SH20

Since owning my SWB 460 registered 2007 I have never really been sure what the original owner chose from the options list. I have noticed differences between 460's but I had assumed wrongly that the equipment on my car was, in the main, standard. I tried the original dealer whose sales records no longer go back to 2007, or so they say, I tried Lexus UK but the very nice lady who tried to help me wasn't up to the task but finally I got the info I wanted. Anal? yes I agree. Here are the facts without listing every item: In 2007 there were 3 models, LS460, LS460 SE and LS460 SE-L LS460 12 options LS460 SE 7 options LS460 SE-L 1 option NB: A wood leather steering wheel was an option on all 3 models and the Key Card was an option on the LS460 and the LS460 SE The original and previous owner to me was a Caravan Park Owner and he chose the 3 upgrade packs which were available (18 options across the 3 upgrades) He also opted for the Key Card, making 19 options in all. He decided not to order the car with the wood leather steering wheel option. Had he done so the car would have had all 20 of the available options at the time. I fitted a wood leather steering wheel (no heat function as it was a retro fit) but not because I wanted all 20 options as I didn't know what was standard equipment or an option at the time I fitted it. So why did I do this?. The reason: In October 2018 I want to trade up to an early version of the LS600h L, the one which has 4 seats, Ottoman and fixed rear centre console. Eventually I can say to the Lexus salesman that my present car has every option that was available so he can't down grade my car by saying it was all standard equipment. Admittedly the wood leather steering wheel isn't heated and I could refit the original if I needed to. I'm aware options don't always affect future values but I've locked horns with some "Smart Alec" franchised salesman before who think they are one step ahead of the customer. Anyway just thought I would share my obsession for detail.

Having a drive shaft fitted under my extended Lexus warranty was only the result of a fantastic dealer, Lexus Carlisle where I bought the car from back in Oct 2015. I live 117 miles from Carlisle and went to them because I have it serviced there under my service plan. I had approached Lexus Leeds who laughed me out of the building who said no chance of getting a rubber cv joint gaiter replaced even if I did have Lexus warranty. Carlisle took the complete opposite approach and did everything for me. They said I could wait in their customer reception area where I spotted the book, supplied me with coffee, biscuits, soft drinks etc. Although I was there just over 4 hours before I journeyed back to Yorkshire I couldn't have been treated any better. Lexus Leeds, a joke of a dealer. I'm still in two minds to drop Lexus an e mail and tell them what a shambles the Leeds dealer is at representing a quality brand like Lexus.

Waiting in the Lexus dealer's customer lounge /coffee area yesterday while a new rear drive shaft was being fitted under warranty to my own 2007 LS460, (split rubber boot) I noticed this hard backed book on a coffee table and thought how odd a 10 year old book, specifically for the 2007 LS460, was lying amongst various other reading material including all the newest model brochures. Intrigued I went through it, all 96 pages and thought I would love to own this book. I asked the service manager if the parts or sales departments could tell me if the book was still available at it had a Lexus part number on the back of it. He came back and said it was out of print but as it belonged to the sales department the sales manager had said if the customer wants it then he could have it because it was an old obsolete publication. I was very happy to hear that. The book is very detailed and covers every model variant in 2007. Full colour photos and assume all dealers got one when the new 460 was launched.

Spacewagon makes a fair point, who knows what dealers think about people who buy elsewhere and don't use their facilities, although LS460's are still a very low volume vehicle so sourcing one on your own door step would be a stroke of luck. I travelled to Bolton, Derby, Hull, Leicester and finally Carlisle before I found the right car. Leeds and Bradford both 5 miles from my home never once had a LS460 for sale that was in the year range I was looking for. I've had the car 18 months and never used the 2 local dealers near me apart from buying parts and I never discussed with them where I bought it. I have been into my local dealer face to face and discussed several things but not once did I feel welcome. Maybe they just thought I was a tyre kicker, obtaining pricing for jobs but never buying. Once though my car was parked outside the main Lexus entrance and a salesman came out as I was leaving and he asked if I was selling the car, he was trying to locate a Sienna Red 460 for a customer but was struggling to find one. He was the only chap who gave me the time of day. Don't get me wrong, I'm not some hyper sensitive being who wants total respect from Lexus dealers but I spent my whole working life in the motor trade and I know what customer service is when I witness it. In another 2 years I will want to swap the 460 for a 600 and I will be asking Carlisle to find it.

I think the boot Farqui posted is about the best I have seen as you can clearly see how the resin adhesive would lay on the lip of the boot edge and the opposite side would lay directly on it. However: HEARD TODAY THAT LEXUS HAS ACCEPTED THE WARRANTY CLAIM AND HAVE AUTHORISED A NEW DRIVE SHAFT TO BE FITTED. SOMEWHAT SURPRISED AS I HAD GEARED UP FOR A REJECTION. FEEL NOW THE £1670 I SPENT ON TWO YEARS EXTENDED WARRANTY TO HAVE BEEN WORTH IT. I was pretty confident I would have repaired the split cv gaiter had I needed to but won't have to now. However: As pleased as I am the drive shaft (£1000 invoice total) will be met by Lexus, my dealer has warned me the abs sensor and electric parking brake cable need to be removed as part of the pull down of the rear suspension to get the shaft out. These two items are prone to seizure so could be extra. My confidence in the dealer though is high and they have said they will endeavour to get them off carefully as these parts won't be stood by Lexus. This is why a good dealer who takes care of their customers is worth going back to. They are 150 miles from where I live whereas the local dealer to me is only 5 miles away and both service reception Engineers dismissed any chance of a warranty claim. They couldn't even be bothered to put a call in to Lexus, arrogant tossers. Also I want to have the auto transmission fluid changed as it's covered 65,000 miles. I know people say sealed for life and all that but you've guessed it, local dealer 5 mile away say NO!!, not necessary, my dealer where I bought the car and have it serviced 150 miles away say YES, no problem if that is what you want, £170 job done. The service manager who has sorted out everything for me said this to me today, " You know it beggars belief that a dealer local to you gives up so easily the opportunity to sell some labour and parts in a situation like yours, whether it's warranty or retail. Every opportunity to earn some additional monies should be in the forefront of a dealer's mind knowing that the customer will want to come back time and again when they need looking after". Wise words I think without being predatory towards loyal customers. I'll let you know if the abs sensor and handbrake cable were replaced or not. Steve

Thanks guys for the advise and possible solutions. Grateful. My dealer, where I bought the car from and have it serviced, is very customer focused and has submitted a warranty claim under my extended Lexus warranty and is waiting to hear back. Their opinion was they have never ever had to fit a drive shaft on a 460 and given there is so many suspension and braking components surrounding the outer cv joint they find it hard to believe anything could fly up from the road and inflict damage right along the edge of one of the moulded peaks of the gaiter. Rather, they say defective material. At 65,000 miles it might take some convincing a warranty Engineer but you never know, maybe a contribution as the car was sold new and is only serviced by them from new too. It's true that front wheel drive cv gaiters will take more abuse given the fact the front wheels have to steer the car and therefore the gaiter twists and turns more than a rear shaft. If it falls down I think I will try gluing as Chris suggests with a super glue of some sort by applying it on one side of the split and then turn the shaft round till both surfaces come together and then pinch it while it sets, after all these split cv boot kits must be using something similar.

Hard to accept that Lexus won't supply a replacement CV gaiter for 460 half shafts. They don't have a problem with their CV half shafts according to the muppet who spoke to me today so his rationale was they don't need to service the gaiter when it splits. At £750 for a new shaft I am drawn to fixing the split gaiter by other means, even considering these split gaiters that swamp the internet and youtube. First noticed grease on the inside lip of my osr wheel rim when I removed the wheels for cleaning. Yes as anal as it sounds I take my wheels off once every 3 weeks and deal with all the crap that accumulates on the inside over such a short period. As soon as I saw the grease I went straight to the outer cv gaiter. Sure enough a slit about 2 inches in length was evident. Deemed by most people as wear and tear I thought I'd get a cv kit from Lexus but now find they don't list anything, just a new shaft. Bummer !! Closed the split temporarily with good old fashioned guerrilla tape and it worked so no more grease can get out but hardly the solution I really want. Anyone had a similar issue??

Hi Farqui, no the Jaguar business trays were not a £2300 cost option if you ordered them from new and fitted by the factory. The cost option was around £700 and were available in burr walnut or burr elm wood veneers only. If you do anything retrospective and use a dealer to source the parts the cost rockets. Two new seat backs were special order, one came from the USA and the other came from Germany using Jaguar world wide parts sourcing, something that dealers have access to only. Two new subframes were also required which bolt to the seat frame itself. The seat backs and subframes came to £2000 incl vat and that was after the dealer gave me 10% discount so still very costly items to fit after the car was originally built. The actual veneered tables were bought second hand on e bay for £300, ridiculously cheap given that they are £500 each as they come in about 7 pieces. Pity Lexus don't do anything at all apart from the centre console pull out tray system on some later models of the LS600 with the full relaxation seat package.

You'll have to take my word for it but these photos may explain my pre occupation with picnic tables in cars. My previous car to my 460 was a Jaguar XJ which saw me retrospectively fit some genuine Jaguar business trays as they called them in burr walnut, very costly approx £2300 and the car before that was my Bentley Arnage although they were fitted as part of the original build specification. I won't achieve this level of design quality but there is no harm in making a prototype before I decide if they will be good enough. My design will come down to the veneering/lacquering and trim work at the end of the day.

Having owned a number of cars in the past with picnic tables fitted in the backs of the front seats I have begun a project that has seen my own attempt at the first stage of the build to create some fall tables. There are some images on google of some LS430's with MK 2 Jaguar tables retrospectively fitted which look smart and I have used MK 2 Jaguar hinges in my own design which have to be a cantilever hinge. The hinges are crucial in any table because the table must pull away from the seat back before tilting to the useable position otherwise the bottom lip would catch the opening. The original issue for me was getting hold of a second hand seat back from a 460, not easy but eventually found one for sale from a written off car. Using a donor seat back was crucial as I was working blind really in figuring out the design, size of opening and available space inside the seat itself as I didn't want to wreck my car's seat backs should the project fail. The pictures show a black seat back which had the upper section of it's vinyl covering torn away but that was not important to me. As 460 seat backs are not flat and are shaped in a number of planes including convex and concave areas I started by creating an oversized fibreglass mould of the seat back, later to be cut down to the final size of tray. An opening was made and the actual wooden table top was made from plywood which will be covered in walnut veneer prior to trimming. At every stage the donor seat back was offered up to one of my front seats to assess the available space even though the inside of the seat is a maze of seat components. I have used a great trimmer in the past who will be asked to match the vinyl seat back when it comes to covering the outer and inside faces of the fibreglass flap. NB: LS460's do not have leather seat backs but use a high quality vinyl. The smaller surface area on the inside of the fibreglass panel is likely to be covered in a grey alcantara to match the grey trim on the door panels but ivory vinyl will be used on the outer surface. My intention is to have the walnut veneer colour matched to the car's rich red walnut inside my car along with the table pull handle which you can see in the pictures. Stage 2 I hope will see the completion of the table in order that I am happy with it and before I decide to make a second table and before both are fitted in my existing seat backs. I hope to send in some final photos once completed but in the meantime if you want to comment then please do.

Hi Keith, when you asked about ipod connectivity I mentioned a "Y" harness from the firm you used to buy your ipod kit from. The Y harness allows you to maintain the use of the CD changer. Without the Y harness there is insufficient docking in the rear of the audio unit. Regards Steve

Hi Keith forgot to mention the Youtube video on the audio unit removal includes the removal of the two leather covered side panels on the centre console and the removal of the gear selector/cup holder panel so you can thread the harness from the audio head to the storage box/arm rest where you would locate the small ipod control unit which tucks nicely away. Even if you add the Y harness that part easily fits in and around the centre console. Charging of the ipod is constant too as you drive. Steve

Keith, I fitted an ipod kit in my 2007 460 because there is no connection as standard for the year my car was built. You also will need a Y harness if you want to keep the 6 disc CD changer. The kit was easy to fit after I located a Youtube video on the removal of the audio unit. This allowed me to connect up the ipod harness. Photos show the kit and the Y harness. You also have to identify the multi plug for the 2003 onwards vehicles when you order the kit so it plugs in to the back of the audio unit. The kit is supplied by a firm called Xcar.co.uk and I think all in it was about £200 incl the extra Y harness I chose to fit so I could still access my CD changer. You can control the ipod using the steering wheel buttons but it won't name the tracks on the screen. There is the option to buy a kit that uses your i phone if that's where your music is stored. Steve

