jainla

Yes they replace the Lexus Link panel with the same sunvisor you would get on the non LL cars. I think they disconnect the system in the trunk as well (I don't think they remove it); you would then have the option to use the roof mounted antenna for your cell phone should you desire. Aside from not hearing the status on startup (and the system not working) the disconnection has no other affect on the vehicle. Lexus is not planning to offer upgrades for older units to the digital system; and while the FCC is saying that analog networks are not required to be supported after jan 2008 who knows when they will actually be shut off. The service is so expensive however that aside from unlocking the car (AAA) and location when stolen (Lojack) there is little incentive in my mind to use it. If it was priced like the Onstar system I would have subscribed a long time ago. Maybe someone will figure out how to put an Onstar module into the Lexus Link system. I wonder if someone will make a 3rd party upgrade for older Onstar systems (as that's what the Gen1 Lexus Link system is) that might work for those cars. I for one am going to wait and see what happens when 2008 rolls past.

OMG this is hilarious. if it was a computer I would say the problem is "short between keyboard and desk." I love the ad with all the people saying "in my day we had to...." and then at the end "I used to have to parallel park myself." :) As soon as I heard that the car would have autopark I knew they would hammer on that. It's really something that grabs your attention--like Steve said its the first thing people notice about the car. Now if it would only DRIVE itself home at the end of a long day. THAT would be truly amazing. And make me a lattecino as I step into the car.

Ah yes, I am having to learn how to get into and out of my car all over after owning my 3rd Lx, BUT after driving and taking a few corners, I remember that low center of gravity is GOOD! Well you either get to feel like an old man when you get out of it or feel like an old man when you drive it :)

Here are the links: Take apart IS350 (this guy was doing the nav mod) http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=193739 And then the ipod install: http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=221337 This guy wired it so it went into the lower console box. Hope that helps.

The early LS430 had a TSB for a similar symptom. Turned out to be the rearview mirrors; they needed some extra felt or foam; i'm sure they will figure this out. Lexus is very responsive to its customer's requests for noise abatement.

Denison makes a nice cradle that supports any ipod with a dock connector: http://www.densionusa.com/dice_cradle_info.htm I'm thinking about getting this for my Ipod since connecting and disconnecting it all the time is a pain (and probably not so great for the connector). I bet someone makes a combo cable that combines the power and line-out leads and goes into the dock connector...this would make it look a little more finished and you could stash the power converter and sound connectors in the armrest storage box. Either here or on CL someone did a tutorial on how to take apart the IS350/250 dash to install the Vaistech kit, and then running the wire into the center armrest. It's not that hard from what I remember; if you have installed memory or expansion cards in your computer it's about as difficult (and your car is a giant computer now anyway :) ). I haven't tried the Dice kit which is a little cheaper and seems to be almost as good; I think they work with or without Nav. Periodically some of the forums have group buys for the Vaistech unit; that's how i got mine. I keep my ipod in the glovebox, but I have the Vaistech kit so I never need to see the iPod. FAR more distracting for me is the temptation to purchase a second iPod to leave in the car all the time.

