pj8708

Welcome to the LOC.

I just read this in another post, you might try this and tell who ever looks at your car the results. "When the malfunction occurs, can you adjust the volume from the steering wheel's volume control? If so, the problem is in the radio. If not, the problem is in the amplifier." Paul

UPDATE: I have done more diagnostics on this problem using two additional techs and a side by side test with an Ipod and have decided that for what ever reason my SanDisk "Sansa Fuze" is simply not compatible with the Lexus audio software/system. I have poured over the owner manual for Lexus and Sansa and have called Sansa several times to no avail. So I give up. It appears that the only mp3 format type player that will give you full function is the Ipod. Consider this thread closed and thanks to those who read it. Paul

I see you haven't gotten any response yet and I know your in a hurry so I'll try and give you a few things to check. When you say you have sound with the GPS I assume you mean it still has the voice for directions. If this is so, you can probably eliminate the amplifier as the problem. Thats good! Hopefully it may only be a fuse. Very easy and inexpensive to fix. Call your dealer and explain your situation and have them check your fuses. If that is not the problem you'll have to let the dealer or an independent shop that works on Lexus take an in depth look at the sound system. Sometimes these problems can be trivial and then at other times they leave you pulling your hair out. Good Luck Paul

I love your piece nc. Really funny! LOL (By the way, showing my ignorance, what is a PUD?) Paul

The campers, boats, RV's, etc I fully understand as every city and neighborhood wants to look it's best. But honestly, a ubiquitous pick-up truck? The pick-up truck or it's steroidal companion the SUV, is so common these days as family transportation that I think you would be hard pressed to drive down an average city block without seeing one of them. And who decided that the SUV is better looking that the pick-up. They both are built on truck chassis. Your right Jim, if a neighborhood association wishes to establish rules and regulations for the betterment and welfare of the neighborhood, and they are lawful and non discriminatory then if you live there you should expect to tow the line. Otherwise, move. Paul

This is unbelievable. http://www.autoblog.com/2011/06/15/coral-gables-to-issue-tickets-to-pickup-owners-who-park-in-their/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+weblogsinc%2Fautoblog+%28Autoblog%29

Sorry to bring you bad news but: ETHANOL: BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT? In the rush to promote ethanol as environmentally friendly, proponents are ignoring the fact that ethanol consumes more resources than it saves, says John A. Baden, chairman of the Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment (FREE). In the cover story of the October "Consumer Reports (CU)," ethanol was compared with gasoline and diesel to see how well the alternative fuel actually conserved resources: While diesel contains around 140,000 British thermal units (Btu) per gallon, and gasoline 115,000 Btu, denatured ethanol contains only 78,000 Btu per gallon; these numbers translate into low fuel mileage. For example, CU tested a new Chevy Tahoe and found that in highway driving (on 85 percent ethanol), gas mileage decreased from 21 to 15 mpg; in city driving, it dropped from 9 to 7. In marked contrast, says Baden, two old diesel ranch trucks that weigh a ton more than the new Tahoe each gets 20+ mpg on the highway at 65 mph. Government subsides contribute to wasting resources, says Baden: Flex fuel vehicles (FFVs) are designed to run on either gasoline or a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gas, E85; automotive manufacturers receive generous fuel-economy credits for each FFV built -- even if it never runs on E85. This credit enables them to build more large SUVs that burn more gas than ethanol replaces; this is a perverse but predictable outcome of political forces. But given all of this, the resources consumed by ethanol production may still be worse for Third World ecosystems, says Baden. According to Peter Huber of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, if the process for producing ethanol becomes cheap and easy in poor countries, it would hasten the conversion of forestlands and other wilderness into a fuel source. Source: John A. Baden, "Is Ethanol a Pure Green Elixir?" Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment, October 18, 2006. http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=13652 Ethanol Fuel: Safe to Use, Bad to Produce by Brian Yalung on Wednesday, January 30th, 2008 We often praise the use of alternative fuel especially ethanol which is produce from natural resources such as corn and other renewable resources. While this shift has been obviously a big boost to us, we fail to see the process of producing them which is probably an issue as far as electricity use is concerned. Apparently the amount of electricity used is high and while they boast of using coal as a means to offset this, coal is another source of producing carbon dioxide which in turn has become harmful to the environment. http://keetsa.com/blog/health-and-well-being/ethanol-fuel-safe-to-use-bad-to-produce/ More Bad News for Ethanol. Another brick in the wall against ethanol. Academics tasked with plotting California’s transition to a low-carbon fuel have delivered more bad news: Ethanol appears to come with a higher greenhouse-gas price tag than previously thought — higher, indeed, than fossil fuel. California has long been a little wary of ethanol. They worry that adding ethanol at low blends to gasoline produces higher levels of certain air pollutants. But now that the Golden State is trying to tackle greenhouse-gas emissions from the transport sector, first-generation ethanol—the only kind that is actually commercially viable today—pops up as a repeat offender. That raises the question of how to actually make the transition to cleaner-burning transport fuels in the near term. The University of California at Berkeley’s Transportation Sustainability Research Center told the California Air Resources Board that ethanol could be twice as bad as gasoline, from a carbon-emissions point of view. How? Basically by turning land now covered with trees, grass, and other natural “carbon sinks” into farmland for corn and other crops used for ethanol. (Ethanol’s dirty secret has also recently been explored by Science and other magazines.) “Simply said, ethanol production today using U.S. corn contributes to the conversion of grasslands and rainforest to agriculture, causing very large GHG emissions,” wrote Berkeley profs Alex Farrell and Michael O’Hare in a January 12 memo to California regulators. “Even if only a small fraction of the emissions calculated in this crude way [through land use change] are added to estimates of direct emissions for corn ethanol, total emissions for corn ethanol are higher than for fossil fuels.” http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2008/01/23/more-bad-news-for-ethanol/ Though I live in the largest corn producing state in the US and also one of the major Ethanol producing areas, many of us realize the difficulties pointed out in the abstract above. The sustainability, food production disruption, and land use issues along with the pollution call for the elimination of Ethanol subsidies. Thanks for the information.

