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Hi Mike. Glad to have you here. This question always brings up dozens of personal opinions about which oil brand is best, what weight, and how long between changes. Not trying to duck your question, but for the best results go to the top of the page and do a search on your topic/questions and you will find a trove of anwsers. If you don't find what you want, come back here and we'lll hook you up with other members who are knowledgeable on the subject. Paul

That result really surprised me. You would expect that kind of dramatic drop in mpg if you were pulling a camper or boat, but bikes are so light you would never suspect a drop of 35%.

We've all read and heard about either the loss or benefts of driving in certain ways that will either save you money on gasoline or diminish the purpose of government mandated polution and gas consumption engineering. In this months Consumer Reports, the magazine's staff choose three diffrent cars, and drove each car on three trips of 200 miles at a constant speed of 55, 65, and 75 mph. At the end of the trips, there was a loss in total fuel consumption of 1 1/2 to 2 gallons. Read the full article to learn about the the substanial amount of time lost traveling at 55 versus 75. The carbon foot print placed into the atmosphere, and the surprising mpg loss using things like bike racks on top of your car, and government mpg mandates for the future. Personaly, a gallon or two lost or gained is not enough to make me change my driving. But, knowing we have a very limited supply of fosill fuels available, the amount of co2' released into the atmospher, ( the only one we've got), from extracing and refining the gas, along with the public subsidies given to the oil companies, does give me reason to drive diffrently. Thats my 2 cents. Whats yours? http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2013/07/the-penalty-for-speeding-a-loss-in-fuel-economy.html Paul

Hi Wendy and welcome to the Lexus Owners Club. It's a good chance that Rey is on the right track with what is causing your problem. I did a search of our data base and found this posting/threads on the topic of a RX400h with a blocked A/C condensation drain. It should give you enough information to explain whats wrong to your dealer. Paul http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/topic/38236-help-ac-condenser-drain-hose-is-clogged-getting-water-in-floorbo/

Yes and no. A lock smith with the proper training and software can program the proximity type fob's that are now common on most late model Lexus. The key word here is proper training. I called a local lock smith about programing my replacement fob. I had to keep explaining over and over that this was not a key with a chip on it. Finaly he got the idea. He would charge $30. I decided I wouldn't trust a mail box key to this guy. So, I called my dealer and they said they would do all of the programing for $38.00. Easy decison.

Hi Gareth. I guess this can be a little confussing. They do ask for a lot of information. At the bottom of the registration page there is a box that says "Forum Information Membership". Click on the arrow and a choice of forums/websites comes up. Click on Lexus Owners Club and your entered as a member of this site, and will recieve the discounts. If your still having trouble simply call Sewell's customer service line for help. Let us know how things go. Paul

Hi Mark and welcome to the LOC. A great looking LS400. I really wish Lexus would continue using more wood trim like they did in your earlier models. We look forward to your postings. Paul

Hi guys, I'm not sure about the 300h Rick, but the 2013 ES350 has 3 transmisson settings in addition to the "Stick Shift' feature you explained. There is a dial on the center console that allows you to set the acceleration, handeling, and air conditioning operation based on the type of driving situations you are facing. The modes are Eco, Normal, and Sport. The descriptions for all three are in the 2013 ES350 Owners Manual. Dan, using these features will not harm your transmission. There supposed to be used. That's why their there. Yes, if your driving in the Sport mode all the time you will be running the engine at higher rpms sometimes and that will hurt your mpg. If you turn the dial to Eco setting it will help use less gasoline. It's programed to run the engine and other components at economy levels. For exact information go to page 296 of the 2013 ES350 Owners Manual. Everything I just said is written there. Please come back and let all of us know if you have any questions. Paul

It sounds like your assuming other GS owners are having the same issue. I don't think that is the case. Usually rattles or squeaks are random in occurance and the only commom thread among them is the ability to drive you crazy ! Two things I would suggest.Do a search of the sites data base and see if there are any post/threads regarding your problem. If there are they might give you some information that would help you fix the problem. Next, tell the dealer you want to leave your GS overnight so one of their techs or service advisors can drive it around and have a resonable amount of time to hear the rattle. They may never hear it if they just drive it for 10 minutes when you take it in. They should give you a loaner for over night. Let us know what you come up with. Paul

Hi Jason and welcome to the Lexus Owners Club. I found the company (link below) with a search and it looks like a good product. In particular the multi layer composition and UV resistance would seem to make it long lasting over many types of weather. It is expensive, but it would be protecting an expensive car. This vendor offers free shiping but you can also pay for nextday delivery if you wish. There are many other vendors out there for this product and I would encourage you to think quality and long life service when factoring you overall cost. Paul http://www.buyautocovers.com/auto-covers/?title=All-Weather&img=All-Weather&desc=All-Weather-Protection&utm_source=x-Google&utm_medium=Search&utm_campaign=Google-Auto-USA-Search-Partner-Cover-Car&utm_term=Car-Weather-Exact-All-Weather

