So, I finally got my RX 300 on the road. There is still some stuff I’m
concerned about, but I’m taking it to a dealer to be looked at so the
prior owner can fix whatever.
My biggest concern is keeping it running and looking nice. I wanted to
add some stuff to it and I see that some things shouldn’t be messed with,
so I’m just doing cosmetic changes.
Anyway, what kinds of things beyond the regularly scheduled maintenances
and oil changes and the like should I be concerned with? As it’s a 99,
should I have any mechanical stuff replaced and such? I really like this
and definitely want to keep it for a while.
Thanks.
Exterior:
Frequent car washes and waxing. Clay your vehicle 2x a year to remove the
really sticky stuff. I use a cleaner wax most of the time.
Use underbody washes to rid your car of salt grime after snowstorm.
Interior:
Leather cleaner and conditioner on the seats. I do this once every 2
months. The driver seat cover, side near the door is prone to show wear
(if not split). This is a known problem until the 2002/3 yr I think, is
when they made a change to the design. I use Huskyliners to line up the
front and they do a good job at protecting the carpet.
Engine:
I use synthetic and try to change it every 5K. This engine maybe prone to
sludging – a very heated topic. So every little bit you can do to change
the oil more often or with better components, please do. I use either the
Toyota filter or Mobil1, nothing else.
Transmission:
Drain and fill it, I would recommend it, every 15K. I notice that my RX
is smoother shifting after a drain and fill operation. I do not recommend
flushing it because I can’t be sure how clean their flushing machine is,
and that may introduce contaminents into my transmission.
O2 sensor : Your car has 3 of them I think, and any one of them can go
bad. Might run you couple hundred to fix. Nothing you can do to really
prevent it.
Enjoy your car!