1990LS400

$700 to repair all the damage sounds incredibly low. About 15 years ago, another car "tapped" my rear bumper and one of the front license plate screws put a small hole in the cover. It cost over $1,000 remove/reinstall the bumper cover, fill in the hole and repaint the entire cover. I had a front bumper cover, left front fender, left fog light, and left front turn signal on a 2000 LS400 replaced about 10 years ago after hitting stuff that had fallen off a truck and that cost around $4,500 if I remember correctly.

Beat-Sonic has an inexpensive harness that provides full control of the nav, audio and phone systems while driving: http://www.beatsonicusa.com/nsd6223ep.html Using voice commands, previous destinations and storing contacts as speed dials are techniques that I find help cope with the limitations while moving. We put our phones in iOttie phone holders mounted high on the dashboards of our vehicles and use the iBolt Dock'n Drive phone app to organize the phone apps we use most frequently while driving. Dock'n Drive is available for both iOS and Android. I have a big "Contacts" button on one of the five customizable Dock'n Drive screens which allows easy access to scrolling contacts directly on the phone screen. The NX owners manual indicates that the owner can turn off the automatic driver seat retraction - see section "9.2 Customization" of your owners manual.

The installer fabricated an interface harness that he put between the Kenwood head unit and the OEM amp. The install he did for me was child's play compared to the incredible audio/video system he had installed in his own LS430. The installation cost was only $125 which included the custom made interface harness but of course didn't include the Kenwood unit and the dash kit. Maybe a professional installer can help you - these guys do this stuff all day long.

It means only that there were no outstanding service "CAMPAIGNS" that were relevant to the vehicle. I wouldn't think there would be after all these years.

All I know is that the Best Buy installer did it on my LS even though almost everyone on Lexus forums said it couldn't be done. I supplied the installer with the complete audio system diagram. The installer was even an LS430 driver!

I don't know why your aftermarket head unit has to "knock out the stock sub". In 2013, I had Best Buy install a double DIN Kenwood DDX using the OEM amp in the 2000 LS400 I sold in 2014 and all the original speakers including the stock sub worked perfectly. The installer didn't use a conversion harness and didn't cut a single wire in the car's audio wiring harness.

Google "Lexus radio repair" to find businesses that repair them. Car Stereo Help in Florida repaired mine some years back.

Toyota has capacity and supply limitations like any other company and can't necessarily implement revisions on all models at the same rates. I suspect that Safety System+ is being implemented on the RX at a higher rate since purchasers of more expensive vehicles are less "price sensitive" to the additional cost - that is a very common implantation strategy. Remember that these features were originally available only on the most expensive vehicles Toyota makes. If you want these features now, don't quibble about the "too light" upholstery and buy that NX in Seattle. Or wait until the NX with Safety System+ is more readily available. Or buy another RX - one that has Safety System+. Toyota has committed to making these features available on all models regardless of price but it is going to take a few years to make it happen.

Vehicle extended warranties are very profitable for car dealers. Of the $2,900 you are being asked to pay, I doubt that even $1,000 of it will go to the company underwriting the warranty. The rest is pure profit for the car dealer. There is a chance that this warranty would be cost effective but there is a far greater probability that it would not. Keep in mind that the basic warranty on your RX is 48 months or 50,000 miles and the powertrain warranty is 72 months or 70,000 miles. These warranties take precedence over an extended warranty. Essentially, an extended warranty takes effect after basic and powertrain warranties have expired. Extended warranties usually have numerous exclusions on what is covered. I retired from an insurance company that sold vehicle service warranties through franchised car dealers. Employees could buy vehicle service warranties at "cost" but few of my fellow employees did. I suppose there are other factors such as how much money you keep in reserve for vehicle repairs, e.g. if a $5,000 or $10,000 car repair bill is a financial shock, then maybe an extended warranty is in order. And are you committed to keeping this vehicle to 100,000 miles? If you buy this warranty I sure hope it is with the company I retired from! I'd like them to be able to keep paying my retiree healthcare premium even if coverage was reduced by my being on Medicare.

The clear sealer that comes with most headlight refinishing kits smells and acts like lacquer.

Is it as good as this 2015 RX350 with 11,000 miles for $36,000 and change from a Mercedes dealer in Annapolis? http://www.kbb.com/cars-for-sale/421430227/?totalresults=19&index=1&atcmake=lexus&searchtype=all&zipcode=&year=2015&atcmodelcode=rx300%7crx330%7crx350%7crx400h%7crx450h&distance=150 I've always found CPO Lexus vehicles to be way overpriced. I've only bought one used car since the 1970's with the only one being a 2000 Lexus LS400 I bought in 2003 for $9,000 less than what the Lexus dealer wanted for two CPO 2000 LS400's with about the same miles that were not as well equipped. I wonder if you could get a new 2016 RX350 for about the same price as that 2015. If you are interested in a 2016, consider using a buying service. I doubt if I will ever buy a new vehicle again without going through one.

The problem could be inside the horn pad / air bag module. I spent something like $700 on a salvaged horn pad / air bag module and mechanic labor charge to get the horn working properly on my 2000 LS400 a few years ago. The module is riveted together in a way that the horn contacts are inaccessible. I knew the exact instant that mine broke. My wife and I were parked side by side in a shopping center parking lot. I had backed out of a parking space and then my wife started to back out of her parking space before I was out of the way. A car was behind me so I couldn't back up more. I hit the horn pad VERY HARD to get her attention.

