castrol Multi-Vehicle Import tranny fluid (semi-synthetic). I believe the fluid makes a big difference.

Can't really help with the first question.

salimshah

Pardon me but you could ask for a winning lottery number.

You need to be more specific where the noise is coming from.

if you want any one to guess, I would say the tensioner or the idler.

Have a mechanic use a stethoscope to narrow it down.

Salim

sylvia

Thank you for your answers. This helps a lot. The noise is not coming from a specific place (or at least I cannot determine a specific place, I will bring her to a mechanic) , the car just idles heavier , the front is just has habier noise, before I noticed it was very silent , almost like a hybrid. Anyway logically, I think the timing belt is the reason. Thank you for the transmission answer. Have a great day. I see the forum is mostly for pros who do not like regular people asking silly questions, for us is better maybe to just read your chats and hope to find the answer somewhere mantioned. Sorry to the moderator but that is just my conclusion. Thanks again to the two people who answered, whom I see very knowledgeable and on every forum.

Lexmex

No question is silly here and no apologies necessary.

I think many of us may be practicing humility. Although many of us are busy, every one of us enjoys participating in CL. However, I know myself that there are times I could answer, but I also know there are other knowledgeable members in the forum and encouraging their participation is something that is important to me and our club. I probably would be well beyond the almost 15,000 posts I have now had I not practiced this, but this site is not about running up the score.

Other times it's that we probably need to narrow down an issue or ask questions back or simply because some of us may be pondering an answer. I often see questions asked here that I know I have to get in my RX and drive to figure something out, but other times we may not know the answer and not know what to right back.

Over the years, probably the best comment that I have heard from others who have visited or joined the forum is the shock that even though it's a luxury car brand website, we go into the great amount of detail and DIYs that we do (as opposed to paying someone else to fix the car and be done with it).

I would add in reference to your question the transmission is something we monitor very carefully in these vehicles and the 15,000 mile changeout of the transmission fluid is something I practice religiously. Right now, I use a Redline D4 fluid for my transmission, but as mentioned there are other good aftermarket fluids that I feel are a much better option than running the Toyota Type-IV.

The other thing I'd be interested in knowing is if your RX is AWD or FWD.

salimshah

Let me extend my apologies if my reply seemed rude/unwelcoming. I did put in the smiley to indicate my answer should be taken lightly... internet posts some how look cold. I know you must be frustrated with the current condition.

As a reader, when some one posts about noise it is very difficult to diagnose. One has to guess and that is what I tried to do.

Once again please accept my apologies. This forum is one of the best around where new members are welcome. Sorry If I made it look otherwise.

Salim

code58

It's not for lack of wanting to help, it's just that sometimes there are those of us that spent our life working on cars that feel reluctant to supply an answer we know may be wrong because of lack of details. I'm a detail person and sometimes I hold back rather than give a wrong answer (that would not help you and may even put you farther behind) because of what may seem like details to the poster but leaves us with too little to work with in wanting to truly help the person who needs the help. For me, that was the case when I 1st read the OP.

imherenow

tell them to tightned or loose the timing belt..it happen to me too after Lexus service changed the timing belt , the car made noise so they said they will have to adjust the belt n took like 10mins...

salimshah

The tensioner is supposed to control the tension ... auto-adjustment. Ideller and tnsioner are higher on my list of parts to replace as compared to water-pump. [inspection overrides everything]

Code it gives me shivers to think there is some one else who thinks like me ,,, well most of the time..
It was only on the second post that pushed me over the edge.


Salim

code58

Sorry Salim, that was just worth a belly laugh!

code58

I'm glad to see "you'reherenow" I think it must have been a drive belt that they adjusted since as Salim said, the timing belt is self adjusting and CANNOT be adjusted by man.

sylvia

Thank you to everyone who replied and I cannot find words to express how gratefull I am for everything you share on this forum. Sprecial , special Thank you!!! I have to deal with heat issue now, my heat stopped working, it is blowing cold air and as I am quite north - I have to fix it asap. What I headake is this car, I cannot belive it . The RX I have is 4WD, someone asked me about it before. Sorry I could not reply earlier, so many issues. Crazy! Thanks again to all of you!

salimshah

^ You may like to start a new thread, but before you do ..
Search on Air Servo.

Salim