remote top...
11-10-03, 02:57 PM
#1
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remote top...
Just got a remote top and starter installed over the weekend. YIPPEEE!! It works pretty flawlessly and I thought it was worth the money. It always seemed a lacking feature. You can have the top go down, up, or remote start my using the factory remote. So now (or when summer rolls around again) I can put my top up without having to sit in the car and hold the button. One or two key press and away I go. My initial fear was that it would stall in the middle of the cycle, but as long as no-one hits the break while its in motion no such problem.
I haven't played much with the remote starter, but it would be useful in cold or warn weather as I can set the temp and have it cool or heat the car before I get out to it.
Just though I'd share. Happy driving.
I haven't played much with the remote starter, but it would be useful in cold or warn weather as I can set the temp and have it cool or heat the car before I get out to it.
Just though I'd share. Happy driving.
11-10-03, 03:13 PM
#2
CyberRuler,
That sounds great I have read that a few of the members have this already. I have this in the Subaru but have always had reservations about putting on the Lexus. The remote starter is a great feature to have specially in the winter mornings.
I want to make sure I get a good installer. I was unable to see your location. Did you have this done on NY. Can any member recommend a good installer in NY?
That sounds great I have read that a few of the members have this already. I have this in the Subaru but have always had reservations about putting on the Lexus. The remote starter is a great feature to have specially in the winter mornings.
I want to make sure I get a good installer. I was unable to see your location. Did you have this done on NY. Can any member recommend a good installer in NY?
11-10-03, 09:04 PM
#3
May I ask you what's the price of admission to such fine gadgetry???
I'm also curious what kind of disassembly and wiring took place, and if that affects your warranty. I think I'm too **** to let somebody rip my new car apart for that (and having to pay for it
), but it'd be kewl to have it.
Take care.
JC
I'm also curious what kind of disassembly and wiring took place, and if that affects your warranty. I think I'm too **** to let somebody rip my new car apart for that (and having to pay for it
), but it'd be kewl to have it. Take care.
JC
11-11-03, 03:28 AM
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Steve was nice enough to drive to Las Vegas to install mine while I watched. The pictures that he uses in the manual were actually taken of my car 
As far as disassembly.... Driver door panel, Driver side top strike latch, climate control, and the under steering area. Took Steve under 2 hours while I talked to him to do it.
15 wires total. Very clean install. If you have installed a car alarm, this is a piece of cake. I would have done it myself, but there were arangments for people to see the install job in Las Vegas. Something important about the install is that no wires are cut. All wires are piggybacked. This means that you can take wire cutters and cut his device out and your car will be 100% factory. Even the remote start is piggy backed and not intercepting any wires.
I too was worried about my warranty and lease. I've hear lexus is pretty good about such devices and if there is ever an issue where they try to blame the device, you can just cut the device right out to diagnose the problem.
I do have a few dislikes.
First is that the doors don't automaticaly lock after putting the top back up. I can't just walk away from the car after I park. I have to get out, use the remote to put the top up and then wait for it. After it is up, then I can lock the doors. (No, you can't hit the lock button on the door as it will stop the process)
Next is that you can't remote unlock the doors if you remote start it. You have to go up to the car and use the key. This is because the car's keyless entry system is disabled once the car is on.
He made a "new" version that allows those two things but wants $350.00 for just the part to upgrade if I install it myself. I can't help but feel jiped, but thats what I get for not wanting to wait. (I know it is totally my fault, but it has put a bad taste in my mouth about the product) Maybe if I could find a buyer for my old unit to help offset the cost, but that is just too much effort.
Also you have to unlock the car before you remote start it or the car alarm will go off (because the car is started and thinks it is being stolen). It would have been very easy to have the device trip the unlock and then start the car without bothering the user to do it. It may sound petty, but I quit using the remote start because I kept setting the alarm off by accident.
