amf1932

BTW: It seems the Ultra-Luxury Package is not being offered on the East Coast! Also, You can't get the Mark Levinson Audio in any other package but the Ultra-Luxury Package. :(

Well today I had the opportunity to drive the ES350. I arranged this test drive with the retention manager at my Lexus dealer. I can't say that it was an ideal test because I would have liked being alone in the car to be able to fully concentrate on the performance. My route was the city streets.....not a highway. Aside from being much quicker then my '03ES, the transmission responded beautifully and smoothly. No dragging sensation, and mainly the shift points were as good as can be expected. Downshifts were excellent at normal and above normal street speeds. As I said, I didn't have the opportunity to drive it on the road. The latest transmission reprogramming that I had done on my '03 helped, but the shift speeds were, and still are abnormally higher then necessary. This was done to try to correct an inherent flaw in the transmission design. This, and this alone would make me consider trading in my '03ES for the ES350. The icing on the cake is the "tiptronic" type of manual shifting that this new 6 speed unit employs. I love that feature. I agree with Steve about the interior of the car......I still like the '02 thru '06 ES's better since they have a much more luxurious feel, and they seem much more spacious in the driver and passenger area. As with a new model car, you have to pay very close to the sticker price, so as of this writing I'm going to sit back and relax until I can make a much more favorable deal.

I just got a call from my Lexus dealer to try out the ES350, but I have mixed emotions since my '03 ES has a total of 15,800 miles on the odometer........unless of course they give me a fabulous deal on a trade in. :)

Where in Arizona was that show? I'll be going to Scottsdale and the Pheonix area next week and I'll be looking to go to some auto shows. Any ideas??

If there is some restriction while the 'auto up' is operating then the safety mode comes into operation. This will reverse the direction of the window. Check to see that there is nothing that is restricting the window in the upward motion, and if not, I would take the car to your Lexus dealer to make the proper adjustments.

This might sound silly, but did you check whether the car rolls freely? What I mean is, are the brakes dragging due to a stuck caliper, or the emergency brake not releasing fully.......and did you check your tire inflation? And finally, you're sure that the gas tank is not leaking? Sometimes a leaky gas tank will leak only when you're on the road, so you can't see the leak when the car is parked.

If I had a teacher that looked like that....I'd never cut class! :)

Very interesting and informative.......but as they say, "Go Fight City Hall". :(

Check the resistance of the JDM #194 bulb and also the 1157 bulb and then calculate the difference. You can then purchase these resistors at an electronic store like Radio Shack. Put them in series in the line. This should correct the fast turning signal flashing. :)

Thank's Steve- I pop into LOC pretty often, but I haven't posted very much. I guess I'm in one of my quiet moods. :) Here's a picture of my new car.......and it doesn't have any transmission hesitation. :P http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b109/amf...06003-72dpi.jpg

That's the button I wanted you to push, but I guess my explanation was a little too vague.

I wouldn't knock myself out since they're a cheap part. Go to a Lexus dealers parts counter and buy them there. :whistles:

The fog lights on your Lexus will only operate when the headlight switch is on low beam.....they'll switch off if you use the high beam. I would say that this combination will give you the best light in foggy conditions. There have been a few Lexus owners that rewired their cars so the fog lights can be used regardless of the headlight switch position, but I personally would not do this. I guess the Lexus Company had good reason for setting up the switching controls this way. :)

Wouldn't you think that the coolant temp sensor is working, since after the car warms up it'll shift into OD? :)

After completing what you've already done, go to the Craftsman garage door opener and press the reset button on the back. It seems that unless this last step is not done, it won't work.

The shift logic was designed that way. The shift points are higher(RPM), and the O/D is locked out until the engine temperature rises to a predetermined degree. Your car is acting normally.

There might be oxidation on the bulb contacts, so I would try to clean the contacts before I would go to the bother of switching the headlamps.

Wow....great price!! Maybe I could get a bigger discount if I ordered two. :)

Generally, the only hood struts that requires a straight drop in are OEM parts. Aftermarket parts MAY have to be modified for your installation.

Just a question: Is it "stearing" or "steering", or are they both correct?

I disagree. There are many complaints about this downshift hesitation on FWD also, so this negates the theory of under-steering or over-steering causing these problems. In fact, I was driving my brothers '05 LS430 recently and I could replicate the hesitation as I had on my '03 Es300.

Are the tire treads worn down? I would try rotating the tires first to see if that eliminates the noise.

Not without extensive wiring changes. A Lexus dealer would not even attempt this type of modification.

I enjoy 'Monarch's' posts! They are usually well written, and as said before, most postings from any members are generally their opinions. Isn't that what messageboards are all about....OPINIONS? :whistles: