CrunchySkippy

You probably need a rear-end alignment. You're describing the symptoms, as front end alignment issues appear at about 60 mph and disappear around 70mph. Rear end alignment issues appear around 70 and disappear around 80 mph (depending on a number of factors like wheel diameter, etc). The "shimmering" disappears once the wheels occilating out of phase with one another. What throws me off is how slow it occurs. 2 Seconds is a longtime. Lastly, cupping is due to overheating (usually due to under-inflation). Pump those tires up...especially if you're taking the vehicle to 80+mph!

I had no idea that the tach ring had any impact on where the car shifts. I just assumed it was a visual indicator. Was this in the owner's manual (which I haven't spent much time in)?

I really don't know how the factory amp gets its signal to power down. I was hoping it was the traditional method of current being sent down the remote line. But my reference to a "computerized" version was that there could be another way...maybe signals via pulses of sound/power/etc. There's a lot of things I don't understand...like fax machine initiation protocol's! I still believe you need to source a signal from the factory head. Either from the factory amp or another accessory. Perhaps a brain storm of the forum users will produce other sources to tap into. Does anyone know if our cars has an external CD changer option? (It may be outdated technology.) Too bad you don't have a power antennae!

In case it wasn't already apparent, you can set speedometer and odometer settings independently (and to any setting you like). I think the default is 75mph or maybe 80mph. It is no indication that you're affecting the break-in process.

Can you clarify if the amp is still powered on when the head unit is off? I can't tell if you mean the amp stays on for only a few seconds after the head unit is turned off -or- if the amp stays on indefinitely (until you power off the car). I'm still trying to determine if you, in fact, have a remote lead tied into your head unit or if the installer simply hooked it up to a switched power supply (probably from the fuse box). Find out where the remote lead is tied to. That will eliminate some of our problem solving. We know the factory system doesn't suffer from a "power down pop", so you just need to figure out how the factory amp gets its signal. (Let's hope its not computerized version...)

Where are you getting your remote power signal from? Presumably the amp does not stay on after the power to the car is cut off, right? Check this first by turning off your car and seeing if the power LED is on at the amp. Perhaps you can find a schematic of the factory amp and splice into the switched line source there. If you can't get a schematic (I don't really know how you would), you could always get out a voltmeter and start testing (I'd use the closest wire harness to the factory amp so you're not stripping/breaking wires needlessly while testing.) You'll want to find which wire sending voltage when the radio is "on" but no longer sends power when the radio of "off". Both test should either have the car running or in "Aux" mode, as this will eliminate the constant power. You can use any available ground on the car for your negative lead. Have an assistant help you out up front by pushing the volume knob off and on while you check the wire harness. Sorry I can't be more specific...I don't know anything about the factory system in the IS. It should be noted that this all just my "best guess". I don't even know where the factory amp is located...

I totally understood what you meant with #4. My wife actually suggested the same thing! I agree.

My wife has an 2004 TSX. Here's my $.02 on the comparison... If we have to move 4 adults, we take the TSX. If we need additional trunk space (i.e. a trip to Costco), we take the TSX. Any other time, we take the IS. It boils down to the TSX actually "feels" like it is roomier, both inside and in the trunk. However, the TSX really feels like a Honda Civic compared to the IS. The TSX is very loud at highway speeds with wind and tire noise. The 4 cylinder engine (while very torque-y), it always seems to scream when under hard acceleration and and there's nothing smooth about the acceleration or automatic shifting. Lastly, the finish inside again reminds me of a Honda. You seem to be thinking this through in the correct fashion. While I enjoy my IS, be sure it fits your needs.

Not much luck with me either. Sometimes it seems to work better if I don't try to annunciate or speak loud/clearly. Go figure. The only thing I'd like to to really use it for is dialing (via bluetooth mobile connection). I've kind of forgotten about the feature. I've also been meaning to print out all the voice commands and leave it in my car. I'm not convinced I'm always using the correct "verbage"...

Unfortunately, I don't see how Lexus has ANY liability in this. You purchased their car, and it was working (presumably at least) right up until the point of the collision with the raccoon. So Lexus didn't make you hit the raccoon...so maybe its an insurance coverage issue. But I doubt that's the case, either. Although I don't have progressive I'm sure they disclosed the 30 day rental car limitation in the big stack of documents they send (and nobody really reads). Progressive probably even has an option to extend the rental car coverage, if you pay for it. It seems to me that Progressive is holding their end of the contract by replacing the engine. They have no power to expedite a product from another company. The problem with Lexus is that they don't have Raccoon Avoidance Systems. Definitely bad luck no matter how you cut it. Sorry to hear about it. We should all take this lesson to review our insurance coverages (and not just for auto)!

Short answer? You're fine. Although it is highly recommended not to redline an engine during the run-in period, you're engine had more than a few hundred miles on it before you did this. The tolerances for engines are pretty tight, and the run-in period simply gives the engine and tranny time to seat properly. If you're really concerned, you could flush all the fluids in your car (transmission/oil/differential) in the event any metal shavings came off the moving parts. But my recommendation would be to not do anything. Now, I won't say anything about the street racing part...