Yes that detail drove me crazy when I was trying to select the kit. The big reason I picked the Parrot was that I knew the display could fit in the center dash box (getting the wire in there was another matter entirely--I had to take the display apart). I wanted something with a display because I thought setting it up would be easier than using voice prompts, also the Blackberry does not seem to send a single contact over bluetooth--which you need on the Parrot 3000 series to record voice tags. Also I thought the wallpapers might be pretty. :) The Parrot also allows entirely hands free operation; I say "Parrot Pick up" and then the voice tag and it dials; you can also say "Parrot Pick up" to pick up the phone. The only thing it doesn't do by voice is hang up. If you have recorded a voice tag and that person calls it rings and then plays back your voice tag; as I have time to record the rest of the voice tags I suspect the display will become more of a backup. Raytel makes a kit with a flat display/control box that probably could be placed on the sunglass holder; the guys at Al and Ed's really tried hard to sell me on it; they claim it works really well but it's a lot more expensive than the Parrot kit. The Sony Ericsson kits have the controller and display separate; but the knob is much bigger and tougher to mount. They also only support voice tags if your phone supports them internally. Possible; i need to borrow someone else's phone and test it. I suspect it's an issue with the limited Blackberry implementation of Bluetooth. The SIM sync issue is a known limitation; Sim cards can only store one number per contact. I think the sync data source is a phone-vendor specific feature. My Blackberry syncs with the phone's memory; my SIM card is currently empty. Yes, I wonder if the new LS is still pre-wired for an external antenna. Mercedes and BMW still continue to provide that because they still sell wired phones; Bluetooth range and use in some parts of the world is restricted because that part of their radio spectrum is regulated (unlike the US). You could always retrofit one I guess. THB Bury in the UK has started making a new car kit (Series 9) that has modular cradles that provide just the charging and antenna leads for those using another bluetooth kit or a car equipped with it. No cradle yet for the Blackberry :chairshot: Despite the fact that GSM provides so many cool features I find their coverage consistently poorer than the old TDMA or CDMA digital units. The GSM radios use less power so they last longer but don't reach as far. I had considered that but I didn't want the microphone turning into a projectile if the side airbag deployed. I was too chicken to attempt taking off the A pillar trim to see what else could be done. I'm getting more used to it, if I speak up just a little bit it seems to work fine. Word seems to be choking on the pictures so I will probably load the text into Indesign and then PDF the doc; so hopefully I can put it up sometime this week. The long and the short of it is that there is an 18 lead run underneath the center console box to the trunk of the car; I used those wires to bring the power, mute and speaker leads from the Telephone transciever connection point in the trunk to the console box, where I stashed the Parrot. The connectors are similar to the Metra 70-8113/71-8113 connectors that go into the back of the Toyota/Lexus premium stereos, and I was able to order the plugs for the 18 wire run from Sewell in Dallas. The tiny little box-shaped connectors from the Metra plugs (order 2) fit into the 18 pin connectors perfectly. I had to hack up the Parrot harness (sorry Parrot) but I figured it was far easier to replace that than repair the harness of the car. Since I did this someone is now making a harness that provides the Power and Mute leads (www.parrotkits.com) but I don't think it provides the speaker; you still have to wire that yourself. Making the connectors was the easy part, taking apart the car to put it all together was the part that took forever. I have much more respect for the way these cars are engineered and put together after this project. Also be nice to your installer; they really earn their money!

Could be either way... I remember something about the hybrid having piano black trim... I tried Googling that one any way I could; I couldn't find any verifiable reference to piano black wood. Makes sense they might do it on the LS600h, since they're really going "over the top" on that car... Last night I went to my dealer's premiere launch event. The brochure I got has 3 wood choices: Medium Brown walnut Dark Grey Bird's Eye Maple Dark Brown ash burl The two cars they had there had the medium brown (which looks like most brown stained wood) and the Dark Grey (which looks identical to the grey stained wood they had on the CL/UL cars in '01-03). The Dark Brown on the sample sheet looks so dark as to be almost black, maybe that's what people are thinking for the 'piano black' trim? It comes only with the 'Alabaster' (i.e. white) colored interior leather; I bet it photographs black when put up against it. All in all though the LS460 is a gorgeous car. The backseat (in the L model) now has real S-class room, and interior styling has some real verve; although nothing seems gimmicky or out of place. The rear doors are so long now but still easy to close. The seats are more supportive yet still very comfortable. Rearward visibility also seems improved from what I could see (the C pillar seems notably narrower). All in all the evolution vs. the LS430 seems to be similar to that of the last S-Class (i.e. more sporty less sherman-tank like). The build quality surpasses even the LS430 and is better than any Mercedes I've yet seen; and the choice of materials and textures is better than the last 7 series I sat in and surpasses the A8. Baby's all grown up! We couldn't drive the cars but they did to a demo of the automatic parking feature...very cool. Getting into my LS430 to drive home i noticed that the new car preserves most if not all of the LS430's cavernous headroom. The trunk is smaller however...but you can always fedex your luggage to your destination. :) BTW I asked the factory rep how much for the hybrid, and he wouldn't commit to a number but said he thought between 101-105k.

