The Charging Tray --- Can It Be Turned Off Or Disabled

[ES300h]

My ES300h (2023) has a "charging tray" (Lexus's term) in the center console that I don't need or want, and it is problematic because (1) the owner's manual prohibits placing things on top of it ("Do not use the charging tray as a small storage space") that I want to put there, and (2) neither I nor the dealer can figure out how to turn it off or disable it.

Does anyone have any ideas as to how this charging tray may be turned off or disabled?

Thanks.

George

[Les Lex 2018]

Hi George!

The "Power Supply Switch", as they call it on the 2022 model is two inches to the left of the tray, and next to the charging light.  It seems strange that they did away with said switch in the 2023 model.

How do you like the 2023 model, other than that?

[ES300h]

Thank you, Les.  Based on his experience with previous models, my dealer also expected that that on/off switch would be found near the tray on my vehicle, but as best I can tell, it's not.   A photo of my 2023's tray follows.

Other than this issue --- and the fact that the navigation system will completely stop working if I decline to pay for the Drive Connect service at the end of the 3-year trial period (unlike my 2019 ES350) --- I'm very pleased with the 2023.    

 

    

Edited January 6, 2023 by ES300h
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[Les Lex 2018]

According to page 286 of your manual, it appears that charging is automatic upon detecting the coil inside your phone.  Removing the phone causes it to shutdown. 

I see your charging indicator is on the top right of your center dash monitor.

Where as mine is next to the tray.

Sounds like, to me, that you can put anything you want on the tray, as long as it does not have an internal charging coil, that can be detected by the charging tray.

Lots of things go away after 3 years.  I wonder if they will bate you with a lower price like XM? I like "Show Radar" which brings up the storm radar.  You got to be about half a mile from starting point before the DCM will pull up the radar.

Well, George, have some fun with all them gadgets.

 

[ES300h]

36 minutes ago, Les Lex 2018 said:

Sounds like, to me, that you can put anything you want on the tray, as long as it does not have an internal charging coil, that can be detected by the charging tray.

No, that's not the case.  The manual and the sticker next to the tray indicate that I should not put anything there.  As I mentioned above, the manual says, "Do not use the charging tray as a small storage space," under the heading "To prevent malfunctions or burns."  The manual also says, for example, "Keep away from magnetic items."

So, it's a problem.

[Les Lex 2018]

Based on the explanation of how it works, you can put anything there that is NOT a chargeable unit, and it will not attempt to charge. 

So the statement that you can't put anything there, kinda goes against their own narrative.

If you start the system, and put business cards and items that are not metal on the pad, I bet you that the charge indicator will not illuminate and it will never try to turn on the charger.

I think the warning came about due to things like Metal keys that could be detected and mistaken for a device.  The charger, I bet will not detect paper or plastic. 

You can try that.  Just no metal!

 

[ES300h]

1 hour ago, Les Lex 2018 said:

So the statement that you can't put anything there, kinda goes against their own narrative.

Yes, the owner's manual itself is ambiguous and contradictory.  I'm going to look into this further.

[Les Lex 2018]

I feel your frustration. My phone will not charge anyway because it's in a shock proof case.

So I carry an extra charging cable to plug into a spare USB slot just inches away from the charging tray. pity to thing we paid extra cause the option is in there.

And so very well thought out and engineered, LOL!

Please, let me know what you find out.

[ES300h]

38 minutes ago, Les Lex 2018 said:

And so very well thought out and engineered, LOL!

Indeed. 😉

38 minutes ago, Les Lex 2018 said:

Please, let me know what you find out.

Will do.

[J James]

Anyone noticed issue with the sound system on the 2023 ES350?

[Lars2]

I have just one problem. I put my music on a flash drive plugged into the USB terminal.  In my past ESs I could say, "play song..., or play artist..."  But my 2023 ES300H doesn't seem to have this capability. Perhaps there is a new way of doing this, but I have tried everything I know of without success. 

Anybody else having this problem???

[Lars2]

As far as the performance of the Mark Levinson in my 2023 ES300H, I find that the tone has been improved. In past ESs I have had to make large adjustments to the treble, mid, and bass adjustments to get satisfactory sound. Very odd to me that when set to flat, the tone was terrible with WAY TOO MUCH TREBLE. 

Also, using a flash drive plugged into the USB in older ESs, the volume had to be set very high (sometimes at the max of 60). I thought it might be because it was recorded too low, but the same flash drive had no such problem when played on other devices.  The my new Lexus no longer has this problem. 

For the first time, I am totally satisfied with the sound of the Mark Levinson. 

[Les Lex 2018]

Using my/your Navi manual:  OM06220U, I find no individual input adjustments for USB or any other inputs.

So the adjustments are probably made by the Mark Levison at the Amp section.  All of my inputs are correctly balanced, even on my home programmed USBs the sound is equalized perfectly with respect to all other inputs so no need to fiddle with the volume.

Take your USB to your Lexus salesman and have him let you play it in some of his ES vehicles and prove to him there is a problem, cause you have already proven that it's not the USB.

 

[ES300h]

Is there a reason that these comments regarding the audio system are appearing in my thread about the Charging Tray?

[Lars2]

On 5/14/2023 at 8:46 AM, Lars2 said:

I have just one problem. I put my music on a flash drive plugged into the USB terminal.  In my past ESs I could say, "play song..., or play artist..."  But my 2023 ES300H doesn't seem to have this capability. Perhaps there is a new way of doing this, but I have tried everything I know of without success. 

Anybody else having this problem???

Sorry George.  I'm new to this and apparently goofed.  But I will respond to my own comment here first, and then go post it in the proper place.

 

I will answer myself since I have figured it out after a bit of digging (not that easy).  First, make sure you are not is guest mode.  For some reason my ES300H sometimes switches to guest mode when I start it up even though I was the last one to drive it.  Then either press the talk button on the steering wheel, or say "Hey Lexus" and say "USB."  Once you are in USB, use the "Hey Lexus" or use the button and give command "play song ..."   The car responds with Ok and the name of the song.  Then the car tells you that you must have a subscription to either Amazon Music or Apple Music in order to use this feature.  It allows you to send instructions to your phone.

I thought I had Amazon Music since I am an Amazon Prime member.  But not the case.  The Amazon Music subscription costs $8.99 per month, though you can get one free year by signing up right now.  I intend to do this. Apple Music runs $10.99 per month. 

Now this sound like nickel and diming and hardly worthy of a luxury builder like Lexus.  But I guess that if you can afford a Lexus, you shouldn't complain.

[TWG]

What about custom cutting a piece of rubberized mouse pad to lie flat on top of the charging tray?  No metal in pad means nothing to activate or get activated with the auto-on charging tray? While laying metal object on top of that may not be a good idea, there is probably a sufficient rubber thickness that would effectively insulate between lightweight loose object(s) on top and the tray underneath, even metal--although that's beyond my non-engineer education. (Or, wood is also a good insulator; more complicated perhaps to cut a piece to fit with a coping saw, band saw, or fine-tooth table saw.)  Rubber coating should also hold loose objects from sliding too much.  Inexpensive.  Easy to remove to clean.  Can mix/match with the design and/or colors on the mouse pad to suit your taste.