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markham51

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Everything posted by markham51

  1. The parking brake light comes on ocasionally on my 04 LS430 and did the same in my 01 LS430. I just hit the parking brake release gizmo and it goes away. It might do it 5-10 times per year.
  2. I am going to have mine painted the same color as the body. It doesn't look reeeally bad, but if it was painted you wouldn't notice it at all. It does look a bit out of place. I tried to have mine center mounted on the back trunk edge but the dealer told me the kit wouldn't support it, so I decided to take the camouflage route. My car is in storage right now, otherwise I would send you a pic, sorry.
  3. No problem with mine, just the luck of the draw I guess. I would be super angry if it did!
  4. I am looking for some new wheels for my SC430 as well. These seem not too bad... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...bayphotohosting Dotn know how hard they would be to clean...
  5. I have same problem with mine but I only drive it 2k mi per year and it sits around alot. I have to boost it everytime I leave it for a couple of weeks unused....
  6. No matter who you believe, sooner or later Lexus will have to compete with Mercedes, BMW and Audi but I think they need a redesign to do it. Usually these things work best when a vehicle is designed from scratch with lots of ponies in mind. There are no doubt loads of considerations to do it properly and I dont beileve Lexus is the kind of company that would "shoe horn" something into the current model. Having said that, IS300 sales are very low when compared to its competitors mainly because (in my view) they are way too conservative in the HP department. They are going to have to spend way more money if they want to SERIOUSLY compete with the Germans in the "3 series" market. While most people buy a 325 or a 330, they dream of an M3. Lexus needs to (and will) launch performance products if they want to compete effectively. I will be first in line to buy one. The redesign due out probably next year is rumoured to have the LS V8 as an option...but it wouldnt surprise me that it is launched the year after to keep the excitement of the new model alive. My son just bought a new Audi S4 and these cars are really fun to drive. I made sure he test drove an IS300 (we had one 2 years ago) and he liked a lot of things about it, but in the end result he just had to have the performance. So... lets go Lexus!
  7. I talked with my dealer today. He said there will be a V8 300hp (approx) version with 6 speed and awd to compete with S4 and M3. Same engines as SC/LS. He is usually right. Should be sweet but lots more money.
  8. Thanks very much! That is exactly the info I needed.
  9. I have decided to go with an aftermarket wheel rather than a TRD wheel. Does anyone know how you go about disabling the tire pressure monitoring system? I am told that I cannot move the sensing devices from my existing wheels to an aftermarket wheel so I will have to disable the warning system.
  10. Check this out.... http://www.motortrend.com/autoshows/112_04_lexuslfc/ from NY Auto show.... :)
  11. I have had an 01 and now an 04 and I think it is definitely the best "all around" luxury sedan available today. I looked at the Audi A8, BMW 745, Mercedes 430/500 S class and the new Jag XJR. All had their strengths and weaknesses but OVERALL the LS430 is King! The Audi is the prettiest in my opinion, smooth lines, great wheels, but I had to wait 3 weeks to test drive one while they fixed the computer software in it. This turned me off....waaaaay off. It also felt a little sluggish when compared with other cars I drove. Ultimately it got knocked off my short list because it doesnt offer laser radar and I will never buy another highway cruiser without it. The BMW 745 handled well and there was adequate power but the controls were a joke. I also thought the interior was not to my liking...not nice enough in my opinion for the money. I like the exterior styling although it took me a while to come around. The deep dish wheels look great. I am also very concerned about BMWs reliability and warrantee coverage. My daughter has a 2001 BMW 330xi and it has had many problems. I could go on forever about it.... The S class was in my opinion the least desirable. The styling was just OK, it seemed somewhat outdated compared with the rest of the competition. The power was good and the seats comfortable. It was WAY more expensive when you bought the same level of performance and options compared to the Lexus (ultra model). It did however offer a Laser radar option. I really liked the Jaguar XJR (with turbo) . It was a blast to drive. Power, torque and Jag handling, it was amazing. The interior is very classy (in that typically British way) and it came with lots of options including the laser radar! I absolutely love that metallic racing green color and turbine wheels. If I didnt already have a sports car(s) in the stable i might have gone with the Jag. Ultimately the LS 430 was an easy choice...because it does EVERYTHING extremely well. It wasnt the prettiest, it wasn't the fastest, it didn't handle the sportiest and it certainly wan't the most expensive. It was the most thoughtfully concieved, best executed, uncompromising vehicle of the bunch. Have to go...my buddy needs a lift to his Mercedes dealerhip to pick up his S class... Oh yeah, didn't consider a Q....it looks ugly!