Hello and welcome to the LOC.

I'm not sure I can explain my problem well enough to make it clear and understandable, but here goes. I have a Sansa Fuze MP3 player which I plug into the USB port of my 2010 ES. I got the player in March of this year and it worked fine for quite a while. Then, over the last month or so, when using the player with the cars audio system, the cars system has been doing some odd things. For example, As I'm listening to a tune from the player I'll stop the car and turn off the ignition and get out for a while. This means that the car audio system was left in the USB mode in the middle of a tune which was coming from the MP3 player. Now, here is one of the odd problems. When I get back in the car and start it up, instead of the audio starting where it left off, I will look over and find the system power is off!(even though it was left in the on mode). I will turn on the power, and instead of resuming with the tune from the MP3 player the system turns on to a AM station. It does this every time you go through the above mentioned scenario. The sound quality is fine and the car audio system charges the player just fine. I have had the car into the dealer for a once over and they have tried several things to make it work again. They also tried hooking up two different iPods from people in the shop and then the system worked fine. They felt that it might be the cord attached to my Sansa Fuze. I have also called the SanDisk company and gone over the problem. They are clueless and know nothing about the Lexus system even though their literature says the player is compatible. I have also tried changing the USB settings in the MP3 player. I know this is long a tedious, but if anyone has any ideas or suggestions please jump in. Thank you very much. Paul

To my knowledge this cannot be done. The only way to acquire all the new features you want is to make the upgrade to a later model Lexus such as a LS460 or a 2010-2011 ES350 for example.

Genius = 1 part Inspiration + 10 parts perspiration. Maybe you just need a little more perspiration! Newton was a pessimist. Paul

Both parties are looking at eliminating subsidies for Ethanol, while car makers and drivers still debate whether it is good or bad for cars and MPG. http://autos.aol.com/article/ethanol-subsidies-under-fire/

Nothing is free down here. You will pay for it, one way or the other. I would consider it as 'entrapment'. No business is your friend, that's why it's called a business. Entrapment?? The act of a government or law enforcement agency luring a person into committing a crime they otherwise would not have. And this mans Lexus dealer, in fact all business's have this power? Whoa!!!What planet are we on now. There are excellent business's who treat there customers well and there are bad business's who treat there customers dishonestly. Those aren't around very long. IMO you teach people how to treat you. You approach them and deal with them like an !Removed! and they will respond in kind.

Never got a drop at my dealer. I did get a Coke once! Paul

And the congregation all said AMEN and closed this recurring chapter of the great debate. Let it rest in peace.

Very detailed reviews; excellent gas mileage, but far from being "Sporty". http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/editors_notebook/1106_2011_lexus_ct200h_premium/index.html

Well you've done a great job as a surrogate for your husband, and he should be very appreciative to have a wife so willing to put up with all of us "experts". I hope you enjoy your Lexus in spite of the small blemish, as the LS430 is a great automobile. Paul

As has already been stated, if the rust through perforation warranty ran for 72 months, yours is likely to be expired. Even though your disappointment may be understandable, it certainly not the fault of you dealer. They didn't make your car nor determine the length of warranty. I'm not sure why you feel they should pay you to fix the rust. If in fact there is a defect wasn't it pretty obvious over time? Paul

Do you remember what they charge for an oil change using the Mobil-1? Also, what is your location....that makes a difference. Thanks, Paul

If you do a search of this forum using "ipod interface" in quotes,You will find several post regarding this topic. The Vais seems to be the popular one. Be sure to check that your years model Lexus will interface with your ipod model and give you the specific feature functions you want. Your ipod may play but not fully interface with all features functional. Paul

By my watch Lexir, it was 4:38 a.m. when you wrote the above. Question is, were you just getting home from the bars or do you always get up that early? LOL!!

Touché mon amie! lol

The article didn't say if the Bear was a fascist?..LOL

I understand exactly what your saying. And having just gone through a change in carriers myself because I did have some claims, I would be just that much more cautious about what seems to be a too good to be true rate with Gieco. Particularly since you say you have never had a claim and we all know what happens after you file a claim. Any girl looks good at midnight. Better to dance with the one you trust.