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VBdenny

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Everything posted by VBdenny

  1. The interior on my 2004 ES330 is still perfect after 10 years and 100,000 miles. Gray leather and matching. I use a damp with water terry cloth towel to clean the interior. I had the window tinted to Virginia legal (50%) which mainly diminishes the UV penetration. Lexol leather cleaner and good to go. I also find microfiber towels leave fuzz. In fact they are even weird to touch sometimes.
  2. Yes, yes and yes. The V1 has the arrows which is perhaps the best thing ever. Tells you front, back or side making it easy to identify radiation from all directions. Very useful determining approaching radar. The V1 also tells the band, the strength and also detects POP and instant on bursts. The laser alert is very bold but again, when you hear that klaxon, your blood runs cold and you're stabbing at the brakes even when you're not speeding. You simply can not beat a V1 for quality and company support. Very important to me that my detector is never obsolete. Ive used one for years in Virginia off and on and often been near a bear with a "detector detector" and apparently this V1 has an excellent shield. I'm not sure not obeying an illegal law is illegal? Either way, better a $75 "equipment" infraction (no points) than a point type ticket.
  3. Well yeah electricity is dangerous. People were killed by it long before it was even invented and you can't say that for many things. I once had a student in an electronics class that did the old "test the 9V battery by touching it tongue" thing. Unfortunately the kid had braces. At that point he learned exactly what a direct short was.
  4. Yeah, almost wish I had gotten the 350 F Sport. Missed one by a few hours. Cars change and if they turbo these things in a few years it may be time. Meanwhile I am planning pursuit of my goal in life. Having fun, and this IS helps.
  5. No, sorry if it was me that was misunderstood. Do not ever try to remove the lens from the body. Dump the alcohol into the opening were the bulb inserts. Slosh it around, dump it put, blow a hair dryer in there and make sure the bulb fixture is sealed properly. Most I have seen with condensation was cause by the bulb connector loose. That is not caused by road vibration rather by someone who couldn't get it to insert properly and give up. Some of them have caused me to drink in the past.
  6. That is really a lot for a 1992 even considering the low mileage. Luckily for you these cars are so well built that there is little to go wrong. Here is a list of things that always go wrong. The power steering leaks and when it leaks it leaks on the alternator which is terrible. Also the power steering fluid can be sucked into the intake system via a vacuum based parking power assist feature which is connected to the pump. When that happens you get huge clouds of white smoke upon start up that smells like burning solvent. Easily corrected by blocking the connections. Other leaks include, but are not limited to, the "O" rings between the reservoir and pump. Bring a powerful flashlight and carefully examine the power steering pump area. Having a dealer replace all this is prohibitive. Having a side person do it means they better know what they are doing. The LED display on the time and temperature display WILL go completely black. Replacements are between $200 and $400 and are simple to install with minimal tools. Other low volume issues include AC, upper control arms but only after a couple hundred thousand miles. Things to consider. You will need to have all the fluids changed. Oil, transmission, coolant, power steering, differential, and brake. Figure in a new serpentine belt. Not sure if you mentioned timing belt but being non-interference, not a huge issue. Of course when all is said and done, you will own the finest car I ever owned. Best of all, in 2 years you own an antique vehicle which entitles you to all kinds of special deals on insurance and registration. I'd bring 50 $100 bills with me.
  7. In my 1990 LS400 when the wires in the left trunk hinge got pinched repeatedly, all kinds of wired things happened. If you checked fuses and links you are down to a loose connector block, a broken wire, or a bad ground. I have always found electrical issues to be one of the more difficult problems to resolve. I guess you find the last point of power and work outward. Somehow, all of your issues are related. Now all you need is the Scorpions to solve the problem.
  8. LIDAR. (Not liar) is the name of the cop laser. Damn spell correct.
  9. Liar (as cops radar is known) is deadly fast and accurate. IF you are lined up and the first target, you are caught, period. The V1 does an excellent job of warning you when the cop is targeting other cars nearby but if it is you in the crosshairs, you are bagged. The other day I drove up from Virginia Beach to Boston almost all the way is the nasty, east coast storm. Yeah, driving in rain is nasty but the benefit is that the cops just about never run laser or radar in the rain except for rolling which is easily detectable even miles away. Your first line of defense is ALWAYS your SI (situational awareness) not your detector. If you do not know how to observe traffic, terrain, vehicles and conditions you are probably best to keep around the limit. Remember, a $50 detector will get you a $500 ticket. As always, you get what you pay for.
