lexusrott

I remember when we first bought our first Lexus two years ago.
The service manager said, when you come for service will give you a loaner , a free loaner.
That was a very sweet awakening for us. Of course the waiting room is very different from the Toyota side of the road.
We sure love to be pampered.

ggebhardt

I am not sure about the Toyota waiting room but even though they give me a loaner, I do not miss the authetic French Pastry and coffee in the Lexus waiting room!

Yes pampered is great!

spwolf

if your entertainment system is doing the same thing, it would mean that radio station are too loud? just like for instance, tv stations raise volume by 50% during commercials...

ggebhardt

The input volume levels on my home entertainment system are not equal and I expect that. I can even put up with it. BUT the ML system is an entire package that should come to the factory working with all inputs being very close. It is NOT normal that I must turn my volume level up to past 50 to hear the CD, SAT radio and music from the built in hard drive. I listen to 12 different radio stations at volume level 10-15.

tigmd99

Remind spwolf that my relatively cheap JBL system in my Sienna does not suffer from this problem...and JBL is from the same company as ML.

lexusrott

If I had speakers problems I would seek advice from an audio/video store like Sound Advice, this would be my first my stop.
This irregular sound could very well be some loose connections.

tigmd99

I have no idea why you guys are avoiding the dealer. This is a car problem and that includes everything in the car, e.g. Mark Levinson audio system. Trust me, the ML system is not something that you want a high school dropout at the local Tweeter/SoundAdvice store to look at or attempt to fix. It is a very integrated system.

TAKE IT TO THE DEALER. Don't bother contacting ML...they won't have much to say either. TAKE IT TO THE DEALER. Your car has BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY...use it! Bumper to bumper means everything between the two bumpers, e.g. radio, navigation, leather seats, floor mats, etc.. Didn't you guys pay for an expensive car from the best customer luxury brand?? Why are you avoiding it now after paying so much??

ggebhardt

I took it to the dealer today and they fully agree that there is something wrong. THEY are going to contact ML and replace the entire ML unit if required.

Do not worry tigmd99

I can not see me taking my new LX570 to Sound Advice for them to look at what is wrong! Radio Shack, maybe, but not Sound Advice! <vbg>

Go to go now as I am due at Kmart Automotive for my first LX570 tuneup and oil change!

lexusrott

No Sound Advice , what's the world coming to !!!

Kmart, Kmart. How about Jiffy Lube ?

trusso

Please let me know if you find anything else out about the low sound levels. We were on a trip this weekend and the same thing happened to me (first thing, I though of you). Had to put it on 40-45 so the kids could hear the sound on a movie, then switched it to XM and it was loud. Also got some pics of the LX in the snow with the suspension articulated hard. I just dont know how to post them.
I saw where a big truck (with huge tires) tried to make it up a snow bank, the LX easily passed the big tire tracks with almost no wheelspin, with luggage, kids and a fairly nervous wife in the car...all the time while watching a DVD with the volume at 45...

I'll call the dealer Tuesday and share what they find (or dont).

ggebhardt

Trusso, please let us know.

lexusrott

Good morning Greg

I thought you took your LX to the dealer.
Sound Advice was a bad example but where you live might be high end auto audio stores.
How often does the dealer deals with acoustics ?

tigmd99

LEXUSROTT, how often does a highend audio store deal with ML Reference Sound System?? Not often i would think. And what could a highend audio store do for you?? They are not gonna gut out the ML system to find what is wrong, right? They are not gonna open up the ML amplifier to fix it, right? Basically, the audio store will be gutting up the ML system blindly...not particularly what you want.

The dealer has schematics of the ML system. Therefore, they know where things are, where the wires are, and what the amplifier/DSP is like. None of this is available to the local audio store. In addition, as stated above, the dealer can contact ML directly.

Best part of it all...you do NOT have to pay to get it fix if you go to the dealer because YOU HAVE A BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY. The local audio store will charge you an hourly fee to find the problem. Of course, in all likelihood, you will pay them to screw up your brandnew LX! THEN, when you take it back to dealer, the dealer may decline to touch anything or they will charge you a handsome fee for fixing what the local audio store messed up. It is a bad idea IMHO to take it anywhere besides Lexus dealership.

tigmd99

What?!! Why are you taking it to Kmart store to change your oil??? You're kidding me, right? Are you trying to save some money?? Does the LX use synthetic oil or regular oil?

How many miles do you have on your LX??

lexusrott

Relax tigmd99

Don't you know when someone is jabbing you !