Barry14UK

I think a lot of people will be interested in your experience if you go further with this so please let us know how it goes, also what is involved and if you do pics of install if possible. How would this be updated in future? I found the Lexus sat nav prone to errors, clunky and lacking what I wanted. My GO 6200 Tomtom provides updated maps several times a year along with speed camera alerts ETA and a lot of other info and is a lot more accurate, has a touch screen among other features and all this with free updates. The one minor drawback is that there is a slight reflection at the front of the drivers side window at night. I have now obtained a hood (which I am currently modifying) to fit to the Tomtom, which I believe will stop this reflection. This was the how I mounted the sat nav without affecting the CD player obscuring vents or obscuring any instruments or controls. https://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/120872-fit-aftermarket-satnav-and-integrate-into-rx-audiosystem/ Incidentally, I have turned up the sound volume of the Tomtom so alerts can be heard over the level of any music as I have not yet found a way to play it over the car's audio system whilst muting whatever is being already played on the audio system.

As my mother used to say when asked her age, "I'me as old as my tongue and a little older than my teeth".

I favour using a separate alarm, if this is feasible. A further thought - if ceramic cats serve the purpose just as well, why isn't Lexus/Toyota fitting these?

Something I will discuss with Lexus Cheltenham when I present this coming Friday afternoon. I am well aware that many short journeys take a heavier toll on a car than covering the same sort of mileage on longer journeys. I therefore try to avoid using the car for short journeys as much as possible minimise wear and tear, petrol, the environmental impact and not least because walking provides much needed exercise. This does mean that my annual mileage is quite low. In fact I would have been happy to stay with my 5 series BMW but due to back problem needed a more comfortable suv and a newer vehicle. The reasons why I and others settled on the RX is perhaps something to discuss in another thread.

I have since looked at what several Groups are charging for fixed services and I thought they are so similar that they must be operating like a Cartel which essentially they must be because this is apparently what Lexus expect. Found this thread that covers the matter in replies:-

But by extending that reasoning a car serviced andthen left in a garage without use for a year would need another compliant service a year later and if it was the one with new spark plugs fitted this and replacement of other parts and checking of many other items would be nonsensical. In fact some cars now have a 2 year/20,000 mile service interval and Lexus have been left behind in this respect. However, should a car have been quite well used since the previous service but not reached the arbitrary 10K miles in a year, I can see the justification of renewing engine oil and filter because the oil will have absorbed moisture and some products of combustion and so acid formed.

The smoother ride of the 4th Gen RX is to be welcomed because apart from the much criticised Nav in the 3rd Gen (much better in 4th Gen?), the ride over anything more than smooth roads is rather disappointing. Well, also the side rear view is somewhat obstructed by the 'B' pillar to be honest. However, the 3rd Gen is more compact and the 4th Gen too avant-garde for my taste but each to his own

I received a service plan from Lexus Cheltenham today for the next 3 services in May 2020, 2021 and 2022 being S1 Intermediate, S2 Full 60 and S3 Intermediate respectively and nominally to be at 50K, 60K and 70K miles. This was offered at a total cost of £1335.00 inc VAT less Dealer discount of £65.56 Total £1269.44. I am not sure whether this takes into account the Gold Member discount but if so discount is below expectations. I only expect to have covered 55K miles in this car by the time of the 3rd service (circa 5K miles pa) so when I visit them next week, I will see what other options there are.

There seems to be two or more main groups that have Lexus franchise. It would be interesting to know whether they have a group price for labour or how this differs according to area and between the groups. I am at Cheltenham Branch next week and will take the opportunity to ask about labour rates there. One thing for sure is that Lexus and other 'Premium' marques charge an appreciably higher rate than the non 'Premium' car franchises. Add this to complexity and additional time on many tasks and this adds to the disparity in service repair/charges, compounded by the more expensive cost of major spares for the top makes.

I found a (push push) button today that I haven't seen before but perhaps not surprising as it is hidden by the flap of the the glove box of the RX. If anybody does not know what it's for, it stops the hatch from being operated by the key fob,

Had my RX for nearly 11 months now and alarm went off once for no apparent reason with car on drive - no evidence of attempted tampering or insects also no traffic and windows were closed. No explanation and OK after reset - just hope it doesn't happen again! A similar thing happened with my BMW some years ago and dealership reckoned it must have been a spider, although I never found one. Bit of a pain for owner and neighbours when it happens.

When I fist looked at an RX at Exeter, I was told that air suspension had been dropped from the 4th Generation. Whether this was due to the number of failures and the high cost of replacement or whether Lexus felt it was not necessary with the latest generation was not clear.

That's very interesting. A couple of times over the 12 or so years this has happened on my BMW but was down to the FOB being inadvertently pressed in my pocket. However, I do like to be able to remotely vent a car using this facility and in fact is one of the things Lexus Cheltenham are due to code in next week because my RX lacks this feature presently. However, I am having further thoughts if it is problematical on the RX.

Ii would be interesting to learn whether it would be viable have an alarm connected to the catlock as belt and braces.

Somebody on the forum mentioned that he got a heavily discounted pair from Lexus Birmingham in June. When I finally got though to them on the 3rd occasion in July and a week apart, having been told they would ring me back but didn't, they said the offer had ended and the rails were at a much higher price, I contacted 'Lexus Direct' (who sometimes put in an appearance on this forum) and they agreed to post a pair to me for the inclusive price of £300. and it hopefully stil on their website This is quite a bit cheaper than the normal price. (Lexus Exeter have them on ebay for circa £350 pounds for example. If you do get a pair, here are a couple of tips. The instructions are all in symbol form and these suggest you bin certain parts you have to remove but I suggest you retain these. If the next purchaser of your car does not wish to have these rails, you can then easily remove them and reinstate the original bits you removed, as so many people want these rails.you will find a buyer. Another tip is to fit the undersides of the plastic - yes plastic, (cheap skates) end covers before offering up to fix, as trying to spring these in after bolts could stress the plastic. The tops then snap into place.

Instead of using the standard suction mount that comes with the TomTom Go 6200 (which I did look into but rejected for a couple of reasons), I used an alternative mount available for the model viz https://www.navigation-accessories.uk/sat-nav-tomtom/tomtom-go-6200-tomtom-fixed-installation-xxdock-f.-tomtom-go-6200.php?sPartner=gguk# So it bolts on vertically to a near vertical upright. formed by angle that is in turn bolted to my platform. I dispensed with the 4 puny self tappers that came with it and bolted it to my angle upright with 4 x 4mm stainless screws with 7mm heads and washers to spread the load and nyloc nuts. So in need the mount can be unbolted. Here it helps to have the platform and rear bearer extend and fix further back on the dash and also be attached to the dash there because the nav projects forward in front of the front bearer and a lot of leverage occurs when the nav is detached from the magnetic mount. I filled in interior of the mount with Milliput where hollow. Also, I thought the neck onto which the ball articulates in the mount socket was rather weak, so I reinforced this externally to include the ball and socket again using Milliput. ( I had previously driven around with all in place in different directions to check how best to avoid glare,) This means the ball will not move in the socket to alter screen angle but the standard Lexus screen can't be moved anyway so no loss there. All is finished in black matte and does not reflect in the screen which was a concern. It might have been easier to see if I had taken pic while it was still in grey etching primer before spraying matte black but to answer your query re fixing, the platform is bolted to the the 2 rectangular bearers and it is the undersides of these boxes that are secured by the 3M tape. The Milliput packing largely under the front bearer adheres very well to aluminium and I was able to sculpt it and grind it to the profile of the front of the dash which took some time, before applying the tape. With the benefit of hindsight ,I could have just used the 151 Epoxy to stick rather than bolt the aluminium parts together, as I did for the plate across the front, which would have been neater. But this was a prototype and a challenge with which I am happy how it turned out, although not wishingto repeat lol as it involved a lot more work than is apparent. PS I have no connection with 2 part Epoxy Milliput, although I have previously used it for other purposes and you can wet it to help shape it, saw it, drill it and paint it when set and it becomes impervious to water.

