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Lexus GS 300/GS 430

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Comments

  • kvd2pallakvd2palla Member Posts: 29
    Thanks for the info and update. Unfortunately...I brought mine in for the same thing and they applied the ..I assume... the TSB...and it still creeks!!!. Not just that they had to replace my dashboard due the one of the front defogger vents (r-side) warped upward. The messed up thing of this 1 year ordeal of dealing with creek and rattles, while I was driving home that night I heard a rumbling by my feet....I found a bolt rolling around on my mat!!!! I wonder why that bolt is not in it's hole!!!! The only good thing is that my dash is finally quite, just have to wait for the winter for the real test. I am also wondering if the technicians actually know how to fix these issues or are they learning as they go?

    I too am suprised that Lexus would let an interior so loud and plagued with flaws off the assembly line. The funny thing is ....alot of people are waiting for the GS350, I am wondering if Lexus even accounted for the additional torque load of the car with the interior? The 350 may be even worse off than the 300.
  • bdkinnhbdkinnh Member Posts: 292
    I am wondering if Lexus even accounted for the additional torque load of the car with the interior?

    If they didn't bother testing the GS300 well in cold climates, I doubt they tested the increased torque.
  • bdkinnhbdkinnh Member Posts: 292
    Posting this in case anyone is interested: http://www.logjamelectronics.com/soundauxlex.html

    I haven't bought it and don't plan to (mostly listen to news on XM), but thought others may be interested.

    FYI: Removing the center console to hook this up is pretty easy.
  • felke001felke001 Member Posts: 33
    Looking at AWD sports sedans (A6 quattro, 530xi, etc.) and would be interested in the GS but the 300 w/ AWD seems underpowered.

    I understand that the 350 is coming out sometime this fall--does anyone have a better idea of when?
  • bartalk3bartalk3 Member Posts: 692
    GS350 will arrive late August-early September, according to a California dealer.
  • valueguyvalueguy Member Posts: 208
    Do you have an idea on price increase? When will the 460 be available? Quality wise (not price or HP) is the GS350 a better car than a 2007 MB E350? MB has the bugs worked out of the E Class and prices are more competitive these days.
  • philycarbuyerphilycarbuyer Member Posts: 3
    does anyone know if i buy a gs300 awd without navigation, can the dealer add it on site? or can you only get it from the factory?
  • donbldonbl Member Posts: 42
    It is a factory option.

    If you take any trips or go to places for the first time, buy it. The GPS on my 300GS is great. Used on a family trip and it completely removed all the hassle and arguments a man and wife can have. In town, whenever we are going to somewhere for the first time, we use it - same result.

    You should be getting a BIG discount on a GS right now.
  • philycarbuyerphilycarbuyer Member Posts: 3
    thanks for the response. i found a dealer that has gs300 awd WITHOUT navigation. it is a loaner car with 15k on it, but is certified for 3yrs or 100k. dealer offered to sell it for $39,000. i dont think thats good enough
  • donbldonbl Member Posts: 42
    In January, when I bought our GS300RWD, Lexus gave a discount of 10% off MSRP on a fully tricked out GS300 ($53K MSRP).

    Not sure what they are selling for now but should be better than that.

    It now has 6000 miles and has been a very good car. Love the GPS,XM and bluetooth connection to phone. Rest of the gadgets? Well, the ML radio is not as good as the 2000 Jag. Other stuff such as parking radar, rear screen, sun roof and the other stuff almost never get used.
  • philycarbuyerphilycarbuyer Member Posts: 3
    thanks for the info. dealer quoted new price of $38,500. still dont think the price is low enough. will look for one loaded up then i can justify the price! 07 will be out very soon.
  • dc661dc661 Member Posts: 71
    To anyone with the ventilated seat option, is the air cooled in any way or is it just blowing cabin temperature air? I've been in an M35 with cooled seats and it definitely had a cooling effect. Curious about the GS seats and ventilated option. (Until I get to a dealer)
  • donbldonbl Member Posts: 42
    they are cool and comfortable in the texas 100F days this summer.