  10. Oh I don't mind at all when girls put things like that on their cars. Very cute as long as I don't have to drive around embellished as such. Burn outs are pretty much discouraged by all cops. Not only do burn outs cause excessive noise but the smoke produced can be almost an EPA violation. Add to that the discoloration marks (and there better be two) and of course the scaring of women and children. All that being good reasons not to excessively accelerate yet ...
  11. Costco in Norfolk. $2.39 Exxon near Dover Delaware. $2.77 Sunoco near Danbury Connecticut. $3.09 Yesterday
  12. For what I use the car, the engine is fine. If I had a faster car, I would be encouraged to do things I shouldn't. A turbo would be a nice edition though. I only drive the car for fun and road trips in the summer. When I go up north in the winter, I take the silverado with snow tires because I couldn't imagine getting salt on my car. If you have a black car, you can be pretty sure it will be white after a good salt run. The Lexus, stays in the garage.
  13. The day after I picked my car up ath the dealership, I took it in and had the windows tinted. Even had them do a limo tint on the sunroof. Of course I ordered Weather Tech floor liners. Then completely detailed and applied multiple coats of Collinite #845 Insulator Wax. I really like the car and all the details. The wheels are amazing. There are still buttons I haven't figured out, I have figured out the accelerator. I'm very lucky I didn't get the 350. With nice roads and excessive pedal work I was able to drop my fuel economy to 19.7 mpg. First time under 20. Antlers on a Lexus? Totally unapproved by guy code. If you want to impress someone over the holidays, turn off the traction control and leave a few 32nds of stripe on their street. That way they will have a lasting memory.
  14. Weird electrical issues often can be traced back to a failing battery. Batteries are funny things but I do know how very important juice is to the LS400 so always a good place to start. Simply checking the voltage isn't enough. You need to have a load test done by someone who knows what they are doing. They boys at the auto parts store often don't so look for the graybeards.
  15. No need to replace the lns in most instances. Remove the lense, dump out any water then dump rubbing alcohol (don't waste the good stuff) into the lens and swish it around. Dry it out with a hot air gun. Apply a little Vaseline around the seal and reinstall of course b really careful not to touch or get Vaseline on the bulb itself. Did this on my LS and other cars. Free, only time.
  16. My CEL in my Nissan Frontier has been on for over a decade since I put the Flowmaster exhaust on the truck. Sometimes I shut it off with my scanner, other times it even goes off by itself. Problem seems to be variances in the codes for the exhaust monitoring were too tightly set and with the Flowmaster, it trips the catalytic efficiency readout.
  17. Codes were designed to make sure you bring your vehicle back to them dealer for work. And it works.
  18. So true. Not sure what it is about some cops, especially the young, shaved head ones but now but with the attitudes. A good time to be older and white for sure.
  19. Valentine One. Detector goes for $400 Bought a used one for my brother for $280 Accessories available such as remote controls and indicators and now Bluetooth They are a lot of money. It still much cheaper than speeding tickets
  20. oh sorry about that Dave. Very well could be one on the recall for humid climates. Not sure if there is humidity there or not?
  21. no doubt. My wife wanted them for her car and even that I rejected the idea. Like the red bows they put on Mercedes, totally rejected.
  22. The very LAST thing, any guy wants to be seen doing is driving around in a car with antlers and a nose. Get to an ABC store instead. It is Christmas Spirit after all.
  23. In violation of the Federal Communications Act of 1934, Virginia has in place a ban on radar detectors. I had a Fuzzbuster II back in the day, then the original Escort, then the original Passport, then several others prior to getting the V1. Now, I'd never consider anything else.
  24. I use a Valentine One. I have two of them and have used the for over a decade. Nice thing about the Valentine is that it is never obsolete. You can send it back and for 100 bucks they will replace the entire insides to current specs, and give it a new serial number. Not to mention that there isn't a better detector.
  25. Best part of the LS is that the car is pretty much invisible to those who light brightly colored lights. On the other hand, my new IS attracts more attention from them than desired. The ES really IS invisible.
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