New 2008 GS450h owner questions

Odysseus · July 7, 2017

I've just bought a 2008 GS450h from Lexus and it's brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.

I've said hello in the new members section and figured I should utilise the expertise here for more specific queries which hopefully the knowledgable members here can help with.

1. I had assumed (naively?) that there would be a sunglasses holder in the roof panel near the sunroof buttons. There's a bit of plastic which when tapped sounds hollow which would be big enough to hold sunglasses but it's definitely not something I could get into without a screwdriver. Can a sunglasses holder be fitted here? What do the rest of you GS owners do?

2. I can't figure out a way of getting the digital clock to display in 24 hours format. Has anyone managed to do this? If so, how?

3. Do you guys run your 450h's on normal unleaded or super unleaded? I never use supermarket fuel anyway, but any experience on this would be great.

4. Tyres and tyre pressure warning systems. Disappointingly my car has budget tyres all round which I'll replace as soon as my bruised wallet recovers. I'm also flirting with the idea of buying a second set of wheels for winter tyres and keeping them in my garage six months of the year. This would cost around £1000 but would I need to fit expensive TPWS sensors to my winter wheels? If so, how much would that set me back?

5. I managed to wangle a brand new set of mats from the Lexus dealer as part of the sale. Other than regular vacuuming, how can I keep these in tip top shape? I read on another forum someone using scotchguard? Any experience on this?

6. I have two kids (5 and 3) who are almost as keen on daddy's new car as daddy is and (somewhat embarrassingly) have told all their friends, teachers and nursery nurses about it. Accompanying the joys of fatherhood however are muddy feet and general grime. I already have protectors on the rear bench to sit between the child seats and the leather, but has anyone bought a rear seat cover to protect the whole rear seat? If so, any recommendations?

7. Navigation. I'm pushing the Lexus dealer who supplied my car to update the map disc to the latest version as currently it's 2007/2008. Am I right in thinking as well as up-to-date maps it allows you to enter data on the move? If so, what other updates does it come with?

Thanks for humouring me and I'm very happy to be a Lexus owner and part of the forum.

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Farqui · July 7, 2017

Hi Andrew, glad to hear that you're enjoying your car.

1) I could do with a holder too. I've seen versions that replace the grab handle but haven't sourced anything yet, I tuck my case in the glove box for now.

2) I had a look at my clock setting and within the Info button I see an Adjust Clock option top right. However mine doesn't give an option to change the display between 12/24hr. I can't see the option in the manual either, online copies here; https://carmanuals2.com/brand/lexus/gs450h-2008-1890

4) Individual TPMS can be around £100 each but Richard recently found a garage in Leicester that would supply/fit them for around half that price. So you can hunt around for a more cost effective set. Sensors are coded to the vehicle, so when you swap to your winter set you'll need to reprogram the car to read these sensors. Some folks remove them from the tyres completely, pop the sensors in a pressured box and keep it in the boot - which stops the warning light on the dash. FYI: TPMS errors aren't an MOT failure for an '08 car.

7) beware the OEM maps come several different disks which I didn't like as travelling on the continent would have been fiddly. This may not be an issue if you only intend to drive in Blighty.

Cheers, Lee

Odysseus · July 7, 2017

Thanks Lee, that's really helpful, and thanks for the info about the clock, tyre sensors, and sunglasses. The online manual will be very handy too.

With regard to the maps and driving on the continent. For for foreseeable future all my driving will be in the UK, so multiple discs wouldn't be a problem. Do the more modern discs allow entry on the move? I've noted that in addition to entering navigation destinations even entering phone numbers and (really annoyingly) track selection from my Lexus iPod adaptor are greyed out when the car is moving.

aviator888 · July 7, 2017

Very nice car, SE-L specs and best colour combination

7) If the dealers will not help, have a look around here there are several topics regarding satnav update for very reasonable price. Best thing to do is take a picture of your current disc and send it to http://www.satnavdvd.co.uk/lexus-25-c.asp see what they say.

mrdoofa · July 7, 2017

Congratulations on the new car!!! Hope you have better luck with yours than I had with mine lol!!! Mine had hybrid Battery failure and gearbox failure within weeks of ownership!!! I ended up getting a refund from the dealer I bought it from (they were very good and reasonable about it all) but it was an awesome car though while it lasted!!! I now have a Mercedes S-Class S500 LWB which I'm loving so far. I also had an LS430 a couple of years ago which suffered catastrophic gearbox failure so I am having a break from Lexus at the moment.