Well ladies and gentlemen it's finished. After 4 months+ of research, late nights trolling the internet and two very nerve-wracking days taking apart my car, I succeeded in installing my Parrot 3200LS bluetooth car kit into my LS430. My wireless wonderland is complete. I am still working up an install doc which I hope to post shortly; it has 30+ pictures and diagrams so I hope it will fit. Consider it a huge thank you for all the info and support I've gotten out of this forum over the last year. The installation has the following features: Voice activated dialing (through carkit voice tags) Address book sync with my Blackberry 8700 on startup Sound through the left rear door speaker just like god (and Lexus) intended Microphone hidden in the overhead module out of sight Fold-away screen in the center storage box NO cutting or alteration of the car's wiring harness A connector for an external antenna (should I find a way to connect one to the crackberry) A very nice "L" wallpaper. So far I'm pretty happy with it; it's also far more natural than using a headset and far safer than holdling the phone--which I won't be able to do in a couple years anyway (thanks Arnold). I have had several conversations with it and people seem to be able to hear me; at least as well as the bluetooth headset I use with the phone. I had a 30 minute conversation with someone in London and they didn't notice I wasn't on a regular phone. The stand that holds (and folds) the screen into the console box is still a work in progress, and I may yet decide to relocate the microphone --I find myself speaking to the dome light when I'm on the phone. Some hoped for improvements: Charging for the phone. I can't find a charging cradle I like that fits into the center armrest; and the bluetooth and cellular radios drain the battery quickly. External antenna connection. The T-mobile service is ok but not great, however the 8700 does not have a dedicated external connector that I can see although some kits include one, maybe they are using a capacitance coupling method? Pivot mount that moves the screen up and out of the way so I can stash my garage keytag in the center console box like I used to (currently the box is unusable). There is also a known contacts sync glitch--instead of creating a single contact with multiple numbers the 8700 contacts come in with single phone numbers and multiple contacts (john doe phone, john doe cell); slightly annoying but still usable. I bet the new firmware for the BB will cure this; and other phones seem to work ok. Many more details to come but I thought I would post in case someone else is thinking about doing this....it's possible! Certainly not for the faint of heart but it can be done! Some pix: Update...the doc is up...Click here.

Congratulations! I'm going to the dealer intro party on thursday so I will definitely have to check out some of these observations (I don't think we get to drive it however). The Phaeton is an amazing car, too bad it's a branding disaster. It sells far better as a Bentley than it does as a VW... It is a lot heavier than the LS and it its an older design so I'm not surprised you like the LS dynamics better. I think VW also figured that drivers who wanted the super-sport experience would go with an A8- despite the similar size the last one I drove seemed quite atheltic. Supposedly the 460 will gain AWD in a year or two so that might be a more even comparison. Yeah the utility of VR in general is still up in the air. Can you speak the destinations into the NAV system like the Infiniti/Nissan systems? That would be really useful. My '01 has no voice prompts at all; you have to know its language or you are SOL; I rarely use it. Does the new system prompt you with options? LOL...I agree with you there!! No but in Japan they are going to launch their own mobile phone service that lets you close the windows and sunroof if you forgot. Arrowhead makes very short bottles that work, also their 12 oz bottles will work if you lay them down. I think it was designed for cans actually; almost everything in Japan comes in cans (even coffee). I wish mine was just a little bit deeper. After a couple hours the stuff in there gets QUITE cold....excellent for road trips. That's funny it should do all of those things. It may be downshifting but because of the 8 speeds you might not feel it. Mine beeps furiously at me and applies the brakes when I'm closing too fast...perhaps the new system has a little bit of slack in it to prevent it from freaking out. You might have to purposely accelerate and then change lanes behind a slower moving car to see if it reacts...it's unnerving but that's how I found out that it's not braking until it's actually beeping at me (hello? Are you still driving up there?) Yes this is annoying but at least you get a line-in jack; which some competitors don't give you. I'm sure the Vaistech units would work but who wants to have to take apart the dash on a brand new car? Lexus should offer the Vaistech units as a dealer installed option like the units offered by BMW, MB and Audi. Are you listening Lexus? I was wondering about that. I find that anything less than 256 VBR AAC files sound like crap on the ML sound system. Can you encode the mp3s somewhere else and maybe copy them off the data CD onto the drive? That would also save you from having to enter all the song names. I think this is where iPod integration really shines....I'm still tempted to buy an older one off of Ebay and just leave it in the car full time. Yes I was very sad to see that 16 years of intricate, articulated cupholders were replaced by the more simple in-console unit. :cries: Yes but often you need to visit your chiropractor after riding around in one...I think the tires on those cars are solid rubber! With the S class and 7 series moving more and more to the uber-sport side of the equation Lexus may be smart in staying more towards the middle. And i agree with you that the roads in California are crap...sometimes I think about swapping my 17" rims for 16s so I don't have to go to my chiropractor so often!

