Reed Hunt

Great response, thanks very much. The mylex site has the radiator for $577, which is still a lot but WAY better than my dealer. And yes, you nailed it on the head regarding brakes - my advisor did suggest that the rotors be turned, which, coming from the BMW camp, is highly frowned upon. And, as you mentioned, rotors just aren't that expensive to buy... Will check the price of filters, too, and I expect them to be less as well. One more - do folks tend to stick with factory pads or go with something else? The stock pads actually are pretty good, dust-wise, so no real complaints, but just wondering. Thanks again.

(Edit - sorry, title is not very complete, my bad) Had my 2005 GX with 70,000 miles at the dealer recently and he came back with a laundry list of items, including: Dirty throttle body Front and rear diff fluid service Power steering fluid service Front/rear brake service Leaking radiator Battery failing load test Lube prop shafts Various filters need replacing Of these, the biggest questions for me include the throttle body (is this common?), the radiator (best place to buy other than at the dealer, as he wanted $917 for just the damn part!), and filters (best place to buy, other than the dealer)? Replies appreciated. Thx.

I have a 2005 with just over 70,000 miles and had it in for a recent service. Same thing - advisor mentioned a small leak in the radiator, though as above, I have seen no sign of drips, etc. Told him to leave it for now. BTW, I was quoted $1,175 to replace it, which is absolutely nuts! The radiator itself was shown as $917... And I thought only BMW had radiator problems, as I have gone through this with two different bimmer models. Difference is that the part, even on the big sedan, was one-fifth the price I was quoted above... Crazy.

I use a Siemens S 56 in my 2004 LX 470 - works fine.

Why weren't HID headlights an option on the 2004 LX470? I initially thought it was due to the size/weight of the vehicle, but I have seen several comparable SUVs with HID...?

Perfect, that's what I was looking for. (no slight to Doug intended). :D

Thanks for the response, but tapping into what's already there seems easier...? The power draw of the V1 has to be pretty negligible.

I have a hard-wired setup in my other car and wanted to do the same in my LX (to avoid having to mess with a power cord running up from the dash lighter). Placement needs to be at the top middle of the windshield, and I know there is power in the area. Any tips? Thx.

It will probably be a while - no hurry on this but it sounds worthwhile. I put Hella 80/100s in my former BMW 1985 535i several years ago (kept the stock wiring) and had a very similar reaction to yours - nice bump in the lows and a SERIOUS jump in the highs. Highs were like aircraft landing lights! I didn't keep close track, but I don't recall a significant drop in bulb life (probably was, though). Bulbs are cheap enough that it's no big deal, typically.

Thanks to both of you. :D

Good stuff, thank you. ;) -R

Rookie, Is the sleeoffroad kit a true plug and play, or did you have to do some cutting? I ask because while I am a big believer in enhanced lighting (and I like Hella stuff), I don't want to mess up my warranty by cutting wires... Thanks, -Reed

All, Other than paying dealer prices for "stuff", where is the best source for OEM accessory items. Specifically, whom should I contact to get an all-weather cargo liner for the back of my LX470? Thanks, -Reed

:o I didn't need to know that!

Just found out that I have Dunlop Grandtrek AT23s... This seems to be a very new tire - it's not on the Dunlop website nor does Tire Rack have any user reviews on it... So, we shall see. At least I don't have the Bridgestone HTs... Thanks for your replies.