JGTNewLexusOwner

RJT- Can you explain number 3?

More tricks on ES350...

1) With the keyless remote, if you hold the unlock button for a while, all the doors unlock, the windows will go down and the moon roof will open. Keep the button pressed and everything opens all the way. The opposite, the lock button, does not close it all up.

2) There is a button in the passenger glove compartment that disables/enables the opening of the trunk. If your trunk does not open, check that.

1) To close all windows you can press and hold on the handle button (not from the keyless remote) and it will close windows and the moon roof.

One note on this for ES350 UL owners with a panoramic roof....the roof does not open..just the windows!

It has bothered me for the last year but I haven't gotten around to asking or looking...

Does anyone know why the panoramic moonroof doesn't have a auto-close feature and why it pauses at the halfway point of closing? Not only is it sort of annoying that I have to hold the button for closing the moonroof but to wait for it to pause/let go/re-depress the button to finish is really tiresome no a daily basis...

Any fix on this? Or is my roof not functioning properly?

Thanks~

Hey nyuhsuk, thanks for the question. I have had my ES for a year now and just noticed this today....I thought I had let up on the button inadvertently...and now I see that it is a safety feature. Wow, the stuff you learn on here. You may want to post this on the Lessons Learned post by rtj65. For example, I was cleaning the inside of my car and inadvertently pushed a button under the right side just under the steering wheel. This turned off the "cornering" headlight feature (and it was not in the manual). So thanks for the info!!!!

If you check out my pic library, I have a pic there of the spoiler. I like the spoiler look on the car but you may not. Hope this helps.

The VAIS module can be ourchased from their web site, http://www.vaistech.com/ , the SL2Vi seems to be the one I would want because it would play videos that you may have stored in your iPOD. But seriously, if it didn't cost $350-400 I would have had one already...

Now, on the Lexus site for your ES under accessories there is this Toyota part that can be installed for half the price. Still expensive though... Here's the link: http://www.lexus.com/models/ES/accessories...t_for_iPod.html . You can get it for about $200 if you google it, I think the Toyota Parts site, TRDparts4u.com has it. My dealership said they didn't do it and reffered me to the people who do the window tinting (they are auto audio specialists) for them.

http://www.trdparts4u.com/PD-PT545-00082.aspx

Guys - I have to admit now I'm confused. The first few posts on this thread described a $5 part you could purchase at Radio Shack versus the $200-$300 part on the Lexus site (referenced above) as well as the Toyota site. So what am I missing? Is the cheap connection just to connect the iPod to play music through the system but this option would not have control through the NAV screen or steering wheel and the more expensive one does have all those features? If so, that would explain it. If the $5 part allows for the same capabilities then that's where I missed something through the posts.

Could anyone clarify the differences in parts? I'm picking up my new ES350/UL with Nav/Levinson in a week and certainly want to take full advantage of all bells/whistles in this car with my iPOD. So which choice is it...Door #1 ($5 part) or Door #2 ($200-$300 part)?

Thanks for the advice!

My take (after looking them up) is that the expensive ones allow you to play the video from your IPOD and/or allow you to access your IPOD from the Nav or steering wheel controls. If you want to still use your IPOD controls to select/push play, and just hear them through the car, the cheaper part will do. Make sure you know the size connectors you need. For example, I have a Blackberry and need the smaller input plug than the 1/8". Any Best Buy/Radio Shack, etc. can help you! Good luck (I haven't bought mine yet but I plan to after the holiday!).

I own a 2001 Mercedes E320 4Matic. I am seriously considering buying a 2008 Lexus ES350. I test drove the car last Saturday. I like the size, the quietness, the keyless go (I love that) and the chilled seats. The seats feel softer than I am used to and I am not sure if I will get accustomed to them or not. Adding an antenna for sat radio is another negative but no car is perfect.

I wanted to ask how the reliability is on these puppies. Is it as good as the other cars. I can't really afford an LS and the GS is also more than I want to spend.

Any MB converts out there?

Also any reason to wait for the 09. The salesman said it will be the same car but I will get a lower price on an 08.

