JGTNewLexusOwner

hahaha hey jgt new lex the guy who posted this (from 2007) sounds like me!

" I just finished detailing my car. After all the swirl marks and scratches (inside and out) from the idiots at the car wash, I decided to invest on some detailing products and do everything myself. I bought everything from autopia and used mostly Sonus products. I love this stuff,.........

I just had to post this here ... that was from DDOC in 2007.. hahahaha so in 2 years maybe we will be responding to newbies like us know!

Gee and it sounds like me too!! ha ha! But you know what, ddoc is still DA MAN! Something tells me though that I don't think I will be worthy of ddoc like admiration!!! Still, with this detailing bible forum, we might get part of the way there! Good job ddoc (and to you rtj, you have to get a life....finding that post probably took longer than detailing your car!!!! :D )

Hey AZ08: Did u detail yet the exterior? any Pix? would Like to see the smokey Granite

cheers

How about the dash on the passenger side? It is made of this rubberized finish that seems to scuff awfully easily. Any advice on how to clean/repair this?

I have not detailed yet, I have the Carnuba but not the PG+. I don't know if I want to use the combination of both or just try with the wax first. I washed it on Sunday and the paint still looks great, but the AZ sun soon will start scorching it, so I better find time to protect it!

Hey AZ, I did what ddoc did and that was 3 coats of Ultima Paint Guard Plus first. I considered this a "sealant" so I did it this way and wow what a glass like shine (I posted pics in my gallery). The next detail I am going to use the Carnouba wax over the UPGP and see what it looks like and I will let you know when I post the pics. I think though, ddoc correct me if I am wrong, but the Carnouba wax is good stuff too, it just doesn't last as long as UPGP! Don't forget to post your pics!

DDOC: ? on Sealing

Do you ever WAX without using PG + first? I am washing weekly (plus more due to pollen dust-hosing off only seems to move the pollen dust around not off!)), and planned to do another waxing (wax plan 2x or so per mo.)

Rereading these posts I saw u stated that u always seal (Ultima PG+) first, but PG+ seems to say to use 3-4x per year.

So what is the benefit to seal every mo versus 4 x per year ? Meaning if the paint is sealed and will be sealed for few months why seal 1-2x per mo versus 3-4 per year? Is that just wasting sealant or have you fund the sealent wears down with multiple waxing etc..

Wondering if i need to adjust my planned sealing ..as always thnakee sai for the advice

Yes, I do wax sometimes without the sealant underneath as it is a different look. Depending on the wax though, if you do wax only, you might have to do it more often as durability is less (except for waxes like Collinite #845, Clearcoat Carnauba Moose Wax, and others that last 2 -3 months). You don't have to seal every month, I just like to do it just to make the car more reflective and since UPGP is so easy to apply, it is no big deal, but 3-4 times/year is fine. You can also add a fresh coat of wax every month without adding a sealant. If you want to do wax only, you would have to strip off the UPGP by cleaning with with the Sonus Paintwork Cleanser, although I am not so confident that doing it by hand would strip off the UPGP. A great wax for black car is Pinnacle Souveran Paste.

Hey ddoc, a couple of things. I think I am going to try the Ultima wheel & tire products next time even though the Pinnacle works good (it is alot of money though). UPGP is really easy to apply....however, I waited 12 hrs for the cure and then started to lightly buff out with a MF but their must have been some dirt on it and I made a small scratch in it (hardly noticeable but I saw it close up). How do you buff after 12 hrs when there might be dirt on it? Do you go over it with quick detailing spray first? Still a little nervous about all this of course...but it looks good!

Also, on my next detail, I am going to try the P21s-100% that I bought to see how it looks. ddoc, is there something special I should know about this wax that you can provide advice on? I believe that I should still use a light coat but I have to wipe it off with a MF towel when it just begins to haze...right?

I am with mburnikas. I use the Sonus Der Wunder drying towel. http://www.autopia-carcare.com/son-dwdt-2.html

Pkg of 2 for $24 and boy does it work!!!! I did my car and my wife's car and had a hard time wringing out any water and it dried them extremely well. Now, when I dried my windows, it left a little lint but nothing that I couldn't clean up.

Hope this helps!

How about the dash on the passenger side? It is made of this rubberized finish that seems to scuff awfully easily. Any advice on how to clean/repair this?

