cduluk

Have you checked the dashboard dimmer switch? If the dimmer is set all the way low, the console lights will not illuminate. It's worth a check <_<

Not many SC's sold, they're kind of rare. You might have some good luck at http://www.car-part.com/ You can search for ANY part from ANY vehicle from auto recyclers all over the US. That's probably your best bet.

There's no way they're gonna repair a tear in perforated leather. You will always be able to see the "line" where the tear uses to be, and unless they use a pin and a magnifying glass to poke new holes... yeah, don't think it's going to happen. And they can't do anything about the stretching either. It might fix itself with age, but i doubt it. But let the repair people do their thing. If it doesn't come out perfect, make a fuss and insist they replace the leather in that area. Since it's CPO they can write it off so corporate won't complain... If you make a big enough deal about it, they'll do it.

I'm not surprised. <_< The techs at Lexus are no smarter nor more talented than the techs over at, let's say Kia... And as for the windshield, make sure they replace it with OEM, as the aftermarket windshields are junk. Your insurance co. shouldn't get involved at all. I'm sure Lexus has their own insurance if they need it. I'm sure they'll just make a claim with their own people, the same type of claim they'd make if they accidentally scratched a dashboard while performing a service or what not... Bottom line, no one will ever care for your vehicle as much as you do. As long as Lexus rectifies the problem to your satisfaction it's OK, mistakes happen.

What do you mean black cover and transparent window? If you're in the drivers seat, the first thing you notice around the cluster is what's called the outer "bezel". It's the piece with the chrome rings. This piece is only held on with clips, and can be removed by pulling it directly towards you. Grab the left and right dividers (the pieces that separate the three holes) and pull out. When you've got this piece out, you'll be face to face with the gauge cluster. You'll see the tinted cover over the cluster. It's only held to the cluster by some clips, but it's almost impossible to remove without taking the cluster out of the car. You can remove the cluster by removing the four philips screws (one at each corner). Then there are 3 plugs on the back, and that's that!

If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing ;)

Thanks <_< I too have never been fond of the ricer looks some cars get by adding to much aftermarket junk... Especially on a Lexus. I try to make everything i do look neat and very OEM, like it came from the factory that way. It's the subtle things that make all the difference! I've just seen too many "hack jobs" on cars...

We did two totally different things <_< which require two totally different processes. No one could complete the white gauges/blue rings mod without taking the cluster apart- you can't really compare them. All you did was add an overlay, like tinting a window... I certainly wouldn't call it a true "mod".

I think the new TL exterior is HIDEOUS :(

I used Lexol (in the brown bottle) for a few years, until i found out it's partially silicone based. It may be good for some fake leathers, but for Lexus leather it's really bad. I'm also not sure any product you apply will be able to fight stains or block UV rays. If any "layer" does retain on the surface, it'll be too thin, and after sitting on them a few times it will rub right off. A conditioner shouldn't sit on top of the leather, but seep deep into the fibers and act as a lubricant just as the oils in the animals skin did before it was killed. These oils allow the hide to move more freely and prevent the Lexus top coating from cracking. The top coating that's applied to the hide (the colored dye you see) is all the stain protection you need. It's a lacquer based coating, not really a "stain" but more of a coat of paint that's stamped to look nice. If something stains the factory coating, you'll need to have a leather upholster apply more dye. Any silicone based product will break down the factory coating on lexus leather. Some of the newer Lexus leathers are aniline too, so they require even more sensitive conditioners.

Like 1900LS400 suggested, parts.com seems to have the best price. :D Collision Catalog - 2008 - Lexus - RX 400 Hybrid Front bumper, Bumper and components, Bumper cover, W/o radar cruise, Vacuum diagram 1 $327.63 $226.52 $0.00 $226.52 Sub Total $226.52 Shipping 33.98 Handling Fee: 2.00 Tax 0.00 Total $262.50 With shipping (33.98) it would be $262.50 which i guess isn't that bad for new OEM delivered to my door. Then i can inspect and take it to the body shop. Well, in the time i was writing this post, i went through the procedure on the website to see how much shipping would be, and i bought it lol. So i feel better now. SW, I think i'd rather just have a new bumper painted than have this one repaired. If i had it repaired, i'd never be able to look at it because inside i would know it was repaired... :( And i know from experience with these websites, it takes like a week for the order to get placed, a week for it to get processed, and a week to get here. So whenever it decides to get here i'll give it to the shop with the car for a day and let them work their magic <_<

According to the internet lol... i get an average of 30.1" of snow a year. Usually we'll get maybe 4 or 5 snowfalls of 2"-10" inches per storm, per winter. It doesn't start snowing until December, and it doesn't stop until March. And i'm hardly ever "forced" to drive in the snow. If it's snowing out, i usually just take a day off from school. Heck, some days when it's raining i'll even take a day off. I'd be a terrible mailman... That's why i really hesitate buying snow tires for the winter months when i really don't "need" them. If my job required me to drive in the snow it would be different. I just can't see having to listen to the loudness of snow tires just for maybe once or twice a year i need to get 5 miles across town in a little snow.

