1990LS400

It's not unheard of. A rear main seal on first Lexus (1990 LS400) failed at a very low mileage - probably under 20,000 miles - but it was replaced under warranty. This is still another case of a serious failure on a vehicle just out of warranty ... i.e. the 70,000 mile drive train warranty. Damn ... this repair should be covered as it surely happened while the vehicle was within its drivetrain warranty I suggest leaning on your dealership and Lexus corporate VERY hard. There is no excuse for this not being fixed at no cost to you.

Doubtful since they are a different shapes and have different part numbers. You can view diagrams to the tanks and see the part numbers at Lexus.sewellparts.com

My goodness! The traction control (TRAC) unit?

How about a photo? It could be anything ... maybe left over from an accessory a prior owner installed. I've got a variety of cables running around my LS left over from stuff I used over the years.

The door thresholds have to come off first. Pry gently and gradually with a plastic trim removal tool to remove the lower door pillar cover - there is no trick to it. Yes, you may break a clip or where the clip attaches to the pillar trim. I did but it can't be seen and the remaining clips hold the pillar trim firmly in place after I reinstalled it. Attached are some docs for the 2000 LS400 but it's probably the same for your 96. bo-115.pdf bo-116.pdf bo-118.pdf bo-119.pdf bo-120.pdf bo-125.pdf bo-126.pdf

You can get a new one from Lexus.sewellparts.com for about $71 not including shipping if you register with your forum member name. What does the detailing shop say? Not my problem? Heck, the Lexus dealer once misplaced my rear headrests while they were detailing my car and it was definitely "their problem". Have you looked under the seats ... in the glove box ...?

You wouldn't be the first person to "brick" their Lexus navigation system by trying to use pirated software. Many more have trashed their nav systems while mucking with the hidden service menus meant for use only by Lexus technicians. There might be information on how to manually eject the disc on techinfo.Toyota.com but there is no guarantee that there is. I suppose you could keep trying the previously provided procedure a few more times to see if it eventually works. This may end up costing you thousands of $$$ to get a replacement navigation system installed.

The Toyota Motor Company and it's Lexus and other subsidiaries do not handle issues like this any differently than other auto companies do. The noise level was apparently not bad enough to keep you and many other people from buying the RX or to keep many people from buying the early LS460 which had similar noise around the front windows. Some people are more sensitive to this type of noise than others are. The noise level didn't keep the OP from driving his RX for 90,000 miles or cause him to sell his RX. Toyota/Lexus had a program to address these issues if people complained before their basic warranties ended. That's great but they had no legal liabiltity to address what I would call "buyer's regret". How much noise is a "flaw"? I thought the Mercedes Diesel sedan I bought new was way too noisy but I certainly didn't expect the automaker to make it quieter after I bought it. I thought the outside mirrors of my current LS400 caused excessive wind noise when I bought it used while it was still well within the basic warranty but that didn't keep me from buying the car or driving it 140,000 miles. Auto companies learn from experience just like people do. You may notice that many vehicles made by Toyota now come with accoustic windshields and front side glass as standard equipement. Now that you understand how the "game" works, learn to play it.

Paul, TSIB's are not safety recalls. Owners are not notified of TSIB's - they are implemented only if an owner complains about a problem. You might want to check to see what if any TSIB's have been issued for your ES and RX. IMO, one can't rely on a Lexus dealer to disclose outstanding TSIB's even though they stand to make money in applying them. The only reliable way I know to check them is to occasionally get a short term subscription to techinfo.Toyota.com

