I have a 2003 LS 430 (UL) that I got in October. I traded my 1999 BMW 740i for the Lexus and have been very happy with my decision to leave BMW because of all the problems they were having with the new 745i. I now have 6500 miles on my car and the only problem I have is a wind noise that seems to be coming from the driver's side window. I did not notice it until a recent trip. It only is evident at higher speeds. Anybody else having similar problems? If so was Lexus successful in correcting it?
At 18K miles, I dumped the "summer" Dunlop tires and paid about $800 for 4 michelin tires in Chicago area. The Dunlops still had tread, but they have no traction in snow. The MXV4 Plus give me great traction, but I think they might make the ride a tiny bit stiffer and a tiny bit louder. If I lived in the south, I would stick with the Dunlops. But if you need all season tires, get the MXV4 Plus.
It is with great interest I watch this board for hints on what is to come. I bought my 2001 Ultra Lux in the first month they hit the dealerships. I still adore the car. Normally, when I hit two years, I lust after something else. This is the first time in 30 years that I have NO interest in replacing it.
I suspect the only thing that will change my mind is a new and significantly improved LS. I'm pleased 2002 and 2003 presented no real changes. But I have to think they will do something in 2004. But its way too early to discuss the next generation. 2006 makes more sense for that.
Someone made the point that Lexus is aware of Mercedes declining service record and acceptance of BMW's 7 Series. I for one will no longer consider MB even though I like the new E. I see MB as Daimler-Chrysler, now.
BMW's new 7 has some interesting concepts. Many of which I might like. (Even the iDrive.) But I think they need polishing up. Their NAV isn't good either. Lexus has the best NAV around according to Popular Science, but I remain annoyed they want $600 for a DVD update.
I own a 2001 S500, I know exactly what declining quality means.
I also drove the new 7 on a few occasions now. It's not as smooth and quiet as the LS, and does not drive as sporty as my S class. The 7 also feels like a BIG car, while both the LS and S feels "in control" and manageable.
Haven't driven the E yet, but the new 2004 E55 looks very very interesting.
I have had my 2002 LS Ultra now for one year, and am considering changing vehicles? Does anyone like the S-Class better on this board? I do appreciate reliability, but am considering an S500 or a CL500. Thanks for the advice, Scott in Florida
Scott, did you get a lemon, or is there something about the LS you aren't happy with? For those who are still evaluating the LS430, would you mind explaining why you are considering changing?
I wanted to provide everyone with an update to my prior post. I went to the dealership and took another test drive with two Lexus tecs. The good news is that the head tec determined that the whining that I've been whining about(I had to do that) is not my tires. The bad news is that they have confirmed that the whine I have been hearing is a problem with the rear axle differential. Specifically the problem is with the gears in the rear differntial. They think that they will have to replace rear differntial and the also the rear axle, but I'm waiting for the full report. All this fun and I only have 5K miles on the car..........I will provide a follow up post. Thanks.
Well that's a bummer and a bit of a surprise. Have they done a fluid lelvel check in the differential? There are adjustable shims in the rear gear set that may be used to adjust backlash and fix gear whine noises.
My LS has an few rattles in the driver door and the center dash.
So I guess the relentless pursuit of perfection is a work in progress, and while better than many out there, still not perfect.
Thanks to all who provided input and answered my questions for buying on the internet. Here’s what happened -- Dealership: Reliable Lexus in Springfield, MO Contact: Devin Stotts, Sales Manager dstotts@vtaig.com Car: Custom LS 430 with chrome wheels and Premium Gold package (includes the insignia on the wheels) with “mandatory” options of wheel locks and trunk carpet Deal Devin: $65,717.00 w/o Lexus Link your price $61,366.00 Me: We need to negotiate more on the price. How close to $58,000 can you come? (I had calculated from Kelley Blue Book an invoice of $56,430 equipped as I wanted it without the “mandatory” options.) Devin Considering I don't have this particular unit in stock I think the pricing is pretty aggressive. However I could better the deal and get you in it for $60,500.00 of course our document processing fee of $97.50 would be on top of the agreed upon price. Me: I can come up to $59,000 including all fees such as document processing, delivery, and whatever other extraneous charges there are. Devin The wheel locks come on the car it is not something that we add at the dealership. The price that I could do is $59,597.50. I think that is a phenomenal deal and believe that I am trying to earn your business. Let me know. Me Let's make this a December to Remember...$59,297.50 and you throw in a second set of charcoal floor mats, and a leather cleaning product or car care kit to seal the deal.
