Its Been A While!

[Sit]

Well i joined this forum sometime ago now when i was looking for an IS, for one reason or another this didn't come together back then and i went off on a tangent. Anyway at present i was in need of a family saloon that still looked the part and didn't cost the earth to buy. Have owned several E46 BM's but think they look dated now, not struck on Mercs really well not what i can afford anyway!, find Audis boring and don't like VW saloons - can you see the German theme?!?!? Lol!

So i was trawling the net in the week and came across an ad for a 2003 IS200SE with full Aero pack in dark grey with black leather and alcantara interior. The ad said all the right things and the seller seems a genuine guy so its in the bag, deposit paid and collect next Saturday!

It seems a long time away now but looking forward to picking it up, for the last 3 months i have been running round in a 2000 Peugeot 306 HDi i bought from the auctions for £400 just because i needed something to get me to work and back but didn't want to rush. Its going to be quite a step up from the little Pug but will fill the void of family car very well. I prob only do around 300 miles a month so i can enjoy the car and not pile the miles on.

Will post some pics when i get it home.

Cheers

Si

[Sit]

Also how do i find out if my local Lexus dealer honours the Gold scheme??

Thanks

Si

[IHgs300]

Hello and welcome to the club, Just ask about gold discount scheme but not being a gold member you wont be able to show membership card if asked????

The scheme is only meant for paid members really im afraid.

[Sit]

Thanks for the welcome, yeah i realise the upgrade of membership which is required but i was just trying to work out if it was worth it. I have Lexus Bristol just up the road but didn't want the Gold membership if they weren't part of the scheme if you see what i mean, as for me thats the biggest benefit??

Does that make sense?

Si

[IHgs300]

Oh i see what you mean Si, just call in and ask them, Say your a member of loc and do they honour the discount scheme.

You can also benefit from other traders discounts, Opie Oils ect., and you can sell items as well.

[Sit]

Well I am home with the IS and what a journey it has been!!! Left at 6am this morning on the train and arrived at the sellers address around 10am.

Car was exactly as expected with a couple of nice extras I wasn't expecting (sunroof, power fold mirrors and 2 extra alloys for refurb) seller was a genuine enthusiast and had looked after the car impeccably over his three year ownership.

The drive home was lovely with the exception of the weather - we drive through wind, rain, fog, snow and sleet and some parts of M4 were pretty white!

The performed faultlessly and was a joy to drive home. The only thing I need to sort is a couple of tyres on the front, there are currently some cheap unbranded tyres on there and the noise is unbearable! Will pop into tyre place this week and see about replacements - any reccomendations on that front?!?

Will post some pics when it's had a deep clean ;)

Si

[IHgs300]

Sounds like a bargain Si, can't wait to see your pics. Welcome to lexus ownership you wont want anything else now.

[Stuart Aspey]

Check blackcircles.com. They rate tyre by noise and efficiency, I think them and Valuetyres.com do the same.

I've got Hankook Ventus Prime 2 K115s all round as they were b rated for wet weather grip and b rated for fuel efficiency and and produce only 70 db of noise. Though I have been very anal about this for a while. Ive only had my is200 for 2 and a half months . . . .

Welcome to the site and to finally getting your car.

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

Hi and welcome :)

As regards to Lexus Bristol it's hit and miss if they take the gold membership. I got it on a calliper replacement but not on a service. They don't give discount on servicing but if you buy parts from Kim in the parts department he will always give you the LOC gold discount.

Enjoy owning a Lex :)

[Sit]

Good morning

Thanks for all your comments and advice, the car is superb and amazing value for money considering levels of kit etc.

I'm terms of the tyres I am not so sure it is them responsible for this noise and wondering if it could be a wheel bearing??

It got a bit better last night and quietened down but was still there. The guy I bought it off said it had been sat for a month or so and on the test drive identified the noise as being the brakes through lack of use.

Anyway got to sort that out whatever it is, give it a good detail, replace the plates as it currently has metal ones and source a new gear knob.

Other than that it's all good!!!!

Pics to follow

Si

[Sit]

The plot thickens!

Going through the plethora of paperwork this morning and found receipts for 2012 which show 2 maybe 3 wheel bearing replacements on the front :(

Is this a common problem on the IS?

Done a bit of searching and seem to be suggestion of inferior aftermarket wheel bearing kits and/or poor fitting.

I am thinking about booking it into Lexus Bristol for an inspection and possible repair, bearing in mind it's 2003 with 90k on the clock am I setting myself up for a fall?

Opinions and advice most welcome

Si

[Stuart Aspey]

The plot thickens!Going through the plethora of paperwork this morning and found receipts for 2012 which show 2 maybe 3 wheel bearing replacements on the front :(Is this a common problem on the IS?Done a bit of searching and seem to be suggestion of inferior aftermarket wheel bearing kits and/or poor fitting.I am thinking about booking it into Lexus Bristol for an inspection and possible repair, bearing in mind it's 2003 with 90k on the clock am I setting myself up for a fall?Opinions and advice most welcomeSi

Yes and No. I picked my is200 SportCross 2004 up on 5th Jan. It had 122730 on the clock, but a full service history. I took it to Lexus Cardiff for a service as it's one year was up, though it had only done 1000 miles. Yes, One Thousand Miles in 12 months.

Lexus did a check and contacted Lexus Swindon where the first 9 services had been done and told Lexus Cardiff that no cambelt had been changed, nor at any subsequent service, so I signed up to the service plan, but had to pay to have the cambelt, auxiliary belts and Water pump changed.

The results of the service suggested I needed £2700 worth of work after what had already been done. I ignored the lights, as the isues were condensation inside the plastic cover. I'm not worrying about that right now, and tyres. That took care of £1200 worth of work, the rest was brake discs corroded, rose joint assembly and something else. Lexus understood my situation and said I'd take it elsewhere. Repairs were much cheaper, but she's going back on Wednesday to have the parking sensors looked at.

Don't worry about the price Lexus give for for the repairs, they can be done elsewhere. A lot have people have also said that a Lexus Mechanic is as good as anyone who enjoys their job (as a mechanic) so it's entirely up to you if you wish to save yourself some money.

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

I'm in the habit of getting Lexus to diagnose my problems then I can choose where and who to use for repairs.

For example my lower control arm bushes are shot, Lexus won't replace the bushes but only the entire control arms. £300 a control arm just for the part, I need both sides so £600 in parts plus labour and VAT and the bull would be over £1000!

I bought the bushes for £20 each from eBay and am paying a garage £70 in labour to change them. So what Lexus wanted £1000 for I'm paying £110 :)

[Sit]

Thanks for the advice guys, i think i will get it booked in for an oil service and inspection and see what they can find and make of the possible faulty bearing, then like you say dependent on their opinion i can go from there.

What sort of cost is it to have an oil service carried out a the dealership do you know?

Is there anything to suggest that aftermarket bearing kits are inferior/sub standard?? Just seems odd that i have receipts for three lots in the last 12 months and it still appears to be a problem.

Si