Yeah, yeah, yeah you 13+ guys! So what woop de doo!! So your car's look cool at night!

 

Had no idea the '13's and beyond did that... after reading this I found a Lexus video (from Lexus Asia) showing it. Wow. Now my 2010 I just bought suddenly feels very dated...!

FatherTo1- now you have to go drive her at night! You have to set the lighting level to just the right intensity to create the feel you want. Beautiful cabin in those '13's and beyond.

 

I wonder if mine is broken or not set somehow. I just went out to test it. I can see the nice illumination for the door handles and the left side of the steering wheel (which coincidentally, it seems the left of the steering wheel is not lit up according to ES/GS forum). However, I do not see the right half of the console lit up like in the video you mentioned, JR. Strange that the Owner's Manual doesn't make any mention of ambient lighting. Not too happy to find out that there could be a broken feature. I didn't know to check it and my mechanic must have missed it too. I will try to take it in for Lexus to look at this weekend. Maybe they'll be nice about a CPO that just went out of warranty 300 miles ago. Am curious what the dealership will do for me, if anything. Sigh.

 

Looks like a burned out light or more likely a fuse, since these lights are probably LEDs. I know there are also illumination settings that can be adjusted by the dealer and Carista App. It could be a relatively simple fix. Good luck!

 

The ambient light strip underneath the wood over your glove box is not working

 

Thanks, Steve. I used to not car about ambient lighting and previously wondered what's the big deal. Now that I have partial ambient lighting I quite like it and can't wait until I have full ambient light restored. Made an appointment with Lexus online for next week. Will also give my mechanic a crack at it this Saturday.

On a separate note, does anyone else notices a faint motor sound when you first open the driver's door in the morning , like the sound the side mirror motors would make? I don't think it's the air suspension because I just leave that on Normal most of the time. The seat hasn't changed so mirrors, steering wheel, and seat shouldn't need to move upon opening the door. Typically the steering wheel doesn't telescope out until the power is on or engine started. I don't see anything else move when I open the door but I hear something for 2-3 seconds. It doesn't happen at every open door. I only notice it when I get in to leave the house in the morning. Could it be headlights leveling (even when they're off?)?

 

I hear that sound all the time and I've always been curious about it.

 

I have also heard the same sound.

 

Looks like it could be an electric pump priming the brake pressure:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/hs-...or-opened.html

Granted, not all of us are driving hybrid LSes but don't all 460s have electronic brake force distribution? If so, this sounds like a plausible explanation.

 

Sounds plausible!

 

Yes please let me know. Not holding my breath tho. I think your dad is probably going to be pleased with his 06. I'm casually looking for an '10 460. No big rush. Also I'm interested in NorCal meet ups.

 

Your story was a gut-churner for me. I am sure many CL folks empathized and are delighted that you "won"!! Congratulations!

 

Thank you for sharing in the journey, Whinenot. It was definitely a roller-coaster ride and am glad the ride is over. I was just out to buy a car but it ended up being a life lesson. Not everything is as it seems. Some cars photographed well until you got up close in person. Some simply did not sound right and you hazard to guess what's wrong underneath the hood. There was that case of an undisclosed engine swap too that CarFax and Autocheck did not catch. Thank goodness for access to the Lexus Driver's site and access to the collective experience and wisdom of CL members.

 

I kept my original Lexus appointment this morning and they checked the ambient light above the glove box and it is deemed broken. The previous clock TSB didn't touch that area and the light assembly was still plugged in. Replacement is $312, half labor half parts. I think I'll pass on it for now. Bummed though that it wasn't caught while still covered under warranty by the seller. Guess the previous owner didn't drive it enough at night to notice it was broken. My indie mechanic may be able to get me a break on the price of parts and save some on labor too, but still we're probably looking at $200 for a strip of light. Sigh. I can live without it for now. I called back a moment ago and left a message to ask if they checked the fuses too.

On a separate note, it seems Lexus of Sacramento is planning to raise their labor costs from $160/hr to $180/hr. That should help out the local independent shops.

On yet another separate note, they gave me a CT loaner since the shuttle was going to take a while. I am impressed at how solid the CT is, but the suspension is quite stiff and jarring. It is my first time driving a hybrid and I thought the drivetrain transition is very transparent and undetectable aside from engine growl. I had to step on the pedal a good amount to get up to speed but yet still averaged 42 MPG! The NuLuxe pleather also isn't too bad and is very convincing and soft. It's not a bad small little hatchback. Not as quiet as I would expect from a Lexus while on the road but the hybrid system is very silent in a parking lot or at a light (except for a slight high-pitch EMI hum). It is a spunky, fun little car to drive short distances.

 

$180/hr. that's way more than what BMW/Audi/Mercedes are charging where I live...in fact is more than some attorneys are charging. Lexus seems to be a very popular car in Sacramento !