Brake Electronic/Buzzing noise
 

Hello all:

Something new now going on this week with my 2011. First of all, I must start by mentioning that I have never been too impressed with the brake system on my LS. Nevertheless, several months ago, I had the dealer check the brakes due a soft pedal feel after continued braking in heavy traffic. The tech mentioned something about what was completed. Some sort of "air flush" But honestly, I think he was full of crap. lol..He didn't really make eye contact with me while he was talking. We do know this much, rotors,pad, etc. all fine.(I already knew this, though.) What the issue is now has to do with an electronic buzzing noise when I depress the brake pedal while driving. It doesn't do it every time, but certainly every 2nd or 3rd time. This sound will last approximately 2-3 seconds and then it stops. But as I mentioned, it will do this every 2nd or 3rd time. I will appreciate any feed back!

Sorry, I also have to vent for minute here. I purchased this car from the original owner. @ dealership. 2011 AWD with 18,000. Absolute MINT. Still smells new! I was VERY hesitant purchasing a CPO. I have not purchased a used car in over 20 years. But, as I have always loved the look of the LS and found such a pristine specimen, I bought it. Now that I have owned it for 7months, here is what I think:

Cons:

Brakes, as mentioned above. A bit of a let down. But, I know that no car is perfect.

Terrible leather quality. Probably the worst I have experienced in any past automobile that I have owned. (Acura,Cadillac,Lincoln,Volvo.) The leather seems to wear very quickly. I usually complete a full cleaning and conditioning every 6 months. With this car, I will make it every 4 months.

The car is not as quiet as I would have believed. Yes, it is quiet. More so than most, I am sure. But, certainly not "vault quiet."

The front suspension seems a little weak to me. Whenever I go over the slightest speed bump at just a few miles an hour, the front sounds as if there is something loose. I did have this checked out. The car did need new coil springs up front. Paid by warranty. But, that did not seem to help. I am told the control arms are fine. It's just annoying to hear this when going very slowly over a small speed bump, or over any bump or small pothole.

Transmission ALWAYS skips first thing in the morning, or after sitting for 8 hours or more. Between 2nd-3rd gear. Only happens just that one time! I see by reading some posts here that this is just one of those "quirks" the cars has. However, it is annoying.

Pros:
Excellent engine performance!! This car will haul ass! Which I am sure most of you know. Just wonderful acceleration! And, as close to "buttery smooth" as one can get. I LOVE it!

Big luxury. I do feel absolutely safe in this automobile.

IMO, this car is a "tie" to one automobile that I had many years ago. A 1999 Cadillac DeVille. What a wonderful automobile that was! Except for the terrible oil consumption as the car aged.

Thank you in advance to anyone that is able to help me with the buzzing brake issue!

Well I think there is something wrong with your brakes, first off I find these brakes to be superb, not good, but unbelievably amazing. So the fact that you are not impressed with them tells me something isn't quite right here. That buzzing noise should not be happening. Period. It sounds like you may have an internal leak in the brake actuator and the system is trying to build up the pressure you've lost. Either that or you have an ABS fault that is causing your brakes to actuate when you step on the pedal. So something is wrong.

And if if you're having noises in the front end I'd get the control arm bushings checked again.

Agree on the leather, I haven't been thrilled. I haven't been thrilled with the quality/durability of the paint either.

And I agree, the car isn't vault quiet, I get some wind and tire noise, but it still is the quietest car I've ever owned. There's lots of insulation on this car...it actually stays warm for quite a long time in the cold (after you park it and get back in).

Ive vey been pretty impressed with the car overall...very reliable...handles well for a big car, great acceleration, good in the snow, excellent traction control system, reliable electronics, good looking car. If you ever get a chance to look at the car underneat while it's on a lift, you'll be looking at a very high quality vehicle. Well thought out components. You don't see that on a lot of cars.

Thank you for the reply and your personal feedback. Much appreciated. I will have to visit the local dealership and have a technician take a ride with me.

Keep us posted with what they advise. My wife's CT200H has a similar noise...almost like a "squawk" noise.

As for quietness....I'm a little surprised by your observations. The LS consistently places in the top ten of quietest cars in every test I've read. The Auto Decibal DB.com website places it at number 1 - ahead of Lincoln, Cadillac, MB and BMW. In fact, Lexus placed 3 times in the top ten along with ES and GS. Consumer Reports also placed the LS in the top 10. Some have speculated here at CL that perhaps the LS is so quiet, that any noise that DOES invade the cabin, is more noticeable.... if that makes sense. It is by far the quietest car I've ever owned and quieter than my previous 7 Series BMW.

Well, I sort of understand what you are saying. I do feel that there is some outside noise intrusion. Unfortunately, I do have wind noise with this car. It seems like the driver window is cracked open. But, it isn't. Many times I have opened it and closed it with hopes that the annoying "whooshing" sound will go away. But,it doesn't. Oh well, no car is perfect.

Vicqlo - The buzzing brake problem is new to me. I totally agree with the pros you mentioned. I personally haven't experience the cons you mentioned. I believe the '07 was vault quiet and extremely well insolated from outside noises when it was introduced over 10 years ago. I had read the '07 460 was one decibel quieter than a RR back then. Many other automakers have been catching up over the years like Buick, Chrysler, Lincoln etc. are all extremely quiet and the LS don't seem as quiet anymore. The LS is still the most reliable, comfortable, and the quietest sedan I've ever owned.

I had a poor seal between the front door windows and the window tracks on my '07 - sounded like it was cracked open like yours. I was able to reduce it by closing the windows and then "tapping" the down button to just reduce the pressure on the track. That reduced the noise significantly.

My new car is much quieter.

Does anyone have any tips on improving the quietness of LS? I have a 2014 LS 460 AWD and i would like to improve on the "stillness" of the care, especially on highway. Thanks!!