There is no way of switching the clock to 24 hours unfortunately, I ran mine on standard unleaded without issue. Try putting the gearbox into Hybrid power mode and the suspension into sports mode then hammer it to put a big smile on your face!!! You can really teach all the boy racers out there a lesson lol!!! Enjoy!!!

Upex · July 8, 2017

're the tpms, you can pick up a set far cheaper (eBay etc) and get them fitted to second wheels. You'll need techstream to register them to the car, but only the once, as there are settings for two sets of wheels/tyres/tpms, a set and b set, ie you programme the winters to the one your not using already and when swap wheels, just press the button under glove box to change wheel sets and it then looks for the winter wheel sensors. Just remember to note the serial numbers of the tpms units before you have them put in winter wheels.

Clock is 12h only for some bizarre reason, and many of us have seen that having it on auto update gives duff time when having left car for a while, but within a min or two it updates correctly. Not using auto adjust seems to not loose time when parked and off?

Odysseus · July 10, 2017

Thanks for the assistance fellas, really useful. I can see a second set of wheels is going to be an expensive option. I might just wait to see exactly how dicey the handling becomes once the temperature drops and the roads get slippery.

I had a brief irritating moment when I had a "Check System" warning from the tyre pressure monitoring. After two restarts though it has cleared itself so I assume this is just 'a thing' that happens occasionally? At least that's essentially what Lexus told me.

I'm still pushing Lexus on updating the navigation, but does anyone know if newer maps unlock the ability to enter destinations/phone numbers etc on the move? Not being able to do this seems madness. Every other car with navigation I've had allows this (including my 2010 Toyota Prius (HD navigation) running 2014 maps).

Is there a clever trick to syncing the phonebook from a Iphone 6S running iOS 10.3.2 or is it a case of entering the numbers you need manually?

As an aside, I moved my private plate from my Prius to the Lexus, and have to say I was very impressed by the DVLA service. Doing it all online meant the whole thing was completed in front of me, and all I needed to do afterwards was put the physical number plates on the cars. Very refreshing when the old way of doing it meant filling out forms and posting off cheques and waiting weeks. Efficient government agency?! Whatever next?????!!!

Normski · July 10, 2017

As far as I can tell you can enter in new destinations on the move. Phone numbers are still restricted to speed dial entries only.

Further bad news is that the Iphone doesn't seem to be supported for phone book transfer. So you would need to transfer to android and transfer that way or enter in manually. I find myself on really ever calling a few numbers so added them in manually.

Odysseus · July 10, 2017

Thanks Norman, yes I only ever call a handful of people from the car, so manually entering their numbers isn't the worst task in the world, plus I notice I can dial from my Iphone and the call is automatically handled by the car, which is good. Thanks for the insight and promising news about the navigation.

Another question I've just thought of... I've noticed a very small amount of wear on the leather of the arm-rest and driver's door grab. This is me being picky to the nth degree of course.

I'm wondering if anyone here has used Liquid Leather on their Lexus? I used it on a previous car (a totally god-awful P38 Range Rover) with good results to refurbish a very worn steering wheel, so any Lexus feedback would be useful. Linked to this, is there a way to get the precise leather colour by entering my VIN somewhere?

tonyricha · July 11, 2017

Hi and a warm welcome to LOC, your car looks v.nice in fact now have decided to tint my rear windows,.makes the car look more exclusive. The lack of sunglass holder is really annoying! I had a phase 2 GS where that panel dropped down as glasses storage but neither of my 450h SE L have it fitted. It looks to me USA spec care have it as standard but I guess the Japs dont think we get enough sunshine to need sunnies.

My sunglasses ride on top of the rear view mirror a treat, pust the nose pads over the top of the mirror but I guess it depends on the type of glasses.

Re sat nav yes later discs will allow imput on the move, I think 2009 onwards. I do have a disc set of that vintage here to which you are very welcome to but obviously not fully up to date.

hprice1099 · July 11, 2017

On 07/07/2017 at 7:00 AM, Odysseus said:

I've just bought a 2008 GS450h from Lexus and it's brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.

I've said hello in the new members section and figured I should utilise the expertise here for more specific queries which hopefully the knowledgable members here can help with.

1. I had assumed (naively?) that there would be a sunglasses holder in the roof panel near the sunroof buttons. There's a bit of plastic which when tapped sounds hollow which would be big enough to hold sunglasses but it's definitely not something I could get into without a screwdriver. Can a sunglasses holder be fitted here? What do the rest of you GS owners do?

