Gs300 Mk.1 Remote Fob Replacement

[razagilani]

Hello all,

New to LOC as I just bought my first Lexus. Always fancied one and since fuel prices went up and used prices went down, seemed a good time to buy. First one I saw was 180 miles away and described as "100%". When I got there, found the cooling system was totally dry and seller claimed mechanical ignorance! Since he had a "fighting breed" type of dog, I thought it best to withdraw with dignity rather than give him a piece of my mind and perhaps ending up in casualty! I then started to search again and found what I think is a nice car for a reasonable price. It's a GS300 Mk.1 completely standard (my favourite shape, by Ital Design) 1997, in Grey (actually called Aspen Green??). 87k with FSH and very clean overall condition sold by a respectable Kia dealer in Birminham for £1400 inc.service and new MOT. Not the cheapest about but wanted a solid car without any major work needing to be done. However, there are some things that I would like to ask of you experienced Lexus fans, as the web in general seems devoid of reliable information.

1. It only came with one 2 button remote fob and Lexus want a fortune for one and seem unsure if they can produce one if I lost the original. Bad show. One dealer did not even bother to call me back after my inquiry. Is there a source for these items other than Lexus?

2. On the drive home from the dealer I noticed a wheel wobble when braking at 60+mph. I have seen this problem mentioned in the forums. The front pads and discs were changed at 80k in June 2007. Not really a big issue for me but any comments regarding this subject would be gratefully received. Once the discs are warped, can they be recovered by correct adjustment of wheel nuts?

3. I have always used the oil additive ZX-1 in all my cars and found a useful improvement in fuel economy. I shall be posting my findings after I use it in the Lexus. First want a reference figure by going through a few tank-fulls. Any comments anyone?

Finally, a big thanks to all the members who provide technical info to the rest of us, found many tips in the forums which were useful during my seach for a nice Lexus.

Regards,

RG.

Picture attached.

[dave1]

Welcome to LOC. Nice looking car you've got. My old GS 300 Sport was Aspen Green and was metallic grey in my opinion so yours looks right colour.

[Ryo]

firstly welcome to the exclusive part of the loc

keep your eyes open on eBay for alarm fob , once the disks are warped , there best to get em replaced.

full tank on mine your pushing 240 miles ish

but ill do another check

Steve

[razagilani]

Welcome to LOC. Nice looking car you've got. My old GS 300 Sport was Aspen Green and was metallic grey in my opinion so yours looks right colour.

Thanks for the welcome Dave. I like the sport but the ride is a bit firm and I promised my wife a smooth ride. I hate being practical.

[razagilani]

firstly welcome to the exclusive part of the loc

keep your eyes open on ebay for alarm fob , once the disks are warped , there best to get em replaced.

full tank on mine your pushing 240 miles ish

but ill do another check

Steve

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the welcome. I'm still on my first tank, done 250 miles and 30% left on guage. I must admit to being gentle on the throttle until I get to know the car. Put my foot down only once and it FLEW! Keep watching my posts for results of ZX1 additive. Previously found around 6-8% improvement overall, but the biggest difference comes with just a slight adjustment of driving style. Years ago in a Toyota, I got 200 miles from a tank in town traffic. When I thought before pushing the gas hard it jumped to 300 miles from the same tank full on exactly the same commute to work.

Have been looking on eBay for a fob but can only find lots for MK2 which has buttons on key. You would think that with so many of these cars about, someone would retail a direct replacement part. Guy from Lexus said he had a MK1 and found it cheaper to install a complete 3rd party alarm system instead of buying 2 fobs.........

Regarding the discs, I don't fancy shelling out, but if it gets worse I suppose I will have to.

Kind regards,

RG

[Purvesh]

Once the discs are warped, can they be recovered by correct adjustment of wheel nuts?

Welcome to LOC, I hope you enjoy the car.

Once discs become warped, they can be re skimmed to bring them back into line. Nothing can be done to the discs via the wheel nuts as these used to mount the alloys to the hub only. (Make sure you torque the nuts up accordingly).

[razagilani]

Once the discs are warped, can they be recovered by correct adjustment of wheel nuts?

Welcome to LOC, I hope you enjoy the car.

Once discs become warped, they can be re skimmed to bring them back into line. Nothing can be done to the discs via the wheel nuts as these used to mount the alloys to the hub only. (Make sure you torque the nuts up accordingly).

