Anthracite SC

I am adding aftermarket bulbs to my 98 RX300. I got the lowbeams..but not the small bulb in the corner.
I have two questions.

1. DO you ahve to remove the entire fixture to get to it? and HOW?
2. What bulb is it? I think the manual says 648

What off hand is the bulb for the fogs too?
Would appreciate your help.
Thanks.

Michael

jeremyp111

You do not need to remove the headlight to replace the bulbs. All you have to do is twist the socket and pull it out of the headlight. Very easy to do.

Here is a part number list from the RX300 FAQ at the top of the RX300/330 section.

What are the replacement lamp part numbers for my RX 300?

Low beam headlamp Part number = 9006
High beam headlamp Part number = 9005
Parking light Part number = 168
Front turn signal Part number = 1157('99-'00) 7440('01-'03)
Rear turn signal Part number = 7440
Tail light Part number = 7443
Stop light Part number = 7443
High mount stop light Part number = 921
Fog/Driving lights Part number = 9006
License plate Part number = 168
Back up light Part number = 7440
Front side-marker Part number = 194
Rear side-marker Part number = 194
Glove box Part number = 74
Dome light Part number = DE3175
Step/Courtesy light Part number = 2825

kRonX

iTrader: (1)

Ya same question... if you look at the corner light and the fog light, they dont look accessible at all... Seems you will have to take things off to change them...

Anthracite SC

I twisted and removed the socket of the lowbeam..that one was easy.
The little auxillary parking light NEXT to the low beam is the peculiar one.
It is visually NOT accessible. My buddy and I tried to find a way..but we both concluded that you need to remove the headlight to get it done.

U guys have any ideas?

This is the 168 bulb

KVA

Let's just say it is a biatch to do...though I did not remove the headligh fixture. Basically you need to go up from under the front corner of the wheel well (remove about 4 screws), pry open, and squeeze your hand in there...keep going up and you will feel it...just turn and pull...then change and do all the above in reverse. For the fogs, you need to unplug them first, then turn and pull...difficult at best if you have big hands like me (you will also need to remove the screw to the windshield wiper fluid and move out of the way). Good luck...it looks great after it's done...just don't want to have to this again anytime soon

praxis

this is a dumb question.. ready?

ok are you ready?

my low beams are a very bright bluish white, very white, when i put the high beams on, those are the standard, "yellowish white" is it safe to assume someone has replaced the bulbs with standard bulbs and not the "blue white" ones? i purchaed my 2003 rx300 a year ago and did not really think any thing about it till noticing it when someone else was driving it....

also, is there a way to adjust the auto leveling of the headlights? they always seem to pointing too far down for my preference. i think it due to the fact when i start the car it is in my garage and adjusts against a wall, if i back out and shut the car off, then restart outside it helps... i imagine if that autoleveling feature ever goes on the fritz that is going to cost a few bucks ha?

bob2200

The tip-off is the auto-leveling. Your RX has the HID (high-intensity discharge) headlight option. I'm reasonably sure only the low-beams are HID, and the high-beams are the normal high-beam bulbs. So, things are as they should be. The reason for the auto-leveling is to try to ensure you don't blind oncoming motorists with the extremely high intensity of your headlights.

Naturally, if things go bad, it will be more expensive than standard low-beam headlight replacement. I also think there was also a theft problem (people stealing the HID units). When I had my RX in for service years ago, there were RXs in for a call-back to make the HID units more theft-resistant. I don't recall if that applies to RX300s, or just newer models.

cduluk

Some 01-03 RX300's have HID lights from the factory. These HID lights have the auto-leveling feature.

To raise auto-leveling, you need to turn some screws in the back of the headlight.

You'll see them, there are two silver-ish long screws sticking out of the back. Rotating them counterclockwise will make the headlight beam go UP. Rotating the screws clockwise will make the beam go down.

There are 2 screws, what you do to one, you must do to the other. Keep a mental note of how many rotations you made. Keep the car parked 5-10 ft in front of a wall and keep the lights on while doing this. Mark where the cutoff of the light is on the wall. Rotate the screws until the beam moves 3 inches up. Then do the other headlight until it too is at the same height.

***** there is another one of these silver-ish screws sticking out, but it's for the fog light.

praxis

thanks everyone. when i get a chance i'm going to try and adjust the level. thanks for the info.

ive not actually done any reading about the autoleveling feature and what it is supposed to acomplish. i suppose i ought to take a few moments and read up on it... ive had the vehicle for a year now already.

cduluk

do you notice the headlights moving up and down when you first star the car at night?

There's a switch on the right rear control arm on the rear tire. If you have extra weight in the back of the car that would normally tilt the nose of the car up (potentially blinding oncoming drivers) the switch detects it and lowers the headlights accordingly.

LA4Mead

Has anyone replaced the small parking lamp bulb (it's the outermost light in the headlamp cluster)? I read a post that said to get at it from underneath... I think it was about this same bulb. Do I need to remove the entire fender liner? Aren't things in the way (washer tank, tranny cooler, etc.)?

The backside of the twist-out bulb socket appears to be deep inside and recessed into the narrowest part of the fender. On either side there is a lot of stuff in the way. Are you supposed to remove all that (driver's side includes the power distribution box, battery, air intake, etc.) to change the bulb?

Maybe I just need to try harder Did Lexus intend the whole headlamp cluster to be removed, or the fender liner, tranny cooler, bumper/skid pan - in order to access the parking lamp socket? Is it even possible to reach it from underneath the fender?

Once I can get at it, I'm replacing it with something brighter and longer lasting, perhaps LED like this:

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-b...%2FWLED-x6.htm

I'm puzzled. Thanks,

trhs75

As I recall, I did have to remove some fasteners and peel down the fender liner to change those little outer bulbs. Not too hard, but kind of an annoyance!

jrw

Yes, both the side marker lamps and the parking light lamps have to be changed by going through the front wheel well. Specifically, by pulling back the fender liner to the point where you can get visual and manual access to the sockets. It takes a lot longer and involves more effort than it should. Removing the wheels was essential for me. I replaced the side marker lenses with clears and went with PIAA Extreme White (to match my headlight lamps) type 168 lamps at all four corners and in the parking lights. Yes, I'm illegal, but I don't care; it looks so much better.

All I know, and all you need to know, can be found in this helpful link. Give thanks to this man:

http://home.comcast.net/~rx300how2/side_markers.htm

thedly

looks like that guys website is down.

I just got my RX300 AWD 190k miles for $4000. I'm changing the lights to LEDs and noticed that the little corner light above the headlights is out. It looks like the one people are talking about in this forum. Is there a DIY on how to get to it? or will I just have to go through the wheel well and figure it out?

Thanks

Mut

Sylvania 9006ST BP TWIN SilverStar High Performance Halogen Headlight vs. GE NIGHTHAWK 9006NHP/BP2 Platinum Replacement Bulb

Can anyone drop by and give some opinions and user experiences with these two light bulbs? I think I've tried out the Sylvania ones before but the driver's side burned out only after a few months - but it could be just my fault for maybe accidentally touching the bulb itself when installing. Are the GE Nighthawks brighter?

And in the comments section on Amazon, I read that turning the lights on AFTER starting the ignition helps preserve the life of the bulbs. Is this true?

Edit: I didn't want to get the Sylvania Silverstar Ultras because I don't want to blind the people in front of me. I know how annoying it is when you're stuck in traffic and you feel like the sun is right on your ***.