Vintagesixtysix

IS 250 / nov 2005 / MTM Ladies & Gents….. my differential story…. If you can get to the end…. a little help needed. So I started to get a rumbling noise a couple of weeks ago. It’s a constant noise from set off that seems to peak in the cabin at around 40mph. The car is running fine, no engine issues, gear changes all fine, economy all normal. No dash lights. I can rev it hard at stationary doesn’t miss a beat. If you drive with all the windows open, air con off there no exterior sound….. or when I got the wife to do a couple of passes past me in the local supermarket car park. The rumble did not disappear if I put the clutch in and continues if I take it out of gear and coast along. The rumble is a mechanical grumble/whirring if that makes sense….it’s not a rapid bump bump bump noise…..and not a high pitched whine. I would have put my mortgage on that it was coming from the front end of the car…… so I stripped both front wheels, callipers, pads, discs, disc shields and replaced both hubs ( I was convinced it was the NS front hub ) and thought might as well do both while I was at it. Went for a test drive…. Noise exactly the same!…… red face 🥴 I checked the exhaust to see if anything could be making a contact and everything looks ok…..including the heat shields. I’ve had the wheels refurbed about six months ago so I know they are all straight and balanced, I have no sign of any adverse wear on the tyres. No steering wheel shake either, even at legal plus. I checked both rear wheels and didn’t seem to have any play, drive shafts, joints and boots all seem to be in good order. Couldn’t feel anything strange on the prop-shaft ( was thinking may be central carrier bearing??…. ) but it is hard to tell this diy styli on the drive. While under the car I touched the rear diff case and thought it felt quite hot ( don’t honestly know what kind of temp it should be….warm I guess like a gearbox??) but it felt hot to touch. First thought was low on fluid. I cracked the fill plug and managed to get maybe a 100ml tops into it. The drain plug was dry no sign of any weeping. I last had this changed at 60k ( now at 130k ) and was originally planning on doing it again around 120k with the plugs…. but like when I changed the plugs at 60k ( they still looked perfect ) the diff fluid was also still in great condition. So I had put off both until the end of the year. I’ve resisted dropping the diff fluid and having a look at what’s attached to the magnet mainly due to being a bit in denial at the time….. as this seems to be a reasonably rare occurrence. Just for the record…. I’m not the burnout or doughnut drift king LOL…… far from it. Finally had the back end up both sides, while a mate was turning the rear wheels you can hear the noise clearly from the differential. It’s toast…. Q) regarding a replacement ( used ) would any one fit from a 250 / 220d….ATM or MTM are they all the same ratio? The part number I’m working to is : 41110-53191 09 2005. Carrier Assy Differential Rear GSE 20 MTM FGR= 43:12=3.583

There is nothing in my manual is250/is220d around roof mounted bars that I can see. I did find this though…..which is not quite the answer to your question but gives an idea. It’s a long time since I’ve done any kayaking…… a single weighs maybe 20kg ish ???? Hope helps… (2014) Thule AeroBlade load bars are strong, quiet and aerodynamic providing maximum capacity, no whistling or howling and low wind drag. The aluminum BoxBeam construction has a dedicated slot for foot attachment and a separate t-slot track for mounting certain carriers. The weight capacity for this Lexus IS 250 base roof rack is 130 pounds evenly distributed. The load bar length is 47 inches plus 1-3/4 inches for both end caps (total 48 -3/4 inches). Distance from the front load bar to the rear is fixed at 24.5 inches, center to center.

Robin Ive definitely seen an IS towing a caravan…… in fact I was behind it on the M5 for about two hours crawling down to the southwest a few years ago….. cannot remember which model it was. Maybe flip your feedback search before changing…… enquire on the Caravan Club etc forums to see if any current owners are towing ( and what ) If you like the car…..it’s a shame to get rid for maybe a handful of towing days a year.

Ambush are a division of Lodgeparts a very well known parts supplier / aftermarket etc. I also took advantage at that price.

I know we always reach for the handbook on this one when there are any enquires…. but do we know why it’s not advised? I don’t know of anything in the gearing or frame design that’s significantly different…. Only that it’s certainly a heavy car in its class with a big lump up front…. But that just means it quite stable. just wondered?

I believe the very early manuals are still a wee bit cheaper I pay £340 over 12 months…. Overall the best combo is ATM without a doubt…if you can find a good example in budget.

I have a MTM 05 which I bought with 40,000 miles on the clock and I have now done 130,000 miles over the past seven years. I’ve only ever replaced one rear brake caliper in whole of that time and mileage…. Outside of normal service items. I think the deal breakers/ negotiations …. pending your budget and determination to get an IS at this kind of age and mileage (alongside of any normal prudent pre sale checks) a) Condition of exhaust front to back. b) Any sign flywheel judder (MTM only) The 250’s have a reputation and it’s fully justified in my book. Good luck

It wouldn’t be the final story as John mentioned in his OP. I have not found a drawing….. but if the box position and the Y position fit…..you’re just looking at gaining 50mm in length which might be easier to get fab’d than gambling aftermarket. You get OEM quality and the sound should be similar. ( probably for not much more than aftermarket) I went mild steel ( not a C ) in first lockdown to keep me on the road….. much cheaper but the fit was (is) awful.

