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…..sadly, Malcolm, too many nice car’s to post here - probably complete another 8 View Page’s ! 😲 as a qualified ‘old git I want to, briefly, return to my last post ! I, apologise, Gang for reeling off model’s of car’s you may not, necessarily, be familiar with. born in the 60’s ? - your now in your 60’s ! 70’s ? - your 50’s ! what is an Austin 16 - a Cresta ? I show below images of both said vehicle’s: the Austin had a standard fit system that, to my extensive knowledge, no longer exist’s on any car’s in the 21st Century ! (would make an unique option today ! ). the system ? The Jackall System. a factory fitted, hydraulic, jacking system to raise the car up front or rear or all by about 2-3 inche’s ( sorry - 5 to 7.5 cms ) operated by a manual pump in the engine bay ( bigger car’s were electric powered, same as my 1955 4 litre Vanden Plas ( Dutch- prounounced Plass, not Plar - the champagne Moët & Chandon is Moett not Moay 🙄 - true ! ) owner / driver saloon. (famous for their limousine’s ) The Cresta was fitted with an optional factory fit ‘valve’ 😲 medium wave / long waveband radio ( where did they go ? no fm in the 50’s, of course ! ). you will have seen, previously, the detailed Lexus Dealer service history that is recorded for my year 2000 Lexus LS 400. silly-billy, forgot to ask Lexus Edinburgh ( 08.2021 ) for previous Lexus history - they will supply, if asked, but no customer data revealed. off topic 😳 tip, gang, one of my password’s is the registration number of my first, ever, 2 car’s ! who would know them, except me ? 12 for me - 14 for you (!) character’s is a strong password ! how would a hacker work out the correct sequence of number’s and letter’s ? someone will post ‘piece of cake’ - I shall remain blissfully ignorant as I am both computer incompetent and illiterate 😳. 2002, my first Vaio 15” laptop - took me 3 day’s to work out how to open the lid !😳 😲. you have all heard the phrase ‘buyer’s remorse’. you know the feeling, you buy a seriously big ticket item - then feel seriously guilty and get cold feet - have you made the best decision, is it too late to change your mind ? 😲. if I signed up, now, and became welded in to a 40 year mortgage - serious remorse would follow 😲 😲 ? well, gang, I’m now suffering the reverse condition -‘seller’s remorse’ ! - am not sure I want to sell my car, now !😳 yesterday, was social centre day, have to collect 3, elderly ladie’s and run them in to a local community centre - then return them home, after lunch. was sitting in my year 2000 Lexus LS 400, in the driver’s seat, idly surveying the interior. cannot believe the totally unmarked leather interior is nearly 24 year’s old ( let alone 170k+ wear and tear mile’s ). felt I was sitting in a new car in a Lexus showroom ! this really is a sensational car - even in 2024- few people have ever seen one ! (certainly none of my mot engineer’s ! 😲. my W123 just doe’s not come close ! looked down at the key lock between the fuel flap and boot release. you know, in nearly 3 tear’s had never pressed the barrel- terrified it would not release thus no access to fuel or boot 😲 ! soddit, press it it locked up 😲, cautiously, inserted the valet key, the shaft would not even fit in. round to the boot lock - exactly the same effect - so all correct ! entered remote key into internal lock, phew, barrel ejected - key work’s ! ( never use remote key to open boot lock - why? - because I worry about metal fatigue, imagine if the shaft sheered off ! 😲 😲 😲 😲 ! the boot release key on remote work’s ok. …….back soon, gang…. anthony

Yeah thats true, I've been to breakers and they had some propshaft assemblys but they all those cracks there, but they seem to be on a part of the guibo that has really thin rubber , not part of the thick rubber itself. I kinda doubt now those cracks are the reason for vibrations, maybe the center bearing that connects the propshaft in the middle but that can't be seem unless you take it down.

Just had my renewal and it has gone up substantially. What I'm finding odd is on the comparisons they are all more or less same as renewal but one comparison is substantially lower substantially.

Hi, I have been doing a bit more research and if that rubber giubo fails Lexus only sells the total Propshat and not just the bushing alone 😒 as far as i have been able to determine.