AZ, detaildoc and SW03ES are the experts but I used Sonus cockpit cleaner and UV protectant on all of the dash and the plastic and it seemed to do well.

rjt, I used the SEALANT first since that is what ddoc said to. If you continue to read through the posts, where I asked this, he recommended to me that I take a pic after buffing out the PG+ the third time and then do the carnouba wax and take a pic to see what I like best. What I have gathered is you can use sealant OR wax OR both. It really depends on how you like the look of the results on your car. Apparantly, some think the carnouba wax gives a deeper color. I am going to do the wax next and then I will post pics....however, I really like the ease of the PG+ sealant. And, as I mentioned, my neighbor complimented me on how he never saw a paint job like this (it was like glass/a mirror). Also, if you look at some car care websites, they have sealants/wax in the same page.....kind of gives credance to the use can use either/or/both. My new pics are below from my 3rd detail with PG+(they were on an overcast day but you can still see the reflections...the spot on the trunk was rain on my camera lens, not the car..thanks goodness!).

u da man... that detailing thread is the best thread on this board.

Got me a shining...hey you should add (nice shine!!!!) yer pix to your own gallery...as a personal album. did you post your wifes car somewhere after detailing?

TTFN = ta ta For now-- an instant mssg signoff..text mssg term....

Hey rjt, yeah I need to do the gallery thing, just haven't had the time. I did detail again this weekend (Ultima Paint Guard Plus the 3rd time now). My neighbor said he hadn't seen a paint job like that in awhile...said it looked like glass!!! Cool huh? Yeah, my wife's car is below (only after 1 detail...doesn't look bad for not alot of work). TTFN huh? Argh! the instant message thing is driving me nuts!!! ha ha

Hey ira d, so the Toyota dealer did do your service? Good, I have one closer to me and maybe I should try that!

Amen rtj! and thanks....but now what the heck is TTFN...I have enough acronyms at work....ha ha.

Obsidian Black w/Black ingterior... of course that is what I wanted and bought! (with Panoramic roof-black)

rtj is "da man"!!!! I agree 100% Black on Black!!! (of course keeping it clean is not good but when it is, WOW).

My ML sounds great with or without ASL on. To me, the sound is best at about 25-30 volume level. Another thing to make sure you do is listen to and HD radio station and NOT XM! I have XM and like it for sports and comedy but it definitely isn't for the music. Satellite music stations (although it has good "category" music stations) the sould is not high quality....I hope you were not listening to satellite radio and expecting it to be crisp and clean!!!!

I disagree here. I am paying 80% for "Inspect " things...my god You can do the samething yourself in about 1-hour for 90% less. For me, it is sad that a little service like this cost $700. I could do all this above by the time it would take to drive to a stealership and come back...For me, I can put the money I save by doing it myself to other items I need completed (easy).

I bring my car in for items I HAVE to (so far once) in 7+ years...My lexus dealer does NOT provide a loaner unless it takes longer then a day servic. YMMV.

That's what I love about these forums, good healthy disagreement. Gotta remember mburnikas, I am an idiot (and terrible at work or inspection of a car)! Anyway, on the loaner, since I am 40 miles from my dealer and the dealer sells alot in this area, they know that noone would buy a car from them unless they come and get it and leave the loaner. This is even for routine maintenance like oil changes etc.! Now, the loaner is a Toyota but hey, that is ok by me!!! Pretty cool huh! (hey, what does YMMV mean....I am still reeling after someone used ONR (optimum no rinse) in the Detailing posts I started...ha ha!). But thanks for the healthy discussion!!!! Always appreciate an opposing view, helps me to learn (49 going on 50 and still learning!!!!).

Hi all. First off, I want to thank all of you who have had the guts to post the good, bad and ugly regarding these cars. When I purchased my car recently on March 30th, 2008, I asked my salesman about issues with the 07 model. His point blank response was--"there are no issues with this car."

I currently have 300 miles on my car and was thinking of posting around 1000 miles, but due to recent developments, I have decided to post now. These are my current findings: 1) I have the snap crackle and pop noises with the dash. These are worse when it is hot outside and I put on the A/C. Seems like the cold air meeting hot plastic has something to do with this. 2) When the car is cold, the tranny shifts kind of hard until it has warmed up and then the shifts are more fluid. I have experienced some mild flare occasionally--usually about 200-400 RPM's variation. I noticed a large flare of about 1000rpm shifting 2nd to 3rd when I had the car in the sport mode at about 3000rpm. After this initial flare, shifting seems more positive for the remainder of the drive.

