I just want to ask if someone has ever experienced this very strange problem that I just had happened to me about 5 times in the past several weeks.

It happens when I just drive, listen to something on my GS430 ’01 with Mark Levinson with Navi. at just at regular loudness and suddenly all by itself the audio turns the loudness all the way UP. You can imagine what ML system can do at full power! It is simply deafening!!! And at some time I consider it to be simply dangerous during driving.

My question is if someone has experienced anything like that before?
Also where do you think the problem is? Do you think it is hardware or software problem?

One thing that I have figured out about this problem is that it has something to do with the “SET” button on the steering weal that some how sets itself to the MAX volume.
I have tested it after one of such incidents when I after I lowered the volume and then pressed SET button and jumped back to the MAX volume.

After I reset SET button everything seems to be normal.

I also not sure even how to explain such problem to the dealer because it happens only one in several days, so I could not reproduce it in front of them and they do not know where even to start fixing it.

 

no clue but those are very interesting ways to spell loud and dangerous

 

Dude, that "set" button is usally programmed to be like a mute or to lower the volume instantly for e.g if you want to answer the phone etc. That is what mine does, for some reason yours has been reprogrammed to max out the volume. I am not sure if you can set this to yourself or will need the dealer to do it for you.

 

if it's not the set button, then it's the amp i think

read the sc430 forum, someone had the same issue

 

Had this problem on my 2001 GS. It is the ML amp. It is a known problem on the early ML system. There is a TSB on this. Too bad yours is out of warranty. The problem is associated with the ASL. Try turning it off. The permanent fix is to replace the ML Amp.

Chu...

 

Thank you for pointing it to me.

 

This is how I want it to work and that is usually I set it to. It is in the manual that you can assign loudness value to it by holding it for few seconds until it beeps and then it remembers your current volume. But in my case I do not even touch it or volume controls and it reprograms it by itself and then decides to be used at that new value all by itself.

 

What is TSB? Can you give me any more information so I could point my dealer to the right place.

I suspected that it could be something with ASL. I tried in both ASL ON & OFF and it happened in both.

I am afraid that replacing ML will cost me a lot

 

TSB = Technical Service Bulletins

http://www.alldata.com/TSB/31/01310920.html

See AU001-01 and AU001-02.

https://www.clublexus.com/index.php/...view/79/1/148/

Only option is to replace the ML amp (approx. $1000+).

Chu...

 

I think they will still honor TSBs on out of warranty vehicles. It's a problem that was never taken care of so he should be fine.

 

I agree. Many times Lexus will indeed cover the costs of the work as a "goodwill gesture." Just depends on how helpful your local dealer is.

 

Replace the amp with what? I have the same problem with my 2001 GS430 ML

Got a part# or make/model I should be targeting the amp from? I assume that I don't just want to replace the amp with another 2001 GS430 amp??

 

The provided website does not work. My car have the same issue. recently when i start the car, the volume would go full blast for no reason. I heard the ML amp in 2003-2005 would fix the problem.

 

I have attached the TSB that would address the ML problem for 2001 and 2002.

 

That really would be an obnoxious problem