Or go oem…. https://lexuspartsdirect.co.uk/parts/lexus-is/lexus-is-phase-ii-2006-2013/lexus-is-2-engine-service-kits/lexus-is-phase-2-exhaust-back-box-2/

If you need another voice..... LinusP is correct. The clutch issue is a tricky one to advise on..... I picked mine up (MT) quite reasonably because the previous owner had clutch judder, & knew how much it was to fix. Ive since done 80k without changing the clutch or DMF .... which are still the original by the way. If the clutch and fly wheel were to show no signs of wear on your selected car then maybe it’s already been changed or never suffered. Apart from that in 80k I’ve replaced one rear brake calliper plus service consumables. It might also be worth considering the point mentioned if you are commuting if stop start might wear a little thin on a car that’s not the most frugal either. Im having some paint refreshed and wheels powder coated this week as she continues to be a keeper. im nearly three times your age and don’t live in London.... so my insurance cost comparison is probably not worth the ink! 😉 hope helps.

Castrol deal..... https://www.halfords.com/special-offers/sale/?prefn1=brandname&prefv1=Castrol&prefn2=type&prefv2=Engine Oils %26 Fluids&utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Email_one_time&utm_campaign=FY21_WK39_BAU1598_Active&utm_identifier=A575E2F3-A47B-4202-9FBB-D876A91C6761

Are you autobox?

I am corrected Thank you for clarifying Dec.

Hi Gary does this help... John has explained fault finding for your individual valves per tyre. The valve is a schrader type which is universal in modern car tyres......there are different stem types. The TPMS system is not measuring the pressure of your tyres at the valve ( so not a special valve type) it’s measuring the speed at which each wheel revolves and the onboard computer system then flags the difference up as deflation. hope helps phil

Yes I assumed that its function is to help keep the wet out. I used a steel rule and a a craft knife to about 3 or 4mm. I have not noticed any water at the base of the doors....

Agreed... I trimmed mine back to chrome must be two years ago now. I could not see any reason not to.... and I thought it would probably reoccur if I glued it due to hot, cold, wet etc. The chrome beneath has proved to be durable.

🤣 I’m guessing edelbrock... 🤣

Hope helps

I had mine changed at service interval 60k and they were still text book colour and condition. The guy that did it for me joked that I should put them back in and not worry about them. I’d already spent the money on new denso plugs and his time taking them out so obviously changed them as planned. I’m bang on 120k this week and going to let them roll for a bit longer...... tempted to take one out and have a peek though.

Just a quick question from the pics... Is that wire cradle standard on an original exhaust set up?

Thanks all I’m just waiting on some more info before deciding which way to jump.

@scudney thanks....I have seen pre fab’d for around £450-500 ish....I’m a bit reluctant on both price and not knowing what “noise” it makes. ( just want quiet 😉) If any one has bought one I’d be interested in feedback. Appreciate the fact I have no idea either what the mild steel one sounds either! But hopefully not as prone to resonating like SS can. @Texas thanks.... I did about a dozen or so pages on a total forum search “exhaust” could not find anything specific on fitting.... some clamp / gaskets etc. May be delve a little further before pushing the button. I saw @Shackattack asked a similar question but did not see the thread confirmed or denied. I’ll try a DM.

So it’s finally given up, drivers side has sheared on silencer box joint and on inspection it’s got a couple of pin holes blowing further up the pipe. Ive spoken and visited a couple of stainless providers today and decided against going the full hog on a stainless replacement (around £700ish) I nearly decided to change the old beast last year but I do have a bit of a soft spot for her as in 75000 miles over 7 years she has cost me 1x rear brake caliper above normal servicing. The exhaust is all original and frustratingly the two rear silencer boxes are still totally sound. Anyway I’ve decide to go for the mild steel replacement available on eBay for under £200. Ill probably be done with this IS within the next five years so should last me that long. https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F112521866538 Any one else bought one of these? Any issues I should be aware of? Phil

I had this effect with the lights flashing / fading and seemingly having a mind of its own. I was also suffering with lazy central locking.....again randomly deciding when to operate correctly. I had my battery checked including charging voltage and everything was ok..... but as it was the original battery (10 years plus ) I had it changed and everything returned to normal.

If you have already taken some photos then could be interesting for comments on how significant insurer thinks it is. Dont go crawling around underneath if not. If you do decide to get another quote for repair make sure they know it’s out of your pocket and not the insurers. You may find there’s a reasonable ....possibly affordable difference 😉 And if possible get it looked at ASAP as the body shops will be racked and stacked if we have any significant icy weather.