I've noticed a couple of things with my car the last week or so and wanted to get input.

I posted about the ABS ring in another current thread so I won't put that here.

I took my RX300 to a Lexus dealer for an oil change. Unfortunately with the warranty I took out it requires I do an oil change every 3000. The dealer did what they called a 95,000 service where they also rotate the tires (I told them it wasn't needed because I had just bought new tires and rims about two weeks earlier). I don't know if they did the rotation but ever since the service I have been experiencing steering wheel vibration when I hit about 65-70 mph. Even though I got new tires a few weeks earlier the vibration was not there until after the Lexus visit. The steering wheel vibration along with the pulsating issue I describe in the other thread does no make it a great handling car at times ATM. I'm also noticing that when I first drive the car there is brake/suspension creaking when I apply the brakes. Again, wasnt there before the service. It could be just coincidence that these things started happening immediately after the Lexus service but it's odd. The steering vibration sounds like maybe the alignment is now screwed up? No idea about the noises though. Thoughts?

Also I asked if they were using synthetic oil for my car which he said no to. I questioned him about it and he said there was no real benefit to changing and I'd be paying about $40 more per change. Is this true? I mean since I have to do a change every 3000 maybe I just want to stick with the cheaper stuff.

All of a sudden when I put the left turn signal on it seems to be running twice as fast as the right signal. What would cause this?

Ok, that's it for now...I think. Thanks for the replies in advance.

 

"All of a sudden when I put the left turn signal on it seems to be running twice as fast as the right signal. What would cause this?"

See if you have a light bulb out on that side.

 

Since you mention the pulsating from braking, occurring after they rotated the tires. It sounds as though they warped the rotors, by over tightening the tires. < That is if they actually did rotate the tires... You should be able to call and ask to find out if it had been done.

This is the only time I'll say don't get synthetic oil. Since your only doing 3k mile oci's, you don't have a chance for sludge to build up. If you were going to be going longer >5k miles then I'd suggest going synthetic.

 

Thanks for the input.

The pulsating has been there since for a couple of months. The sensation feels like it would be if you were rolling on a slightly buckled bike wheel. The vibrating steering wheel vibration just since the service.

Two other things that may be worth mentioning in case they're related. He said my brake and steering fluid needs changing soon. Not a red immediate diagnosis but a yellow. Also the timing belt. They gave me a quote to do all three for $1500. Don't know if that's reasonable for a Lexus dealer.

 

I usually associate steering wheel vibration at speed with wheels that need to be balanced. Maybe when they rotated the wheels they dislodged a balancing weight? I'm assuming you had them balanced to begin with?

 

It may be that if one of the rear wheels was slightly out of balance before, it may not have been noticeable until it was moved to the front.

 

Shed, are you independently wealthy? No, I don't want a loan, but if you do much business with them you'd BETTER be independently wealthy. I realize Lexus dealers are expensive (HIGH priced) but I could buy all the parts and materials to do those 3 things (assuming thy are quoting you on a timing belt replacement and NOT everything in that group) in original equipment parts and materials for about $70.
Concerning the tire (nibble, that's what it;s called) often tire shops will get lazy (more often than not) and only do a "static" balance, That's "balanced", but NOT properly. That means the rotating mass is balanced. They should also (done with the static balance) do a "dynamic" balance. That means not only balancing it for rotational balance, but for side to side balance. Some tires will do just fine with only "static" balance, but if it is out of balance dynamically, it will do exactly what you said, cause a "nibble" It is entirely possible the front tires WERE fine statically but the rear (s) needed "dynamic" balacing which wouldn't be noticed on the rear, but when moved to the front, it would definitely show up. I have had that problem more than once and easily determine it by jacking the car up, putting jack stands under the front end and running the car up slowly to about 70 MPH. It is very easy to see when watching the tires as it is run up. One word of caution! WHEN DOING THIS ON ANY AWD VEHICLE YOU MUST JACK BOTH ENDS UP AND PUT JACK STANDS UNDER BOTH ENDS!!! Otherwise you risk having the rear wheels engage and the car take off on you. If done on a rack, obviously the problem goes away.

 

I recently had my tires balanced on a hunter road force machine. It simulates real road conditions and it will tell you how many weights to put on each tire. It also tells you where to mount each tire on the car. < I was impressed to say the least.

The bad part is that the marker the technician used to write on the tire as the machine told it where to mount it is permanent. Or, at least it seems that way. I can't get the damn writing off. So each of my tires has a marking, FL, FR, RR,RL. <<< ARGHH> I need to get that off. LOL

 

Hyper,
Road force balance is indeed the cats meow. I had it done on my F-150, because of necessity (some New Body F-150's have the "nibble" problem) It STILL takes someone who is WELL TRAINED and EXPERIENCED in doing RF balances to do it right. The average tire guy who hasn't been trained properly would have no idea how to do it. Concerning the markings, do you have any idea what he used? I have found that ALMOST anything we come in contact with in our NORMAL day to day world will come off with either lacquer thinner, paint thinner, alcohol or simple green. Either solvent soluble or water soluble. My 1st preference for what he probably marked it with would be paint thinner and next lacquer thinner. I don't like useing either of them on tires but with a rag just dampened and quickly swipped, it doesn't get a chance to penetrate. Common sense says not to pour it on and have it running off. JUST enough to do the job and it will evaporate before your eyes.

 

I thought of the paint thinner but I don't want to cause harm to the tires. But, your idea of damping a cloth and quickly wiping might do the trick. I might just wait it out for another two months, by that time it'll be snowing, and hopefully it'll work itself out.

 

I would think it's safe to scrub the tires with an SOS pad (old school white wall style).

 

Carguy is right. The old SOS pad is safe and effective. I have a little bit of ADD and if it takes more than a nanosecond, I'm off to other things! LOL I have used laquer thinner primarily and paint thinner secondarily to clean such things for longer than I care to remember with no sign of ill affects, done obviously the way I stated, dampened cloth and quick swipe. It doesn't get a chance to absorb the solvent before it's evaporated.

 

One thing that I also recommend if you can get your hands on it (and especially needed in Florida where we get a lot dry rot), is 303 Aerospace Protectant. I've developed a tad of dry rot on all of my tires, but it's come to almost a grinding halt since I started using this stuff. Amazon sells the stuff but also most marine shops like West Marine have it.