The Associated Press reported on July 2, 2013, that sales of new cars since the begining of the year have shot up into double digit figures. The figures are expected to continue as consumers feel more confident with the economic recovery. Also, the Fedral Reserve chairman, Ben Bernanke, has assured the financial markets that the Reserve will keep interest rates low allowing car makers to continue offering car loans at rates as low as 1.9%. Some of you may recall a short time ago I posted an article that talked about the steady decline in the number of cars being sold annually. At first glance it may seem that this article contradicts that fact. It doesn't. The number of automobiles being purchased in the United States has been declining over the last decade or more. At the current 6 month period, sales are inordinately strong. This pace of sales would be difficult to maintain once the pent-up demand has been satisfied. The link below takes you to the full article. Are you in the market to buy? If so, what are you looking for that would help you make up you mind? When looking to buy a new or pre-owned car, what are some of the most important things you must be satisfied with? http://finance.yahoo.com/news/auto-sales-maintain-momentum-led-pickups-151739242.html

Sorry I missed this thread earlier. I think you bring up some really good points. (I think this topic is worth discussion, maybe move it to another forum for more traffic.) When I traded my 2005 ES for a 2010 ES I was very dissapointed that Lexus had removed so much of the beautiful wood trim that had been used in the 2005 cabin. In addition, they had molded the passenger side dash into a large rounded bulge of dark gray plastic. The carpet on the sides of the console didn't match the floor carpet. There was a inverted tear drop shape of wood on the upright console/instument panel, and a small accent piece of wood on the doors. The saving grace of the car was that it rode like a dream and was Lexus quiet. My 2013 ES has even less "Luxury Triming". There is only a narrow strip of wood across the dash and another small partial strip on the doors. When I ordered the car I was told the only wood stain color available for my body/interior color choice, was "Espresso. That looks just as it sounds. A very, very dark coffee brown. When your in the car you can not tell the color of the wood or if it's even wood. Only when the sun shines directly on it can you tell it's wood. But let me back up. With this new ES350, Lexus has really made up for all the ugly I thought the 2007 - 2012 had. The cabin in the Parchment color is beautiful. Mine is a black exterior with special order spoke wheels. If you look at other luxury brands you see the same style componets as the Lexus products. The metal trimed steering wheel, minimal wood, more multi spoked sport wheels, a lot of black leather interiors and so on. The materials in the new ES have a solid, top quailty feel. It is by far my best ES yet.

Nice to see you back big guy!!!! Paul

Hi Doug and welcome to the Lexus Owners Club. I agree with your concerns about purchasing a car without a pedigree. My first problem with the transaction is that your buying from an individual, not a Lexus dealer. This is just one of my "things" and in this situation where the seller is not the original owner, it becomes even more of a concern. The miles is not a big deal depending on how long your keeping it and how many more miles you intend to put on. Many Lexus cars are in use with 175,000 to 225,000 miles and going strong. I think I would pass on this one and look for one that has a verifiable service history. Paul

Your right Lex. However, within the metro areas, people have access to Busses, Subways, Trains, Taxis, Shuttles, and other forms of public transit. In less populated cities these services are not available making it necessary for more cars on the road, more gasoline purchased for those cars, and greater distances traveled to get from town to town. This also means more CO2' being pumped into the atmosphre.

The filter element you see on your job ticket is probably the engine oil filter. It is changed on a regular basis when you have your regular oil and oil filter changed .Also, their is an engine air filter that is changed at a interval based on either mileage or eye inspection for how much dirt and dust it has traped. The fuel filter is located in the gas tank with the fuel pump. I don't know what the dealer means by "Fuel system clean". It could mean they poured an additive in the gas tank that is supposed to dissolve plaque and other items that can block the free flow of gas to the fuel injectors. I really don't know. I think it would be worth a phone call just to ask "Hey, I saw this on my bill, can you tell me what that was and what is it supposed to do?" This thing just get wierder.....(I don't think "wierder" is a word. LOL

You are still able to search by forum. To the right of the "Search" input line, there is a wheel with spokes that looks like a gear wheel. Click on that and it takes you to the full advanced search form where you can select the forum you want to search in. You can search by model and year if you wish. Paul

This is a feature I just don't see the market begging for. Along with the fact that it has got to cost a small fortune as an add-on. It will be interesting to see If Volvo really does go ahead as planed and offer make the features debut next year.