I agree with my "detailing bud" rjt! I drove everything before I bought my black on black 08 ES350 UL in December. I drove MB C and E, BMW 3 and 5 Series, Infiniti G and M, Cadillac CTS and STS, and Acura TL and RL. I chose the ES because I wanted luxury, interior quiet and reliability (I only have about 7000 miles on it so I am gonna have to wait awhile to give feedback on the reliability). The BMW is great if you want the "fast around a corner" handling, same with Infiniti...but I found them to be a little less quiet inside. I was surprised by the Cadillac...I wanted the CTS but it didn't have bluetooth but the STS did...but I would have bought the CTS if I would have picked the Caddy. The MB was similar to the BMW in my opinion...they were also 10K more expensive. Same with the Acura RL. For the money and my desires of comfort vs. "driving enthusiasts", I chose the Lexus. Good luck with your choice. Hope we helped.

I agree with Tango. The leather in the UL is softer and the UL package is a nice upgrade. I even like the Panoramic roof...which I didn't think I would. But unless you are up close, it looks like a normal roof but much easier to clean and you don't need to wax it! I just hope that if something hits the roof it doesn't shatter (crossing my fingers).

I also like the Mark Levinson system. It does take some time to get used to since I was always "trained" for the loud bass. The ML system has much truer tones and even the smallest instrument is heard.

Of course, you have to weigh the UL package with the cost and your budget. Just my opinion.

rjt, thanks!!!!! I found the two buttons. If you use your right hand and reach under the dashboard/under the steering wheel, there are two small buttons. Apparantly, the right one is the AFS on/off button. I must have hit it while I was detailing!!!! Thanks again!!!

This is probably a stupid question but my AFS OFF light is on and I do not know how to turn the AFS system back on. The owner's manual states that I should have an AFS switch near my left knee, but I do not. The AFS is definitely off and not working. I even checked to ensure that that on dash sensor (on top near the front center of the windshield) is not blocked. Before I contact the dealer, I thought maybe someone here can help. Thanks in advance!!!

Hey #1Banker, it is hard to put out the proper intent in typing. Hey, a little disagreement is what life is all about. We all get a little defensive every now and then. I guess Infiniti owners are proud of their cars like us Lexus owners (of course we were higher in the JD Power ratings............no just kidding .... ha ha....). By the way, that could be taken wrong by some but I am guessing by your last message you can take a joke! Anyway, as I said before, Infiniti makes a good car, Lexus does too. I don't own stock in Lexus or Infiniti so I am not going to take offense in any decision you make...........cause it will be the right one for you. I like my 08 ES UL and I have friends who like their G35s!

Hey #1Banker, if you are considering an ES over your current G35x, Edmunds has a great comparison feature that you should look at. I considered the your car and the M35; along with the BMW 5 series, MB, Cadillac, and Acura (to name a few). It really is a matter of personal choice but what I found is that if you are a driving enthusiast (high speed corner, higher engine noise, feeling the road surface, etc), then the Infiniti and the BMWs are probably for you (and not the ES). If inside quiet and comfort are what you drives you (and you dont mind a little body roll in corners), the ES might be for you! Good luck in your decision.

Does anyone have experience with Lexus 'Bumper Applique'? Never seen it, and wondering:

- how does it go on, and is it easy to take off

- how much of the rear bumper does it cover

- how does it look (good/bad/indifferent)

Here's the Lexus link to the IS version:

http://www.lexus.com/models/IS/accessories...r_applique.html

Any comments, and especially, and images, are most appreciated.

Thanks.

mike

Mike, I saw it on a GS at a golf course in June. I wondered what it was and then I went on the Lexus site. It only covered the top of the bumper where the trunk opening is. I guess it is for when you may scrape the bumper taking things out (or putting things in) your trunk...which by the way I did (I don't have the applique but I think I would have scraped the bumper anyway). Not sure how much it is to see if it was worth it or not. It looked ok to me...but depending on the cost, not sure if I would get it now that I don't have it.

Looking good UCLAAlum! Hey we are a unisex community here! Great pics!

Just wanna say 'thank you' to all those contributed to this thread. I've had my '08 ES350 for about 2 months now (obsidian with tan interior). This is my first black car, and didn't realized how little I know about car detailing, or even something as simple as washing and drying. Only thing I knew was wash, dry, and wax. Microfiber? PC? Sealant? WW? GLAZE??? The only glaze I know was that on a donut! I'm opened to a whole new world...the detailing world! B)

Hey, black car owners Rock! Hey, ddoc is just jealous...no, he and Steve (SW) are the ones that made this post so successful! And ddoc is right...nothing as cool as a well polished BLACK car and when you see how the Ultima Paint Guard Plus looks on your vehicle and how easy it is...phew! My friends said my car looked like glass/mirror....cool huh! Welcome to the post!