2. I can't figure out a way of getting the digital clock to display in 24 hours format. Has anyone managed to do this? If so, how?

3. Do you guys run your 450h's on normal unleaded or super unleaded? I never use supermarket fuel anyway, but any experience on this would be great.

4. Tyres and tyre pressure warning systems. Disappointingly my car has budget tyres all round which I'll replace as soon as my bruised wallet recovers. I'm also flirting with the idea of buying a second set of wheels for winter tyres and keeping them in my garage six months of the year. This would cost around £1000 but would I need to fit expensive TPWS sensors to my winter wheels? If so, how much would that set me back?

5. I managed to wangle a brand new set of mats from the Lexus dealer as part of the sale. Other than regular vacuuming, how can I keep these in tip top shape? I read on another forum someone using scotchguard? Any experience on this?

6. I have two kids (5 and 3) who are almost as keen on daddy's new car as daddy is and (somewhat embarrassingly) have told all their friends, teachers and nursery nurses about it. Accompanying the joys of fatherhood however are muddy feet and general grime. I already have protectors on the rear bench to sit between the child seats and the leather, but has anyone bought a rear seat cover to protect the whole rear seat? If so, any recommendations?

7. Navigation. I'm pushing the Lexus dealer who supplied my car to update the map disc to the latest version as currently it's 2007/2008. Am I right in thinking as well as up-to-date maps it allows you to enter data on the move? If so, what other updates does it come with?

Thanks for humouring me and I'm very happy to be a Lexus owner and part of the forum.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nice car mate, what was the damage buying from a dealer?

Odysseus · July 11, 2017

1 hour ago, tonyricha said:

Hi and a warm welcome to LOC, your car looks v.nice in fact now have decided to tint my rear windows,.makes the car look more exclusive. The lack of sunglass holder is really annoying! I had a phase 2 GS where that panel dropped down as glasses storage but neither of my 450h SE L have it fitted. It looks to me USA spec care have it as standard but I guess the Japs dont think we get enough sunshine to need sunnies.

My sunglasses ride on top of the rear view mirror a treat, pust the nose pads over the top of the mirror but I guess it depends on the type of glasses.

Re sat nav yes later discs will allow imput on the move, I think 2009 onwards. I do have a disc set of that vintage here to which you are very welcome to but obviously not fully up to date.

Thanks for the comments Tony. Great idea about the sunglasses going on top of the mirror, I hadn't thought of that. I've been using the little tray under the armrest, but will try your suggestion later.

The window tints were on the car when I bought it, but I do like them. I have two young kids so keeping the glare off them is no bad thing, but I think dark tints suit the colour and style of the car.

Great news about the nav discs allowing updates on the move and thank you very much for the kind offer. I'm expecting a call today from the used car sales manager at Lexus so hopefully they'll be as good as their word and sort me out with up-to-date maps (which will also fix the on-the-move thing).

Odysseus · July 11, 2017

Nice car mate, what was the damage buying from a dealer?

More than it would have been buying privately of course. [emoji6]

In the end I figured it was worth it for the 12 month warranty, the relatively easy buying experience, and the fact if there are issues you're dealing with a large corporate body with a good reputation rather than a backstreet garage or individual.

Also, the quality of preparation the car gets is very high. As an example, I spotted this while looking through the history via the Lexus app.

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Odysseus · July 17, 2017

Hey hey forum chums, another question.

My wing mirrors dip when I put the car into reverse, which is a very good feature. However, I've noted that they don't always return to the normal position once I disengage reverse, especially the driver's mirror. Several times I've found myself having to manually return the driver's mirror to the right angle.

Am I missing something in terms of a setting somewhere? Or is it time to start testing the quality of the Lexus used car warranty?

Thanks very much in advance for any suggestions.

Chris111 · July 17, 2017

I read somewhere that the motors that move the mirrors get 'lazy' over time but you can try to 'free' them by moving both mirrors to their furthest positions. Press and hold the 'up' arrow until the mirror stops moving, then down, again until it stops. Bring the mirror back to central and then move it right until stops and lastly bring back full left. Then set them in the position you want and a press the memory button for the seating position. You don't have to move them in this order and you may have to do it more than once but you have to make sure you move them so the mirror stops moving before you release the control button. It doesn't work for all and some have said where it has it has only lasted for a short period, but for others it has worked. If it does work you may need to do it a few times over a year. I think the only other way to cure this problem is to get the motors replaced. However I don't think that will be covered under your warranty, but other people might know different and will correct me I'm sure.

