Victor

Thanks much DobieG. Victor

This is amazing. I just put up a post about my daughter who also did some drawing on my leather seats with an ink PILOT pen. What's the deal with daughters, leather seats and PILOT pens anyway? I happened to be at my Lexus dealer yesterday for routine service and inquired about how to deal with it. They told me to use Denatured Alcohol. He said that's what the pros use. He just warned me to be very gentle with it as hard rubbing would take the dye right out of the seats. Sounds like based on your experience the alcohol worked. Thanks, Victor

Thanks Ford212, I did try that first, but got no response. I've tried again and it's still a no-go. I used ink and ink*. Any other ideas? Thanks, Victor

Last weekend I had my 2 daughters in the backseat of my LX470 going to our cabin. My 6-year old apparently got bored and got a hold of a blue pilot pen. She made some markings on the gray leather seat. When I got home I tried to remove the ink with my Lexol cleaner. It did fade the markings some but I can still see them. Is there anything out there that will safely remove pen markings. New rule - Keep no pens in the car. Thanks, Victor

Hi Madkow70, I also have a 2002 LX470. I researched the database update situation too. There was an update made as of November 2004. I'm not aware of anything new since then, but I don't know for sure. I've been trying to find an inexpensive way to upgrade. My Lexus dealer wants $675 for the update. Too expensive in my books. I've read on this forum of others that updated it themselves. Some were successful and others were not. I get a little nervous about this. If you find anything that works. Please advise me. Thanks, Victor

Hi Marty, Here is a number I have for 1Source, 1-800-905-5700. Good Luck, Victor B)

Drb, Where can you obtain the disk to do it? Thanks,

I've wondered about this suspension fluid. During routine 60,000 mile scheduled maintenance on my 2002 LX, my Lexus dealer told me that the suspension fluid needed to be replaced. I got a price from a local repair shop that I used to take my Landcruiser to for half the price of what Lexus was going to charge me for the fluid flush. When I went to go pick up the vehicle, I asked the mechanic if he could tell or see any difference between the old fluid and the new. He claimed that there was no visible difference in the fluids appearance, smell or touch. Of course he's not a Lexus dealer either, but it makes me a little suspicious. Is it reasonable to assume that the fluid would begin to break down at 60,000 miles? Victor

Hi Everybody, I have a 2002 LX-470. The database in the Nav unit is a 2001 version and I've learned that a new updated version of the database was made available last November. The dealer must install it and it costs about $650 for the update. It would be nice to get the update but I'm not sure if it's $650 nice if you know what I mean. Does anyone know of any other means to get it without having to pay an arm and a leg for it? Thanks, Cheapskate in Seattle :whistles:

Hi Curious1, So far, everything has been fine. I've only had to take my Lexus in for service once and it was only for a blown out subwoofer. I know it seems like a silly thing for just a speaker and all but I was curious how well 1Source would respond and react. My Lexus dealer told me that he never heard of a 3rd party warranty company paying for something like this before. 1SourceAW came through with flying colors and paid for the whole thing. I initially thought it might be about a $150 repair. With labor and speaker the bill came up to $521.00 for one speaker. I couldn't believe it. I have the Mark Levinson system, but holy cow!!! I practically kissed my warranty paperwork when I got into my car. I can say that I'm extremely satisfied with 1Source. It was simple and easy and completely painless. There's a great deal of piece of mind too knowing that you're protected. Who needs a $2K or $3K repair bill anyway. I suppose some repairs can go much higher. I may never need it again as long as I have my LX470, but at least I know it's there just in case. I give 1SourceAutoWarranty thumbs up. Good Luck Victor :) ←

I owned a 1995 Landcruiser for 4 years and this light came on twice. The first time was for worn out oxygen sensors. There are 2 of them and I believe they were nearly $200 each to replace. About 1 1/2 years later the light came on again. I took it in for diagnostics and they told me it was the catalytic converter this time. This is where it gets interesting. I called my cousin who owns a high end mechanic and car sales shop. He said that it might only be a bad tank of gas setting off the light. He told me to disconnect the battery cables for about 3 minutes and then reconnect them. If the light comes back on, then it's likely the diagnosis was correct. If not, then probably just bad gas. I disconnected the battery and reconnected per his advice and the light did not come back on. This simple little test saved me about $800.00. My wife has a Toyota Sienna. Her engine light came on about the same time as mine. It turned out that we had both purchased gas at the same station about the same time. I did the battery disconnect thing with hers and the light went out as well. I think this is a great and cheap way to double check your dummy lights.

Since the GPS system already has a DVD player included in the package, how hard would it be to have the DVD signal diverted to rear monitor(s)? It can bypass the GPS screen as I don't need anymore distraction. Has anyone ever tried this? If possible, I could save the space and expense of another DVD player in the vehicle. I'd like to pursue this idea. What are the downsides to this concept? Thanks, Victor

Hi Gang, I have a 2002 LX470 and 2 daughters aged 6 and 9. This recipe calls for a rear entertainment system. I've gone to the local Car Toys shop and looked at headrest unit monitors and ceiling mounts. I'd rather have a Lexus designed system but was told that it wouldn't work in the 2002. I think they said it only came out in 2003. Somehow the aftermarket ceiling mount systems don't look all that great. Something about them looks so aftermarket that I'd have a hard time putting one in. The headrest models are pretty pricey and then you have to find somewhere to put the DVD player itself. I'd like a ceiling mount that looks like it belongs with the vehicle. Does anybody have any suggestions? Thanks, Victor

Thanks Glenn, Mystery solved. I guess I should pull out all of the manuals and start reviewing them again in case I missed anything else. Victor :D

I've had nothing but success with the Michelin LTX M/S. I'll never buy another tire for my rig. Used them on my Landcruiser too. Awesome tires. Victor

