JDK

I agree with RX400h, that's way expensive! If you buy a good leather cleaner/conditioner like Zaino, Lexol, Mequires's, etc you shouldn't have any problem keeping the leather clean (my LS is 3 yrs old and I've never had a problem). I had a quote for the clear bra for almost the whole front of my car including pieces on my front fenders and rearview mirrors for $800. The reason I didn't was I have a black LS and I've read several postings that stated while it will protect the paint, I stone will have the ability to "pull" the clear away from the paint leaving a small "spot" that looks "white" and can be seen but not much can be done to fix. You can't really see the bubble on lighter color cars so I would really consider getting one installed. I keep up with mine with a toothpick and touchup paint. I'd also recommend spending some time at http://autopia.org/ and any detailing upkeep can be answered there. The discussion threads are the same as here with a lot of professional detailers available to help you out.

It most likely was the oil change but you must reset the light after each time. 1-turn ignition over to accessory "on" 2-go to your trip odometer and push past Trip 1 and Trip 2 until you get to the "blank" 3-turn "key" off 4-now turn ignition back "on" with one hand and hold the trip reset button in with the other hand for 5 seconds This should clear the warning light.

You are going to get a lot of opinions on the best and there is certainly quite a few really good products out there. I've learned the following from LOC members: wax usually provides a deeper shine but does not last as long (some recommend waxing every month or so) and a polish will last from 6-9 months but some feel it gives a more plastic look. I'm in Lima and just detailed my car on Saturday and decided to combine both Zaino (for longetivity) and P21S carnuba wax for a deep shine. I think it turned out really nice.

Try a search on this product, it may be what you are looking for: Pet Net Barrier or Dog Backseat Barrier Several companies make barriers ranging from fabric to metal bars for SUV's

I use the Zaino products and have been very happy with them, and they smell great Z-9 Leather Soft Spray Cleaner Z-9 Leather Soft Spray Cleaner You may want to try some Goof Off for the scuff marks. Simple Green or an Orange cleaner would probably work also.

I have 54K on my '04 and I asked my mechanic the same question because the Valvoline website recommended straight synthetic. He was afraid that we may find leaks so we went with the MaxLife Synthetic Blend (even though it's a 75K oil). Bob's been in the business for over 35 years and I trust him, plus he could have made more $$ on the full synthetic. http://www.valvoline.com/pages/products/pr...l.asp?product=7

I'd take it to a stereo installation shop and ask them. You may get away cutting the wires flush with the car yourself, inside and out, or you may want to offer them the unit for free in exchange for the removing it. I had XM put into my car and it only cost $20 so simply cutting (and pulling?) out wires should not cost any more than that.

I had my tranny flushed recently and my mechanic was really surprised at how dark the fluid was even with 54K but it did not smell the least bit burnt. Replaced it with Toyota fluid which is quite a bit thinner than your typical fluid. The mechanic did not feel the need to change the filter or even drop the pan so we didn't. He suggested I flush the tranny every 30K from now on as he does with all of his personal cars and I'll check the color in another 2,000 miles just to see if it's dark already.

I've only detailed my car in the order recommended by Zaino so I can't answer your question. Judging by all of the feedback on this site and Autopia.com, my guess is most users do the same. The first time I used the products was on my son's bright red pickup and after 2 applications of the Z-2 he wanted to stop but I convinced him to do the last 3 steps and the results were simply amazing. As good as it looked after 2 coats, the paint looked completely wet after the third. After that experience, we both decided not to take shortcuts in the future. If I were you, I'd split your hood into 2 sections and do it your way on 1 side and Sal's on the other. You'll be able to see the difference, if any, in the shine and how long it holds up and then decide. Let me know how if works out! JDK, Your LS looks great! I also appreciate your suggestion of a split hood. Thanks FYI- I live in Lima

I've only detailed my car in the order recommended by Zaino so I can't answer your question. Judging by all of the feedback on this site and Autopia.com, my guess is most users do the same. The first time I used the products was on my son's bright red pickup and after 2 applications of the Z-2 he wanted to stop but I convinced him to do the last 3 steps and the results were simply amazing. As good as it looked after 2 coats, the paint looked completely wet after the third. After that experience, we both decided not to take shortcuts in the future. If I were you, I'd split your hood into 2 sections and do it your way on 1 side and Sal's on the other. You'll be able to see the difference, if any, in the shine and how long it holds up and then decide. Let me know how if works out!