Yes the speaker wiring for that speaker routes from the amp into the phone transciever and then out again to the speaker. If something goes awry inside the phone and the relay gets stuck in the wrong position it could just disconnect your speaker and connect it to the (now dead) phone amp. Or something could have gotten disconnected somewhere... Removing it from the circuit should restore the speaker...and save the connectors they are hard to find JIC you want to wire in your own solution later.

But would you call the Maybach a larger S Class? Because that's technically what it is..... :)

Are you sure? I thought the Exec seating package was more than that. Sales tax in CA is almost 9%, and then there is the registration, dealer prep charges etc etc. I dont' know if dealers are charging a markup yet or not; I know for the Prius you are basically stuck with some overpriced dealer package as their 'markup'. Who knows. This is the guy who spilled coffee in his last LS, and they couldn't get it cleaned to his satisfaction so HE BOUGHT A NEW CAR. :chairshot: My feeling exactly. I have the UL package and I have sat in the back with the massage seats on exactly twice; both times with the car parked and running (after a particularly long day at the office). The parking guys down there must have thought i lost my mind. All my friends who I end up carting around love it though. :) And if you were looking for a smaller, less expensive version of the Maybach experience then that is your car. On the 460 I can see going for the rear seat upgrade package to get the power adjustment and the rear seat controls (not sure if you can get the cool box or not which is surprisingly useful) but the Exec package means 1) you have to have a chauffeur and 2) it's basically a 3 seater car because in order to use the ottoman you have to move the front seat all the way forward. This option is popular in Japan on the Nissan President and I think the Century actually has a pass through space in the front passenger seat for your legs--so you can have limo like space for the rear seat passenger without having a huge car-- but in the US it's an interesting curiosity at best. I bet the DVD player and coolbox will soon appear as separate options; it seems ridiculous to pay 12k for them.

No the dealership was closed, and the LS430 was around back and the 460 was in the front window and i was afraid to set off the alarm (or drool on the glass). I think it's the styling, it looks less blocky and sleeker; kind of how the W140 benz looks so much bigger than it's successor despite the fact that they are almost the same size. Good to know. I will put my order in as soon as I find the gold at the end of the rainbow....

I think the only valid comparison for the cars where they are both feature-comparable is fully loaded. The LS can get expensive; my mom's friend in San Diego paid 101,000 out the door for his LS460 L. :chairshot:

I drove past Lexus of Santa Monica last night and they have a silver on black LS460L sitting in the front of the showroom. I have to take my car in for service next month so I might sniff around They also had an LS430 sitting outside (maybe the last one?). I was surprised in that although I know the LS460 is longer and wider than the LS430 it seems smaller. The large C pillar is much sleeker (hopefully this will improve rearward visibility) and the car is a little bit lower. I hope it still has the LS430's impressive headroom. Unless I specifically remember to not close the door completely I almost never use these; and unless I tell people not to close the doors they don't use them either---and if I do they look at me like I'm a loon. The Lexus doors don't require that much effort to close.....unlike the doors on my Mercedes which require a healthy slam. If they could pull the door shut from a semi-open position (like the Maybach or the Rolls) they might be more useful. Listening anybody in japan?

The 7 series is even worse, my dad's friend got rid of the car after 9 months because it was so terrible. Even the non-idrive equipped X3 with Nav is a pain, you still have to turn some little nob to set the nav destinations. I haven't tried the new Comand system on the Mercedes but the old one had soooo many buttons that were sooo small. It's a real road hazard...I wonder how many people have crashed their cars trying to change stations on the stereo. I think Lexus proves that you can have a fully featured car without needing a degree in electrical engineering to operate it; its one of the things I really like about my LS. I would think that for the more *ahem* advanced drivers out there the large icons on the screen would be easier to read than row upon row of tiny buttons...also you would get the voice command, but people have their preferences.