Hi Tom, I moved you post to the 2010 RX350 forum. I also left a link in the New Members forum so that anyone looking at your topic will automatically be sent to the RX350 thread. I see Jim already posted a thread regarding your question about pricing. He is always spot on with his research. In addition, Sewell Lexus has an aggrement with our Lexus Owners Club in which they give we members a great discount on parts we can buy on line. Their service is great and reputation is solid. I would suggest you put them on your list of dealers to check out. Paul

This article is from the New York Times June 30, 2013 edition. It covers the topic of the continued decline in the number of cars purchased, miles driven, and licenses issued. These trends have already started Mercedes and Ford to reposition the way they market their product. In my opinion, the article focuses to much on metropolitan areas and does not include the vast number of states where rural travel to work, school, shoping and so forth require a lot more miles. I have noticed that some of our friends teenage kids have not felt a need or burning desire to get their drivers licenses when the come of legal age. This is totaly opposite of my generation when everyone couldn't wait for their 16 th birthday and getting behind the wheel without mom or dad ! What do you think? Read and post your opinion. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/30/sunday-review/the-end-of-car-culture.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130630

Hi Paul. I finally was able to take my car into the Dealer this morning. I discussed the problem with the service clerk and he said it was not a common problem. I told him there was a recall in 2006 for my model and he said we should keep this to apples and apples. He said if there was a recall then any subsequent vehicles would be fitted with the proper components. Anyways.......they took in the car and both the clerk and mechanic came back to me about 45 mins later. The mechanic said they ran up the temperature very high and there was no smell at all. He wanted to know the circumstances of this happening as in where I'd been driving. I told him it didn't happen regularly and it was about every few weeks and always when I get home for the day explaining sometimes it's just a whiff and other times it just stinks out my garage. I gave him my daily route - up a long steep hill, onto a level freeway, down the freeway hill and up a small hill to my home. The clerk said they've made a note about it on my file and he would check with Lexus (head office?) and see if they had any related problems and if they can suggest how to deal with this. I am satisfied with this right now because it's on the record. If it gets worse, hopefully it will be before my ECP Agreement expires. Sounds good. You have their attention. Now, the next time it stinks, if you can get to the dealer right away you should be on your way to a solution.

Your owners manual shows a list of all fuses and the systems they protect. They are numbered and are shown on a drawing of the fuse box so you can quickly locate the appropriate fuse in the box. If you don't know, the fuse box is located on the left hand wall of the drivers side. It's up high and can be hard to contort your body to reach if your over 16. LOL The oldest manual I have is a 2010 Es350. It shows 4 fuses related to the audio system. Howerver, none of them are labeled "Navigation" or "Navigation DVD Drive". Fuse 1. No 23 30amp Amp 1/Amplifier - Audio System Fuse 2. No. 24 30amp Amp 2/Ampifier - Audio System Fuse 3. N0. 26 15amp Radio No. 1/Audio System Fuse 4 No. 28 7.5amp Radio No. 2/Audio System Where the list shows "No. 23" and so on, this is the numbered location on the fuse box. Again, this is for a 2010 ES, but I doubt there is any difference. Even though I have never worked with this system before, I am doubtful it will be possible to just unpower the Nav. drive without taking out something else with it. For example, if an amplifier fuse is pulled, there won't be any sound at all. Before you start, I would encourage you to call United Radio and see if they wouldn't give you some guidance over the phone, telling them that if the "home remadies" don't work, how much would it cost to send it in. Please write back and keep us up to date. Thanks Renee, Paul

Hi Larry and welcome to the LOC! e-bay is usually a good place to find manuals. Just be carefull the manual is published by Lexus and for the correct model and model year. I don't mean to sound condecending but from experience, other members haven't paid to close of attention and got stuck. Let us here from you. Paul

Hi Renee and welcome to the Lexus Owners Club. From your brief description its difficult to tell what exactly is causing you trouble. For example, the error message your seeing regarding the CD not functioning may not mean a Music CD, but the systems navigation CD. The unit contains one player for music CD's, and another somewhat concealed data CD that is the "brains" of the navigation system. Unfourtunately, in your case, many systems in the car are inter-linked by the main computer software and cannot always work as a stand alone device. As an alternative, the link below is to a New York company that specializes in car radio/audio repair, including units such as yours. Where as the Lexus dealers can only replace the unit, United Radio may be able to repair yours for much less. Call them and explain your situation and hoprfully they will be able to help you. The only problem here is that you will have to find someone to remove your audio/navigation unit so you can send it UPS to United Radio. Try a local car stereo shop/installer Paul. http://unitedradio.com/automotive/

Hi Rick and welcome to the Lexus Owners Club. I'm with you 100%. Almost everyone who drives an ES for the first time says it's the best riding car they ever drove. The car looks sharp. Keeping posting as you go along and let us know how you like your hybred. Paul