Braking Feel On The Is200

[shianjer]

Hi all,

I'm a new owner of a '03 IS200. Something I've noticed so far has been that the brake pedal has to be depressed relatively strongly to get braking. Compared to my Nissan, at least.

Is this just a characteristic of the Lexus, or do I have something amiss? The brake pads, rotors seem fine, brake fluid level normal.

Thanks!

[sparkystav]

Maybe your brakes need bleeding?

Stav

[DJ Wozza]

I'm with Stav. Either that or the hoses are expanding badly with age (unlikely with an '03 plate).

I changed to braided hoses and Mintex pads all round and loving it, but they were still pretty good before.....

The IS200 back in 1999 was in Autocar magazine, and stopped quicker from 60 mph than a '99 M3

[shianjer]

Thanks both for your advice! Ok let me have these checked. It's done just 37,000 km so I wasn't expecting wear and tear yet.

[swfcdan]

i have often thought the same shianjer and just put it down the characteristics. Drove the gf TT for the first time the other day and the brakes didnt feel too disimilar

[Parthiban]

Depends what sort of braking you're used to, but there's nothing wrong with the brakes in the IS............

The IS200 back in 1999 was in Autocar magazine, and stopped quicker from 60 mph than a '99 M3

Yep remember someone telling me in the past that the IS could outbrake a Porsche Boxster

[shianjer]

i have often thought the same shianjer and just put it down the characteristics. Drove the gf TT for the first time the other day and the brakes didnt feel too disimilar

Thanks Dan (I hope I have your name right) - it's as if the IS200's brakes have a longer stroke to depress and very linear in action, but you'd have to depress all the way a lot more than say my gf's Swift, where you'd reach the end of the brake pedals stroke a lot sooner.

I read about the good factory brakes too Parthiban hence my concern if anything's amiss when I found them unfamiliar. But I think I will still want to check if they need bleeding, just to be sure.

[kev dood]

The brakes on the IS200 can actually be very very good. But, I have had similar spongy feel or even a sink after a while.

After a service where I mentioned it they found that on several corners the calipers were seized so only the inner pads were contacting the discs.

After they did some freeing and cleaning they were 100% spot on, the best I have ever had.

Though slowly due to my short run to work with very little braking, they have started to get worse. However, I find that if I am sat stationary and push very hard on the brake pedal a few times. This seems to free them up a bit for a while.

Originally I thought it might be the servo!! Have them bled properly too as that doesn't help.

[dazz32]

I think the IS200 brakes are very good they are quite progresive ( which i like ) not like some other cars ive driven...VW Nissan etc as soon as you go near the brakes they bite very hard and to me that is a pain in the backside especially in stop start traffic....and seems like you are going to activate the ABS as soon as you brake..

[Noel]

Not sure with the IS200's but the Altezza's got a brake booster from around 2001 onwards ... unfortunately mines a 2000 :( , but i can still make the ABS work flat out if the the occasion arises ;)

[TomCooper]

I'm with Stav. Either that or the hoses are expanding badly with age (unlikely with an '03 plate).

I changed to braided hoses and Mintex pads all round and loving it, but they were still pretty good before.....

The IS200 back in 1999 was in Autocar magazine, and stopped quicker from 60 mph than a '99 M3

ive put Mintex discs and pads on all round, the braking is amazing, stops so quick, not known anything like it!!!

[kev dood]

all IS200's have brake booster (or servo!) From 2001 I think its a little different, but they all have on. :-)