3) I thought I was lucky that I didn't have the dreaded "diesel engine sound", but yesterday when the temp. dropped into the 60's, I started my car and heard it. I think my heart sank at this point as I realized that I have purchased yet one more "lemon". It took about 10 min. for the diesel sound to go away. This is NOT ACCEPTABLE in a luxury car. I don't have the heart to tell my wife, as she bought this car as a gift for my 50th birthday. :(

4) The rear package shelf resonates when I listen to music at about 40 (volume) with certain bass notes.

5) My tire pressure light went on during the cold snap and has stayed on until the temp went back up over 80 deg. What is that about?

All of the above have left a bad taste in my mouth. I waited a year and a half for the first year problems to be resolved but apparently they have not. What is the matter with Toyota? Do I have any recourse?

I would also like to point out a few good things. Once this car is WARMED UP it is a pleasure to drive. I find it extremely quiet and the wind noise is low low low. The ride is well damped but smooth. Handling is better than I would have thought.

The overhead lights don't bother me at all, and I find the lighting level sufficient. Tip: if you need a lot more incandescent lighting to see something, flip down the sun visor and use the vanity lights. They are very bright.

This car could have been a glowing success, but instead I find it a trouble-riddled bomb. This will be my last Toyota product. I should have learned my lesson with my 2005 Solara (a worse lemon) but thought Lexus was different. I guess not. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks All

Gee, I hate reading these posts. Very sorry to read about your disappointment. But reality is real. You are not "nick picking" and 40 on the stereo is NOT loud. Any "luxury vehicle" at this level should not have these issue from the start.

My wife's IS250 has been somewhat of a disappointment, considering it's a Lexus. My good friend bought an IS250 2007 for his wife, shortly after we bought ours, and they are already talking to their lawyer about the lemon law. After three tries by the dealer/factory to fix the problem, here in AZ, you can "lemon law" return it. I'll know more after he's done returning it. He asked me what other manufacturer I would consider? I told him "At this point, in reading about all these problems with the new cars, I'm not sure where in the heck to look for decent quality car, in any brand! I think he will end up with an Acura TL, but time will tell.

Unfortunately, it seems once Toyota took the top spot in the world, suddenly their historical quality (that allowed them to blow past decades of dominance by the USA) has dropped like a lead balloon. Higher profit seems to be the primary goal now, at the expense (and checkbooks) of middel class Americans willing to pay a little extra for a "quality" vehicle considered by most in the automotive world to be a higher class "luxury" vehicle. Something's wrong with this picture.

Hey Randy, I agree that Toyota/Lexus by driving to number 1 they are starting to miss the boat on what got them there....quality and the little things like not creaking inside/etc. I love my 08 but have had some minor issues but still love the look and the ride quality. Hey 40 on the volume IS loud!!!! Can you hear me know? ha ha :D Seriously, I hope that Toyota/Lexus goes back to their roots or they may find American car manufacturers catching up. I saw a report a few months back that Buick beat Lexus in quality (of course Ford says they match Toyota's quality in their ads but I don't believe that for a second. I might believe Buick has but I don't think Ford is there yet!).

HOOAAH Army of One! Looks like you are on your way. How is Ft. Drum, NY? Haven't been there in a while! You got some of my M88A2 recovery vehicles up there!

yeah, i have fixed a few of them. piles of junk they are. :( too bad too cause when they work they are frickin cool machines...they wobble like a weevil but they dont fall down!

Hey ArmyofOne, you sure you are talking about M88A1s or M88A2s.....the older ones are A1s and the newer ones A2s. Maybe I can help, I will send you a PM and we can talk about it. HOOAAH

Its like anything else, you pay for a quality and affluent experience. That either appeals to you or it doesn't.

For instance, I enjoy shopping at Nordstrom. I like their clothes, suits, and the whole experience of shopping there. Last weekend I stumbled into a "Nordstrom Rack", Nordstrom's outlet if you will. I bought several things at great prices, a couple pairs of $150 Tommy Bahama slacks for $50. A few $80 shirts for $30. Now, the savings were great but the whole experience was like shopping at a swap meet. It left a lot to be desired.

So, I'll shop there from time to time but I'll still shop at the real Nordstrom.