I have a project in mind but ideally would need a spare seat back upper from a LS460 2007 -2009 like the one in the photo. Left or right, doesn't matter and any colour. Don't need carpet bit either. Tried all the usual sources such as e bay and breakers yards but as you can imagine no luck so I thought I would try the forum, you never know. Steve

Yes, key still fits and works fine, no issues with the chrome breaking away when the load is applied when removing the locking nut, this is simply down to the high quality of the chroming company I used. i was surprised to see no sun roof in your car as back in the day when it was built sun roofs were a standard feature but maybe Eire was the exception. Fitted a wood steering wheel myself because it makes such a difference to the interior, although I have no heating in mine as the car was not built with a wood leather wheel as original equipment. Switch packs just transferred over. Like the darker wood in your car. I own a ex dealership selection kit for salesmen to show customers the trim choices which has no use other than it's nice to look at from time to time. Did I say I was a bit anal about stuff?

Welcome, while reading your history with the LS I thought it was me writing. Looks like there is another OSD Lexus owner who takes a good car and then spends the next 6 months putting right every fault or blemish. It becomes really bad or sad when chrome plating your locking wheel nuts becomes normal behaviour for example, something most owners would think too much and plain daft.

The popularity of the LS 460/600 never ceases to amaze me. Currently as of the 16th November 2016 there are only 3 LS models sitting in Lexus dealerships in the UK. No other car I know of enjoys such high demand for the LS460/600. Even Autotrader lists only 44 vehicles for sale for the LS460/600's nationally. All cars have issues regardless of make but having had a 460 for just over 12 months which I bought from Lexus Carlisle I'm beginning to wonder why I paid £1495 for a further 2 years Lexus warranty when they were offering 2 for 1. This car hasn't missed a beat in the first year of ownership and I doubt if another 2 years warranty will see me make a claim. My previous 6 cars were 3 assorted Jaguars and before that 3 Bentleys. The Jags were faultless but the Bentleys were very temperamental and had more faults than you could shake a stick at. Go for a dealer LS460 when one pops up in your budget which will have a Lexus warranty.

Cruisermark is right the seat is very heavy. I'll stand corrected but does a 430 have a seat air bag? re: disconnect the battery?. I removed my driver's seat in my 460 and before disconnecting the yellow seat air bag wiring block connector did as Crisermark said, disconnected the battery and waited 20 mins for the discharge to take effect. Moreover open the driver's side rear door tilt the seat fully backwards and turn it on it's side slightly as it makes removing the seat easier to avoid the seat coming into contact with the steering wheel. I found having the seat on it's side made it easier to turn the seat around the B post but the weight is deceiving.

Although the 600 was not on my shopping list the LS460 was. Apart from the significant difference in road tax the 600 enjoys about 50% less than the 460 I never thought the bhp, the 0-60 or the mpg marginal differences justified the purchase of the 600. I guess for me the battery pack would be the one item that would put me off if I was buying a used 600. Interesting that Lexus no longer offer the LS460 in their new car model range, only the 600 hybrid and at £100,000 in the UK would make it a car that only purists might consider. The last LS460 was around £70K I think and I could never see how a £30K difference was warranted for the Hybrid 600, although it is fitted with every extra known to man except the night vision which is the only option you can have at £1500. I bought a 2007 460 and never looked back. The best car I've owned by far. The quality stands out as the most obvious factor for me and having had it for 12 months would recommend the car without hesitation. I even have an ex showroom trim selection case for the LS range circa 2007 which I never get tied of looking at.

Found these chromed plastic mirror covers on E Bay (as usual), cost £46 with free P&P, took just 8 days from Tiawan. Came across them also in the US for same price but the seller wanted £48 in postage on top of the £46. I've had these before for a Jaguar XK from Adamash Ltd a UK company specialising in Jaguar bolt on bits. Couldn't source these covers in the UK though. Took 4 mins to fit both sides, just peel off the red 3m tape and offer them over the mirror and push on. They stick very well and you get one chance only, so be confident when you offer them up. Not to everyone's taste I know but with the chrome window surrounds and handles I think the LS looks OK with these on. Be gentle with me guys.

