Have a Toyota Crown Majesta S180 -2006.

[andrewcoxgm@gmail.com]

Got it about 2 weeks ago.

 

Obviously it is not a lexus, but it has the exact same engine and most of the buttons are identical. ok if I join in?

[Malc]

wonderful, any piccys etc ?

Malc

[The-Acre]

2 hours ago, andrewcoxgm@gmail.com said:

Got it about 2 weeks ago.

 

Obviously it is not a lexus, but it has the exact same engine and most of the buttons are identical. ok if I join in?

More than OK, it's a car I love, can't wait to see it!

[rich1068]

Looking forward to this!

[andrewcoxgm@gmail.com]

Hi,

Thanks for the welcome! I wasn't expecting it (and missed the notifications). Here are some pics.  It is a Crown Majesta S180 C Class 2006 -  so full leather, enhanced sound system, climate control, rear fridge etc etc. I imported it from Japan to Australia. Have to say I had never heard of a Crown before I went on-line looking for a lexus, so buying it was a bit of a gamble but it seems to have paid off -  had it a few weeks now and am still v impressed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Steve]

that is sweet!

[rich1068]

It is indeed.

[The-Acre]

Lovely! And it has the same engine as a Lexus and the same buttons.  It even looks like an LS430 at the front. Now that I could live with most happily!

[andrewcoxgm@gmail.com]

The red in these pictures isn't rust by the way - just bad lighting. The car is in good shape and rust free

It just 'wafts' you down the road. but if you press the go pedal it goes to 'whoosh'. Stamp on the go pedal and it goes to wow! Amazing luxury and performance combination for very little money. Very happy.

Of course the problem is it is Japanese, so I have no user manual and support base. I know it is basically a lexus ls430 (same engine etc) , which is why I asked if it was ok to join this club. Glad you let me in because finding info about my crown in English is v v difficult.

Thankyou.

 

 

 

 

 

[The-Acre]

20 minutes ago, andrewcoxgm@gmail.com said:

The red in these pictures isn't rust by the way - just bad lighting. The car is in good shape and rust free

It just 'wafts' you down the road. but if you press the go pedal it goes to 'whoosh'. Stamp on the go pedal and it goes to wow! Amazing luxury and performance combination for very little money. Very happy.

Of course the problem is it is Japanese, so I have no user manual and support base. I know it is basically a lexus ls430 (same engine etc) , which is why I asked if it was ok to join this club. Glad you let me in because finding info about my crown in English is v v difficult.

Thankyou.

 

 

 

 

 

I've got partly the same problem, mine is an import so my screen is mostly in Japanese!  I have had two UK models though so I almost know my way around.  I find it odd that all Japanese cars have both the Japanese and English language on the gauges and switches.

[andrewcoxgm@gmail.com]

I have figured out the commands for the touch screen that I need. Can't use GPS though. What are you having a problem with?

[Malc]

an exceptional car, well done

I remember from quite a few years back that buying a brand new car in Australia was about double the UK price with all the Aus taxes .........  does that apply to a 12 year old import ?

Malc

[The-Acre]

4 hours ago, andrewcoxgm@gmail.com said:

I have figured out the commands for the touch screen that I need. Can't use GPS though. What are you having a problem with?

No problem as such but it would be nice to disable a couple of things. One being ETC which is an automatic toll charge, the sensor being above the rear view mirror.  For some reason it shows ETC at the top of the screen for a few seconds when the reversing camera activates.  I could buy a monitor from a breakers for £80, but I'm not sure I can be bothered.

[andrewcoxgm@gmail.com]

17 hours ago, Malc said:

an exceptional car, well done

I remember from quite a few years back that buying a brand new car in Australia was about double the UK price with all the Aus taxes .........  does that apply to a 12 year old import ?

Malc

Hi,

Thanks for your comment about the car. I am very happy with it as you can tell.

I think it's fair to say that buying a car in Australia is generally much more expensive then in the UK (I came over here from the UK about 15yrs ago). Previously, If you bought an Aussie made brand (Holden/Ford/Mitsu/Toyota) you actually got a lot more metal for your money than you would in the UK (think Monaro/Falcon/Commodore/Statesman), but anything imported had an import/luxury tax slapped on so they were a lot more pricey.

Now all the big car companies have pulled out of Australia, the government has reduced import taxes etc, but the price of new/second hand cars is still much higher. I hate watching UK shows like 'wheeler dealers', because they go out and buy an interesting car, make it good as new and sell it on for peanuts. They would cost 10x that here even before they were fixed up!

Luckily for me, Australia has a trade agreement with Japan, which meant I didn't have to pay any import duty when the Crown was imported. All I had to pay was the GST (VAT) on the purchase cost of the car which I think is set at 10%. As the car came from Japan it was v cheap!

Not sure about the details of this trade agreement, but it saved me a bundle!

 

 

 

 

 

[andrewcoxgm@gmail.com]

13 hours ago, The-Acre said:

No problem as such but it would be nice to disable a couple of things. One being ETC which is an automatic toll charge, the sensor being above the rear view mirror.  For some reason it shows ETC at the top of the screen for a few seconds when the reversing camera activates.  I could buy a monitor from a breakers for £80, but I'm not sure I can be bothered.

Hi,

Not sure exactly what you are asking about. ECT is disabled in my car but I will check the reversing screen tomorrow to see if I get the same thing. Is it a big ECT message (if so I haven't noticed it). The guy who imported the car for me warned about ECT and sent a link to a video where he shows how to switch it off (among lots of other things). I thought this was one of the first things I would have to to do in the car, but the compliance shop had already done it. So while I haven't actually fixed it myself I know the video tells you how to switch it off.

If you haven't watched it already, the video link is below...

