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MikeP

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Everything posted by MikeP

  1. Even though I had my share of problems with my 2 Jaguars, I attribute most of the frustration to my service department than to the car itself. I also don't believe that today's (last 5 years) Jaguars have any more problems than current Mercedes Benz and especially BMW, maybe fewer. Mike
  2. Prior to this Lexus, I owned 3 others. My last one was a '98 LS400. I sold it after 3 years and bought another brand, even though I knew Lexus couldn't be beat for quality and service. Owning Brand "J" convinced me I had made a stupid mistake, so I bought my '04 LS430. So far, I have not found the service, at the same Lexus dealer I bought the others from, to be anywhere close to providing the same level of service as 4 years ago. I realize that this dealer is selling and servicing many more cars than when I last had a Lexus, but I would have hoped their level of customer service would have kept up with the demand. This dealer is spending millions building new facilities and they promise to add to the number of Service Advisors. I just hope this dealer AND Lexus understand that return buisness happens not only because of quality products, but because their dealers provide consistently excellent service. So far I have to drop the "consistently excellent" as a description of my experience. Mike
  3. First I have to say I am definitely impressed with my '04 LS430, that is when I have had a chance to drive it. I had a rattle in the sunroof and to make a long story short, in the 8 weeks I've owned the car, it's been in the shop for 2 of those weeks, waiting for a sunroof module. I brought my car in on 8/7 for the tech to diagnose the problem, the new sunroof module was ordered the next day. The following Tuesday 8/14, I picked up my car to evacuate from "Ivan" and the parts had not yet arrived. When I returned home, I called for another appointment to have the new sunroof installed. My appointment was 8/23. I brought it in at 7:30AM thinking I would be able to get my car back the same day. Friday, the following day, I called to ask about the status of my car and was told the roof rails had been damaged in shipment and new parts had to be ordered. I guess if I wouldn't have checked, I still would not have known what had happened. Since I hadn't been given an update as of today, 8/28, I called the Service Manager and asked for a report. He said the parts were not in and he would have to check on when to expect them. I told him I couldn't believe that the Parts Dept. hadn't checked to see if the first sunroof module was OK since the carton had be be damaged when it arrived. I also told him I was disappointed that Lexus wouldn't ship the new sunroof "overnight" since I had already waited almost 2 weeks without my car. He said Lexus had checked their inventory and didn't have the parts at their usual warehouses, so they had to get it from Canada. I reminded him that planes fly very quickly and that even if they had to get it from Japan, much less Canada, it could arrive the next day. The SM did a check and told me the new parts should arrive tomorrow, or Thursday at the latest. The new parts were ordered last Friday, so I wouldn't consider this an "overnight" shipment. I am pretty disappointed, not just in the amount of time it's taking to get these parts, but in the lack of communication from my Service Advisor. I have never received a call to update me on the status of my car, when they expect the parts to arrive and when they anticipate my car will be ready. They have had my car for 25% of the time I have owned it. It's amazing Lexus can ship new transmissions and fuel pumps all over the country with no problem and install both in one day. A replacement sunroof takes a car out of service for 2 weeks, maybe longer. Not impressed. Mike
  4. Jaguar is in deep financial trouble at this point. Sales in North America have been much lower than expected, in Europe, sales are increasing because of the X-Type wagon and new diesel engines in the X & S-Types. Production for the remaining part of '04 has been cut by 15,000 units and the Brown Lane plant will shut down production of cars. Heavy supplies of cars to Hertz and other rental car agencies have had a real negative impact on resale values. Today's Jaguar is much more reliable than in the past. Ford has done a good job in the reliability area, but has done a terrible job in managing Jaguar from a financial, product development and customer support standpoint. Think about it. Ford bought Jaguar about 15 years ago, about the same time Lexus was introduced. Lexus has become a major player in the industry and has forced all other manufacturers to change the way they build, sell and service their cars. Jaguar, on the other hand, is hardly putting a dent in the overall sales of luxury cars. Lexus had zero history to rely on when it was