alank22181

Now that I know that Bluetooth and ES330 do not communicate with each other I'd like to know what alternatives are there for hands free cell phone operation and the ES 330. Recently several local and state governments have passed laws banning the use of physically using cell phones while driving. Hands free devices are OK. I have a Motorola T 730 phone, the full Nav system and there is a mic in the rear-view mirror. Has anyone found a hands free alternative? If so- please let me know. Thanks Alank

I got the Motorola Kit; it clips to the bottom of the phone and has a quick way of enabling bluetooth with the Model T 730 phone. When I attempted to initialize the phone with the car- the phone did not recognize any bluetooth capability. Since reading the replies- I think my next step will be to see what the CAR requires for hands free communication. The car does have a mic built into the mirror, and there is a dialing function on the sound/nav system. My assumption is that that the car must be able to use cell phone connectivity in some manner. Anyone have any experience with hands-free cell phone operations? Is there an after-market tweak to be installed? Alan K

I purchase a ES 330 in late May; It has every option except the auto ride-stiffness control. It has the Nav and the Levinson sound installed. I went online and had several price quotes for the entire Metro DC area. I took my best price to Pohanka Lexus in Chantilly Virginia and they said they would meet or beat that quote. The total cost was $27,500. This was the BEST buying experience I have ever had. They treat everyone with kindness, care and comfort. No pressure, no annoying chatter, just excellent information. I went back three times to test the car- never had a problem getting the specific model I wanted to try. They even let me the drive the car in a rainstorm! After the 3rd time I was convinced this was the right car for me and asked them to procede with the purchase. Excellent sales staff, excellent admin staff and the entire transaction was done in LESS than 30 minutes. Talk to Mike Worth, he is ther internet manager. Alan K

Has anyone connected up their phone with this car? I purchased a ES330 in May, it has the Nav system and Levinson sound installed from Manufacturer. I was told it was ready for Bluetooth phones, which meant that I could be hands free with my car. My cell carrier is Verizon, and just now announced an adapter for my Motorola T 730 model of phone. My Lexus manual does not mention anything about phones and connecting up, or remote dialing. The Nav manual is equally silent about using cell phones and remote dialing, etc. Can someone please let me know what i need to do to get the phone to work in the car. Is there a sequence of operations? I would appreciate any help I can get. I am expecting the adapter in a few days. Thanks, Alan

Its August 8, Motorola has announced that they are manufacturing a verizon compatible Bluetooth adapter for several models of their phones. I have ordered the adapter and will be reporting on my experience with it as I try to get this function to operate in the car. I have a 2004 ES330 with the Levinson Sound system and the Navigation. The car is just 3 months old. I would like to know if anyone has had any experience with Bluetooth. The adapter is called DC 600 and clips to the bottom of the T 730. According to Motorola, initializing the connection to the car is easy.

I'm new here. We're contemplating the purchase of a new car. We test drove the Acura TL and loved it. If anyone rides in the backseat- the 2004 ES330 wins by a landslide. The ES 330 is quiet, solid and backseat passengers enjoy quality support, sunscreen protection, A/C and a very quiet ride. The audio system is excellent for backseat riders and the headroom canb accomodate people who are over 6ft 2in easily. The 2004 TL was noisy, from road noise AND engine noise, the back seat footroom was inadequate and the headroom was nominal. I found the TL does have a livelier engine, a quicker response and a voice actuated system for internal controls. I test drove BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes, Toyota, Audi and several others over 3 months. Each time comparing ride quality, interior and exterior finish and CUSTOMER SERVICE of the dealers. Lexus won my comaprisons each time. Take your time and drive each one, making sure you have someone in the backseat. Cars are a very personal choice, in the end your Mom will like one over the others.

Purchased a 2004 ES 330 from Pohanka Lexus in Chantilly Virginia, a suburb in Fairfax, Virginia. I have had several Chrysler Vans and enjoyed the ride and feel of the van. This car was a replacement for a 2002 T/C which was sold to another person. I road tested BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes, Acura TL and several other high end (front wheel drive) manufacturers. After each test drive I was drawn back to the Lexus. The final straw was when my company's buying service came back with a price that was downright irresistable. It was purchased for $27,000. Color is Black Cherry Onyx Equipped with: Mark Levinson Sound Sunshade Navigation Stability control Plus all the options that are found when these are added. I did not purchase the height system on advice of the dealer. I also did NOT purchase the satellite radio function. Car was purchased in May, 2004 as a new car. My Pohanka experience was excellent and I would recommend them to anyone. It has been a FLAWLESS car, one of the most enjoyable driving and riding experiences I have ever had. Passengers riding in the backseat say it is fabulous. The rear seat A/C is great and the sunscreen are excellent plusses for anyone riding in the back seat. Everyone talks about the comfort, ride and feel of riding in the back! This is the quietest car I have ever owned or been in. The automated wiper system is excellent even in driving drains. It has excellent turning radius and excellent in curves and on tight roads in West Virginia mountain passes. Acceleration is also excellent. I am impressed with the ergonomics and placement of controls. The Nav system is clever, intutive and lt seems to learn my "best routes". My only complaint is that strong sun coming in from the side windows will bleach out the image somewhat and tilting does nothing to prevent this from happening. Only a sun visor would be of any help. The audio system is also better than average, plays my MP3 files without any problem and the auto sound compensation is a blast to use. The radio sensitivity is average to good and I find the FM is better thn the AM. My only other complaint is the front drink holder is not low enough and when a med sized cup is in it, your arm will easily bump into the drink and cause it to spill. I am hoping that Verizon Wireless will soon adopt Bluetooth so that I can use the hands free cell phone option, but as this date (July 29, 2004) no deal has been struck. The car has averaged 21 mpg around town and I get 26 mpg on trips. Much better than many of it's compettitors. Its 3 months old and I have driven it for 2000 miles.

When I lived in Vermont I switched to Mobile 1 synthetic oil as soon as the car passed 5000 miles. My main reason for switching to synthetic was to ease starting probelms during periods of cold weather- we often drop to 20 and 30 degrees below zero. It really helped the starting process when the car was stone cold; no hesitation experienced and it turned over like it was summertime. I'd recommend the oil to anyone living in a severe cold climate. I'm not sure why you want to use this oil if you are living in a hot climate. It did boost the MPG somewhat- I owned several Subaru Legacy Station Wagons and often exceeded the rated MPG with the synthetic oils. Since my new 2004 ES330 is now averaging 26MPG on the road with reg oil, I don't expect I will switch to a synthetic oil.

I have listened for your problem in my new ES 330- that I purchased complete with all bells and whistles EXCEPT the load leveler. My lights do NOT make any noise while adjusting at start up. I have listened for the same clicking you have and can't find it. I hope you are able to isolate the problem soon.