Next he faxed me a purchase order to sign and requested a $500 deposit. I emailed him the titling information. We finalized the deal on December 17th and he could have the car there for pickup on December 23. I didn’t want to get tagged with lux tax so I said no and why. He didn’t offer to pay the tax for me so I waited it out. He offered to have a salesperson drive the car 200 miles to where I live on January 2 so he could get the car off his books. I refused and waited for him to offer flatbedding it. He didn’t. I found out it only costs $400 to bring it to you anywhere in the country on a flatbed or on an enclosed trailer because they are so centrally located. They also do trade-in’s over the phone. They have you inspect your car while talking to them on a cell or cordless phone. They quote you the trade-in based on your being honest. If they get the car and it is not what you claimed, they adjust the trade-in value accordingly. They ship cars anywhere and all you are out if you refuse the car is the cost to bring it to you. They take your trade in back on the flatbed and that part of the deal gets finalized when they receive your car. (I sold my Camrey myself.) I chose to rent a car and drive it one way to pick up my own car. They will pick you up at the rental place (airport) and bring you to the dealership to get your car. It was a dream to drive it back. The NAV is super; the laser cruise control is to die for and the ML sound system is spectacular.
I saved $4,000 over what the local KC dealership quoted me despite the fact that I told the salesperson that I expected his quote to reflect the reality that I could shop anywhere in the country since we are now so electronically linked. Didn’t sink in. In fact, after I walked out, nobody ever called me to see if they could persuade me to rethink my position. The savings is actually more than $4,000 because I don’t have to pay the 7% sales tax on what I saved!
I made the comment about the declining reliability. The service manager at my dealership actually said that Lexus was "well aware" of MB's declining reliability. The dealer I use is large and also sells Jaguars, MB's and other exotics though not BMW. He sells the Jags right next to his Lexus dealership and services them in a building next to the Lexus service center - both of which are at different sites than the dealerships. I didn't say it at the time of the post but when I was in there he had a bunch of Jags being serviced in the Lexus shop. I asked why that was the case and he smiled and said Jags need a lot of service. The Jag service center overflows pretty often apparently. The ironic thing is that there are less Lexus cars in for service than Jags even though they outsell the Jags at this dealership 15:1
By the way - I'm right there with you when it comes to satisfaction - this car is fabulous.
I am probably going to sell my '01 Impala LS and step back into a RWD car.
I think I have settled on a '95 or '96 LS 400 because of the redesign and the increase in rear legroom.
I am guessing I will end up spending somewhere between 12-15k which will also get me a lower payment than what I have now and will leave something for repairs.
What should I look for as far as problem areas? I have been told that a A/C repair is about 2K. Any other issues I should know about?
Also should I go for a private party sale or buy from a dealer that has probalby gotten the car at an auction?
I got on clublexus.com and found some useful info. They have convinced me to stay away from the '95. ECM troubles cause shifting probs and there is some additional electrical issues that go along with it that may be expensive. Front seats seem to be a problem area also. They tend to warp and have actuator issues.
2001 LS 430--Had the front brakes done about 5000 miles ago. I have developed an intermittant high pitched squeal when stopping when the braking demands are very light, eg.g creeping along in traffic; does not squeal in a normal stop and cruise configuration. Any thoughts.