Gee, sorry I started this post. But, you all have to take responsibility for yourselves here!!!! :) But ddoc and SW03 got us all hooked if you ask me. I should have bought stock in Autopia or Pashak!!!! <_< Oh well! But it is fun kind of...even though I spent 1 1/2 doing the detail thing (just the outside with the UPGP). Looks great but one downside to this, you see every paint chip and nick! Argh! Keep up the great post. Hey SW03ES monitor...is this the best post going or what!!! Whew, who would have thunk!!!!

I hope my first post is not too stupid. I am the proud owner of my first Lexus. I have a 2005 LS 430.

My two questions are:

1) to remove fine scratches, do you go back and forth across the length of the scratch, or

back and forth along the length of the scratch, or does it matter?

2) when cleaning and waxing the car, how much care do you need to take with the parking assist sensors,

or should you avoid them altogether?

Thank you for any replies, and thanks for this great website!

Mark

Hey Mark, no questions are stupid. Here a 2 suggestions from me (and I am not a scratch/detailing expert either but some of the people on here are).

Suggestion 1: Search for "Scratches" or "Scratch Removal" under this forum and you may have a bunch of posts come up.

Suggestion 2: Look through this post I started (it is now up to 20 pages)...it has mainly detailing information for novices (like me that is why I asked what I thought was a stupid question and it turned into a post with 20 pages...there are alot of us novices out there). But it does have some recommendations for scratch removal! Here it is:

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=45222

Good luck and keep us posted on how you make out...and maybe you will be the expert to help out the next person!

JE, great pics!! I can see the shine and it looks great! I bet you have had your friends say "gee it looks like glass"! At least that is what a friend of mine said! That stuff works great huh!

Joby, glad to hear this post helped! It definitely helped me...but I hope if you have a significant other, you can handle the dog house (or do what I do, detail her car...she won't appreciate it like you do on your Lexus but it will keep her off your back for a little while...or, like my wife, she will buy more shoes!!!! ).

DDOC, again, you da man! BUT gee ddoc, you gotta stop bringing up new things.....not that you are wrong or anything, I just can't take the Autopia, Pashak, etc, etc, invoices for new stuff everytime I read your posts :D !!!! And guess what my wife bought me for my 50th birthday a few weeks ago.............a "friggen" cabinet for my garage........for all my detailing stuff!!!! (and I haven't even bought a flex or orbital or anything that elaborate). I showed her the one post where a member (can't remember if it was you ddoc) showed his cabinet full of stuff. I showed her cause I thought is was a little crazy at the time....and she thought I was giving her a message that I wanted it...but I didn't. Ok, Ok...I now am glad she bought it cause I have everything lined up, in alphabetical order, by manufacturer, by date of purchase, by color scheme....ha ha ha (no just kidding to a point... I do have it on shelves by interior/exterior products). Oh well, I am "becoming" a detailing geek!

Interesting that you bring this up Calliegirl. I have noticed that sometimes when I put my hand in to open the doors with my smartkey, it doesn't always open. Or, it is just less sensitive some times vs. others. It is sporadic but I really never read the manual (a guy here so this should be obvious..ha ha). I am going to monitor over the next few days to see if there is any pattern or if I have my phone and it does it. Nevertheless, I think rjt is right, I probably would rather replace the batteries than walking with my smartkey 2 feet away from my phone!

Detaildoc just did my car today with the Sonus #2 and#3 you recomended with the PC and let me tell you, WOW ! That stuff worked great it brought out one hellofa finish, it looks like it's wet.

Thanks all for the advise and info,I really appreciate your help.

Cool JE! Gotta post some pics! Hey, you live near ddoc!!!! Wow, can you get his autograph for me! I bet rjt would want it too! Our wives wouldn't though!!!!

Just my 2 cents here! SW and rjt; along with all of the great members here are just trying to help (hey, even rjt passed me; I am at novice in detailing and he passed me after the first couple of weeks with this orbital thing...I am still afraid to clay..ha ha). Anyway, I think opposing view points are great and I think we all can say that we really can't get our true emotions through by typing words on a page....even emoticons, :cries: don't always work!!!

The importance here is that we all love our Lexus'. And we should feel a "little bit" privileged to be at a point in our lives to afford one (even though the ES is alot more affordable than some of my friend's trucks..ha ha). Also, I think that if all of the posts are read, rjt admits to not being an expert like ddoc or even SW for that matter (SW and ddoc have helped me SO much in this forum that I just can't thank you guys enough). And, when I get the "nads", to clay or use an orbiter/flex/thingamajig, I will come back to this post to see what you all say and make my own decision on what to do (ok, ok, I might email ddoc or SW first to make sure.....I am still a novice geek at detailing). Thanks again everyone for your opinion and help!!!!