Spark plugs are just maintenance thing and to be fair they never really fail, but past 60k miles (or it may be 90k, need to remind myself) they just don't work as efficiently as they should. Real life consequences perhaps few extra % of emissions and negligible amount of fuel. Fuel pump is more of lottery thing, they sometimes just give-up after 10 or so years, it is not massively common, but it results in "crank no-start" scenario which can be tricky to diagnose and could happen out of the blue with no warning, also if the car gets towed to dealership the repair bill could be £600-800 (mostly diagnostics and labour, part itself ~£300, I also heard you can get just the pump and take it apart and put it back together for ~£80, but further research is required to get exact pump needed). On the callipers the pins needs cleaning and greasing, mostly as preventative maintenance (so that they don't get rusty), there is also pin at the bottom which likes to rust, so all around cleaning is required. Also IS250 in general like to chew trough brakes (expect to replace front disks together with second set of pads), they are kind of undersized, so popular upgrade is the set of front callipers from GS300/IS350. So the fronts just wear our and the rears likes to seize and rust. All in all, this is not sort of issue that will leave you stranded, but more maintenance intense than would be ideal. I think key issue is that workshop manual does not require any of that to be cleaned or greased during the service, so they get neglected. That said Lexus are happy to replace whole calliper for ~£280, so the way they see it - "no need to grease, just replace whole thing every 3 years or so". Which in grand scheme of things not horrible as far as car ownership cost goes. But doing a little bit of your own maintenance in principle can save you ~£1000 every 3 years/30,000 miles. The cars currently on sale are likely to have rusted out exhaust, but that is just reality of getting 10+ years car with 100k+ miles, hopefully it has failed and was replaced before you get it, but if not then that is probably one area I would check... apart of service history. Electrical problems can be tricky on these cars, but usually they don't just happen, usually it is result of some d-head messing something-up. Also, this is small one, but make sure it has both keys, key replacement £500, so that is not something you can get easily.

My repaired run flat is still going strong 18 months later so I wouldn't be concerned, and it definitely shouldn't be the reason for you to change them soon.

Same here...largest quotes I've ever received. There is always the choice for me to hold onto my RX3 and avoid them but from what I've read, Lexus have got some sort of software fix in the pipeline. We don't know anything about it yet but I expect their world wide reputation might suffer if they don't do anything other than offer sticking plaster steel plates. It's a risk but it's the same for every ES, NX and Rav4 owner affected out there too as well as for other manufacturers.

Thanks for chipping in. I can't seem to find anything within my £3.500 budget, especially within a 80-90k miles but by the time I have all the money ready I'm hoping something else will pop up. I'm really praying I'll be able to find a 2008+ SE-L model, I fell in love with those. I've only had black or dark grey cars and besides the normal dust which can be easily rinsed off, I find it easier to keep clean. Now I have a white Insignia and my god everything sticks to it and it shows, as dirt and filth aren't white lol.

Only commenting on the car itself.. the MOT History looks okay, a couple of failures for headlight alignment and a blown tyre. Nothing standout warning signs. Mileage looks okay, it;s clearly been a daily driver with reasonable jumps between MOTs. The garage though, thats a different matter. Unlikely you would get any kind of warranty worth the paper it is written on, even small claims and the law on your side won't help get your money back if it turs out to be a lemon. Personally, I'd keep looking (and black cars are a swine to keep looking good, worse colour ever, mines black!).

I'd like to get my hands on a Draggy to give mine a look. With all I've done it 'should' be quite impressive. I want to do a before and after with the carbon propshaft too!

I keep looking at this 2010 SE-L model: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202405109566242 It's in Brum but the seller is really dodgie, his other listings are weird af, having pictures from other sellers, weird or no description at all, reviews on google saying mostly things like, the car is kaput after bringing it home and they won't allow test drives and won't give back your deposit, also they seem to be really rude to people buying cars under £10k. I'd love to check on carvertical but £30 for a check when I don't even have the money to buy the car, is quite a lot atm and there's no point in buying the report, for someone else to buy the car. Let me know what you guys think. Considering their reputation, I'd buy it for around £3.200 but it's obvious they wouldn't take it.