Hi Purvesh,

Thanks for the welcome, and I am enjoying the car more than I thought I would. Any idea where I could get the discs skimmed and what it will cost? If I don't get them fixed, would other problems follow?

Kind regards,

RG

[Steviewevie]

Does the GS300 Mk1 have the same issues with keys as the IS200 ?

On the IS200 if you have no "master" key then you can face a pretty hefty bill (new ECU !) if you want to programme in any new keys. On the IS200, as long as you do have a "master" you can easily programme new keys in yourself once you get a fob and get the key cut, but a dealer will charge you a lot to do that.

No idea if this is the same issue for the GS.

[razagilani]

Does the GS300 Mk1 have the same issues with keys as the IS200 ?

On the IS200 if you have no "master" key then you can face a pretty hefty bill (new ECU !) if you want to programme in any new keys. On the IS200, as long as you do have a "master" you can easily programme new keys in yourself once you get a fob and get the key cut, but a dealer will charge you a lot to do that.

No idea if this is the same issue for the GS.

Lexus dealer was not sure about master key. Since I have a grey key as well, I use that and keep the master key safe at home. It won't open the boot but there is an internal switch for that. Dealer was also vague about fob. Bad show Lexus dealers.

[Purvesh]

Once the discs are warped, can they be recovered by correct adjustment of wheel nuts?

Welcome to LOC, I hope you enjoy the car.

Once discs become warped, they can be re skimmed to bring them back into line. Nothing can be done to the discs via the wheel nuts as these used to mount the alloys to the hub only. (Make sure you torque the nuts up accordingly).

Hi Purvesh,

Thanks for the welcome, and I am enjoying the car more than I thought I would. Any idea where I could get the discs skimmed and what it will cost? If I don't get them fixed, would other problems follow?

Kind regards,

RG

I've only had mine done under warranty, so I'm afraid I wouldn't know. It does take around an hour though, probably best to get a quote. Also ring around a few garages around your area to see if they offer this service.

I must add though, on the Lexus the problem returned and eventually they just replaced the discs and pads anyway.

Over time the juddering may become worse and you'll find it difficult to control the steering under moderate to hard braking. So my advice would be don't skimp on a crucial part like this, I'd suggest purchasing a new set, that way you know your safe.

[razagilani]

Once the discs are warped, can they be recovered by correct adjustment of wheel nuts?

Welcome to LOC, I hope you enjoy the car.

Once discs become warped, they can be re skimmed to bring them back into line. Nothing can be done to the discs via the wheel nuts as these used to mount the alloys to the hub only. (Make sure you torque the nuts up accordingly).

Hi Purvesh,

Thanks for the welcome, and I am enjoying the car more than I thought I would. Any idea where I could get the discs skimmed and what it will cost? If I don't get them fixed, would other problems follow?

Kind regards,

RG

I've only had mine done under warranty, so I'm afraid I wouldn't know. It does take around an hour though, probably best to get a quote. Also ring around a few garages around your area to see if they offer this service.

I must add though, on the Lexus the problem returned and eventually they just replaced the discs and pads anyway.

Over time the juddering may become worse and you'll find it difficult to control the steering under moderate to hard braking. So my advice would be don't skimp on a crucial part like this, I'd suggest purchasing a new set, that way you know your safe.

[razagilani]

Once the discs are warped, can they be recovered by correct adjustment of wheel nuts?

Welcome to LOC, I hope you enjoy the car.

Once discs become warped, they can be re skimmed to bring them back into line. Nothing can be done to the discs via the wheel nuts as these used to mount the alloys to the hub only. (Make sure you torque the nuts up accordingly).

Hi Purvesh,

Thanks for the welcome, and I am enjoying the car more than I thought I would. Any idea where I could get the discs skimmed and what it will cost? If I don't get them fixed, would other problems follow?

Kind regards,

RG

I've only had mine done under warranty, so I'm afraid I wouldn't know. It does take around an hour though, probably best to get a quote. Also ring around a few garages around your area to see if they offer this service.

I must add though, on the Lexus the problem returned and eventually they just replaced the discs and pads anyway.

Over time the juddering may become worse and you'll find it difficult to control the steering under moderate to hard braking. So my advice would be don't skimp on a crucial part like this, I'd suggest purchasing a new set, that way you know your safe.

Thanks for the info Purvesh. If I feel the problem again, will probably get some new discs, but if the problem comes back again will be a real problem. I wonder if there is a long term cure?