zeroyon

That's a great point. Here's my deal. I've got just under 29k miles and mentioned to them that the TSIB for brake dust coverage is up to 50k miles and they agreed. I've seen the clueless part with other dealers and have come to think it's part of the game to not immediately acknowledge some of these components to let the customer say what needs to be said and not do more. I'm actually getting the work done tomorrow morning and have reserved a loaner car. I tend to agree with you that you don't want the rotors turned much. I know Honda's/Acura's only survive one turn at most before needing replacement. Lexus is probably similar. The notes on my invoice indicate the following: "Guest states there is excessive brake dust and noise from front brakes" - update pad/shim set separately, they're performing two additional campaigns... 1. 9LB rear brake slide pin update (replace rear brake caliper sliding pin for possible sticking) 2. 9LA fuel rail update

Anyone recall if the dealer turned the rotors during the TSIB change or did they just slap on the new brakes and hand the car back? Normally they turn the rotors on any brake job, but not sure about the TSIB case.

Thanks a lot. Good tip.

Thanks, good point. When I checked them, they were right at 30psi. It's a bit odd to me that the fronts require a lower pressure than the rear tires, but perhaps I'm missing something.

Hi, I just replaced my front tires at 29k, rears are still fine and both are the 18in summer version. The fronts were actually fine in the center, but both the inner/outer areas were worn, which indicates to me that the tires were underinflated. The pressure signal never came on while I've had the car and I understand the system is designed to indicate faults, turn on the maintenance light, and not indicate which tire it is to force users to double check all tires while you're at it. Now, with that said, wondering if anyone has had this problem? I saw a TSIB for the tire pressure sensor, but not sure if it's related. Let me know your thoughts.

Thanks a lot!

How many miles did you have when you got the pads replaced under TSIB?

Honestly if it is performing well and there is no shimmy when stopping and the problem is just cosmetic...I would wait for the pads to die. And about the rotors being resurfaced they should last a while. The pads on the 350 are softer for better performance which leads to more brake dust....but i'm not sure but the stock pads I think are non-metallic or organic which are alot friendlier to rotors which should help them last longer. Thanks, that's sound advice. I got similar feedback from local folks that I talked to in person. I hear the dealers always turn the rotors when changing pads as they don't want to carry any liability of a customer complaining about not doing a thorough job, perhaps being on the "too safe" side of repairs, etc. The mechanics I talked to, including one at a Toyota dealer mentioned he tries to just keep to pad changes until there is physical evidence of pulsations or visible defects that need to be addressed.

Well I checked with a few other sources and the slight lip is not a problem therefore doesn't warrant getting the rotor turned. Not to mention, I called a few machine shops and they do rotor turns for $10 - $16 a rotor if even needed. In your case, I think the dealer is BSing you. I keep hearing from good sources that Lexus/Toyota rotors are quite good and do hold up. The pads are obviously a softer material than the rotors. I'm not sure what the dealer means by the rotors being soft. That doesn't sound right. Unless you have pulsations when you hit the brakes and you don't see any visual defects on the rotor, it very likely does not need to be turned. I would just replace the brake pads.

Thanks, that's good to know. I will poke around. Were you happy with the workmanship at Napa?

Good point. If you bought the car new, then you would know as XM radio needs to be purchased separately. The dash is pre-equipped with an AM/SAT combo button, but it does not mean you have XM setup. It's actually a separate box that gets installed in the car. I have one but got it when I ordered the car. It was about a $300 - $400 option if I recall. Then, you get a few months free, then they start billing you. The satellite antenna is on the roof just as you stated, so the coverage is quite good compared with aftermarket units that you place on the dash or somewhere else. TIS is the Toyota technical site that has repair manuals you can download. I believe it's $10 per 24 hour period, so you could get in there and download as much as you can within that window including the satellite install guide. Then, check with iron toad.com for pricing.

Looking for a machine shop in the east bay who can turn rotors if I bring just the rotors in? Some shops that I've called don't want to deal with that and would rather charge me to do the whole job. I just want to take these in for a quick turn if needed. Let me know.

I have an IS 350 with a very slight lip forming on the disc as I run my finger over the edge. I've got 25k miles and looking to understand two things... 1. Should I machine off the lip now and change the pads to match? or 2. Not bother with the "very" slight lip and wait until the pads need to be changed before turning the rotor? I'm also not sure how durable Lexus/Toyota rotors are to turning? I recall Acura's rotors were quite weak and after two turns, it needed to be replaced.

Anyone aware of how durable the rotors are? On the Honda/Acura side, the rotors could only be turned 2 times max before needing replacement. Typically, unless you've had erratic driving patterns, you won't need them turned, rather just a simple brake pad change is needed. I'm sure the Lexus dealers recommend turns every time a brake change is needed, but not sure this is reality? Anyone aware?

Thanks Rafiki, I ended up just using my floor jack off the side jack point as you mentioned with some jack stands for safety. I'm glad I had the toyota filter wrench as the dealer had really torqued on the housing, so any generic tool might have stripped it.

