High Pitched Tone In The Cabin

[BARNEYHYPHEN]

2000 LX470. Yesterday a high pitched tone/whistle started inside the car. In trying to locate it "seems?" to be coming from in or around the top of the shifter. It doesn't occur if the engine is off. It DOES occur when the engine is running, with the radio and a/c OFF. It doesn't change in tone or frequesncy from P to R to D etc.

Any clues. Thanks.

[Jim_Chow]

2000 LX470. Yesterday a high pitched tone/whistle started inside the car. In trying to locate it "seems?" to be coming from in or around the top of the shifter. It doesn't occur if the engine is off. It DOES occur when the engine is running, with the radio and a/c OFF. It doesn't change in tone or frequesncy from P to R to D etc.

Any clues. Thanks.

Does it occur when the engine is off, radio/nav is on, but volume turned way down? If so, it's the DVD under the passenger seat spinning. Sounds like a computer fan going.

[mehullica]

Sounds like the junction block has a short. Check TSIB EL002-02

[BARNEYHYPHEN]

Thanks everyone. The car doesn't have NAV and the sound is there when everything in the cabin is OFF. I assume TSIB..... is some kind of Tech bullitin? Any ideas where I might locate that. Thanks.

[BARNEYHYPHEN]

Thanks everyone. The car doesn't have NAV and the sound is there when everything in the cabin is OFF. I assume TSIB..... is some kind of Tech bullitin? Any ideas where I might locate that. Thanks.

As Mehullica correctly diagnosed, I need the Terminal block relaced! "Sorry, out of waranty" That'll be $250 Labor + $658 in parts. Why is this not a recall item?

WHAT A TOTAL RIPOFF.

[mehullica]

Just buy the part and you can replace it yourself. pop off the black footrest and take out the kickpanel. A bunch of connectors and 3 10mm fastners. All you have to do after that is swap over 2 relays from the old junction block to the new one.

[BARNEYHYPHEN]

Just buy the part and you can replace it yourself. pop off the black footrest and take out the kickpanel. A bunch of connectors and 3 10mm fastners. All you have to do after that is swap over 2 relays from the old junction block to the new one.

Mehullica, Thank you for the advice. This sounds real straight forward. The sound seems to be coming from perhaps behind the ashtray? Is the terminal block behind the right driver's side kick panel or the left passenger side. Thanks you.

[BARNEYHYPHEN]

Just buy the part and you can replace it yourself. pop off the black footrest and take out the kickpanel. A bunch of connectors and 3 10mm fastners. All you have to do after that is swap over 2 relays from the old junction block to the new one.

Mehullica, Thank you for the advice. This sounds real straight forward. The sound seems to be coming from perhaps behind the ashtray? Is the terminal block behind the right driver's side kick panel or the left passenger side. Thanks you.

Update. Lexus relented and agreed to replace the Junction Block. Did it yesterday. They paid for the part ($650 retail) and I paid for the labor ($255). I think this was an ok resolve. Thanks again everyone's advice on this issue.

[SW03ES]

Update. Lexus relented and agreed to replace the Junction Block. Did it yesterday. They paid for the part ($650 retail) and I paid for the labor ($255). I think this was an ok resolve. Thanks again everyone's advice on this issue.

Thats pretty sporting of them...

[98es]

Very nice of them. Just curious, but was that Lexus of Nashville @ cool springs??? I really enjoy going there. MUCH better than lexus of memphis.

[BARNEYHYPHEN]

Very nice of them. Just curious, but was that Lexus of Nashville @ cool springs??? I really enjoy going there. MUCH better than lexus of memphis.

Yes. Cool Springs. Took a little persuation but I think the end result was ok. I still don't think Lexus is trying quite as hard as they did in the early to mid 90's to win/retain customers. They're almost as complacent now as Merc & BMW were before Lexus appeared.

[98es]

Very nice of them. Just curious, but was that Lexus of Nashville @ cool springs??? I really enjoy going there. MUCH better than lexus of memphis.

Yes. Cool Springs. Took a little persuation but I think the end result was ok. I still don't think Lexus is trying quite as hard as they did in the early to mid 90's to win/retain customers. They're almost as complacent now as Merc & BMW were before Lexus appeared.

I'd kinda have to agree... more so at some dealerships than others. Lexus does have their fair share of cocky service writers. I don't know if its because i'm younger than all of them or what, but it seems like the ones closer to my age (22) have a serious problem with being curteous with me. That's the main reason I refuse to go to Lexus of Memphis except for warranty work. After this spring i'll be moving from middle tn back to memphis, so I won't have a choice :(

[SW03ES]

Very nice of them. Just curious, but was that Lexus of Nashville @ cool springs??? I really enjoy going there. MUCH better than lexus of memphis.

Yes. Cool Springs. Took a little persuation but I think the end result was ok. I still don't think Lexus is trying quite as hard as they did in the early to mid 90's to win/retain customers. They're almost as complacent now as Merc & BMW were before Lexus appeared.

Well if they were they'd be out of business. In the early 90s Lexus sold two models, and the number of them on the road was exponentially less than now. If Lexus honored everybody's little out of warranty nuisances they would go out of business.

