cduluk

If all three, the E-Class, 5-Series, and GS all looked identical, had the same specs, etc... without a doubt i would pick the BMW first, followed by the Mercedes, with the Lexus last. I only say this because BMW has the most "sports car" appeal. BMW doesn't advertise itself as being a leader in "luxury", but rather in "performance". Everyone who drives a BMW expects an outstanding performance, not a wood steering wheel and soft leather... So if i'm out to purchase a "sports car" sedan, i'd want the best of the best. And i'm sorry, but BMW has it all; from the actual performance, to the name. The 2013 GS was created with the intent of competing against the BMW. Lexus wants people to consider the new GS to be a "sports sedan". The engineers copied the 5-Series' interior PERFECTLY, and they tried to make it "handle" like it too. Lexus ACTUALLY believes that the everyday egotistical "sports car" buyer is going to buy the GS over the already appointed king of the performance world, BMW. This might be true if the GS performed equal or BETTER than the BMW, but in reality it doesn't- it's actually worse. It's like the argument between the Genesis and the LS. For years, the LS has been the leader in "luxury". Then all of a sudden, Hyundai, who came out of nowhere, decided that they'd try to compete with Lexus. Do you REALLY think the Genesis will ever win against Mercedes and Lexus? Maybe, if the interior quality and overall appeal of the Genesis becomes better than Lexus-but it's not, and probably won't. Lexus is the better choice if you want a luxury car. I just don't see what the 2013 GS offers to the "sports car" buyer, that the BMW hasn't already mastered. It looks the same, is a lesser performer, and based on the interior "fit and finish" of a few recent Lexus models, will probably have equal luxury qualities. So why would anyone pick the GS? BMW's not only got the goods, but it's also got the history of being some of the best performing sedans in this category. Unless the GS can "one up" the BMW, it's just a "wanna-be". I don't feel the same way about the previous generation GS's however. My own personal opinion, is that the previous gen GS is the PERFECT car for the buyer who wants the most luxurious sedan without sacrificing performance (someone like me). I've never considered the GS to be a "sports sedan" like the 5-Series, or Audi, etc. And apparently neither has anyone else, based on how poorly it's sold in comparison to BMW and the like. It appears that the average GS buyer buys it because of Lexus' history with luxury and reliability. It's the best combination between luxury and performance. Think about the 07-11 GS450h. I think of it as an ES350 juiced up with power. Without question, in terms of having a "luxurious" interior both in feel and appearance, it makes the 5-series look like a Kia. The BMW's interior is all plastic, lacks all "touch-ability", and the leather is rougher than vinyl on an old computer chair. It's clear that the 07-11 GS interior is "unique" and very "Lexus-like". Easily the winner in terms of luxury. As for the exterior, again, very unique. But what i like most about the 07-11 GS is that it has a secret. It may look like a boring old Lexus, but it certainly doesn't act like it. When you get in the 07-11 GS450h and hit the pedal, WOAH. I've had the pleasure of driving the GS450h several times, and i have to say the thing is an absolute ROCKET, especially in terms of passing power. I thought the hybrid system in my Rx400h produced a lot of torque! The amount of torque created by the GS450h when you press that pedal is unreal. I would LOVE to drive around for a day, pulling up to BMW's and Audi's, who haven't the slightest clue how much i could embarrass them in terms of acceleration. The 07-11 GS450h is faster from 0-60 than ANYTHING else in its size and price range. Yet, it looks and "feels" like a Lexus. And did i mention it's a HYBRID?? It really is a true winner in this sense. But i can't say the same for the 2013 GS... It no longer looks like a Lexus. A blind man could realize Lexus was clearly copying the 5-Series with its new interior. And the front nose, with that "Mitsubishi" thing going on... It's clear Lexus is trying to make a new image for the GS, and it's not consistent with the "Lexus" image i've come to love. There are already too many "sports sedans" out there, with BMW, Audi, Infiniti, Acura, etc... I don't think they need another. In my opinion the 2013 GS doesn't belong in that list just yet. It lacks the history, and apparently the goods based on what the stats are telling me. The "handling" on the 2013 GS is going to have to be REALLY good to counterweight its loss in acceleration/speed from last years models. The only thing the 2013 has over the previous gens, is a more "sports car" appearance. But a lot of good that will do, when buyers find out it's slower than the previous generations. And i'm sure they'll thank Lexus for the better gas mileage on the 2013 GS450h vs the previous gen, even if it sacrifices a half second from 0-60 (which is a LOT). Seriously... what is Lexus thinking? Do they want this thing to be a better performer or get better mileage? Who buys a GS over a 5-Series because it gets better gas mileage?? I hope the bluffed exterior is enough to fool people... because it's lost the niche it's dominated for the past couple of years- being the inconspicuous animal. I just feel bad for any 2013 GS owner who tries to get "sporty" with an 07-11 GS450h, as they're only going to be disappointed when the older, less intimidating generation blows the thing away...

