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Just adding my experience- I just ordered a model 3. I love Lexus but my current car is getting too old and I don’t like the whole SUV-heavy lineup Lexus is pushing. I would buy another IS, especially if it were electric or at least plug in. Closest I could find to it with proper range was the model 3. And I actually found that to have less wind noise than my 2013 is300h. 

I have Thule roof bars with two Thule bike carriers. Works well but is a pain to install, unless you plan on leaving the racks on for an extended period of time (the bike carriers slide in/out of the grooves in the roof bars).

There is a weight limit so not usable for e-bikes, but has worked well for my Mountainbike and road bike. Be extremely careful mounting the roof bars. It’s very easy to scratch/dent the roof of you drop them. I always make it a two-person job. 

Yes see my post

7 hours ago, kurowi said:

Well nevermind, it actually took me longer to write last post than to fix the problem. Antenna cable wasnt securely connected. Everything works great, unit is responsive whether in wired or wireless, everything is as it should be 10/10 recommended.

Out of interest why did you solder audio ground cables? For me it was all plug and play.

And what car (year, model, type of controller (joystick, rotary dial)?

And yes the radio does need to go through a boot sequence (the beat sonic YT video mentions it too). I never listened to radio much so I don’t know whether it erased any stations. Could well be as it was unplugged like you said. 

On 9/27/2022 at 1:05 PM, montecarlos said:

I'm always like oh yes I want this.

 

Then I watch the youtube video and see the whole interior dismantled in pieces and I think, bluetooth will do just fine 

It’s true. I was also afraid of this at first. Having done it though, it wasn’t all that scary. It was actually a good opportunity to clean below the center console.
I also didn’t disconnect the Battery. 

Anyway, to each their own, just wanted to report back on this option to upgrade. I am really pleased with it and would do it again if I ever get another Lexus without CarPlay. 

On 9/25/2022 at 8:54 PM, Mikey B said:

Just to add to this - I bought my 2014 IS in 2018 with 165K on it but full history.  Originally supplied and serviced by Reading.  The only repairs showing in the history beyond servicing and consumable are a auto wiper sensor replaced under warranty and a bonnet latch.

Its now on 230K and just keeps going - the interior is getting a little creaky in places and I did have to replace a DRL and the transition between engine and EV is not quite as smooth, but I cant really think what else would rack up those miles so flawlessly.

PS - still on the original 12V

Wow 230K miles. Makes my 175k km(roughly 108 k mi) seem like nothing. If you know, I would be interested to hear when rotors/pads were done and whether you are still on the original shock absorbers. 

Also, your story sounds like another data point for the bonnet latch. For reference the part number for the latch is:

For RHD cars: 53510-53090

For LHD cars: 53510-53100

Megazip.net is a good source. Replacement is pretty straightforward once you look under the bonnet. Remove plastic clips, undo sensor wiring (plug with clip), remove bonnet latch bolts. 
 

I can’t find the wiper relay part number unfortunately. 

Can you note the part number for LHD/RHD vehicles here, if you have it? 

Update on this: still going strong. There is a slight echo during phone calls that I need to fix. It is definitely a settings issue. Also the joystick controller is not optimal but definitely ok, I got used to it. 
For the rest, no issues. 

I can add a further data point - my is300h is a little older than yours I think (first registered dec 2013). I bought it at 117k km in 2019, now at 175k km. I use it mostly privately but for some business trips too. 

All annual servicing has been done by Lexus themselves so I have full history. I am based in Switzerland and the car has been to various places in Europe incl Netherlands, Northern Poland, Sweden (up to Stockholm), Italy (down to apuglia and even Sicily) and France (incl Corsica). Also plenty of times to Germany and Austria. 

The failures known to me in these (almost) 9 years:

- 12 v Battery in march 2019. Likely died due to heat. I bought the car in southern Switzerland. I run it north of the alps now, where it is a bit cooler. I might change it in 2024 for peace of mind. 