No other car company would have even done what they did for you.

[LEXIRX330]

No other car company would have even done what they did for you.

Have had 3 family members cars (GM'S) that have had service work done out of warranty, and the dealer picked up tab. New engine grandmom's car, mom had 2 different olds that both had work done that was not charged even after the warranty.

I have had a Jeep that was out of warranty and dealer paid to have the transmission replaced.

Still the fact is that they did not have to do anything for you but they did. Of course no company is going to offer to fix the car out of warranty for free. But if they are pretty sure it would cause them to lose your business in the future they may come to a compromise as they have done. It is a business and they would be out of it if they fixed everything that went wrong on cars that were not under warranty, as SW03ES said.

But glad to hear that you got it taken care of and it worked out only costing 250 vs 900. :D

[CJAsis]

Well if they were they'd be out of business. In the early 90s Lexus sold two models, and the number of them on the road was exponentially less than now. If Lexus honored everybody's little out of warranty nuisances they would go out of business.

No other car company would have even done what they did for you.

I'm a huge Lexus fan but I don't know that I agree with you at all here.

To say they'd be out of business is a stretch to say the least. Yes, it would cost them more but as their huge growth in the 90's will attest, money spent on keeping customers happy will often equate to much better return and new sales down the road.

I have personally found that there are Lexus dealers and then there are Lexus dealers. In other words, we have on Lexus dealer that is local to me (Mission Viejo) that has a great internet sales staff but I've heard their floor sales people aren't that honest and I know for certain that their service dept. is horrible. It didn't used to be but it is absolutely awful now.

Having said that, there are two other local Lexus dealers that offer interesting comparisons. Lexus of Tustin was one of the first Lexus dealers. And it's too small to be a good showroom and offer a good opportunity to touch, feel and drive new cars. As such, it's sales dept. suffers. But their service is very good.

Lexus makes a good product... no matter what. But as with everything else in life, it's often the person that you deal with that will make the sales/service/trade in experience truly good.

[SW03ES]

I have personally found that there are Lexus dealers and then there are Lexus dealers. In other words, we have on Lexus dealer that is local to me (Mission Viejo) that has a great internet sales staff but I've heard their floor sales people aren't that honest and I know for certain that their service dept. is horrible. It didn't used to be but it is absolutely awful now.

This is definately true

[kmammas]

2000 LX470. Yesterday a high pitched tone/whistle started inside the car. In trying to locate it "seems?" to be coming from in or around the top of the shifter. It doesn't occur if the engine is off. It DOES occur when the engine is running, with the radio and a/c OFF. It doesn't change in tone or frequesncy from P to R to D etc.

Any clues. Thanks.

I had a similar problem a couple of years ago, it was a high pitch tone/whistle sound. It was coming out of my air conditioning vents. I brought it to my Lexus dealer's attention, they changed something with the air conditioner and it has never done it again.

[scrappyslexus]

2000 LX470. Yesterday a high pitched tone/whistle started inside the car. In trying to locate it "seems?" to be coming from in or around the top of the shifter. It doesn't occur if the engine is off. It DOES occur when the engine is running, with the radio and a/c OFF. It doesn't change in tone or frequesncy from P to R to D etc.

Any clues. Thanks.

I had a similar problem a couple of years ago, it was a high pitch tone/whistle sound. It was coming out of my air conditioning vents. I brought it to my Lexus dealer's attention, they changed something with the air conditioner and it has never done it again.

What did it cost? what did they change?

[Jim_Chow]

Very nice of them. Just curious, but was that Lexus of Nashville @ cool springs??? I really enjoy going there. MUCH better than lexus of memphis.

Yes. Cool Springs. Took a little persuation but I think the end result was ok. I still don't think Lexus is trying quite as hard as they did in the early to mid 90's to win/retain customers. They're almost as complacent now as Merc & BMW were before Lexus appeared.

I'd kinda have to agree... more so at some dealerships than others. Lexus does have their fair share of cocky service writers. I don't know if its because i'm younger than all of them or what, but it seems like the ones closer to my age (22) have a serious problem with being curteous with me. That's the main reason I refuse to go to Lexus of Memphis except for warranty work. After this spring i'll be moving from middle tn back to memphis, so I won't have a choice :(

My dealer always nickels and dimes me, no freebies. One time I brought it in at 56K mi (CPO w/ 5 yr/100K) and they stuck to the letter of the CPO warranty and wouldn't fix/troubleshoot a rattle in the top right dash. Said they would have done it if it were still under the original factory warranty. Rattle is still there, I just learned to live with it (would have been 3 hrs labor min to take it apart and reassemble). And I've taken it there for service here and there, even bought it there. I guess the bottom line is, they know I'm not swimming around in $$$$ since I bought a 3-yr old CPO vehicle rather than a new LX w/ factory warranty!! Their service is good if you pay, but no freebies like stories you hear of dealers replacing worn leather seat covers out of warranty. I do most of the maintenance myself (had dealer do the bearing repack and ATF change)...saved myself a grand and that's running all synthetic fluids and OEM parts.