    Not sure, but I suspect it is the cabin air.
  • janeg2janeg2 Member Posts: 22
    Does anyone know a source for an installation kit so that I can have an XM radio (received as a gift) put in my GS 300 (2006)?

    At the time of purchase of the car, the dealer wanted over $600 for this and that seemed excessive.

    Jane
  • vchengvcheng Member Posts: 1,284
    It may be worth your while to order the original Lexus parts from them, and have them installed by your local stereo shop. The kit itself is plug and play.

    Alternatively, please look at www.vaistech.com for third part choices, including Sirius and iPod integration kits.
  • janeg2janeg2 Member Posts: 22
    Thanks so much for the quick reply. I'll work on those suggestions.
  • bmwconvertbmwconvert Member Posts: 75
    I've had my car (a 2007 GS450h) in to the dealer twice now, imploring them to adjust my low beam HID's so that they illuminate a greater distance. I find my natural focus point to be just beyond where these lights shine. The dealer claims the lights were to the factory specs, although tried to raise them a bit (I didn't notice at all).

    I recall Consumer Reports saying that the GS had poor low beam lighting, but I couldn't imagine it would be this bad. Do others agree? The dealer gave me a new RX as a loaner, and the difference was huge. The RX's low beam HID's are far brighter, broader and farther ahead compared to the GS, and are similar to what I've seen in other cars with HID's.

    I put in a complaint with Lexus today on the 800-25-LEXUS number. They are sending a specialist out to my dealer to take a look.

    I'm curious to hear what others think. I believe Lexus needs to address the problem. I feel it's beyond annoyance and bordering on dangerous.
  • bdkinnhbdkinnh Member Posts: 292
    No problem here on my 2006 GS300. In fact, mine is better than my Dad's Audi A8 (as far as the headlights go, anyway).
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    The low beams must be aimed such that at 25 feet the beam "center" is just below the vertical height of the light beam source. So of course the RX series will have better low beam coverage than your GS series and my 996 C4.

    The problem arises from the comparison of the older incandescent lamps and the new HID lamps. The incandescent lamps were not very BRIGHT in comparison to the HIDs so the FEDs have mandated a much sharper cutoff point for HIDs so they do not interfere with the forward vision of oncoming drivers.

    Regrettably the earlier HID implementations did not have these more severe restrictions nor does all those aftermarket HID kits to which some of us would like to take a hammer and SMASH each and every one.

    Seems to me that a good solution would be to have one HID headlamp and one incandescent headlamp.

    Or instead of the "sharp", definitive, low beam "high" cutoff "shade" how about a "progressive" cutoff, allow some level of beam "penetration" progressively less and less upward beam coverage?

    "Fuzzy" low beam HID cutoff...?
  • bmwconvertbmwconvert Member Posts: 75
    wwest, thanks for the insights. One question though: how can vehicle height effect low beam performance? I thought that all vehicles have to have the lighting within a certain bounds. When I've gone through the motor vehicle dept checks, I thought they only compare the light beam to a fixed mark, not adjusting for the vehicle height. My assumption was taller vehicles pointed their lights down at an appropriate angle to be legal.

    Your comment about earlier HID implementations makes sense. My 2001 BMW 530's low beams were far superior to the GS -- more on par with how the RX looked.

    We've all been on the opposite side of these lights, so surely they should be set to blinding. However I'm troubled by how mine work where I am regularly looking beyond the lights, even at below highway speeds.

    My hope is that there's something wrong with my particular HID's, but after two checks at the dealer, I'm afraid not.

    My last recourse is a specialist from Lexus who is following up on the problem. I'll post the outcome when I find out.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    The low beam "range" adjustment, at least everywhere I have seen it documented, does not compensate for above ground distance, just degrees of declination. That makes sense to me since in order to get the "range" of an over the road tractor/trailer rig my Porsche's low beams would have to be slanted upward, right into oncoming driver's eyes.
  • chucko3chucko3 Member Posts: 793
    Got my 2007 GS350 last week. I noticed the same problem.
    And I thought the HIDs are correctly aligned.
    Then I found other people complained about this issue.