introduced, while Jaguar has has an enviable history in racing and introducing innovative engineering. But to sell cars, Jaguar has to give rediculously high incentives just to move them off the lot. I've read that new '04 X-Types are selling for $21,000 with the dealer incentives Jaguar gives the dealers. Great for new buyers, but wait till it's time to sell it. It's worth nothing. Another major problem is the dealer network. Based on my time on the Jaguar discussion groups, I've learned that some dealers are great. Many, however, are terrible. I had one of those. These dealers sometimes refuse to provide free loaners, will play ignorant to common problems and return your car with problems you didn't have before bringing it in for service. Jaguar Customer Relations is no better. Their representatives are very reluctant to disagree with a dealer, so if your dealer is not your advocate, you are screwed. Jaguar does have great styling. I loved the looks of my S-Type, both inside and out. But when you start looking closely at the details, you begin to notice some very cheap materials or construction methods. When I look closely at my LS430, I continue to be amazed at the quality of things that are hidden or the added things that enhance the luxury car feeling. I really hope Jaguar succeeds. Its history deserves better than Ford is giving its "present". When I owned my Jaguars, I had dreams about Toyota buying Jaguar. Lexus would do well to hire some of Jaguar's designers, as long as Lexus keeps their own engineers. Mike
  5. Also take a look here: http://forums1.roadfly.org/jaguar/forums/stype/ Mike
  6. I'm your man ;) In 2001, I bought a new 2002 Jaguar X-Type and throughout the 11 months of ownership, I had many problems. These problems included the need to replace both front lower control arms, the driveshaft and rear suspension components. To make matters worse, in order to convince the dealer that these were indeed common problems, I had to print out other owners' complaints from a Jaguar discussion group relating to those same problems. The problems got so bad, I had to call Jaguar Customer Relations. What a joke. After months of telephone calls with Jaguar, I met a representative at the dealer and wound up making a "deal" to trade the X-Type for an '03 S-Type V8. I lost about $18,000 on the X-Type trade and got the S-Type for dealer's invoice. Rotten deal, but I was anxious to get rid of the X-Type. For the first few months I had the S-Type, I really enjoyed it. I think it is one of the best looking cars available today. However, the problems started with the reverse parking system. I began to get false readings, so the service department changed one of the sensors and the control unit. Fewer false readings, but I still couldn't trust it. Then the transmission began to lurch when accelerating from a rolling stop. The transmission was recalled and a reflash was done. The lurch changed from when accelerating to when stopping. Then one day the car wouldn't start. Had to be towed to the dealer. The engine had flooded and the dealer took a week to correct the problem. The S-Type also developed several rattles in the dash. If you want to do more research on the S-Type, try www.Jagtalk.com. It's a great resource for Jaguars. It requires membership, but it's free. S-Types older than 2003 have had even more problems, particularly with the transmissions, window regulators, coolant overflow bottles and waterpumps. I was really happy to trade my S-Type on an LS430. Mike
  7. I recently bought my '04 LS430 at the end of July and have put about 5 layers of Macguires Tech wax on it. The paint surface was as smooth as glass. Last week I took an unexpected trip to Dallas to avoid "Ivan" and when I got back home, the first thing I did was wash my car to remove road grime and bugs. As I wiped it down, I felt a ruff texture to all the horizontal surfaces (hood, top and trunk). I tried wax, but that didn't remove whatever was on the paint. I figured the contamination came from one of 2 places, my Lexus dealer where they are in the middle of constructing new facilities or a new interchange I passed under in Dallas that was under construction. I have been reading posts about how great detailing clay is, so I bought some "Clay Magic" at the local Pep Boys for $6.00. The kit contained the clay and a spray bottle of the lubricant. I was a little nervous about using it, but having read glowing comments in this forum, I followed the instructions and used it on all the affected surfaces. Gotta tell you, this stuff IS magic. When I first applied the clay to the paint, it felt like I was using sand paper. As I continued rubbing, I could feel the surface smooth out until it was as smooth as the day I took delivery. Nothing could have wiped the smile off my face as all the ruff texture melted away into the clay. After claying my car, I washed it and applied a coat Tech wax. So anyone who is hesitant to try using detailing clay, don't be. Just follow the instructions, use plenty lubricant and you'll be real happy with the results. I've got to thank this forum for all the great information and for giving me the nerve to try new things. Mike
