There is an ebay listing right now for the USB stick that contains the new NAV info. What do you get in terms of parts when you go to do the upgrade? If I present them with this USB sitck will they truly be able to update it?

Lexus of Miami is selling the stick for 180, my service writer claims they will do it for 250, but I don't know if he understands that it is an hdd based system and therefore not as simple as slipping a new dvd in.

 

I emailed this ebay guy. All you get is the stick. It MUST be installed at the dealership. You cannot install this software without special expensive hardware.
You CAN find a dealer somewhere local who will do this for $200. Keep looking.
Don't buy uninstallable software for $180.

 

I'm not looking to do the install myself, I just want to know if I take this the USB stick to my local dealership would they be able to install it without me having to buy the parts from them.

 

I would say that 180 + labor will probably be close to 250 anyway so why bother. I would certainly ask them first. There is probably a no return policy with this. I wanted a spare smart key so I bought one from keyless.com for $189. Took it to the lexus dealership to be reprogrammed. They warned me that these "ebay" keys often do not work because the metal is too soft, etc etc. Well they tried it and told me the key was programmed to another car and could not be reprogrammed. Who knows if they were correct or just trying to make money. The point is that there is alot of technology here and its complicated. $400+ for a key is ridiculous. $250 for map update software is ridiculous too but I don't know of another choice.

 

Well I had it done today and it came out to 271.00. The thing I didn't plan on, and should have been smart enough to remember was the 8.75% CA sales tax I was paying on both the parts and the labor. If I had purchased off ebay it would have been 180 and I only would be paying the tax on the labor, however, if something were to go wrong I'd be out the 180 bucks.

You buy quality, you only cry once...

 

As far as the key goes, even if it's previously been programmed for another car, they should be able to program it using the "all keys lost" procedure.

 

I would be a little bit leery about buying a USB key on Ebay.

This smells of software piracy, which btw is frowned upon on this board...

 

What dealer did you go to?

 

I don't think you understand, when you order a navigation update on the LS460 the part you are actually buying is a USB stick that has the software the comprises the update.

What Lexus of Miami is selling is not "pirated software", rather, they are selling the USB stick that contains the software for 180 dollars as opposed to 200 at my local dealership, which in my mind is not enough of a price difference to justify not buying it locally, except that I had to pay CA sales tax on both the labor and the part as opposed to just the labor.

No one is talking about buying pirated software, which, btw is highly discouraged on this forum....

 

Fresno Lexus

 

You can buy legit software on eBay, but there is a ton of pirated software on that site. When you buy anything on eBay, use PayPal and pay Paypal with your credit card. That way if/when you do get stuck, you can contest through PayPal, and if that fails you can contest through your credit card. You will always win contesting through your credit card card because PayPal won't do the work necessary to research the issue. They will just do a chargeback to the seller.

 

My bad, I didn't see Lexus of Miami on your original post, even though it clearly says it there.

And, yes I am aware of the procedure, having done it on my 460. Brain cramp I guess.

Sorry about that Xwakeboard...

 

Hey, that's alright.

 

I want the upgrade but can find no deals on the price. In So Cal. they want $271 total. I think I will wait till Sept when the next generation comes out for the same price. Unless anyone can find the stick for less than $180 let me know. The service is one hour.