cduluk

can you post more images from different angles? I can't tell what i'm looking at.

I'll give LEXUS a try.. no one laugh! LEXUS: Like Ethical Xanax Until Stopped

Can you post pictures?

Well actually the ballast is located within the headlight, with an access "cover" at the bottom. There is open space between the bottom of the projector and the ballast. If water were to collect on the inside clear plastic of the headlight, it would drip down and fall right onto the ballast cavity. The ballast is located at the lowest point within the headlight. Any and all water would pool right in it. And it's definitely not waterproof, not even a little. I guess they figured water wouldn't get inside the headlight.

They're trying to milk it! They probably figure the public would "think" that's an appropriate time. You may also consider taking the car to a local body shop if Lexus makes you pay for the fix. Any body shop will be able to do the same job, probably quicker (because they deal with removing bumpers all the time) and at a cheaper cost. It all depends on how much Lexus is willing to cover... I "think" if you request that only the ballast be changed, they might pay for it. It can't hurt to ask.

Unfortunately, they would have to remove the front bumper, but it comes off in about 15 minutes. In either case they'd need to pull the bumper to remove the headlight anyway, though.

I don't think it would be too difficult for the dealer to replace only the ballast, as it's easily accessible at the bottom of the headlight via a small "panel" that can be unscrewed. You can find used ballasts on eBay for about $100, they're made by Denso. Believe it or not, Denso ballasts are... the... best, at least as far as i know. However no ballast can withstand water damage. If your bulb is in working order, and if you've eliminated the moisture in that headlight, simply replacing the ballast is a cheap fix. There's no need to replace the entire headlight unless the moisture issue gets out of control. ^_^

If your car doesn't have a nav screen, where would you expect the camera image to "appear"? LOL

Agreed, you need to determine where the film is located. And you can't simply replace the "lenses", you'd have to replace the entire headlight. :(

Sorry for the late reply; i'd get the part new (not from the dealer, but rather parts.com for a better price) then either clear it myself or have a body shop do it. They'd need to separate the chrome section from the adjacent wood section (easily done), then clean the chrome section and clear it like they'd clear any other car part. Then put back together. The whole assembly is easily pulled from the door. I don't think you'd need a dealer to do a thing. Any body shop will have plenty of experience to remove these types of pieces.

It's the... well here's a pic, highlighted in red.

Wahh?? That is the freakiest thing. And it wasn't like that before you got the car washed? Has it cleared up since the event?

Hi, sorry for the late (very late) reply! I LOVE your idea! I actually had a lot of trouble getting the circuit board to be blue. After sanding and polishing the thin "metal" inlays in the board, i super glued this blue "film" to the surface, in essence adding a transparent blue coating to it. The blue film was actually a blue-tinted chrome tape like material, about 1" in thickness by 2' long. It wouldn't work in your case due to size requirements. Maybe you could find a blue stained glass paint? I've used red stained glass paint to dye the wood trim in my car. They also make a blue! It's transparent, yet colored. And i did cut the board with a dremel. The board i used was from a spare RX speedometer cluster ironically enough. It was very soft. I'm not gonna lie, i LOVE your idea. You've got ME thinking!

You've got me stumped. I've noticed that mine will "flicker" every once in a while, though. If i wiggle the wire plug coming out of the mirror the shaking stops. Maybe give that a try?

I wish i found this thread sooner! The headlights on the Rx400h are in fact vented. There are two vents per headlight, on the back, fitted with rubber hoses bent downwards. And i can tell you from doing multiple headlight modifications on my 08 rx400h, that the vents don't do crap. Moisture is inevitable, and sealing with silicone or goop won't do a darn thing. Once moisture is inside, it doesn't like to come out. The only solution is to blow hot air into the headlight with a blow-drier for a few hours. This will eliminate the moisture. Until next spring... I also know the anatomy of the rx400h headlight like the back of my hand... and the ballast is installed within the headlight, at the bottom. If moisture is allowed to build on the inside surface of the headlight, it will eventually leak down and "settle" on (and in) the ballast. I have no doubt that your ballast is damaged. It's like getting a flood in your home's basement, with the ballast like a carpet. It's the first thing to get wet. This issue is actually rare among the 07-09 Rx headlights, which were modified after severe occurrences on the 04-06 models. If left alone, they shouldn't develop moisture. I'd look for a used headlight from an 08 (keep in mind that the 08 headlight is different than the 07 and older, as the 08 has the "blue" tint to the chrome) online, either from eBay or car-part.com. You also cannot switch to halogen without doing some severe re-wiring. Also, you'd get a constant "AFS" warning light on the dash if the auto-leveling and AFS motors were not attached.

