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DrJfrmLA

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Everything posted by DrJfrmLA

  1. You have given me some important food for thought, Eating. I carry a Sig 9mm in the door pocket of my '04 S430 MB (the LS430 is my wife's car). I have a carry permit, so it is legal for me to have it in the car, and legal for me to use it. I have occasion to drive through some fairly dangerous parts of town at night (any other route is a half hour longer), and I have pondered how willing I am to use deadly force to protect myself. I don't think damage to my vehicle would be provocation enough, but personal threat is something else. Of course, like the Lexus, somebody unarmed would have a problem breaking into my car. Of course I'm also reminded that setting off a handgun in a closed car will blow the windows out and deafen anyone in the car for a long time. All that nonsense where people shoot through the windshield without blood running out their ears is for movie consumption. Anyway, thanks for the lesson.
  2. It may be struts, but I'm betting it's just old tires that are separating. My mother's car had weird wear patterns on the tires and vibration that felt like a warped rotor or bent wheels. I discovered this when I inherited her Buick LeSabre (of course) after she died. Turned out her tires were 6 or 7 years old and were separating. Even though she drove just about every day, it was a combination of simple age and ozone that destroyed them. Buy a new set of tires (and check the build date to make sure they are actually new) and have a 4-wheel alignment before you go about changing the struts or any other part of the suspension.
  3. Brett is right. Unless you got a housing full of shrapnel, a rebuild is probably going to be cheaper and more reliable. The major pieces like the ring and pinion and stub axles are pretty stout. The bearings and various ring clips and seals should be relatively inexpensive. A salvage yard pumpkin should be rebuilt before you install it anyway, so why not work with the one that's in it? If the housing is damaged in some way that changes things, but you should still rebuild what you buy.
  4. The mast is for the GPS system that the nav system uses. If you don't have nav, you don't need the mast. You can find the little masty piece several places--just google "Lexus LS shark-fin antenna" and you'll find it.
  5. Have you changed the cabin filter? If you have more than 30k or so miles and you live anywhere remotely dusty, chances are the cabin filter is so clogged no air can get through if it hasn't been changed. I change my filters every 15k or so, and the air is noticeably colder after a filter change.
  6. I've got to nominate this thread as the most entertaining one I've seen in a long time. "What is a U JOINT?" " ... connects the big spinning shaft into the pumpkin?" I feel your pain but I just have to laugh. ROFLMAO. It's like Abbot and Costello's "Who's on First."
  7. You live in one of the most beautiful places on earth. I was in graduate school in Chapel Hill and loved Boone and Blowing Rock. I bought an '04 in December 07 for about that price. It had 12.5k miles (yes, 12.5k) and still had 8 months on the factory warranty. That deal is comparable to the deal you made. The MSRP of the car went up year-over-year, but the market is really soft right now for luxury cars. The Lexus brand seems to hold its value better than others. I'd say you are within a couple of thousand of a really great deal. I'm also 60--I don't fret over small money much any more. If you like the car, you made a good deal. BTW, our Lexus dealer has treated us like we bought the car new from them, even though we found it at an independent dealer. On the other hand, I bought an '04 Mercedes S430 about six months later--same deal, still under factory warranty--and the Mercedes dealer treats me like I have $hit on my shoe. I have bought used luxury cars for the last 20 years, and they are a great deal. The original owner takes a 50% or more depreciation hit, and you get a superb vehicle for the same price as a loaded-up new Camry. Congratulations. Welcome to Lexus.
  8. More likely a problem with the key. Take the battery out of the key and see if the trouble stops. If it does, replace the battery in the key and see if the problem starts again. If it does, you got to replace the key or live without the remote functions. If taking the battery out of the key doesn't stop the problem then all the nightmares you are imagining with the electrical system are about to come true. Just kidding--I have no idea what the electrical gremlins might be. You might try disconnecting the car battery and reconnecting it. Sometimes a hard reset of the whole system will cure the gremlins.
  9. I'm confused. Do you live in your car? I don't get the curtains--especially since the front ones are probably illegal unless the car is not moving (the reason for my question). I don't think I've ever seen a car with curtains before. Vans, limousines, motor homes....sure. Help me understand.
