caverman

I got a '04 LS430 not to long ago and there is a some kind of a tape with some metal looking sensors in it on top of my rear view mirror that is peeling up. From what it looks like and with a best guess it's being used by a sensor mounted inside at the top of the windshield in front of the rear view mirror. My guess is it is used to determine if the auto-dimming stuff should turn on.

The tape is bending up and peeling off. Every day I reach up and push it down but it will be almost off again within a couple hours. I took it all the way off once and the tape (which is about 3" long) has a bunch of metal looking lines in it. Reminds me of an antenna in a side window. Right above in it on the inside of the windshield is some kind of a sensor and I'm guess they work in conjunction with each other. I'm sure it's there for a reason so I don't want to just pull it off and toss it. I would like to look into replacing it if needed but I need to know what it's for and if it's even replaceable.

Question is, does anyone know what it's for and or should/can I replace it?

paulg1981

I had the exact same thing with my parents 04 ls430. Turns out it was something the dealer put there so that they could scan it when they took it in for service. It serves no purpose and is not connected to the cars electronics :-)

Tom57

A picture is worth a thousand words ...

caverman

For some reason I thought we couldn't upload pics. Shows you what I know. Here they are.

KING

iTrader: (1)

Oh, that's neat.

Tom57

As Paulg1981 thought, it appears to be some type of after-market inventory / i.d. tag of some sort, perhaps unique to Texas? It's definitely not OEM or related to the operation of the vehicle. Put it in the glove compartment, save it 'til you learn exactly what its purpose is. What is the piece attached to the windshield left of the rear view mirror mount?

caverman

Good deal. It's been annoying me since I got the car. The Texas heat isn't helping it any either.

I have no idea what the sensor thing is on the windshield but it's not aftermarket as far as I know. It looks like it's installed OEM and my buddy (the original owner) left it all stock as far as I know.

With the metallic antenna type thing it has in the tape I thought maybe the sensor on the windshield was using it for something but the only thing I could think of is the auto dimming. I thought maybe it was reflecting either light or heat information back up to the sensor on the windshield. That's why I didn't want to remove it.

I'm hoping someone knows what either one is which is why I posted the question here. There are way more smarter people on here than me and I'm new to Lexus.

Tom57

The light dimming sensor is located at the top of the dash in the center where the dash and windshield meet facing up to the sky. The other item attached on the windshield is not familiar to me; it's not OEM.

jayclapp

Could it be a device which allows entry on to a toll road for automatic billing and not having to stop to pay?

caverman

It's not a Toll Tag. I have one of those on the car as well. It's in the first picture on the passenger side of the rear view but it only looks like a square.

I have no clue what that sensor is for???

Tom57

Right, it's not a transponder for auto toll payments. I do wonder if the piece attached to the windshield is somehow related to the tape with wires that was stuck to the inside rear view mirror. Suggest you ask your your buddy what it is ... and come back to let us know.

caverman

I emailed my friend and he said he vaguely remembered it but couldn't remember what it was for. He thought it could have been for a parking garage or something like that. It's still a mystery as to what it is but at least I know it's now pivotal to the car functioning. I'm going to stick the tape in my glove box like someone mentioned and keep the pics so that I can put it back if ever needed.

Thanks for everyone's help!

Fixman

My gues is some sort of RF tag. Till gate, Garag or smthing els of that sort.
Thou the tags I have seen are square.
Hear we have it for toll gates. You can find it in shops as will as a theft deterrent thing.

MrDOS

My car's from Ft. Worth, and I just now took it off to ask y'all what it's for. Don't think it's too important!

caverman

Took mine off and it didn't seem to make any difference. You should be fine taking it off.