HI GUYS. ENJOY THE INFO ON THIS BOARD AND THOUGHT I WOULD PROVIDE PURCHASE INFO IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED. DEAL WAS NO TRADE-IN. CHECKED A LOT OF DEALERS IN GA,AL AND FL. THIS WAS THE BEST DEAL I COULD FIND IN MONTGOMERY,AL: 03 LS 430 UL ASH TRAY KIT GOLD PACKAGE TOUCH-UP KIT TRUNK MAT WHEEL LOCKS CHROME WHEELS $68,000 + TAX ORDERED CAR 12 OCT AND CAR TO BE DELIVERED NEXT WEEK. WILL KEEP YOU POSTED. RON
Final Update - I picked up my LS Friday after the new rear differential was installed. Vcheng, to answer your question, they checked the fluid level but didn't seem to want to look at the unit any further. They were going to ship the orginal unit back to corporate Lexus. Whine sound is gone.......we'll see how it runs from here.........
I also have a 2001 LS430 and did experienced brake squeal twice. They happened some months apart. The noise sounded like a grinding noise, like a small piece of rock gets caught between the brake pad and the rotor being pressed against each other when I stepped on the brake. Since then I tried to step on the brake at low & high speed trying to reproduce the noise but I had no luck. What brake service have you done? Changing the brake pads? How many miles do you have at the time the brake service was performed? I have about 14000 miles on mine.
Front brakes only replaced at 22000 miles, so far. Perhaps it is the rear ones that are now squealing. The interesting thing is that it is the low braking pressures that casue the squeal.
I have the same problem on my 2002. For the growl sound, they replace the wheel bearing and the caliper bolts. Apparently a notice went out to Lexus to replace those bolts if customers complained about the growl. I still have the high pitched squeal when I am at stop lights. Lexus has changes the pads and cleaned them. It usually depends on the humidity if I hear it or not.
P.S. People close to warranty expiration. My dealer told me that Lexus will authorize warranty work to repeat buyers or good customers even when it expires (within reason). The dealer can do up to 3K, but they call lexus for additional authorization.
Not at all unusual for new pads. Chamfering the leading and trailing edges of the pads will help.
Lots of Porsche owners put highly aggressive pads on for track, LOUD squealing, with low braking forces. Softer, less aggressive and quieter pads for street.
42k miles on my Dunlops and its time for new ones. I've decided to go with the Michelin MXV4 Plus in a day or two. The Dunlops are whisper quiet and I hope the Michelins are the same. My 98 LS400 had Michelins and they were great but I don't remember which ones. I know others on the board have said the MXV4 Plus are great tires. For those who have them are they real quiet and how satisfied are you? Anyone know the difference between the Energy MXV4 Plus and the MXV4 Plus?
Blerlich - if you're out there are these the tires you went with? If not - which?
flint350 - a few "must read" stories in today's NY Times science section. Happy New Year buddy - how are you doing?
Perhaps I had a smooth talking tire salesman, but I went into the tire shop ready to purchase a set of MXV4Plus (I have over 30,000 miles on the original summer Dunlops and hate the lack of traction in snow/ice), but he talked me into something with a higher speed rating and smoother ride than the MXV4Plus. Ended up ordering Michelin's Pilot Sport All/Season tires. They should be in within a week.
The higher speed rating usually means more noise, a bit rougher ride and lower tread life. I'd be surprised if they ride smoother. I am passing on the higher speed rated MXV4 Plus and going with the HR rated ones.
Before you buy an A/S tire drive a new LS430 with summer tires and one with A/S, you'll be astounded at how quiet the summer tires are in comparison.
I'm in the process of putting Bridgestone re730's on my 01 C4 to get rid of the contisport NOISE. I put Michellins on my 99 for quietness and basically had no complaint over the horribly noisy Pirellis they replaced.
I have 02 LS430 with approx 13,000 miles and factory Dunlops. At the 10,000 service I complained of low speed brake squeal--the dealership (Park Place, Plano, TX) said "No Problem Found" I still have the brake squeal, is there a service bulletin I should refer to or something special I should tell the advisor in order to get this fixed? Also, what should I use on the tires in order to keep them black--everything I have tried is thrown on the side panels of the car and has to be wiped-off. I hate having a clean car with dirty looking tires.
Is new, different brake pads. Or go back to the dealer and ask them to chamfer the leading and trailing edges of the brake pads, at least worth a try and any Lexus dealer should at least be willing to make this type of minimum effort to keep a customer happy.