Yeah you can do the work yourself but I enjoy the experience of having the car taken care of by the Lexus dealer, I get no hassle loaners (they're not "free", they're part of what you pay for with the service), I get dropoffs and pickups at my leisure. Plus, I have no desire to do maintenance myself and the car has a perfect Lexus dealer service history which is bound to make it easier to sell.

To each their own, but there are reasons people use the dealer.

I am in the SW camp here (about the Lexus dealer not Nordstroms :) )! When you consider the cost of your time and the time away from work/family/golf/etc, it is worth it to have the Lexus dealer do it. Plus they dropoff, pickup and provide a loaner for free. Used to do this stuff, but with the high tech and warranty issues, I go to the dealer. But to each his own!

HOOAAH Army of One! Looks like you are on your way. How is Ft. Drum, NY? Haven't been there in a while! You got some of my M88A2 recovery vehicles up there!

Pho Tai, use the link below to the post that I started on detailing. On page 5 detaildoc outlines detailing inside and he is really good at this stuff. I am a novice that is why I started the post. It is up to 12 pages though but on page 5 is the inside detailing information. You may want to peruse all of the pages to see pics and get other detailing information. Good luck!!!

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...45222&st=60

Why was your Solara a lemon? What other cars have you had?

The car had rattles everywhere--dash, headliner, sunroof and package tray. Car had slipping transmission--never knew what gear it wanted to go in. Rear suspension made thumping sounds over bumps. Turned out to be bad strut mounts. Toyota claimed these problems were "normal". They issued TSB's for these problems after I had already traded the car in for a Hyundai Sonata v-6. FYI, the Hyundai had the best shifting tranny of any car I have ever owned, and I have owned many. I have no allegiance to any car manufacturer, and I have been up and down the alphabet. In reality, Hyundai is as good as any but has terrible resale value. The only reason I sold it was that my wife wanted me to have more of a marque brand as she has a Lexus herself-- a RX330. It shifts flawlessly and the motor runs as it should. I don't think I am any more picky than your average Lexus owner, as another poster has suggested.I just expect to get what the marketing department says I should be getting.

Man, jig50, you have had bad luck with Toyota products. My luck (knock on wood) has been pretty good. That being said, I know that my minor problems are disappointing especially when you spend more for a car and don't expect these kinds of issues. Again, good luck.

As some of you may remember/know, that I have had some minor issues. And for a first time Lexus owner, I am a little disappointed. I (and this is just me so I am not making judgements here) would not call my Lexus a bomb. The ride is comfortable and, for the most part, quiet. The ML stereo is great; but holy cow though people...40 or 45 on the volume!!!!. I know that when Peter Frampton comes on (showing my age), I want to turn it up but 40-45...whew!!!! I can only get to 28 and I am happy with blowing my ear drums out!!! ha ha! Back to the subject....but I can understand jig50's disappointment. To go up to a Lexus, like most of us have done, we probably expected more than was reasonable. I haven't gone in the LS forum, but there is where I would really be upset if some of these things happened and I paid $70K for a car!!!!

A friend of mine just bought the IS. He loves it! He and his wife are small and they do not have kids. It definitely is alot smaller. But, I was surprised that the trunk seemed to be made to fit 1 set of golf clubs (maybe 2). I still prefer the ES but the IS looks like it would be fun to drive! Have fun Baddboi70!

I have to say I am looking at things a little differently. I really always liked FWD. I know that RWD is what driving enthusiasts swear by, but I was looking for AWD or FWD...hmmm, interesting informaiton in this post. I think my engineering mind will need to do a little more research to get my 'gut' into RWD! Maybe in my next car!

Yes, Ultima...oops did I blame Sonus. Yeah, I was trying to figure out the purpose of it also...? Thanks again, you have been a great help!

yes! nice job both cars look gr8! nice tire shine...

But now u r really in!!! u will be compelled to wash after all rain and pollen attacks (With the pollen I will be washing Tomorrow as I leave for business trip (and the rain for 2 days and pollen are !@#$% me off).

Hey a ?---you used the detailing spray before the PG + sealant (just to clean off rain spots?) and did u did u wax at all ?

cheerio

yes, I used the Ultima detailing spray before I used the Ultima paint guard plus. It was right after washing and I saw some of the nasty up close and personal stuff you see when you do things by hand. Didn't wax yet....plan on doing 1 more paint guard +, let it cure, and then I plan to wax with P21S-100. I am hoping the paint guard plus works as advertised so I can just wash/dry/wax from here until the next year when I may Paint Guard Plus it again.

