jabe99

My seat warmers are very hot on the lowest setting. My wife has a 300 and hers work just fine on the low setting. Has anyone else had this problem?

RickC

no problems here

1st330

no problems here, either. Low setting is very noticeably different than high settings. Has anyone noticed a difference between driver's seat and passenger seat warmers? I''ve noticed the passenger side seems to have a low back warmer (which is great), but the driver's seatback does not. I can't find info on this in the monstrous manual, but I may have missed it.

RickC

Speaking of that monsterous manual. They should include a copy of that thing on CD so you can search it on a computer. That thing is bigger than some tech manuals I read.

RickC

dms666

I too have noticed the power of the low setting. It seems unusually strong. The higher settings are actually very uncomfortable as the seat gets unbearable hot.

jfelbab

My seat warmer gets pretty darn warm on the lowest setting also. I typically don't use this for anything but the initial warm-up anyway so Its no big deal. I certainly couldn't leave it on for long though or I'd be done medium well.

rxdriver

No problems with mine, either. I turn it up to high to warm up the seat quickly, and then back it off when it gets too hot. There is a very distinct difference between the high end and the low end.

To answer 1st330's question, I do feel the warmth in the lower part of the seat back on the driver's side. If you're noticing a difference, then it must not be working right.

1st330

jabe99, btw, I also notice that I have no problem leaving the seatwarmer on "low" in cold weather in Philly area. If you are unable to do so in Ohio, maybe you should have it checked. The seatwarmer feature was one "perk" that I initially thought was a bit overboard, but I am so sold on it now. Makes it easier to keep a grin on my face when my kids are arguing in the backseat. If they only knew, they'd be begging to sit in front all the time! I should also say that my husband almost never uses the seatwarmers.

rxdriver, thanks for the observation. I'll add this to the list for the next checkup.

pdxmark2

BTW, you can find a searchable version of the monstrous owners manual at Lexus.com. You have to register as an owner, but after you do, the searchable owners manual is one of the few real benefits of the site.

RickC

Cool. Thanks for the info. I have been registered there for a while, but don't spend any time checking it out. Thanks again...

RickC

Lil4X

SOME of the 330 manual is searchable. I spent less than a minute online finding that the "maintenance required" light could be reset....procedure to be addressed elsewhere in the manual. No search of the database would give me the procedure. Finally, while killing time waiting on a client to call back, I pulled out the physical manual and found my answer in about 5 minutes of page turning.

BTW, to reset the maintenance reminder, with the odometer selector set for total miles, turn ignition off, hold down the reset button and turn on ignition. Wait about 10 seconds for the bars in the odo display to count down and release the button. Indicator should be off. Simple, no?

JRB

Two features that I miss a lot that my previous car (Audi allroad) had are the seat heaters in the rear seats and the heated steering wheel. Also, Audi's warmers are fully adjustible with settings from 1 to 6 at all four positions. Nice! At first I thought the heated steering wheel was a bit "overboard" but in winter I came to appreciate the fact that the wheel acted like hand warmers for the first 5 minutes of driving, when the rest of the interior was still frozen. It heated up almost immediately after you turned the key, and was activated automatically as long as the driver's seat warmer was set to at least 1. These features are something that Lexus could borrow from to make their vehicles a little more luxurious for us Northeners. A full winter package is an option box that I would check for sure!

RickC

I agree for sure about the rear seat warmers. It doesn't get cold enough, long enough to justify the steering wheel warmer here in Tennessee, but I could definitely see a use for it. However, my kids are always saying they wish they had seat warmers too.

I have never figured out why only the front passengers get all the luxury. I do have to give Lexus credit for the automatic windows though. That is another I could never figure out is why have an auto down on the driver window only. Never made sense. At least this car has auto down and UP, and ALL 4 windows.

What we need are Lexus executives watching this site.

RickC

Bob99b5

The seat heaters on our car seem to come on very hot initially, irrespective of the setting on the control, but they seem to cool down to an acceptable temp after a few minutes of "quick heating". And I've also noticed that the seat back (at least on the driver's seat) doesn't seem to be heated. If it is, it's definitely at a much lower level than the seat bottom. Our previous car, a VW Passat, had absolutely EXCELLENT heated seats - five levels of nice even heat on the bottom and back. That car also had the absolutely best instrument panel illumination of any car I've ever been in - all the controls, including the mirror switchs, door locks/windows, and even the panel vents were lighted. This RX 330, with it's unlit and/or hidden switches for the mirrors, power door, gas door, odometer reset, etc, pales in comparison. I always wondered how VW could put so many features and refinement into such a low-priced car. Lexus should take a lesson from the Germans.

Lil4X

Even here in the Texas Tropics the seat heaters are one of my favorite RX features. In my ’00 RX 300 they were especially valuable when traveling in ski country, but when wearing heavy clothing they seemed slow to warm up – all that insulation I guess. When dressed only in a light shirt and slacks, the “all or nothing” approach to heat control on the ’00 could have my nether regions sizzling in about ten minutes – at which point the heat would switch off and the seat (the RX’s and mine) would begin to chill rapidly before launching the cycle again.

The 330’s adjustable thermostat eliminates these wide swings in temperature, allowing me to warm my bottom without producing grill marks. Both front seats produce even warmth both on the back and bottom. I’ve had occasion to use them in warmer weather. Returning from a long adventure in the field after lugging a couple hundred pounds of gear all over a shooting location for several hours, it felt so good to get back to the RX, dial up the A/C, and turn on the seat heater to apply a warming hot pack to my lower back. Very nice!

For those in more northerly climes, I can understand why this might be considered a mandatory option. With the wood and leather steering wheel, a warmer would be most welcome on sub-freezing mornings. As long as I'm wishing, why not allow the rear seat passengers to share the wealth? How about heaters for them too? Guess I’m getting a little spoiled…..whatever happened to the guy who thought driving old English sports cars on long road trips in freezing weather was fun?