New LS460 Owner saying hello...officially!
10-16-15, 02:12 PM
#31
Thanks...when I was talking to a few body shops trying to get the dull paint repair, both guys I talked thought it was brand new and my tint guy that it was new too. The dealer plates probably helped with that though they didn't notice the paper plates are from a cadillac dealer and they clearly don't know what 2015 LS460 looks like. lol
But I'm stoked on it. 35k miles for an 09 is damn near close to new. It's in impeccable shape. Now it's just the grinding brakes I've got to get sorted. Brakes are grinding when braking at slow speeds and coming to a stop. From what I read, I think the rotors need to be resurfaced again. It's not a rock between the caliber and rotor, I tried the hard braking trick.
But I'm stoked on it. 35k miles for an 09 is damn near close to new. It's in impeccable shape. Now it's just the grinding brakes I've got to get sorted. Brakes are grinding when braking at slow speeds and coming to a stop. From what I read, I think the rotors need to be resurfaced again. It's not a rock between the caliber and rotor, I tried the hard braking trick.
10-16-15, 02:24 PM
#32
Lexus Fanatic
Thanks...when I was talking to a few body shops trying to get the dull paint repair, both guys I talked thought it was brand new and my tint guy that it was new too. The dealer plates probably helped with that though they didn't notice the paper plates are from a cadillac dealer and they clearly don't know what 2015 LS460 looks like. lol
But I'm stoked on it. 35k miles for an 09 is damn near close to new. It's in impeccable shape. Now it's just the grinding brakes I've got to get sorted. Brakes are grinding when braking at slow speeds and coming to a stop. From what I read, I think the rotors need to be resurfaced again. It's not a rock between the caliber and rotor, I tried the hard braking trick.
But I'm stoked on it. 35k miles for an 09 is damn near close to new. It's in impeccable shape. Now it's just the grinding brakes I've got to get sorted. Brakes are grinding when braking at slow speeds and coming to a stop. From what I read, I think the rotors need to be resurfaced again. It's not a rock between the caliber and rotor, I tried the hard braking trick.
Looks like you got a killer deal on that LS! Well done.
10-16-15, 03:04 PM
#33
Personally, I'd skip the resurfacing and go directly to replacing the rotors. resurfacing will likely be a short term remedy on factory rotors. New rotors will cost marginally more than resurfacing if you buy them online. For example, I replaced both my front rotors for 60 bucks FOR THE PAIR! Not a Chinese brand either, but Bendix with a 1 yr warranty against warpage. Factory Lexus rotors are widely seen as prone to warpage. Lots of info here on CL about that.
Looks like you got a killer deal on that LS! Well done.
Looks like you got a killer deal on that LS! Well done.
10-16-15, 03:24 PM
#34
Lexus Test Driver
Raybestos, Wagner, Centric...that's just a few.
Indeed RF is correct.
I was told a while back to replace my front rotors and resurface my rears.
With Roadfrogs help, I purchased Bendix rotors all around and Akebono pads.
It's definitely better to just replace the rotors, as the cost is minimal and you shouldn't have to go back in.
If I may also add, I'm not nearly as DIY as Roadfrog, but with the guidance a him and a few others, I did my own break job and it was my very first break job on any car.
It's incredibly straightforward.
A decent set of tools and PB blaster, you'd be set.
I'd also advise that since your looking at replacing the rotors, you may as well take a look at the condition of the pads.
Indeed RF is correct.
I was told a while back to replace my front rotors and resurface my rears.
With Roadfrogs help, I purchased Bendix rotors all around and Akebono pads.
It's definitely better to just replace the rotors, as the cost is minimal and you shouldn't have to go back in.
If I may also add, I'm not nearly as DIY as Roadfrog, but with the guidance a him and a few others, I did my own break job and it was my very first break job on any car.
It's incredibly straightforward.
A decent set of tools and PB blaster, you'd be set.
I'd also advise that since your looking at replacing the rotors, you may as well take a look at the condition of the pads.