If buying a replacement, did you get the sense there was a price difference between the new vs. old pads? Do they retail for the same price? Anyone know if iron toad stocks this latest version?

Wondering if anyone knows of an easier way to jack up the car, as the lift point seems too far in. This brought the jack very far in and the lever was butting up against the bottom of the front air dam, making it tedious to pump the jack to lift up the car. Do others just jack it up from the passenger side to change the oil?

The whole clear bra install should be no more than $700 for the whole front end. I've seen folks on this alias in LA say they got it for $450 - $600 and were happy with the results. Again, not sure how picky you are, but you may want to look at a few before deciding. It also depends on the color shade of your car. Again, I don't recommend it, as I think chips look better than a film peeling off the front end. Chips are natural, film peeling is definitely NOT. Besides, how long are you planning to keep the car?

Where are you getting this information because its complely incorrect. The product has properties to resist yellowing, but assuming that the paint is properly waxed its not enough to stop any kind of paint fading. Besides with the better UV treated clearcoat paint doesn't fade like it used to. I've seen dozens of cars with these clearbras, and they never look two toned. I understand your point and agree to an extent. The reality is it's a film and no matter what what other shops say, or even what 3M or other vendors say, it'll fade over time. The only way to ensure a minimal fade is to keep it out of the sun and in the garage. I agree the technology is improving, but the product will break down over time, assuming a normal life cycle of vehicle usage. Actually all Lexus vehicles windows are tinted at the factory to a hue that matches the exterior color, as are most other cars made today. the reason that carmakers don't offer factory tint options is that the laws vary greatly from state to state and country to country. It wouldn't be possible for them to create windows tinted in enough different variations to comply with state regulations (factory tinted windows are not film, they are actually tinted glass) to provide these options. Anyways there'd be no point, the aftermarket provides any kind of tint you might want in varying quality at a reasonable cost. No carmaker I am aware of offers factory tint options. Interesting point. Although Lexus doesn't have it as an option in the US, they do offer factory tint options in Japan, as all vehicles sold there are custom ordered and not pre-selected by a sales office or by a dealer, in the case of cars sold in the US. I was specifically pointing out that the GX and RX do come with factory tint which has a much more pronounced shade and I don't believe it's film. Maybe you can correct me on this. If I'm correct, then it would be nice to allow someone to special order a vehicle (non-RX or GX) with the same level of tinted glass or whatever the customer chooses. I just saw a friend's Ford truck the other day and even "F" has tinted glass as a factory installed option. One of my other buddies has a 325 he bought last year and that came with a factory installed tinted glass option. Granted it wasn't a 5% or 15% level of shading, but it was definitely more than what non-SUV's in the Lexus line get. Hopefully I was a bit more clear. Then I wouldn't waste your money on a clearbra. Its not worth it if you don't protect the whole nose of the car. If anything it'll look weirder because the hood will be covered in chips while the bumper won't be. My point is even if you wax around the clear bra, the fade rate will be different between the areas covered by the bra and not. I don't think anyone can say it'll fade at the same rate - that's impossible. Therefore, other time, the variance will only increase. Besides, is the Lexus paint that bad to where you gotta fork out $600+ to cover it up? Also, has anyone seen a clear bra install up close? Are you really happy with how shops either tuck or don't tuck all the edges/corners? I personally haven't seen a clean job yet. I wouldn't want to spend 40k+ and get a half baked film put on. Again, maybe I'm too sensitive about this, but I have seen a ton of jobs and from 20 feet away it looks fine, but if you get up close, it's disappointing. Also, I'm very hands on with the car and do like to buff out just about anything, to get the right look, so seeing film cuts that aren't symmetrical between left/right sides of the fender, definitely bother me. Maybe others are different??

I'm aware of iron toad, but seems they have a limited supply of IS250/350 components. I'm looking for anything from factory floor mats to oil/air filters. Wondering if anyone has info on where I can get a good deal on those components?

Not to derail the diesel discussions. What type of mileage are people seeing with the 400H so far? Hwy vs. City?

Very nice wheels. Wondering how they look from behind? Do they hang out at all or do they look just right and tucked in? Any recommendations on strut/spring kits?

Is there such a thing as a G35x S model? I've the S and it looks much better than the '06. Wondering if the S model is just RWD or whether they build that into the "x" type also?

How is the car equipped?

I agree it hinges completely on the install. What I found is that the film itself, depending on what angle you look at the vehicle, makes the hood look as though it's two tone. Even some of the better clear bra shops admit it won't look factory. Not only that, it film does have UV protection qualities, which over time, will create a natural two tone look on your hood. In that case you'll always need to have a clear bra on, as it wouldn't make sense to pull it off 5 years down the road and have a two toned hood. Perhaps the factory can work on a better solution. Personally, I'd like Lexus to look into better factory tint options on cars other than SUV's. I've never seen a factory tint option on the IS, ES, GS, SC, or the LS.