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Like @Al D-Much, I personally like the way it's set up and I like the fact that if you want it - you press the button. It was the same in my UX. There does seem to be a bit of a 'jolt' using it to pull away as it's obviously holding the brakes. That's fine on a hill, but unnecessary elsewhere. Each to their own of course, but I certainly wouldn't like it to be 'on' all the time. I'd feel as though I'd have a slightly sticky caliper every time I wanted to move forwards from standing still.

And as well as above the cabin is warmed by the engine running - so in winter the engine has to run more when you are st speeds where in summer it could be off just to generate heat so you have warm air into the cabin. When you first start the car in cold weather the engine has to run a longer initial cycle to get to working temperature and of course heat up the cabin first thing from stone cold (so fuel economy takes a proportionally bigger hit again during short trips in winter). To a lesser extent you also use more electrics in winter - so lights, wipers, heated seats, rear window demister etc. - these all require power that has to be replaced and so again the engine will run more to replenish the battery. The optimum external temperature for efficiency is around 20C - at this temperature the cabin is comfortable at ambient temperature so no heat required from the engine to warm the cabin, less power sapping electrics, and the air con isn't working very hard. The hybrid battery is also at the best working temperature for efficiency too. Conversely as outside temperatures rise up from 20C the air con has to work harder and as that is electrically driven in a hybrid is starts using more energy that then has to be replaced. Also the hybrid traction battery can become less efficient as it starts to get hotter. The effect is less on fuel economy in hot weather than cold weather but it's noticeable.

Basically hybrid batteries don't like cold weather and therefore the ICE is being called upon more regularly to transmit power.

I have a funny story while travelling in France on the way back from Italy. I set the sat nav for Luxembourg to get cheap fuel but forgot I had set the sat nav for just France. I ended up in the middle of nowhere in a small Hamlet called Luxembourg with very little fuel left. I was then panicking on a Sunday to find fuel.

To update this car parking charge. Following my response to the claim made by Uk.... Ltd I have heard back from the* IAS on the appeal. Bit frustrating as in the event the car parking company have dropped the parking charge, but there are no grounds given and the *IAS has not ruled on the matter. Good result ,but as I say a little frustrating.

No, but I've fitted a ctek quick plug and hooked up several amps and a remote battery monitor and GPS tracker...

Thanks Malc, I was far too rich, until I come to insure it 🥴 and Len, I feel cheated now, and there was me thinking I’d been specially selected 🤣😂

Xmas buskering was the best for sure 😂 Malc

I think with most things in life if you look at things purely from a financial aspect you would never do anything and life is to short. I have driven abroad for probably at least 25 years although not recently. There is not doubt it has got very expensive to drive in Europe now but what isn’t. The last time I went was in an BMW X5. On top of fuel and tolls doing 2500 miles adds on over £100 in tyre wear and brings servicing costs sooner. Plus extra insurance so all in all it is not cheap. Having said that I love driving abroad so the cost wouldn’t put me off. Trouble is the body is getting older now but the mind is still keen.

There is a moral here somewhere. If you have a whippet go to Asda, if you have a Red Setter go to Waitrose? I guess the bowls are a bit different as well. Delft for Waitrose and battered WW1 metal field kit for Asda.

Got 255/40-18's mounted all round and wheels installed on the car today. Initial short drive didn't show any dramatic difference to the 19" factory wheels, but as expected the new rubber is quieter than the old Potenzas. Happy with the fit and look, so now just need to get an alignment and then on with the onerous task of putting some miles on the new setup Cheers....

Lexigirl was a bit jealous of the attention the XK was getting so took herself off for a car park shoot. I warned her you won't look your best in this weather, but the green bug of envy had to be satiated.

Once you have had blind spot monitors it’s really a no brainer,something that helps me see something in my blind spot!

Still available on the web new for 70 euro( not 1700 ). Battery lasts 2 weeks

Let me just add this to the jobs list (aside from sorting out the brake shake... again!!). Thats a bit of that knee wrap tape as a temporary fix. Maybe my lights are not self levelling properly anymore as for a few days I've been getting people flashing me. Today trucks have started doing it and one just put his beams on coming straight opposite me. Hopefully this band-aid might help the lights not to shine as high.... Though, if I stand far from the car it doesn't seem excessively high nor shining in my eyes! Another problem could be that after I had the lenses cleaned I didn't add any extra laquer! I guess I'll find out in the coming days as this needs sorting.

