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Showing content with the highest reputation since 10/23/2015 in all areas

  1. This is Sarah Williams, John’s daughter although I think you all knew him better as Roy of the Rovers. Thank you for allowing me into the group and for all your messages of condolence which are hugely comforting at this very sad time. This community was an enormous part of Dad’s life and was very very important to him. As his health deteriorated and he couldn’t do much physically he spent longer and longer with his online friends. Being able to contribute to the group and help people out with their cars brought him so much joy - not least because his own children would regularly disregard his advice and buy totally unsuitable cars which he would then have to chastise us about! My husband (his son in law) has a mini. You can just imagine what he thought of that 😂. my mum, sister Liz and brother Andy and I are all keen to hear any stories you might have about him and find out more about the time he spent in this community so please do share your memories. We would be eternally grateful for them and they will help us get to know a different side of the totally wonderful amazing once in a kind human being we called Dad. I thought you might all like to see a photo of him - will try and share some of him with his cars in later days. if anyone would like to know about the funeral let me know and I will share details in here once we know. The staff at his local Lexus dealership have all said they are coming so I think we might need to arrange a Lexus procession to the service!
    43 points
  2. I saw this earlier and I thought it kind of summarises much of my life and probably yours if you are of a certain age. They call us ”The Elderly” We were born in the 40-50-60’s. We grew up in the 50-60-70's. We studied in the 60-70-80's. We were dating in the 70-80-90's. We got married and discovered the world in the 70-80-90's. We venture into the 80-90’s. We stabilize in the 2000’s. We got wiser in the 2010’s. And we are going firmly through and beyond 2020. Turns out we've lived through EIGHT different decades... TWO different centuries... TWO different millennia... We have gone from the telephone with an operator for long-distance calls to video calls to anywhere in the world. We have gone from slides to YouTube, from vinyl records to online music, from handwritten letters to email and Whats App. From live matches on the radio, to black and white TV, colour TV and then to 3D HD TV. We went to the Video store and now we watch Netflix. We got to know the first computers, punch cards, floppy disks and now we have gigabytes and megabytes on our smartphones. We wore shorts throughout our childhood and then long trousers, Oxfords, flares, shell suits & blue jeans. We dodged infantile paralysis, meningitis, polio, tuberculosis, swine flu and now COVID-19. We rode skates, tricycles, bicycles, mopeds, petrol or diesel cars and now we drive hybrids or electric. Yes, we've been through a lot but what a great life we've had! They could describe us as “exennials”; people who were born in that world of the fifties, who had an analog childhood and a digital adulthood. We've kind of “Seen-It-All”! Our generation has literally lived through and witnessed more than any other in every dimension of life. It is our generation that has literally adapted to “CHANGE”. A big round of applause to all the members of a very special generation, which will be UNIQUE. -Author unknown Keep on keeping on!
    19 points
  3. Afternoon Folks, Just thought I would chime in and clear up a few points. No, car wasn't offered on here, being an owners club, most people already have an IS-F, so are less likely to be in the market for one. I also didn't want to break the rules by advertising without Gold Membership status. Regarding the price, even if someone does offer me close to the buy it now price (£26k), this is well under half what I have spent on the car. If I was trying to recoup my costs, the price would be over £50k. If you are looking to buy an IS-F, then tune/modify the car to make big horsepower you would spend a lot more to make a stock car look/perform like mine does. Also keep in mind the modifications are not extreme like most (no neon lights, lairy colours, spinners etc), car is still very subtle, and can be used daily if the new owner so chooses. If the current bids and offers are anything to go by, car won't be going anywhere. Worth pointing out I had a genuine offer of £17,500 which I respectfully declined. If you were in the market for a Japanese saloon that has over 600hp and is reliable, you would be hard pushed to find anything under £30k. I have no grief or ill feelings towards anyone on this forum, nor do I have an issue with people having their opinions, but to try and say modifications de-value a car or don't add any value is wrong. If you notice 'The Hulk' GTR is also advertised on eBay at the moment. I know the tuner who built it, Severn Valley Motorsport (SVM) and they want £155k obo. If you apply the it's a 2009 model worth £28k book price for trade-in, you would argue this is ridiculously priced, no one will buy it etc. My car is a one-off, the parts used are all high quality items and couldn't be bought/fitted/setup for less than £50k IF that's what you wanted to do. The supercharger kit alone is close to £10k plus the installation, setup, running in etc. I accept the fact I won't get my money back, that's the way it goes with modifying cars. What I will not accept is the idea of giving it away for a silly price. I am not desperate and there is absolutely nothing wrong with the car whatsoever, lack of free time is the main driver for potentially finding the car a new home. It is worth what someone is willing to pay for it, but if that price is too low, it won't sell as I would rather keep it. Hope that clears things up and if it did find a good home, rest assured I would still be around to help folks out with any technical issues or modifications they might need in the future. Cheers, Pete
    19 points
  4. I Would Like to wish All My Many friends On The L.O.C. A Very Merry Peaceful and Happy Christmas Followed by a Happy and Merry New Year...Happy Lexus Motoring For 2024 And Remember Your Problems are only As BIG as you make Them...God Bless you all..!!!!!!!
