NicLX470

Make sure the ride is soft and that the height control works properly. If not it is a very expensive fix and the owner should knock off a few grand. Dealer states an estimated life span of the AHC system to be 10 years or 100k miles. But my 98 with 102k miles is still working perfectly. And you can get the VIN number and if the owner has had it serviced at any Lexus dealer they will have service records.

I have seen a similar problem with the BMW 3 series. Owner states they replaced the digital control system module. Probably something totally different in the Lexus but it's a thought if Lexus has a similar module. This Beamer only had 61 miles on the ODO.

Wow. There was a post a while back about an IS doing the same thing and I have heard of the ES doing it also. I doubt they will be able to tell anything from the crispy car but this will most likely spawn an investigation for Lexus whether they are willing or not. I'm curious to see what happens.

How recently were they replaced? Let us know if replacing them again fixed the problem.

Usually the check engine light is related to the emissions system. I would bet most likely it's something like an O2 sensor that went bad. It will not hurt the truck to keep driving it. Just the enviornment.

I haven't really been able to make up my mind about this yet to be honest. BMW, Mercedes Benz, Jaguar, Lexus and a few others all have the sealed transmissions now. It's really hard to argue with that many engineers. They all seem to agree this is the way to go, and more and more are going this way. I mean, as hard as it is to beleive, I also would have never thought that car makers would be able to reliably engineer a naturally asperated stock 300+ hp V6. I remember when we were chasing the 1 hp per cubic inch dream. So anything is very possible when they say it's better to just leave the transmission alone. Let's not forget that the cooling system went thru this same morph years back. There was a time when you should have changed the antifreeze yearly. Now it's almost maintenance free as well. I do know one thing though, have you looked into how much the transmission fluid costs per quart yet? LOL!! That might change your mind about doing a tranny flush. LOL!! Yeah you are probably right. I asked my service advisor about it and she told me this...... Hi Nic, All 2004’s and newer have the world flush transmission fluid which will not need to be serviced until 100,000 miles or over.

So you think the dealership will change the fluid for me? Or give me a big lecture about how "it doesn't need to be changed" and "we can't do it."

You have to take it to the dealership. You cannot do it yourself. I think all IS models come with the LED floor lights.

Did you buy it used? If so with the Lexus Personalized Settings they can be turned off. Maybe the previous owner didn't like seeing their feet at night. My 09 IS350's are blue.

You are correct about the HID on the Escalade. I assumed it was aftermarket because they were so blinding. I'm not sure but I think it was a relatively new Escalade. Maybe what happened is typical when a vehicle with headlights as high as an Escalade "rides your bumper" or maybe they were just adjusted too high. Do you happen to know if the Escalades headlights are self leveling like OEM Lexus HID headlights? Are there glare issues for other drivers in your GX with aftermarket HID when your truck is heavily loaded or does your suspension self level to compensate? The Escalades HID headlights are not adjustable and do not self level when carrying a heavy load. But all of the latest generation Escalades are standard with rear leveling suspension. But the newest Escalades now have optional LED headlights available only with the "platinum" package. But because LED headlamps are new are rare I have yet to see a car in real life with LED headlights and would not know if they seems brighter than HID lamps. When I first replaced my halogen bulbs with HID I readjusted the height because the bulbs were a little bit different in size so I made sure they were adjusted right for the projector beams. Then I drove around in my IS350 while my room mate followed me around to make sure they did not seem to bright to oncoming traffic or when following someone. They are brighter than the regular halogen bulbs...but that's the point so you can see clearer. But I wouldn't say they are blinding. And yes my LX470 automatically levels itself as will the GX470.

It can be done very simple if you get a plug and play system. I did it on my LX470. And if the beam is too high you can adjust it. Just google it. 1990LS, the Escalades from 2003 to present come standard with HID headlights so that was probably factory stuff bothering you. Were you able to see which generation it was?

The 06 got new headlights with AFS and the tail lights became LED's. I honestly think they look a lot better. Get an 06.