Pulled the car out this nice sunny morning and could not tell any difference between last years pictures and yesterdays work so I didn't bother to post new ones. :D

Well I couldn't wait any longer and worked on the car today using different idea's I've read. -Hand wash -Clay Magic -Zaino - Z-PC Fusion Dual Action Paint Cleaner Swirl Remove -Zaino - Z-2 PRO Show Car Polish for Clear Coated Car Finishes -Zaino - Z-6 Ultra Clean Gloss Enhancer Spray -Zaino - Z-2 Repeat -Zaino - Z-6 Repeat -P21S Carnuba Wax -Zaino - Z-8 Grand Finale Spray Seal -Zaino - Z-16 Perfect Tire Gloss I ended up using microfiber applicators because it put a thinner coat of both the polish and the wax I also used microfiber towels to wipe. I tried the 100% cotton towels but the micro actually did a better job for me. It's very clear that as nice as the car came out, a buffer would have made it look even better. Very faint scratches and spider webs were still barely visible but would have completely disappeared with the PC7424 buffer. Unfortunately it was dark when I finished and the lighting in my garage is pretty poor so no pictures tonight. (plus my arms are so sore I may not be able to hold up a camera, I can hardly hold up my beer! ) I definately have a greater appreciation for those of you that do this for a living!

I purchased a pack of Clay Magic, a bottle of Rain-X Bug & Tar remover and some detail brushes. I already have quite a bit of Zaino Z-PC Fusion Dual Action Paint Cleaner Swirl Remover, ZFX Flash Cure Accelerator Additive,Z-2 PRO Show Car Polish for Clear Coated Car Finishes,Z-6 Ultra Clean Gloss Enhancer Spray,Z-8 Grand Finale Spray Seal and P21S. (See, no abreviations!! ) How would you suggest I go about getting the best results with the products I already have at hand? (Once these are used up I may try different items but for now I want to just see how they will do) Thanks! JD - Here is some pixs of the "liquids" I have: On the left of Nattys (now given away) is there CG5050. You do not see the 3 gallon of CG leather stuff though. It's clear we have an addiction problem here!! I can't see any of the top products NOT shown! I ordered a gal of ONR today from Glimmer Glass Detailing, it was $34.99 http://www.glimmerglassdetailing.com/opnoriga.html I haven't decided on the buffer, bad time of the year for me with the dreaded Tax Man. I'm thinking about waiting until July and get the new one coming out from David at Autopia. http://autopia.org/forum/autopia-car-care/...rter+cable+7424 While my car is not quite up to the level of several of you out there, it is the best looking car in my office complex and looks like my picture 90% of the time.

I agree. When I was in my early 20's I worked at a custom body shop where we painted Corvettes and custom bikes "old style" that had to be wet sanded and polished, but that's been 30 yrs ago. With the PC, several sites also sell a 6" backplate and different pads and bonnets. Won't the OEM on the Porter work OK?

I have the ONR on order to be delivered next week. I figure I can always use the Freedom on my wife's pearl white '95 Avalon. What are your thoughts on a buffer or polisher? Is it necessary to use one and if so what is your preference? I realize the Porter Cable 7424 ($109) may or may not get out swirl marks and the polisher ($200+) will. I noticed that mburnickas uses the Makita 9227C. I'm simply trying to get a great shine but have no intention of entering it in any shows!