    18 points
  5. Hi guys I was involved in a very serious accident last week. Driving home from Gymnastics with my girls a full fat V8 Mustang driving like an absolute lunatic came barreling towards us head on (in my lane,) it was a head on collision, it's still all a bit of a blur, my car was on fire when I came round, I had my daughters in back, the back doors wouldn't open so I had to drag them both out through the front. it was a mess! All 3 of us were eventually taken to hospital and released a week later. The whole ordeal has been a nightmare, one of the worst thing things I've ever had to experience! Needless to say the Lexus is toast (literally) I'm gutted about losing it and everything in it but more importantly I'm extremely grateful that all 3 of us are still here! The broken bones, emotional trauma we all sustained should heal in time, and we live to fight another day. The Police wont tell me much at the moment but did mention that the Mustang ended up worse off than ours in terms of initial damage and the driver of that car along with his passenger are still hospitalized The Lexus did its job! (in addition to the car seats the girls were sat in) I chose this car because I wanted something reliable, comfortable & safe, it fulfilled all 3 of those requirements effortlessly. Started at every press of the button, got us from A to B in comfort and when it came to it, kept us as safe as it could in a situation many aren't fortunate enough to walk away from. I couldn't have picked a better car for the budget I had, i'm very thankful for that. Just wanted to share this for anyone new here considering buying an IS250 or any Lexus for that matter, and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone here sincerely for their help and advice to all the questions I had prior to buying this car and during my ownership period. I wouldn't have chosen it and maintained it correctly if it wasn't for the friendly advice and info I got from you all so again BIG thank you to everyone here from the bottom of my heart!! Not sure what I'm going to replace it with at the moment as well maintained ones are thin on the ground, prices starting to climb and I doubt i'll get much back from my insurer, but I guess i'll cross that bridge when I get to it... Please stay safe everyone, look after yourself and your loved ones, we just never know what's going to happen sometimes!