I personally don't bother with the dipping facility but give the above a go, it may work for you.

Farqui · July 18, 2017

My OS mirror doesn't seem to reset back fully either, so I'll give try manually running through the full range of motion.

Is it because the mirror joints get a bit dry over time, so popping off the mirrors and lighting lubing may help?

Chris111 · July 18, 2017

9 minutes ago, Farqui said:

so popping off the mirrors and lighting lubing may help?

It's worth a try. As I said I've read it's because the motors get 'tired' so they don't reset properly. If my wife has driven the car when I reset my driving position from the memory button the mirrors don't always return to my setting. It doesn't bother me but a little light lubing may help. If you try it let us know how you get on please.

Farqui · July 18, 2017

Hmmm, lubing the joints won't help if it's the motors themselves that aren't 100%.

@Chris111 sure, if I have a bash at lubing then I'll report back.

Odysseus · July 18, 2017

Thanks for the kind replies gents. I think I've cracked this for now, and predictably the fault was (I think) based on my own ignorance/stupidity.

I believe the software that controls the mirrors dipping when reverse is selected tells the mirror to return to the selected memory position for the last selected driver, rather than the last actual position of the mirror. I had inadvertently set the memory with the driver's mirror in the wrong place. Once I figured this out, everything was fine and both mirrors now return to the correct position.

All this being said, should the motors start to become "lazy", taking the mirror to bits and lubing the mechanism is a really good idea and one I'll keep in mind should they start misbehaving.

Farqui · July 18, 2017

Interesting, I'll ensure I punch in my memory position before I re-try my mirrors.

Chris111 · July 18, 2017

25 minutes ago, Odysseus said:

Thanks for the kind replies gents. I think I've cracked this for now, and predictably the fault was (I think) based on my own ignorance/stupidity.

I believe the software that controls the mirrors dipping when reverse is selected tells the mirror to return to the selected memory position for the last selected driver, rather than the last actual position of the mirror. I had inadvertently set the memory with the driver's mirror in the wrong place. Once I figured this out, everything was fine and both mirrors now return to the correct position.

All this being said, should the motors start to become "lazy", taking the mirror to bits and lubing the mechanism is a really good idea and one I'll keep in mind should they start misbehaving.

That isn't the case with mine but I'm glad you have got yours sorted

1 hour ago, Farqui said:

Hmmm, lubing the joints won't help if it's the motors themselves that aren't 100%

It might work as it could be that the motors are fine and are stopping at the correct setting, but if the joints are stiff, they are preventing the mirrors from resetting correctly.

Odysseus · July 22, 2017

Good news. The Lexus dealer finally came through with the updated navigation disc.

Installing it was about as complicated as breathing though I haven't had the chance to drive the car since.

It will be refreshing to drive on 'new' roads without the nav thinking I'm doing 70 mph over open farmland.

I'm also going to test the entering addresses on the move thing.

I've also spent a small fortune on (and I shudder to use this term) detailing products to keep the car looking snazzy.

The next thing to do is to buy some liquid leather stuff to tackle the very slight discolouration on the driver's door grab.

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Farqui · July 22, 2017

Blimey, I'm amazed the dealer supplied you with the latest satnav DVD. Quite a result, well done

Oh dear, the detailing bug is a slippery slope pal. Be carefull...

Odysseus · July 22, 2017

Blimey, I'm amazed the dealer supplied you with the latest satnav DVD. Quite a result, well done.

Oh dear me, the detailing bug is a slippery slope pal. Be carefull... LOL

Haha thanks buddy, I think you might have a point about the detailing thing. [emoji3]

The navigation matter was a bit annoying. I said from the first phone call to the Lexus dealer I'll expect the navigation to be up to date, repeated again on the test drive and put it in writing before collection (and payment!) and they still didn't sort it out and tried to quibble. It was only after I started saying I'd go to Lexus UK if they didn't sort it out that things started happening.

I am yet to be wowed by Lexus dealers!

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Odysseus · August 3, 2017

Bad news...

I had planned to use some liquid leather stuff to improve the look of my ever-so-slightly worn door grab. https://www.furnitureclinic.co.uk/Applications?apid=2

Unfortunately, they have no information about my leather colour (Sussex Grey) and had to refund my order. They did offer to colour match based on a swatch but I'm not about to ferret about under the seats looking for spare leather to cut off.

Has anyone else had any success with leather repair products for Sussex Grey from my era Lexus?