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=32480 http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=35514 http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=34951 added note: Since SW showed me QEW, I went with ONR though. Now I still love JW since it goes a long way, easy to use and durability is over 6 months. CG5050 I like since it again adds a little "nuba" shown. I have gone so far as 3+ month with it and looks nice. I tried Zaino clearshield (CS) and so far I like it. I think JW with quickshine will do the samething;but doing "nothing" helps alot with CS. If you like something else, that is all that matters. I tried Nattys blue and it did not hold up well etc. Nice wax for the money, but I like CG better. I will say that your car looks great!!

I purchased a pack of Clay Magic, a bottle of Rain-X Bug & Tar remover and some detail brushes. I already have quite a bit of Zaino Z-PC Fusion Dual Action Paint Cleaner Swirl Remover, ZFX Flash Cure Accelerator Additive,Z-2 PRO Show Car Polish for Clear Coated Car Finishes,Z-6 Ultra Clean Gloss Enhancer Spray,Z-8 Grand Finale Spray Seal and P21S. (See, no abreviations!! ) How would you suggest I go about getting the best results with the products I already have at hand? (Once these are used up I may try different items but for now I want to just see how they will do) Thanks!

Ok, I get the point and I promise I will try the other products that have been recommended. ;) FYI-I would never use Freedom on my car if it was truely "dirty" or encrusted with something like salt, mud, etc. I've only used it after driving home in the rain or it is extremely dusty. For us newbies, it would really be helpful to us if abbreviations were not always used when recommending a product. (I will take ONR, JW prime and AJT combined with CG5050 wax....HUH???) I realize that you may have typed it in a thread a hundred times but I have to Google the stuff until I find it, maybe. It took several tries to figure out what CG was. I've noticed quite a few new members listed and my guess is that at least a few of them have the same problem as I do. After reading several threads on detailing I just received a jar of P21S Wax which I'll use after I clay bar. I'm also a fan of the Zaino products but I realize that I've never been able to get the "depth" out of my black car like I should have gotten. I did read someplace that the writer had used a clay bar, then a polish, P21S followed by Zaino Z-8 Grand Finale Spray Seal. He claimed he got both the depth from the P21S and the durability from the Zaino. Any thoughts on this?

I'm a powerseller on Ebay and like the other reply said, do your homework. I wouldn't buy from someone with less 20 positive feedbacks of at least 99.5% on a high price item like a car unless it was being sold by the original seller and then I too would want a third party to inspect it. Even though I purchased from a local dealer, I had found several really nice cars on Ebay. Actually the Lexus dealers in Florida and Texas had better pricing than the dealers in Ohio and I really got interested in a few 1 owner, low miles, all service records from individules. In hindsight, I should have bought one on Ebay, flown in to pick it up and drove it home thereby saving myself $$.

This is a tough group!! :P Another satisfied user that owns a detail shop: Freedom Waterless Car Wash--The Best Is Improved When my friend Dave at Freedom Waterless Car Wash sent me a bottle of his new formula, I didn't expect much. The original formula was awesome all by itself. I thought, this ought to be fun. Freedom Waterless Car Wash is the best and has a fragrance that makes it sush a luxury to wash your car. Okay, so It had rained here in Upstate NY and I did some highway traveling so my car was needless to say very dirty and filmy. When the sunny weather returned I had to clean my car. I can't stand my car being dirty at all. I was actually going to go to the car wash and hose it down, dry it off and wax it if the truth be told. I looked in my trunk to make sure I had enough clean microfiber towels for the job and there was this mango colored liquid in a spray bottle that said Freedom Waterless Car Wash New Formula. I thought, oh yeah, I get to test the new formula from Freedom, my favorite Waterless Car Wash! I started in the back on the bumper and the area behind the tires where the dirt really gets thick. I sprayed Freedom Waterless Car Wash directly onto the dirt and grime and took my microfiber towel and wiped the dirt loose. The fragrance had me at hello--very fruity! Then I flipped the towel over to the clean side and wiped the surface to a clean, shiny finish. I buffed to a mirror-like finish and proceede to the next area. Moving forward...It was as if I had just waxed my car. Very impressive. Then applied more Freedom Waterless Car Wash on my rims, grabbed a clean towel and began to wipe away the road film and watched my rims emerge from behind a cloud of film. Freedom Waterless Car Wash is indeed improved in fact, it has been perfected! I proceeded to finish my entire vehicle only to find that my vehicle was just washed and waxed without using a drop of water. Even my rims got were cleaned--that is so cool. This tells me that I don't have to be home or at a car wash to wash my car, I could wash my car anywhere if I wish. I am so very impressed with Freedom Waterless Car Wash. Their waterless car wash is the best. It really delivers what it promises and the fragrance is very nice, no chemical smell. I just love it, can you tell? Visit Dave at FreedomWaterlessCarWash.com for the best waterless car wash on the market. You will be so happy to have found this product!! ____________________________________________________________________________________ The owner below swears by Freedom, I wouldn't think he's want to scratch his car either http://autopia.org/forum/detailing-product...h-products.html

