i figured i might as well wait til mid september and pick up an '05 RX 330 AWD( i originally was in the market for a '04). my question is, what are all the changes in the 05's? and do they look as the same as this(found the pics in the top thread)?:




any info would be appreciated

 

The photos that you posted are of the RX400h (hybrid). The appearance of the 2005 RX330 is the same as that of the 2004 model.

 

 

AFS stands for Adaptive Front Lighting System. (No idea why it's not AFLS...)

It allows the headlights to turn left or right if you're steering left or right. Cool thing for a curve in the road or a turn. I believe they'll turn as much as 5% to the left and 15% to the right.

If that was available separate from the performance package and part of a standard build for my region, I certainly would have gotten it.

 

so basically, nothing else is new in the '05 RX 330 over the '04s, right? besides the 4th gen navigation... i'm just trying to figure out if i should just get the '04 or wait a few more weeks for the '05... and did\will they fix the transmission problems the '04s are having?

 

What type of tranny problems do the 04's have??? Mine seems fine so far (200miles) I would hope the fix would be a programing fix i hear a little about in this forum? Im I missing something

 

There have been three main complaints with the trans.

For 330's made from the beginning to about August 2003, Lexus issued a TSIB to re-program the ECM that controls the trans in order to fix an abrupt downshifting issue. You could feel the vehicle jerk when it downshifted from 3rd to 2nd between 20 and 30 mph. The ECM flash made an improvement, although not everyone was completely satisfied.

The second issue with the trans has been in the computerized "learning" feature, where it adapts to your driving habits in order to optimize fuel economy. This adaptation makes it run fine for normal driving, but when you do something unusual like stepping on the gas hard, it could make the car hesitate a bit before downshifting and reacting like you expect it to. Many people have posted messages about pulling the fuse that powers the ECM in order to reset the learning program and make it start over. That makes it a little more agressive, at least for a while if you don't normally drive that way.

The third issue has been a "clunking" noise coming from the trans. It was exaggerated by the first issue, the heavy downshifting. It's not actually a mechanical problem - it's a trans oil line bumping against the outside of the trans. There's a TSIB for that, too, which instructs the dealer to replace the trans oli line with one that was re-designed. This issue affects 330's made in Japan until about February 2004.

I'm sure there's more detail in the engine and trans forum if you're interested.

 

How would I know when mine was made?? I just purchased it (Jap. made) Hopefully I missed all the tranny fun...

 

Actually it turns 15 degree to the left because the driver side light is aimed lower. 5 degree to the right.