SW03ES

Maybe its a batch of motor mounts or something that was bad on the 330s... What all has your dealership done to try and fix the problem Susan? Strange, and not a problem I've heard anything about until now. I have to put mine in for service, to get the brake TSB done and have a rattle fixed, I'll ask my service guy he really knows his Lexuses.

It could be any number of things really, the fact that it smoked like that only when you floored it makes me doubt the PS Pump. Usually these leak on the alternator and foul it. Could be a piston ring or something of that nature...

Don't let the dealership's synthetic sealer be the judge, usually the dealership products are purchased just because they're cheap and aren't very good. You should try something like Klasse, Zaino, Wolfgang, 4Star Ultimate Paint Protectant, etc.

I like the Jag a lot, its a beautiful car, but the ergonomics, switchgear, and electronics look/feel about 10 years old.

This is the unit they're going to install now

Yeah somethings wrong with the dealer ratings page, Matt is working on it. I'm sure they'll get it fixed. No need to worry about the cost yet, as this is all free. Your 1k and 5k services are free.

Exactly, its just a thing and things can be replaced.

If they're going to react like that, you don't need them around anyways. I've gotten some response like that. It doesn't matter what Lexus you drive or how old it is, people see "Lexus" and to them its all the same. I'm no stranger to fancy cars and stuff like that though as I was rasied around it, doesn't bother me. If it does bother you though, honestly get rid of it. Whats the point in having it if you can't enjoy it because of the way it makes you feel? My guess is people will get used to it, they have to me and my friends no longer make any comments about the Lexus.

Nancy- Yeah thats the thing about XM, they pride themselves in the obscurity. Sirius is more mainstream, check it out and listen at www.sirius.com Matt- Its the latest thing over here, its similar to cable or satellite TV, only the equivelent in radio. Check it out at www.xmradio.com and www.sirius.com Square- It may be dealer installed but its not factory. The factory antennas have the wire hidden so you just see the antenna itself. Dealers though don't do that as they're afraid to drill into the metal. They stopped doing that for cellular antennas a long time ago too because it was causing corrosion, thats why they started using glass mount antennas. The dealer installed XM on my dad's 04 LS430 (04 Lexus have a complete XM kit that runs it right through the nav system, but its $750) and they installed the antenna on the drivers side of the trunk lid, it has that black cover over the wires too. I had heard 6 inches was ideal for the Sirius which wouldn't be too big a deal. Its not gonna work inside the car though.

Generally there are a couple known problems with the ES' 1. Engine oil gelling. Not a big deal as long as the oil is changed regularly, so find a car that has maintenance records. 2. Rattles. There are four known places the cars rattle. -Moonroof. This is fixed by lubing the seal regularly with lithium grease -Rear doors. Two ways to fix this, there are TSBs -Top of windshield, dealers remove some clips -Base of windshield, dealers replace the cowl clips with padded units. 3. Brakes. On all 2002s and some 03s there is a brake TSB where if you get warping of the rotors within the 50k warranty they will replace the entire front brakes free of charge. Good deal as you get a free brake job! And thats it. Maintenance depends like Steve said. It also varies by dealer. Most dealers set it up in blocks, mini services (A) are every 5k miles and include oil and filter, rotate tires, inspect everything, road test. My dealer charges $130 for this. Moderate services (B) are every 15k, they include a tranny flush, differential flush, fuel injector cleaning, cabin air filter, air filter, tire rotation, brake inspection and cleaning. They charge $510. Then theres the major service © which is every 30k that includes the 15k service plus some other flushes, this is around $900. Then theres the big momma (D) every 90k that includes the tune up, my dealer charges $1300 for this. So it goes like this: 5k ( A ) 10k ( A ) 15k ( B ) 20k( A ) 25k( A ) 30k( C ) 35k( A ) 40k( A ) 45k( B ) 50k( A ) 55k( A ) 60k( C ) 65k( A ) 70k( A ) 75k( B ) 80k( A ) 85K( A ) 90k( D ) You can save a LOT by using independent shops. For instance my mechanic did the full 15k service on mine for $220 minus the fuel injector flush as he didnt think it was needed. Also keep in mind my dealer is pretty cheap, others here cost on average $100 more than them.