All Rx400h's came with HID projector headlights- the halogen version wasn't available for the 400h series. They're MUCH brighter than halogen lights. The bulbs used in the Rx400h HID projectors are the brightest d2s bulbs in production, 85122+ The only way to get your headlights to produce more lumens is to replace the factory denso ballasts with 55w ballasts. But it wouldn't be worth the extra work... You can however upgrade the high beam bulbs as those are halogen. The best upgrade for these would be the Toshiba HIR bulbs.

I would say both the 010 ES and 010 Rx are built equally as well, it's just a matter of taste. The current generation ES came out for the 07 model year, and you'll probably see the next generation in 2012 or so. The current RX generation is new for 2010 and probably won't see its next generation until 2015. So the RX will remain more current for longer compared with the ES. Personally i like being up higher. It would have to be a "lot of car" for me to switch to a sedan from the RX. There aren't any advantages with going AWD vs FWD unless you drive in snow. The FWD is a simpler design which will probably have less problems down the road, and the gas mileage is better with FWD vs AWD. I believe the FWD is a hair quicker than the AWD as well (except for the hybrids). But there is NOTHING that would ever get me into the 2010 Rx. I personally find the styling boring and inadequate....

oh my GOD!! The first video at 54 seconds - 1:15 is hilarious... it's moving sideways lol. There must have been a good inch of ice under there... That towns autobody shops must have made out good

Yeah, the dealer only has the capabilities to remove the chime (anyone can if they follow the directions for it in the manual). There's no cheat code for the light issue. The dealer can't do it, no one can. The programmers of the car didn't write a program for it. Only way to eliminate the light is to destroy it.

That panel's most likely held in with clips, probably one at the left and one at the right. It's safe to pry with a screwdriver, just be careful not to dent any of the pieces. If you're really going at it, and it doesn't budge... then i'd say there's something else holding it on there.

All you need to do is take the sensor apart and clean it a bit. It's a simple device, and even has screws to take it apart and reassemble. Ask your mechanic to remove it for you. Then open it up (with a philips screwdriver) and see what's inside. My guess is that water's gotten in and is building up in there. Remove the three springs and wipe clean, and wipe the inside copper surfaces clean too. Then put the springs back in, close it up, and i'd seal it up with a little silicone to prevent water from getting back in. Then have the mechanic put it back. It's a really simple device... There's really nothing that can fail totally, with so few moving parts and all...

Oh god, no need to spend any money for a new sensor... Most likely you just need to take it apart and clean it a bit. The "sensor" is actually a simple device, just a potentiometer. The internals are really simple and easy to take apart, clean, and reassemble. Likely water has gotten in and is building up on the springs. I've done it before on my old Rx300, it's really simple to take apart and reinstall.

What exactly do you think needs replacement? Is the system totally not working? First, the position of the windshield wiper stalk (on the right side of the steering column) needs to be in the right place. The up-most rest position is "OFF" meaning the auto system will not activate. The position below that turns the auto system to on- so when it senses rain, it will work. And there is a "rotation" position on this switch that adjusts sensitivity. But you're telling us the system isn't working at all, so i doubt this is your issue. Has your windshield ever been replaced before? The sensor is located at the top behind the rear view mirror. Maybe it's been unplugged? Has the system ever worked for you before and has now died? Are you the first owner? And are you sure your car even has this function? I'm not sure if all ES300's have this function.

This metal housing you're talking about i believe is the bulb igniter. It attaches to the back of the HID bulb and feeds it the voltage from the ballast (which is hidden) I've circled the igniter and the ballast is the rectangular box attached to it (which is hidden somewhere else in the headlights). The igniter can be removed by rotating it counter-clockwise a few degrees until it stops, then pull it off. Those paper-clip like prongs you speak of hold the bulb in place. Press them both inwards, then towards the bulb, and pull out. They're just held in place by little latches on the housing. As soon as you have the igniter removed from the bulb you'll be able to figure it out... As soon as the bulb holder clips are pulled away, the bulb will freely come out.

i like what you've done!! :D Those cree LED's are of really good quality.

What happened here exactly? lol

As long as the error in speed is liner, it can be fixed. It should be a simple "plug into computer and press a few buttons" thing for the dealer to do...

If the tear was in the middle of the painted area i can see a repair, but since my tear is in the crease, i don't think it can be repaired without having to paint the lower black half. I'm just going to need a new bumper :(