I suppose I could look this up in the manual but I'm just curious. I've owned my 2002 LX470 for almost 3 months now. About a week ago, I noticed that when the vehicle is shifted into reverse, the side rear view mirrors automatically move down to aid visibility when in reverse. This is a very cool feature, but what's puzzling is that it just started happening about a week ago. I'm sure after almost 3 months I would have noticed this before, so it makes me wonder if there was a problem that fixed itself or somehow I toggled a switch somewhere that activated it. It also makes me wonder about any other cool features I'm missing out on. I know, I know, read the manual. Somtimes it's easy to pass over these little tidbits. I'm in the dark on this one. Victor

As far as I'm concerned, the LX470 is the best rig on the road. I just purchased a 2002 last August and I am still thrilled with it every time I get inside. The feelings of luxury, safety and reliability are second to none and I'll probably stick with the LX470's for quite some time. I previously owned a Landcruiser, and as much as I love the LC, once I drove the LX470, I couldn't go back. Suffice it to say that I'm in love with this truck. I think my wife might even be a little jealous. The LX doesn't cook for me, but for that matter neither does my wife! LOL. But seriously, tell your friend that they won't be disappointed. Cheers, Victor

Hi ACF, I loved my Landcruiser. It never failed me and it felt like it had years of service ahead of it. I was just ready to move up to something newer and a little different. For my lifestyle, the Landcruiser type vehicle was perfect, but the luxury of the LX470 along with the utility of the LC was a perfect match for me. My LC had almost 160,000 miles on it and it was still a strong runner. I used it as a trade-in on my LX470, but could have easily sold it for $12-13K in Summer and probably a bit more in Winter. The high miles can scare people who are not in the know. I believe that if serviced properly, you can easily get over 300,000 miles out of it. Enjoy your 97. They're still the best rigs out there as far as I'm concerned. Regards, Victor ;)

I'm in the market for a pressure washer and see that some of the uses per the manufactures include washing your car. I'd never really thought about this before, although I've taken my rig (LX470) to a touchless car wash that uses high pressure water much like a pressure washer. Are there risks in using a pressure washer or are there some portions of the vehicle that are safe to use it while perhaps other areas should be avoided? Has anyone had experience with this or advice? Thanks, Victor

I discovered a new way to really get super results from Lexol. I just purchased a 2002 LX470 about 5 weeks ago and previously had a 1995 Toyota Landcruiser. I had been using the Lexol cleaner and conditioner on the Landcruiser for years and always had decent results. After reading some of the posts on this bulletin board I got a few new ideas. The concept that intrigued me the most was ACF's post on July the 4th that said that he applies the conditioner by hand instead of a wet towel. The seats in the my Lexus weren't bad but I thought it would be interesting to give them a good cleaning and conditioning just to see what the results were. Many of the posts here talk about applying the conditioner in hot weather and letting it sit for long periods of time. I live in the Seattle area and it's September now and not that warm outside. So I took the hand application method and considered heat. Using my bare hands, I rubbed the conditioner vigorously to the point where the friction between my hand and the leather began to get warm. The results were immediate and amazing. In just a few seconds, I could see what seemed like good leather turn into great leather. I just couldn't believe the quick transformation right before my eyes. I really felt like I was on to something here. The seats looked like they came right off the showroom floor in seconds with a nice matte finish that was glove soft to the touch. I finished up with a clean dry towel but there really wasn't much residual as most of the conditioner seemed to soak right in with immediated results. I've had the sticky seat problem in the past by not wiping the excess conditioner off. The heat caused by friction really seemed to open up the pores of the leather and soak in right away. I highly recommend trying this. You won't be dissappointed. Good Luck Victor

I've never tried this, but I was told peanut butter works well. I'm guessing creamy would work better as chunky might scratch. Anyway for whatever it's worth. I just came back from the Cascade Mountains and also had some fir tree sap deposits on my LX. I used automobile bug and tar remover and it worked great. It did take about 3 applications though. It didn't come off on the first pass but each time it dissolved a little more and now there is no indication of any sap. I think part of the trick is getting to it as soon as possible. My wifes van got some of the stuff on it and I was a little slower in trying to get it off (like several months). Even the bug and tar remover couldn't make a dent into it. Needless to say, she wasn't too happy that I waited so long to get it off. However, when I bought her a new van, the sap issue was a forgotten problem

I'm still reading through the manuals of my 2002 LX and I don't see this addressed in the book(s). One of the things I've noticed, is that when the headlight switch is switched to automatic, the lights go out or shift to driving light status too early. It seems like it's too dark still when the sensor decides that it's time to turn the headlights off and I end up turning them back on manually. Does anyone know of a way to adjust the sentinal to delay them turning off until it gets a bit lighter outside? Thanks, Victor

Thanks Steve. I'll try the Pledge. It's already available at home and if it resists fingerprints better, all the more reason to use it. :D

I love the wood trim in my LX. Along with the leather, it makes me feel like I'm sitting in the first class section of luxury jet-liner. I want to take good care of it and make sure I don't use anything that could harm it. Does anyone have a suggestion on what to use to clean and maintain it? Is furniture polish a good idea?

Skyman, In all fairness, the 18.1 MPG was calculated primarily on highway miles. I'm sure that if I was driving around town, they wouldn't have been as favorable. I've only had the truck about a month, but I've been up in the 18 MPG range from other tanks of gas I've calculated. I'm not doing anything special, but I am very careful on how I press the accelerator and always look ahead far enough to be able to respond in kind on the pedal for optimum mileage. Gas mileage is sort of hang-up I have and I track it pretty closely. I'm an accountant, so I'm constantly doing the numbers. I'll keep the forum posted on any new developments. Victor ;)