    It's a potential problem if one drives on a dark street and
    there is a parked car on the street. If one's speeding, he/she may not have enough time to avoid it.

    In the manual, it says you can adjust the low beam
    vertically or horizontally. But I am not going to do it since it's a brand new car. I will give my dealer service
    a call next week to see what they say. In the mean time, I
    will turn on my high beam on when I am on a dark road & no other cars around.

    If they can raise my GS HIDs' beam higher, it may blind
    the oncoming drivers. Then I will be seeing a lot of
    their flashing headlights. That might be why Lexus keeps their HIDs low. But I think it's too low.

    Please post the outcome when you have it.
    Thanks.
  • janeg2janeg2 Member Posts: 22
    vcheng-

    We have had the local stereo shop install XM radio with the device from vais technology as suggested. The shop insisted that it had to run through the DVD system and use the multidisc screen to operate it.(this is the first of its kind they have installed in a GS300). We activated XM today but cannot get the interface to work except for skipping ten channels at a time. Also, curiously, all FM stations and the XM stations have intermittent skips during the music since the installation.

    Any ideas that might help us address these problems?
  • bmwconvertbmwconvert Member Posts: 75
    Glad to see I'm not alone with this. I am following up with Lexus because I think this problem qualifies as a defect that should result in a recall and repair.
    I've been in numerous other vehicles with HID's, including Lexus RX's and LS's, and none of them have the problem. Their lights are all bright, wide, and appropriately far without blinding oncoming drivers.
    I encourage other owners who are experiencing this problem to complain to Lexus at 800-25-LEXUS (Araceli Salceda is the representative who's handling my case, although there's been no response as of yet).
  • chucko3chucko3 Member Posts: 793
    Does anyone know if the GS300 uses the same HID lenses?
    If it does, Lexus should have numerous complains by now.
  • sst2sst2 Member Posts: 2
    I just purchsed a pre-owned with less than 5,000 miles. At the moment no owners manual. Not sure everythings works because I don't know how to use most options - i.e., rear window shade. Any idea where I can get a manual cheap? Also, is it possible to buy a ML system from a salvage yard?
  • newgsnewgs Member Posts: 29
    sst2,
    Can you share how much you paid for your pre-owned 06 GS and what options are in the car? Did you get it from a dealer and is it dealer-certified? Or did you buy from a private seller? Thanks......
  • sst2sst2 Member Posts: 2
    Paid under $37,000. Has nav, spoiler, rear shade. Purchased from an MBZ dealer who took on trade. It's perfect, in and out. I will never buy a used car from a dealer again. Horrible experience. Not certified.
  • lawaiilawaii Member Posts: 7
    I was in the process of replacing my BMW530i with a new GS350 when I came upon your posting of this headlight problem. I called Lexus Customer Service to find out if they acknowledged the problem and were fixing it. The woman I spoke to knew of Araceli Salceda but said I could not talk to her. The woman said there was nothing on record about such a headlight problem with the GSs but that I could be assured that if such a problem existed that Lexus would correct it.
    I was then transferred to an automated system to track caller satisfaction. When I gave the call a low satisfaction rating (their 1st question), they skipped the rest of the questions and said "thank you, good by". Seems like they only wanted to hear from satisfied customers.
    If anyone had more information about this problem and/or Lexus' response concerning the problem, I sure would like to hear about it. If nothing else, this is going to cause me to have to take a second test drive, this time after dark.
  • argeliusargelius Member Posts: 64
    Is GS's Dash due for a technology facelift?
    I fear I am losing my proverbial erection over this car. I went to the Chicago AutoShow yesterday and checked out the other Lexus sedans: the LS, IS , and ES all have an AUX input. I threw out my cassette tapes long ago, so that's sort of useless in the GS.

    I'm guessing that the GS must be due for a dash overhaul. Maybe for '08? Anyone have any ideas about this?
  • mm9351mm9351 Member Posts: 72
    Hey SST2; here is a way to get a FREE owners manual. Go to lexus.com, register your Lexus VIN number, and you'll have free access to your complete onwer's manual on-line! I use it all the time (even though I have the printed manual) I don't have to dig it out. You can even download the PDF files and save to your computer or CD-ROM. There are live links on the table of contents. Also you can use the SEARCH feature on-line to get the information you need quickly.

