bc6152

I'm with you Art. Nice touch but not for me...

lesz

I suspect that the reason why Lexus decided to locate the trunk release, fuel door release, (and hood release) controls separate from the other buttons and in a location that requires a longer reach is because opening the trunk, opening the fuel filler door, and opening the hood are all functions that should not be done while driving. While putting those controls in the same cluster with controls that may well be used while the vehicle is in motion looks neater/cleaner, it would also invite accidentally opening the trunk or fuel filler door (or hood) while driving. As someone who does occasionally press the wrong button while driving, I don't have a need to have the location of the controls make it easier for me to do so.

I also suspect that, if someone ended up in an accident after, say, accidentally opening the trunk while driving and if that owner had moved the controls from the location chosen by Lexus for them, any liability would quickly shift from Lexus to the owner of the vehicle.

txes

Also, if somebody looks in your window they're not as apt to notice the always powered releases.

John

LexRuger

The trunk button will not work unless the car is in park. Not sure about the gas door and hood button. But pretty much every car has the same hood release latch where you have to reach under the hood to fully open it.

lesz

You are right, the trunk button won't work unless the car is in park. I don't know when that changed, but I know that, with the 2006 ES that I owned, it would work in drive. I know that because I once carelessly opened the trunk while driving at 65 mph on the highway. With the 2013, the fuel door release will still work in drive.

In any case, the point that I think is still valid is that I see practical and ergonomic advantage to having buttons that control functions that are not used while driving placed separately from those that control functions that can be used while driving and in a location that is more remote.

isidro0

I have not used the blind stop monitor or the park assist while driving, they are always on. I can't image why I would be pressing them on and off.

gfr1

Not so! I opened my trunk once while underway, while attempting to de-activate my LDA, I believe it was.

LexRuger

Must be something wrong. Every car I've owned you had to put the car in park.

lamar411

Yeah my new Lexus, the car must be in Park to use the trunk button. Funny.

txes

Wrong.

The trunk release will work if the car is in drive and the car is stopped. Once you start driving it is disabled.

If you try driving with the trunk open you will get a loud tone and a yellow warniing light on the dash.

John

LexRuger

You're right. When I tried the button in drive, it didn't work, but I guess I was slightly moving.

imrankh24

hey man sorry for bringing such a old thread back to life, but i am thinking of doing this small but extremely helpful mod tomorrow. can you tell the full exact steps of how to remove that part of the dash, cause i am not trying to break anything and the ops instructions weren´t that clear. also if you can post pics that would be extremely helpful.

kxaz145

I'd like to refresh this thread as I'm going to have some time this weekend to give this another go. I tentatively did some prying on the panels mentioned when this thread first posted. The pictures were helpful, but can anyone describe the specific location to start the panel removal? I tries two locations and the sound made me back off as I didn't want to break something.

Yoder

iTrader: (2)

I just did this, thanks for the idea. I did one change though, I moved the parking sensors up higher to the blank next to the mirror controls. The parking sensors is really the only one I turn on/off while driving (car wash, drive through, etc).

Yoder

iTrader: (2)

I removed them in the following order: drivers side threshold, then corner piece by parking brake followed by the thin piece between the dash and the door. It's attached to the weather stripping with metal clips. Next is the side panel on the left side of the dash, when the door is closed you can't see this piece. Next you have to remove the piece under the temp controls. Then removed the two 10mm bolts, that hold the bottom dash in. Then it can be pulled out.