I saw this video where the guy reaches the pressure sensor, it can be done by feel alone. I'd agree its worth a shot even though the fault symptom isn't typical. Doubt I'll get to look at it again until Friday so it will be preesure sensor, pull the yellow clipped fuel pipe then ECU reset with a paperclip. Appreciate the help & suggestions.

I like your BMW choices. I know Lexus, especially the IS250 automatic isn't a car that requires a constant flow of money, or as I say, a salary every month, but when something does go bad, it's a pain. With BMWs, from my experience, anyone can work on them, you find mechanics everywhere and parts can be found on any corner especially at scrap yards since they do get crashed a lot.

So the fuel pump is something I should be conscious about? So: Fuel pump Spark plugs Calipers/slider pins I know these don't need to be changed frequently and they do need to be changed on any car but I'm trying to figure out how much extra I need to have on the side for repairs, as I'm the most unlucky person I know and what can go wrong will go wrong during my first few days with the car so I'd rather be prepared than have the car sitting while my salary comes in and I pray nothing else urgent requires my finances. About the brakes, do all the parts from the rear brake caliper need to be greased or just the slider pins? I wish I had somewhere do to work on the car but I can only spare 1-2 hours and that's on a rare occasion when my road is empty and I have the whole cul-de-sac to myself.

What you using to time your runs?

@BigDingus I was getting 47-48 on rear wheels today. Had the effect of lowering the overly pumped fronts to a similar height, so I'm staying put at that point! No more messing about and far safer than teh low rear and high front that I had before (all 4 sensors work fortunately and all struts are less than a year old) That was all on 'N' setting. The H and L settings seem to have carried accordingly. It's about 2 cm more on each corner for 'H' setting. Haven't measured 'L' yet. Any joy with your vehicle?

I came to Lexus from a BMW E60 530D. The BMW was the best car I ever drove but the worse car I ever owned. Absolute money pit. Turbo = £1,700 Exhaust Manifold cracked....TWICE = £500 a pop Glowplug controllers, glowplugs, EGR, Throttle body, MULF (bluetooth unit)...TWICE An endless list of small issues. I ended up with a well stocked garage of tools. I got an IS250 and have owned it for 9yrs (ironically it has just broken lol). I found it quite boring after the BMW, at weekends I'd open the bonnet ready to get to work and found literally nothing to do. Everyting seemed to keep itself clean and it was absurdly reliable. My garage expanded into machine polishers and detailing equipment as I never had any mechanical issues or even proper maintenance to do. Rear brake slider pins the only thing I had to address in the 9yrs of daily driving (an Annual greasing keeps on top of it). I changed Spark Plugs for a sake of it at about 80K miles I changed the boot struts too for about £60. I think they have a soul though, I needed more space than the IS250 can offer in the back, becoming a grandfather bought childseats into the equation along with pushchairs. I wanted an NX300H but couldn't find the right one. For my sins I bought a BMW F34 335i. I'm now waiting for the dreaded Bong of Doom and wallet emptying repairs. Within 2 weeks of buying the BMW the Lexus has thrown a strop, It definitely KNOWS I have bought a new car. I was going to give it to a relative but.... The radiator cap fell apart (£20 replacement) and I changed the waterpump (straight forward nuts & bolts) although crazy price for coolant from Lexus, and the radiator split so I changed that too. Now it won't start at all. Nice little project, a fault I can't yet find so lots of poking about and I am not dependant on it so can relax and take it slow working out what is wrong. Once fixed, it will go to the relative. Great cars and I would thoroughly recommend an IS250 SE-L Auto. I bought it at just over 50k miles and it is now on 140k.

That coupling disc (giubo) also acts as a damper for torsional vibrations. If it's getting cracks in the rubber it may be starting to fail, and can contribute to all kinds of strange driveline vibrations. Well worth having it checked out. Cheers...