I've also had a VIP invitation and have an appointment booked. A bit early to change unless the offer is so irresistible!

Well stalked that man!

One in Beckenham. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/315142049133?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=moawhk8ctb-&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=-Xw-SSzkQbS&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Boy ….. o’boy ……. Sadly no but I might get a 3 wheeler to compete with your entry in the Milk Float speedway along Rye Lane 😄 Malc

Have finally agreed a renewal for insurance on my RX450hL (68 plate). Was awaiting the deemed 3-week "ideal time" prior to renewal to seek a quote. Filled in MSE's car insurance+ machine looking for fully comp on SDP at 8k miles a year, and it came back with a set of the cheapest three = £1,356 from Saga, £1,586 at Sainsburys & £1,684 with Admiral (all a bit horrid after £600 cost for the previous year). Rest of the list of offerings went airborne, running up to somewhere over £3k! The three "cheapies" each tried the rush-rush by saying their offering had to be accepted within 7 hours. Anyway, decided to give Adrian Flux a buzz - having already had a property covered with them. A kindly gent called Jeff (perhaps Geoff?) spent some time going through the requirements - I explained about having had the security plates fitted some months ago and my use of a Milenco steering lock etc. He did a quick (presumably online) check and saw they were coming up worse than Saga, so he excused himself and went off to badger some underwriters, quite successfully in the event. He came back with £1,221 from Axa, with free legals, plenty of Euro travel etc. - reasonable package. Painful by comparison with last year, but in truth I had been fearing worse in view of all the recent alarming publicity. I trust other folks are also finding their way through this ghastly maze - Good Luck!

There's a saying "you get what you pay for". Personally speaking I find anyone spending over a grand for a mobile phone either needs their head testing or have more money than sence or are fashion conscious. Chinese phones. OMG have you seen what you can get on Temu? Blatant copies of Samsung phones. These modern phones have more computing power that what they had to send the first rocket into space. My current phone is the Samsung S22 Ultra. Did I buy new or is it on a plan? No. I bought reconditioned. To be honest I'm disappointed with it. My previous phone the superb Samsung S10 Lite, bought reconditioned years ago, developed a niggle which bugged the sheitte out of me. Later found out I'd messed up the ZoneAlarm Internet security settings. But what got me, I was under the impression the S22 Ultra was a Bigger phone. Not ruddy likely. They're the same size. However the camera wires the floor with the S10 Lite. I use to be a Nokia man till one day I learned that my phone dialled 999 50 times whilst in my pocket. Straight to Samsung after that and I've had them ever since and that's over 30 years. As for longevity of phones. The phone before the S10 Lite was the Note 4. Got that very very soon after they came out, Gid knows when that was, but just last month I stripped it to pieces and off the the phone palace in the sky. That phone just became so slow it was painful. It was my backup phone. As for how a phone feels in one's hand. All phones feel plastic. However I've been using Spigen phone cases and the phone feels like a piece of quality. Nevermind titanium this and diamond encrusted that. That's just posh nonsense.

Just a local one to get a sense of it. The build quality was excellent despite the example being tatty the engine was so smooth but you'll already know that! Suffice to say he's committed to an acquisition sometime soon.

You never know but this is normally only an issue at start up - not once the vehicle is running and charging up the battery. I'd like to think that an official Lexus dealer would have performance that basic check. Potentially more likely a problem with the hybrid dc/dc converters which aren't supplying 14.4v to run the vehicle/charge the aux battery correctly or some other issue where the hybrid errors are a symptom and not the cause.

Excellent result finally, regarding the reason(s) for dropping the claim could you not obtain this information under the Freedom of Information Act? I understood that if any company holds personal information about you then you are entitled to see such information on request?

I would certainly give it a try. Once a year, when I wipe over all the rubber trim with Gummi Pfledge, I also lubricate all the hinges and boot struts. If I recall, I use either Fluid Film or SuperLube, and either spray a little into the crevices, or wipe it on with a cloth. For the record, I also give the underside an annual spray of ACF-50, which not protects against corrosion, but also helps to keep things lubricated. As a result I have no creaks or squeaks.

