garsarno

The ML - Navigation in our new ES350 is frustrating. Every time I start the car, the screen comes up to choose the language and to push the "I Agree" button. Then it goes to the GPS - all I want it to do is come up with the a/c or the radio controls. I am tired (already) of signing in when I start the car. Just 109 miles and so far this is the only complaint on the car. I have noticed this past Saturday that people want to race this car and will not allow me to merge in front of them. I wonder if the Lexus chrome license plate frame along with it being new is bring out any rudeness of people in smaller cars. After all, it is not a Mercedes S65 or LS460L.

dreyfus

You can order a VaisTech iPod/MP3 interface unit for $300 with the automatic I AGREE feature. Then the unit will automatically press that button every time you start the car so you don't have to.

Not a very cost effective solution if you don't own an iPod/MP3 player, but it does get rid of that annoying button.

garsarno

This is the only solution? If it is, makes me a bit sorry I have the system (although the CDs play super).

SpaceDust

Garsarno, have you had a car with nav system before? My experience is that this is how all navs work, at least installed without modifications.

The reason is to avoid lawsuits because the user wasn't informed that there are safety issues involved in taking their attention from the road. The nav system has no way of identifying if it's you, who drives the car every day, or your cousin, who is borrowing it for the first time this afternoon, so it's going to make that announcement every time.

Frustrating and annoying? You bet. But until people stop filing frivolous lawsuits because they couldn't use their own common sense and think someone should tell them they're doing something stupid, we'll see this kind of thing.

SpaceDust
2007 ES 350
Premium Plus w/ Nav
Ruby Red Metallic/Cashmere

garsarno

First time with navigation system built in and now owned, although I have had Hertz rentals with add on navigation. I agree with you on the lawsuit issue (think the Devil's Advocate movie - their fingers are in everything) but it's too bad that that screen can't be deleted.

toneman

I totally understand where you're coming from! FWIW--the nav on my '04 GMC Yukon Denali XL is much more user-friendly in this regard; other than those rare times when (re)inserting the nav DVD for whatever reason, the only time it spits out the disclaimer is when I switch between driver profiles (e.g., Driver 1/2)...otherwise, I am not required to view and acknowledge the disclaimer every time I start my vehicle...and oh BTW--even when the disclaimer appears, IIRC it'll self-acknowledge after a brief period...unlike the Lexus one where you have to acknowledge it in order to use the nav functions.

crkstr

I have the VaisTech interface and didn't know about the auto press of the agree button. How is that feature engaged on the VaisTech?

Thanks...

dreyfus

The same thing happened to me. Just mail the unit (just the box) back to VaisTech and ask them to add the agree button press feature for your Lexus. They'll send back a new unit the same day at no cost to you.

That was a nice bit of customer service on their part. But it would have been better to have this as an option on their web site.

Since this niftly little feature is one of the reasons I bought the VaisTech unit in the first place, it was worth the week without it to get this added on.

cleblanc

Actually this is not how ALL navigations systems work. My brother has an Acura MDX and the nav system works fine with the car in motion. Only some manufacturers choose to put these so-called safety features in the car. But Lexus has really carried it too far.
I can understand not playing DVDs while driving but Lexus has no regard for the passenger who may want to use the nav system. But the biggest annoyance feature for me is all the other displays that are greyed out while the car is in motion.
I didn't spend all this money on a Lexus to only have it work while it is parked in my garage. Where will this insanity end? I think they should also disable the clock, the display screen that shows my gas mileage decreasing and any other display that might cause me to crash the car while driving.

dreyfus

I think SpaceDust was referring to the obligatory warning display upon startup, not the speed lockouts. Presumably, your brother's Acura had that as well.

You're absolutely right about Lexus going overboard with all these speed lockouts. I'm suprised the steering column and seat adjustments still work while moving (though you'll notice that the memory seat adjustments don't).

Carbsumer

Our salesman told us that it was federal law that required them to disable functionality. Is he full of BS?

Perhaps when he said, "the law", he meant, "lawyers".

Well, I'm just waiting for a few parts to come in, and then I'll be installing the speed sensor cut-off switch.

dreyfus

That's BOVINE SCATOLOGY!! There is no such law.

toneman

I find Lexus' stance on this a bit ironic IMHO--I mean, Lexus apparently feels that we're not really good at multitasking safely so they decide to implement these nav safety lockouts...yet think we're probably such great drivers at high speeds that they chose to set the speed limiter on the ES 350 at 137 mph? Not that I'm necessarily complaining that they set it that high, but if they were so concerned about safety, they should have set the limiter at no higher than 100 mph. And yes, I know that high speeds does not necessarily equate to unsafe driving but I think we all can agree that more than a few people would not know how to drive responsibly and/or safely at very high speeds.

Kaius88

Wait.... you dont need the Vais interface to accomplish what you want. You just want to start your car with the AC or Radio screen right? That's what I have. You just go to your menu settings and choose not to automatically switch to nav screen. Then your screen will remain the way you leave it. I leave mine on Audio screen so i can see the name of the song that's playing. It does not revert back to map, and it stays that way until you manually switch. Is this what you wanted?

garsarno

That leads me to another question. I have loaded CDs in the changer but: is the system supposed to read the CD and enter the artist's name and song title automatically on the screen info?

Also unrelated question - the drivers seat headrest - always rises by itself from most down position. Annoying / should the latch button lock it in place?