Yes Paul, I have just tried Lexus Insurance, but they have declined to quote! I have had quotes from One Call, there underwriter is Covea, but again they lay of the risk across several insurers. Thanks for you info re Tesco, that was my fear from the reviews, and those on Which, so I will bite the bullet and go with NFU, as it’s more than I have ever paid for insurance in my life, but it does give peace of mind, and hopefully the prices may ease next year if Lexus comes up with this anticipated software fix, and the mark stops getting nicked. I suspect your Lexus insurance quote may be better due to you location as well, that said I have maximum NCB, and no conviction history, strange time we live in. The only conciliation is that my fully comp Mazda MX5 insurance was £161 this year. You win some, you lose some 🥴

Right, got myself a dragy just for fun, car is on 52k miles with hayward scott exhaust that i suppect it has some leaks and custom intake that sucks hot air from the engine bay at the moment , still waiting for a sillicone elbow to be able to finish it properly, a little bit dissapointed with the runs , thought would get something around 4.5 , can feel the heat soak as on 3rd or 4th run as i would get something around 5.1 for the 0-100 runs anyone else have any done any dragy runs ? Should install the 3.7 diff next month and get lightweight wheels with decent tires and finish the intake and hopefully i would be able to get closer to 4s if that won’t help , then deleted primary cats and a flash should definitely make a difference 😁😁😁

check it isn't water weeping under pressure from the plastic radiator shoulder. If it's that you'll need a replacement – reasonably easy replacement

Okey, so your issue is fuel, you clearly have spark and air there. Fuel pressure rose because of high-pressure pump is camshaft driven, so if engine started for few seconds it pressurised the fuel. You can try disconnecting fuel pressure sensor (it is awkward to reach behind the engine), but sometimes when they short out they may cause crank no-start issue and no DTC, whereas when they are disconnected car should start in "limp mode". Don't know any other issues why there would be no fuel, but no DTC. I suggest you do this before resetting the ECU, as if fuel pressure sensor is shorted the ECU reset may not work. I know it doesn't quite make sense, considering that it seems you are still getting fuel pressure reported back, but for some people that was the issue that caused crank no-start. Other idea, disconnect fuel hose in the engine bay (it has yellow plastic clip) and see if fuel is coming out, because if it is dry then maybe you have blocked line or leak somewhere, it is low pressure line, but still expect some fuel to spill out. Again I know this makes little sense considering you have reported fuel pressure, but without DTCs we can only guess what is going on.

20240515_210345.mp4 Small update. A gallon of carbon cleaner and it starts but only for a few seconds of course. Throttle active test (ETCS) works. I'm on my own so I balanced my phone and took a video of it, I can see the flap open okay. Also the fuel pressure rose to 1,500psi Paperclip next, if I can find one

Damn, well it only took seven freaking years, but those H&R springs that were the subject of this quote from Post #1, are finally, finally on the car! The estimate of lowering by just 10mm was a bit pessimistic, with the ride height now being approx 15-20mm lower than it was. The springs have also been paired up with a new set of dampers - Bilstein B6s. The journey to obtaining a set of these was actually quite drawn-out and frustrating. I originally ordered a set in 2022, but due to stock shortages and supply chain issues on Bilstein's end, I got fed-up waiting and received a refund. I then flirted with the idea of getting a set of coilovers instead from BC Racing, but couldn't help notice that they seem to have spiked in price quite dramatically during the past couple of years. What used to be a tempting £650-700 option, was now something like £900+. This, coupled with the fact that I had never owned a car with coilovers before, put me off, so I stuck with the idea of sourcing some dampers...eventually. Fast-forward to a few months ago and I noticed that the Bilsteins were now readily available again, so I grabbed a set whilst I could. As well as the shocks and springs, I also bought a pair of RCF lower control arm bushes. This is a popular upgrade, and at less than £80 it would've been rude not to follow the herd. It turned out to be a worthwhile spend, as the OEM bushings had started to split. Albeit, only slightly. I dare say they would've maybe gotten through another MOT. The new shock/spring combo seems great so far. The ride quality has actually improved as the old shocks had definitely seen better days. They weren't leaking or anything, but the ride had become a bit bouncy and uneven of late. Now, the car feels extremely planted and composed again. Turn-in and steering feel is better too. Probably due to the new LCA bushes, although it's difficult to quantity their effect since everything was replaced at the same time. Overall, I'm very happy with how things turned out. The drop from the springs is just about perfect and after about a week or so, I am yet to experience any issues such as rubbing. The car feels very nice to drive as is, but I'll get an alignment booked to make sure nothing is untoward. To finish up, here's a picture that was taken today. 🙂

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