₦airaland Forum

Emperoh:
Any Lexus owner who lives in Abuja and wants his car scanned for Free, can buzz me

Privilege applicable only to Lexus owners

Thank you so very immensely for this rare privilege. You are generously kind. I am interested, when and how do we meet? I will look up your contact in your signature and give you a call.

Uncleodi:
Jeez. This is exact problem my 07 camry developed last weekend. A gear dealer is telling me to change if from 13 pin 10 pin which is cheaper.

I am so confused, don't know if it will work if I change to the lesser pin

I take it you did not read through this thread before posting this question.

I really wonder why some people always put themselves in trouble and begin to seek solutions afterwards.

It would be foolhardy to listen to a mechanic who neither understands the onwer's manual of a car nor the workings of the internal components.

Run away from any mechanic that discourages you from buying a V6. He has no business hold spanners. A V6 engine is rugged, durable and offers you a better performance in handling but with a decreased fuel economy. Apart from fuel economy, the difference in spare parts is insignificant. Get a competent mechanic to help you inspect the car, if it meets your specifications for a car, please, go ahead and pay & enjoy your driving experience.


Most of our mechanics learnt their work using 404 & 504 Peugeot, Mercedez Benz 190 etc and have refused to update their knowledge. The first thing they do to your car is to remove your Thermostat and connect your fan directly. Avoid them at all cost.

Read the owners' manual, ensure you service with the required engine oil, quality filter and recommended ATF.

Goodluck.

lomomike:
Mine is more more than the 'squish' noise which is made when I'm driving on rough tarred roads. Other than that, no "faulty bearing like' related noise.

What's your tyre pressure on each tyre+ spare?
Lexus recommends 30psi cold air pressure all round also type of tyre you're using matters, i use Michelin Energy MXV4 S8 all season tyres.

Perhaps, I need to check the Tyre pressure later in the evening. That could also be the culprit. Meanwhile, the noise is more on a rough tarred road.

I use Michelin Radial X (PN2X).

@lomomike is the road tyre noise normal for the RX330? Each time I drive it, I hear this noise as though the bearings are coming off.

It's always a good course of action to stay within the recommendations of the manufacturer. You will never go wrong for that. There may be obvious damage to the engine or the cooling system provided your service is done at the right interval & with the right engine oil. However, there's tendency for your engine to overheat as a result of excessive idling.

In my RX330, Toyota recommends that you don't idle the vehicle for more than 20 minutes. But my Toyota Sienna 3MZ FE 3.3l engine, the same engine with RX330 did not specify that. So the saying that different strokes for different folk readily comes to mind. Except when it's absolutely unavoidable why would you want to idle an engine for too long. On countless occasions, I have seen the aids of the current senate president idle their official cars while waiting for the Oga at the top who is in the church. So for the duration of the mass, these guys recline the seats an sleep with ful a/c. An absolute waste of public funds.

GAZZUZZ:
If you live in the northern part of nigeria(core north) you will love the nigerian police, they greet you very well and wish you a safe journey (when on stop and search) they do not ask for money to buy paper to write a report when you go to the station, they are polite, they do not demand for money, instead they ask ask nicely if there's thing to (sha ruwa) drink water. Funny thing is when you meet a few bad eggs, they probably served some where in the south b4 or are from the south.
There is less corruption in the police up north.

You are correct that they adopt a different strategy up north. It's the same Nigerian Police in the Northern part that still operate in the south. Why is it that almost all the police men deployed to the south are corrupt & show this tendency to extort motorists. Irrespective of their tribe, once they are posted to the south, it provides a veritable ground for fraud & abusers of authority. Do they have different operational ethics in different parts of the country.

The way it is in the south, a police man can kill you because you refused to give him bribe, after all, nothing will happen because they are shielded from prosecution by their superiors. And truly to this word, they go scotfree. It's a shame. Personally, I don't give a ride to a police officer, if I give someone a ride and find out you are a police officer, I can discontinue the journey just to ensure he alights from my vehicle. But I would be glad to help other members of the paramilitary or the military.

It's a sign of irresponsible government. Any day we have a responsible government in place, all this rubbish will stop. Nobody is accountable to anybody, Officer treat people as they like. Who would ask questions. Even if you report them, they come up with counter reasons why those incidents took place. The annoying part is that most of these officers intimidating motorist are semi-literates and brandishing their guns unnecessarily. If you talk to their superiors, you will be shocked they are birds of a feather.

