gordonw

The spare from the dealer is expensive because its more than just a spare wheel and tire. It also comes with the kit required to install the spare. The car came with run flats, so a spare tire never came with the car, nor was it even an option. Lexus came out with a retrofit kit for a spare tire later. The kit consists of extra carpeting pieces, covers, hardware and the carrier to secure the spare. You may want to keep an eye on Ebay. The kits do appear on it sometimes. As for the rear view mirror, you may want to bring it back to the dealer. Only reason the mirror becomes loose is it gets damaged being reinstalled after a windshield replacement.

Don't forget the lack of a warranty when the vehicle is exported.

Not sure if you're talking about the factory navigation system, but 1998 GS300 navigation system was hard drive based. To upgrade to newer maps, the hard drive had to be replaced. At this time it may not be worth doing an upgrade since the maps for the hard drives haven't been updated since 2005. The hard drives for that generation were under 2 GB and I think they just ran out of room.

I would like to add that going domestic is not a "fix" either. I drive a 2003 domestic front wheel drive, and the front and rear camber are not adjustable. I had to change the oem tires since they were fairly cheap, because at 70mph the steering wheel would vibrate. It was pretty cool to watch, because as much as the steering wheel vibrated the vehicle tracked straight. The cheap tires were also "cupping". Had a really weird wear on them. I replaced them with some decent tires that didn't cup as much and handled better. Only way I could adjust camber was to elongate the hole in the front and/or add shims in the rear. I wonder whats change over the years. Have suspension designs changed that much? A few years ago, I talked to a manufacturer tech rep for GM, and he mentioned that GM suspension had become "aggressive?". Not sure what he meant, but it seems some of todays cars seem more sensitive to tires and tires don't seem to last as long.

That $5 is probably for things other than paperwork. Probably covers for the gas that people forget to refill, the insurance on the loaner, cleaning the loaner, and the maintenace of the loaner. I've seen the fee charge at our store, but not on warranty work though.

If Lexus or the Lexus dealer is willing, I would recommend having them put on different tires, preferrably non oem. Not sure what you have, as the car came with either Bridgestones or Dunlops.

http://lexusbluetooth.letstalk.com/brands/...f/446_LS460.pdf Supposedly, it can only transfer groups, not individual numbers.

I'd recommend replacement at some point, because you need to rotate your tires. If you don't, you're going to replace your tires sooner, not that they last long anyway. A couple things you could do. You can try to check with your insurance company or check your city services. Here in Boston, you can actually file a claim for any damage caused by a pothole within thirty days.

The IS250/350 doesn't come with run flats. However the vehicle does have low profile tires which may contribute to the bent rims as there isn't much to cushion the impact.

Did they also replace the microphone to see if that was the issue? If you hear sound like the engine and popping through the speaker, it also sounds like a grounding issue.

Yes, The 2004 RX330 has a tire pressure warning system, but no it does NOT have tire monitors in the wheels. Tire monitors were not installed until 2007 RX350. The 2004 actually uses the ABS speed sensor for tire pressure monitoring.

Has anyone had any issues transferring their XM radio subscription from one vehicle to another? I have a customer who is trying to transfer his subscription from his LS430 to a new LS460 which already has the XM radio hardware built in. For some reason, XM is telling him its about $400 to transfer which sounds totally ridiculous. I've changed my hardware a few times and have never paid since its just a hardware change not a subscription change. Thx.

Assuming we're talking about CD text, the system can read cd text that either came on the original disc or you added to a burned disc. The system however doesn't rip the cd text. It uses the cddb database in the hard drive, if the information is there. Its not a limitation of the car. Its no different than your pc. Your media players such as itunes, wmp, media monkey, winamp, etc can read the cd text but doesn't rip them as it will go online to get the information from CDDB ( Gracenote). Supposedly there are some utiliites/plug ins for that will rip the cd text, but in todays world of ipods, most people use mp3 tags without any thought about it. If the disc info is not in the cddb database, have you checked with the dealer to see if there's an update?

Its an Apple issue. The iphone has a crippled bluetooth. One of the reasons I decided not to get for myself. We're talking about a "smartphone" that won't allow background processes, no obex transfer, and no a2dp.

Its inexpensive and I would replace it.

Actually you can use the tip of key to open the case.

Let's call it what it is. Its just a courtesy service. Its something that should be appreciated, not expected. The small percentage that act like children demanding it generally don't appreciate it nor do they want to. They generally ruin it for the majority of customers. In a funny way, the small percentage make a stronger impression to the dealership to generally discontinue or cut back a service because they make it such a hassle. Even wierder is why dealerships cater to the small minority as much as they do as they aren't even the best or most loyal customers.

The battery is a CR1632, and its very easy to replace.

Three.

I'm not sure what part number you have, but the cover for the headlamp washer is just the nozzle. It doesn't come with the actuator. The cover will come prepainted. It should run about $30 from the dealer.

You may not have noticed, but the economy is in the tank right now. Sales have plummeted even for luxury makers. Many dealers have let employees go and have cut back on overtime. Its pretty tough and scary for many dealers. Many are trying save money and need to cut back. Be happy that you even have a dealer to go to. I've seen quite a few dealerships either close or lose their franchise, and it'll get worse before it gets better.

Yes the antenna is on the windshield by the mirror. However the Sirius satellite radio for IS, ES, GS, and RX have been discontinued, so supply may be limited.

Lexus issued a warranty policy which extended the warranty to 7 years for the back up camera. Check your dealership to see if its applicable to your car. It should be, but check with them anyway.

The height control links are attached to the suspension. The front is attached to the shock absorber bracket, the rear is attached to the lower suspension arm.

Its a defective camera. Take it to the dealer for replacement. It might be be covered under the extended warranty Lexus issued to vehicles with the backup camera.