Dozens of products to "refresh" the tire black, none of them should be driven until completely dry.
I'm out here....I went with the Pilot Sport/All Seasons...they are great on both dry and wet roads. I'm currently riding on Nokian WS+2 tires for the winter, by far the best winter tires I've ever used.
I have driven on snow for years and in various different type of Lexus machines. Today, I took the LS430 for it's first snow day. I have the high performance 17 inch wheels. The car did great, handled turns very well and the VSC did a fantastic job (when I forced it into a sharp turn for tests). The only notable complaint is stopping distance. I am very familiar with how to stop with anti-locks, but they didn't do a great job as on my GS400. I really had to plan ahead of my stops, but that is part of driving on snow.
After doing some research on tirerack.com I had decided on the Bridgestone Turanzas that wwest noted over the Michelins. But I couldn't find them anywhere. My second choice was the pilots that blehrlich noted but I could'nt find them either. I wasn't crazy about the reviews that I read on tirerack about the Michelin MXV4 plus tires either. In the end I went with the Dunlop SP sport 5000's - z rated. The sales guy assured me they would be quiet and provide a great ride. I drove the car 250 miles today on business and was totally satisfied. The interior was just as quiet as before and the ride was great. The grip and handling was noticably improved and the way the car negotiated curves felt more like my business partners euro suspension. The only trade off was that bumps in the road were somewhat more harsh than on the oem dunlops.
Anyone else have these tires? My initial reaction is that I am quite satisfied with them and would recommend them.
ABS is actually detrimental, increases stopping distances on unpacked snow (or sand and gravel).
In most circumstances ABS will actually INCREASE your stopping distance, its there primarily to keep your tires rolling, thereby allowing your to maintain directional control.
One of these daze some bright young Japanese engineer, who hasn't yet learned to keep his head down, will realize that ABS should only be activated if the VSC system determines that loss of directional control is emminant.
I paid just under $200 each, out the door including all the CA state disposal fees and taxes, for my Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus tires. After one month of use I believe the Dunlops are quieter. The Michelin tires have a more aggressive siping. Good for wet weather but they add to the noise level at the higher pitches. I can notice this difference only because Lexus LS is so quiet. I used cables on the rear tires and the ECT Snow mode in the snow in the Sierra Nevada over the holiday. The combination worked well by almost eliminating tire spinning. Still RWD cannot compare with FWD, 4WD or AWD.
Hi, and happy new year to you/yours also. Doing great (except I just learned I need arthroscopic knee surgery on my rt. knee). Car is also great (yawn....big surprise). Getting ready to take it on a 3000 mile adventure south to Florida for a couple weeks starting Monday. Originally planned on several days around Sanibel/Captiva, but changed to Islamorada for that portion of the trip. Didn't you have a good recommendation in Captiva?? Found some nice, if pricey, places in St. Augustine and Islamorada.
This will be my longest trip in the car since I bought it. Ought to tell me a lot (more likely, nothing I didn't already know).
As an aside, saw a "letter to editor" piece in one of the local papers here from a former(?) contributor to this board - feverhart. Haven't seen much of him around here lately. Of course, I've been pretty quiet too. Take care and I'll try to read the NY Times before I go.
Admittedly, FWD is an absolutely excellent choice on high traction surfaces. But they can become extremely HAZARDOUS, virtually instantly on adverse roadbed conditions. You'll do fine until you need to slow or stop the vehicle quickly on that slippery stuff, especially downhill, then you'll find yourself entering the "twilight zone".
Never, NEVER, put chains or tire studs only on the front of ANY vehicle. Substantially more roadbed traction on the front vs the rear can you get you in trouble in these conditions in a big HURRY!
As I have said before, when I travel in the wintertime I NEVER rent a FWD vehicle, I value my life and my passengers lives a bit too highly to put them at such great risk.
Be very glad that was a RWD vehicle you put those cable chains on the rear of, may have saved your life.