I've seen some people comment on the range not being as far. This has nothing to do with Steve's product, it has to do with the way the key activates the remote windows. If you can roll down your windows, you will be able to put the top down. You will notice though that you have to be a little closer to roll your windows down than just to unlock the car. (probably has something to do with needing a continous UNLOCK singnal from the remote and if you are too far the signal gets interupted)
Make sure you get the "new" version if you do get it. Having to wait for the top to go up and then locking the doors defeats the entire purpose of having such a toy. When I bought it I was really under the impression that I could walk away from it and not worry about my car being locked. WRONG. If I had to do it again, I probably would wait and see what he comes up with next.
The part is $500 and labor thru Steve will run you $200.
Also, for those that do have it, PLEASE BE CAREFUL. The other day I had a little kid run up to the car and put his hands on the rear of the car trying to see it all as I put the top down... If his hands had to stayed there it would have been aweful as the only way to stop the top is to run up and put the key in the door. Later I stuck a crayon in the latches to see if there was a safety stop on the top mechanism (like the one-touch windows) - there is no stop. It broke thru 4 crayons at one time, it will do serious damage to a little kids fingers. There is a reason why lexus makes you hold the button.
-lee
As far as disassembly.... Driver door panel, Driver side top strike latch, climate control, and the under steering area. Took Steve under 2 hours while I talked to him to do it.
15 wires total. Very clean install. If you have installed a car alarm, this is a piece of cake. I would have done it myself, but there were arangments for people to see the install job in Las Vegas. Something important about the install is that no wires are cut. All wires are piggybacked. This means that you can take wire cutters and cut his device out and your car will be 100% factory. Even the remote start is piggy backed and not intercepting any wires.
I too was worried about my warranty and lease. I've hear lexus is pretty good about such devices and if there is ever an issue where they try to blame the device, you can just cut the device right out to diagnose the problem.
I do have a few dislikes.
First is that the doors don't automaticaly lock after putting the top back up. I can't just walk away from the car after I park. I have to get out, use the remote to put the top up and then wait for it. After it is up, then I can lock the doors. (No, you can't hit the lock button on the door as it will stop the process)
Next is that you can't remote unlock the doors if you remote start it. You have to go up to the car and use the key. This is because the car's keyless entry system is disabled once the car is on.
He made a "new" version that allows those two things but wants $350.00 for just the part to upgrade if I install it myself. I can't help but feel jiped, but thats what I get for not wanting to wait. (I know it is totally my fault, but it has put a bad taste in my mouth about the product) Maybe if I could find a buyer for my old unit to help offset the cost, but that is just too much effort.
Also you have to unlock the car before you remote start it or the car alarm will go off (because the car is started and thinks it is being stolen). It would have been very easy to have the device trip the unlock and then start the car without bothering the user to do it. It may sound petty, but I quit using the remote start because I kept setting the alarm off by accident.
I've seen some people comment on the range not being as far. This has nothing to do with Steve's product, it has to do with the way the key activates the remote windows. If you can roll down your windows, you will be able to put the top down. You will notice though that you have to be a little closer to roll your windows down than just to unlock the car. (probably has something to do with needing a continous UNLOCK singnal from the remote and if you are too far the signal gets interupted)
Make sure you get the "new" version if you do get it. Having to wait for the top to go up and then locking the doors defeats the entire purpose of having such a toy. When I bought it I was really under the impression that I could walk away from it and not worry about my car being locked. WRONG. If I had to do it again, I probably would wait and see what he comes up with next.
The part is $500 and labor thru Steve will run you $200.
Also, for those that do have it, PLEASE BE CAREFUL. The other day I had a little kid run up to the car and put his hands on the rear of the car trying to see it all as I put the top down... If his hands had to stayed there it would have been aweful as the only way to stop the top is to run up and put the key in the door. Later I stuck a crayon in the latches to see if there was a safety stop on the top mechanism (like the one-touch windows) - there is no stop. It broke thru 4 crayons at one time, it will do serious damage to a little kids fingers. There is a reason why lexus makes you hold the button.
