hankinid

I talk to myself more or less daily. Sometimes I get an answer or 2, often not. :) Probably not a recall if the failure rate is low. On a forum like this, you're not going to hear about ML equipment continuing to work well...you'll only hear about the failures. OT...Necro thread, OP hasn't posted here since December of last year.

If none of the other illumination bulbs are out, your issue is a probably a fuse...it could also be a defective switch, but a bulb is FAR more likely. "lights on the adjustment buttons for the rear view mirrors"... A little switch...driver's side...lower portion of the dash. You press the buttons and the mirror things on the outside of the front doors move in and out and up and down...

My wife jumps and trains hunter-jumpers and their riders. She has custom saddles that are definitely NOT inexpensive...I'd guess between what are in the trailer tack room and the barn, she's spent enough on saddles to purchase a new LX. ;) She swears by glycerine and Steuben leather conditioner. As Retired Doc noted, threads like this usually quickly go nowhere...I can say, in my experience, the stuff my wife uses does an outstanding job...not only on saddles and tack but also on my '01 LX and '13 Cruiser. There's nothing particularly different between high-end auto leather products, and high end equestrian products but the packaging and marketing. Though generally, if it's horse-related, it's typically pricier than car-related. If you've got a spare or 2 or 3 days, go to auto geeks.com (detailing website) and read the opinions there. I will say that a good saddle maker knows a hell of a lot more about leather conditioning and cleaning than anybody on autogeeks.com. ;) ETA...Within the last year or so, Toyota discontinued Toyota and Lexus (the same stuff) leather cleaner and conditioner. If you ask for either at your dealer, they'll hand you Lexol products that they've stomped the hell out of the price. If that's what you want, check Amazon or Walmart. hth Steve

Umarali, part number for diff and trans case sealing washers... Front diff fill and rear diff fill and drain 12157-10010 Front diff drain 90430-24003 Transfer case fill and drain 90430-A0003 For some reason, there are no magnets on any of the plugs, so Tundra plugs with magnets (flush with the plug for drains, extended for fill) are, I think, reasonably priced upgrades. You have 4 choices, depending on if you want a plug with a socket for a 10mm Allen wrench or a 24mm (actually, 15/16" works and fits just a little tighter) 1/2" drive socket...You can also get either variety with a long magnet or one that's flush with the end of the plug. The short ones are used for drain plugs and the TC fill plug, and the longer plugs are used for the diff's fill plugs. 10mm drive, long magnet 90341-18035 10mm drive, short magnet 90341-18021 24mm drive, long magnet 90341-18040 24mm drive, short magnet 90341-18057 I'll be draining the diffs and TX later this week when my driveway dries out from the rain. I'm also taking a very long look at the Motive Power pneumatic filling tool for stuff like this...cheap for the time and mess it will save...wish I'd known about it years ago... http://www.amazon.com/Motive-Products-1730-Fluid-Transfer/dp/B00I6BG1KI/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1445294785&sr=1-1&keywords=motive+products+1730 hth Steve

As a head's-up if you decide to do a drain / refill on the diff's...according to my parts guy and confirmed by a great indy shop here in Boise (LTS), the drain and fill washers on the rear diff and the fill washer on the front diff are identical. For some reason unknown to me though, Toyota uses a different washer on the front diff drain plug. That's altogether very different than on the 100 series LX as all 4 diff washers are identical. Transfer case washers are separate animals, as they thread into aluminum instead of cast steel cases. I should get the washers delivered (Toyota Parts Barn...26% or so off list) this coming Monday. I'll post at that time with pn's and visual difference. Plugs are simple, but getting to them takes a bit of time. It helps to have a pretty complete selection of 3/8" extensions, u-joint and / or wobble extensions, as well as both u-joint and straight plug sockets. Keep up the good work, and thanks again for posting both here and on Mud. :) Steve

I hope you don't mind, but I just cross-posted this to the 200 series section on ih8mud. Good luck. ;)

Unfortuneately for those of us who enjoy a bit (or a lot) of diy, Toyota discontinued publishing shop manuals after the 2010 MY...the only thing available now, at least for my 2013, is the Electric Wiring Diagram book...but it's still worth the money v. a couple of hours of dealer labor for something easy, like wiring-in driving lights. Retired Doc, thanks much for this thread. I'm a little surprised that the amp died after only a few years...I'd be interested to know what National Radio identified as the failure mode. If it were overheating, maybe a little carpet removal is needed under the seat. Thanks again. Steve

It's outstanding to see some diy here...especially fixes that are bulletproof and don't require a colonoscopy at your Lexus dealer. It's also great to see your work on MUD. Steve

More info on this globe supplier on ih8mud.com. ;) Steve

Congratulations on the 2011. HID low beams were/are the best money I've spent on my series 100. Stock low beams were the worst I've seen...prior to the LX taking over that title, worst lamps were on a 6 volt Massey-Ferguson tractor... Go to DDM Tuning.com for step-by-step instructions. You essentially mount the ballasts on each side of the engine compartment, drill a 7/8" hole through the plastic low beam covers, and run the wiring to the HID bulbs through a rubber grommet. I used 6000K bulbs for the low beams and the end result was that lighting was so much improved over the oem lights that now the high beams don't give me much more light than the low's. Steve

I don't disagree in the slightest...see post #2 above. For what you pay for the truck, not to mention that you can drive a well maintained LC or LX for quite a while, I do think it's worthwhile to get one from a generally rust-free geographical location...California, Vegas, the Pacific northwest, etc. Steve

Assuming both have regular maintenance records (which you can get with a VIN and the Lexus owners' website...or see if a local dealer will give you a print-out), I'd go with the lower mileage truck...$13K less money and close to half the mileage. ;) For me, a black truck would be a no-go from the git-go. OT, I'm in a similar boat as you...started looking for a low mileage '06-'07 LX or LC...found I could get into a 200-series for not much more money. I was not aware that the third row seats are fold-over...that obviates the ability to add drawers that you can sleep on and stay level...not to mention more hassle to carry your best friends in the back. :( My LX's rear seats stayed in the truck long enough for me to remove them and store them in the attic on the day I bought the LX...same with the running boards. So far, I'm getting the vibe that maybe the 570 is a cross between a 100-series and a Sequoia. Report back with what you choose. ;) Steve

Don...As part of Carmax's checkout, do they put the truck up on a rack and pull the belly pans?? Can they crawl under the truck and send you a few pictures? I've seen more 570's for sale in the Seattle area than just about any place else. And, I'm in the same boat as you...thinking of either a low mileage -07 470 v. an early 570 at this time. Though the more I look at the newer model, the more junk I see...e.g., drink cooler, "crawl" mode, etc. Good luck with whatever you get. It took me 6+ months to find my current LX. Steve

4 years in Illinois would have left enough "minor" salt on the undercarriage to take care of almost every French fry in north America. I would be patient and keep looking for a truck from someplace other than the rust belt. hth Steve

Assuming your audio system also gives you gps and climate controls in the same general area (i.e., it's NOT a double-DIN system with climate controls below it on the center console) it's doable but a real female dog. Check the 100-series forum on ih8mud.com for more info and rotsa' ruck. ;) Steve