Have a great time. I was in Naples and Long Boat Key in consecutive years and thoroughly enjoyed both vacations. I almost bought property on Long Boat Key - that's how much I loved it. Now I may want to buy land there even more so - as a business I have a 20% equity stake in may buy out a business in Sarasota and I'm driving the deal.
As usual - watch your speed. I hope you got that radar working. I remember you were having problems hooking it up. You don't feel the speed in this car.
By the way I'm still going to get my hands on the SC430. I put everything off until my leases are over. I just have too much going on right now on a business level. But if I need three vehicles I'm envisioning the LS (I may buy out my wife's silver one or re-up on a 2004) the SC and either the LX or GX. I have no intention of looking at the Europeans in 2004. Perfection is impossible to beat and Lexus has provided it in 5 different cars since 95.
Wife and I are flying to Memphis on the 28th and driving our 99 996 C2 to Daytona for the 24 hour race (not racing, sponsoring teamseattle's two Lola/Nissans), then over to Tampa to visit relatives.
No radar detector.
Although I remain a big fan of Lexus, already have an RX330 on order, I do hate the looks of the SC430, I would even consider buying an SL500 before one of those.
And I wouldn't be so quick to denigrate european builds over Lexus, just have a look at the new Porsche C4S.
Sorry - but I love the SC430 in every way. I also love the SL500 but its not worth the extra $35k. Porsche's are far too problematic cars for me and I prefer luxury over sport anyway.
Own a 78 Targa and I think, with the new 996, the problematic issues with Porsche have gone away, hopefully forever (disregarding the Cayenne, of course).
My 01 C4 is just about as "luxurious" as the LS430, if not moreso and with an interior much easier on the eye than that seemingly thrown together, "a little of this and a little of that", SC430.
Porsche also seems to know how to properly defog/demist a windshield, and keep it defogged, something Lexus has yet to learn. When was the last time you got into a Lexus on a fairly cold day and had it start to blow cool dry airflow to your face and upper body,? Discomforting, isn't it?
Someone needs to teach Lexus about human comfort factors with regards radiant heating/cooling from our "surround".
Don't get me wrong - I think Porsche's are great cars. They are just not for me. I had a 944 many years ago and it was loaded with problems. I lost a lot of respect for Porsche because of that car. Don't blame Porsche for the Cayenne. They almost went bankrupt in the early 90's because people stopped buying sports cars and they had nothing else to offer. They are still reeling from that and 9/11 must have scared them a lot.
I've never had the a/c blower problem you speak of. My a/c and defroster units over the years have been superb. I am amazed how fast the car cools down on a hot summer day. On my LS430 I find that setting the temperature at 70 or 71 on a frigid morning actually results in the car getting too hot. The moment the air comes out it is warm. I find myself lowering the temperature to cool it down - sometimes all the way to the lowest setting for a brief time. I've found the trick is to set the temperature around 68 on such mornings and then elevate it to 70 after a while. I can't ever remember a fogged up window. Maybe when I had a hot pizza in the car.
Just got back after New Years day from a 790 mile trip from Columbus, GA in less than 12 hours. Lexus needs to put on some sort of speed limiting device (other than the 133 mph). The car is sooo smooth that it gives no sensation of speed.
A note of warning on your trip south. Watch the smokies in SC. They are in plain cars of almost any make imaginable. Keep your Valentine on and beware of any car gaining on you from behind.
What I'm referring to is the propensity of the automatic mode of the Lexus Climate control system to switch to "cooling" mode, cool and dry airflow to the face and upper body, once the system determines that the cabin "atmosphere" is at, or within a few degrees of setpoint.
Air temperature alone is a minor portion of the human body's comfort equation, especially in the wintertime. Driving along at night in the wintertime your body is getting very little radiant heat "gain" from your "surround" while radiating tons of it, heat, away.