-lee
11-11-03, 11:44 AM
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Jeez I'm sad to hear you had a problem with it. I also got it from Steve custom installed. It did cost $750 for parts and labor or you can opt for the parts only and install it yourself. I did however get his latest iteration of the product and am not experiencing some of the aforementioned problems.
The installation is actually not all that tough. Everything is wired in parallel and so all the original electronics will function even when the device is removed. The only biggy is knowing how to remove the drivers door panel; but Steve can guide you through that.
As for the quirks, the latest iteration of the product has a built in delay to allow you to lock/unlock the car before the operation is started. So if lets say you want to have the top closed and lock the car, you press and hold the unlock for 3 seconds (beep sounds) then withing 5 seconds hit the lock button (if you wan to lock the car while walking away). Same for the remote starter, there is a 5 second delay for you to unlock the car. These are all good or bad scenarios, but I think they provide flexibility. If you remote start and your car is parked on the street, you would probably want it to be locked. If its in your garage, maybe unlocked.
Steve was a Lexus tech with Longo just up until a year ago when he started his own garage. He seemed very careful and dedicated to his work. I did have reservations about the price, but he is currently in negotions with Lexus to have it become a dealer installed option which would run you anywhere from $1200-1500.
So for me, it was worth it for both the ohh and aww as well as the functional aspect. I just got fedup holding that button or having to run back to the car to bring the top up when I'm going inside for longe than expected.
If you are interested you can reach Steve through www.luxurymotorworks.com. You can just talk with him and see if this is something for you. If you lease the car, I would try to not add too much value to the car that I couldn't recoup unless I wanted to buy it in the end.
I just realized that was a long rant. Hey has anyone installed sway bars on their car? Which? How Much? And was it effective?
The installation is actually not all that tough. Everything is wired in parallel and so all the original electronics will function even when the device is removed. The only biggy is knowing how to remove the drivers door panel; but Steve can guide you through that.
As for the quirks, the latest iteration of the product has a built in delay to allow you to lock/unlock the car before the operation is started. So if lets say you want to have the top closed and lock the car, you press and hold the unlock for 3 seconds (beep sounds) then withing 5 seconds hit the lock button (if you wan to lock the car while walking away). Same for the remote starter, there is a 5 second delay for you to unlock the car. These are all good or bad scenarios, but I think they provide flexibility. If you remote start and your car is parked on the street, you would probably want it to be locked. If its in your garage, maybe unlocked.
Steve was a Lexus tech with Longo just up until a year ago when he started his own garage. He seemed very careful and dedicated to his work. I did have reservations about the price, but he is currently in negotions with Lexus to have it become a dealer installed option which would run you anywhere from $1200-1500.
So for me, it was worth it for both the ohh and aww as well as the functional aspect. I just got fedup holding that button or having to run back to the car to bring the top up when I'm going inside for longe than expected.
If you are interested you can reach Steve through www.luxurymotorworks.com. You can just talk with him and see if this is something for you. If you lease the car, I would try to not add too much value to the car that I couldn't recoup unless I wanted to buy it in the end.
I just realized that was a long rant. Hey has anyone installed sway bars on their car? Which? How Much? And was it effective?
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11-11-03, 09:07 PM
#8
Thanks a lot for such detail writeup Lee and CyberRuler. The latest version is definitely the one to have, but I have a BIG problem with the fact the top doesn't reverse itself in case of an obstruction, and even worse, CANNOT be stopped with anything but the key in the door. This is a HUGE potential liability guys, and the car itself is a magnet for a lawsuit. I'd check with my insurance company to make sure such an aftermarket device is covered by your liability portion (you'll be surprised).
The second thing I don't like is the fact that top operation without the car running severely discharges the battery, so it'd be a wise idea to recharge it every night after the feature is used. I opened/closed the roof when I installed tinted windows, and the battery tender took all night to bring the battery up to full charge again.