    Have fun!
  • amf1932amf1932 Member Posts: 79
    I don't think that you can get any information on a 2008 GS as of yet since this model hasn't been released to the general public. :)
  • jmattsonlvjmattsonlv Member Posts: 1
    I just bought the '06 GS and have never been so happy with the technology in a car before. I think the '07 comes with the aux input standard, not positive, but you definately can add one onto the '06 pretty cheap. I've seen one on ebay that'll let you control your Ipod through the factory stereo, or there's one I've found, made by Vais, that'll let you add on a Satellite radio + give you an extra aux input so you can add on your ipod too.
  • lawaiilawaii Member Posts: 7
    I think it does, but am not 100% sure. How about the people who follow this board? Have any additional people with a 2006 GS300 or 2007 GS350 encountered the low-beam problem?
  • wbreaux1wbreaux1 Member Posts: 55
    Have a 2006 GS430 and I still love the car. The only thing I hate is the sunroof. Has anyone figured out how to work the controls? I'm never quite sure if it's closed or exactly how to close it. My wife has been driving the car and can't figure it out either. We have 2 other cars and the sunroof controls are so simple a 4 year old could operate them, but the 2 of us, with college degrees, can't figure this out. They made this 1000X harder than it has to be. If others can do it I'm beginning to think that maybe something's wrong with our car and I should take it in. thanks.
  • joelondon19joelondon19 Member Posts: 3
    My 2006 GS300 when using the CD player shows the title in alpha (letters). I have the Mark Levenson System.
  • joelondon19joelondon19 Member Posts: 3
    Get the M, I have the lexus GS300 and my son has the M. I am not happy with my Lexus, nothing but problems, the car makes wind sounds via the windows, it rides like a truck and I am always going to lexus with problems on the car

    Good Luck

    Joe
  • joelondon19joelondon19 Member Posts: 3
    Good luck with your 2006 GS300. I have had the car for 11 months and 6000 miles later, has lots of problems, drives like a truck. Makes lots of wind noise at 45 miles and up. Lots of car dash messages, low tire presure, beeps when in reverse when nothing is there. Had it back at lexus several times for the same. They replaced one of the rear sensors, recale the wheels and computer, same old, still has problems.
    Joe
  • umalum1990umalum1990 Member Posts: 9
    I have an '06 GS 300, purchased Sept '05. When doing my research on the car, Consmuer Reports had metioned that the HID's have a very sharp cut off, and did not go out too far, but were within proper range. I have noticed that ALL HIDs have a sharp cut off, just that some makes of cars "throw" the beam a bit further. I can do without HIDs on any future vehicle if the optionis there.
  • lawaiilawaii Member Posts: 7
    Thanks for the feedback. I spoke to a couple of GS350 owners who did not think the HID thing was a problem. Despite the non-responsive reply I received from the Lexus Website when I asked them about it, I went ahead and ordered an '07 GS350, I'm supposed to have it next week. I'll soon know whether or not it will be a problem for me.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    If the sharp low beam cutoff bothers you then you can disassemble the projector and drill a series of tiny holes in the shading "aperture" progressively farther and farther apart, or larger to smaller, much like the dotted sun shading you often find at the top of a windshield.

    Then you will have a more "soft" progression at the upward edge of the low beams and still not unduly interfere with oncoming driver's vision.
  • lawaiilawaii Member Posts: 7
    Thanks for the input --- for possible future use, (1) is the "shading aperture" shown anywhere on the Web, (2)does it take a special drill bit, and (3) what size bit would you recommend to make the "tiny" holes?

    I've had my new GS350 for a couple of weeks now. As described earlier by umalum, there is a very distinct cutoff, but the area covered seems much brighter and wider than the similar area covered by my BMW-530i and my wife's ES-300. So far, the low-beam lights have not been a problem for me except when approaching the beginning of a sharply inclined road. Until the front wheels get on that incline, I can't see anything that's even a few yards up the incline.

