Questions From A Proud New Is350 Owner: Shop Manual? Smoked Tails In M

Calvin2376 · January 30, 2011

Hi everyone,

On Monday I traded in my 2003 E55 AMG for a 2007 IS350. The guys at the dealer couldn't believe it, but they didn't know the nightmare experiences I'd had with the AMG. I probably drove it 50% of the time, the rest of the time I drove a loaner C300 while mine was in the shop. Prior to the E55 I had two LS400's, and I'm happy to be back with Lexus (and this time, I'll be staying).

I had a few questions that I was hoping you guys could help me answer. I've done some searching of the forum, however I wasn't able to find answers to the questions below, though I certainly may have missed them.

1) Does anyone know how/where I can obtain a shop/service repair manual for a 2007 IS350? Because of all the repairs the AMG needed I got intimately acquainted with its inner workings, and I'd really like to be able to delve into the details of my new car. I wouldn't necessarily be using it to perform my own repairs, since my car's certified for 5 years/125k miles, but I would like to learn more about it.

The two options I've found are: 1) Buying the whole printed repair manual set but it's $600 and I'm not looking to spend that (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2007-Lexus-350-250-Repair-Manual-Set-IS250-IS350-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem5d2c23286cQQitemZ400172460140QQptZMotorsQ5fManualsQ5fLiterature), and 2) Buying a burned CD from an eBay seller with the PDFs of the manual on it, which is much cheaper but also a bit sketchy and the seller admitted it's not the complete manual (http://cgi.ebay.com/2007-Lexus-IS250-IS350-250-350-Service-Repair-Manual-/260684618514?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cb2039b12).

I have to imagine somewhere out there is a better option than these two, and if someone has one I'd love to hear about it (and am willing to pay, just not $600).

2) Does anyone know of the legality of tinted taillights in Maryland? I live in Baltimore and really like the look of the tinted taillights, but I know Maryland is very strict on window tinting so I imagine they'd be similarly strict on taillights. However looking at the laws (http://www.berwynheightspd.com/tinted%20windows.htm) I only see:

22-227(f) COLOR OF LIGHTS ON REAR OF VEHICLE - All lighting devices and reflectors mounted on the rear

of any vehicle shall display or reflect a RED Color, except the Stoplight or Other Signal Device, which may be Red,

Amber or Yellow, except that the light illuminating the Registration Plate shall be

White and the light emitted by a Backup Lamp shall be White or Amber.

Seems that because tinted taillights still display red light, and the IS350 also has lower reflectors, they should be legal.. But I'd love to hear from someone more knowledgeable/experienced. Anyone with smoked tails get trouble from the police?

3) On a similar note, what is your opinion on tinting taillights using film vs. paint? How difficult is each to remove? And does it significantly dim output?

4) Lastly, any recommendations on minor/inexpensive performance, electronic, or appearance mods that wouldn't void the warranty? The car already has the F-sport exhaust, which I love. Since I just bought the car and have a warranty on it, I don't want to do anything that's too expensive nor would void the warranty, but I'd love to hear suggestions.

Very much looking forward to getting more acquainted with the forums and reading more from others. Thanks a lot for reading, and I appreciate your responses!

Brad

Below are some pictures of the car, haven't been able to take my own yet but will soon!

dcfish · January 30, 2011

Congrats, Welcome to the greatest Lexus forum in the universe

cduluk · January 31, 2011

I'm not sure about the law in Maryland, but i know here in RI it isn't an issue. My friend had her Scion rear tails smoked back in 2007 and to my knowledge she hasn't been stopped for it. I'd imagine unless it REALLY tampers with the intensity it shouldn't raise any concern.

I would try the paint (VHT makes a good one) over the film as you can moderate the level of tinting. However the tint may "look" better as you won't have orange peel or anything. If you're concerned on your painting skills then it wouldn't hurt to try the film first, as it can be easily removed if you mess up. If you can find pre-made tint that would be PERFECT.

I think it would look good since the car is black. <_<

24kt IS350 · February 2, 2011

sweet and welcome Im a new IS350 owner as well the same year as yours! I love it! You will of course love yours too! I was wondering if anyone or you have any idea how you can tell if my IS has the intuitive park assist? I have the Premium Sport package but Im not sure if this option was apart of that and if so How can I tell its on? Thanks for any help and Enjoy your new ride