Bad experience with Lextech...
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 4,447
Likes: 5
From: I.E Southern California to SA,Texas
Ordered a cluster from http://taninautoelectronix.com/ today. I'll post my results when it arrives. I stayed away from lextech because of all the horror stories.
Sponsor
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1,136
Likes: 152
From: WI
We can repair it for you if you would like to send it in. You will get it back within a week or so.
I sent my cluster in back in January and just got it back today...in pieces. The lower mounting tabs are both broken off and two of the needles fell off and are just floating around in the cluster housing.
I sent them an email letting them know the situation and asked them if they had insured the package and how to go about resolving this issue.
The reply I got was pretty shady. They stated that they received the cluster broken already and said that I can look up on their website how to reattach the needles and calibrate them.
Sure, there is the chance that it was broken during shipping to them, but I covered the cluster in bubble wrap, and then wrapped it in shipping paper, and wrote FRAGILE across the box. I shipped it via UPS and insured it. The fact that two of the needles are detached also tells me that the return shipping was apparently a rough ride. The box is all smashed up too.
You WOULD THINK that if the cluster showed up broken, maybe they'd TELL ME upon receiving it, not wait to tell me that it showed up broken when I get it back and tell them.
I'm not really sure what to do at this point. I'm contacting UPS to see if I can possible get insurance money from them, since Lextech is apparently not interested in being cooperative or helpful in this situation. Guess I'll attempt to epoxy the parts back together and reinstall the broken needles.
What makes it worse, is it's a factory manual car...that I just spent $200 dollars on to fix/upgrade, and what do I get? A busted cluster.
Anyways, just putting this out there. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone with their lack of customer service at this point, basically passing the blame and not taking any responsibility whatsoever.
I sent them an email letting them know the situation and asked them if they had insured the package and how to go about resolving this issue.
The reply I got was pretty shady. They stated that they received the cluster broken already and said that I can look up on their website how to reattach the needles and calibrate them.
Sure, there is the chance that it was broken during shipping to them, but I covered the cluster in bubble wrap, and then wrapped it in shipping paper, and wrote FRAGILE across the box. I shipped it via UPS and insured it. The fact that two of the needles are detached also tells me that the return shipping was apparently a rough ride. The box is all smashed up too.
You WOULD THINK that if the cluster showed up broken, maybe they'd TELL ME upon receiving it, not wait to tell me that it showed up broken when I get it back and tell them.
I'm not really sure what to do at this point. I'm contacting UPS to see if I can possible get insurance money from them, since Lextech is apparently not interested in being cooperative or helpful in this situation. Guess I'll attempt to epoxy the parts back together and reinstall the broken needles.
What makes it worse, is it's a factory manual car...that I just spent $200 dollars on to fix/upgrade, and what do I get? A busted cluster.
Anyways, just putting this out there. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone with their lack of customer service at this point, basically passing the blame and not taking any responsibility whatsoever.
__________________
TANIN AUTO ELECTRONIX
262-456-4147
contact@taninauto.com
www.taninautoelectronix.com
https://taninjdm.com/ Our Lexus LS430 Dealership
TANIN AUTO ELECTRONIX
262-456-4147
contact@taninauto.com
www.taninautoelectronix.com
https://taninjdm.com/ Our Lexus LS430 Dealership
Go with http://www.taninautoelectronix.com and here is what you can expect. Better than OEM quality. The needles are really better than stock.
here's the link to a short video
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v...type=2&theater
I'll get some better pics eventually. It really is top notch quality.
here's the link to a short video
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v...type=2&theater
I'll get some better pics eventually. It really is top notch quality.
Last edited by Albatross; May 26, 2014 at 01:14 PM.
Sponsor
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1,136
Likes: 152
From: WI
Thanks, glad it worked out for you!
We do climate units too
We do climate units too
__________________
TANIN AUTO ELECTRONIX
262-456-4147
contact@taninauto.com
www.taninautoelectronix.com
https://taninjdm.com/ Our Lexus LS430 Dealership
TANIN AUTO ELECTRONIX
262-456-4147
contact@taninauto.com
www.taninautoelectronix.com
https://taninjdm.com/ Our Lexus LS430 Dealership
Pole Position
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 2,084
Likes: 401
From: Nor CA
Sponsor
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1,136
Likes: 152
From: WI
That is how we do it so all of the needles have similar continuity.
