Does anyone know anyone who can get access to some Lexus/Toyota engineers on the inside

Who would be the right people to contact
We should get started on getting some things changed which are BRAINDEAD EASY
DEFECTIVE BY DESIGN!!!

1) Use navigation system while in motion -- add a disclaimer to CYA

2) Allow ripping in opensource lossless (this means it's FREE to implement and use!!! only gotta add the codecs which is EASY!) to the built-in harddrive in the car

Anyone can think of some easy electronic fixes

 

I would LOVE this as well.

I have an issue with the ML stereo in my 2003 SC430. I've contacted Lexus about it; they said that I have to contact Mark Levinson. I contacted Mark Levinson and they said "We have a special division for the Mark Levinson systems in Lexus vehicles but, they don't have a phone number, only an e-mail address."...Right. They have a phone number, they just won't give it to ME.

So, I did the proper thing; send ML and nice, detailed e-mail. Never heard from them. Resent the e-mail 2 months later...nothing. Sent it a 3rd time 2 months after that...never a word.

I called ML back and told them about this. "There's nothing we can do. I'm sorry. You have to use the e-mail address". I'm fine with e-mail only but, THEY HAVE TO ANSWER THEM!

So, yeah, if you find a way to contact someone at Lexus who holds and EE, please share.

 

Could you give me the email you got?

We have a few thousand members on this forum -- I'm sure we can get something done

I've started calling my dealership every few days to get them to move off their asses and actually do something for me

 

Maybe you rather talk to the Lexus lawyers instead of the engineers. Being that early on your could put the nav in test mode and have full unlocked access to it, that should tell you it isn't an engineering problem but a legal one that Lexus thinks they need to cover. I don't agree with it, but someone at Lexus doesn't want their customers to have access to the nav while in motion so we don't get it.

 

I thought about that for a few seconds but I decided that we should subvert the 'normal' methods altogether

I'm tired of marketing and legal departments deciding
That's why it's DEFECTIVE BY DESIGN right?
It should be something that's FIXED asap
Or at least they should open-source their hardware's code to owners, afterall, some of us actually BOUGHT the car

After a few days, I'll start passing out torches and taking a mob headcount

Anyone else have small electronic quirks that tick them off?

 

I've got the e-mail address at work. I'll post it tomorrow when I'm in the office.

 

vraa,

Here's the e-mail address...

mailto:marklevinsonfeedback@harmanbecker.com

 

Get in the back of the line.. We would all love to have a sit down with these guys and tell them what improvements should be made with Lexus vehicles.. *Cough..steering, suspension, overall driving dynamics... Who cares about the nav..

 

You can override access to the Navigation through a not-marked hot spot on the Volume screen in the GS. Search the threads from around the fall of '06 for the sequence and screen shots. Not a perfect solution but we use it from time to time.

 

^^ yes, the previous gen navs you can override. but the new gen 7 in the LS prevents all hacks from being used.

 

Get out your nav manual. Go to the Appendix in the back. See all the EULAs you did not agree with when you bought the car (they are MANY.)

They're not going to change anything, and they're not going to allow any open source. Toyota's ECM code has not been hacked yet (just about everyone else has a hack to mod their engine software, but not any Toyota) and I've been told by someone in the industry that Toyota could and very likely would use DMCA to prosecute anyone who does.

Add to this they've announced they are developing their own operating system to be deployed in 2015 and you'll get the picture just how friendly Toyota/Lexus/Scion is to software modifications.