UCF3

It's pretty much upto you if you wish to go to the dealer or not. I personally use the local Toyota dealer and i look for Online coupons so that I don't have to pay for the service (no complimentary loaner cars). Since you have only 67k on her the nearest major service would be the 75k service, which isn't doing much. Have you actually done the every-60,000 mile service? As far as I am concerned it's the most important service requiring a total care. They replace most of your fluids, and you can change out the spark plugs and the spark plug wires. Also, if you're car is indoor-garaged most of the time you can do each service slowly, but if it;s exposed to the elements I would recommend changing the belts and testing the battery as well as the other 60k service needs.

You know what car I'd choose. LS all the way.

It does sound like one of the sensors on the ECU has gone bad. Were you able to find out what code it's producing?

I've been looking for a good Lexus mechanic myself for a while but haven't had much luck there. Toyotas and Lexus are pretty easy to work on so I've been doing the work myself. A friend has recommended a shop in Gaithersburg, MD if you're in the county otherwise you could try to use Toyota Service centers.

Hmm Good question overall. The 06 that i just bought a month ago has just over 100k and is fully loaded. Unfortunately i wasn't able to find a southern car so i eneded up with a New Jersey snow car (rust city). The best advise i can give would be do your research before you commit. The GS i have has a clean Carfax.com report with two owners and no collision and salvage reported to the organization. I too was under a serious budget so $15k US was my limit so i ended up picking mine for $13,800. I looked underneath the car for damage and signs of repair and i was lucky not to find any. I would image if my budget was $20k you should be able to find an 06-07 with 60 -90k on the odometer; just make sure the service history is exemplary, ie. water pump, timing belt, coolant flush, tune-up, all working electrics, good brakes and not too many dings and dents. I am seeing some really good looking one on Ebay in the $30-40k range.

Best of luck and don't forget to add pictures so that we can enjoy your choice.

Hmm interesting indicator.

Did you get a chance to dry out all the electrical connection in the bay? that should include spark plug valley, sensor connectors, battery terminals...? I washed my old SC300 engine over the summer. had the same problem, when i replaced the spark plugs (complete tune-up including the rotor replacement) every came back up. I know you mentioned you replaced the spark plugs and cables but is it possible the part was defective?

Honestly I don't know. I've noticed something similar. Mine doesn't maintain one side after almost 8hours as well, and when one side does stay selected--only that side will go down when the gear is in reverse. Anybody else experiencing this problem?

Well since they're Brembos you have some options. I really don't want to spend over $1000. Anybody use a different manufacturers' product?

Although i started this topic on performance upgrades for the 06 GS300...well, i think i'm fatter than the average adult and I'm about 5'7", i was comfortable, but i do believe three average adults in the back-seat would be pushing it.

Hi Magic: It's definitely worth looking into the older ones, but I have my doubts you'll be happy with the 06-11 GS. Although i haven't sat in the new bodystyle (2012) yet, a friend and I were comparing his 02 GS430 with my 06 GS300. My trunk is bit smaller (doesn't have the extra space towards the backseat), and my backseat is more upright (his was more slanted). As for the noise-level in the cabin, it doesn't surprise me. the US and perhaps the Canadian markets are more geared to safety so they may have purposely removed some insulation to off-set safety modifications. You could try a US-spec car to see if it's noisier than the Canada-spec. I hope this information is useful. Let us what you end-up with finally.

Good question, and a lot of people have put in their two-cents between AWD vs X-Drive Tire selection is an excellent starting point, and I believe the new LS460s are being offered in AWD and Long-wheel based AWD as options. That would be my first choice if price isn't a problem. The AWD GS should be the similar performance as the X-drive BMW (minus the locking differential), but I prefer Quattro and symmetric AWD (Subi) over x-drive. Audi's Quattro is better engineered and proven to handle climate and terrain-based issues. The question you should be asking is how much snow you'll be tackling every year? If you're getting heavy lake-effect snow every year like we see in Buffalo and other parts of NYS I'd stick with the SUV (RX/GX or LX) or 4Runners. The 4WD systems are generally better suited for extreme low temperatures, since the viscous-fluids based hydraulics on board can freeze causing the AWD to stop functioning properly. 4WD with locking differentials can also freeze but Toyota offers extreme temperate fluids for both AWD and 4WD, that should be serviced (flushed) every 2-5 years. The owners manual should tell you more about the recommended intervals. To me the LS460 AWD would be the preferred over the 5 Series based on your ample space problem.

Hey, I was thinking about buying that car earlier this month. Glad it went to an enthusiast. I ended up with an 06 GS3 with a 100k on the ODO myself. For the oil, I would suggest doing a bit of research. Take the car to the local Lexus dealer and ask them to run the VIN. Check out the repair history report; sometimes they mention Mobil 1 or Castro but verify whether they used synthetic or non-synthetic. I know a lot of the dealer in my area are using synthetic Mobil1 or Pennzoil synthetic. This is important because if you go back and forth you'll end-up wearing a seal or two within the engine. Unfortunately, I made that mistake 10 years ago and my SC3 is still suffering :(. Also, from a mechanics point of view, you may want to switch to a 10w30. it's a bit thicker and more suited for high-mileage vehicle like ours. The name brands including Quaker State are excellent in lubing your engine parts, but the key is buy quality oil filters. The Toyota brand ones are excellent, and i've found Bosch and Mobil1 filters are really good. I've stuck with the Toyota and Bosch filters on my SC300 (260k) and IS-F (40k) The 90k is a very important service and i am glad to hear they've replaced the water pump, timing belt, etc. they are important. You should have clean sailing from this point. As for the NAV DVD update, i updated the disc on my IS-F earlier this year thinking it would solve many inaccuracies using the NAV system. No luck. I've had better luck using my Droid phone; more precise. I'm not sure if anyone else has experienced the same issue with their Nav. The tint is definitely a good thing to have especially where you're headed. San Antonio is hot and the leather will crack without proper care and heat management. I was talking to my tint-guy earlier this year and he's carrying the new 3M tint that's clear but prevents 90% heat reflection. the tint is expensive but is going to be well worth it in the long-run. As usual please feel free to ask us any questions. That's what we're here for... to support our fellow enthusiasts. You can upload pictures of the LS to the picture gallery but i think there is a restriction set on when you can. Please reply and add more comments to this board and the restrictions will come-off. Congrats.

Dont think you can add freon. The 98 SC is using a CFC refrigirants (r134) i believe. I have no idea how to replace it. You could take it to a shop?

Not sure where it's located on the SC4. Do you have a repair book?

Yup. They sound right. If you had a V8 it would be a little lower.

That's fantastic. Pictures?

Any luck with those pictures? When you say trim do you mean the liner or the plastic supports? That is unusual.

Do you mind if i ask how much?

I would use Lexus of Rockville or Silver Spring. I haven't had any problems with Pohanka before, but I do know they are the only dealer who;s service department is open 24x7. I'd say be glad they found the problem and fixed it. If it wasn't a lexus dealer they might have said this is something you did.

Be prepared to pay a lot for a good one.

Yeah, the use of third-party vendors for non-factory stuff is pretty common. Lo-Jack is offered through third-party vendors ONLY. Your best judgement would be physically see the option on the car. If the option is available for that vehicle (look through the broucher), ask them to Dealer Exchange (DX) the car from another store. they can work on that. For non-factory electronics and Paint protections most of the times they are cheaply installed. A quality shop will charge you top dollar for the install alone, but when the dealer is selling the product it basically means the sales department and the installation company have come to an agreement to install the product for this price (much lower than they'll charge you for that product).

Glad i don't have crappy Lexus dealers around me, I hope. :whistles: