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IanA2

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Posts posted by IanA2

    New car battery

    in Lexus GS 300 / Lexus GS 250 / Lexus GS 430 / Lexus 450h / Lexus GS 460 Club

    Posted

    On 2/18/2022 at 5:48 PM, JeffL said:

    Which company do you use for Breakdown Cover? Just trying to find reliable cover at a fair price for my daughter and family. They have one car, not a Lexus, which is less than 12 months old. I've always had AA or RAC cover as I'm not keen on the third party involvement when using something like Green Flag but am interested in your views and experiences. (I have RAC cover as I can use Tesco Vouchers which are increased in value x3 through the Tesco Deals programme. Tesco points earned on purchases using my Tesco credit card which are exchanged for vouchers). Thanks.

     

    10 hours ago, LenT said:


    if your average journey is only four miles, then you’re not even replacing the current used to start the engine in the first place!

    The CTEK you have cannot overcharge your battery, so you would be better off to leave it connected overnight, say, if possible, on a monthly basis.  It will also help to keep the battery in a better condition.

    Your CTEK  should have come with a plug-in connector system in which leads are permanently fixed to the battery posts and end in a socket, which then connects to the charger.  You can get these ‘traffic light’ versions which enable you to check the charge level at a glance.

    This is one of the two sizes they come in.

    https://www.ctek.com/business-uk/battery-chargers-12v-24v/indicator-eyelet-m8

     

    Also consider an AA Car Solar Panel Powered 12v Battery Trickle Charger. Been using them for years now. Advantage is you don't have to have a mains trickle charger permanently plugged in with trailing wires.

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 1

    Breakdown Cover

    in Lexus GS 300 / Lexus GS 250 / Lexus GS 430 / Lexus 450h / Lexus GS 460 Club

    Posted

    9 minutes ago, JeffL said:

    Which company do you use for Breakdown Cover? Just trying to find reliable cover at a fair price for my daughter and family. They have one car, not a Lexus, which is less than 12 months old. I've always had AA or RAC cover as I'm not keen on the third party involvement when using something like Green Flag but am interested in your views and experiences. (I have RAC cover as I can use Tesco Vouchers which are increased in value x3 through the Tesco Deals programme. Tesco points earned on purchases using my Tesco credit card which are exchanged for vouchers). Thanks.

    I had Green Flag for several years and it was fine.

     

    Last ten years or so I pay NFU a wee bit more and they chuck in RAC, which has also been fine. See if the Ins Co do an add on, that could be a way to go.

    • Like 1
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    Bonnet stuck shut and other maladies.....

    in Engine & Transmission

    Posted

     I've finally decided that the 430 needs to go, it's taking up too much space. It's a great shame, but there we are. I'm either going to scrap it or send it to auction. Both these "solutions" possibly have difficulties in that it is currently Sorn'd. Obviously I can't drive it, but is it ok to be on a transporter (the auction house can do pick ups) whilst Sorn'd? Have had a look around and can't see an obvious answer. The car (despite new wheels, pump, cam belt, radiator and full SS exhaust & cats) is worth very litte without the damned MoT so this huge waste annoys me muchly.... 😞

    Bonnet stuck shut and other maladies.....

    in Engine & Transmission

    Posted

    Update:

    Bouncing on the bonnet finally worked. That said I'm pretty sure the latch or the cable is fubarred.

    On the VSC front, I've tried all the tricks, bridging the pins, disconnecting the Battery and opening/closing the fuel cap. VSC stays lit and re-reading throws up 1345 and only 1345.

    Don't really know what to do now, it would be a criminal waste to scrap a perfectly good car which has had a lot of preventative work done (inc new wheels, SS exhaust system & cats , timing chain, water pump etc etc etc.

     

     

    ETA.

    The reading:

    Car Scanner ELM OBD2
    DTC report
    Selected brand: Lexus

    ============1==============
    P1345
    Raw code: 1345
    ECU: 10
    Status: Confirmed
    OBDII: SGC (Cam Position) Sensor Circuit Malfunction/ Crankshaft Position - Camshaft Position Correlation
    Lexus: VVT Sensor / Camshaft Position Sensor Circuit Malfunction Bank 1

    ============2==============
    P1345
    Raw code: 1345
    ECU: 10
    Status: Confirmed
    OBDII: SGC (Cam Position) Sensor Circuit Malfunction/ Crankshaft Position - Camshaft Position Correlation
    Lexus: VVT Sensor / Camshaft Position Sensor Circuit Malfunction Bank 1

     

     
    • Like 1

    Bonnet stuck shut and other maladies.....

    in Engine & Transmission

    Posted

    Thanks, tried bouncing (MrsIanA2) on the bonnet while I pulled. Tomorrow the Mole grips 🙂

    Thanks for the part number.

    Should a code be thrown up if the VSC light is on, do you know?  The light is on but not indicated by any fault on the reader.

    9 minutes ago, steve2006 said:

    Part number as below, you could try pushing the bonnet down a few times to bounce the latch get someone to pull the release lever at the same time.