  10. The learning process isn't unique to Lexus. Most new cars besides the bottom end of the food chain have some kind of logic circuits like I described. Power versus Snow settings only affect the starting gear as I understand it. In snow setting, the transmission starts in 2nd gear to minimize wheel spin. It will affect gas mileage only insofar as it shifts to higher gears more quickly, so the engine revs slower and uses less gas as a result. The logic circuits don't affect the torque converter slippage/lockup dynamics so far as I know, so the smoother shifting is the result of more slippage and lower gas mileage. I expect the two things wash out in the end. If you bought your car used and have never disconnected the battery, you most likely did inherit the previous owner's patterns. Over time, it has "learned" you and your wife. If you bought it new, the default settings were probably a thing of the past in a couple of thousand miles. I think the thing to remember is we aren't generally talking about a dramatic change. The change will be noticeable if you disconnect the battery after a relatively long time, but it won't be stunning. You will need to drive your car like a street racer ALL the time for it to stiffen up beyond the factory defaults. It is like a rheostat, not a light switch. I don't know of any way it can be adjusted stiffer than factory defaults if it can be adjusted at all except to disconnect the battery. The right computer software (like the dealer's) might let you adjust it so it snaps your neck with each shift, but I'm not sure why you would want to do that. Also, I don't think it makes the car any slower--if you jam the accelerator pedal into the carpet, all bets are off and it runs to redline and snaps off shifts like a manual (well, almost). :)--it just feels slower.
  11. "Memorize" is not exactly what it does, but that's close enough. The car has a fuzzy logic circuit that patterns your driving habits in a kind of "moving average" way and then adjusts shift points, shift stiffness, throttle tip-in and response to those patterns. If you drive with a soft foot, the machine will remember that and develop a driving "feel" that is consistent with that. When you disconnect the battery, the logic circuit resets to the factory default settings, which sound a little brisker than it remembered from your driving style. My indie mechanic has a Toyota Tundra pickup. He says he disconnects the battery at every oil change to get back to the crispness of the factory default settings. Even if we occasionally (or even often) slam down the hammer and run through the gears hard, it's still the case that most of our driving is more gentle and so the machine is almost always going to loose some of the factory 'click' that are the default settings. If you like the default feel, you can do what my mechanic does. Otherwise, you will get the old softness back before too long.
  12. You are right about the '00-'02 W220s. They are extremely complex and it took three model years to get the bugs out. The early ones have frighteningly expensive airmatic suspension problems (struts are $1700 a corner), and many of the electronics aren't well sorted. The '03s were much better, and the '04-'06s were very reliable. The '04 got a 7-speed transmission and DVD-based nav, and I'm averaging 23 mpg in mixed driving and 27-29 at highway speeds (on premium fuel, of course). The '04 LS got a 6-speed tranny and HID adaptive lights so it's pretty "new" though the 460s are exciting. Our LS doesn't have nav, so I can't compare, but I've heard the Lexus nav isn't as good as the MRZ. The real exciting thing for me is the adjustable suspension in the S-class. When it is set at its stiffest, it will suck the doors off a lot of "sport sedans" on a cloverleaf. I suckered a kid in a rice-burner down a decreasing-radius not long ago that left him headed out across a field. I'm sure an old man in a luxo sedan wasn't the teacher he expected for the lesson he learned. You can fling 5100 pounds around pretty well when the suspension is sorted. In my opinion the W220 is the best looking S-class Mercedes has made. I don't much care for the W221. I do agree the classic '80s cars are hard to beat. Thanks for your comments.
  13. I'm with you 90LS. I have an '04 LS 430 and an '04 S430 (W220) Mercedes. I've had an ES300, GS300 and now the LS Lexus, and I had a W108 and W124 (280SEL 4.5 and 300E) and now the S-class Mercedes. They are both great brands in their own right, but they are also very different cars. The love of each is a matter of preference. My wife drives our LS and isn't interested in being more than a passenger in the S-class. I'm pretty much the opposite, although I enjoy driving the LS. I don't get why the owners of one hate the owners of the other; you say to-may-toe and I say to-mah-toe. Event thought they are supposed to target the same buyer, I don't think they do. Anyway, glad to meet another forum member who likes both big Benzes and big Lexuses.