  12. I am planning on buying a new set of Foose LUSSO wheels for my SC430. I think I will stay with 18 inch wheels as I like the ride right where it is. I know the existing wheels are 18" X 8" with a 114.3 PCD and 5 bolts. When I went to the Foose site and entered my vehicle and model number in the configuator, I got back the following list of options: Follow this link to see the LUSSO...it is the first "star shaped" wheel on the Mercedes (top of page). http://www.foosedesignwheels.com/showroom.php Application Guide for 2002 Lexus SC430 FOOSE LUSSO Part Number Size PCD Offset Finish Details F11228565P0A 20x8.5 5x114.3 34 Chrome F11228566P0A 20x8.5 5x114.3 13 Chrome F11228567P0A 20x8.5 5x114.3 45 Chrome F11297565P0A 19x7.5 5x114.3 30 Chrome F11297567P0A 19x7.5 5x114.3 45 Chrome F11298565P0A 19x8.5 5x114.3 34 Chrome F11298567P0A 19x8.5 5x114.3 45 Chrome F11287565P0A 18x7.5 5x114.3 45 Chrome F11288565P0A 18x8.5 5x114.3 34 Chrome F11288567P0A 18x8.5 5x114.3 45 Chrome Which of these options will fit my tires best? Anyone know what the offset is on my OEM wheels? Do you think these will look nice on the vehicle? Any other recommendations? Time to spend some money and spruce up the SC. By the way, car color is silver.
  13. This doesn't make any sense to me. The LS430 has probably the most comfortable seats in the industry. Try changing the position of the bottom cushion to better suit your needs. The bottom cushion of your drivers seat moves forward and back to meet the needs of drivers with shorter or longer legs. If this doesn't help, see your dealer. You shouldn't be uncomfortable in these seats. To me it is a major selling point. Auto journalists rave about how LS430 seats seem to fit every driver properly.
  14. Its not Kms..I just noticed the temp settings and outide temp redaing is NOT in Metric...
  15. The Tach seems to be running lower than 5000 RPMS. Do you think this would be the case if you were running flat out? Its no where near red line at 6000. Also the trees above the dash would definitely be blurred at 150. Fast camera or no fast camera...either this pic is a fake, the speedometer is broken or the measurement is in Kms per hour vs Mph.....
  16. I am not sure what the economics are, however everyone is doing it to SOME extent. I dont think Lexus will stay away from this forever. Even if they had a supercharged "R" model like Jaguar or Bentley or even Volvo! I'd pay the extra dough. I think they will eventually come around to it, otherwise they risk being uncompetitive in the long term.
  17. I just watched an auto show program which claims Lexus is going to launch an "AMG" or "M" series equivalent version of the brand in 06 or 07. This makes a lot of sense. If anyone can afford it, Toyota can!
  18. UCF3: When I said "Jaguaresque" I meant that the steering is much more precise and takes less movement to achieve the desired change in direction. Another difference between the 04 and 01 that I forgot to mention; the 04 has tire pressure monitoring KARLROCKS: There is no doubt the 04 is a little more refined all around but it really comes down to how much cash you want to part with. The 01-03 should not disapoint. One way or another, make SURE that you get the LASER CRUISE CONTROL capability. It is "worth the price of admission" and is available on all 01-04 "top of the line" models. It maintains a preset distance between you and the car in front of you and after using it on my 01 LS430 for 3 years, I wouldn't buy another "cruiser" without it. Mercedes S Class has a version of this, Audi A8 and BMW 745 do not. Have fun...
  19. Things I have noticed that are different in my 04 LS430 vs. my 01: Exterior: Newer more modern looking headlights which swivel when you go around turns More pronounced hood (bonnet) creasing, new lower more aggressive front valance and tail pipe treatments. Color changes (even the silver color is brighter) Optional 18 inch wheels (I have chrome 17s) Different wheel pattern Mechanical: New more "Jaguaresque" steering ratio Better suspension, less body roll in corners 6 speed transmission with considerably better performance New "tiptronic" style gear shift replaces older "gated" style Interior: Rear view camera Navigation system has more options, optional background colors, points of interest, major improvement over 2001 in my opinion Satellite radio capability Rear seat cooling in addition to the heating my 01 had Smart key system Rear seat vanity mirrors Fewer interior wood grain options in 2004 vs 2001...but like it a lot Glove box is re-engineered Bluetooth cell phone ready Lexus Assist (Similar to GM On-star) List price increased by 2K vs 2001 (both vehicles fully optioned) Lexus dealer told me there were over 1700 "engineering changes" in the 04 The really cool thing was...they didn't take any steps backward. Everything they did was an improvement. (Still think there should be a light that tells you when the park assist is turned off!) On the other hand, I loved my 01 lS430 and would much rather drive it than any no AMG Mercedes.
  20. Will talk to my Lexus dealer to find out where the button it. Thx Mark
  21. I noticed on my 04 LS 430 XM radio (with Nav), that the maximum number of letters displayed in any song title is 10. On the other hand my wife's 04 Escalade (with Nav) and XM radio displays 16 letters which provides a much better song title description. Does anyone know if this is a limitation of the Lexus receiver or did the XM people mess up?
  22. Amp is finally fixed! XM Sat Radio works well and is awesome! Lots of channels, no commercials, lots of great songs. This thig is going to save me lots of money on CDs....
  23. $230 is unbelievable! We should start compaining to Lexus whenever dealers try to screw us. Does Lexus have a consumer complaints department?
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