I know it's quite a simple matter to manually over-ride the system back into the footwell, heating, mode, but it's still a needless distraction and a nuisance.
wwest, what (if you don't mind the personal ?) do you do for a living/background to be so technically informed/oriented on most of these issues from tires, to air circulation, etc etc.? Just curious.
ljflx, I'll look into Longboat and I am taking some of my astronomy equip. with me for use in Islamorada. My laptop has a good astronomy program and I have a small computer on the 8" Celestron to locate objects. It will probably be the best "seeing" conditions I've had in quite a while, with little or no ambient light pollution.
feverhart, good to see you're still around and, yes, the ole Valentine is up and running well. As for that "letter-editor" in the Sun, well....I guess we can agree wholely on Lexus and disagree vehemently on other issues.
Comments
I suspect the only thing that will change my mind is a new and significantly improved LS. I'm pleased 2002 and 2003 presented no real changes. But I have to think they will do something in 2004. But its way too early to discuss the next generation. 2006 makes more sense for that.
Someone made the point that Lexus is aware of Mercedes declining service record and acceptance of BMW's 7 Series. I for one will no longer consider MB even though I like the new E. I see MB as Daimler-Chrysler, now.
BMW's new 7 has some interesting concepts. Many of which I might like. (Even the iDrive.) But I think they need polishing up. Their NAV isn't good either. Lexus has the best NAV around according to Popular Science, but I remain annoyed they want $600 for a DVD update.
What month in 2000 did you pick up your 2001 LS?
I own a 2001 S500, I know exactly what declining quality means.
I also drove the new 7 on a few occasions now. It's not as smooth and quiet as the LS, and does not drive as sporty as my S class. The 7 also feels like a BIG car, while both the LS and S feels "in control" and manageable.
Haven't driven the E yet, but the new 2004 E55 looks very very interesting.
Thanks for the advice,
Scott in Florida
Thanks for your opinion -- Renny
My LS has an few rattles in the driver door and the center dash.
So I guess the relentless pursuit of perfection is a work in progress, and while better than many out there, still not perfect.
Please continue to post back.
Now it's:
"The Passionate Pursuit of Perfection"
Lost the connotation of never getting there!
Dealership: Reliable Lexus in Springfield, MO
Contact: Devin Stotts, Sales Manager
dstotts@vtaig.com
Car: Custom LS 430 with chrome wheels and Premium Gold package (includes the insignia on the wheels) with “mandatory” options of wheel locks and trunk carpet
Deal Devin: $65,717.00 w/o Lexus Link your price $61,366.00
Me: We need to negotiate more on the price. How close to $58,000 can you come? (I had calculated from Kelley Blue Book an invoice of $56,430 equipped as I wanted it without the “mandatory” options.)
Devin Considering I don't have this particular unit in stock I think the pricing is pretty aggressive. However I could better the deal and get you in it for $60,500.00 of course our document processing fee of $97.50 would be on top of the agreed upon price.
Me: I can come up to $59,000 including all fees such as document processing, delivery, and whatever other extraneous charges there are.
Devin The wheel locks come on the car it is not something that we add at the dealership. The price that I could do is $59,597.50. I think that is a phenomenal deal and believe that I am trying to earn your business. Let me know.
Me Let's make this a December to Remember...$59,297.50 and you throw in a second set of charcoal floor mats, and a leather cleaning product or car care kit to seal the deal.
Next he faxed me a purchase order to sign and requested a $500 deposit. I emailed him the titling information. We finalized the deal on December 17th and he could have the car there for pickup on December 23. I didn’t want to get tagged with lux tax so I said no and why. He didn’t offer to pay the tax for me so I waited it out. He offered to have a salesperson drive the car 200 miles to where I live on January 2 so he could get the car off his books. I refused and waited for him to offer flatbedding it. He didn’t. I found out it only costs $400 to bring it to you anywhere in the country on a flatbed or on an enclosed trailer because they are so centrally located. They also do trade-in’s over the phone. They have you inspect your car while talking to them on a cell or cordless phone. They quote you the trade-in based on your being honest. If they get the car and it is not what you claimed, they adjust the trade-in value accordingly. They ship cars anywhere and all you are out if you refuse the car is the cost to bring it to you. They take your trade in back on the flatbed and that part of the deal gets finalized when they receive your car. (I sold my Camrey myself.) I chose to rent a car and drive it one way to pick up my own car. They will pick you up at the rental place (airport) and bring you to the dealership to get your car. It was a dream to drive it back. The NAV is super; the laser cruise control is to die for and the ML sound system is spectacular.
