LeGiT SaaB

1999 RX300 4WD, 173k

I noticed the Lexus was leaking oil today, went to valvoline and the guys there let me go look at it in the pit. They showed me where it was leaking from the rear seal and another spot in the transmission. Its been 2k miles since my last oil change and they had to add 3 quarts. Last week I looked at the coolant level and it was below "low", so I filled that up. Also, the flex pipe is leaking and checked the codes, and P0171 and P0330 showed up. Goody. Any advice?

salimshah

With 173k miles on the car, you need to tell us what is the milage at which you will let the RX go.

Check the codes and get them fixed.

For oil leaks you may move to thicker oil or even try the additives but the fix will be to replace the seal and that will set you back a grand or two.

Salim

edbro

Or, just wait for the inevitable transmission change. Then, it’s only $125 to replace the seal at the same time. Wonder how I know?

Lexmex

The exhaust pipe can be welded shut, that was a common issue to early RX300s and I had the issue myself.

For the leak, and losing 3 quarts is a lot, I don't think any of the seal additives will work at this point. You can try something like the Lubro Moly Motor Oil Saver (Napa Auto Parts) or Bar's Rear Main Seal Additive (AutoZone), but that's still quite a bit of oil.

Hard to tell with the tranny without knowing more info where it is leaking from.

P0330 is knock sensor number 2. This is a PITA to do, http://www.findonefindall.com/toyota...ock_sensor.htm and P0171 is a lean air code, but it is just an accompanying code that often shows up with other codes in this situation.

I really can't give you any advice or shortcuts on this one more than I have.

LeGiT SaaB

I dont know how much I could get for it at this point.

blueridge

Ya think this is sludge?

salimshah

With the CEL on, I dont think the vehicle is marketable.

Salim

code58

Legit- with 173k mi. that rear main seal is pretty badly worn but I have a hard time believing ALL that oil went out there or you have one heck of an oil patch in your driveway or garage. The crankshaft gets a pretty good groove worn in it from the seal getting like a rock. The new seal seems to be able to conform to that groove and stop the leak but with 173K mi., if you have to pay for all of this work, I highly doubt that the car is worth it. I think I would use something like Auto RX or some other seal softner but I doubt that anything is going to do much good with that many miles on it. I think if it still runs OK I'd run it till you have to have those things fixed to register it (if you do) and spend the time looking for a really good replacement and spend the money on that instead and get what you can for a car that shouldn't probably have worn out quite as soon as it did.
When they get to that point they are seldom anything but a money pit.

Ryeno

iTrader: (3)

I dont want to sound like a jackass or insensitive. But if you are getting rid of the car, i could really use the wheel airbag. Their are 2 bolts that hold it in place, so its a 2 min removal. I'd even be willing to ship you a deployed air bag so you would still have one.

Also a BIG problem with the 1st gen rx is the quality. Essentially its a beefed up camry. So you can image the extra load the engine/tranny are taking. The failure rates are actually quite high for it. Which means the poster above me is right, the car is just going to be a money pit, if you try fixing it.

edbro

This guy would beg to differ that it will only go 173K. He has almost doubled that already. https://www.clublexus.com/forums/4197434-post1.html

Ryeno

iTrader: (3)

Why would you even post that? Are you trying to mislead the poster.
Like i said, i would not try fixing a gen 1 rx, not only will you end up spending more money then car is worth, but the car is a know money put. Toyota/Lexus really dropped the ball with it.

Blackxfire

My wife has 230K on hers and it's still running fine except for some minor issues. Changed the timiing belt at about 180K. Changed struts around the same time. It's mostly been oil and brakes. We puchased it for about $15K with 89K on it in 2003. We definitely got our money's worth from the vehicle!! Keep it and fix it if nothing else is wrong!!
Stan

edbro

I don't think it is misleading at all. Putting a $4k transmission is a small price to pay for driving the vehicle another 150K miles. Better than spending $40k on a new vehicle.

mikey00

You should be able to get a grand or 2 on a trade or from some bargin hunter willing to do some work in it's current condition. Or you could spend 1 to 2 K and possibily get another 100k out of it.
If it were me I would fix it, but this depends on your individual situation. I don't know what type of driving you are doing but a P0330 should prevent the tranny from shifting into overdrive. If you are doing highway type driving the higher revving engine could be contributing to your oil consumption. I would first get the knock sensors repaired and get rid of the CEL. There are some price swings here but figure around 1K. I would tell whoever is doing the repair to first check for sludge. If it's sludged, I would stop here. Too much money to fix this one unless you are doing it yourself. Next have a exhaust shop put in a new flex piece. These are available fairly cheap on ebay. Next I would monitor the fluid consumption rates carefully. For the rear main seal try one of the solutions suggested, such as AuotoRX, or at least try one of the high mileage motor oils which have a seal conditioner built in. A heavier weight oil would also help here.

vanguy

It is always a dilemma when many things start to go bad on a car- should you fix it or sell it. There are no simple calculations to show which is the better choice. One factor would be is the car mainly to drive around town or on long trips. Recently my Sienna with only 130K miles had the transmsission go right in front of my driveway. I fixed it but decided to sell it because I use it for long trip and I don't want the transmission to fail while I'm hundreds of miles from home.