I have had countless annoying encounters with them. Best approach is to be civil while interacting with them. From their behaviour, apparently, they are criminals in Police or Army uniform looking for the lamest excuse to extort you. Avoid them the best you could.

Bigflamie:
Please I don't know much about cars but I'll get one for myself before June.
I'm a bit confused on the car to purchase cos I don't want a car that gulps a lotta fuel, but I love Lexus Rx330, 350.
Please someone should enlighten me on their fuel consumptions.

Since fuel economy is your concern, I will advise you to stay away from the RX models. As I have always said, you will be highly disappointed if you go the RX way. The parts don't come cheap. There are other models that would guarantee good fuel economy to you such as a corolla, 4 cylinder Camry, yaris etc.

There is a great difference between your love for RX and the actual capacity to maintain it. You have to also weigh the long time cost of keeping the RX against your desire for a better fuel economy albeit cost of replacement parts.

@Lomomike, the stabilizer linkage of my RX330 is also bad and requires replacement. I have just been driving it like that while waiting to raise some money to be able to carry out some other repairs including the automatic headlight leveling system. The vehicle is smooth to drive, quiet and accelerate better than my 2004 Toyota Sienna with the same engine. My wife likes the feel of the car compared to the Sienna though she's still learning to drive.

Using grease in place of gasket gum for a transmission pan. Removing brake pad wear indicator and says it has no function in the car.

lomomike:
Bro, I just had to get my tyre loosen so as to show you the auto levelling headlamp sensor. In my own lexus in order to let you see how it is. Notice where that black hand points towards.

Right rear passenger side if you're looking at the car from behind it.

Thank you very much. I will check it out by the weekend.

The fraudulent activities on olx has also infiltrated Nairaland. Just recently, I wanted to buy and RX330, I realised that so many advertisers on Nairaland claiming to have one for sale are mere jokers. When you schedule an inspection visit or ask for vin number, they disappear.

My observation, there are only about less than 10% genuine car dealers on Nairaland amongst the numerous advertisers. Buyers beware.

That's a motor-dis

lomomike:
I stay in Abuja, but I Don't know any mechanic who would do such because I maintain my car myself. However, your best bet is apo mechanic market go to lexus line and ask them for headlight specialist.


Since yours don't have AFS, your Auto leveling sensor is on the tailing arm of your rear passenger's right hand side suspension.

Those with AFS system have it on the right hand side front passenger suspension.

Thank you so very immensely.

Hello Mike,

Good evening. I just came back from work and have gone through the document you sent to me. Apparently, mine is a model without the AFS. That probably explains why I don't have the AFS switch on my dashboard. I would need someone who understands RX330 headlight level system to sort it out for me. Do you know any in Abuja?

Thanks again for your time.

lomomike:
Give me your email let me send you a service manual on the auto levelling headlamp issue.

bravolad@yahoo.com

lomomike:
For a lexus RX330 with AFS lights, they've removed the AFS switch. Try opening the stub above the fuel door button and inspect for any wiring or panels.

Pray they haven't removed the actuator/sensor at the rear suspension which auto levels the headlamp too.



(Don't hold me responsible if anything goes wrong)

The stub does not look like something that was removed because that place is very strong. I had tried to remove it before but could not. It's very firm. I will try again tomorrow but in any case, what's the worse possible outcome should your suspicion is confirmed? But my lights work fine at night.

I have also read on other fora while researching this warning light that others who have the same model have the warning light on but there's no AFS switch.

lomomike:
No, snap pix as I did from the same area of your dashboard so that I can see the button if its there or not.

The picture as you requested.

lomomike:
Take a picture of your dashboard where the button is suppose to be. Let's see what's what and what's not.

This is the picture of the image displayed on my dashboard.

lomomike:
I've not replace charging system before. What kind of warning light is lit on your car?

By the way, welcome to Lexus elite club. Do you know the RX330 was the entry level Suv for lexus till the introduction of the NX200 this year?

So imagine who well built and beautifully crafted such an entry level car is plus the options and standard equipment it has to offer for a 2004-2006 year model car when compared to others in the same category within the luxury class.


