Lesux

"I need a replacement for my Porsche Dual-Mode Battery Charger. I made a note that it is really made by CTEK and I recall reading that it can be ordered on ebay but I did not make a note of the model number of the unit. Can someone help?" http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/997-forum/558315-which-ctek-battery-charger-and-installation-issues.html "CTEK Smarter Chargers are of the highest-quality engineering, but don’t take our word for it. CTEK is the preferred battery charger for some of the most prestigious engineering brands in the world: Porsche, Audi, Lamborghini, Bentley Motors, Scania AB, BMW, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Chevrolet (Corvette), Ferrari, Alfa Romeo S.p.A., Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH, Aston Martin, Arctic Cat, Yamaha Motor Company, Maserati, Mercedes, and more. Plus, they are available at an affordable cost." http://smartercharger.com/benefits/ Scroll to the bottom of the page http://www.ctek.com/int/en/ I used to buy Kirkland batteries for my cars and they lasted 8 - 11 years. Mind you, when I do not use a car for more than 3 weeks, I always connect it to the ctek 24/7. Hope it helps.

Well. Costco Kirkland Battery is also prorated. 3 year free replacement, 100 month prorated. As far as I know they are made by Johnson Controls and they are the same company that makes Intersate. I do not think any battery would like 100 month. I believe they are doing this so that customer buy battery from Costco again with a little discount. Only down side I found was you must be Costco member to get warranty replacement. So, if you cancel Costco membership, warranty is gone with it. I was told battery is low, but not sure what they meant by low. Probably voltage was little lower than full charge. Since it is original battery on 2008 model, it probably is about time to change it. For alignment, even service rep from dealer said it is normal for IS. But mechanic did not know if I did alighment on it and he recommanded it because they recommand alignment to be done every 10,000 miles. (Which I don't see point if tires are going to go bad anyway) I'm not complaining about technician's recommandations. Just repair prices at dealer. Can't help you with the alignment, but as far as the battery is concerned, If I were you I would buy this http://www.amazon.com/Multi-12-Volt-Smart-Battery-Charger/dp/B000FQBWCY/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1363393989&sr=1-1&keywords=ctech+battery+charger and connect it to the battery for a full week. If I'm not mistaken, Porsches come with such charger. I have two chargers and they do a great job. Take the time to read some of the reviews.

Look it up on cargurus.com and have a look at the April issue of CR for the past years. It is not a perfect science, but is better than nothing. FWIW, CR April 2013 issue rates the '10 as excellent and the '09 as very good in terms of reliability. Strangely, the '12 is rated as fair. Just one level above lowest possible rating. Also, the '09 weak point seems to be the audio system.

Yeah but I am one of those weirdos who enjoys silver on the outside and evern worse, I like a light color on the inside One way or the other, the front grill is not what will make one buy, or not buy a Lexus. It is just one of the factors that play either for, or against a purchase. Personally, I prefer the exterior and interior appearance of the ES 2012. Who knows, maybe the new look will grow on some of us? As for me, my future will either have a ES 2012 or a used LS if purchased after MY 2012. I would love to have a third Lexus, but I only have a double garage. I always keep my babies inside. P.S. I checked it out and you are right; the new front grill blends a lot better with dark color. I think black is best. It even makes the grill as an integral part of the car, instead of sticking out for attention.

I find the new grill is very bold and is better suited to an aggresive styling. But for people like me, who prefer quiet and discreet, the new grill is a bit much. Too bad they can't use two different front grills and must follow (like sheeps) what the competition is doing. Moreover, it really reminds me of a snow plow. Can you recognize the Lexus front grill? ;) http://www.google.ca/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1600&bih=719&tbm=isch&tbnid=QhtKwJC1WNvBtM:&imgrefurl=http://www.whistlersnowclearing.com/&docid=Ds3qlbvwiczXZM&imgurl=http://www.whistlersnowclearing.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Snow-Plow-01_moo-sb_SnowPlo.jpg&w=1200&h=750&ei=2wFCUePsN5TW2wX7vYHoBA&zoom=1&ved=0CKQBEK0DMAY&iact=hc&vpx=1129&vpy=170&dur=8814&hovh=177&hovw=284&tx=151&ty=110&page=1&tbnh=140&tbnw=231&start=0&ndsp=31 P.S. I think the best thing about the 2013 ES is the ES300h. Now if only they could have an AWD version...

Funny you mentionned it, because CR and other reviewers also find the latest incarnation of the GS to be a net improvement over the previous generation. I am not a fan of the new interiors of MY2013 Lexus. Call me old fashioned.

Regarding Lexus' screw ups; too many to list. Where should we start? Front grill (snowplow style) - personal taste. 12" display in GS - when OFF is really ugly. Nuluxe!!!!!!!!! Ride not as comfortable in the ES. One only learns from mistakes. It is never too late to change for a 2012... Or why not get a nice, used LS460? Which might be my next choice, unless the ES gets back what it lost in terms of 'nice ride'. P.S. The exchange rate between the yen and US$ is hurting the Jap cars makers. They need to stay competitive.