Comparatively, I’ve never been so well off financially as I am today ….. notwithstanding two divorces and lots of kids 😂 You can tell I’m rich beyond words….. I have TWO 4ltr V8 Lexuses 🥳 nope, way back when I was passing thru Biarritz it just oozed wealth and expensive lifestyles and people with far more than I would ever have, or even aspire to OR even want to aspire to ……. BUT some of it, the buildings were from a “ past age “ of Maurice Chevalier ilk Nice seafront I thought ! Malc

First time I’ve ever set up a direct debit for my other car (3 door Rav4), tax is £395 a year, thought I’ll keep the money in my account for longer and just pay DVLA £34.50 a month . Will do the Lexus the same way , that will be an extra £60 plus a month.. between them that should be 3 pot holes sorted !!

£2 a day.

That will pay for 1.5 potholes.

Exactly right, Ian. It’s an aid to safe, careful driving - not a substitute for it! In fact I’m slightly surprised that you can even switch the system off. You can certainly adjust and reduce the sensitivity of the sensors, but I haven’t done that. I’m perfectly happy to have my attention drawn to the approaching pedestrian continuing to push a shopping trolley at my car despite it very obviously moving. And there have been times when reversing when BSM brought my attention to such items as very low walls that were impossible to see from the driver’s seat. Just to be clear Alan, are you saying that it isn’t?

I recall having a new 2.0l Lancia Beta Coupe in the early 80s at the height of these rumours. It was an excellent car; comfortable, reliable and with a very acceptable performance for its time. I didn’t have it long enough for any potential rust problems to develop (it was a company car) but they were exaggerated anyway. As I recall, the subframes could rust and become loose - but I don’t think any engines ever actually fell out! I think that at the heart of its problems was the use of substandard quality steel, to keep costs down, and - especially - poor quality workmanship. Which of course was something that bedevilled much of the British Motor industry too.

Could be the slider pins rather than the caliper itself.

If you're a hero driver and drive faster than everyone else, you don't need a blind spot warning system. In fact you don't need mirrors at all. As everyone behind you is of no consequence.

Do you have the button to enable the option?

I never take my LS400 out if it is raining or the roads are wet, if at all possible. Does it do any good? Let you know when it is MOT'd tomorrow!

I guess any stage of rusting it can be ‘prevented" from getting any worse, it’s just knowing when the rust has won the day .

I had a triumph motorbike that did all the things Triumphs do - i.e. leak oil. The bottom end of the engine and swing arm were in immaculate condition after many years. Just wipe off the dirt that sticks to the oil and it is like new. Then the leaks will cover it in fresh oil. Lovely! A bit of a problem when it got on the rear tyre though😱

Many years ago chatted to a guy at a classic car show ….. his Austin Cambridge A60 developed an engine oil leak drip from new and he couldn’t ( or wouldn’t ) fix it …… wondrous simple protection all underside over those decades from a tiny insignificant drip …… other A60s just rusted away I know The power of an oil drip allowed to flourish and save a fortune on rust prevention Malc

Fuel consumption will be worse in winter and if you do short runs or at high speed.

My key observation is the age and quality of the van the new proposed contractor arrives in …… if it’s too smart and new he’s making too much £££££ from his jobs ……. Any works guys I use just know I’m broke coz of my old and ancient cars …… I hope they pity me 😂 Malc

Potholes can simply destroy tyres and a tube of gunk won’t fix that …… you’re clearly immune thankfully 🥳 You've been very fortunate never to need Breakdown Cover …….. lots of £££££ saved AND all that useful space free in your cars not carrying that totally useless spare wheel and jack I'm sure your plan of inaction will continue to find favour with the gods 🤥 Blessed are the few and that clearly includes yew 😇 Good luck Malc

According to the Amayama website this is still available (at a price) and it is not yet showing as NLA or obsolete. There are 3 tint colours available so make sure you check or ask me to. If you can get your insurance company to agree to you importing one and having it fitted this may be your only option and bear in mind there is 20% VAT to add to the total price from Amayama. Weird but the blue tint is £200.00 cheaper? 4811 GLASS, BACK WINDOW 64810-50041 *EHTT, T=3.5, BRONZE 1 € 560.01 64810-50051 *EHTT, T=3.5, GRAY 1 € 560.01 64810-50061 *EHTT, T=3.5, BLUE 1 € 560.01

