I am having this issue with our RX300
when the car is started and without turning on the headlights or the radio (only the auxilliary lights: side marker, licence plates, tailight) or when we turn on the interior dome light. we can perceive that there is some flickering/oscillating. The illumination is not stable, something like if the current was changing.

if it turn on the headlights, i can perceive them oscillating when i contrast the lights in a dark area. if i turn on the heater and the radio, it seems not to make it worst or go away.

Any ideas, I am vaguely speculating that it could be either the alternator about going bad or something with a voltage regulator?

So far we had no troubles starting, we drive the rx on the weekends so pretty much we used it 2 to 4 times a month. it currently has 71000 mi

thank you
RCNV

 

I have a 1999 with 40K miles on it and noticed the "oscillating illumination" which by the way is an excellant description of the problem and was told by the dealers service writers and technicians that it was normal for this type of lexus. I would like to here if the years after mine still have the same problem and if anyone has ever come up with a fix? or did they reengineer something, if so what it was to get it fixed and if the fix is backward compatible??

 

This also may be the first sign that your battery is going south. If this is only noticeable at idle and immediately at step off with a perceptible brightening of the lights and display, it can mean that the battery is no longer able to provide enough support for all the electrical demands when the engine is merely idling.

We had similar issues this past summer and, as a former pump jockey, I should have picked up on it sooner. The V6 lights off so quickly that the old symptom of slower cranking by the starter motor just isn't apparent until the very end of the line. Your clock in the display may start to lose its setting, too.

Can't complain, though. The original battery lasted more than 5.5 years (which is about 1.5 years longer than you can usually expect). Alternator or VR also a possibility, but battery is most likely (and cheapest); get it load tested before moving on to the pricier stuff!!!

 

I noticed the same quick oscillation of the lights myself about a year ago. It was the most obvious to me in the dark with the dome light one. It doesn't seem to go away...ever; not even while driving. Must be in the design of the electrical system

 

you guys are experiencing exactly what we are experiencing? is this another 99-00 problem?

RCNV

 

I tried the cleaning the battery contacts, but no money.
The problem is still there, and it gets kind of anoying when it is very dark, specially on the dome light..

Any more ideas?
thanks
RCNV