Sorry for duplication of Pic - couldn't edit it out

I don't like the idea of obscuring instrumentation or sticking mounts into vents (which I am sure Lexus did not intend.) My solution was to mount my TomTom as shown in the pics. For Herbs and anybody else who is curious. I made a platform of 3mm thick aluminium with cut out in shape of vent on top of dash. it is attached to 2 bearers of rectangular 40x20mm aluminium box, 2mm thick. There is a 3mm 90 degree angle to which an alternative TomTom mount is bolted. Milliput modelling epoxy was used to get the shape along the bearers with a 3mm thick aluminium face plate that helped establish the extent of the Milliput. This plate was stuck in place with Epoxy 151. I also used Milliput to close off the end of each bearer (although this was not essential) The bearers were each secured with two rows of industrial quality 3M double sided tape, so total contact could be made between them and the top of the dash. Pictures show the platform on it's side prior to installation, and with the Nav in place. I beefed up the TomTom mount with Milliput and locked it in the optimum position for me. I have a matte glass film (obtained from Germany) to add along with a hood I will be modifying. When I eventually trade the car for a mobility scooter the buyer can either keep the platform as it is, use it to secure a phone or it could be removed with fishing line or piano wire like the old glued windscreen rubbers are cut loose. I made a mock up out of wood and ply to start with to ensure there would be sufficient space all round and am pleased with the result. now seen. I have an uninterrupted view through the windscreen (although this may not appear to be so in pic) and have only to make the slightest eye movement to see the screen whilst keeping the road ahead in my peripheral vision. There remains the matter of connectivity to resolve.

Thank you for your import. To be honest I have not got round to pair the iphone to the car yet but have no reason to think it won't. The info I got about the TomTom Go 6200 not having the connectivity I want came from several sites. This is one from a TomTom support site saying it' won't work https://discussions.tomtom.com/en/discussion/1110906/is-it-possible-to-play-tomtom-go-6200-sound-over-car-audio. I will get my Grandson to see if he can come up with a workaround - he's just got his IT degree. Barry

Ha ha, like it!! But now you've got me confused as to who I am (looks in mirror). Did have an 8 track in a 1966 300SE M Benz many many years ago, the only other car I've had with one or air suspension. Had a look at a mobility scooters considering what might follow the Lexus!

Brian, who is Brian? somebody said the car in the advert was a BMW but this was just for demo purposes. My car is a 3rd Gen 2015 RX 450h similar to Herb's. I will see what a Pro car audio shop says they can do re connectivity. I am not good on car electrics, although I rewired my house years ago. Hi Herbs, Pics can save a lot of words ,so I will post some with details and why I prefer my solution, even if it is over-engineered!

Superb looking car only spoilt in my opinion by the overblown grill. It would be interesting to know how well received this feature is regarded.

Well done. always worth pressing where you have a good case.

Thanks for replies. Updating existing system seems like throwing good money after bad! Yes, that's me too, although I haven't had a Ford for over 30 years lol. Being retired I rarely use my iphone which does all and more than I need! I don't like vent secured devices or sucker retained ones which can fall off (had that happen) and the Blue tooth TomTom 6200 with free regular map updates and speed cameras suits me well and Is now securely mounted in a good position on my RX. I just have to fit a hood to complete the installation. It's just a question of how to integrate it with the ML cd player (more old school) and radio. Maybe an audio shop can help me.

Many have said how poorly the RX satnav compares with some others and even aftermarket satnavs in some respects. Beyond this, I now find the standard one on my RX is unreliable to boot. Recently, this caused me to add many unwanted miles to my journey unnecessarily and it was only because I had my 6200 TomTom in the car (held by my wife) that the situation was retrieved. I have another long journey to make shortly, so thought I would again test the RX satnav. Before leaving my daughter's house yesterday, I entered my full address and started on the short journey home. However, about a mile and several turns away from my place, it announced “You have arrived”. I continued to my property which is one of many on a road and in an area that has had the same layout for many years. When I arrived home, I again got the message that “You have arrived”. This morning, without cancelling or changing the destination guide I went to the local shops. There were various incorrect guidance instructions given which I ignored and on arriving home no “You have arrived” was given. Because I have lost faith in directions the RX satnav provides, I have brought forward the installation of the TomTom on a platform I have made for it although there are a few further mods I still want to do. (when all is completed I will post further details about this as it may be of interest to somebody). At this point I seek some advice on how to integrate the TomTom with the audio system of the RX. What I am hoping to be able to do is to to interrupt and mute the radio/CD automatically when guidance instructions and various alerts are given by the TomTom. This is how it works on my BMW although instead of a TomTom it has an integrated BMW system. I am less concerned about streaming or calls from my iphone, although this would be nice. TomTom used to do an audio out on some earlier models but not on this Blue Tooth 6200 model and notwithstanding requests by customers to enable what I want to do, they say it can't be done as standard with their unit. Nevertheless, it has been postulated that using a satnav system designed for motor cyclists, a microphone can be attached to the satnav and the audio taken to earphones (or perhaps to a car audio system?). Then there is the system from IO as in this link which also includes the Iphone as well as satnav. It seems to have worked well for some but of course I still wish to use the RX radio and CD player. Any thoughts please?