- Wiper relay in summer 2020. Cheap part, changed it myself. 

- Bonnet latch. This is an annoying one. I got plenty of warnings where the bonnet would open on the motorway, esp during windy weather (of course there is a safety stop so it doesn’t open all the way). It’s especially likely to happen on the German autobahn at higher speeds. A new latch is about 60 USD on megazip. Easy fix, but my advice is to do it as soon as you start getting warnings. It only gets worse. First warning happened in 2019, I ended up changing the latch in 2021 only. Should have done it earlier for peace of mind. 

- AC refill in 2021. Was still working but after the recharge the effect was noticeable. I also need to get the system cleaned every year as it gets smelly otherwise. Not a big deal and very cheap to do. 

As far as I know I am still on original pads and rotors front and back. I am definitely on the originals shocks and I just had them checked out recently - no issues. 

Like you I just bring it in for maintenance at Lexus once a year. Fantastic car. The infotainment system got a bit old fashioned so I installed Chinese CarPlay (see my other thread) and now it’s up to date again. 
 

Have played with the thought of getting a model 3 or Volvo plug in hybrid, but this Lexus is just so cheap to run, I’d rather spend the money on other things 😄

Hi all,

I am wondering if anyone happens to know whether it is possible to remove the built in satnav system as well as the “remote touch” joystick controller, and replace it with a non-nav system and knob controller.

alternatively - would the knob controller work on the system with nav? 
It’s a 2013 is300h

Reason I am considering this is because I installed a Chinese apple CarPlay system which works fantastically and made the car modern again- the only issue is the joystick controller. It is a bit of a pain to use. The knob controller would work way better with the CarPlay system. 

This may have been just me - but when I did this in my old Honda I accidentally put the bulbs upside down which changed the light image on the road. So, that is a lesson learned from my side 😅. Had to take it apart once more to fix and then it was fine.

Yup and I’m past the mileage limit anyways at 170 k KM

I think it might be the same box, just need to connect/configure cables differently. Have a read through the US threads i sent. Lots of info on there…

You’re welcome! You might try amazon or just write the seller directly, maybe they will have a solution. What car do you have? 2013 as well?

The instructions are in a Chinese form of English and it takes a bit of time to interpret them correctly; however not much can go wrong as the connectors only fit one particular slot on the back of the radio. If anyone has the exact same car as I do (2013 is300h w/ nav & joystick w/o mark levinson) I can provide detailed instructions.

The difference with the knob controller (non nav) is that you need to install an extra cable (included in kit)

Other screen sizes from later model years also require extra cables that are included in the kit and / or some adjustment to settings. From what I can find on the US forums a lot of people got it to work well though (https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-3rd-gen-2014-present/946189-new-wireless-carplay-androidauto-for-oem-10-25-screen-14.html)

Yes you do need to take apart center console and remove glove box to access everything. This takes about 30 min and the video to do it is here. It’s only a couple of screws and with the right precautions (panel removal kit + blankets against scratches) you will be fine. 

The roadtop kit comes with one box (not two like beat sonic) so the install is actually easier. This is good because the space behind the glove box is a little more cramped with our hybrids (there is some brake modulator there)

Link to the roadtop kit:

US $288.60  22％ Off | Wireless CarPlay for Lexus IS 2014-2019, with Android Auto Mirror Link AirPlay Car Play Functions
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mt8igNM

get this while you’re at it:

US $2.24  40％ Off | Car Audio Disassembly Tools Door Clip Panel Trim Removal Tools Kits Car Interior Plastic Disassembly Seesaw Conversion Tool
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mNis5MQ

The responsiveness of the unit may depend a bit on your phone, I have the 13 pro and CarPlay is high res, smooth and fast like you would expect it to be. The only gripe is the joystick operation, but that too gets better after getting used to it. Also, that’s more of a Lexus problem rather than a roadtop problem. That joystick is the only thing I don’t like about this car.  
 