    18 points
  6. That's a wonderful tribute to your father Sarah, well said you. He and I had many enjoyable exchanges especially as he knew my overriding affinity with Greece and the Greek people. They have a saying, (one of many) which roughly translated says, "don't walk behind me as I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me as I may not always follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend". This for me sums up your father exactly. Warmest of wishes Philip
    18 points
  7. A quick list of what to look out for .... don't let this put you off ... all the faults I can remember are listed below (some are common sense), maybe there are a few more that owners can add Seized rear calipers - cost around £300 each - Easiest way to check is to take the car on a test run and then when parked back up again feel the heat on each alloy - should be warm and not excessively hot. No squealing. Also, if discs are still rusted looking after driving then there's a problem. Obviously pulling to the side is noticeable Brake pad shims - some members reported missing brake shims from the rear calliper - probably from when pads were replaced and the garage or dealer forgot to put them back on. Its not something you can easily check on a test drive but if missing they are very hard to source except from a scrap dealer if they will sell them at all separate. Seized front calipers - as with the rears, around £300 each. Both front and backs can be freed if not too far gone, re-greased and put back together again but once seized they may need looking after more than ones not having been seized in the past as pitting and ill fitting rubber seals may be an issue. Why does this happen ... last owner not looking after the car or using the wrong type of grease in that it attacks the rubber boots letting dirt and water into the caliper moving parts. If it was looked after by the dealer then new calipers would have been fitted if seized. Greasing is not a part of the service schedule from Lexus so be aware. You may not experience any warnings that they are seized. Its the most common fault on these cars so get an assurance from the seller to replace if found to be seized or have him check them first. To be honest If it was me i would also check them myself when I got home with a new car just to be sure. Easy DIY job to both replace and maintain (grease) I do mine every 6 months but a lot of owners do it every year. Black oil - A sign the cars not been looked after - the oil should not be black. It will go dark in colour but not black. Again, an easy DIY job - I use Magnatec and an oil change, including the filter will cost you around £60. Takes a bit over 6 litres. Oil filter cap seized - If you can, ask the dealer or garage to ensure the cap housing thr filter will move. A lot of garages, including dealers put these on far too tight and some owners have experienced cracked housings while trying to remove the caps to change the filter. An easy DIY job White crust around front water pump area - an indication the water pump is on its way out - costs around £200 for a new one (inclusive of fitting) Exhaust shot - Black soot around the welded joints - check the centre section around the middle resonator as this is a problem area. Get this checked out at an exhaust centre. Pay for the inspection as you wont get a lot of change back from 3k for the replacement parts (back box and centre) if it has gone or is on its last legs - the pattern parts have not been released to 3rd party manufacturers so the replacement parts are only available from Lexus unless you are going bespoke and going for a stainless one - a Cat back system will cost around £500 - if you have the time and want to get your hands dirty then you can put together a bespoke exhaust yourself for around £100. Tyres rotated wrong way - Ask why have they done this? un-even tyre wear so look around the shocks / springs to see if theres any issues - maybe nothing Tyre choice - A good choice of branded rear tyres will serve well. Remember its a rear wheel drive car - Do not go for cheap brands as while they may last/wear well, the performance in the wet will be hazardous. Read through the forums for owner experiences on brands. Leaking shocks - Expensive replacements but not a real issue - some owners have reported replacing them and hard to find Wheel locking nuts seized - Put on with a tyre dealer air hammer. Will come off with specialised tools and a lot of patience - I think this is common cause on all cars - happened on 3 in our household over the years. Check this out before buying if possible. Wheel security locking nut missing - check this is available when buying the car. Without it you wont be able to take the tyres off easily or replace if you get a puncture Alloy wheel corrosion - this is apparent across the Lexus range - corrosion on the alloy happens and noticeable by bubbles under the alloy coating - will eventually lead to pressure loss if not tended to as it will break the seal between the tyre and the wheel itself Tow hook missing - only handy when you need it so check its there - located in the boot of the car Spare tyre - it houses a space saver wheel - make sure its inflated. If it looks like its been used then take out and inspect to make sure its inflated. DVD sat nav extraction tool missing - only handy when you come to update the sat nav DVD - the tools for this should be in the black tool kit in the boot of