Okay, maybe I'm deaf or something but...when exactly does the seat belt chime on the ES 350 come on (this assuming that you don't have your seat belt on to begin with)--as soon as you turn the engine on, when you shift out of Park, if the driver's door is opened, or some other instance that I'm unaware of? FWIW I started the engine w/ all doors closed and my seat belt unbuckled--I saw the seat belt reminder light flashing on the cluster, but did not hear any (annoying) seat belt chime. After a brief moment (about 10 seconds or so) after starting the engine, I ****ed out of Park into Drive--reminder light was still flashing but still no annoying chime. Once in Drive I increased speed until it was over 10 mph or so--still got the flashing light but still no chime. The only chime I could produce under such circumstances was when I opened the door while the engine was running--which I believe the chime will sound regardless of whether the driver has his/her seat belt buckled.

Edit/update: nevermind any of the above...guess I needed to go faster than 12 mph. Oh well...wishful thinking, I guess.

 

Huh? How is an automobile manufacturer not disabling a safety feature whose procedure isn't already detailed in the owner's manual not complying w/ U.S. DOT/FMVSS standards/regulations? I'm not arguing as to the absolute legality of disabling the chime itself, but as to the liability of doing so--i.e., who would take the fall if something bad arises from the disablement of the seat belt chime? You said that people could sue Lexus for not complying with DOT (I assume you were specifically referring to if they made it not possible to disable the seat belt chime, not just in general)...well, people could easily sue Lexus if Lexus did disable the chime and then someone gets hurt due to not wearing his/her seat belt--he/she could argue that had they gotten some audible reminder that they needed to wear a seat belt, they would have done so, thus possibly avoiding serious injury.

Now if one were to sign a waiver absolving the auto manufacturer of any liability due to their (the company) disablement of a U.S. DOT-required safety feature...then I'm reckon that a dealer would be more than willing to do so.

Remember--this is America...where people sue for even the most trivial of things all the time; do you really think automobile manufacturers would readily offer vehicle owners instructions on how to easily disable auto safety devices/features (exceptions notwithstanding, such as the auto disablement of passenger air bags when a small child is in the front passenger seat)...especially when such devices and features are required on vehicles sold in the U.S. as mandated by US DOT/FMVSS? They don't care if you disable these features yourself, since they won't/can't be legally liable if anything arises from your having doing so.

 

The only way that i know of to turn the daylights off is by putting on the e-brake and than turning on your car....

 

Got back from the dealership @ Lexus of Cerritos. The service there was okay, but they took 2 hours just to get my personalize settings and my car wash done. Moreover, the lady said I can only wash my car once a week at the dealership I bought it from; what BS!

From my understanding, you can wash your car for free once a week at any dealership, damn people at Cerritos are Shady, but at least I got the job done. Now i'm saving a little bit of money to get the HID lights done, i'll post a picture once it's installed.

 

Lexus would not be held liable for disabling a seatbelt chime. In fact, if you look in the manual, there are customization options available to the customer to have the chime turned off. The chime is not the safety feature- the seatbelt itself is. The chime is just an irritating, needless annoyance. And they are not REQUIRED in the United States- there are plenty of vehicles that do not have a chime. If you chose not to wear your belt and end up on the pavement, it's on you.

 

The chime reminds me of being a little kid, and your mother telling you, constantly, to "EAT YOUR CEREAL". It's for your own good. LOL

 

On a personal note, I always wear my seatbelt on the road. However, there are times where I am just moving the car down the street or going down the hill to the pizza place (1/4 mile away on back road) and don't feel like buckling up and am not in danger. This is where the chime makes me want to kill someone.

 

Does your chime not cease after about 30-40 seconds or so? Mine does, all I need to do it wait for a bit and it shuts up. The warning light on the dash continues to blink. And I have not been into the dealership for my LPS session yet.

 

Dunno whatever gave you the idea that I was insinuating that I don't (want to) wear seat belts...care to explain your comment?

 

Yep, it does silence after about 30 seconds...

 

Maybe Lexus would be liable, maybe not...but if you really believe that Lexus wouldn't be liable for disabling the seatbelt chime, then why did the service rep tell you that it couldn't be done? I mean, if indeed it is possible to disable the chime through some sort of programming...then the dealer shouldn't have an issue disabling it on your vehicle since like you said, "Lexus would not be held liable for disabling a seatbelt chime."

So obviously either one (or both) of the following two reasons why he won't disable it on your vehicle is probably valid--either it really can't be disabled via programming, or he believes that there are legal ramifications from doing so unless you are willing to waive any liability on their (Lexus) part from having disabled the chime.

 

I dont know how this got off subject, ut I've got something to say about the front license plate:

You've got a 2007 model car. It's 2006. Why in the WORLD would you even put the license plates on in the first place so soon?

you don't have to have a front license plate if you haven't recieved your plates yet!

I keep my plates in the trunk. the dealership license cover is still there, as if I bought it yesterday. If a cop stops me, I'll tell him they haven't come yet.

And even when I finally put them on, I'm going to wait for my first $15 ticket before I put them on the front.

As another thought, you CAN put the license plate on the front dashboard instead of mounting it to the front of your car... you know, after the cop stops you...

one more thing... you can't get a camera ticket (red light) if you don't have your front license plate... that's the plate they take a picture of as you're running the light!

as for the DRLs, why in the world would you want HID DRLs? they're there for visibility, and the yellow color makes them more visible. HIDs are focused, and youldn't be seen except for people directly in front of you. I think they're a great safety feature, and they make your car look more expensive. I don;t know what I'd think of a lexus rolling down the street with no HIDs... I'd probably say to myself, that's kinda cheap... no DRLs...

It's part of the package of driving a lexus! why would you want to turn them off?

 

Where did you hear that a weekly free car wash at any dealership is a Lexus-provided benefit?

I've heard of some Lexus dealerships offering free car washes to their customers, but it isn't a universal thing. South Bay Lexus won't wash your car (at least not weekly) without a service visit even if you bought the car from them.

My problem is getting them NOT to send my car through their scratch/swirl mark-inducing washes. They're so used to sending cars through the wash after service that they've washed my car even when I've requested no car wash.

 

I think mission viejo washes your car for free weekly if you wanted it.

 

I'm pretty sure red light cameras take the REAR licence plate. That's so that it covers provinces/states that don't require a front plate.

Also, what about LED DRLs? lol.