Tango gets credit for posting this once before (at least the one I remember): http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...ost&id=6803

I experience something similar, but I think it only occurs to me when I'm rolling (very slowly, think of a rolling stop). I always thought it was "stuttering" between the downshift of 2nd gear to 1st gear. Sort of that in-between stage where the transmission believes it could accelerate in 2nd for a split second before deciding to drop down to 1st. I can't say I've ever paid enough attention to the gear indicator when this happens. It is quite infrequent for me (but still annoys me). It seems to have a positive correlation with how hard I accelerate during these situations (i.e. getting out of a sticky situation). I see how the paddles/manual mode would help here. However, I think I can count on one hand how many times I've used that function...so I'm likely to upshift when I want to downshift!

I'm sure Lexus HQ would just love to hear that one of their dealers is actually saying that. I would be SURE to tell them that when the dealer (or whoever else) follows up with the customer service survey. But back to the problem, see if you can replicate it by pushing down on different parts of the car (door sills, trunk, engine bay, etc). Any place that isn't plastic or sheet metal that could be damaged. This way you can show the dealer without too much trouble. My thought is that if you're able to replicate it easily for the technician (say, as you pull up), then you'll have a better chance of them trying to fix it. It always sucks trying to get a problem to repeat itself in front of an audience... Also, try to note if the problem is only when the car starts moving after sitting for a while, or after things have been moving for a while, or even all the time. Good luck.

I've also tried without success. My scuff marks on the center console from when I click my seatbelt on. I chalk it up to bad aim.

There's really no harm in waiting for it to warm up 30 seconds (other than idling doesn't do much for the MPG). But the fact is that idling doesn't really use much gas, either. The theory is correct - to let the oil get from the pan to the moving parts of the engine (valves/crank/etc). I think the old addage of waiting until the car is warm was based on older carburated engines that had less efficient choke mechanisms. Engines would stumble or even stall if the mixture wasn't good. You shouldn't notice any of those symptoms with our engines, even on the coldest of days. That being said, I find that I actually wait until the "Lexus" screen on my NAV disappears and turns into the "I Accept" screen before I start moving. I'm guessing this is about 5 seconds (which I tell myself is enough time for warming up). Old habbits die hard, I guess.

After you enter your first destination, repeat the process for a second destination. The system will prompt you to either:"Add Destination" or "Replace Destination". Simply hit "Add". Not sure if there's a limit on how many legs you do.

Hmm...that sounds an AWFUL lot like the features I have on my 250. :whistles:

I was quite surprised to see how flat the torque curve actually was...as well as how linear the power curve was. May as well maximize HP and shift at 6,400 RPM (don't forget to take into account the short delay if you have an automatic in manual mode!). But converting measuring units always confuse me. I'm used to seeing the torque & HP curves always cross at 5,252 RPM's. One of the online conversion calculators I used showed 158kW = 212 HP. 260nM = 192 ft-lbs. It's interesting that the US site shows only 204 HP and 185 ft-lbs. Perhaps its different fuel standards in Japan?

Perhaps you had the car in "Accessory" (or whatever its called) so that you could play with the phone book without the engine. Then when you were finished tinkering, you went inside without cyclying through the push button to get to "off". My guess is that none of the battery savers would override in the accessory mode. Or maybe you just had a bum battery that was on its way out.

Go figure...I always called that my "Go Fast Button"!

You may also want to try reseting the opener in the car first (which I believe is just holding the two outside buttons down for 2-3 seconds). I don't know if you can over-write buttons once they're assigned and perhaps this is part of your problem. Basically, when all else fails - reboot. Note that this will erase the other buttons (if already programmed to other uses).

Not included. I bought mine at Radio Shack. About $12. I actually bought something similar to this: http://www.pcconnection.com/ProductDetail?...SourceID=k40132 Unfortunately, I was only able to find a connector like this (ipod connector on one side and 1/8 inch (3.5mm) on the other side) online and not in radio shack/bestbuy/etc... I bought it because the ipod connector bypasses the ipod internal amplifier, giving you a some-what cleaner signal. You can start to clip the signal if your ipod volume is too hot going into the aux input. Conversely - you can have a low signal to noise ratio (read: lots of hiss) if the ipod volume is too low and you try to make up for it with your car's volume. I also thought it was going to bypass the internal ipod equilizer settings. To my dismay, it does not. My recommendation would be to turn off the ipod eq when using in your car. Lastly, if you already have the radio shack 1/8th to 1/8th connector, I found that you will still find decent results by turning off the ipod eq and setting the ipod volume to approximately 75%.

I just re-read my 2007 IS manual, and it actually says if you're running 100 mph to run 42.2 PSI in the front and 45.2 PSI in the rear! (That assumes the load index is rated at 91.) If the load index is 95 (not sure which tires come stock on the 350), that changes to a whopping 45 PSI front and 48 PSI in the rear.

Bartkat - Those pressures seem high (although likely great for gas mileage and doing 100+mph). The typical downsides to higher pressure are less traction due to the smaller contact patch, uneven tire wear through the middle of the tire due to "ballooning", and a harsher ride. Are you noticing any side effects at those levels? Do you have the stock tires? I'm surprised an autocrosser made such a high recomendation, especially for the rear.