I just purchased a 2000 RX 300 AWD on Wednesday in Burnished Gold Metalic. It’s in good shape, has a few dents on the right side I can probably get popped out, it needs knock sensor number 2 bank 2 changed (I’m up for a challenge) a timing belt (PO only had the car for a month and had no idea if it has been done), and the climate control is going wonky. Sometimes it blows temperature regulated air, more often it blows full hot. If I turn it off and on a couple of times it’ll go back to working. I thing I saw something about a relay going bad that can cause this. The service history shows climate control was serviced twice last year, I bet it was related to this issue.

Anyway I’m BMW guy. I have a 1998 M3 Sedan, and an 1981 323i Baur topcabriolet, and a 1985 535i beater that will now be sold, and a non running 1991 525i that I should sell as well.

My wife has an 03 MDX with the famous failing transmission and the cost to fix that almost exceeds the value of the car. So we got this Lexus for less money than a new transmission to fill in if the MDX does finally die. Then we can get a junkyard transmission or get rid of it and get something else and won’t have to do it in a hurry since the wife can drive this car for a while. In the meantime it is going my winter car (M3s suck in more than 2 inches of snow) heated seats, autostart and AWD will be nice this winter. (I hope my wife’s car lives on longer) This car is smaller than the MDX which is nice since I can fit it in the garage with the MDX. It’s not much wider than the M3.

Someone added an overhead rear DVD system, although the infrared headphones are missing so I need to get a couple pairs of those from Amazon. The seats are worn and there are two small tears on the side of the drivers bottom seat cushion. The car was filthy, after sitting in for a while I had to go wash my hands, I don’t think the leather has been cleaned in years, it will take a couple of rounds of cleaning to get all the dirt out.

Last night I got out the porter cable and did a quick clay bar, polish and wax (I skipped a few steps since it was getting to be late, and the snow that should be here already will be here soon to muck it up) The headlights were so yellowed it was obscuring the what I am assuming is aftermarket HID headlights. After buffing those out the headlights are even brighter now, which probably isn’t a good thing with those lights.

So far I like the way this car rides, it’s not sporty at all, but I know it’s not meant to be, and if I want sporty I can just drive the M3. I’ll be spending some time doing deferred maintenance, but for the price I paid for it it’ll be ok. We were looking at a few CRVs but I got this for about $100.00 more than a few of the 2000-01 CRVs were selling for.

Anyway a few not very good pictures taken at 1 am this morning in the garage:
Before Buffing:

After buffing:

 

Welcome to Club Lexus!

Oh boy, RX and MDX in the same garage. I hope they behave! lol

 

What's worse is the M3 is banished to languish the winter outside. After I wash it I'll throw on the studs and put a car cover on it at least....I need to get rid of the non running 525i so I can park the M3 in the other garage at least....

I'm also afraid the MDX will figure out what is going on and die....kinda like bringing home a puppy to hang out with your 14 year old dog....

I forgot to add the windows are tinted with a brownish gold tint, it will take a while to g et used to that.

 

'98 M3 Sedan..... NICE

 

Thanks. I like it, it's a lot fun around the cones too. It was nicer until my wife backed into it and wrinkled the hood about two months ago....Now I get to fix that car too.

Pre damaged:


after the wife got a hold of it....


My 81 323i

 

At least the RX and MDX speak the same language. Put the BMW near the two and it'll be bedlam, LOL! Congrats on your RX. Search around the forum to see if there are any fixes here to address the issues you're having. No doubt there are. And you'll find a lot of happy and helpful folks here too. It's amazing how the 300 can shine with a little TLC. The RX sure has a great new home. Enjoy!

 

Looks good! Love the MDX's as well. I've always wanted one, but also fell in love with an RDX I test drove... Who knows what will be next.

 

Welcome. I just joined also. I had a soft spot for the e30s for a few years, and I just sold my last one several months ago (1991 iX).

 

The 01 to 04 mdx should be avoided. The transmissions are horrible and acura doesn't care.

 

Same with the Odyssey.

 

Is that the e30 thats pretty rare? I remeber reading that somewhere, something with the top. Or i could be completely wrong haha Id gladly take the 85 5 off your hands, love those cars, the ones i see are usually super beat, but they just keep going. Congrats on the rx btw, itll make a solid winter car.

 

My 81 is an E-21 323i Baur topcabriolet (TC1) it is very rare, but not very valuable (maybe 10k to the right buyer, but it is gaining value). There are about a 100 of them in the USA mine is number 3023, Only 4595 were built and only a handful (1 for sure) was converted and sold in the USA. Mine was grey market imported into Florida in 1989 and I actually bought it here in Alaska about 7 years ago. There is also a E30 baur topcabriolet (TC2) but while still rare in the USA is less rare than the e-21 baur. There is even an E-36 baur, but BMW would only let them convert 4 door sedans, those are super rare.