By the way, the picture below is where you activate the AFS light. If you press it, it should turn off the light in the dash and activate the Active swivel Frontlight System.

Thanks a million Mike. That button should actually turn it off but I don't have it in mine.

The guy is looking for an opportunity to sing praises for Sullivan so he decided to add a picture of a car in other to bring it up in cartalk. After all, it's car related topic....

@lomomike, I just got an RX330 2004 model for my wife. The Automatic headlight level system warning light is on, how do I Remove/reset it? However, I replaced one of the charging systems for the headlight. Has anyone had the same warning light on before?

The RX330 beats the Highlander both in terms of performance, look & quality of materials. I drove one from Lagos to Abuja recently to note the difference. It's actually a beauty to behold. It also uses the same engine & transmission with my current vehicle but I opted for it for my wife.

I think the OP can not go wrong with it but the only caveat is the price. It would be difficult to acquire one at the present with N2.8 million.

The desire to be different from every other person comes with a cost, just be ready for that price when it's time. A neighbour of mine used his Kia spot age for about three years and later last year, the suv caved in. Depending on how often you want to travel with the vehicle, it's always important to be properly guided. One more thing; are you talking about a brand new one or used?

As I said, my neighbour is currently searching for a Toyota to buy after experiencing first hand the cost, difficulty in getting spare parts & limited number of knowledgeable mechanics associated with such ownership, he's in a better position to make an informed decision. If it would be used as a lone vehicle, be prepared for it. Please, mind you, I have not said it's a bad vehicle to keep but you need to factor in cost of longtime ownership.

I doubt there's any car you would buy that people have not bought before, so when you say you want to be different from the rest, it sounds rather confusing. Being different by using a Kia? Perhaps, a story for another day. There's no day I don't see more than 30 to 40 Kia Sportage on the road.

Your research should focus on spare parts availability and mechanic rather than being unique on the road.

Siena:
[color=Blue]V4 engines do exist, in some current motorcycles, and older car / light commercial engines.[/color]

I agree with you but in the context of this question, OP meant inline 4 Vs V6. The V6 is a heavier engine & offers a better performance than the 4 cylinder. In other words, what you loose in fuel consumption, you gain in performance. V6 is a driver's car.

There's nothing wrong with a V6 engine, all you need is a good mechanic albeit using original parts and recommended engine oil & ATF.

Good luck.

This story is disjointed. Could really make nothing out of it. Perhaps, OP does not want to share more details. I'm wondering why he came to this forum to complain in the first place! One of the respondents needed further clarification and op suggested that he should call him to get further details & that he's still receiving treatment. Yet, the op is requesting for advise. There's something amiss about this story.

Meanwhile, I have just realised that some of these middlemen, agents and some unscrupulous car dealer don't even know the history of the cars they sell. They don't bother to run vin report. They just advertise cars based on their physical appearance. Such cars may have either been flooded, had major accidents, salvaged etc. if you have this information about your cars, you can comfortably inform your prospective buyers about whatever problem the car had in the past but has been fixed & certified ok. This offers you a better bargaining power. I also feel people lie and/or hide facts about the true state of cars they are selling because litigation in Nigeria is either scuttled or weak.

Also, majority of the sellers on this forum don't seem genuine because when you call them to request for a vehicle's vin, they disappear into the scene. There are very few that are credible and keep to whatever discussion you have with them.

So, op, tell us the full story or keep it to yourself.

Are you will to deal at 2.5M? Send the vin and mileage to me at bravolad@yahoo.com

Pls send interior pictures, mileage, vin & price to bravolad@yahoo.com

Yesterday, I saw a car Camry 2008 model with a "for sale" sticker. I got interested because a friends wants to buy it. So we approached the driver to inquire about the price. But just to unleash my curiosity, I asked how long it's been used. Surprisingly, the man said 3 months. Just to get further details I asked "why would you buy a car only to sell within 3 months of use. He quickly replied that he wants to upgrade. I didn't bother to probe further but I think there's a problem with the vehicle which he does not want to disclose, though, the car looks clean interior and exterior.

Can you send mileage & price to bravolad@yahoo.com

What year & model is it? What is the current mileage? You can send further details to bravolad@yahoo.com