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The phone...you can't dial on the phone while the car is in motion! There are some other benefits (MP3 input, etc.), but the phone is the biggest headache!

I have a 2004 LS430 and installed the Lockpick 1 in it. My experience has been very satisfying. I ordered it on a Saturday night, and got it the following Thursday afternoon. Removing the radio was fairly easy, but removing the navigation system was a little scary. I just recommend you take your time and be very careful when removing and replacing any and all parts of the dash. Use towels to protect the wood, and cover prying tools with tape. A magnetic phillips screwdriver, and a # 8 box end wrench are a necessity. The instructions that come with the Lockpick are of no help in installing it in a LS. As far as how it works, it has done everything I expected. I can use my bluetooth phone features and insert destinations while driving. I also have a direct RCA input for my MP3 player, although on a strong radio station I have gotten some feed thru between songs, but not frequent enough to be concerned about . I have not tried the video part yet, and see no reason why I will. I also like it when you start the car and the "I Agree" scene comes on and within seconds the I agree button lights up, and the map screen appears. I think it was an excellent investment, and the 60-90 minutes it took for the install was well worth it. "Removing the radio..."?? I thought it was a simple connection under the driver's seat. According to the web page, it's a 5 minute deal. I also have a 2004 LS430 and in no way am I going to remove the radio and nav system! How long ago did you install yours?

has anyone had a look at this: http://www.coastaletech.com/basic_lockpick1.htm Sounds very interesting to me, especially the ability to use the phone dialing while in motion. Also sounds simple to install, with no "under the dash" stuff.

I also agree that the nav is worth the extra bit. However, I must disagree on which model year to get. All the good things said about what was added/improved on the 04 and on is correct and well worth it in most cases. My beef (and many many others according to the dealer) is the nav itself. Seems that Lexus made a vendor change in 04 from tried and true NavTec to somebody else (nobody's talking). It's terrible. It picks routes that are, well, amazing(to be polite). Has cost Lexus a bundle in free upgrades and gas cards to try to calm us down. And the BlueTooth handsfree sounds nice, but. You can't dial while in motion, can't directly enter contacts so you CAN use the 1-touch. You can only transfer from your BT cell phone directory, which results in errors 8 out of 10 attempts. There's no way to refresh the 1-touch directory if it gets wiped out which is easy to do by saying "overwrite" instead of "add" when doing a single directory entry transfer! A friend has the 03 with nav and my wife has an 01 RX with nav that have never failed using a proper route and have never been updated...and the displays look better too...sharper images. So if you want a good nav, get an 03 or earlier. The BT is great for the keyless stuff but damn useless on the handsfree. Also took Lexus almost three years and 3 "fixes" to get the hesitation out of the tranny. Other than those things, it's a great car that's easy to drive and enjoy.

:) FINALLY! My dealer just installed a tranny hesitation fix (TC4006 or TC006-04) that finally seems to cure the low speed hesitation in my 2004 LS430!! I'm still keeping my fingers crossed, but so far all my tests have been positive. Has anyone else had this upgrade applied?

A word of warning on using Homelink garage door opener. If you park outside, be aware that the Openlink will function even if the key is off and removed. A simple pop of the window and a push of the Homelink button and someone is in your house. Might as well leave a garage door opener on your driveway. This is a problem with ALL Homelink units and not limited to Lexus. I've complained to Homelink(Johnson Controls) with no satisfaction. They claim it's a car manufacturer issue. :cries:

put the key in the off position , hit the trip/odemeter button until it reads odometer then hold in, turn car on and you should see /// in the odometer . let go and your done ← Note that you have to set the trip/odometer to the "BLANK" display. Be sure you only turn the Ignition switch back to "ON" and not "START". If you restart the car, the service reminder light will NOT reset! ← This doesn't work for me(2004 LS430 w/NAV). If I turn off ignition, I can't see odometer. So do I push while in ON position, then OFF and back ON(all while holding TRIP) or some other magic combo?

Be careful with the Homelink units if you park your car outside. The unit is always on so anyone can pop a window and open your garage. It's kinda like leaving a garage door opener on the driveway!

Keep us informed Lexuskrzy. The 2003 doesn't have this problem. Maybe a batch of Navs snuck in from the UK! By the way, how do you see the GPS clock? And what exactly do you mean by "...set it to automatic..."?

That's interesting. Is the GPS clock different than the clock above the console? My clock displays the correct time and if I go into "Set Clock", it is set for the correct timezone. So if the calendar is getting it's timeset using the GPS system(which is probably GMT), then it's not adjusting for local time. This may not be an easy fix for Lexus. I'll let you know, but I am somewhat amazed that no one else has noticed this. Maybe that's why Lexus is being very slow. Like the ES300 tranny hesitation...

I live in the Pacific(Calif) timezone and when it's past 4pm, my calendar on the Nav display tells me it's the next day! I'm told that this is a Lexus issue in that the calendar uses GMT time even though the clock adjusts for Pacific time. Anyone else notice this?

Squarehat, you're on to something. Now if we could just come up with one of those secret "cards"!

Is pathway lighting the same as headlights? If so, how do you change the setting? Since the dealer tells me 30 seconds is the shortest setting and the manual says see the dealer, I was hoping for some factory secret sequence of buttons, knobs, and switches would come forth. Maybe that's just the way they done it.

Thanks, but I know I can double click the lock button on the FOB, but I don't want to lock the car. And I'd like it automatic.

I have a 2003 ES300 and want to disable the headlight turnoff delay when I turnoff the ignition. The dealer tells me this can't be done and I must live with the 30 second delay. Hard to believe!