dipstick

Notr to rain on your parade, as it were, and I may very well be wrong - but wasn't the issue with home brew CDs and Lexuses not that it won't play them, but that they sometimes jam up the CD player good and proper?

That's a question I also asked of dealers and Lexus UK, but got no answer to, so I think it's "probably not". But if you can bear a third party solution for parking sensors there's lots about at varying costs. When I was about to buy a Ls430 with no parking sensors I made it part of the deal that the seller would fit some third party ones in the price. I would say the LS is one of those cars that really does benefit from sensors, being a bit of a behemoth. Even today somebody was parked awkwardly in our car park and the manouevres I had to do would have been horrendous without front and rear sensors.

I started a thread about parking sensors a little time ago, and found out exactly which models had them when. It's here, if you want to look, or the most relevant bit I wrote was this: "As best as I can now tell, the sensors were not available at all at launch, became available as an option in March 2001, and became standard fit in April 2002." Full thread at http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/ind...parking+sensors As others have said, premium pack is basically the rear massage seats/aircon/radio controls, and fairly useless rear coolbox. And welcome to the club!

Just to add to this - one keeps reading that if you turn on aircon your mpg goes from a fantastic 24 or so to three and a half, so I did some highly scientific empirical testing and turned off the rear aircon (usually on all the time). Made not a gnats whisker difference to the mpg, so might as well have it huffing gloomily even when the rear sets are empty.

Thanks for that useful advice Sagitar - noted and appreciated. As to their reason - "it says that in our book so that's what we've done". Whatever that means. I'm not over worried about it and will get it sorted by them next week. As to the torque wrench, for £25 or so it's worth it I think - I'm a real hypochondriac when it comes to cars! Every tiny noise and I think it's going to be twins. I'll still be obsessing about it in three cars time I expect, so might as well. I'll look on the 'bay for summat.

Well that's as maybe, but I've also discovered that wasabi coating makes terrible white stains on your cashmere. Which isn't a phrase you type every day, and how I'm going to explain THIS in my meeting later I have no idea.

Oh nuts. Ok, as I'm going to get them to swap my tyres about anyway I'll get it sorted, or indeed enpurchasulate a torque wrench myself so I can be sure it's right everywhere forever. Pete, you described my usual way of getting anywhere after Mrs Dipstick has been at the satnav, so looks like I'm ok there. Thank you boys. Oh, and I'll tell you what - wasabi covered peanuts are a joy to savour. I like to bring you new experiences.

Ah, thanks for the fast reply. Being an ignoramus I didn't know whether the scale was linear, in which case as you say, no great thing, or logarithmic, in which case abandon hope as the car is about to shatter into a million pieces. Mind is officially at rest.

Having had a set of new tyres the other week. I've finally got around to looking at the paperwork. The handbook for the car says the wheel nuts should be tightened to 105Nm. I notice they've written that they've set them to 120Nm. Should I care? Is this significant?

Nah, that's old stuff. Go to the Novus website, and look at the Novus Rider. Same kit, different box. I mailed Novus and asked them specifically this question, and they confirmed it was the same unit (they took over Talex), and that the updates on the Novus site work with the Talex units, and are free for life.

Subsequent to my query I did some empirical testing using a temperature/velocity based verification methodology. I have to say that, because if I said I'd stuck my hand between my thighs and felt for hot wind it might have been misinterpreted. But I think the front seats puff actually. Book implies they do too.

Yes Pete, it does do mobile cameras as well as fixed - "warning, possible mobile camera ahead, limit 60 miles per hour, reduce speed" etc etc - mine always has in fact, and had it about a year. Also red light cameras I think but don't go through those often so not sure, and as above, occasional accident black spots (which can be useful to know on an unfamiliar road and there's a crossroads round the corner or something).

...and as another alternative I use a Talex Lite (now made by Novus, and called the Novus Rider). Not a satnav, just a box you leave plugged in. It simply tells you about speed cameras, and (repeatedly) warns you to slow down if you are over speed. Also tells you about accident black spots, all in a clear voice. It need only be in the car somewhere (doesn't care much about being near a window), costs about £70 and database updates are free for life. Brilliant bit of kit you need do nothing with whatsoever. If you WANT to look at it it shows you your speed, but I don't bother. I have it tucked down by the driver's seat with the power cable hidden, and plugged into the socket in the back of the car.

Well I had a go with a Nissan one when it first came out, but that had a hiccup that meant it accelerated blindly into fog, which was enough to make your hair lively. And then a go with the one on the Honda Accord, which worked very well indeed, though the lane keep assist had a thing for passing lorries and would try to mate with their offside wheels. And then the LS460 one, which just worked all dandy. It's even in a Mondeo now, for heaven's sake. Thanks for the heads up though.

I thought they'd cracked the quality issues post 02, but that's worth knowing Pete. To be honest one of the big pulls for me (feeble this, don't laugh) is that I REALLY want adaptive cruise. I had a spin in a LS460 recently for the day (such nice dealers in Cambridge) and was sold on it - it's a brilliant gadget for me. You can get distronic on a Merc for much less than adaptive on a Lex.