  8. Not sure if yours has it, but many cars with auto up windows have a safety feature where the window reverses when it meets an obstruction or resistence. Could this be what's happening to yours? Is the window action smooth all the way up? You can test the safety feature if you put a little pressure on the glass as it is closing. Mike
  9. Mark, Your car is fine. I believe only cars build prior to 1/1/04 are subject to the recall. Mike
  10. Since the rattle was intermittent, I did some experimenting to see if there were factors that would always cause the rattle. I found that if I went exactly 25mph with the sunroof about 3/4 open, it would constantly vibrate and make the noise. Now that I was able to duplicate the problem, I made another appointment and brought my car in for service. I took a ride with a tech and he heard the sunroof. We then took another '04 LS430 for a drive and checked if it also had the vibrating rattle. It didn't. The tech called Lexus for direction since I was told there is no adjustment possible for the sunroof in the open position. Lexus approved replacing the entire sunroof assembly and it was ordered on Wednesday of this week. The Service Manager thought the parts would be in by today, so they removed the headliner to ready my car for the new sunroof installation. When the Service Manager asked the Parts Dept. to check the ETA of the parts, they were told Oct. 7. The Service Manager then called Lexus and asked them to check around for the parts to speed up the delivery. I got a call back and the Service Manager told me the parts would be in Monday or Tuesday of next week. Whichever day the parts arrive, they would install them the same day and have my car ready. As much as I hated to leave my car at the dealer over the weekend, I thought it would be worse if they had to reinstall the headliner just to let me take the car for the weekend, then have to remove it again to install the new sunroof assembly. I'm really missing my car a lot :cries: but I guess when I pick it up early next week, it will feel like I'm taking delivery of it all over again. I just hope that when all the parts are reinstalled, other rattles aren't introduced. Except for the sunroof, I have not heard the smallest rattle anywhere else. Mike
  11. I brought my '04 LS430 with about 1100 miles, in for service yesterday to have a sunroof rattle fixed (hopefully not too optimistic). After taking another LS430 for a test drive, the tech finally believed they don't all rattle and Lexus technical support suggested. The dealer kept my car overnight, so I'm hoping to hear good news today. I got a brand new '04 ES330 with less than 400 miles for a loaner. It seems well put together and the interior design & quality are really first class, but I am already missing the smooth power and some of the "extras" on my LS. I've never had a car before with a "Smart Key" system and I've only had my LS for about 6 weeks, but when I grabbed the driver's door on the ES loaner, it wouldn't unlock ;) . I had to think twice before realizing I had to push the unlock button on the key fob. Then stupidly, after unlocking the door, I put the key back in my pocket and tried to turn the ignition (another ). I'm also surprised by the gas mileage of current V8 engines compared to 6 cylinders of about 3.0L. I noticed the avg. mpg readout on the ES330 was a little better than 19 mpg, which is the same as I have been getting on my LS430. Prior to my LS, I had a Jaguar S-Type V8 with a 4.2L. It also had a 6 speed transmission and I routinely got about 21 mpg in mixed city driving. The Jag V8 got better mileage than the Jag X-Type 3.0L I had prior to the S-Type. I haven't yet taken my LS430 on the road yet, but I anticipate I'll be impressed with its mileage and maybe after the engine loosens up a bit, the gas mileage will improve. Sorry for rambling, but I'm missing my LS430 and while I'm waiting by the phone for "THE CALL" letting me know my car is ready, I thought I'd share some thoughts. Mike
  12. Exactly. As far as I can tell, it is the sunroof, not the shade that rattles. When I put light pressure on the shade, the rattle continues, but with light pressure on the sunroof, the rattle stops. It's been impossible, while driving, to determine the location of the rattle, i.e front or rear of the sunroof. I would suspect if the rattle was from the rear, the sound would be more subdued because that part is above the headliner. I'm going to do some additional testing on the streets around the dealer so I can be sure I will be able to duplicate the rattle. It will save all of us some time. Mike