I could have responded early but I don't usually follow the LS600 forum. I've had quite a bit of experience with powering fixed and portable cell phones in cars including Toyota and Lexus. An inexpensive and easy solution for charging a portable cell phone without using a cigarette lighter adapter is to tap into your car's accessory circuit either at the underdash fuse box or underneath your center console. When I did it on my 2000 LS400, I bought a $5 cigarette lighter extension code from Target, chopped off it's male cigarrette lighter plug (ouch!) and attached the extension cord's hot and ground wires to the accessorry circuit wires under the center console. I then plugged a USB cigarette lighter adapter (again about $5) into the extension cord's female lighter socket and then plugged a USB-to-microUSB cord (I think I paid $3 each for each of the many I have) into the USB cigarette lighter adapter. A nice aspect of these little USB cigarette lighter adapters is that they can be had with two USB ports providing power to two devices. In my LS400, I routed the microUSB end of the USB-to-microUSB cord to the charging cradle I have mounted on a Kuda leather phone console attached to the center console. I have no dangling wires and my phone (Samsung GS3 in my case) starts charging when I insert it into its charging cradle. My Samsung brand charging cradle is specifically for my Samsungphone. I do not have to plug a power cord into my phone. The extension cord I mentioned and most of the USB-to-microUSB cord are hidden inside the center console. If you want an "elegant" solution, look at the leather phone consoles for the LS600 on www.kudausa.com . I see that the ones for the LS600 come in a number of colors. The one I have in my LS400 is a nearly perfect match to the upholstery. You would still need a phone holder or charging cradle to attach to the leather console. What's available depends on your what phone(s) you use. Charging cradles designed specifically for a phone model are the best IMO. Or, you could simply route the micro-USB cord, iPhone cord, etc. to wherever you want to lay your phone, e.g. to the center console container. Everything you need to do it would cost maybe $15 and an hour of time. Or if you want to go "whole-hog", obtain a cell phone "convenience kit" from a Lexus dealer in the UK or Europe - they have them specifically designed for the LS460/600. The convenience kit installs in the center console container, uses interchangable cell phone cradle inserts and includes an external antenna connection. The interchangable inserts are available only for popular cell phones. If you want more information about any above, respond to this post or send an PM to me. I could provide photos and some useful links if I was home.

OK, we have new information here. Your RX isn't just 10 months out of basic warranty but is also 40,000 miles out of the basic warranty. My opinion is that you would be in a far stronger position if your mileage was still under the 50,000 mile cap of the basic warranty or if your car had been driven at or under the 12,500 mile annual rate considered "normal" under the basic warranty. I think the best outcome you could get would be for Lexus corporate to pay for the parts and for you to pay for the labor. And that may be a stretch. If they don't go for that and you really want this fixed, ask that they pay half of the part cost ,,,, or to provide the parts at wholesale ... etc., etc. It's up to you whether or not you want to pursue this. I suggest that you both write a letter and call Lexus customer support if you do. At least this is a lesson learned. This reminds me that I need to start checking the TSIB's on the Prius v van/wagon we bought in August 2012. Good luck with your quest.

Odd. I did download the TSIB from a subscription service before I uploaded it to this forum. I've done that a lot of times though and others have been able to download what I uploaded to this forum.

I found that I had to try more than once to download the PDF and even had to click on resume when the download stalled. You might try doing a "save as". The PDF is rather large.

Jeff was referring to the TSIB about wind noise at the front side windows which I have attached. I've read that the Armor All no longer contains petroleum distillates but I doubt that it is appropriate for using on door seals. Most people use a silicon based lubricant. I spray clear silicon on a paper towel and wipe the door and trunk seals a couple of times a year. LS460 07-08 SWB Wind Noise from front side windows.pdf

I assume you are not new at this and know that there can be a whole lot of snow in northern Arizona in the winter. Flagstaff gets 100 inches of snow per year on average. Hwy 54 is definitely faster and perhaps more scenic. That's the route we took a few years ago when we drove from Kansas City to Phoenix to close down parent's winter home and bring their fragile stuff back - but that was in a very warm July. Watch the weather forecast. I've been stranded in western Kansas for as long as four days by a blizzard when driving to Colorado to go skiing and a number of other times by blizzards for as long as 1 1/2 days - and that was when a major Interstate highway (I-70) was closed. Ah, the good old days ... snow higher than the top of our motel room door in Oakley KS with the motel owners passing us sandwiches from an inner hallway through a little 12" square door put there for just such emergencies ... taking hours searching for a car buried under the snow.

Most of what I've read over the past few decades have said that women control more U.S. wealth than men so I doubt if that is the case. I haven't met many women who cared much about cars. There's "Pat" (remember the Saturday Night Live skit?) who does her own bodywork on her and her husband's mainly 50's and 60's GM car collection and "what's her name" a friend dated for a while who drove an old Porsche 911 Turbo. I calculated that my wife could easily, in theory, buy all the cars on that AOL list using only "her" money (if she didn't want as cushy a retirement) but what does she drive? That would be a Prius hybrid. Us guys like toys. Women? Not so much or hardly at all.