Those 2 reasons, plus the fact I use the car very little (even less with the top down), I'll pass on this. And no gentlemen, no way in hell Lexus would authorize, or any smart dealer would install, such a device, even with a disclaimer. Why do you think it hasn't been incorporated by the factory? Simple. We live in an extremely litigious country.
Be careful with that thing guys; I wouldn't just walk away from the car.
JC
The second thing I don't like is the fact that top operation without the car running severely discharges the battery, so it'd be a wise idea to recharge it every night after the feature is used. I opened/closed the roof when I installed tinted windows, and the battery tender took all night to bring the battery up to full charge again.
Those 2 reasons, plus the fact I use the car very little (even less with the top down), I'll pass on this. And no gentlemen, no way in hell Lexus would authorize, or any smart dealer would install, such a device, even with a disclaimer. Why do you think it hasn't been incorporated by the factory? Simple. We live in an extremely litigious country.
Be careful with that thing guys; I wouldn't just walk away from the car.
JC
11-12-03, 11:11 AM
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I agree with the liability issue, that is why I kinda like the "version" that I have. While I am walking to the car I can put the top down, but the car is always in my sight as I am walking up.
When I put it up, it forces me to hang around the car to arm it so I am forced to keep an eye on the car.
Everyone at the dealership was impressed with the product and at first I recommended it to everyone. Steve used my car to show everyone at the dealership in Vegas so everytime I walk in I am "the kid with the remote top". Even one of the salesmen has an SC430 and he wanted it. However on my last service visit my service writter asked me if I still liked because they had lots of inquiries about it and I told him about the "upgraded" one and how I felt ripped off. He said that was not a situation that they would want to deal with as a dealership and I am sure that they will not be selling them. I feel bad that I may have stopped the sales, but I was being honest.
I have heard of other Lexus dealerships selling them for $1195 installed.
You are correct, it would be hard for Lexus to make it a factory option. Even if they made it able to sence when there was a blockage, what would it do? If it just stopped, depending on the position of the top it could just continue to fall or fall back the other way. The top would have to work differently and be able to be stopped at anypoint and stay at that excat position before it could even be considered.
As far as the battery, I don't think it is really a big issue. I have sat here and put the top up and down 10+ times and the car always started the next day. One time when you leave the car should not cause a good battery not to start the car the next day.
Before anyone thinks about this option, have someone put your top up/down and look at the scissor type mechanism that lifts the trunk. Now think about a finger in there, I am sure it would sever it off.
With all of that said, would I give it up? No.
Would I do it again? No.
Would I recommend it? No.
When I put it up, it forces me to hang around the car to arm it so I am forced to keep an eye on the car.
Everyone at the dealership was impressed with the product and at first I recommended it to everyone. Steve used my car to show everyone at the dealership in Vegas so everytime I walk in I am "the kid with the remote top". Even one of the salesmen has an SC430 and he wanted it. However on my last service visit my service writter asked me if I still liked because they had lots of inquiries about it and I told him about the "upgraded" one and how I felt ripped off. He said that was not a situation that they would want to deal with as a dealership and I am sure that they will not be selling them. I feel bad that I may have stopped the sales, but I was being honest.
I have heard of other Lexus dealerships selling them for $1195 installed.
You are correct, it would be hard for Lexus to make it a factory option. Even if they made it able to sence when there was a blockage, what would it do? If it just stopped, depending on the position of the top it could just continue to fall or fall back the other way. The top would have to work differently and be able to be stopped at anypoint and stay at that excat position before it could even be considered.
As far as the battery, I don't think it is really a big issue. I have sat here and put the top up and down 10+ times and the car always started the next day. One time when you leave the car should not cause a good battery not to start the car the next day.
Before anyone thinks about this option, have someone put your top up/down and look at the scissor type mechanism that lifts the trunk. Now think about a finger in there, I am sure it would sever it off.
With all of that said, would I give it up? No.
Would I do it again? No.
Would I recommend it? No.
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