Burk

Today I received a notice from Lexus that they are providing all 2004 and 2005 LS430 owners with improved NAV system software :D Just need to make an appointment for installation with your dealer.

Highly recommended! I purchased front seat and headrest covers from Sheepskinexpress for my BMW 740i in 1999. They still look and feel great. Warm in winter and surprisingly cool in summer. They actually do a better job than the climate controlled seats in my LS430. One word of advice.. The color of the product is sometimes unavoidably slightly different than the sample. I originally ordered my covers from Rocky Mountain Sheepskin. When they arrived they were excellent in all respects but the champagne color had a slight pink tint and didn't look good in my dark green car. They were very nice and allowed me to return them for a full refund. So I also recommend them.

I recently switched from a BMW 740i to a '04 LS with Euro Suspension. I'm very satisfied with the overall handling on the LS. The BMW excelled when pushed when in a high speed corner and I really miss the audible feedback provided by the BMW power plant but I otherwise find the LS to be better in all respects. I'm particularly impressed by the low end torque I probably would not have bought a '04 LS if it weren't for the Euro suspension and the 18 inch wheels. I just finished a road trip from Dallas to Pennsylvania and back. It was the most enjoyable drive of my life. Chips229: During the trip I did not see one LS430 nor one BMW 745 on the road. Matter of fact the only '04 LS I've seen since purchasing mine was a glimpse of one on TV owned by Tony Hawk the pro skate boarder .

The outcome of my problem: The good news- The dealership found that it's alignment equipment was at fault and my new LS did not need re-aligned. The bad news- All efforts to correct the pulling to the right have failed. Even after ordering and installing a new pair of Michelin P.S.A/S tires there was no change. So today they are re-installing the original Bridgestone RE33 tires. After thoroughly researching the many instances of this "Pull to the right" problem that is associated with the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S on heavier vehicles it's my opinion that if you encounter this problem there is little chance that it can be corrected. Yet many who have selected this tire have been fortunate and had no problem at all. Be aware that Mercedes has recognized this problem and found no solution. In January 2004 they issued a service bulletin stating they refuse to try to correct any tracking problem when this tire is in use. Here's a link to a copy of the bulletin: http://www.mbnz.org/forums/forums/t...&posts=2&fid=39 Hopefully my experience will help others to avoid pursuing a solution if the pulling problem is encountered.

Thanks for the reply Chips229. What is a tracking check? If this is the same as an alignment you just might be on target. Today (Saturday) the dealer swapped the tires by removing them from the rims and moving them left to right but the pull to the right persists. However, today they found an alignment problem caused by a rear strut :( . Because the strut is not adjustable they will need to order a new one and it won't be delivered until Tuesday at the earliest. I asked how a new car could be out of alignment and they had no idea. I know that in the few miles that I drove the car nothing occurred that could have caused such a problem. Maybe it happened when being transferred off the boat? I do know that there was no perceptible alignment problem symptoms prior to installing the Michelins. The car tracked perfectly until the Michelins were installed. Upon researching the review narratives for the tire on Tirerack.com a few people reported having a unsolvable problem of the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S pulling to the right. But there are also several reviewers with heavier cars similar to the 430LS that have not had any problems. I also discovered that Mercedes has issued a service bulletin stating that they will not do alignments on Mercedes that have this tire. I will post an update when something new developes. In the meanwhile if anyone has any ideas I sure would appreciate hearing from you.

Tuesday I took delivery of my 2004 LS430 Sport. :P It replaced my 1994 BMW 740i that I had driven for ten years and I was extremely happy to make the switch. I'll probably like it even more if I get a chance to drive it. The car came with the Bridgestone Turanzo Er33 18" tires and tracked well at any speed. The dealer agreed to exchange my tires for the much touted Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires and a small cash donation <_< . The exchange was performed today and on the way home I noticed the car pulling slightly to the right at speeds above 60mph. :( So I returned to the dealer and they rotated the tires front to back but the pull to the right was still evident. They have no other Michelin A/S's in stock so tomorrow they are going to try swaping the tires around on different rims in hopes of finding a solution. If this doesn't work they plan to order two additional Michelins Monday and proceed to swap tires until they find a combination that eliminates the pull. Is this a fairly unique problem? Is the dealer's solution viable? Based upon my limited exposure the the service department I'm not real confident that they know what they are doing. Thanks for any advice. I need it!