ShaggyRogers

Hi all!

Hope you guys can help me out. I just got my 2002 RX two weeks ago and I have been noticing a "thummmmb" or "doommmm" noise coming from the hood on the front passenger side after I put the car in reverse and then forward (backing out of my garage). This noise appears about 10 seconds after I start the engine and only if the car has been idle for an extended period of time (overnight or a couple of hours). It is kind of similar when you would turn on the AC as if it is getting more power or something. Is this normal???

I am going to mention this to the service guys when I take my RX in for the 1000 miles checkup.

Please help.
Thanks in advance!

SharpLS-96

Seems to me your tranny mount or motor mount on the right side might need replacing but I can't figure why that would go with the car being only 2 weeks old.
Ask the dealer to check them to be sure.

Could also be that your putting into gear to fast without letting the car warm up. The tranny is brand new so it might need some warming for the first few months. Sometimes thats the case until it breaks in. Let the car warm up until the rpm drops and then see what happens.

LexRX

Maybe it's the ABS engaging? Kind of a light clunk sound after you've started accelerating.

parula

SR, from this distance this problem does NOT sound (no pun) like the relatively minor (though for a LEXUS really IMO it is unbelieveable they don't fix the problem on every RX brought in for any service whether a compaint is lodged or not to improve the quality image of their product for the cost of probably about $.50 worth of grease, Deming would cringe IMO) brake pad fast clop sound when one reverses, usually on my '99 only when moving forward after a reverse. I do not believe I have ever heard the sound going to reverse from forward.

Have the dealer check it out, FWIW I do not think its the brake pad clop.

rc

ShaggyRogers

Thanks Lexx/Sharp/Parula for the response.

Parula, this only happen after I put the car in reverse and then accelerate forward. I am hoping this is only a minor problem and will be address this coming week at the Lexus service dept.

Thanks again and have a good one!

parula

SR, let us know what they find, I am really curious.

Also, you might try having someone adept at hearing sounds listen down near the wheel when you start forward after braking hard while going into reverse. It is hard to imagine they haven't fixed the '99 brake pad shifting/slamming problem on the newer models as the fix for that is just some better grease or the like.

rc

ShaggyRogers

Hi guys!

Just went to the dealer this morning for my 1000 miles check-up.
Told the service manager and even let him listen to the noise. He said it was just the ABS pumping up. The longer the car sits, the more noticable the noise.

Lex, you just won a millon dollars! The rest of you guys...thanks for playing.


Seriously, thank you all for helping me out. BTW, I just had my Manik nerf bars installed today. It looks damn good! Make the RX looks more manly. I'll post picture soon.

parula

SR, nevertheless, FWIW, I do not have any sort of noise like that on my '99, and would be concerned if it were that noticeable. The dealer said that was WAD (works as designed) for a 2002? I would query them as to why the new models make the sound and olders may not?
rc

ShaggyRogers

I'll check with my mom's 2002 RX to see if hers has this sound also. In addition, I'll take my RX to the dealer where I bought it (1 hour away from where I live). My 1000 miles check-up was with a dealer nearby. All this won't be happening until next weekend

All of this better have a happy ending...

I'll keep you guys posted.

parula

SR: so what was the outcome?

ShaggyRogers

Went to my dealer two weeks ago and got it checked. Turns out it's just the brakes..."floating" calipers was the problem. Well, it not a problem, it's just thats how they were designed. It's just an annoyance to me. I checked with my mom's RX and it had the same problem. The noise is more pronounce, if the brakes cools down...hence more noise when I drive my RX after overnight parking. I can heard the noise coming from the right front and rear brakes. The mechanic said that later on, all four brakes will be making this noise . He has the same situtation on his own RX.

Just to play it safe, I make an appointment to leave my RX overnight this coming Friday so he can heard the noise clearly. If it's the brakes, I already asked him to grease the calipers to quiet the noise (I found the grease answer somewhere in this forum).

Sorry for the late update...I'll post again next weekend.

RinnDogg

I had a problem with my 2002 RX just days after bringing it home. Every so often, something in the front would vibrate and make this drum-like sound when I would accelarate after a stop or when I was uphill. I took it in a week later and they couldn't replicate the problem, so I had my cousin (who knows a lot about cars) drive it and see what it was.

My car finally had it's 1k last weekend and the explanation given to me sounds very similar to what Shaggy's describing. However, my cousin had to plead my case to the service writers because they were saying it was normal. They finally listened to him and were able to replicate the sound. Perhaps the best news was that they were so impressed w/ my cousin's know-how with cars that they asked him if he wanted a job with the dealership. Wouldn't that just be the greatest thing? A cousin who works specifically on a car like mine