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These look nice but the light from behind it doesn't look uniform to me... Perhaps it's just the night time picture quality? These are more expensive than an entire switch unit which is odd. I'd like a red one for my RCF. After looking around it seems like you can get a red button for about $15 on ebay... Not sure the quality but at that price it would be worth it to try.
After some years how are people's buttons held up? Anything wearing out or the finish?...etc?
These look nice but the light from behind it doesn't look uniform to me... Perhaps it's just the night time picture quality? These are more expensive than an entire switch unit which is odd. I'd like a red one for my RCF. After looking around it seems like you can get a red button for about $15 on ebay... Not sure the quality but at that price it would be worth it to try.
After some years how are people's buttons held up? Anything wearing out or the finish?...etc?
Thanks,
-Nigel
I just removed mine from my 3IS because I sold it, but it held up very well. No wearing out of the finish or fading at all. The button lights up just fine, there is some light bleed around the edges, but nothing bad. The cost of the switch unit from Lexus or Toyota will run you almost $300. You might find some cheaper units on ebay. Even the discount parts warehouses are close to $300.
Here's a pic of it in my car.
After really looking at these, it appears the button is recessed as well, not 100% flush like OEM. I've seen several close up pictures and it appears that they are just like the ebay one that I received in terms of it will click in but because of the lexus trim or the button being 1-2mm shorter it sits more recessed in the trim ring/housing, which in the grand scheme of things just looks off to me. I think I found one that is the exact OEM diameters but I'm waiting to get it here in a week. If that doesn't work then I'm going to get the OEM LC500 switch that sticks out. That's probably the nicest one and it is $140-160 new on eBay coming from Japan. Not $300, that the local dealers are asking for. Have a really hard time paying $130+ for just a plastic button especially seeing that it doesn't sit 100% flush. I'll update shortly.
The ebay one comes with a tool that's plastic or metal. 10sec install.
Originally Posted by nigel821
After really looking at these, it appears the button is recessed as well, not 100% flush like OEM. I've seen several close up pictures and it appears that they are just like the ebay one that I received in terms of it will click in but because of the lexus trim or the button being 1-2mm shorter it sits more recessed in the trim ring/housing, which in the grand scheme of things just looks off to me. I think I found one that is the exact OEM diameters but I'm waiting to get it here in a week. If that doesn't work then I'm going to get the OEM LC500 switch that sticks out. That's probably the nicest one and it is $140-160 new on eBay coming from Japan. Not $300, that the local dealers are asking for. Have a really hard time paying $130+ for just a plastic button especially seeing that it doesn't sit 100% flush. I'll update shortly.
-Nigel
Yep that's correct. there's a 2mm depth gap when using it with the lexus button. see pic:
2mm deep
TRD push start with lexus trim. 1mm deep. I personally don't like TRD on lexus. most ppl buy their button and swap out the trim but it's still not flush
ebay button for toyota/FRS/BRZ with 2nd gen Prius trim. as flush as I can get it. could redo the color of the grim to match the car's trim.
That $120 push start isn't even that great. They should have painted the entire button so there's no light leaking. Meso's push start is the best.
I would love to create an red OEM style. Also a blue OEM style for the F cars.
I have all the R&D done but no capital to fund. and they would have had an MSRP of 29.99-39.99.
My Meso customs button came today. It's a nice piece. Probably as OEM as you can possibly get without going OEM. There is a slight gap but nowhere near what the Chinese eBay button is. Please see pictures below.
I didn't want to go with the chrome trim ring only because there's absolutely no chrome in the car I think it would look off.
yeah I'm not about ready to spend money for the TRD button, I feel like it looks odd in the car That's just me. Even though I know TRD makes aero parts and high quality things for Lexus, it just looks really off to me in the car. Awful because it lights up green. It would look way nicer if people took the cap off and put it on their existing push starts, then it would at least light up white to match the rest of the interior lighting. I'm quite surprised people haven't done that. The button would look fine in a Toyota where the rest of the lights are green but just looks so ugly lit up green in a Lexus. Worst case scenario if I'm not happy with this I'll end up getting the LC500 switch which is sticks out. But honestly for $25 it's REALLY hard to beat. Hell. Meso customs makes a TRD red button. If you didn't know OEM vs Meso you'd save yourself a heck of a lot of money for the push cap and still have it light up to match the interior.
I'm attempting to open it up with the tool that they gave me however I don't want to scratch the button all up. When I'm trying it with the test button I have I end up scratching the button which is fine because I bought this in with the intention of it getting destroyed but I don't want to screw up my good switch if I have to ever switch back..lol. It might be easier for me just to pop the whole thing out and take the switch apart.
It's nice but the green leds kill it for me. Looks 100% out of place in the exterior since everything lights up white in the RCF. I would have removed the red TRD button and put it on my existing switch so that it would project white light. Everything I read there are two versions of this switch. The green one is what we get here and there is another red TRD button that lights up blueish. The tundra guys use that one since it matches their interior. But I wasn't about to spend $125 just to have a red button that would still sit 1mm sunken in because of our trim rings are different from Toyota's. So the Meso customs is as close to OEM as anyone honestly is going to get without going OEM. I figured if I didn't like this switch I would get the LC500 switch. At least that's different to the touch. Couple people posted on FB about the their GR button. I like that the black GR button actually. Looked really nice and prior to that I never even heard or knew what that was, so it was nice learning something new about Toyota racing..etc. I'll probably install here in a couple days. I wish there were more options for our cars or that Lexus/Toyota would make certain things sportier for the demographic that is buying it..
