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My experience with the ML sound system;

Pro:

Sound quality is significantly better than std system.

Sound imaging adjustment, driver, front, rear, all is a big help when I'm driving with people (all) or driving alone (driver)

Ability to hear nuances at low or high volumes is exceptionally pleasant.

Con:

no iPod connection in my 2006 R400h!!@

does not play mp3 CD's

has a cassette player (obsolete)

the system feels like it was designed for someone living in the '90s, it doesn't have a modern feel to it.

I really enjoy my hybrid luxury SUV but the Mark Levenson sound system was a big disappointment. The car is so modern and advanced in most respects, but the ML system feels antiquated. It was a 'let down'.

We have owned our 400h for 1 month with no complaints. Except, we noticed that the air conditioning was only blowing cold air on the passenger side of the vehicle. When I took it to the service department they informed me (a couple of days later) that there was a manufactoring defect on the hoses for the AC. This defect allows for the AC to be blocked on the drivers side.

The service rep informed me that this has happened on at least 4 other vehicles thus far and the part has to come from Japan, which could take up to 2 weeks. Has anyone else experienced this problem?

I ahve a loaner but feel kind of jipped b/c I am still making payments on the out of service vehicle. Any suggestions?

Our dealer has been pretty liberal with the loaner program. On a hot spell, they'd be more than willing to give one up to us, just so we could keep cool. Our only AC issue has been the moldy smell that comes way too often. Just ordered some aerosol from the UK that's really supposed to wipe it out for up to 6 months. Will be reporting its failure / success when we put it to the test.

My service rep told me to open the recirculating air flow (button on the dash) to remove the moldy smell. It worked for me.

This is in Southern California

I do feel ridiculous doing the 'over ride' button push procedure whenever I start to use the Navigation system. In addition, I'm not willing to disassemble the electronics to get my phone functions working.

This car, the RX400h is improperly classified as a 'Luxury' car. It has too many problems to have that title.

In fairness to the entire Industry, it seems as if no one car will have everything perfect. The issue for me is which car has the fewest problems and inconveniences. When I bought this car, last year, it was the most luxurious SUV hybrid. ( There was no competition! )

In December, I bought an '07 RX400h with Nav (firmware version 6.1). At the time of my purchase, I was told of the operating limitations imposed on Nav / Phone system use, but my salesman explained that the Voice Command System would by-pass the touch screen restrictions and allow me to operate the system. He also told me that a software hack to get around the touch screen restrictions was available on the internet, but that he wasn't allowed to tell me any more about it.

Now, a month later, I've given up on the Voice Command System. It has yet to correctly recognize a Voice Command from me or any member of my family. For a car that costs this much, that and the lack of a "learning mode" is unexcusable. My Motorola cell phone has Voice Recognition and a learning mode, and it works fine.

I've also unsuccessfully searched for a non-destructive or non-mechanical way of by-passing the Nav / Phone operation restrictions Lexus has programmed into the system. And, I see that I am not alone in this wish.

All this leads me to ask, where is the outrage towards Toyota / Lexus that they sell customers a product that so severely limits the buyer's use of the product?

Can you imagine Boeing installing a touch screen navigation system in one of their airplanes that pilots could only use when they're parked on the ground?

Where is the outrage towards Toyota / Lexus that these restrictions have forced some into feeling they have no recourse but to cut wires under their dash? These cars cost almost $50k. Why should anyone have to do that to their car?

Doesn't Toyota / Lexus realize that their poorly crafted Voice Command System presents a greater driving distraction and potential liability? A driver trying to use the Voice Command System, without success, is going to be far more distracted and upset than someone who successfully uses the touch screen.

After the Voice Command system in-correctly interpreted my command of "Detour" and displayed all nearby POI / Italian Restaurants, I spent the next 5 minutes (while driving) struggling to delete those unwanted POIs.

I have already complained, loudly, to my dealership about this. I have no intention of stopping until Toyota / Lexus issues a FREE firmware update or fix that permits un-restricted use of the Nav / Phone system.

I also think buyers are entitled to a Voice Recognition system that actually works.

If enough of us raise a big enough stink with Toyota / Lexus about this, we might be able to get the product we want and paid for.

How do you get to the 'config menu' that allows viewing the rear view camera output on the instrument panel video screen?

I had the same problem with my RX400h pulling (the service manager called it drifting) to the right no matter what speed or which way the crown of the road was running. I just got it fixed yesterday after hassling with the service department ever since my 5K service. It had almost 8K before they finally replaced all four Michelin tires. I don't know where you live in Florida but if you live near Margate, Florida you may want to try taking it to JM Lexus. Even though getting them to fix it was a hassle they did the right thing and took care of the problem. BTW I have the same problem with the mold smell. Maybe it is the high Florida humidity in as I live fairly close to the coast. In any case it is very annoying considering how expensive these cars are.

regarding the mold smell,

The dealer said to turn recirculating off to 'clear' the a/c system. Has anybody had success with this?