the car CD/DVD head unit fully working - take an original CD / a DVD and an MP3 disc with you and test each one out - they should all work without messing with the settings. (you will need to select each disc to play and it should) Noise from front speaker cover - a cracking noise from the speaker cover on the front centre dash board - not experienced this myself but its apparently quite noisy. Also a rattle has been reported, again not widespread. Noise from driver door area - don't know If this is a common area. I originally thought it was the door seal but narrowed it down to the handle above the door rattling slightly - I oiled the hinge and the noise disappeared Coolant level low - check the heating is hot when on. Check for a "gurgling" noise which will indicate the cooling is low - if its low then there could be an issue with a leak or possible indication the pump is on its way out Front headlights - will become "cloudy" over time - no more than any other car and can easily be restored with a bit of elbow grease Corroded wheels - a common issue with the Toyota wheels - bad ones will eventually lose air and deflate due to the corrosion not creating a good seal. Uneven wear on tyres - indication there's something a miss with the alignment / shocks - to be honest this is not reported as a problem on the cars. Maybe more so from owners using non OEM wheels Cams are chain driven - no worries there but they can stretch (very extreme though) Rear blind working - read a few posts on here that its stopped working or stuck in the up position - check its operation Front discs - They are heavy on discs and front pads. Check the wear on the discs on the front - not expensive to replace and an easy DIY job Lights not bright and flickering - an indication that the bulbs are on their way out - check both are the same colour. If not, one has been replaced and other will need to be done at some point. Check all front lights as they are quite fiddly in replacing the bulbs Aircon works - should be cold - if not then check coolant level, if ok the system either has a leak or may need re-gassing Squeeky steering adjustment - has been reported by a few members. Mine squeeks in hot weather when automatically adjusting. Not all the time and has not caused any issues. Mirrors dip when in reverse - the mirrors should dip towards the road when in reverse, a feature on the cars to ensure easy viewing of where you are going. If they don't then its most likely they will just need to be cleaned internally. Again an easy DIY job. Parking sensors - with the engine running have someone walk within a foot of the sensors at the front and the rear of the car - it should start beeping when the person walks past them. Not seen any issues with this reported by the owners. O2 sensors - PreCat (within engine bay) will go around 70 to 80k easy DIY job - cost around £180 for OEM Denso ones - don't use 3rd party ones as they will not last Rear brake shoes - Cant easily be checked on a test drive - changed mine at around 90k last year and they still had a bit of meat on them, probably on the car from new so more than likely will need changing or inspection at least. Easy DIY job Main engine plastic cover - centre engine cover can become loose from removing and re-applying it. there is a push button tab that breaks off and it can in some instances be heard rattling over lumpy roads. Mine has broke - not a real issue as the radio at low volume masks any rattle. I expect some strong glue would fix this. Engine idle - make sure its constant at tick over when cold (quite high) and when hot (around 700revs) - if erratic it could indicate a carbon build up - not an issue with an application with cleaning liquids Valve Rattle - VVTI may rattle from time to time - the oil will drain in some cases from the resoviour for the valves after standing for a bit and as a consequence there is a rattle noise (similar to a dull machine gun noise) but will disappear in a second or so. Happenned on mine a few times when I first had it. but not come back for a couple of years now. Regular oil changes and I do an engine flush each oil change and in my opinion it has helped a lot. Exhaust smoke - no smoke from these - only condensate when in cold weather which is normal for most cars Cabin carpets - check the drivers side has clips anchoring the carpet down (if it has one) if it doesn't then the carpet can creep under the pedals Boot - Its a fair size boot but the opening does not give good access to large items - ideally it could have done with split seats but its not that kind of car I guess. Audio - Make sure the spec includes a Mark Levinson branded head unit which is the better of the head unit specs on these models.