  13. Thanks guys for all your input. I can understand some wind buffeting, especially since the sunroof is so large, but I'm talking about a rattle also. When the sunroof is rattling, I can put light pressure on it and the rattle stops. Seriously, all my cars since 1972 (at least 20 in all) have had sunroofs and none have had a rattle as "normal". The tech checked the pop-up wind deflector and didn't say it was not working properly. Also, in the tech's defense, when we went for a test drive, the rattle was very minimal (as usual when you try to demonstrate a problem). I suppose the only way I will satisfy myself is to test another LS430 to see if the rattle can be duplicated. As I said in my original post, there is so much attention to detail in the design of the LS430, I can't believe this is normal. Mike
  14. Need some advice, please. Today I took my car in for its 30 day inspection and also reported a rattle from the sunroof when it is open. The rattle seems to occur because of the way the wind comes into the opening. The noise is like a vibration, especially when the roof is about 3/4 open, all other windows closed and going about 25mph, the noise and pressure almost hurts your ears. I can relieve the pressure by opening a rear window, but the rattle does not stop. I took a ride with a tech today and he said the rattle was indeed caused by air pressure and there is no adjustment for the sunroof when it is in the open position. I do use my sunroof a great deal and can't believe this is normal. Most all of my cars in the last 10 years have had sunroofs and none have rattled like this. The LS430 is perfection in every other way, I can't believe Lexus would have approved a design like this. Can anyone else with an LS430 confirm that your sunroof rattles when it is open? My next move is to ask to drive another LS430 to see if the sunroof acts the same way. If not, and there is no adjustment that can be made, I'm going to ask that it be replaced. What advice can you give me? Thanks. Mike
  15. Thanks, but as you can see, I was too dumb to figure out how to post them in column form rather than horizontally. Really screws up the page. Sorry. Mike
  16. I've had my LS for about a month now and had the steering wheel lock twice. Both times there was a message that read "Check S/T lock". The first time it happened I got pretty nervous because the key wouldn't turn, although all the other "Smart Access" features worked. I sorted through my memory banks and remembered that when the wheel locks, you can turn it from side to side while turning the key and it would unlock, at least in more simple days. I did that and the wheel unlocked. Then today, the steering wheel locked up again, but since I knew what to do, I wasn't as concerned. After jiggling the wheel and turning the ignition, the wheel unlocked. In both instances prior to the wheel locking, I turned the ignition off, got out of the car without locking it, and then within 5 minutes, got back into the car to start it again. I don't know if the sequence has anything to do with the problem, but the process was the same. I have my 30 day inspection scheduled for next Monday and will mention it to my service advisor. Does anyone know if the wheel lock on the LS430 with Smart Access, is strictly mechanical or is there some electronic control involved? Mike
  17. Avon has been around for many years and used to be the exclusive OEM tire for Rolls Royce. Mike
  18. I knew when I typed "Macguires" it didn't look right. I do have the QD and not the NXT Spray Wax. I found the Meguires NXT Tech Wax so easy to apply and remove, it's just as quick to use as the booster wax. Do you use QD on the exterior glass....and what about the black plastic engine covers?
  19. These questions show how new I am to the process of detailing a car. I've layered 3 coats of Macguires tech wax and really like the shine. I've also been using Macguires QD. Does using QD remove more wax than washing with car wash solution? Can I apply another layer of wax on top of QD, or should I wash the car first? What should QD NOT be applied to, both on the exterior & interior? Thanks for this great forum. Mike
  20. Just bought some Macguire's Quick Detailer and used it for the first time. I thought it worked great, but I assume the finish comes off when you wash the car or when it rains. Am I guessing right? Mike
  21. On my previous car ('03 Jaguar S-Type), one of the rear parking sensors had to be replaced. The dealer had to have the body shop spray paint the sensor to match the bumper. I can't see how paint would interfere with the sensor's operation. All the sensors have to be painted to match the color of the car on which they are installed. If you can't get a solution from your dealer, call Lexus Customer Relations or check with a body shop that repairs luxury cars. Mike
  22. Is it possible your LS430 has the Sport Suspension? If not, make sure your tire pressure is correct. I did own an LS400 and now I have an LS430. I find the LS430 to have a more controlled ride, but by no means harsh. Mike
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