Booyah

Im only thinking this was added in 2008! Check under the dash on yours?
To get it back on all you have to do is push the button again and its activated or when you restart the car it goes back to normal as well.

salimshah

Slightly off topic but related ...

Dubai offers a "Safari" which includes off-roading in the dunes. The vehicle of choice seemed to be LandCruiser and to my surprise they were mostly "auto-trans". The skill of the driver (with the machine) was to scale the dunes ..speed, traction, angle of attack etc.

Try it if you happen to be there. Lot more fun than being holed up at a poorly designed airport [poor design from the traveller's point of view]


Salim

Lil4X

No, I normally do not - but I do carry a good electric pump and a digital tire gauge in case I get into a really low-traction situation. Dropping tire pressure to about 22 lbs will give a bit more traction to get you out of a mess you've gotten yourself into, but once done, you should get back to firmer ground as soon as possible. Return your tires to full pressure when you arrive on a more solid footing to prevent sidewall damage. At pressures under 18 lbs, you run the risk of rolling the tire off the rim . . . which is even worse.

For dune riding it is a good idea to carry a couple of military grade entrenching tools, a 3/4 axe (for cutting driftwood into usable sizes), a good tow strap, a good hydraulic bottle jack, and a couple of strips of expanded metal (for traction mats). Of course a good paper map, hand compass, and a fully charged cell phone along with your usual flares, lightsticks, and flashlight(s) can help in any emergency.

I just heard of another survival tool we all carry, but maybe haven't thought about using -- You can use a CD as a signaling mirror - just hold the CD against your forehead (shiny side outward), face toward the sun, and sight through the center hole and see where the reflection lands out on the ground about 30 feet away, then center that spot in the hole by sliding the CD over a bit. Without moving the CD relative to your eye, tilt both your head and the CD up to put that spot on a passing aircraft (at low to moderate altitude) and wiggle it around a bit. Don't expect miracles from ordinary commercial flights, they may not be looking your way. But a search aircraft will be looking for signs of life on the ground, and the sun flashing off a mirror gets a lot of attention.

If you are really in trouble, this little tip could be a lifesaver.

salimshah

Also when stranded and out of fuel, burning tires (smoke) can get the needed attention.

In the safari, the LC were deflated to 19psi (that is the number I recall)

Salim

RX350_KSA

My lexus is RX350 and it is 2006. I am confused from those saying RX350 came only in 2007.

I have a question that is if I keep transmission on S1, does that disable VSC and thus it is better to use S1 rather than D on sand? Any experience

Lil4X

If you are going to play in the sand, be sure you flush the underside of your vehicle THOROUGHLY with a hose and sprayer afterward. Those "underbody washes" at the carwash just don't get everything. Particularly if you are near saltwater or frequent dry lakes, that sand contains a lot of salt that can find tiny cracks in the undercoat/galvanizing and simply eat your car away.

When we were kids and our families went to the beach often, there used to be free "washing stations" on the beach road where you drove over a spray rig hooked to a big pedal. The weight of your car opened a valve that sprayed fresh water underneath while you drove back and forth. Most of these disappeared by the early '50's because unless they were free, most people wouldn't use them.

Dad, ever the DIY'er, built his own. He drilled holes in a 1/2" galvanized pipe a bit longer than the width of the car, threaded the ends, plugged one end and attached a garden hose to the other. A couple of scraps of flat stock welded to the pipe made "feet" to keep it from rolling and the holes all facing up. After a trip to the beach, he'd hook up this device, turn on the water, and sloooowly drive back and forth over it for several minutes. We never had a trace of rust. That idea might still work pretty well for people who frequent the beach - and hate to get down on all fours with a hose and nozzle.

Broc

I spent years doing off-road trail surveys for the State. That included state beaches open to vehicular travel

SOP - at the edge of the sand, drop tire pressure to 15~18 psi. If you get stuck, drop to 12 psi. Once moving again, air back up with your inflator.

When I worked for the State, I had to go through the auto inspector to see if they would allow (it varied) you to get wider bigger tires installed when you needed new tires ... I did and it helped. I always ran + tires on my personal vehicles.

On a Gen II RX350 that is an issue due to tire clearance in the rear. Answer is to put + offset wheels on, or add wheel spacers to move stock wheels out further (won't impact wheel bearing loads much if the back of the vehicle is mostly empty). Cheapest way to do this is to use RAV4 steel wheels (5mm more positive offset) and go to 245x60 tires or even wider. You can go close to the strut because you will never be putting snow chains on ...

Or swap the rear struts to Highlander versions. It'll firm the ride a bit, but offer more wheel/tire clearance.

For more info, look here: https://us.lexusownersclub.com/forum...ires/#comments