  14. You're comparing an apple and an orange. A C-class is a pretty good car, but it was never marketed as a luxury car or as a roomy, comfortable autobahn cruiser. It's the entry level MRZ, and shouldn't be made more than that. The C and the ES are comparable cars, though for my money the ES is the preferred vehicle in that class. You'll get more gas mileage and have a simpler vehicle to repair, but you're trading the comfort and reliability of the LS to get it. If you want to move into a MRZ from your LS, see what's out there in an S-class or a loaded up E-class. The E still isn't an LS, but the S may be more car than your budget will stand. I've got an LS430 and an S430 MRZ, so I can look at them in the garage and compare them. They are very good cars, each in its own right. They are also very different. and it's a matter of taste which one is better. I think you'll be let down moving out of an LS into a C-class unless you consciously decide a smaller, lighter, less roomy vehicle is what you need.
  15. That is an interesting question. If you're concerned about getting the best mileage possible, you probably ought to have a Prius. Being prudent and getting the best you can makes sense, but the LS is hardly an economical car. The sheer size of it is sort of a dead giveaway. I've got a Honda Civic hanging off the back of mine as a tender. :P
  16. I hope that 10mm is sitting on something padded or is wedged tight. It's going to rattle like hell if it's sitting on sheet metal. I'd fish a magnet down in there and see if I couldn't retrieve it, or bend a wire and try to hook the box end. Good luck!
  17. Yes the check engine light is on, it goes on and off...sometimes it doesnt turn on. <_< By transmission stuck I mean that the car would not accelerate.... The power was not lost. The temperture gauge was only half way....but for some reason there was smoke?? Any ideas?? The new water pump and the current problem may not be related, just coincidental. Was it smoke (like something was on fire from a fuel leak), oil on something hot (like a transmission cooling tube putting transmission fluid on the hot bits), or was it steam (like hot coolant leaking)? What did it smell like? I broke a fan belt (in the old says when there was a fan belt) once and the broken part whipped around and snatched the transmission cooling tubes out of the radiator--it looked like a NASCAR racer with a solid sheet of smoke out the back. Needless to say, the transmission lost the ability to transmiss. Don't know what your problem is, but I'm thinking it isn't that water pump install. Good luck!
  18. I'm with the Michelins. I've had sets, gone to Continentals, Kumhos, but always back to Michelins. I have the MXV4s on my S430 MRZ and they'll go on the LS430 when the OE Dunlops wear out. There are stickier ones, but for the combination of wear, noise, and stick I haven't found any better. They are a little pricey, but you won't buy a set every 12k miles.
  19. Step Hen made a good point. You can spend a LOT of money for marginal or no increases in fuel economy. If you spent $500 to get 1 mpg, the math on that payback is never. A light right foot is the ticket--then the fuzzy logic in the transmission controller will shift sooner, you'll get in top gear quicker, and your gas gauge will move slower. More than one professional driver (not racer, livery) has suggested driving as though there were a raw egg between your shoe and the accelerator pedal. It doesn't make for exciting stop light Grans Prix, but I'm averaging 21 in my LS in mixed driving and over 22 in my MB S430 in the same conditions without hypermiling but just taking things a bit more gently. Slowing your interstate speed is also a free ticket for more mileage. I still cruise between 75 and 80, but my former 85+ cost an additional 10% mileage penalty or more. All you young drivers would probably have a sharp stick in your eye rather than slow down, but that's the ironclad secret to better gas mileage. You can scoot and pay the penalty or not; it's your gas bill and your business. Carpe diem.
  20. DRLs, high mounted brake lights, and any other illumination that decreases the likelihood of my meeting my maker due to the inattention of somebody else is money in the bank for me. Short of a flashing light bar--and maybe even that--I'm willing to tolerate a little cosmetic penalty for some marginal increase in the probability I won't be the victim of carelessness. Think of all the fools that drive around with their fog lights ablaze. While it looks silly on a bright sunny day, it probably provides the same or more effect than DRLs do. The ones on my LS and on my S430 MB are not what I would call marks against the good looks of either car. The S-class does have a driver option to turn them off in the convenience menu, but I happily leave them lit on the chance that it will keep me out of harm's way. We all have a lot to live for, so why not take advantage of a safety feature that has been demonstrated effective?