Not irreperable and probably no damage, but over time brushless washes will marr and dull the finish. Washing it properly yourself or having a detailer do it will be well worth it. I always tell everyone who'se not really interested in learning how to detail, hiring a good detail for weekly/biweekly washes and a wax every 3 months will do wonders for keeping the car looking new years from now.

Check out the detailing forum for all the latest detailing information.I would not run the car through a brushless wash, the paint is pretty soft and the wash will scratch it. Best to either wash it yourself or pay a detailer to take care of the car. As for the squeak/rattle there is a TSB for fixing sqeaks at the base and top of the windshield. Mine will have it done at the next service stop. I wouldn't use WD-40. Hope they get it worked out for you! I'd stick with allseason tires.

No you can attatch one of these kits like I'm going to use to your existing radio with an FM modulator. You just tune the radio to a preset station and the Sirius plays through that station. Sirius is $12.99 a month, XM is $9.99.

But no we dont have free healthcare here.

Those are the first pics of the new RL i've seen. Not bad but like all Acuras of late except the TSX its overstyled, nothing elegant about it. Its not going to be considered in the league of BMW, Mercedes, or Lexus. The old RL was quite elegant just didnt have the moves to match. This RL may have the moves, but it doesnt have the look.

LOL Actually I'm going to do a different unit, an Audiovox one. Its free with the install which brings the cost WAY down.

I think "best car" is a little bit subjective. It all depends on what you want out of a car. I agree the LS may be the best made car out there, and I'd definately buy one, but everyone has their own "best car" If you want sportiness with state of the art features (and don't mind if they dont work) then a 7 or A8 is better suited If you want the best prestige, then definately the S Class If you want the smoothest quietest ride, best service, best reliability, great looks and prestige then the LS no question.

And how do you think cars wind up on used car lots? They buy them at auction. So by buying at auction you're just cutting out the middleman.

Just thought I'd share. I made an appointment to have Sirius satellite radio installed on Friday. I labored long between Sirius and XM and originally was going to go XM, but extended listening to the online samples made Sirius seem a lot more appealing. XM seems to play a lot of the stuff that you've never heard of, "deep tracks" whereas Sirius adopts the general radio programming motto, if people have never heard of it there's probably a reason. The downside is Sirius is a lot more expensive. The unit I was going to buy for XM was $160, everything included, head unit, tuner, and antenna. Well, the comparable unit for Sirius is $230 and you still have to buy a $50-$70 antenna. Still though I think the more mainstream proramming is worth the extra cost. They're going to charge me $140 for the custom install, they're going to install the little controller in the upper console box right at the edge and hide everything so you wouldn't even know it was there. We're having a little difference of opinion about the antenna. He seems to think that he can put it on the rear parcel shelf, but I think he's going to have to put it on the roof. XM's satellites are much lower on the horizon than Sirius' and thats why inside car mounts for the antennas work well for XM, but I've heard real horror stories about them having a lot of dropouts for Sirius. So I'm going to insist he install the antenna right at the top of the rear window in the center. I may have it painted body color at some point, we'll have to see how it looks. So it should be $415 installed for the Sirius vs about $300 for the XM. This is the unit if anyone's interested:

Collinite is a carnuaba, and it will definately bake off a dark car at high temperatures. I never meant to say that you had any interest in the company, I just want to make sure that all sides of the issue remain discussed. A lot of car detailing forums fall into the "in" product that people get chastized if they don't use, and I want to make very sure that doesn't happen here. Collinite is a great product, but there are many other great products out there too. But I don't think you've ever tried a synthetic product have you? I'd be happy to send you some samples of some Polymer sealants for you to see what you think if you'd like to test em out.

Is your RX AWD? 17 or 18 inch wheels?

20s may actually adversely effect the handling as well because they're so heavy. I think 20s are way too large for the LS.

Thats almost definately totalled. I'm going to say $12-$15,000 in damage. Sorry to hear about it man, glad you and your son are okay!

Also keep in mind that metalicized tint can interfere with your navigation system if equipped.

I just washed mine today, took me 2 1/2 hours ;)