I saved $4,000 over what the local KC dealership quoted me despite the fact that I told the salesperson that I expected his quote to reflect the reality that I could shop anywhere in the country since we are now so electronically linked. Didn’t sink in. In fact, after I walked out, nobody ever called me to see if they could persuade me to rethink my position. The savings is actually more than $4,000 because I don’t have to pay the 7% sales tax on what I saved!
By the way - I'm right there with you when it comes to satisfaction - this car is fabulous.
mounted radio controls on the ls400 look like,
their function and where they are mounted?
I think I have settled on a '95 or '96 LS 400 because of the redesign and the increase in rear legroom.
I am guessing I will end up spending somewhere between 12-15k which will also get me a lower payment than what I have now and will leave something for repairs.
What should I look for as far as problem areas? I have been told that a A/C repair is about 2K.
Any other issues I should know about?
Also should I go for a private party sale or buy from a dealer that has probalby gotten the car at an auction?
Actually, I am leaning towards a SC430 this week.
They have convinced me to stay away from the '95.
ECM troubles cause shifting probs and there is some additional electrical issues that go along with it that may be expensive.
Front seats seem to be a problem area also.
They tend to warp and have actuator issues.
Advice from you guys would be helpful.
This car has also been lowered 1 inch.
Enjoy!
http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?s=4e3216948f740078be553b5d4500d395&threadid=65941
03 LS 430 UL
ASH TRAY KIT
GOLD PACKAGE
TOUCH-UP KIT
TRUNK MAT
WHEEL LOCKS
CHROME WHEELS
$68,000 + TAX
ORDERED CAR 12 OCT AND CAR TO BE DELIVERED NEXT WEEK.
WILL KEEP YOU POSTED.
RON
I still have a rattle in the driver's door and also in the dash. I will plan on getting those looked at at some point.
brake squeal twice. They happened some months
apart. The noise sounded like a grinding noise,
like a small piece of rock gets caught between
the brake pad and the rotor being pressed against
each other when I stepped on the brake. Since
then I tried to step on the brake at low & high
speed trying to reproduce the noise but I had no
luck. What brake service have you done? Changing
the brake pads? How many miles do you have at the
time the brake service was performed? I have
about 14000 miles on mine.
P.S. People close to warranty expiration. My dealer told me that Lexus will authorize warranty work to repeat buyers or good customers even when it expires (within reason). The dealer can do up to 3K, but they call lexus for additional authorization.
Lots of Porsche owners put highly aggressive pads on for track, LOUD squealing, with low braking forces. Softer, less aggressive and quieter pads for street.
Blerlich - if you're out there are these the tires you went with? If not - which?
flint350 - a few "must read" stories in today's NY Times science section. Happy New Year buddy - how are you doing?
Congratulations to the people who produce and drive these fine automobiles
Before you buy an A/S tire drive a new LS430 with summer tires and one with A/S, you'll be astounded at how quiet the summer tires are in comparison.
I'm in the process of putting Bridgestone re730's on my 01 C4 to get rid of the contisport NOISE. I put Michellins on my 99 for quietness and basically had no complaint over the horribly noisy Pirellis they replaced.
Dozens of products to "refresh" the tire black, none of them should be driven until completely dry.
Anyone else have these tires? My initial reaction is that I am quite satisfied with them and would recommend them.
In most circumstances ABS will actually INCREASE your stopping distance, its there primarily to keep your tires rolling, thereby allowing your to maintain directional control.
One of these daze some bright young Japanese engineer, who hasn't yet learned to keep his head down, will realize that ABS should only be activated if the VSC system determines that loss of directional control is emminant.
Turanza 225/60-16 LS-H = $109
Turanza 225/60-16 LS-V = $125
Turanza 225/60-16 LS-Z = $139
Turanza 225/60-16 ER33 = $132 (OEM)
225/55-17, ER33 $139, EL42 $161
Tirerack shows high availibility for all except the EL42 = low.