Hey saabkyle, this is my lessons learned (I copied this from a post I started Cleaning and Maintenance of a New ES in the Detailing section of this forum)...thought you might learn from this. Just a few lessons learned so far from a novice (like me).

Ok, I finally did it....in between the rain drops. Here are the pics (I hope if they uploaded). Two of my car and one of my wife's . OK, here are the Lessons Learned for all those novices like me.

Lesson Learned 1. Do the wife's car!!!! If you want to keep spending this much money on detailing supplies; you better do your wife's car!!!

Lesson Learned 2. Sonus products are good; BUT, (excuse me for yelling but I need to emphasize this point) TAKE THE CAP OFF AND USE A KNIFE TO TAKE THE CLEAR/WHITE INNER CAP OFF! This is for the Body Shampoo and the Tire Gel. I like rtj, lost some of the product (but I put mine over a cup and was able to put some back).

Lesson Learned 3. If there are only a few rain drops, don't do it! Rain must have something in it because there were spots after I washed the car and had to go over them again.

Lesson Learned 4. Be caution when using detail spray but not afraid (like I was). I probably did my paint guard sealant over some areas that I should have gone over with the detailing spray first (I did my car first and should have done my wife's car first......I wasn't afraid on her car (ha ha), and the detailing spray actually did well....you have to be gentle but not afraid. I was so scared to marr the paint I think I didn't use it well.)

Hope this helps!!!!

Ok, I finally did it....in between the rain drops. Here are the pics (I hope if they uploaded). Two of my car and one of my wife's . OK, here are the Lessons Learned for all those novices like me. By the way, this is with only 1 coat of Paint Guard Plus...not bad. Will be doing another coat tomorrow. :)

Lesson Learned 1. Do the wife's car!!!! If you want to keep spending this much money on detailing supplies; you better do your wife's car!!! :whistles:

Lesson Learned 2. Sonus products are good; BUT, (excuse me for yelling but I need to emphasize this point) TAKE THE CAP OFF AND USE A KNIFE TO TAKE THE CLEAR/WHITE INNER CAP OFF! This is for the Body Shampoo and the Tire Gel. I like rtj, lost some of the product (but I put mine over a cup and was able to put some back).

Lesson Learned 3. If there are only a few rain drops, don't do it! Rain must have something in it because there were spots after I washed the car and had to go over them again.

Lesson Learned 4. Be caution when using detail spray but not afraid (like I was). I probably did my paint guard sealant over some areas that I should have gone over with the detailing spray first (I did my car first and should have done my wife's car first......I wasn't afraid on her car (ha ha), and the detailing spray actually did well....you have to be gentle but not afraid. I was so scared to marr the paint I think I didn't use it well.)

Lesson Learned 5. The Pinnacle Wheel and Tire Kit is great. However, I think I used too much Wheel & Tire Cleaner since I may only have enough to do this one more time.

Well hope this helps.

Hey Lexusfreak, I do have to say that I have never had a RWD with the new technology. My points above though about FWD with ETC and VSC being as good as AWD probably gives credence to your points about RWD with ETC/VSC. All I know is that my ES350 definitely handles snow well! I also has a Cadillac STS owner tell me that his RWD with ETC/VSC drove great in the snow. I guess, though, since I never drove one and have only had FWD since ETC/VSC came in, don't think I would buy (wouldn't trust it....this would be my "head" issue not reality)!!!

I'm pretty sure the Cadillac STS was FWD. Also quite sure it had an over-running clutch in the driveline such that it had NO engine compression braking. Additionally I seem to remember that it would dethrottle the engine if TC (stabili-trac??) activated. The control system would NOT allow full use of the NorthStar engine if the driver went WOT to "dig-out" from a full stop due to the danger of loss of control.

Methinks that it was all THAT that convinced Cadillac to abandon FWD and return to building REAL upscale cars.

Hey wwest, the sales person had some special edition type of STS (I can't remember the name it was given but it had a larger hp engine and was RWD....I know it was RWD because there was one in the showroom that was really sporty but when he told me RWD, I said I didn't want it for the snow...and that is when he told me about his car...but I thought he was just saying that to get me to buy it!).