Beejay55

From experience, I can say that this is a heavy car, and without VSC, cornering can be exciting - when you don 't want it to be. Be careful.

Do check that all tyre pressures are as they should be.

I got a NI Plate for £25. I thought it was too good to be true, but thought I am gambling £25, not £200+ To be sure I called them and asked why they were priced so low. The explanation was they get them in bulk from NI, and sell them just to cover their costs and it attracts people to their web site. I ordered one, and a few days later received a call from them. They apologised and said their was a typo, and the last digit of the plate I had chosen was a '5' and not a '6', did I still want to proceed? I said yes. The process took a little longer than I had hoped and after ten days or so I contacted them. From that point onwards I got regular emails giving me updates, and too be fair the delay did appear to be at the DVLA. If you Google the company they have had CCJs against them, and a bit of a mixed reputation. I went with them as the amount I was gambling was small. The paperwork came through after about two to three weeks from the DVLA , and all was fine. The company I used was was www.R4V.co.uk and they appear to currently have NI registrations from £29 I am not giving them an endorsement, but it worked for me. I would suggest you call them first and make sure they have what you need, and talk about the turnaround time. Good luck.

I also run my LS430 on LPG. The work was carried out for the previous owner by a company in South Wales. I quickly noticed that when the LPG tank was down to about 50%, and with brisk acceleration, the system would switch over to petrol - despite there still being plenty of LPG in the tank. At a LPG service the mechanic told me that the problem was that the LPG tank had been fitted back to front. The feeder pipe was at the front of the tank, ie facing the engine. With 50% LPG in the tank, and brisk acceleration, the LPG was being thrown to the back of the tank (ie towards the rear of the car - away from the feeder pipe), the pressure to the forward facing feeder pipe would drop, and the ECU switch over to petrol. I have decided to live with this, as it is a minor inconvenience. I note that you have the LPG filler under the filler cap. I believe that it is now illegal to fit it this way in the UK.

For 99p, it would be surprising if any electronics for compression/decompression was included. In any case, why would it be needed? The MP3 cassette adapter replaces the tape with another head which creates a magnetic field equal to that which the tape might output. The two heads get very close/touch and the audio signal from the cassette emulator is induced into the cassette deck head. Cheaper adapters, will output a signal in mono, rather than stereo. More expensive adapters may contain pre-emphasis electronics and equalisation as well as memory card or USB functions, but not compression/decompression. If you are interested have a read of: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassette_tape_adaptor

Are you sure about that, or is it To Be Confirmed?

Halfords stores in Stratford-upon-Avon, Manchester and Croydon are showing it as in stock.

In which case you have wasted 99p. In previous cars I have used this solution with success. It also has you using your music in the next day or two while you take your time choosing the right solution for you, or wait until Maplins goes bankrupt and you get a more sophisticated solution, at a good price.

I agree with ColinBarber, a cassette adapter is probably the way to go. Old-school (ie reliable), good-value (cheap, 99p see below), no electronics to fail on you, no moving parts to fail on you. Just 'plug and play'. Regarding BigBoomer's comment about the noise of the capstans turning. He clearly does not play his music load enough to drown out the small noise. This is the cheapest on eBay: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Car-Cassette-Tape-Adapter-Converter-for-MP3-CellPhone-iPod-Touch-Nano-CD-MD-UK/162927531742?hash=item25ef3cd6de:g:zPQAAOSwu4BVl0q0

Welcome to a friendly and helpful community. There will always be someone here to offer advice which will save you time, money or skinned knuckles - or all three! You have bought yourself a very nice car, but I hardly need to tell you that. I bet you are still at that stage where you find reasons to go for long drives, and enjoy both the ability to waft along in near-silent comfort, or to show a clean pair of heels to a 'youf' who thinks that his hatchback with a drainpipe for an exhaust is a match for your LS. Have fun and I think that you can say that you have 'invested' in a nice car, rather than purchased one.

I bought a private number plate from the DVLA a couple of years ago, for the LS. I paid about £200, I seem to recall. When I bought a Mercedes SL earlier this year I got a Northern Ireland number plate for £27, plus the usual transfer/allocation fee. I must have been lucky, as I subsequently learned that the company I bought it from had a reputation of taking money, but not providing the goods. I was fortunate. I notice that their NI registration numbers are now £20 +£4 VAT. The company is called RV4 Number Plates I would urge caution if you are thinking of buying from them.

Whatever floats your boat.

Looks very much like mine. I also have LPG fitted. Not an original thought, it has been said many times on this forum, but the LS430 is growing old with grace, and still looks good for its age. A bit like Michelle Pfeiffer I expect a flurry of opinions on that last statement.

Having run LPG cars for 15+ years I can confirm that there is no need to buy something other than the manufacturer-recommended viscosity. You will notice that you are able to increase the period between changing the oil.

Good news Alex! Let's hope that is all it was, just some damp electronics, and a period of bring off the road.