Baur also built most of the M1s, the famous 508 and designed the E-30 cabriolet which BMW then built. They built almost all the BMW convertibles until the e-30.

my 85 is a complete rusty beater....I paid $600.00 for it 4 years ago and it still plugs along. I'm going to ask $1000.00 since I have studded tires mounted on wheels, and it does have a rebuilt head and relatively new brakes.



this is my non running 91, I'd like to get this one going it has a limited slip diff even, although it has a reconstruct title. It's clogging a hole in the back garage I could use to park the M3 this winter.



I also have a 1978 Itasca 27RT, 27 foot class A motorhome. I'm a glutton for projects....I've spent way to much money on this thing I'll never be able to sell it and get back the money so it stays...




any enough about the Bimmers....

I got the RX out tonight and cruised all over town with one of the local car clubs, I'm really liking this car, it's quiet, and rides great. not at all like the M3 which will rattle my teeth out with the stiff suspension, I need some snow tires and I'll be set for winter. I love heated seats. I'm going to like AWD in the winter, I used to steal my wife's MDX when she was out of town or home sick, now I don't have to.

I also like that this is smaller than the MDX I don't need 7 seats.

 

Gentle and polite reminder ...

We have chat rooms (in CL) and other appropriate forums to discuss other vehicles. Lets keep this forum RX300 first generation centric.

I hope this does not sour new member experience. On behalf of CL, I personally welcome you to CL.

Salim

 

Well I went over to our Lexus dealer and had them dump the detailed service history. It looks like the tranny went in 2008 at 146k, It has been replaced (I assume) but not at the dealer. They had the problem diagnosed at the dealer so there is a record....I did a drain and fill last night of the front transfer case and the tranny and it was very brown, and no metal bits on the drain plug. I'm guessing it probably hasn't been changed since the new tranny went in which has only been 35,000 miles.

It had a new blower motor installed last year as well.

I found out I have the LSD rear diff, which will come in handy if it ever decides to snow. (it should have done that 2-3 weeks ago) I also have two leather trim packages and heated seats. There is also a mystery on off switch in the spot where the 2wd traction control button would be. I don't know what it does yet.

All the parking lights are burned out, I now know why....Why would you have a bulb that requires the fender liner to come out to replace? I got some new bulbs and will work on that soon.

I ordered bulbs for all the burned out instrument lights, and also see that the Toyota parts counter (Lexus shares the counter) is similar to the BMW one on parts prices....So I'll be getting most of my knock sensor parts from somewhere else. I need to do a timing belt as well, There is no record of that being done either. Of course I have no way of knowing what service was done at non Lexus dealers.

The AC is throwing an error 41 (I find it cool to have a diagnostic in the ac), which I believe is the air mixer servo. Sometimes is blows all the way hot, sometime it mixes like it's supposed to. When I crank it all the way cold and shut it off I can here a clunk in the dash and a sound like a flap bouncing, after that it works again for awhile. That will be a project for a later day, Winter is coming hot air won't be a bad thing.

I got some white lithium grease, I've read where the squeaking steering is coming from so I'll solve that soon before it drives me nuts.

I found the quick vice grip fix for the sagging sun visor until I find one with the home link installed that doesn't require the donation of my first born to get a new one.

Anyway I'm sure I'll find more stuff, but it all seems pretty minor so far, other than a time consuming task for the timing belt and knock sensors.

 

If you look on the timing belt cover you may find a sticker that says when it was replaced, if it was that is.

Glad to hear the transmission has already been replaced, keep changing that ATF every 15k miles and it will serve you well.

The front side markers are a 5 minute job to replace, it sounds like a long and tedious job but it doesn't take more than a few minutes. There rear side markers are a bit more work, should take closer to 15 minutes. But not impossible. I've attached a pdf to help with the job. By the way, this is not my DIY, it belongs to one of the members of this forum, he once had a website with many DIY's, but it has been down for a while now.

I'd ignore the sun visor sagging, it's kinda common. Hasn't happened to mine yet, but I've seen it on other RX's. IT's due to the weight of the homelink. You can do a search here and find some solutions that won't require you giving up a kidney or in your case a child. lol

There is a DIY on here for knock sensors, and the air mix servo.

You'll have to lube where steering wheel shaft meets the firewall every year or so, just sprayed mine down yesterday. Noise be gone!