10-16-15, 03:46 PM
#35
Lexus Fanatic
I'd also advise that since your looking at replacing the rotors, you may as well take a look at the condition of the pads.
Read more: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...#ixzz3om1ZhBKw
Read more: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...#ixzz3om1ZhBKw
And yes.....Lexus rotors are (or at least WERE) crappy. I don't know if they've improved them recently, but at the cost they sell them for, I'd still stay away from them.
As for the option of just having them resurfaced, it's really never a good idea. Remember that the resurfacing will remove a layer of material from the surface, which only makes the rotor that much thinner and that much more prone to warp sooner. Again, it's cheaper which is why many people do it, but it's only cheaper if you were using a factory Lexus rotor at dealer price. Aftermarket rotors are almost as cheap as resurfacing.
Last edited by roadfrog; 10-16-15 at 03:50 PM.
10-16-15, 05:09 PM
#36
Lexus Test Driver
Great feedback and more importantly, RF is right.
My following statement is not to discredit what RF said at all, using my experience as an example.
However, just as an FYI (throwing it out there), there is another member here, 7milesout, who said that he took his rotors to O'Rileys and had them resurface for $10 ea.
So, in the event your attempting to be budget conscious and there's an OR near you, I guess that'd be an option.
But of course, removing material versus new at the given cost point, new is the better decision.
My following statement is not to discredit what RF said at all, using my experience as an example.
However, just as an FYI (throwing it out there), there is another member here, 7milesout, who said that he took his rotors to O'Rileys and had them resurface for $10 ea.
So, in the event your attempting to be budget conscious and there's an OR near you, I guess that'd be an option.
But of course, removing material versus new at the given cost point, new is the better decision.
10-16-15, 05:22 PM
#37
I'm definitely not opposed to putting on new rotors instead having the current ones resurfaced. But I want to be sure that will solve my issue first, which is: when braking at slow speeds (15mph down to 0) I get grinding that I can hear and feel in the brake pedal. When I had my oil changed last week, I was told the brake pads up front were essentially new and were OEM pads so they've clearly been changed since the car was new. But when checking the Lexus service history, I don't see brake service anywhere on there, so perhaps they went to an independent and perhaps the rotors weren't resurfaced or done properly.
I don't want to get the cheapest rotors, just want something that will solve my issue and and work well with the OEM brake pads.
I don't want to get the cheapest rotors, just want something that will solve my issue and and work well with the OEM brake pads.
Last edited by sdwtchlvr; 10-16-15 at 06:08 PM.
10-17-15, 08:15 AM
#38
After doing quite a bit of reading last night, I am going to take some of your advice and replace the front rotors. I'd like to find some locally in San Diego vs ordering online. I can order online if need be though. If I make some calls to local parts stores, what should I be asking for? I know I don't want OEM according to all that I'be read. Also, will my OEM pads with 8-9mm left be fine with the new aftermarket rotors?
10-17-15, 08:32 AM
#39
Lexus Fanatic
After doing quite a bit of reading last night, I am going to take some of your advice and replace the front rotors. I'd like to find some locally in San Diego vs ordering online. I can order online if need be though. If I make some calls to local parts stores, what should I be asking for? I know I don't want OEM according to all that I'be read. Also, will my OEM pads with 8-9mm left be fine with the new aftermarket rotors?
Let us know how it goes.
10-20-15, 11:12 AM
#41
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: May 2015
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Picked up my 2009 LS 460 just under 2 weeks ago. Been pretty busy since so I haven't had a chance to post an official "new owner" thread. Just had a chance to clean it up this week and snap a few quick shots.
Details on the car/purchase:
2009 LS 460 SWB with 35k miles. Paid $27k for it at Casa de Cadillac in Sherman Oaks. Purchase experience was sub par and they wouldn't negotiate too much as the car was "just listed" but I got about $1k off their asking price. It's comes with pretty much standard options. No ML system, no air susp, etc... but does have the comfort package I believe and nav, etc. The black leather interior is in mint condition. The starfire pearl exterior is in great shape too except for one issue I'll list below. Clean carfax and Southern California car. Looks to have been dealer maintained since new and judging by the condition and miles, I suspect garaged every day of its life too.