Oh no doubt, the 1998 GS300 does 0-60 in 7.5 seconds, which is slow. What I find interesting is the fact that the 98 GS400, even with the V8, gets the same performance with only slightly less mpg ratings as the new generation models. I was expecting much greater differences considering they're manufactured 13 years apart. And look at the 2011 GS460! The performance is outstanding, with only a few mpg less than the 2013. This just proves they can make a V8 that yields outstanding performance with only little loss to mpg ratings. Why didn't they throw a 4.6L in the 2013? Why not at least make it an option?

Can you do an experiment for me? Sit in the car at night, parked in a position where you can notice the glare in front of you (park in front of a street lamp, or under whatever conditions make the foggy appearance noticeable). Then have someone else pour water onto the windshield (from the roof area) so it runs over the area right where you're looking. If the fogginess goes away in the area of windshield WHILE the water is flowing over it, report back. Don't pour the water, wait for it to drain, and then look through... I mean to look through the area of windshield the water is flowing over WHILE it's flowing. If the fogginess goes away, it's an indication that the outside surface of the windshield is marred, or covered in a film that can be removed (either with polish or by washing it). If it doesn't go away, either the "inside" of the glass is marred, or there is a film "within" the glass that cannot be removed. This experiment works the same when wet-sanding clear-coated paint. When you put water over the surface, the "scuffed" surface goes away and the finish looks completely clear. But if the damage is due to impurities under or within the painted surface, putting water on it won't do a damn thing...

i ran out of gas once in my old Rx300. I didn't have the gauge cluster installed so it was my fault... but still.

So are you saying every new bulb you install burns out after a short amount of time? Or does one side headlight not work no matter what bulb you put in it? If the former, what bulbs are you using to replace it? There are a lot of junk aftermarket bulbs sold at Autozone or Advanced Auto Parts stores that will indeed burn out prematurely. Sylvania makes a junk version and a high quality version headlight bulb; make sure you're buying the most expensive! If the latter, you might have a short in the wiring somewhere.

could you live with the wheel if the wood was replaced with the "hard leather"? Lexus does offer an all-leather wheel for the ES350, but it's going to feel the same as the leather portions already on your current wheel-which you claim are too hard. Any "aftermarket covers" are going to look ridiculous. Your other option is to have a custom leather shop do the conversion for you... but take out your wallet. Here's the factory all-leather wheel for the ES350. One might show up on eBay, and if so, it'll probably go for ~$200.

The auto-leveling switch is located on the right rear control arm, connecting the RR control arm to the belly of the car. The switch will have two small "arms" attached to it, which connect the arm to the bottom of the car. The arms are about 3 inches long or so (from what i could remember)... Once you find the device, you can unbolt the arms and remove the switch from the car. Then, you can open the switch (there are tiny screws holding it together) and remove any dirt which might be causing a loss of contact inside, giving you an error light. Once cleaned, you can put it back together and reattach under the car. Good luck! If you get lost, take some pictures under there and post them here. I'll spot it out for you. <_< Here's a really rough (i mean really rough) sketch i drew up about 3 years ago when someone asked a similar question about its location. It'll give you an idea as to what it looks like.

Congrats, Paul!

Here's the chart updated with the curb weights of each generation GS. The 2013's seem to be about 100 lb's heavier than the previous. And i agree the Audi seems to kill the rest in performance... I'm not sure what Lexus is trying to achieve with these new models... Couldn't they exchange a little gas mileage for quicker performance? I can't imagine sports sedan buyers care about the 1 mpg improvement over the previous generations model. As far as i can see, the only thing the 2013's have that were lacking in the previous generations, is the "extra big" navigation screen and that "mouse" thing to navigate it. Oh, and better "handling"... If someone wants better handling why not just buy the BMW or the Audi? I don't see anything this 2013 GS offers that the rest don't have. I would say "reliability", but who knows with these new Lexus'...

damn... well now we know! Thanks for the find! I know what i'll be doing first thing in the morning...