It is the ABS. It is doing the right thing by NOT locking up the wheels. If they locked up then it would not be working right. At the moment you hear the motor noise is when the wheels would "lock up" on a non-ABS car.

Yeah really if it can be remanufactured then someone had to have opened the thing up to fix what was wrong. So can I get a consensus on a proper interval for replacing fluid? 15k?, 30k? or when?

Haaa sorry that wouldn't do it for you!!

ALL transmissions require service. Heat is the enemy of lubricating oils. The rule of thumb in the past has always been about 15k miles. BMW does the same thing. I had an older 5 series, in which the tranny had never been serviced. At about 125k miles, the trans started to go. When I found a reputable transmission shop, (interestingly enough, a former BMW certified mechanic), to rebuild it, (to the tune of $3200), he told me that the car manufacturer knows that the trans will last, in most cases, at least 100k, and by that time, the car will be out of warranty, and as a result, they are no longer responsible to make the repairs, but they certainly reap the rewards of those who come in to have the trans rebuilt. My suggestion, if you are planning to keep the vehicle for an extended period of time, is that you find a good reputable independent mechanic, and have the tranny serviced on a regular schedule. I honestly would think so. When I am due for my 15k mile service I will ask if they can flush and replace the transmission fluid also.

Out of my maintenance manual for my IS350..... Transfer Case/Transmission: The transfer case/transmission and transmission fluid are a completely sealed unit. Therefore, periodic checks and replacement of the transmission fluid are not required, and there is no dipstick on the transmission. Any repairs that require adding or replacing fluid should be performed by a qualified technician following procedures in Lexus service and repair publications. So pretty much they are saying you do not have to change the transmission fluid...ever? But you can if you want? I will definitely want to change the transmission fluid. At what mileage would it be appropriate? Southeast Texas where temperature is well over 90F 75% of the year.

Programming the memory seat? Place everything where you want it and then hold down the "set" button and then press and hold whichever number you would like it to be...(1 or 2)...until it beeps. Then you're done.

only 1000 and 5000 Yeah that is what I thought. So why am I getting away with free oil changes until 15k miles? The dealer probably slipped an extra piece of paper in front of you at signing, charging you way to much for "prepaid" service. ;) Haa, I know for a fact they did no such thing. But oh well....I'm not going to argue with free stuff.

Yeah they won't find anything broken or worn. Just tell them to lube/grease all the steering gear, even the parts connected to the front wheels. See if that solves the problem.

I've heard that the dealer CAN disable the DRL's but I have read on a few forms on here that some dealers will do it with no problems but others say they can't because it's a safety issue. So it's worth a try.

I don't turn on my headlights during the day and still had one of my HID lights burn out before 35,000 miles. My dealer replaced it under warranty, but I had thought the life of the new HID bulbs was supposed to be a lot longer than a standard bulb. It was weird too....got home and the light reflecting off the garage wall seemed a bit "pink" in color. Looked at the light and sure enough....a dark pinkish color. 2 days later...light out. --Duckman They usually do but there is always a bad egg and your car happened to get that one. And yes a xenon bulb will turn from a pinkish to redish color before going out.

I don't like them that much either on my IS350 or LX470. So I roll with the headlights on all the time. My HID lights even look great in broad daylight. They will go off immediately after the car is off and the driver door is opened so you will not have to worry about leaving them on in the day time. Just tell the dealer that and instead of them staying on for a while they can program them to turn off immediately.

I know the LX470 is a beast and very hard on the pads and rotors. I got new OEM Toyota rotors less than 5k miles ago on all 4 wheels and they are already starting to show signs of warping. Is it possible to upgrade to bigger calipers and rotors for this truck for a brake system that does not have to work so hard. Or would getting the kind that are drilled/slotted work better? Anyone done any of these things and have gotten any better results? Because I know if I just go get these resurfaced they will be warped again in just a few thousand miles.

only 1000 and 5000 Yeah that is what I thought. So why am I getting away with free oil changes until 15k miles?