Not bad at all, considering the new car has more features and more tech.. Yeah, like i have said in the past this will work in the LSs favor. Did I read that right that you have to pay 10k for the exec seat option? I wonder if you can get the RSE screen/dvd without it. Still it seems like there are more options and more levels of choice than before....when the LS launched it was almost all or nothing. I was still a little surprised until I priced out a comparable S550 on the MB site, and as loaded as I could get it it came out to $101,575. If we assume the upgraded interior of the Lux package and the new paint process is comparable to the designo package on the Merc, the Merc climbs to 109,895. Also bear in mind that the S550 has nothing comparable to the Exec seating package.... At this rate I bet that the hybrid breaks 100k.....

Not really, their coverage of the LS430 when it launched was almost rapturous....maybe the guy just had a bad day? http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/3272/lexus-ls430.html http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/73...dans-page7.html

Aaaack. That's a lot of rows of non-distinct buttons....almost worth it to get the nav to make them go away.....that and the ML system. Car and Driver's recent full road test was also postive, not glowing, but good:. http://www.caranddriver.com/roadtests/1160...exus-ls460.html

No that's probably it. VAISTech sells the units on their own website; and they did have a model that does video too but its' being redesigned. Look out here and at clublexus.com sometimes they have group buys...that's how I got my unit for my iPod...

Yeah they are not bad; on a content-adjusted basis the SWB is probably cheaper than an LS430. Since the vast majority of these cars are leased I'm guessing the monthly obligation will be higher but not break-the-bank higher. The SWB is still a bargain, although I'm sure it will get expensive quickly with options. I was a little horrified when I saw the 10k price jump for the LWB model, but factor in all the standard equipment and it's probably around the same premium that BMW and Audi charge for their LWB, which is about 5k. It looks expensive until you consider that a 7 series SWB is about the same price, and that Mercedes now charges a KING'S RANSOM for the S550. Both of them have standard Nav however... I'm guessing the hybrid will start at maybe 80k? I can't wait for TOL to drive this sucker.....

Well maybe in California we are more color tolerant :) . The first gen cars had a lighter green that was a little weird (that I didn't care for). I searched for silver too, so I can't really squawk too loudly but the cypress pearl is still nice. I agree the Flint Mica is very sharp....kind of like the Mercedes Charcoal but not quite as dark. The LX is a great truck but it's getting dated; the basic design dates from '98. Apparently the rumoured JX variant of the Tundra/Sequoia was cancelled so the LX will continue as the top tier truck and it will share the next Land Cruiser's mechanicals. I think the update is due in 07/08. If you are in that market however I think only the Range Rover can really give it a run for its money....but then you would REALLY be in service hell. :) I would vote for the LS. The LS has always been the standard bearer for Lexus, so go for the gold. Trade it for the LS/LX and just MOVE ON. Life is too short.

Funky green? If it was the Cypress Pearl I remember it as being quite distinctive. Also it will be less likely to attract drivers of the black and white (and flashing lights) variety... :whistles: If you can make it down to DC the Taste of Lexus event down there is in early October you can sample the LS460. Nobody seems to be able to get a handle on price, but seemingly it's going to be around 6-8k more than the base 430. What options are on the green contender?

You may also want to check to make sure that the air ride system has not been turned off...there is a switch in the trunk (I believe it is behind the first aid kit on the left hand side). Anytime you have to put the car on a lift and start it you have to turn off the system otherwise you risk blowing out the airstruts....I seem to remember that if you drive with the system off it flashes that particular error. The LS gearing has always provided this seemless, near silent accelleration....but it can get you in trouble. I have more than once inadvertently hit triple digit speeds when passing a truck on the 5 freeway. I would check the oil and coolant levels, obviously. Or perhaps the temp sensor has gone bad? I went to Vegas a few weeks ago and even after sitting in stop and go traffic at 108 degrees the temp never went above midline...also I believe the '95 may have an thermostatically controlled cooling fan..you might want to have them check that out. But otherwise welcome to the forum!!