Tyre Pressures

[lotusdave]

is it possible you have a duff tyre? Or if the geo was set on old tyres then it might be out on the new ones, esp if the old ones didn't wear evenly. If the inside was say 2mm and the outside 6mm (easily done on big tyres if the toe is out a bit), and new tyres are even across the tread, this could be it. this kind of thing sucks time out of the day doesn't it...

[Peter P18]

May be a silly question, but are the correct wheels on each corner? Doubt it would cause it to stop running straight, but know from reading posts on here, that each wheel should stay on each corner.

Where did you get the tires from? Worth asking them to take another look?

If you had another ISF owner nearby, I'd suggest 'borrowing' their wheels & tires to see if that made any difference.

Used WIM for our race Supra's. Good guys, who know plenty about setting cars up properly.

Hope you get it sorted.

Cheers.

Pete

[Arqum]

Tyres are from a reputable source and were ordered in specially as I wanted the oem tyres that came with the car when made, in this case Bridgestone. All wheels are on correctly and even had the tyres swapped from wheel to wheel on fronts to see if problem shifted and it didn't, this makin me suspect tyres are fine.

[Peter P18]

Fair enough.

Just seems odd that it's out since the tires were changed??

Unless it's knocked something else out when they did the 4 wheel laser alignment??

Been over any big potholes??

Hope you find the problem fella.

[Arqum]

That's the thing. Geo was done 2000 miles ago. I was away for work out of the country so it wasn't driven and was locked in the garage. Got the tyres done and this started. When the tracking was done on all four wheels it was spot on in told

[Peter P18]

How long was it standing in the garage??

[Arqum]

6 months but on old tyres in a heated garage

[MrW]

Am I just being dim....but is your steering wheel just slightly out. If the cars tracking/alighnment is all ok, then its just the steering wheel isn't on straight. Does it actually pull right when you release the wheel, ie will it actually drive straight at all?

If the alignment has been adjusted recently it may be that the steering wheel was not completely straight when they made the adjustments.

[Arqum]

This is the thing. From stationary the wheel straight the wheel will turn to the left as the car moves. This making the car drift left. If you move the wheel back to the centre the car with go right. It's like there is no centre point

[MrW]

ewww weird.

[Arqum]

Tell me about it... Hope it gets sorted tomorrow...

[stevet]

Sounds like the toe settings are wrong to me. Rear wheel drive cars should have positive toe for stability. Negative toe on rear wheel drive cars like the ISF will give the 'wandering' characteristics you seem to be getting. Front wheel drive cars are ok with negative toe.

[Arqum]

That's what I hope

[Arqum]

Update. Went on Saturday for WIM and the re-geo'd the car. All in spec and car goes in a straight line but steering still off center.

went to Lexus and the checked, took on test drives etc, zero calibrated the steering sensor but still the steering is off to the left.

So ISF-gate continues.......

[Peter P18]

Take it you've seen this thread from our brothers over the pond: http://www.lexusforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1531

Have a read through the whole thread. Might be worth printing off the Lexus bulletin and showing it to them??

http://www.lambros.net/LexusTechInfo/2007LS/L-SB-0174-08.pdf

May even be able to get the parts they recommend changing done under warranty (if you have one of course)?

Hope this helps and you get it sorted soon.

Cheers.

Pete :)

[Arqum]

car is booked in Lexus for Dec now for investigation. Lets see. I hear what your saying and have read the posts on the states but no one has had this issue in the UK so makes me think its only the US market affected

[Peter P18]

Fair enough.

I'd still be tempted to print off the official Lexus bulletin for your Lexus UK dealer to look at. Appreciate what you are saying about it looking more like a US market fault, but you never know.

The fact you've gone through the usual suspects without finding any faults, makes me think it's worth at least raising this as a possibility.

If they can dismiss it as not relevant, then that's fair enough.

Hope you get something sorted though mate.

Must be getting pretty soul destroying! :(

[Arqum]

it really is. Car will go straight no problem but when the steering os off to oneside it make the mind think that the car is not going straight, then making you center the wheel making the car go right. Make sense?

[Arqum]

does anyone know where i can get some TSB's from?

Ones im after are TSB ST003-01 and ST002-01.

These state how to straighten the wheel if car goes straight but steering has angle.

[Peter P18]

No joy I'm afraid! :(

Did some internet searching last night, but couldn't find anything!

I'd be tempted to ask Lexus to send you a copy. They should have all of the TSB/TSIB's?

Does the one I linked not replace the earlier ones??

[Arqum]

i cant access the 1st link now. can you resend? Also you reckon i should speak to lexus GB re getting the TSB?

[Peter P18]

The TSB/TSIB was the second link I posted?

I don't see why you can't ask Lexus to give you the TSB/TSIB details? They would certainly have access to them.

[Arqum]

i have just spoken to Lexus Gb who have logged the case. They mention that American Spec cars are built totally differently to UK spec cars so the same issues will not effect the UK car. But they will look into it and contact me.

[Peter P18]

Good stuff.

I appreciate what they are saying about how US cars are built differently, but the core components used are probably similar, or the same?

I just wonder if the reason there isn't as much about this in the UK, is down to only having 200 or so IS-F's on the road? The sales in the US must have been a lot higher (they can afford the fuel!)?

It also seems to me that IS-F's in the US have clocked up a lot more miles than UK ones, hence they are doing a better job product testing all of the components.

Be interesting to see what Lexus GB come up with. I just hope you get it sorted.

Not what you want or expect from a £50K+ car. :(

[lotusdave]

stay positive, hope they find a solution soon. What gets me is how it was fine, sat still and now isn't. If the only thing that change, the tyres, have been excluded from the cause it only leaves one option. Aliens.