    I am really enjoying the car except for one thing. All of the dealers in this area (San Diego) order only GS350s with the optional 18" low-profile tires. It would take about four months to order a car from the factory with the standard 17" tires. The tires make my car very noisy on concrete freeways and, in certain areas, cause my car to go into the dreaded "freeway hop" --- I'll be looking for a solution to that problem sometime in the future.
  • hemsley1hemsley1 Member Posts: 21
    I am interested in the GS300, but I have a couple questions that maybe you guys can help me with. First, i do not like interiors of cars that have that "cockpit" feel (almost all the pontiacs have it). Does this car feel like that.

    Second, my brother has an 2004 ls430 and it is perfect for me, as far as the roominess is concerned. Does the interior in the front seats feel about as roomy as that, or does it seem substantially smaller?

    Anu insight is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
  • bdkinnhbdkinnh Member Posts: 292
    It sounds like the GS isn't a good bet for you. The cabin does feel a bit like a cockpit, and the space is a bit tight.

    The best thing to do is stop by a dealer and try it on for size yourself.
  • jodiek2jodiek2 Member Posts: 1
    Is it correct that a Lexus GS300 uses only premium gas? I was told you could use a medium grade gas.
  • bdkinnhbdkinnh Member Posts: 292
    You can use regular (manual even says so), but it is a false economy; the engine will self-adjust, and your gas milage could actually go down.

    Buying a GS and using regular is like buying a $20 cigar and then complaining about the price of matches.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    But will the FE decrease enough to "burn" the cost savings of purchasing regular vs preminum?

    If you're not of a teeny-bopper boy-racer mentality, not often asking maximum HP of the engine, 87 octane will put you ahead of the other guy money wise.
  • bdkinnhbdkinnh Member Posts: 292
    You'd spend this much on a car, and then try to pinch pennies at the pump? Hey, it's your car, do whatever you want... but you may want to read this.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Sorry, the information at that link, Cecil Adams, is not so much wrong as it is incomplete.

    Running regular fuel in a HIGH compression engine designed for premium is a lot like running a TOO LEAN mixture in a low compression engine designed for regular fuel. Timing could be perfect, absolutely optimal, but the lean mixture would still oftentimes result in compression knock.

    Back in the days of carburation the only option would have been to change the jets in the carb to get a richer mixture.

    NO MORE...!

    These days if the engine controlling ECU detects TDC(compression) knock/ping and the ignition is already optimized the ECU will simply enrich the mixture to alleviate the knock/ping.

    Obviously this will also work with a high compression engine designed for high octane but presently fueled with low octane.

    So the question becomes....

    Will the use of the richer mixture to overcome knock/ping overcome the economic advantage gained by purchasing the cheaper low octane fuel?

    NO.

    Provided you are not of the teeny-bopper boy-racer mentality and therefore are often in the WOT parametric realm. Absent a FULL charge, or nearly so, in the cylinders there will be no issue of TDC compression knocking.

    Which brings us nicely to the subject missed in the link.

    Knock/ping due to engine lugging.

    This is when the "back-load" on the piston is so high it cannot travel downward as fast as the flame front is expanding. Obviously any fuel, of any octane level can and will be subject to this and just as obviously ignition timing will play no part in this issue.

    But.

    Lower octane fuel (think diesel) contains more energy and therefore burns more "explosively", more rapidly advancing flame front, and therein lies the problem.

    Most modern day passenger vehicles have automatic transmissions so the controlling ECU executes a downshift if knock/ping is encountered in the parametric "region".

    With a manual/stick shift the only option, regardless of fuel octane in use, is to enrich the mixture slightly until the driver gets the "message".
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Why fuel a low compression engine designed to use regular fuel with premium?

    I would normally NEVER recommend this, but....

    Premium fuel has a lower energy level and therefore a slower advancing flamefront once ignited. That will allow a leaner WOT A/F mixture and still not incur compression knocking and lower the probability of incuring knock due to engine lugging.

    The above is dependent on the engine ECU continually "pushing" the parametric envelope and therefore "learning" of new effective parameters.

    Again, obviously, absent the "boy-racer" mentality....
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