Michelin Primacy tires are wonderful - I have them on my car - but they are no substitute for winter tires with the mountain/snowflake symbol on the sidewalls. I store my Primacys in the winter and install heavy duty Blizzak snow tires on separate wheels. Give your LS460 some time. I didn't care for the 2012 LS460L AWD with air suspension I test drove about two years ago but I could probably get used to it and maybe even like it if I gave it a chance. It was the floaty-est barge I've ever driven but some people must like them or they couldn't sell any. Trying to modify your LS460 suspension with aftermarket parts is a losing proposition. I'll bet that in six months you will come to like it a lot.

My goodness! You have basic electrical problem that can't be diagnosed in four hours? It shouldn't take even an hour with the tools they have. Which Lexus dealer is this?

Duh! That is what I did before I turned in a loaner ES recently. I forgot.

One more thing. If you need a charging cradle specifically for your phone, you might check with a Lexus dealer. Lexus dealers in the UK and Europe sell, or sold in the past, a mobile phone "convenience kit" which interchangable cradle inserts for charging popular phones as an official Lexus branded accessory. This kits also supply an external antenna connection and appear to have been supplied by the Bury company.

You could ask your question in the UK part of this forum: http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/ Perhaps search eBay or Amazon.com for the UK. The aftermarket 3.5mm kit you need is not specific to your Samsung Galaxy S4. Some phone charging cradles have a 3.5mm output that can be connected to a 3.5mm interface. For example, I have a Samsung charging cradle specifically made for my Samsung Galaxy S3 which I mounted on a Kuda leather phone console in my 2000 LS400. My Samsung charging cradle (manufactured by Herbert Richter) has a 3.5mm output which could be connected to the 3.5mm aux-in input on my radio but I stream audio from my phone only wirelessly via Bluetooth. I cannot tell any difference in sound quality between connecting with a 3.5mm audio cable and Bluetooth.

There actually was an official headrest DVD option for the 2006 RX sold in the UK and EU and there is a troubleshooting guide for it at http://www.lexus-tech.eu You also view the iPod interface kit installation manual for the 2006 RX on the above web address but I doubt that it supports a regular 3.5mm aux-in if that is what you want. You might want to check locally as sometimes aftermarket interface kits for North American Lexus vehicles are not compatible with those sold in the UK and EU. Probably the most well known supplier of aftermarket audio system interfaces for Lexus vehicles in the U.S. is http://www.vaistech.com I know that some interface products sold by VAIS have been successfully used on non-US vehicles. Perhaps contact them to see if they can help you. Once you have your 3.5mm aux-in, you could attach a Bluetooth receiver to it so that you can stream audio from a phone wirelessly. Check out the Blackberry Bluetooth receivers on Amazon.com ... the square-ish one with the rounded corners.

He meant what he said. Some Toyota and Lexus cars sold in other markets have a feature that vibrates the outside mirrors to knock ice off them. It may sound weird but it is effective and entertaining.

Have you precisely calculated the gas mileage over several tank fills (50 to 60 gallons or more) or are you sort of guessing. Have you had this car a long time? Have you been idling the engine more than usual such as to warm the engine or been driving at lower speeds do to ice and snow? The fuel economy on my 2000 LS400 always declines in winter and it was even worse on the 1990 LS400 I used to have. I think my all time low was about 13 mpg in winter. I've been watching these ups and downs on LS cars for nearly 24 years and have tracked every single gallon of fuel ever put in them. I have no experience with Sea Foam and am sure that none of the car nuts I know personally have ever used it or would ever touch it. If something is wrong with your car (e.g. the MAF), find out what is wrong and fix that.

"owned by males" might not be exactly accurate. If those males are married, those vehicles are really "owned" by their wives! Maybe that's why my next door neighbor and his live-in girl friend don't get married -- could be that he's worried about losing his two Maseratis. I doubt if he wants her Hummer - how many women own those?