I felt it again today. The anomaly is a 'lurch' and then different pedal pressures.

I experienced it during a normal slow down for a stop light.

1. normal pedal pressure for regenerative braking.

2. sudden lurch, it felt as if the brakes were suddenly released 'off'.

3. then a different pedal pressure for friction braking.

We're not looking for the orange when it is braking, but when it lurches after you release the brakes.

This is exactly what I think!

I have started to feel a real difference between the regenerative braking and the friction braking. When the car was brand new there was an almost imperceptible transition between the two types of braking. Now, at 10,250 miles the transition is almost unsafe. During regenerative braking, the car brakes extremly well, then when the battery gets charged up, the braking will require a significantly harder pedal push to maintain the same braking action.

This change in pedal pressure has occured during a 'normal' stop for traffic. The effect is unnerving, sudden, and without warning. Suddenly I will need to press quite hard on the pedal to keep from crashing into the car in front of me. I'm constantly on my alert for the problem. The dealer didn't find anything wrong during the 10,000 mile checkup, but suggested I bring it in for further diagnostic testing. I'm making an appoint ment to do just that. This will be difficult to diagnose because it happens very infrequently.

i was thinking about your problem as i drove my 400h and this is just a guess from the top of my head, however do you think the regenerative braking is acting up, is it possible to see if it is doing regenerative braking during this event by watching your meter, the brakes do feel different to me when the battery is full and regeneration is minimized. my 2 cents. also do you have another dealer reasonable close to you for a second opinion because it sounds like this dealer really cannot get a solution for you. in addition Lexus has flown in experts to help dealers with no clue, and to make sure repairs that are new to everyone are done correctly. I would get corporate involved, its serious when you cannot trust your brakes.

why did you put this 'Pioneer IP-buss' adapter here? does this adapter work with the Lexus RX400h Mark Levinson sound system?

Pioneer Aux Input

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-AAFnxCzPSUP/c...0&display=L#Tab

I too have experienced the "surging effect". There must be a bug in the control circuit software for the throttle when going at freeway speeds. This is not acceptable for most drivers who will follow our lead in this new vehicle, I'm sure it will confuse them.

We could get technical and talk about the servo loop feedback dampening coefficient not being tuned for highway speeds, but

I prefer the experts at Lexus fix this problem.

Ted

I was certainly hoping that it was indeed a simple fact of the "hybrid experience" but Lexus seems a little worried about it. They keep calling in more "specialists" and various engineers. In fact, they just called me and they want to keep it until Monday because someone else wants to run some tests on it now.

Also, as I mentioned they did tell me I am not the first to have this problem. Frankly, I am willing to put up with a little "hybrid nuance" on say a $25K Pruius, but not on a $50K Lexus. For $50K it should be close to perfect. If not, I may just drop back to an Rx330 and wait until they get all the bugs out of this model.

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I tried this on my RX400h, it worked perfectly for the Destination lockout. The destination screen no longer dims when I'm driving. The setting works only during the current driving session. But it is so easy to do there should be no problem.

Now, if the lockout for the telephone can be discovered the Nav/Telephone system will become easier to use.

There is an override for the RX400H that allows one to enter destinations while driving. It takes about 10 button pushes and has to be redone if the car is started so it probably isn't something you would want to do every time. However, we were on a long car trip recently and it was nice to be able to use so the passenger could enter a destination.

I learned how to do it from the RX300/RX330 board:

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...opic=22623&st=0

The second key seems to vary based on model/year. For our RX400H, the key after MENU is Volume. It takes care of the Nav destination lock-out but not the phone.

I wish they would at least enable these features when the passenger sensor (the one for the airbags) indicates a passenger is present. Are they worried that some drivers would install a lead-weight passenger?

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Yeah, I am constantly on my phone when I get in the 400h, but pulling over or coming to a complete stop to dial out is absurd. Wish they would fix this ASAP!

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I happened to read this post on another Lexus forum.  I apologize if this is a "no-no" but I thought folks might check to see if this works.  My '05 RX330 is on the way so I can't verify.

Enter destinations while driving

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Works great!

1/2 of the 'lockout' problems is now fixed. Navigation lockout is gone for a single trip using this method.

If that is an Icom 706, at the bottom of the picture inset, please let me know how HF works out in the RX. ??

HF on a long journey is a great deal of fun.

Ted, NX6C

I attached a picture of some very luxurious wood I found in my RX400h   :D

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Me to, but it's on my dash now.

right click on picture, smaller insert shows dash.

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On the window sticker for my car, under Luxury, next to Roof Rails with Racks is "Towing Prep Package".

Is is possible that the sticker is wrong?

The converter 82670-48050 is only required for vehicles without the tow package.  The hitch PT228-48045 comes with the wiring harness.  If you install by yourself you'll need a torque wrench and 12mm, 14mm, and 15mm sockets.