I had a triple CABG (Conorary Artery By-pass Graft!) 8 years ago. my blockages were 95%, 85% and 70% if I remember correctly. You will not be allowed to drive for 6 weeks after the operation. The post op exercise classes are essential to get back your fitness - you may even begin to enjoy them! They will probably take a vein from your leg and use that as the "tube" for the by-pass. It is considered a routine operation, but not to the person who is having it! As Stephen said above, the main pain you get is from coughing - that is why they give you a rolled towel to hold against your chest. You will feel quite weak for at least 2 weeks. Please DO NOT attempt any form of exercise until you are told to. I got bored and decided to polish the car roof after 3 weeks - oh did I suffer! Be a patient patient and your recovery will be quicker! Try not to worry unduly and if they offer you an earlier appointment take it! Keep us informed how it goes please - all the best!

Yeah, nowadays they have "high-end" and then "true" high-end. As always we can thank apple for this mess - I think they started it with iphone x, or maybe 11. Basically before you get either Iphone or galaxy S and that was the high-end phone of the year to get, then apple introduced "pro" for like £1500. At first it looked like either you get normal phone or overpay for some gimmick, but now the normal iphone or Galaxy S are actually mid-range, for example I have S22 and it just feels cheap even compared to my previous S10, because the one to get suppose to be £1500 S22 Ultra (or it was 2 years ago at least, S24 just launched now). Well and obvious they have these foldable phone now which used to cost a lot, but again rumours are Samsung is going to get competitive on pricing again. As for foldable phones - they are still fragile. When they were not water-proof I didn't even consider them, but I bought Z4 Flip as present and it was quite good, the special screen protector failed after 15 months, but it was replaced by warranty for free. Screen seems to hold just fine for now and Samsung does £150 subsidised replacements. But foldable phones are still fragile in comparison to normal ones, you definitely need to take extra care with them. I honestly can't care about latest and greatest now, somehow few years back each phone release used to excite me and there was some significant upgrade, but in recent years I really struggle to see what am I getting for extra money. Same applies to both Samsung and Apple - I can't even tell the difference between iphones after 12, Galaxy S likewise... last 3 or 4 are pretty much identical... S21, 22, 23 and now 24 really offers more or less the same package. If anything I probably prefer my old S10 (generally would like to have more compact phone, but there are no more compact high-end ones). As such I just keep the phones until they fail now... had S6 edge, to be fair it had not failed, but got quite slow after 4 years, S10 - I cracked the screen after 3 years (still works fine, just glass has chip) and S22 still going strong after 2 years, so if rumours are true then maybe in 2 years time I will pick-up discounted Fold 6. As for all other brands I personally find them irrelevant, so if android then it is Samsung, if not android then it is iphone... Never found Google Pixel to be any good, Sony, LG, HTC etc. are all pretty much irrelevant now. Motorola is basically chinese company as well and they kind of hang around in mid-range and then there is probably 100 different chinese companies. Generally they have impressive spec sheets, but features are just not polished and do not work half of the time and that is even considering Samsung features are often not fully polished. Also again in my experience they simply fail in less than a year, it starts little by little, but in 12 month it usually turns into brick... sort of maybe camera starts turning off at first, then it doesn't turn on at all, then microphone starts glitching, then people can't hear you anymore and by years' end they stop charging, or holds 4h of charge... or some combination of similar issues. As for malware - 1 it is real thing, but 2 - I kind of agree, there is nothing useful they can find out about me and I am not planning to go to china at any time soon. So it isn't real concern, but it is there. Also perhaps I would be little bit worried logging in into my banking account, they probably wouldn't bother stealing my 2p worth of savings, but I in theory they could if they wanted to. Also also - that is not to say google or apple does not spy on us, the difference perhaps is targeted advertising vs. "re-education camp" in Xinjiang. That said I think my key issue is their quality and "longevity" and their price isn't even that good in UK. For example I bought Oppo Find X in 2018 when I was in China and my girlfriend bought Vivo something... whatever. Point is in China Oppo Find X costed something like £290, whereas here it only launched year later for £899. And similar story for Vivo, it was even cheaper, if memory serves - like £155. So yes - at those prices they are amazing devices and I don't even care if they last 6 months, but at UK price I just never going to pay £1000+ for chinese phone, for one I kind of know they are not worth it, because they actually sell for maybe £250 in china and secondly, they are made to that level of quality. So yeah - if ever needed "burner" phone for some reason, then I may just get one of the cheaper ones for under £200, but I will never regard them as premium devices in the same league as Samsung or Apple.