Why does it seem like Lexus is going backwards with performance? This new 2013 GS350 had better "handle" like a dream, because it's just as slow as Lexus' 1998 GS400... oh wait, slower! Here's some interesting data: from 2013 Lexus GS350 "Product Information": http://pressroom.toyota.com/article_download.cfm?article_id=3258 2013 Lexus GS350 F-SPORT "Press Information": http://www.lexus.com/GS-2013/FSport/pdf/2013_GS350withFSPORT_PressReleaseFinal.pdf 2013 Lexus GS450h "Press Information": http://www.lexus.com/GS-2013/hybrid/pdf/GS450h_pressrelease.pdf It's amazing to me that Lexus would put out a new "performance" model such as the 2013 GS, that's slower than the previous generations. It looks like the 07-11 GS450h is going to remain the "quickest" sedan Lexus has ever produced (minus the IS-F...) until they can beat the 0-60 in 5.2 second mark. Is the better "handling" in the 2013 really worth it? The BMW 5 Series is "quicker", faster, looks IDENTICAL thanks to Lexus' lack of creativity, and most likely will win in terms of how it handles (as evidenced in the video above). Maybe i'll have to wait to see the thing in person... But on paper, personally, i'm not impressed.

HOLY CRAP. YES!! On the same day this happened, the 28th, i saw a thread someone else posted on the forum claiming his headlights were out. I couldn't remember if a loose wire going to a single headlight would cause both to go out, so i removed the plug behind my drivers side headlight for a minute, so i could forward the message. http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=71536 I did have to "lift up" an adjacent fuse box (not the one containing either of the fuses that burned out) to gain access to behind the headlight... i did this around noon, a few hours before my drive when i smelled the burning odor... but the AC was working on the beginning of the trip when i smelled the "odor"... Could it be coincidence? What could i have done? Where are these cooling fans, i can look around... Good thinking lenore!

Are you totally sure there's an "AFS" switch at the right rear wheel? I always thought the switch for "AFS" was within the steering column to detect deflection of the steering wheel left and right... The only switch i know of at the right rear tire is that little one with the arms connecting the right rear control arm with the body of the car. This is for the auto-leveling of the headlights, not AFS. It detects when there's weight in the back seat of the car which would pitch the nose up, causing the headlights to blind oncoming drivers. When this switch detects movement in the control arm (when there's weight back there, weighing the back down) it sends a message to the headlights' auto-leveling motors to angle the headlights down so you don't blind oncoming drivers... Since the 04-09 RX doesn't have an "auto-leveling" indicator on the dash like some older models, when there's an issue with the auto-leveling system the "AFS" indicator will blink instead. What was your reasoning for touching the switch in the first place? In any event, that's what the switch is... and i'd first try to remove the switch from the car and open it up to see if there's anything inside that might be causing a break in the circuit. These switches are prone to this and can often be repaired before having to be replaced. <_< I've done this myself, and on my old RX300 i removed the switch from underneath the car and wired it into the cockpit, and installed a "rolling" ball on it so i could raise and lower the headlights whenever i felt like it. It's simply a potentiometer... See my old Rx300's cardomain page, about half way down; you can see the "roller" switch i made where the driver's knee would be. http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3090724/2003-lexus-rx