Prior to purchasing my car I did see the "blisters" in the plastic chromed trim of the driver's door lower moulding and was surprised to see it nevertheless. A minor defect and reminded me of my teenage years fighting acne. All the other chromed plastic trims in the door/wing mouldings were perfect but for some reason the chrome plating had lifted and bubbled. Pin holes I thought and moisture getting in behind the chromed trim. I had agreed the price of £14000 with Lexus of Carlisle who had already carried out a 60K service, fitted new discs and pads front and rear, 3 new tyres and given it their 12 month Lexus used car warranty within that price. They said they couldn't spend any more money on the car prior to sale as the margin on the car made it just profitable for them to retail the car. I accepted their argument and ultimately went to my local dealer in Leeds to price a new moulding hoping the chromed bit might be separate. Alas no, the moulding was a one piece part and is £300 incl vat. After picking myself up off the floor I went home and got straight onto E bay. Found one in the USA in black and bought it for £42 including shipping. No import duty or extra taxes so got a real bargain. I'm just about to have it painted in Siena red after wet sanding some light scratches out of the black paintwork. It's obvious now that the main body of the door moulding is painted prior to the fitting of the chromed trim and the small lugs holding it all together are fused with a heat gun or hot iron, hence not being able to buy the chromed section separately. Not sure if this problem is a common fault or just a one off. Anyway that's just about the last job I needed to do to this lovely car. You can just make out the bubbling effect in the chrome compared to the second hand part. Moreover I'm able to press the bubbled area and they move about suggesting moisture is trapped under the chrome strip.

That's ok mikeyV, George and Stella my German Shepherds are looking forward to your visit. I'll not feed them their raw meat and biscuits on Saturday in readiness. Ha Ha madasahatter: The firm is called Silchrome Ltd, Leeds, it's the only place in Leeds who can plate and polish all sorts of metals in different finishes. I paid their minimum charge of £60 + vat as it was such a small order.

I find it very difficult to stop thinking of ways that I can improve things. While not everyone would be so anal or suffer from OCD I was never impressed with the finish of the locking wheel nuts on my 460, a rather dull grey steel finish and prone to looking very grubby over time. Other manufacturers suffer no less such as Mercedes whose locking wheel nuts look positively rusty if left unattended. There is no reason why Lexus couldn't chrome their locking wheel nuts to match the very heavy chrome of the standard wheel nuts. I polished the original locking wheel nuts on my buffing machine and they came up very well but they returned to their rather drab finish after a few weeks of road use. I decided to buy a new set of locking wheel nuts from the dealer at £32 incl vat and simply passed them straight over to a great chrome plating company in Leeds who turned them round In 24 hours. The result was impressive. No issues about the chrome entering the threaded section as 4 bolts were used to screw into the nuts during the process and as we are only talking about microns of chrome plating the master key works perfectly without marking the spinning outer cover. My friends tell me I need therapy but what do they know? Steve

Completely out of the blue I received in the post an original 2006 DVD that Lexus dealers probably received/used to show potential customers the LS460 when it was first launched. You know the sort of thing that is on a constant loop on a TV in a showroom. It lasts 12 mins and covers every technical aspect of the 460 over 8 separate chapters. Doesn't seem long for a DVD but it is a riveting series of mini films and CGI cut away technical video sequences. The sound track is very impressive. I found out ultimately that the salesman who sold me the car 8 months ago sent it to me after he was having a clear out of his desk. Little things like that make Lexus Carlisle a great dealer to deal with. Not sure if anyone else has seen the dvd or if it is even available from Lexus. If I knew how to turn the dvd into a link or computer file I would do it so you can view it. If some technofile can tell me I will give it a try. Steve

I really like that LS400 wheel you have just purchased Stuart as well as the Merc wheels. Were the Merc wheels original steering wheels as an option or were they bought as an after market accessory?. Like you I use E Bay all the time as my first option if I'm looking for something specific. I was told a new wood/leather steering wheel for a 460 was £1200 plus vat plus fitting. No wonder E Bay is so successful, the prices just can't be beaten especially if the seller is using make an offer as a means to a quicker sale.