In SoCal, these cars go for more than they would in other parts of the country. There aren't too many of these for sale and of the ones that are for sale, most are 2007-2009 are pushing 100k miles. The low miles were definitely a selling point for me.
Purchased an extended warranty for $2500 through my credit union where the car is financed. 4year / 48k miles, basically bumper to bumper and I can take the car to any ASE certified repair facility including Lexus. $200 deductible though. It should be noted that 6 of the 8 front control arms had just been replaced in June 2015 at Keyes Lexus as well as the Brake Actuator.
Couple of issues:
-During the test drive, I noticed that the heated steering wheel light was on. I pushed it to turn it off but the light just stayed on. After the drive, turned the car off and the light was still on. Asked the sales man and he said it would turn off eventually, but it did not. I didn't have them add it to the due bill during purchase so it's basically on me to fix. The wheel doesn't feel heated so I think the switch is broken. I'm not too concerned because I live in San Diego and there are probably a couple weeks a year I would consider using it and even then, it's completely unnecessary. I may elect to have it fixed once my warranty kicks in. I could drive back to the dealership and ***** about it but honestly the dealership is a two hour drive each way and is in North LA (Sherman Oaks). I don't have the time take a whole day off to deal with it. My deductible is $200 for my warranty and I'll go that route if it bugs me down the road.
-The drivers seat has proven to be pretty uncomfortable. I posted in a couple of other threads about it and have been doing extensive reading. I've concluded that it's a combination of stiff seat bottom bolsters and a deteriorating middle cushion. As others have done, I am having foam added to the middle of the seat bottom on Monday and this should solve my problem. Other than that, the car rides like a dream.
-The front brakes were replaced recently. They have about 9mm of pad left. But when applying brakes at slow speeds, under 20mph, I can feel and hear a grinding sound. It sounds with the revolution of the wheel so it's like something is stuck in the caliper or on the rotor. I had it looked at by a local indy lexus shop and he confirmed the brakes were new but didn't see anything. He did confirm the noise though. Any ideas?
-Lastly, I found out about 5 days after purchasing the car that the front right fender, right side of bumper & right door have been painted. I feel sort of stupid that I didn't notice it while inspecting the car prior to purchase. It was a 95F day and the car was in direct sun. It looked clean. I was looking for overspray and didn't see anything that caught my eye.
The color matching was as good as it gets and it was blended quite well. The issue is that the re-paint area is dull compared to the original finish. Like if you look at the original paint you can see a mirror finish and then when looking at the re-painted surface you loose some detail. I stopped by a couple of well respected and well reviewed auto body shops in San Diego. One of them specializes in Toyota/Lexus paint, the other one doesn't. The shop that specializes in Lexus said that he has seen this issue before and he's guessing that the paint wasn't given enough time to dry/cure before applying the clear coat. When this happens, the finish can look great for a few days, then appears dull. He suggests light wet sanding & polishing and it should look completely acceptable. Worse case is I have to have the area re-painted but I'm holding out hope his suggestion takes care of it. It's really not that noticeable unless you're looking for it.
Both body shops told me the damage must have been minimal, like a bad scratch or something. Both the door and fender have the original vin plates and the metal is smooth, doesn't look to have been banged out. And the bumper looks to be original, the paint is blended about 1/2 way over and I just noticed the blending spot on the bumper yesterday. The previous owner may have rubbed up against something. I can't say for sure. The previous owner may have had the work done themselves or they may have traded it in that way and the dealer I bought it from may have had the work done.
Any any rate, I'm very happy with the purchase. Even if I had knowledge of the paint work before hand, I would have still purchased the car but perhaps would have had more negotiating power and could have gotten another $1k off the purchase price.
