Should I buy it?
04-10-08, 03:52 PM
#1
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Sask
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Should I buy it?
Hello All,
I am driving a 1999 RX300 right now as I try to sell it for a female friend of mine.
However, I have started to fall in love with it and am thinking I may have to own it. My concerns are these though:
It has 136,000kms on it right now (80,000 miles) so it is a fairly low mileage vehicle. Long story short, she got divorced and her husband gave her the vehicle and she wants to get rid of it. He did all service on it for her, so she has no idea of what was done, or not done. I know the timing belt has not been replaced yet, but the trans fluid is not very pink looking, more of a brown/red color. So I doubt it has ever been changed. Which, for the failures I have read about, is very, very bad on these vehicles. The trans works fine, it holds shifts from 2-3 to about 3200 RPM until it warms up, which I believe is normal?? Also, I think there is something wrong with the HVAC system, whenever the system is set to the dash (face) vents, there is a horrible grinding sound from under the dash for about 10-15 seconds while it changes air direction. This I believe is not normal, sounds like something is slipping or grinding. Is this a known problem? Everything else seems fine.
Should I avoid this vehicle, or embrace it and fix the issues?
Thanks!
I am driving a 1999 RX300 right now as I try to sell it for a female friend of mine.
However, I have started to fall in love with it and am thinking I may have to own it. My concerns are these though:
It has 136,000kms on it right now (80,000 miles) so it is a fairly low mileage vehicle. Long story short, she got divorced and her husband gave her the vehicle and she wants to get rid of it. He did all service on it for her, so she has no idea of what was done, or not done. I know the timing belt has not been replaced yet, but the trans fluid is not very pink looking, more of a brown/red color. So I doubt it has ever been changed. Which, for the failures I have read about, is very, very bad on these vehicles. The trans works fine, it holds shifts from 2-3 to about 3200 RPM until it warms up, which I believe is normal?? Also, I think there is something wrong with the HVAC system, whenever the system is set to the dash (face) vents, there is a horrible grinding sound from under the dash for about 10-15 seconds while it changes air direction. This I believe is not normal, sounds like something is slipping or grinding. Is this a known problem? Everything else seems fine.
Should I avoid this vehicle, or embrace it and fix the issues?
Thanks!
04-10-08, 04:36 PM
#2
I say, if you're in love with it, get it! I'd do a series of drain-and-refills to the transmission fluid over a period of weeks and not worry about the transmission after that. If it's AWD, you'll want to change the other drive-train fluids too.
If you search, you'll find discussions on the three air-mixing servo motors under the passenger-side dash. I don't think it's a common problem, but not a rare one either. There has been discussion on whether to replace or try to repair them. I don't have any personal experience with this issue.
If you search, you'll find discussions on the three air-mixing servo motors under the passenger-side dash. I don't think it's a common problem, but not a rare one either. There has been discussion on whether to replace or try to repair them. I don't have any personal experience with this issue.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Universe93
ES - 6th Gen (2013-2018)
9
07-05-19 04:05 PM
sylvia
RX - 1st Gen (1999-2003)
13
10-13-11 09:47 AM