Strange
I used cables on the rear tires and the ECT Snow mode in the snow in the Sierra Nevada over the holiday. The combination worked well by almost eliminating tire spinning. Still RWD cannot compare with FWD, 4WD or AWD.
This will be my longest trip in the car since I bought it. Ought to tell me a lot (more likely, nothing I didn't already know).
As an aside, saw a "letter to editor" piece in one of the local papers here from a former(?) contributor to this board - feverhart. Haven't seen much of him around here lately. Of course, I've been pretty quiet too. Take care and I'll try to read the NY Times before I go.
Never, NEVER, put chains or tire studs only on the front of ANY vehicle. Substantially more roadbed traction on the front vs the rear can you get you in trouble in these conditions in a big HURRY!
As I have said before, when I travel in the wintertime I NEVER rent a FWD vehicle, I value my life and my passengers lives a bit too highly to put them at such great risk.
Be very glad that was a RWD vehicle you put those cable chains on the rear of, may have saved your life.
As usual - watch your speed. I hope you got that radar working. I remember you were having problems hooking it up. You don't feel the speed in this car.
By the way I'm still going to get my hands on the SC430. I put everything off until my leases are over. I just have too much going on right now on a business level. But if I need three vehicles I'm envisioning the LS (I may buy out my wife's silver one or re-up on a 2004) the SC and either the LX or GX. I have no intention of looking at the Europeans in 2004. Perfection is impossible to beat and Lexus has provided it in 5 different cars since 95.
No radar detector.
Although I remain a big fan of Lexus, already have an RX330 on order, I do hate the looks of the SC430, I would even consider buying an SL500 before one of those.
And I wouldn't be so quick to denigrate european builds over Lexus, just have a look at the new Porsche C4S.
My 01 C4 is just about as "luxurious" as the LS430, if not moreso and with an interior much easier on the eye than that seemingly thrown together, "a little of this and a little of that", SC430.
Porsche also seems to know how to properly defog/demist a windshield, and keep it defogged, something Lexus has yet to learn. When was the last time you got into a Lexus on a fairly cold day and had it start to blow cool dry airflow to your face and upper body,? Discomforting, isn't it?
Someone needs to teach Lexus about human comfort factors with regards radiant heating/cooling from our "surround".
I've never had the a/c blower problem you speak of. My a/c and defroster units over the years have been superb. I am amazed how fast the car cools down on a hot summer day. On my LS430 I find that setting the temperature at 70 or 71 on a frigid morning actually results in the car getting too hot. The moment the air comes out it is warm. I find myself lowering the temperature to cool it down - sometimes all the way to the lowest setting for a brief time. I've found the trick is to set the temperature around 68 on such mornings and then elevate it to 70 after a while. I can't ever remember a fogged up window. Maybe when I had a hot pizza in the car.
Just got back after New Years day from a 790 mile trip from Columbus, GA in less than 12 hours. Lexus needs to put on some sort of speed limiting device (other than the 133 mph). The car is sooo smooth that it gives no sensation of speed.
A note of warning on your trip south. Watch the smokies in SC. They are in plain cars of almost any make imaginable. Keep your Valentine on and beware of any car gaining on you from behind.
Have a good trip.
Air temperature alone is a minor portion of the human body's comfort equation, especially in the wintertime. Driving along at night in the wintertime your body is getting very little radiant heat "gain" from your "surround" while radiating tons of it, heat, away.
I know it's quite a simple matter to manually over-ride the system back into the footwell, heating, mode, but it's still a needless distraction and a nuisance.
Just curious.
ljflx, I'll look into Longboat and I am taking some of my astronomy equip. with me for use in Islamorada. My laptop has a good astronomy program and I have a small computer on the 8" Celestron to locate objects. It will probably be the best "seeing" conditions I've had in quite a while, with little or no ambient light pollution.
feverhart, good to see you're still around and, yes, the ole Valentine is up and running well. As for that "letter-editor" in the Sun, well....I guess we can agree wholely on Lexus and disagree vehemently on other issues.
Take care all.