 

Does this help?

[The-Acre]

7 hours ago, andrewcoxgm@gmail.com said:

Hi,

Not sure exactly what you are asking about. ECT is disabled in my car but I will check the reversing screen tomorrow to see if I get the same thing. Is it a big ECT message (if so I haven't noticed it). The guy who imported the car for me warned about ECT and sent a link to a video where he shows how to switch it off (among lots of other things). I thought this was one of the first things I would have to to do in the car, but the compliance shop had already done it. So while I haven't actually fixed it myself I know the video tells you how to switch it off.

If you haven't watched it already, the video link is below...

 

Does this help?

That's really helpful, thank you.  I'll look tomorrow to see how similar it is. Disabling ETC is really all I want to do. Its not a problem but it'll be nice not to get the message and the voice telling me off (at least I think she's telling me off!)

[andrewcoxgm@gmail.com]

15 hours ago, The-Acre said:

That's really helpful, thank you.  I'll look tomorrow to see how similar it is. Disabling ETC is really all I want to do. Its not a problem but it'll be nice not to get the message and the voice telling me off (at least I think she's telling me off!)

Hi,

Well as I say I haven't noticed any message on the reversing camera (forgot to check, will do so tomorrow), but I definitely don't get told off by the Japanese lady. In fact I never hear the Japanese lady at all. The video shows how to switch all that stuff off plus heaps of other useful info. 

Hope this solves your problem.

[andrewcoxgm@gmail.com]

Ok, I've checked the screen when I put it in reverse and I get no ECT message. I just have 2 buttons on the bottom of the screen. One changes the reversing view to a different display, the other puts the camera into parking assist mode (haven't had the guts to actually use that yet to park).

So I have no ECT problems. Did the video fix it for you?

 

 

[The-Acre]

1 hour ago, andrewcoxgm@gmail.com said:

Ok, I've checked the screen when I put it in reverse and I get no ECT message. I just have 2 buttons on the bottom of the screen. One changes the reversing view to a different display, the other puts the camera into parking assist mode (haven't had the guts to actually use that yet to park).

So I have no ECT problems. Did the video fix it for you?

 

 

I've been too busy to try but towards the end of the week I will.  I don't think I'll have the nerve to try the parking assist either!  I recently disconnected the Battery when I replaced the steering wheel and since then the displays for the AC etc only stay on for a few seconds.  I notice the video addresses that so hopefully I'll be able to sort that as well.  I took out the sat nav disc as it seemed pointless have directions on the screen for Japan! 

[andrewcoxgm@gmail.com]

That's interesting. Where was the sat nav disk? I was looking for a button to turn off the air suspension in case I needed to change a tyre etc but couldn't find it.(not even sure it exists). But I did find an empty media player in the glove box which is a complete mystery. Is that for ECT?

Will send a pic

 

[The-Acre]

14 minutes ago, andrewcoxgm@gmail.com said:

That's interesting. Where was the sat nav disk? I was looking for a button to turn off the air suspension in case I needed to change a tyre etc but couldn't find it.(not even sure it exists). But I did find an empty media player in the glove box which is a complete mystery. Is that for ECT?

Will send a pic

 

The nav disc was in the boot, although now I get a message telling me to insert disc every time I start, not audible though.  I've never heard of a switch for the suspension, all I know is that it should never be started when jacked up. I've found all sorts of stuff in my car, including a sound system remote which doesn't seem to even belong to the car.

[andrewcoxgm@gmail.com]

The video tells you how to get rid of the missing ECT disk message. That I do remember. Hopefully your TS functions are similar.

I am also finding some stuff in my car which I don't understand. Apart from the mystery media player in the glovebox, there is a button above the windscreen (centre in front of the air purifier) which has an icon of the car with increasingly long bars coming down from the roof. What does that do?

 

 

 

[The-Acre]

7 hours ago, andrewcoxgm@gmail.com said:

The video tells you how to get rid of the missing ECT disk message. That I do remember. Hopefully your TS functions are similar.

I am also finding some stuff in my car which I don't understand. Apart from the mystery media player in the glovebox, there is a button above the windscreen (centre in front of the air purifier) which has an icon of the car with increasingly long bars coming down from the roof. What does that do?

 

 

 

How about a photo of the button.  Could it be to disable the alarm like the LS430 has I wonder.  Iv'e got the original Sony Walkman type cassette player in the rear of mine, still with the unused headphones! I've also got the complete breakdown flare under the glovebox. I can't get a picture on the TV but I can get sound, just as well really as its in the dash!

[andrewcoxgm@gmail.com]

I will take a photo of the mystery button and post it here so you can take a look. Have no idea what it does.

My car also had a breakdown flare. I saw it in the photos before I collected the car and had to ask the import agent what it was for  The compliance shop removed it though.

You are quite right - the video link shows you how to keep the AC/Audio (and other) screens on full time so it doesn't just flick back to the default screen. That was one of the first things I did because it was really annoying. All good now.

TV screen is the same for me. I get sound on some channels but no picture. Why do they have TV in the dash anyway? Seems insane.

When I picked the car up, there were some large plastic components left in the passenger well. I watched a lexus ls430 video which  showed all the hidden storage compartments under the seats but I can't get these bits to even closely fit anywhere. I also had a brand new set of snow chains in the boot. They weigh a ton and as I live in tropical Queensland they are about as useful as an inflatable dart board.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[andrewcoxgm@gmail.com]

Hi,

Here is a photo of the mystery button in my crown. It's located in front of the air purifier controls above the rear view mirror (sorry if the photo isn't very sharp). It's basically a car icon with beams coming down inside from the roof and the only option is 'OFF'.  If I press it, nothing seems to happen (no lights on dash etc). Can you help?

Thanks