It is similar to how some Mercedes clusters are set up
Long story short, last year Lextech threatened us with a lawsuit for "copying" their patented needle design so we just changed our design and moved on with our own variants.
Some customers also voiced concern with our prior needle design being too "dim" at the tip if it is "fully lit" so it's always something.
We will not appease everyone no matter how we do it.
The best we can do is offer a bright needle, excellent customer support, and a lifetime warranty along with continual R&D and improvements to our designs.
We can do the needles in tip lit, "fully lit" (V2), and the design as shown above. (V2.1)
Here is the (V2) needle design
It is similar to how some Mercedes clusters are set up
Long story short, last year Lextech threatened us with a lawsuit for "copying" their patented needle design so we just changed our design and moved on with our own variants.
Some customers also voiced concern with our prior needle design being too "dim" at the tip if it is "fully lit" so it's always something.
We will not appease everyone no matter how we do it.
The best we can do is offer a bright needle, excellent customer support, and a lifetime warranty along with continual R&D and improvements to our designs.
We can do the needles in tip lit, "fully lit" (V2), and the design as shown above. (V2.1)
Here is the (V2) needle design
__________________
TANIN AUTO ELECTRONIX
262-456-4147
contact@taninauto.com
www.taninautoelectronix.com
https://taninjdm.com/ Our Lexus LS430 Dealership
TANIN AUTO ELECTRONIX
262-456-4147
contact@taninauto.com
www.taninautoelectronix.com
https://taninjdm.com/ Our Lexus LS430 Dealership
Rookie
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 50
Likes: 3
From: AZ
Hey Jason,
wondering if you could shed some light (oh snap, perfect pun) on the stock SC300/400 needles for me. Are they tinted red with white(or red?) LEDs, or are they clear and use red LEDs? Haven't had a chance to take the dash apart myself and figured you'd know already.
wondering if you could shed some light (oh snap, perfect pun) on the stock SC300/400 needles for me. Are they tinted red with white(or red?) LEDs, or are they clear and use red LEDs? Haven't had a chance to take the dash apart myself and figured you'd know already.
The stock ones use neon, i believe, and thats why they look funny after a while. Last night I was cleaning up the wiring behind the radio and just couldn't get over how sweet my new cluster is.
Someday I will be ordering a climate control unit from tanin for sure.
Someday I will be ordering a climate control unit from tanin for sure.
I wonder if Lexus was threatened with one.
I sent them my Lexus needles and got the back the same Lexus needles, except colored and with shorter life. Do they have a patent on ALL lower than OEM quality needles?
Sponsor
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1,136
Likes: 152
From: WI
Hey Jason,
wondering if you could shed some light (oh snap, perfect pun) on the stock SC300/400 needles for me. Are they tinted red with white(or red?) LEDs, or are they clear and use red LEDs? Haven't had a chance to take the dash apart myself and figured you'd know already.
wondering if you could shed some light (oh snap, perfect pun) on the stock SC300/400 needles for me. Are they tinted red with white(or red?) LEDs, or are they clear and use red LEDs? Haven't had a chance to take the dash apart myself and figured you'd know already.
__________________
TANIN AUTO ELECTRONIX
262-456-4147
contact@taninauto.com
www.taninautoelectronix.com
https://taninjdm.com/ Our Lexus LS430 Dealership
TANIN AUTO ELECTRONIX
262-456-4147
contact@taninauto.com
www.taninautoelectronix.com
https://taninjdm.com/ Our Lexus LS430 Dealership
LOL I see what you did there. Just an update I spent half the day driving around trying to get the car registered and everytime I look at my cluster I think "daaang... thats hot".
Rookie
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 50
Likes: 3
From: AZ
Pole Position
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 275
Likes: 2
From: Texas
I had the same problem when I sent mine in for warranty work. My gas and coolant needle when broken. Emailed them and they said happened in shipping. I don't think so. The needle are in there pretty good and have to have pressure on them themselves to break I just put them on the nest I could and there doin fine. the fuel gauge wont go past 3/4 of a tank and my rpm gauge read at 500 rpm when it idles at 900-1000. Long story short. I'll never use them again. They were very rude in there emails and didn't want to help me out at all.