LEXUS: Luscious Ecstasy; Xenophobe's Underrated Sedan Yep, according to CR and a few other reviews, the 2013 ES 350 isn't as nice a ride as the previous generation. My next one will be a 2012.

Thanks for the humor!! Bet you didn't think it could become this controversial. Honestly, I didn't agree with the whole list and did find some pretty stupid and offensive. I guess I should spend some time and try to come up with a list of my own. Lexus is an almost impossible one to get right because of the X. I now love the brand. My first Lexus , a 2009 RX 350 didn't live up to my expectations. Seats not comfortable enough and ride is a bit noisy. But the 2009 ES 350 I bought last month is pure heaven. The seats are so much better than the RX and the ride is SO quiet. I am now the slowest driver on the road. And I used to be among the most aggresive drivers just a few weeks ago (no joke). Sorry for being off topic. Charlie Chaplin once said that a day without a laugh is a day lost.

I fully agree with you. I wasn't 'pleased' with some of them, but I didn't write any of them. I was looking thru an old folder as I am selling one of my cars and saw that list for the first time in probably 5-10 years. I didn't even remember I had such a list. The thing is humor is basically done while attacking s*x, race, politics or religion. Humor can be quite vulgar and offensive and often will not be understood in many foreign countries. So humor is always a controversial topic and what might be perceived as funny to some, might be interpreted as offensive to others. Religion is a classic example. It is for this reason I added 'please do not take it seriously'. Moreover, since that list was written, some of the brands mentionned have improved dramatically, while others have gone down. Just too bad it is so hard to come with a good acronym for Lexus, a brand I now love a great deal. The X is complicating everything. Thanks for your understanding.

LEXUS :Loving Exquisite XXX Underrated Sensation

This is for light humor. Please don't take it seriously. Hyundai: Hope You Understand Nothing is Drivable And Inexpensive Audi: Another Ugly Dutch Invention Saab: Shape Appears As Backwards Ford: Fast Only Rolling Downhill First On Rubbish Dump Found On Road Dead Fix Or Repair Daily Fix Often Rust Daily Fill Oil Reservoir Daily *BLEEP*ed Over Rebuilt Dodge Fiat: Fix It Again Tony Volvo: Very Odd Looking Vehicular Object BMW: Black Man's Wish Break My Window Break My Wallet Bought My Wife Be My Weasel M-B: Molested Boys Pontiac: Poor Old Negro Thinks It's A Cadillac Porsche: Poor Old Rich !Removed! Can't Have Erection Persnickety Old Roaster, Sucks Cash, Hellaciously Expensive Nissan: Nasty Impenetrable Smoke Signals All Night Lotus: Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious Add you own if you know more.

Yep, I figured the tires were the cause of vsc & trac to be activated so often (there were a few inches of snow on the ground). Maybe I'm wrong, but I do not think that snow tires are really cheaper towards the end of winter over here. I will need to buy 4 rims + the tire pressure monitoring thingie + Michelin X-ice, so it wil set me back a little bit. So I'll wait. Rest of winter??? I hope not. Winter should be over in... as soon as possible ;) Moreover, I am used to removing Trac/Vsc. I found an easy way way to remember it: Twice brake pedal, twice parking brake, twice brake pedal AND the other pedal always need to be pressed down before the other pedal is having movement.

My goal is only to disable trac and vsc when there is a snowstorm. Sometimes, all it takes is spinning the wheels A LITTLE BIT to get oneself out of a situation. I guess one day I might have to give it a try (remove the fuses). But I just got the car last week and I want to enjoy it a bit longer before I mess with anything. Btw, there was a snowstorm when I picked up the car. And the following two times I drove the car, it was snowing, ha! ha! The car came with four seasons Michelin Energy MXV4. I love those tires, now replaced by the Primacy. I used to have the Energy MXV4 Plus on all my cars. I will get winter tires, but I'll wait until the fall, as winter is more than half gone.

I am interested in knowing if anyone has been courageous enough to remove those two fuses and drive the car? And then re-install the fuses in order to see if all the warning lights went away after a while? Also, if anyone has done it, I would guess vsc, trac and abs were off, correct? I see there is a third fuse inside the cabin (ECU-IG NO2, 7.5 amps, #16) for a lot more than those three items. I would assume this fuse would stay. Thanks.

Don't bother, I found the solution. It took me 4 or 5 times before I succeed, but the dance of the brake pedal/parking brake is working like a charm. :)

I just bought a 2009 ES 350 and I was surprised that, unless I missed something, there is no button to disable VSC & TRAC like in my 2009 RX 350. Say I'm stuck in the snow, being able to disable such systems might allow me out of my predicament. The only way I thought possible is to pull the fuse(s) assuming there is/are fuse(s) exclusively for those two systems. Thanks for your help. P.S. The car is great, my first ES. Lots of car for the money. And one of the two Lexus dealers in town is absolutely great.