It might in fact be the ballasts that are failing, not the bulbs.

Ohhh, that button with the Piii. is for the parking assist (the system that gives you the beep-beep-beeeeep when you're at low speeds). If you have the fog lights turned on via the turn signal stalk, then the fog lights should illuminate only when the front headlights are switched on. I'm not sure as to the location or number of the fuse, but the diagram should be in the owners manual (which you can purchase used on eBay for pretty cheap). There may also be a pdf version if you want to try searching google... It might be that the fog light bulbs are burned out. Are you the first owner? Have you ever seen the fog lights working?

Are you talking about this button? If so, i think we've got your problem. This button is for the headlight washers, not fog lights. The fog light switch is located on the directional light stalk. There's a small 1/4 inch section about half way down the stalk that you can rotate up or down for fog lights on and off.

Did they really "cheap out" with interior materials on the new '13 ES? I haven't seen it in person yet, but from pictures it's hard to tell what's plastic and what's "soft-touch". It seems like Lexus is taking the knife to the new entry models to cut costs... Perfect example: For the '11 IS250/350, they removed the vinyl covered glove box and replaced it with one in plastic. Visually it looks the same, but when you touch it, you're pretty much in a Toyota. I'm so glad you've stayed with Lexus; i know some of us were worried you might switch to another brand!

Hi everyone, I'm sure this topic has been discussed before, but i'd like to make a new inquiry about your favorite brands of gasoline. 99% of the time, i get gas from the same Mobile station nearby my house. I'm not sure if it's by habit or what, but i usually go to the same station, same pump and get the same grade (93). However late last week, i was caught on "E" in the middle of nowhere and forced to get gas at some rinky-dink "Gulf" gas station. I was intending on only putting a few gallons in to get me home, but it was so cold out i just filled the tank to avoid another cold fill-up. At least they had 93... I could be crazy, but, i swear i can feel a difference (in performance) with my Rx400h. My first observation is that the car is burning fuel at a much quicker rate than usual, as it's only been 3 days and i'm already at the 3/4 mark (and at this point with Mobile gas of the same grade, it should read much higher). At the moment my energy monitor is reporting an average mpg of 20, while i usually get at least 23mpg. Secondly, the car seems to have more aggression. It feels more powerful, and the car seems to run a lot smoother (happier). Could it be? Or is it all in my head? What are your thoughts? Is there REALLY a difference between gasoline brands? Thanks!

I'm sorry to hear about your plumbing issues; that's never fun! :cries: As for the car issue, the fact that the AFS is working intermittently reinforces the idea that there might be a loose plug/wire somewhere. I'm doubtful that debris in the AFS motor would cause these symptoms... These motors have a lot of torque! Another possibility is that there's an issue with the afs or leveling "sensors", however since this issue happened right after you worked on the headlights, i'd bet your issue is up front at the motor rather beneath the rear tire at the sensors. I'd try wiggling the wires at the headlight you worked on, and see if you can find a loose connector or wire. ^_^

katzjamr, My 400h is still under warranty (cpo) so do you think they'd clean the throttle body for free? I haven't shared the issue with my dealer, but i have a feeling they'd simply deem the shaking as "normal" and blow me off... And since it doesn't always shake, it'd be hard to duplicate the issue for them.

SW, the flaxen interior in your GS reminds me a lot of the interior of the 06-08 SC430, it works well! IMO the color combo worked well in the SC and works well in the new GS, but I'm still on the fence as to whether or not i like it's placement in the new LS... What made you jump for the new GS and not the new ES? I never would have thought you'd jump for the GS; it was a surprise! :)

Are the 04-09 RX plastic headlight lenses different in their basic composition than those used on other vehicles? The reason I ask is that I have never seen scratch marks or "cloudiness" on headlight lenses that have been properly wetsanded and clearcoated. Are the 04-09 RX plastic headlight lenses different in their basic composition than those used on other vehicles? The reason I ask is that I have never seen scratch marks or "cloudiness" on headlight lenses that have been properly wetsanded and clearcoated. I've tried this procedure on the 99-03 RX300 headlights as well as those for the 08 Rx400h, and both can't be wet-sanded and cleared with two-part automotive clearcoat. The surface scratches created by the sandpaper (2000-3000grit) do not go away after being cleared, and when the lights are turned on the scratches become more visible. I assume the type of plastic is to blame...

K, i'd try the reset procedure again, and if that doesn't work then bring the car to the mechanic who added the air and see what they can do. Ultimately the Lexus dealer will be able to fix it but of course at a cost...