Hey guys, I've had my Rx400h for about 2 years now and thought i knew it very well, but i just discovered something very interesting today and thought i'd share it with you. My MPG averages have always been in the 20MPG-23MPG range, which i always thought was a bit "low" for the Rx400h considering i use 91-93 octane. I also noticed that in the summer months i would be getting around 23mpg while in the winter months, much less, usually around 20mpg. As i'm a college student, about 90% of my driving is spent going to and from school, which is about 7 miles away in either direction, on roads where the speed limit is ~35mph (but of course i probably average 45mph...). And since the parking at my school is so scarce (and i'm incredibly picky about where i park), i make sure to arrive about 30-40mins early each day. When i get there, i usually find a corner of a parking lot and sit with the car "ON", waiting for someone to leave so i can take their spot. It might sound strange, but it gives me a good opportunity to catch up on homework and what not before class, while ensuring i won't be parked "next to" anyone else. I LOVE parallel parking- no door dings! In any event, last night about half-way home, i pressed the "reset" button for the MPG counter, for no apparent reason. When i got to school today, much to my surprise, this is what it read! I know this was only with 10miles worth of data, but it represents the path i take everyday. I couldn't believe it! I have NEVER seen this good of mileage with this car! This was taken at 2:21pm right when i got to school. So i started doing some school work, and looked up at 2:27pm and noticed my mileage had dropped: Then at 2:41pm it had dropped some more: And before you know it, at 2:56pm it had dropped to 19.7mpg: I'm guessing this "extreme" drop is due to the fact that i had "reset" the system only 10 miles previous to this event. So while the car's computer was calculating the "miles/gallon" average, the numerator remained at a constant 10 miles while the denominator (the amt of fuel the car was burning sitting in park) was increasing, resulting in a lower mpg number. I'm sure if i had reset the system 200 miles before today v.s. only 10 miles before, the small amounts of fuel i'd be burning "sitting in park" wouldn't affect the mpg number all that much. But still, now i know why my MPG averages have been so bad! And i also know why in the "summer months" my mileage has been so much better- not as much school! AKA less time in idle. Just thought you guys would enjoy my findings! It was amazing watching the MPG number decrease by 1/10ths. The engine would turn on for ~8 minutes then go off for a while, and it was when the engine was running that the mpg number would decrease. I took a picture each time the number went down during these times, and there were a few times when i didn't have enough time to reset my camera before the number would go down again! It was very interesting...

Oh that makes sense... :( I remember the exact moment when i smelled the "electrical" odor- i just got off of the highway after maybe a 20-30min drive, i was doing about 30mph in light traffic when i smelled it. At first i thought the smell was coming from my gauge cluster, since a few days prior i replaced a few white LED's with red ones (which sometimes burn out if the voltages aren't right). Even though i did thorough testing before replacing them, it seemed ironic that this smell would occur within days of doing it. I even turned my dimmer switch down! But it wasn't that, the LED's were perfectly safe and not overloaded in the least. I'm 100% sure my work didn't cause this to happen. There was an "older" car in front of me, so i just figured it was that. But if the smell was indeed due to the fuse going out, that's most likely when it happened. I don't remember what i had the AC set to, probably my usual of about 73 on the drivers side and 79 on the passengers side, with medium fan speed. I really wish there was a way to find out why the cooling fan was shorted out. It wasn't raining out, conditions were normal, it was just a normal day. Really weird...

I'm surprised there isn't a drain at the bottom of the tank somewhere.

Well, it's been a few days and everything seems to be back to normal. I pulled the cabin air filter and felt around, but there wasn't anything in there. I'm thinking this issue has to do with whatever the "electrical cooling fan" is on this car, most likely something having to do with the hybrid system. I only say this because the only thing the two blown out fuses have in common is the phrase "electrical cooling fan". I think the AC fan blower went out because it "just happens" to be on the same circuit. Maybe to alert the driver that there's an issue with this "electrical cooling fan"? Anyone have an idea as to what this thing might be? Maybe the fan that cools the hybrid battery? I'm afraid that something might be "damaged" yet still working "now", and eventually die after my warranty runs out...

Hey guys, This afternoon while driving the Rx400h, there was an instance where i smelled an "electrical burning" odor, but i thought it was just the car in front of me, and the smell passed quickly. A few hours later i was in the car again, and noticed that i couldn't hear the A/C fan motor. I clicked on "climate control" and noticed it was set to "LOW" so i just thought that was why (i had the radio on at the time). Well, tonight i started the car w/o the radio on and noticed i have no fan blower. No matter what i set the temp to, AC on or off, DUAL on or off, fan speed, zilch. I can hear the valves etc activating when i press buttons, but absolutely no fan blower. I checked the fuses both under the hood and under the steering wheel area, and what do you know, fuse #65 "HEATER" with the description "electrical cooling fan, air conditioner system, rear window defogger, engine switch, windshield wiper de-icer" was burned out. I put in a new fuse and now it works. I also noticed that the fuse #24 "RDI FAN NO.2" with the description "electrical cooling fan" was also burned out. I don't have any replacement fuses in this size so i'll have to buy one and replace it tomorrow. I have NO idea how long this fuse has been out or if it's related to the AC fan blower... And both of these fuses have "electrical cooling fan" in their descriptions. I'm just not sure what this means! What do you guys think happened? Why would the fan blower fuse just blow out? Could the electrical burning smell i smelled earlier in the day be related? It was an "odd" smell... Thanks for any input!