After starting the car the unit will boot automatically within 30 sec and show the CarPlay screen. You can also force start it by long pressing the menu or home button, then it takes like 5-10 sec. There is wireless and wired CarPlay though I prefer the latter as it charges my phone. 
 

Lastly I haven’t had the chance to test calling with CarPlay yet. There might be some issues with that and I will report back in a while once I have tested. 
What I did do was an 8-hour road-trip using Waze and Spotify, which worked flawlessly. Such an improvement, it really changes the whole car feel. 

All,

I thought I would share something that some of you might be interested in. I have been following the American Lexus owners forums for a while and noticed the discourse around a CarPlay kit made by a company called “roadtop” and sells on AliExpress as well as amazon.
 

I decided to take a risk and order one. The kit works with multiple Lexus models but I installed it in my late 2013 is300h with nav and without ML. 
 

The joystick operation is a bit finicky so if you have a knob (non nav), it will work even better. It is still fine to use with joystick too though- just takes a bit of getting used to. 
 

Here is a pic. Happy to provide further detail if anyone is interested. Took about 3 hours to install using a YouTube video as reference. For the ~300 USD paid, I think it’s worth it. 

And what is that software you are using to look this up? Looks great, I’d have a few other trim pieces to look up. 

Thanks! So if I’m reading this right, I just need 2x part 62217-52120? Cheers

Hi all. 
the interior trim of my A pillar is loose (LHD car). It was like this when I bought the vehicle. Does anyone know how it is attached and how I can fix this? There is an airbag in there so I don’t want to go crazy with glue and then have issues should the worst case scenario happen.

Thanks! 

Another update on this one. The car has now been in my possession for over 2 years and it has always made this noise. Just to be sure I took it to my trusted dealer to get the AC regassed and cleaned -  the noise is still there when temperatures are lower. The AC works flawlessly though. I guess the noise is normal, it goes a few seconds after startup. Just in case anyone else has this issue, it is apparently not indicative of being low on refrigerant and likely normal for the AC system - at least for the early 2013 model. 

18 hours ago, 200h said:

is this the noise you can hear, if it is i had a new ventillation system fitted under warranty

 

Yessir that’s it exactly! Unfortunately way out of warranty but will live with it then. If I ever do find a solution I’ll report back 

Since I bought my late 2013 is300h back in March 2019 I have always had this one noisy vent flap in the climate control system. It is usually quiet during summer but as temps fall it tends to get noisy. 
 

usually orchestrates itself:

-upon startup (I guess these flaps somehow block the vents when in parked position and they move back to their original position upon startup)

-when changing the temperature on the climate system

Does anyone else have the same issue and is there a fix? Thought about removing the vent flap actuator and giving it a clean but it sounds like it’s the actual flap making the noise (plastic/rubber on plastic noise)

The is300h Battery is air cooled not fluid cooled. I believe the fluid is only for the inverter up front. There is a fan that cools the Battery which sucks air out of the cabin. Check if this inlet is not clogged or blocked by objects such as a jacket. It will be in the door sill of the right rear door (behind passenger on a LHD car). I believe if this is clogged the car may decide to protect the Battery and therefore rely less on its assistance during driving, hence increasing your fuel consumption.

There is also a how to on here on how to clean the filter which is not usually cleaned by a dealer. I recently did my 2013 with 140k KM and it was pretty clogged. My gas mileage improved after cleaning it.
 

Also how did you get an is300h in the US. Private import? I think it was never officially sold there. 

On 1/22/2021 at 7:14 PM, matt8 said:

I have this issue in mine. Sept 2013, Premium Nav.

I took it to the dealer and they replaced some hardware, at some great cost they told me, but under warranty. It didn't fix it.

I've lived with it since. Just turning the audio off and then on sorts it. It's good for a while after that.

Matt, are you using Spotify, I may have fixed it by disabling the equalizers in the Spotify app. I’ll keep experimenting though. 

.