On to the pics:
Details on the car/purchase:
2009 LS 460 SWB with 35k miles. Paid $27k for it at Casa de Cadillac in Sherman Oaks. Purchase experience was sub par and they wouldn't negotiate too much as the car was "just listed" but I got about $1k off their asking price. It's comes with pretty much standard options. No ML system, no air susp, etc... but does have the comfort package I believe and nav, etc. The black leather interior is in mint condition. The starfire pearl exterior is in great shape too except for one issue I'll list below. Clean carfax and Southern California car. Looks to have been dealer maintained since new and judging by the condition and miles, I suspect garaged every day of its life too.
In SoCal, these cars go for more than they would in other parts of the country. There aren't too many of these for sale and of the ones that are for sale, most are 2007-2009 are pushing 100k miles. The low miles were definitely a selling point for me.
Purchased an extended warranty for $2500 through my credit union where the car is financed. 4year / 48k miles, basically bumper to bumper and I can take the car to any ASE certified repair facility including Lexus. $200 deductible though. It should be noted that 6 of the 8 front control arms had just been replaced in June 2015 at Keyes Lexus as well as the Brake Actuator.
Couple of issues:
-During the test drive, I noticed that the heated steering wheel light was on. I pushed it to turn it off but the light just stayed on. After the drive, turned the car off and the light was still on. Asked the sales man and he said it would turn off eventually, but it did not. I didn't have them add it to the due bill during purchase so it's basically on me to fix. The wheel doesn't feel heated so I think the switch is broken. I'm not too concerned because I live in San Diego and there are probably a couple weeks a year I would consider using it and even then, it's completely unnecessary. I may elect to have it fixed once my warranty kicks in. I could drive back to the dealership and ***** about it but honestly the dealership is a two hour drive each way and is in North LA (Sherman Oaks). I don't have the time take a whole day off to deal with it. My deductible is $200 for my warranty and I'll go that route if it bugs me down the road.
-The drivers seat has proven to be pretty uncomfortable. I posted in a couple of other threads about it and have been doing extensive reading. I've concluded that it's a combination of stiff seat bottom bolsters and a deteriorating middle cushion. As others have done, I am having foam added to the middle of the seat bottom on Monday and this should solve my problem. Other than that, the car rides like a dream.
-The front brakes were replaced recently. They have about 9mm of pad left. But when applying brakes at slow speeds, under 20mph, I can feel and hear a grinding sound. It sounds with the revolution of the wheel so it's like something is stuck in the caliper or on the rotor. I had it looked at by a local indy lexus shop and he confirmed the brakes were new but didn't see anything. He did confirm the noise though. Any ideas?
-Lastly, I found out about 5 days after purchasing the car that the front right fender, right side of bumper & right door have been painted. I feel sort of stupid that I didn't notice it while inspecting the car prior to purchase. It was a 95F day and the car was in direct sun. It looked clean. I was looking for overspray and didn't see anything that caught my eye.
The color matching was as good as it gets and it was blended quite well. The issue is that the re-paint area is dull compared to the original finish. Like if you look at the original paint you can see a mirror finish and then when looking at the re-painted surface you loose some detail. I stopped by a couple of well respected and well reviewed auto body shops in San Diego. One of them specializes in Toyota/Lexus paint, the other one doesn't. The shop that specializes in Lexus said that he has seen this issue before and he's guessing that the paint wasn't given enough time to dry/cure before applying the clear coat. When this happens, the finish can look great for a few days, then appears dull. He suggests light wet sanding & polishing and it should look completely acceptable. Worse case is I have to have the area re-painted but I'm holding out hope his suggestion takes care of it. It's really not that noticeable unless you're looking for it.
Both body shops told me the damage must have been minimal, like a bad scratch or something. Both the door and fender have the original vin plates and the metal is smooth, doesn't look to have been banged out. And the bumper looks to be original, the paint is blended about 1/2 way over and I just noticed the blending spot on the bumper yesterday. The previous owner may have rubbed up against something. I can't say for sure. The previous owner may have had the work done themselves or they may have traded it in that way and the dealer I bought it from may have had the work done.