After we had our ES350 a couple of months, we heard a knocking sound each time radio was turned off. While driving it to dealer to check this out, radio stopped operating completely. Bluetooth, which worked via radio since we don't have navigation, also wouldn't work. No sound. Dealer said amplifier was defective and replaced it.

Everything worked fine for a couple of more months when same thing started happening intermittently. Brought car back to dealership, but of course, it didn't happen there, although the knocking sound on turning off the radio was heard. Dealer kept car a week, said they couldn't duplicate problem and returned car to us, with everything working fine. Same thing happened again last week, three months later, and we left car with dealer for third time, this time with the radio and bluetooth not operating at all. They called us and said amplifier was blown again. (This was the new one they had put in.)

Dealership now contacting Lexus Engineering as to what to do since replacing the amplifier is no solution since any new one they put in is likely to blow just like the first two. I suggested they replace the radio since it seemed to be pumping more sound into the amplifier than the amplifier could handle, and that was the problem. They are aware that this is the third time the problem has occurred and if they can't get it right this time, lemon law procedures will be initiated. I don't think the service people have any idea of what they are dealing with. Anyone have a similar problem?

Hey ManagingEditor, just a clarifying question here, is this with the Mark Levinson or just the Lexus "Premium" Sound System. I have the ML system and have had no issues.

The rains and flooding in the East have literally derailed the local delivery of my new 08 ES350. The dealer found a local substitute he wants to sell me. Same configuration and color, but this car has 140 miles on it. The one stuck on the train would be factory fresh, so 10-20 miles only. Should I worry about getting a "new" car with over a hundred miles on it (about half from the dealer swap drive)? Maybe it's actually a good thing (no infant mortality)?

Thanks!

Unless they give you a better deal, I would wait. It is still 120 miles more than a new car. Plus infant mortality could come into play even later. I would ask why it has 140 miles....did the car dealership manager use it as his/her car? If so, you should get a better deal! Ask for a few thousand or so (other's may have a better idea what is reasonable)....but if I didn't get a better deal, I would wait. Just my opinion.

I almost bought one with premium package and nav, but then I drove a UL equipped model. I rationalized that the few extra bucks per month would be worth it and I was right. The extra luxury options really tip the scales for the ES making it a true luxury car. Since I bought mine a month ago I've been looking to see how many other UL ES' are on the streets in Boston, and I've only seen 2. The UL package definitely solidifies the difference between a Camry XLE and an ES.

Tango, I agree. And, I have heard that the UL seats are much softer leather and more comfortable...not sure if that is true but the seats are nice!

I've tried several times to transfer my cellphone's numbers to my ES350's address book. Followed the instructions, and every time it gets to the transferring data page it just stops. I drove around for about an hour waiting for it to complete, and it never did (what a waste of gas). Anyway, any help would be greatly appreciated. I have a Samsung SCH-U700 cell phone.

If Verizon is your carrier then you will not be able to transfer your phonebook.

Just a note, I have Verizon and mine worked....I have a Blackberry though and it is not the Verizon phonebook/database...it is on my blackberry. You may be referring to the Verizon data...not sure.

Sorry dwa...I hope you get it worked out because it is great to have the phonebook transferred....or else you will have to add the frequently added ones into your car....argh!

I agree 100% with rjt! The park assist sensors and the backup camera are great...I didn't know you didn't have to get the Nav system though! One note (even though this may be obvious), the park sensors on the front are only on the corners of the bumper not directly on the front. So, if you are going straight into a parking space forward, don't wait for the sensors to tell you if you are close (I did hit a snow bank...but no damage). In the back, they are at the corners and directly in the back so it is OK. Just a note.

Dad's day is the detailing day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Started on Friday night, wash, 3 layers of Ultima Paint Guard Plus, P12Wax, 2 layers of Fk#425

Many thanks for all your suggestions, here are some pictures:

Here are the pictures

Great pics ES350MD!!!! Hey JE, sorry for the bank account...and the tool shed! But hey, look at it this way, now you can tell your wife and kids what to buy you for your birthday, fathers' day, christmas, etc.!!! Beats those ugly ties or wierd golf training aids/toys that you will never use!!!!