I good friend of mine has 230,000 on his 2002 and drives about 50K per year with his sales job and is planning on keeping it for another year or 2. This is his 4th LS...1990, 1994, 1998 and now the '02, has never had any major repairs and swears that there really is not much difference in the ride between all 4! I did a Google for high mileage and thought this was remarkable: I am still driving my 1987 Honda Accord with 634,000 plus miles. The engine runs great and has never been opened. Repairs include timing belts, water pumps, altenators and suspension parts. The rotors are still original. My bigest problem is how to get rid of the car. I would like somthing newer. Honda is not yet interested in doing a commercial. It is hard to get rid of such a loyal car.

Please note that I was talking about Freedom (water based) not Dri-Wash (kero based). I used to use Dri-Wash but switched to Freedom which has a bit of carnuba in it and the shine gets better with each use (as described). FYI-I'm new to this forum and so I had not heard of the products that you and others have described above and I'm certainly not against trying any of them and I'm sure I will. I'm extremely picky about my car and would never put anything on it that would hurt the finish, especially since it's black and would be extremely easy to see. Had I found this forum a few years ago I most likely would have purchased a good used LS instead of a new one. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my car, but I was afraid of repair costs on a used one but now that I'm "informed", I realize that repairs are not common and I probably would have been just as pleased with a good $20K and put the $40K in my pocket!!

Like I mentioned, I've used both Dri-Wash and Freedom on my black LS and it has never left a scratch, or anything even close, on the finish. Living in the crazy weather of Ohio it allows me to quickly clean my car before pulling out of the garage so it looks pretty much pristine 99% of the time, no matter what the temperature is outside. If I had a floor drain and heater in my garage I would probably use soap and water but I don't so this works out really well for me plus it only takes 10-15 minutes. I think the biggest problem a lot of people have had is that they did not spray the towel prior to working on the car, I can see where that may cause a swirl or scratch. I realize not everyone will want to try it but I simply wanted to pass along how well it works for me.

Having used up the last of my Dri-Wash and tried a different brand, Freedom Waterless Car Wash, and I love it. It comes in 2 formulas, one with carnumba wax and the other plain. I can clean my car in 10-15 minutes and it looks like it was just polished. At $25 (inc. S/H) for a 32 oz spray it should last me for several washes and save quite a few $$'s. For an even better deal, you can order a 12 pack and only pay about $11 per bottle and sell a few to get your's for free! It will NOT scratch your paint if you pre-spray your micro fiber cloth first. I have a black LS and it is perfectly safe! You can order it direct from this link below. http://www.freedomwaterlesscarwash.com/fre.../freedomone.php

Well I took my car in on Thursday and had the windshield repaired. Since the spot is in the lower center, it actually almost disappears looking into the hood, and not in my direct line of site this may work out well if it doesn't get any worse. I did find out that the new '07 ES (and maybe others) have a sound deadening film sandwiched in the windshield just in case any of you run into a problem with it's windshield, just be careful if you have to go with an after-market and not OEM.