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Update: On 8/2/05, I contacted Lexus.  I was told that the junction block assembly, part #82670-48050, is NOT required on the 400h because it is already installed at the factory.  That "jives" with what I found on lexus.com.  According to Lexus.com, the specifications for the 400h are as follows:

>

> Trailer hitch: optional

> Trailer wiring: standard

> Towing Prep Package: standard (listed under Luxury)

> Tow capacity (max): 3500

Thanks to everyone who contributed.

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The dealer installed the following parts on my RX400h for my trailer hitch:

PT228-48045 RX330 HITCH

82670-48050 BLOCK ASSY , JUNCT

There is the hitch and a standard 4 pin trailer wiring plug on a small bracket.

Hope this helps.

My brother wants to put a trailer hitch on his 400h.  So far, I have had no luck finding aftermarket hitch for the vehicle.  Anyone have any luck??

I read a couple of other posts from 400h owners stating that they had a hitch installed by the dealer.  I would be interested in how much the dealer charged for hitch and installation.  When our vehicle was purchased, salesman quoted us $900 for Lexus hitch and said to look elsewhere.

Thanks...

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I got the #3500 Lexus OEM hitch for $265+tax. It's sitting in my garage right now, haven't had time to install it. The OEM hitch in my opinion looks the nicest, some of the non-Lexus hitches have an ugly rectangular box/cage around the exhaust.

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speedy...Thanks for the info. I called the local Lexus dealer, parts dept. The guy I talked to said that the hitch for the 400h is the same as the one for the 330. The Lexus part number is PT22848045 and the cost is $332.72 plus tax. If you want the hitch installed, the total is $617.72 plus tax. If you got hitch PT22848045 for $265, you got a deal. Did you purchase yours at the dealer or online??

bainse...I'll check out the drawtite hitch as well.

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I got my PT22848045 at a dealer. Different dealers have different prices, it definitely pays to shop around. I was told a bunch of different prices: $265, $295, $410, $440 for the part. Labor varied from $230-$300.

I plan to keep my hitch off most of the time (for fuel economy) and put it on only when I take a trip with my bicycles.

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speedyq...My brother wants to get the Lexus hitch. He asked about a wiring harness. Did you have to purchase some type of wiring harness along with the hitch??? Is a separate wiring harness required to hook up trailer lights?? Thanks.

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Is there a source to replace the chrome with gold trim on the exterior of the RX400h?

You did the perfect test for the 12V. We can forget about that possible problem for now.

how about the 3 chokes you added on the injector wires, did the radio noise change after you added them?

I'm trying to get a handle on the exact noise source.

No difference I can tell.

I use the DC powr jack in the rear, use a subwoofer and a farad capacitor,

Car radio runs for 3-4 seconds after I shut the car off.

noise on FM UHF/VHF. 

   I'm concerned about the 12V system on the RX400h.  12V is used for accessories.  It may be necessary to filter it with one of those giant capacitors that car audio installers use for extremely high power audio. 

   Did the chokes you add to three of the injector wires make any difference in the noise level?

Ted.

The noise is pretty bad. Tried ferrite clamp on chokes on the injector wires and the coil triggers, but could only reach 3 of them. The other 3 are hidden behind the firewall.

Yes, I would be interested in photos.  In particular, how you got the cables from inside to the outside of the vehicle.

   Interesting about the injector noise, I've not thought about mobile noise with modern cars. 

Ted

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noise on FM UHF/VHF.

I'm concerned about the 12V system on the RX400h. 12V is used for accessories. It may be necessary to filter it with one of those giant capacitors that car audio installers use for extremely high power audio.

Did the chokes you add to three of the injector wires make any difference in the noise level?

Ted.

The noise is pretty bad. Tried ferrite clamp on chokes on the injector wires and the coil triggers, but could only reach 3 of them. The other 3 are hidden behind the firewall.

Yes, I would be interested in photos.  In particular, how you got the cables from inside to the outside of the vehicle.

   Interesting about the injector noise, I've not thought about mobile noise with modern cars. 

Ted

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Yes, I would be interested in photos. In particular, how you got the cables from inside to the outside of the vehicle.

Interesting about the injector noise, I've not thought about mobile noise with modern cars.

Ted

I'm a new owner.

The manual has a cautionary note about this issue. If you are interested I'll look it up. I'm going to be installing a rig in my RX400h as soon as possible.

My first effort is going to be an external mount of my two part radio, a TS-480SAT Kenwood. I'll put the head end front panel inside the car and use the stock Kenwood extension cables to the outside of the car where I'll mount the main box. I'll use a local, external, gell cell next to the main unit in a weatherproof box mounted on the trailer hitch. The trailer wiring is rated at 10 amps DC. I'll use that power to charge up the gell cell. With this design all RF power will be external to the autos metal body. The only electrical signals inside the car will be audio and digital control signals.

My main concern will be how to mount the antenna so that it doesn't cause problems for the electronics.

Any suggestions, criticisms or ??

Ted, NX6C

Can anyone from management  find out if a two way amateur radio will interfere with the hybrid controllers in the 400?  Power output up to 100 watts SSB

The RX330 has no problems.

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