    There are also 2 micro filters which supply the oil pressure to operate the VVTI solenoids, if they get blocked ( not a service item BTW) they can cause timing issues resulting in a code and an EML.

    99542557-827C-48D3-8CD2-1E7CF76A992A.png

     

     

     

    Bonnet stuck shut and other maladies.....

    in Engine & Transmission

    Posted

    Does anybody have an idea about how to open a stuck bonnet. String pulls from inside, seems connected, but no joy. 

    Only ideas I've found (and not yet to be tried) are have someone sit on it while pulling the opener, or mole grip from inside and yank.

    All very sad as this is a very fine 430 (unused since SORN'd Nov last) suffering from an EML MoT failure. Mad, it's a great car and I'd like to get it back on the road, but I fear it might finally be heading to the scrappers. 

    I've taken a few code readings which I'll post later, but it's all a bit academic if I can't open the bonnet. I'm certainly not footing any more huge uneccessary bills ( see threads passim) 

    Thanks folks.

    Lexus Main Dealers

    in Lexus GS 300 / Lexus GS 250 / Lexus GS 430 / Lexus 450h / Lexus GS 460 Club

    Posted

    4 minutes ago, Thackeray said:

    This sounds more worrying than it is. As Herbie describes above, the 12v battery is not used as much as on conventional cars - it doesn't start the engine, only the computers. This means that Lexus have installed a smaller 12v battery. Just like any other car, if you leave it unused for too long it will go flat from keeping the alarm and the clock etc running. A quick glance around the forum shows multiple threads where the 12v battery has gone flat because no-one has been driving their car much over the last year.

    So whereas a conventional car with a battery capable of starting the engine might stand at an airport unused for maybe two or three months, the smaller 12v battery in Lexus hybrids might go flat within two or three weeks. This is irritating but not a major problem.

    If this ever happens and you have breakdown service they will come and jump start the car. If you don't want to risk having to wait for them to come and help, you could keep a portable jump starter (about the size of a mobile phone) in the glove box. I got one about three years ago but I've never had to use it.

    Or if you know you're not going to be using the car regularly, you could trickle charge the battery if you have somewhere to plug in a charger.

    So I think this warning about being "problematic" is just referring to the size of the 12v battery. The main high-voltage battery appears to stay charged for several months without attention. When the car is turned off this battery is completely isolated so it's not draining power while the car is unused apart from its inherent natural loss of power.

    Incidentally, the high-voltage battery is kept in the range 40-80% charged. The bars on the meter don't represent 0-100% charged. Two bars is around 40%. It can slip below this but the engine will start to get it back up to 50%. Eight bars might be as high as 80% but the normal range is around 50-60%, represented by three to six bars.

     

    "So I think this warning about being "problematic" is just referring to the size of the 12v Battery." Yup, it was.

    Lexus Main Dealers

    in Lexus GS 300 / Lexus GS 250 / Lexus GS 430 / Lexus 450h / Lexus GS 460 Club

    Posted

    1 minute ago, Phil xxkr said:

    You are kind in your comments John but I am reminded of GBS, "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in adapting the world to himself Therfore all progress depends on the unreasonable man." 

    And if I even thought of driving to Crete, the climate inquisitors would be knocking at my door before I went to bed, but certainly a wonderful thought. 😎

    In a previous life (over 50 years ago) I was a young broker in Lloyds. The chief broker noticed my commuting reading (Major Barbara) and remarked that it was bad form to be reading communist propaganda. Those were the days..... 🙂

    • Like 3
    • Haha 1

    GS300 2005 Mk3 'Check VSC' - help to understand Techstream readings

    in Lexus GS 300 / Lexus GS 250 / Lexus GS 430 / Lexus 450h / Lexus GS 460 Club

    Posted

    14 minutes ago, johnatg said:

    Mine looks like this but it's not quite that model. I've had it for several years.

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/AUTOOL-Scanner-Adapter-NEWEST）-Diagnostic/dp/B07P2HKC4Y/ref=sr_1_7?crid=2JMEC4467GRTJ&dchild=1&keywords=autool+obd2&qid=1606219647&sprefix=autool%2Caps%2C457&sr=8-7

    Thanks, that looks like a possible and straight forward solution. Fingers crossed.

    GS300 2005 Mk3 'Check VSC' - help to understand Techstream readings

    in Lexus GS 300 / Lexus GS 250 / Lexus GS 430 / Lexus 450h / Lexus GS 460 Club

    Posted

    9 minutes ago, johnatg said:

    You do of course need an interface device to transmit from OBDII to the Chromebook via Bluetooth. (Not all Chromebooks have Bluetooth).

    I have an Autool code reader /interface jobbie to transmit to Torque on my Android phone. Only covers engine codes, but does so quite well (also provides real time live data) and a lot less hassle than setting up the laptop and cable for Techstream. Works on all my cars with OBDII, too!

    And the whole thing cost less than £10 (excluding the phone!)

    Thanks, I have looked at the Autool CS320 which as you say works independently. I don't have an Android phone at the moment, but my Acer has Bluetooth, so maybe that would work?

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