Any any rate, I'm very happy with the purchase. Even if I had knowledge of the paint work before hand, I would have still purchased the car but perhaps would have had more negotiating power and could have gotten another $1k off the purchase price.
On to the pics:
11-05-15, 01:26 PM
#42
Lexus Test Driver
With regards to the seat, I really had no choice. It was more than a little discomfort, I was in pain and I think it was messing with my nerves because the pain from the seat bottom was shooting up my back into my neck and making me nauseous. The padding I had added has taken away that shooting pain for the most part. I've had my car 4 days since I had the seat done and it's a huge improvement. The back of the seat bottom is a bit stiff but I expected that to be the case and it should settle down in the next week or so. But I've realized that there is a little gap now between the middle of the seat cushion where the padding was added and the side bolsters. A gap of empty space and that is allowing the already big seam to be that much more noticeable. I can feel it really only on the left side, the right side is fine. But the I can feel the seam on the left side and I may be going back to see what can be done about it. I am confident a solution will be found. I'm even contemplating just making this a DIY project and attempting to take the seat out and address the padding issue myself.
What is your assessment now that you have had the "new" seat for a good few weeks?
11-05-15, 01:41 PM
#43
Yea, and whatever was the outcome with the steering wheel heater switch light remaining on and no heat on the steering wheel? Enquiring minds want to know! 
11-05-15, 02:42 PM
#44
I took it back for him to cinch the leather down to do away with the void. He ended up making it worse. I ended up removing the seat myself and doing my best to fix it. I have a ton of DYI info to share and a new replacement cushion on order from Lexus. I plan to do an extensive write up for the forum.
I haven't had it checked seriously yet. I plan to do so at the next service interval. I live in San Diego so I have no real use for it, I'm not in a huge rush. I do want it to wrk properly though. I'll for sure update everyone when I get it done.
11-06-15, 11:32 AM
#45
Lexus Test Driver
The seat has turned into a bit of a nightmare. I'm vacationing in Maui at the moment so I won't go too far in depth right now. But the comfort was a huge improvement. However the left seam towards the back between the middle and side bolster was a bit annoyIng. Some days I would feel it, other days it was just fine. Due to adding padding in the middle, that left a void of space under the leather cover between the middle cushion and the side bolster because the upholster extended the seam tie downs.
I took it back for him to cinch the leather down to do away with the void. He ended up making it worse. I ended up removing the seat myself and doing my best to fix it. I have a ton of DYI info to share and a new replacement cushion on order from Lexus. I plan to do an extensive write up for the forum.
I haven't had it checked seriously yet. I plan to do so at the next service interval. I live in San Diego so I have no real use for it, I'm not in a huge rush. I do want it to wrk properly though. I'll for sure update everyone when I get it done.
I took it back for him to cinch the leather down to do away with the void. He ended up making it worse. I ended up removing the seat myself and doing my best to fix it. I have a ton of DYI info to share and a new replacement cushion on order from Lexus. I plan to do an extensive write up for the forum.
I haven't had it checked seriously yet. I plan to do so at the next service interval. I live in San Diego so I have no real use for it, I'm not in a huge rush. I do want it to wrk properly though. I'll for sure update everyone when I get it done.
I'm appalled!
Wow, that horrible and im so sorry to hear that.
Not to remark now that you have stated that your remedy hasn't worked as you'd have liked, but I was concerned about how that process would work out, long term, especially when you stated that almost immediately after you picked the car up it felt good but still not exactly how you wanted.
I'll be honest and say that im skeptical about having this done, and thinking that I may be better off looking into purchasing a new bottom seat assembly.
My concern is that if I encounter a similar issue, that the initial integrity of the seat will be compromised to the point that it will never quite be the same and stretching/wearing will accelerate, causing the seat to look bad.
I look forward to hearing about your experience regarding the seat cushion adjustment.
Enjoy the vacation!