Well, HID systems (high intensity discharge) use a xenon bulb and what's called a "ballast". Since xenon bulbs need thousands of volts, and since a car battery only puts out 12-15V, they attach a "ballast" between the battery and the bulb which converts the 12V to something like 75,000V to ignite the bulbs. Are you sure the bulb is damaged and not the ballast? If you can manage to open the round panel on the back of the headlight and remove the bulb, you can put it in the opposite side headlight and see if it works. If the bulb doesn't work in either headlight, you'll know the bulb is bad. However if it works in the other headlight, then you'll know it's the ballast that's bad. You can get used xenon bulbs on ebay for about $50. Never buy a new one, as it won't match the other side headlight. Xenon bulbs lose brightness and change color over time. So a new bulb won't look the same as a used bulb. And either wway, you'll need to replace the entire headlight as well. The seals on the 04-06 RX330 headlights weren't designed to last. You'll never be able to keep the condensation out. However, Lexus fixed the issue for the 07-09 RX350 headlights which are 100% identical besides the seals. So if you can find a used 07-09 headlight from ebay (and ensure it's the same type as yours, HID either with or without AFS) you can put it in your car and you won't get moisture. To remove the headlight from the car the bumper will need to come off... if you're worried about getting it on and off, you can take the car to a local bodyshop which will be less expspensive than a Lexus dealer. :)

Hmmm, yeah that's definitely weird. Are the rear taillights and rear bumper sidemarkers working? What about the center console lights (the ones that come on at night, such as climate control and radio buttons, shifter plate, heated seat icons)? Does the position of the headlight switch stalk (on the steering column) make a difference? Meaning if it's set to "AUTO" vs "ON"? Do the foglights work if the low beam lights are set to "AUTO" (it must be dark outside for this to work) or "ON"? Do the high beams work if you "flash" by pulling the stalk towards you? What if you push it forward? There aren't many things that would cause "both" low beam lights to malfunction at the same time. Unlike the DRL bulbs (or christmas tree lights) if only one bulb is damaged, it wouldn't cause the other to not come on. I can't remember if the same is true for the ballasts, but ill check on my RX in a few hours and ill repost here. EDIT: Well, i just checked on mine. If there is a break in the wiring going to the headlight on one side, it won't affect the workings of the other headlight. So, i'm doubtful that either of your bulbs or ballasts are damaged.

Hmm... you shouldn't be getting an error light flashing unless the sensor is "damaged" or shorting out, etc. Normally you should be able to move that swinging "arm" through its entire range without a problem. Did the sensor get opened up or anything? If the interior workings of the switch are damaged that might cause the error lights to come on. And you're talking about the "auto-leveling" switch, right? AFS is the system that turns the headlights left and right when you go around corners, while the auto-lleveling system moves the lights up and down. I'm guessing the car has the AFS light blinking for the auto-leveling system errors too. In any event, the only way to fix the problem is to either replace or repair that switch. If you simply unplug the switch, the error light will still blink (removing the switch will make the car think it's damaged). I would remove the switch from the car and open it up (there are screws you can remove, it opens up very easily) and make sure all the contacts inside are normal. There may also be dirt inside that you can clean. The switch is actually not very complicated, and one you've got it open I'm sure you'll be able to get it working again. And the position of the arm shouldn't make the error lights come on. So don't worry about calibration ;)

Hey guys, I had a spare gauge cluster and thought i'd play around with it... Thought i might try the look of the 02-06 ES300/330 and 01-03 LS430. The needles are pure "red" but the camera makes them look orange... i really need a new camera! i lightened the shade of green of the PARK, DRIVE, "B", CRUISE, and "lights ON" indicators, and i shaded green the "ECO" segment of the power meter. I also extended the length of the needles (to the actual center of each needle) and modified the needles with a red painted backing (vs white) and replaced the white SMD's that illuminate the needles with red ones. I'm thinking it's not a "keeper" but it's an interesting change for the moment. <_< What do you think?

Well, if there's voltage going to the bulb assembly yet the bulb isn't going on, either the bulb is bad or there is a loose wire somewhere in there.