We have had our Honor and Huawei phones for about 6 yrs now. They do the job and are no problem and cost nothing. We have had samsung phones that conk out a few days after the warranty period. Maybe just us? Apple - don't even go there! Waste of money. I don't mind the Chinese secret service knowing that I ordered a takeaway.

The latter comes with a very high success rate. Indeed, you are in more danger crossing the road these days. I won't lie it is going to hurt like hell afterwards when they reflate your lungs and your sternum is mending, but if you are having this OP because you have symptoms of Angina brought about by hardening of the arteries then be aware you are about to be given a second bite at life IF you want to make the most of it post OP. I was in for a Quintuple bypass (the lot). Had the Op all day Tuesday and I went home Saturday morning clutching my rolled up towel to my chest ( LOL you'll find out what thats for). Initially pretty wiped, but just over a week later I started step ups on the bottom step of the stairs. 3 weeks later I attended Heart whatever they call it for some sessions each week to rebuild my stamina. 6 months later I was doing step ups for 2 hr sessions outside any weather. Actually rains great for cooling you down. That was 13 years ago and literally 3 laps of the world ago. I did see quite a few people who went through the same OP who really just took it all for granted and could not be bothered to take the gift they had been given. Guess they have been back in and out for stents. In summary, whilst any operation comes with risk it is in my view a risk to reward well worth taking just get your head in the game and don't flunk the opportunity. I should say feel free to pm me if there is anything you would like to know about what is coming your way with this. I know it's a bit of a worry. because it is no small thing to undergo.

Oh my …… good luck with both ……. NHS will see you right for sure 👍

Good news! Calibration worked! The English translated Chinese instruction I got from the seller didn't fully cover it but once you understand, it is very simple. These are the steps: 1. Get car in calibration mode: start engine until tire pressure display comes on (before this sequence i made sure the tire pressure display was selected). Then shut off. Do this 5 times. On the 6th start, the calibration mode is active. 2. This is what you see in calibration mode: see first picture. To the wheel without dashes: let air out until a yellow coloured pressure is shown. I only had to let out a few tenths of bar. 3. Do the next tire that has no dashes shown (display updates automatically after previous step. 4. Repeat step 3 until no more tires without dashes. I had to repeat the whole sequence due to an error in the Chinese translation and on the 2nd try the last tire was not needed so i only did 3 tires. The 2nd picture was from my first attempt when i did all 4 tires. I used 2 phones and a FaceTime video session for convenience so i could see my dash while out of the car (2nd picture is screenshot so bit blurry). 5. Shut off engine and restart. Not sure this was needed but did it anyway. 6. Inflate all tires to 2.5bar on the compressor (car shows 2.4) using the supplied compressor in my 300h. Nifty little device and quite useful. 6. Did the TPMS set (button under steering column. Happy days!! I believe this calibration sequence effectively is a TPMS relearn that you can also do with an OBD tool like Autel TS501 or Tire Assistant + dongle (Android only). For those interested in TPMS and Toyota/Lexus, i found this video insightful ( Car Care Nut). All you need to know about Tire Pressure Monitor For Toyota

My IS has a tyre noise and pothole simulator, but then it is an F-sport model.

Not really a strange world - all you have to do is to accept that all insurance companies, utility companies and so on are out to bleed us until we squeak! When I first started driving in 1975 a "fully comprehensive" policy was just that; everything you needed in one easy-to-arrange package. Now, if you want X you have to pay for it; "You want Y sir? That will be an extra [sticks finger in mouth then holds it up to see wind direction] £85 sir" I don't want to meet the Grim Reaper for a while yet, but let's just say that I'm glad I'm on the last bus to his place because this world is going to Hades in a handbasket on all fronts.