Yes, plastic headlight and fog light lenses can usually be restored to look and perform like new assuming the discoloration is on the lens exteriors. Auto repair shops where I live typically charge $50 to $100 to do it. If you want to do it yourself, there are a variety of kits available at auto parts stores and from online sellers. I've used at least three different kit brands and my favorite is the "SYLVANIA Headlight Restoration Kit" - currently $20.23 from Amazon Prime. Advance Auto stores sometimes have this kit but it's very popular and often not in stock here. I am NOT a fan of the kits that require using an electric drill - too easy to damage lenses and surrounding paint work. The Sylvania kit involves hand wet sanding the lenses with included fine grit sand paper and then applying a hard chemical finish coat. If you do try one of these kits, mask all the paint work around the lenses including the bumper below the lenses regardless of what the instructions say. Some of these chemicals are hard to remove if they get on paint work. Hand wet sanding headlight lenses is similar to hand sanding automotive lacquer between coats - you can tell though your fingertips when you've got it right .... when the sand paper slips effortlessly on the surface without dragging. Have a spray bottle of water handy. It can look like headlight lenses are being trashed during the wet sanding process but the chemical finish coat will make them completely clear again. The refinishing process must be done in a wind free / dust free environment - not something that should be done outside since blowing debris can (will!) stick to the chemical finish coat. Once the chemical finish coat is applied it must not be touched and must be allowed to dry for a number of hours. I let it dry for at LEAST 24 hours before driving the vehicle regardless of what the instructions say. And don't touch the surface to see if it is dry!!! Google "headlight lens refinishing" and you will find lots of information and other opinions including using tooth paste the clear the lenses. I've found that only methods that have chemical sealers as the final step provide lasting results.

No, the connectors fit the bulbs tightly. Swapping the bulbs is just checking to see if one is defective and the problem moves to the other side. Be careful not to touch the bulb glass when handling them.

Google 53805-48040 and see if that is it. I got the part number from www.toyodiy.com You will have to register with ToyoDIY to see diagrams.

There should be jack points on the vehicle underneath near the center at both ends to use a floor jack on. You might need a high lift floor jack to raise the vehicle high enough. Jack stands compatible with pinch welds will keep from bending them. I don't have an LX but these concepts have applied to all the Toyota and Lexus vehicles I've put on jack stands. I don't like the idea of raising a vehicle from one side at time with a jack like the ones that come with vehicles for changing tires - way too scary for me. I always jack from the center with a floor jack when putting a vehicle on jack stands. Be sure to use wheel chocks to keep the vehicle from rolling!!! I use four big stinky hard rubber cheap chocks from Harbor Freight.

You might try swapping the bulbs between the two headlights to see if the problem "moves" - would show if it's a bulb problem.

That's surprising since the VAIS application chart specifically says that the SL3B does CD emulation on the 2005 SC430 but instead it does Mini-disk emulation. So much for trusting the application chart! I'm glad it worked for you. Adding Bluetooth sure makes an older vehicle seem more modern. To rephrase Shawn's question, can you play phone call audio through your audio system now and how do you accept phone calls? (e.g. Steering wheel controls, on the phone handset itself?)

Do you have the correct micro SD card part number that fits your U.S. specification IS350? http://www.lexusnavigation.com/what-to-order/ My understanding is that a Lexus map micro SD card for Europe will not function in a U.S. specification Lexus. If your 2014 IS350 was designed for sale in Europe, the following web page would tell you which map update to obtain: http://www.lexus-mapupdates.eu/ Maybe the Hungarian whose email address I provided can help you: TCHNAVI@gmail.com

Send an email to TCHNAVI@gmail.com asking if he can supply what is needed to make your U.S. navigation system work in Europe. If you do a Google search for TCHNAVI , you will find information and YouTube videos about his products and prices.

Declared value insurance is usually for antique and collectible cars - like the 1960's era Ford GT40 that was insured by the insurance company from which I retired. One GT40 sold for $11 million a few years ago. If you really want to do this, I suggest that you ask your insurance agent for recommendations if the company or companies he or she represents does not offer this type of policy.

There are a number of videos on YouTube about removing headliners but I didn't find any for an RX. There are mostly likely instructions at techinfo.toyota.com which can be accessed for 48 hours for $15 - these are essentially the official repair manuals for all vehicles manufactured by Toyota for North America. I've bought several hard copy sets of these manuals and have found that they often don't go into enough detail and assume that the reader is a professional mechanic. I've completely removed the interiors of several vehicles and headliners have been the only part of the interior that I find intimidating - maybe I'm still stuck back in the days where interior headliners were fabric and held up by a series of metal or even wood bows. Today's one piece headliners are probably easier to work with but I've never had the need to remove one.

Paul, you have a step or two above the complimentary (i.e. free) basic Enform and seem to have confirmed that you have the $265.90/year "Enform Destinations with Safety Connect". If you are not taking advantage of the Enform "Destinations" human assistance feature, you can get just the Safety Connect part of it for about half of what you are paying and there are modest discounts for multi-year payments. Enform Destinations seems a lot like the original OnStar product. One of my uncles - now 90 years old - used to press the OnStar button in his Cadillac almost every time he drove whether or not he really needed an OnStar operator to help him get to his destination - at least that is his daughter's story. Knowing him, my guess is that he was going to make damned sure that he got his money's worth from the OnStar subscription.

It looks like the headliner has to be dropped. Maybe the rails for the sliding shade have come loose and have to be reattached.

If your cell phone service provider uses GSM (e.g. AT&T, T-Mobile), you should be able to "try before you buy" a new handset by inserting your SIM card in a phone before you try it. If your Motorola razor 3 uses an old style mini-SIM you might have to convert to a micro-SIM which is what most current GSM phones use. Flip phones are rare these days. Maybe consider moving to a modern smart phone.