RX - 4th Gen (2016-2022) Discussion topics related to the 2016 and up RX350 and RX450h models

Leaking Fluid Any Ideas?

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Old 06-26-16, 09:03 AM
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aznkorboi
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Default Leaking Fluid Any Ideas?

Gonna go to the dealer tomorrow morning...

Any ideas? Winner gets a



AC has not been on so it is not the ac water condensation.

It seems to happen when the AUTO e brake is engaged.

I am a little scared it is the brakes however. Any thoughts? Safe to drive?

I was going to try pumping the brakes to see if the fluid comes out and if it does, I should not drive it correct?

Brakes do not feel spongy or difficult yet.
Old 06-26-16, 10:41 AM
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coolsaber
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have you tried looking at the type of fluid thats leaking? Of course if its a warm fluid, be safe, but, can it be described and matched towards anything the car has like oil, ATF, Coolant, or plain water?
Old 06-26-16, 12:20 PM
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aznkorboi
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Originally Posted by coolsaber
have you tried looking at the type of fluid thats leaking? Of course if its a warm fluid, be safe, but, can it be described and matched towards anything the car has like oil, ATF, Coolant, or plain water?
Not sure. Looks clear in the video.

Went home and tried to pump the brakes, turn on/off the e-brake and nothing much came out.

Not sure what it is now and if it is caused by driving as I noticed it on the way back from a 20 min drive.
Old 06-26-16, 12:53 PM
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VinceCL
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Did the spot on the pavement caused by the drips evaporate? If it does and leaves no residue I would say it is just water (probably condensate from the A/C which I understand has to be turned off through a series of steps on the big screen because of no dedicated ON/OFF button on the dash - is it possible it turned itself back on?). The drops look clear and very fluid making me think it is some kind of water. Is there a smell associated with the spot on the pavement - tranny or brake fluid (or even coolant) have distinct odors that plain water wouldn't. Is the spot on the pavement colored in any way other than darker from being wet (is it brownish, pinkish, or simply the color of wet pavement)? Just some thoughts...
Old 06-26-16, 01:28 PM
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Originally Posted by VinceCL
Did the spot on the pavement caused by the drips evaporate? If it does and leaves no residue I would say it is just water (probably condensate from the A/C which I understand has to be turned off through a series of steps on the big screen because of no dedicated ON/OFF button on the dash - is it possible it turned itself back on?). The drops look clear and very fluid making me think it is some kind of water. Is there a smell associated with the spot on the pavement - tranny or brake fluid (or even coolant) have distinct odors that plain water wouldn't. Is the spot on the pavement colored in any way other than darker from being wet (is it brownish, pinkish, or simply the color of wet pavement)? Just some thoughts...
Thanks for the thoughts!

I haven't had the AC on for a while. And when I do have it on, I always turn it off 5 min before and let the outside air in and turn the vent on full blast. Never had that issue with the AC before.

But, from a brief look it did look like most of it evaporated. It's super hot right now so I am not sure about the smell as well as the color but yes, from what it seems, it does seem like water. I realized also that there are spots that did not evaporate. Alot of it did evaporate but even in the 100 degree sun, there are areas which did not evaporate which makes me realize that it may not be water but something clear that seems like water.

But it makes no sense as to how it got there. No fluids, no windshield wiper sprays, no rain...

Regardless, I may just take it to the dealer to be safe tomorrow and let you guys know!

Last edited by aznkorboi; 06-26-16 at 01:30 PM. Reason: add info
Old 06-26-16, 03:57 PM
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litzdog911
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If it's been super hot, it might just be coolant overflow.
Old 06-26-16, 04:58 PM
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Originally Posted by litzdog911
If it's been super hot, it might just be coolant overflow.
Interesting.

This happened though on the way home at 7 AM, it was around 65 degrees outside.
Old 06-26-16, 06:54 PM
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Originally Posted by aznkorboi
Interesting.

This happened though on the way home at 7 AM, it was around 65 degrees outside.
without knowing roughly the composition of the fluid its hard to tell where it came from. I guess best bet is to show your local service tech the video, and see if he can pinpoint it to something
Old 06-27-16, 07:33 AM
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Alright. I got to the dealer early and was trying to figure out what it was.

Then it hit me.....


It was in the morning and so my window was fogged up.

I knew that if you press the front defogger the ac turns on no matter what. Even if the ac button is off...

But then I got to thinking, the other defogger setting with the foot as well, maybe that turns on the ac automatically too?

Correct me if I'm wrong but the service rep said the same thing. Even with the ac button off, both defogger settings automatically turn on the ac.

When I got to the dealer I had that same setting on, defogger with foot air, and when I checked under the car, the liquid was flowing.

I had a piece of paper and put it under and when I checked, indeed it was clear and did not smel like anything.... Water.

So I wasted gas and time for being a noob. But in my defense, I had no idea the ac turns on no matter what with the front defogger settings.

Haha... I will now go back in my hole in shame.
Old 06-27-16, 06:19 PM
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Thanks for the update. Glad it was nothing to worry about.
Old 11-27-19, 10:45 AM
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Bringing up this old thread......I had this same thing going on (water under car) with my 16 F-Sport and glad I found this post. I have front defrost/footwell mix on often for heat controls, and now see by default this means AC is on. I’d prefer AC to be off while using this setting unless I hit the AC button. According to this link https://www.lexus.com/pdf/service/MY...play-audio.pdf #40 Efficient Ventilation Mode off is a dealer custom option. I have Carista but do not see this option in the HVAC controls. Anybody know if it is there but called something else? Or maybe Carista just doesn’t have that setting.
Thanks in advance!
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