SW03ES

That'll be $1500 or so... Not to worry, it can be fixed ;)

Here they be:

Here are a few pictures. Took them tonight in the garage so they're dark. In the first one you can see how well it matches the plastic around the audio system, etc. It really works and looks great...

That shifter is just missing the knob ;) Yeah the 400h doesn't have the MFD when it doesn't have nav like the Prius does. So no backup camera or economy screen.

$8k?!?! Surely not. I've heard $4k... I assume it was damaged which is why its cracked...warranty won't cover that. Shoot dcfish a PM or you may be able to submit an insurance claim too...

You probably could make it work. You would have to wire in buttons though, and if you're going to do that you may as well just buy an aftermarket kit. I don't see any functionality the OEM system has that an aftermarket kit wouldn't have... I just bought a Motorola MOTOROKR T505 Bluetooth speaker that affixes to the visor and transmits sound through a FM transmitter to the car's speakers. Works very well and for $85 its hard to beat it...

Hey guys, Got the new Michelin Primacy MXV4's installed today. Very nice! quieter than the Bridgestone LS-Vs but they were worn. They were excellent tires, its a shame Bridgestone discontinued them. The new Michies look and ride great, 60k warranty too should be the last set of tires I buy for this car... No difference with the H rating vs the V rating. I haven't spent much time on the highway but I will tomorrow.

Theres a really good picture on the Lexus website http://www.lexus.com/models/ES/accessories...spoiler_ES.html

How loud is it inside the car? A little out of character for the LS IMHO...

LOL! Hope you carry the happy defribrillator fun pack with you everywhere ;)

b0kchoy, you need to learn when to step back and look at what you're saying and keep your debates with other members from becoming personal. You made several personal value judgements about this member which was out of line, as was your entire tone. Last warning...knock it off.

I'm at the shop having the tires installed now (wi-fi, wahoo!). I'll report back ;)

I have them on mine (only use them in the winter) and they look great, OEM so fitment is perfect and they use the stock mat anchors on the floor. My interior is black though, so it won't tell you much.

Yeah my car has no factory Bluetooth, it wasn't available on the ES until 2007, came out on the LS in 2004. If I had the factory Bluetooth I would use that. The sound quality is excellent, I've had no complaints and have no complaints about hearing others whether using the integrated speaker or using the FM modulation. It does turn the FM modulation off when not used to 15 minutes which is a little annoying when answering a call, it comes through the integrated speaker but I can see how that FM modulator would use a lot of power. I've spoken to probably 10-15 people on it today and its been great each time. Jim, its absolutely worth buying for rental cars. I'll take a picture of how it looks in the car tonight, it looks like it could have come from the factory because of the plastic finish.

I'd be interested to know how much that conversion would cost. I bet a lot...

The dealer's service department doesn't care if you buy 10 year old Lexus cars...or Lexus cars in general. If you are a good service customer then they'll do the update for free, but if you don't have a history with them they will charge you...and rightfully so. Someone who drives a 10 year old Lexus (nothing wrong with that by the way, so don't get all bent out of shape) is probably not going tospend $180 a pop for oil changes at the Lexus dealer...

That was a very foolish thing the service manager at that dealership did. He can do it, they don't have to offer loaner cars for anything but warranty work, but it was stupid. I would write the General manager of that dealer the same thing you told us here and let him know how this individual made you feel at his dealership and how the service manager at the other dealership helped you and earned your business.

I just bought a Motorola MOTOROKR T505 Bluetooth speaker for my car. I've owned a BUNCH of Bluetooth earpeices and speakers. Either the speakers are ugly and don't work well, the headsets never fit right, or fall apart, or are uncomfortable. This product has a powerful speaker, but it also has a unique feature where it will FM modulate to your radio so the other party will play over your audio speakers. It will also play music off a Bluetooth phone or MP3 player. Its attractive, the plastic matches the slightly metallic interior Lexus trim, its small and unobtrusive and it works really well. It announces verbally the phone number of the incoming call. Works fine with the phone's voicedial system. I'm impressed...maybe I've finally found the right one... Here's the product: http://direct.motorola.com/hellomoto/t505/ They have them at BestBuy but they sell them at MSRP which is $135. I got mine on Amazon for $85.

Try and turn the steering wheel while turning the key. Sometimes if the key is shut off when the wheel is under load (being turned) it will bind and it can be really hard to turn the key. Turning the wheel to reduce the load while turning the key should work.

If you or your insurance paid $1200-$2000 to repaint a bumper...you got taken. I have had the rear bumper of my Lexus (twice), the front bumper of another Lexus, and several bumpers on my Explorer painted and the cost to me out of pocket between $400-$500 a pop. All the estimates I got in those situations were in line with that. The shop I use all the time now does really high end work and is understood to be one of the most expensive shops in the DC area and the cost was $500. My mother just had the rear bumper of her FX35 repainted last month...$450. If the bumper cover is replaced you're looking at another $400 or so for the cover. Hence AZ's $900 cost. Get the phone book and call some other body shops and ask "How much ballpark to repaint a urethane bumper cover? $2000 is theivery, unless there was more damage to the structure of the car behind the bumper... Sometimes body shops ramp prices for insurance companies, but you could repaint half a car for $2000. If you presented me with a bill like that for bumping into your car, I'd hire a lawyer and demand you get a reasonable estimate. Its about 6 hours of labor to remove, repair, repaint, match, reinstall, and trim out a bumper. The paint costs probably $30, so at $2000 you paid about $330 an hour in labor. At $500 you're around $80 an hour. If you ask a body shop you'll see thats pretty close to their labor rate. Yahoo Answers thread on the subject: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qi...27172238AAF25XZ Thread on Autopia: http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-driver/10...paint-cost.html

The 98 wheels will fir on the 90, I saw one just today with them on. They look good. A plus over the IS wheels, tires will be cheaper and it will preserve the stock ride. I don't believe the 15s will fit on the 97 though...

You're scarin' the livin' bejeezus out of me Randy! LOL

I don't think we've hit bottom yet either. I've been saying halfway through Q1 2009...

Sheesh...Ajax AND Windex!??! ;) Seriously...no Ajax or dish soap anywhere on the car. The interior vinyl will get discolored if inapproriate or abrasive cleaners are used. I like Ultima's Interior cleaner and their interior guard. I would clean the dashboard well with the cleaning gel using the sponge they supply and then when its dry, follow up with a thin layer of the interior guard and let it sit for a few hours. You can clean and protect the entire interior with these products by the way, including the leather. The Armor All is a water based product and the streaking was just because its a crappy product and applying dressing to a dashboard as big and textured as the one on the RX330 evenly is hard, especially if its hot. It won't have hurt the dash...but the soap you used could have. What soap did you use? This is a good Ultima kit: http://www.autopia-carcare.com/ult-6200.html

As I told you in the other thread, your car needs to be detailed... If you have scratches things are scratching the car...what kind of washing techniques do you use? Do you use an automatic carwash? How often do you polish and wax the paint? And thats not true, clearcoat is no different than color coat...its just clear. Your husband may be more careful how his vehicle is washed...