caha14

Curious to see if anyone has had this done to their 2007-2009 LS460s...

If so, could you please share what the conditions were before the fix (where the vibrations were felt, at what speeds, etc.) and also what your experience with the results of the fix has been? There has been mention of this TSIB in other threads here, but I have not found anyone who has openly talked about having it done.

As background information, my car definitely has a driveline vibration, but the steering wheel also vibrates. All vibrations are, however, intermittent as to when they come and go, and the intensity - on both the chassis and the steering wheel - can also vary.

Tires and wheels have been ruled out with 99.9% confidence at this point... Long story, but please believe me on that (happy to share all the details - lots of them - in another post)! And FWIW, I have OEM wheels and OEM Michelins.

I'm really trying to get to the bottom of this issue. The shop foreman at the dealership has been superb in trying to narrow down the list of possibilities. What puzzles me is how a driveline issue in a rear-wheel-drive vehicle can affect the steering wheel (even though it can certainly explain the shaking of the whole car). In the end, it's all connected to the same body, but still... I am even wondering if my car has this driveline vibration PLUS something else (e.g., control arms in the front suspension appear to be a popular replacement part in these cars according to other threads).

Here is a link to the TSIB that I borrowed from another thread: http://www.lambros.net/LexusTechInfo...SB-0147-08.pdf

Thank you in advance!

I8ABMR

I am surprised to hear this. This would drive me insane. I have had vibration with my wheels for ever and can only imagine if it was coming from the driveline

caha14

It doesn't feel any worse than a bad balance job (or a good balance job gone bad because your tires have shifted on the rims), though I find it very annoying, particularly since this is an LS which is supposed to be buttery smooth, yet most other cars I've owned had less vibration on the highway.

I am happy with the support I have received thus far, particularly with the fact that I am dealing with people who truly want to solve the problem (e.g., the shop foreman at my dealership), but I will echo what I've said in other threads: if I had paid full price for this car brand new, I would be pretty upset, as the quality issues have been numerous. And mind you, my LS has been meticulously maintained (mechanically) since day 1, with every single service done at Sewell where the original owner bought it. Detailing-wise and what not, that's another story, but we've taken care of all that with our Zaino and Griot's arsenal at this point!

I hope someone here has had this TSIB done... I'm concerned it's a lot of work for little benefit, though I can't argue against doing it, as it does seem like the next logical step for my car based on what we know today.

I8ABMR

So whats the word?? Did you have the work done?? Did they figure it out??

Breitling

I have a very similar situation.

I have had the tires roadforce balanced twice. I have had the car aligned twice and still, i get a vibration in my steering wheel from 70-80 MPH and it comes and goes. WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH MY CAR!!!.

It also doesnt vibrate under 70 (mostly) and over 80 (EVER).

HELP!!!

FOURSIXTYL

Since we are ruling out tires - while I am no mechanic - I would venture to guess the transmission is your culpit.
I once had a buick that would intermittently 'shudder or convulse' at highway speeds. To get it to stop the madning convulsing I would have to momentarily take my foot off the gas. Then the cycle would repeat. I had the motor mount replaced as suggested to no avail. I ended up dumping the car. Months later I was reading about old transmission oil trapped in the torque convertor causing similar issues. So maybe a full transmission flush would have been my solution- will never know since I sold it. look into that.

VannH

I clearly have this problem. I just bought a 2007 LS460 L from the dealer and immediately noticed this sound which sounded like a harmonic sound wav. It was extremely low pitch and didn't vary as a function of speed. It happened most times when I was in traffic so traveling with light acceleration, between 62 and 68 mph. I also noticed it occasionally in the high 40's in same driving conditions. I have an excellent service team which went through the wheel balancing issues mentioned earlier and have arrived at the conclusion that the fix for my problem is the Abnormal Driveline Drone/vibration service bulletin. Because I just bought the car and it has a 100k miles power train warranty, I am being told, by the sales side, that this condition is "normal and not related to power train". (I will leave it to the reader to note inconsistencies.).
I have owned 2 ES, 2 RX, and 2 LS430's and this car is just up to the ride of the 430's.
I am really anxious to hear if anyone has had this TSIB installed L-SB-0147-08

sktn77a

iTrader: (2)

So what are you asking the dealership for? The sales department to fix it? The service department to fix it? A refund for the car? Did it do this when you test drove the car? I had a vibration similar to this (in that it was not constant) on my former BMW 530i. The BMW dealership couldn't identify or fix the problem. I ended up selling the car and buying an LS460!

If the problem is a vibration, it's most likely tires, wheels, brakes, control arms, other suspension bushings/components (eg shocks) or propshaft. I don't think it's the transmission. Can they put a set of known good wheels/tires (from another used LS460)? Have them check out the propshaft sequence outlined in the TSIB also. It likely won't be covered by warranty as the warranty on this fix is only for the original 4yr/50k. I don't know if an extended Lexus warranty (CPO or Platinum) will cover it.

Good luck and be sure to report back.

caha14

Perhaps I should've posted an update in this thread, since I started this mess... However, I did post updates elsewhere, and "intelligence" from the work done on my car helped with I8ABMR's car as well.

I don't know of anyone on CL besides me who's had this entire TSIB done. My vibration issues spanned multiple components in the vehicle, though I didn't have the sound.

However, before you click on my updates below, there is one thing I should highlight: my car turned out to have a bad driveshaft angle from the factory. Yes, a manufacturing defect. As such, in addition to the TSIB, which calls for reindexing of the driveshaft, my driveshaft actually was replaced. The difference was night and day.

Few questions:

(1) How many miles on the car?
(2) Did you buy from a Lexus dealer (sounds like it but it's not clear)?
(3) Is it CPO?
(4) How long ago did you buy it?
(5) Is your car noticeably vibrating in addition to "humming"?

I would suggest you begin with a conversation with your service manager and then escalate (with his/her help, hopefully) to corporate.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/7257460-post32.html
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...75-80-mph.html

sktn77a

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for the update, Caha. Makes sense.

bob3636

I also have this issue. I picked up my 2011 LS in December. It is a CPO that had just come off a 3 year lease. 34K miles. I noticed between 55 and 60 MPH.
I did not notice during the test drive, but noticed the issue within a week or two. I live about 100 miles to the nearest dealer. I could tell this would be an issue that could get frustrating, so I had been waiting to see a post that my help explain the issue.
Thanks for posting this. I will copy the service bulletin and present to service.

camrysport

fmast342

Did you ever get this fixed? I recently bought a 2014 LS 460 certified pre-owned and experienced the vibration issue at highway speeds but especially when coasting. The dealer replaced both front axles and drive shaft assembly. I still feel like the vibration is there at times.