It's nice but the green leds kill it for me. Looks 100% out of place in the exterior since everything lights up white in the RCF. I would have removed the red TRD button and put it on my existing switch so that it would project white light. Everything I read there are two versions of this switch. The green one is what we get here and there is another red TRD button that lights up blueish. The tundra guys use that one since it matches their interior. But I wasn't about to spend $125 just to have a red button that would still sit 1mm sunken in because of our trim rings are different from Toyota's. So the Meso customs is as close to OEM as anyone honestly is going to get without going OEM. I figured if I didn't like this switch I would get the LC500 switch. At least that's different to the touch. Couple people posted on FB about the their GR button. I like that the black GR button actually. Looked really nice and prior to that I never even heard or knew what that was, so it was nice learning something new about Toyota racing..etc. I'll probably install here in a couple days. I wish there were more options for our cars or that Lexus/Toyota would make certain things sportier for the demographic that is buying it..
Oh well good stuff either way.
-Nigel
Understood!!
Yes true... At the time the TRD Authentic was the way to go..
The EBAY knock offs I would stay away from completely..
I was looking over the Meso products and it seems like a new well made option..
Unfortunately none of the authentic TRD buttons light white from my research..
When you going to pop it in so we can see the night time light up??
I'm Im now looking at the replacement chrome ring from Meso for my TRD button
Most of the oem button lighting in the IS F is the light green..
Yes true... At the time the TRD Authentic was the way to go..
The EBAY knock offs I would stay away from completely..
I was looking over the Meso products and it seems like a new well made option..
Unfortunately none of the authentic TRD buttons light white from my research..
When you going to pop it in so we can see the night time light up??
I'm Im now looking at the replacement chrome ring from Meso for my TRD button
Most of the oem button lighting in the IS F is the light green..
Joe Z
Yep totally agree. Avoid ebay buttons. They just aren't tall enough, and from the pictures you don't know that until you take your current switch apart.
The Meso seems the best. I'm going to contact him and see if he has interest in possibly making one specifically for Lexus.. IE: Just a mm longer or so. Everything I've look at so far, all buttons that aren't specifically for Lexus are recessed due to our trim ring, which includes the TRD, and the batch of custom F switches that were $140. Which is kind of annoying. I am probably going to get done with work here in a few hours. So I am going to go home and hope to get the switch installed and have some pictures up in a few hours.
I wasn't aware that the ISF buttons were green. I just assumed that since the cluster was whitish/bluish all the buttons were that color. That doesn't seem bad then for the TRD button for the ISF since it would match. It just makes me wonder why no one would switch out the button for their existing one so the interior lighting matches. One is already taking the dash part off and removing the push button. It takes an extra 8 minutes to disassemble the switch and then put it back together and everything would match and look OEM.
The green TRD button then doesn't look bad in the ISF It actually matches. So there'd be no need to change the cap unless someone had a white interior like a GSF or RCF. All the lights in my interior for my RCF or white exactly like my wife's NX. I think all the newer Lexuses or Lexi what's plural for Lexus?..lol. have all gone to the white interior lighting which is fine it's nice it's clean looking.
I'm glad I took everything out rather than just swapping off the cap because I soon realized that the LEDs inside of the damn push button or a bluish tint they're not white. I should have figured this because in my wife's Toyota Solara the white lighting was actually blue LEDs covered in a green LED condom cover to produce the white light. So when I put the red meso switch in with my existing push button housing it lights up with a blue tint because the LEDs have a blue tint.. It looks odd to me very odd actually. To the point where I'm almost ready to just buy the LC500 on/off switch that comes out and is concave.
However I have some light filters that I put over top of the LEDs and now it matches the interior, just a tad dimmer then the rest of the lights but now it's white instead of a blue tint.
Pictures of the stock button then the MESO button without the light filters and then the last pictures are of the button with the white filters. You should be able to see a difference from the blue tint to now white light.
Stock button:
MESO button. Has blue tint because of blue tinted leds inside the switch housing.
Bluish tint:
This was me adding the light filters over the leds inside the switch.
Light filter on the bluish leds.
Light filter on bluish led.
Which light filter did you use? I also purchase a MESO button and might want to add the filter too.
Thanks
I do various led stuff so I had a bunch of stuff laying around. I'm not sure how long ago I have had these and I can't find a receipt or anything for it but normally depending on the size of the smd led, you simply look for a color filter cap or something along those lines. You can get them in various colors to change the shade/huge/color of the led output without actually changing the led.
I also found some leds that I have that I am going to try and and solder onto the board here this weekend. I want to play around with the idea of possibly having red. We'll see though. I'm at work super late tonight for a server migration so it's not going to get done today or tomorrow. If we get snow that they are calling for hopefully I can stay home for Friday and start early :-)
01-22-21, 04:59 AM