  21. RF: That's a nice trio of rides. Too bad you can't see much of the hot rod. I've spent many an hour staring at the innards of a small block Chevrolet or trying to figure how to get a Ford 9" to mate with some misfit engine/trans combo a friend has shoehorned into something way to little for it. The new ones aren't much fun for a Shade Tree. At this point in life, I enjoy letting somebody else get grease under their fingernails (although all the sissy techs I see wear gloves so they won't mess up their manicures). I'm thinking about selling my tools; they're just taking up space and I'm not about to put a wrench to anything in my garage beyond changing a bulb or a filter. Sorry I got off track. I think Lexus would like to put something on the road like the 12 cylinder Mercedes, but it makes no sense at several levels. The demographics aren't there for sure. thanks for sharing the garage.
  22. So now that we know what you think of the two forums, how do you compare your two luxo rides? They are both wonderful, different experiences. I had an ES 300 and a GS300 before the LS430, so I knew first-hand the legendary reliability of the Lexus brand. I also owned a 280 SEL 4.5 and a 300E before the S-class so I knew what to expect there (though there were decades between the MB and both the Lexus were trades for the current cars). The LS430 is all this forum says it is; tomb quiet, plenty quick, good handling, and loaded with coddling for the passengers and driver. The S-class is the gold standard in luxury sedans you might actually be able to afford. I'm partial to the Benz because I like the adjustable suspension and the more aggressive handling--and it seems like it's carved out of billet steel. It comes with a few more standard features (nav and Bose sound, the adjustable suspension, e.g.) but the build sheet on the MB is over $20k more than the Lexus (even though the Lexus has the Premium package and the Benz is a base car). If you equipped the Lexus with the premium gear, it would be close to the Benz in price and equipment. My wife likes the softer ride of the Lexus. I like the German switchgear and the ability to tailor all the convenience features, where the Lexus adjustments are more limited or things aren't adjustable. The mileage on both is about the same; I'm averaging 22 in mixed driving with the Benz and she is averaging just a bit less. It's apples and oranges to some degree. She doesn't have a great affection for the Benz (it's too German with all that implies), and I prefer it. I'm happy to ride with her and enjoy the comfort. She feels the same. Objectively, the Benz attracts more attention and deference than the Lexus. As fine a car as the Lexus is, and I have no question it probably has greater reliability, there is an undeniable "presence" that comes from more than 100 years of history with the S-class. Between the tri-star hood ornament and the sheer mass of the thing (even though they both sit in the same space in my garage), it gets noticed. It may be that I live in a fairly affluent area and there are lots of LS430s and lots of C and E class Benzes, but not too many S classes. I bought the Lexus first, and I'd buy another one in a heartbeat. I'm enjoying the S class a lot, but whether I'll have a steady diet of them will depend on my experience (great so far) with this one. Compared to a Benz, a Lexus is a bargain to maintain and repair. That was probably way more answer than you bargained for. Thanks for asking.
  23. Ladies and Gentlemen: Thanks for a civil and helpful forum. I have an '04 LS430 and I also have an '04 S430 Mercedes. I visit two MB forums for the same information and help that I seek here. The difference is the folks in the MB rooms seem to enjoy insulting one another, especially newcomers who ask naive questions because they are trying to learn. Here there seems to be a fair tolerance for the "stupid question" and a genuine interest in helping solve problems for one another. It's a night-and-day difference. Congratulations to you, and thanks again.
  24. Suuu-weeeet. Congratulations.
  25. I think the answer lies in whether you see the car you drive as an appliance like a toaster or a toothbrush or as something that makes your life better or worse depending on what it is. I don't spend a lot of time in my cars, but I want to enjoy the experience. I have occasion to use rental cars fairly often, and I usually can't wait to give them back to whoever rented them to me. My personal ride is a MB S430 and my partner drives an LS430. Both those cars make me smile (for different reasons) when I'm behind the wheel or riding as a passenger. This isn't some zen notion, it's just whether you like what you drive or whether it's just a way to get from home to the gym. The Lexus will make you smile, if smiling is what you want to do. On the mechanical side, I have had an ES300, a GS300, and now the LS430 Lexus brands. I put a combined 160k miles on the ES and GS and never had a repair on either one except expendables (brake pads, fluids, WSW blades, and so on). I've only had the LS for a few months, but it promises to continue the reliability. I doubt the Buick will give you that kind of service. Like others say, it's whatever floats your boat.
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