(indicated on the front of the stereo on the bottom right of the unit) Rear seat room - its a bit cramped in the back with passengers on the seats - leg room is dismal, maybe that's why I have never sat in the back when its been driven. Wife wont drive it due to the size of the car which I don't mind at all. Reliability - looked after its bullet proof, best make of car I have owned. Running costs are petrol only. Put in the time to do the services (oil, filters etc) and it will serve you well. Parts availability - Had my 250 for 3 years and an IS200 for 2 prior to that - the only time I was unable to get a part was the exhaust for the 250 - I could get one from the dealer but at nearly 3k I thought no way and went down another route. Parts are available from Eurocarparts / ebay / online easily enough and are not expensive. Speed - People forget these are not sports cars - they are quick in manual mode and can keep up with the best of them but are not made for that purpose. Its nice owning one for the individuality of having something different from whats sitting on the neighbours drive or in the works car park. I only know of an IS200 Alteeza and a IS220 local to myself so its my bit of exclusivity. Don't care how old it is, its still better than a new model medium city car. Mileage - mines on 93k - no issue and having has a high miler is200 and this one then I would consider another high miler but with the knowledge of what to look for. I don't think there would be any problems if you are careful in what you are looking at - gut instinct in a lot of cases. I guess there will be very few low milers available now on these cars now but you may be lucky in finding one. Keys - Ensure it has a minimum of 2 keys and they both work - if not then its definitely a bargaining chip to use as a replacement one will cost you around £350 and a trip to Lexus. Corroding windscreen wiper arms - these seem to bubble quite a bit under the paint on the main body of the wiper arm. No issue but it will break through the paint at somepoint. Check front windshield, if non-genuine check if wipers defrosters and auto sensing wipers works OK. As well windshields mouldings sometimes gets gets loose (broken clips) - about £80 to get new mouldings. (Courtesy of Linas.P) Main ground cable - In wet climate it was reported that main ground cable sometimes gets corroded and it is very hard to troubleshoot it.(Courtesy of Linas.P) Squeaky seats reported for the manual option (Courtesy of Vintagesixtysix) DMF issues (Dual Mass Flywheel) for the manual drive option (Courtesy of Vintagesixtysix) Paint - the paint is soft on these cars so are prone to scratching easier than other makes if not careful Cat failure - there has been a couple of reports of the cats failing on these cars but only a few have been reported at relative low mileage for the car (around 80 / 90k miles) not common though. There are 2 cats on these. Service milestones - consider cars around 60k miles require a spark plug change - or so Lexus recommends although they are good for 100k. This is an expensive job at around £600. Not done mine yet, planning on doing them at 100k. I would state at 100k then you will need to get your hands dirty and give the car a good going over, fluids etc just for peace of mind. Lexus service interval report does not state any excessive requirements, mostly checks to be made. Recalls - that I am aware of: cabin carpet mat required securing / airbags / fuel sensor washer. there may be more but these are the ones I know of. Spec - I would personally recommend the top spec SE-L Auto box at 2007 / 2008 as I believe when the face lift came along then the models lost a few features that were on the older models. A sunroof would be brilliant but like gold dust at this spec. Quite a bit of points above - don't let this put you off at all - the exhaust nearly saw me pack the car in when mine went but I went down the stainless route so alls not lost. Best to go into a sale knowing all the points to look at before making your mind up. Best car I have ever owned. One last consideration - in the 7 years I have owned the Lexus brand we have by far spent more money during this time in maintaining a fairly new Vauxhall !! One last point, if you have an ODB error code reader then take along and scan the ecu for any stored fault codes unless the dealer has cleared it down
    17 points
  8. Has it been a year already? Time clearly flies when you're enjoying yourself. Betsy and I have covered 8,706 miles since October 20th last year at an average of 45mpg. Did I make the right decision to swap my IS300h for Betsy? Let's start with the few things which I don't like: the cover for the centre console cubby hole could do with being a little more solid. The boot lid could be more rigid/heavier, but I guess this has been done for weight saving. And some of the updates I'd make: How about different warning sounds for front and rear parking sensors? A socket in the roof to plug in a For Hire sign. Only joking. And some of the things I haven't missed from the IS: Rear wheel drive The buttock unfriendly seats. Now onto the things which I like: She is supremely comfortable on long journeys, even as an F Sport with those big tyres Fuel economy is great. I could get more if I was a little less heavy footed and prone to rushing on the A1 Performance is perfectly acceptable. There are none of the worries joining roundabouts which I had in the IS300h (rectified by putting it in Sport of course). She'll easily mix it with the Scheissewagens in lane 4 of the A1 between Huntingdon and Peterborough with no loss of face. Or should that be no loss of grille? The boot is enormous and easily takes my big box of IT gubbins plus any shopping I might acquire on the return leg of an outing. My bass cabs fit with acres of room to spare. Cabin noise is virtually non-existent. It does however help to run some of that Gummi stuff around the door seals every month or so to stop any creaking from the doors. Android Auto - once I'd got the hang of it, and since AAWireless released a certain update, I love it. If you charge the phone on the Qi mat whilst using AA, it does get a bit warm and the power going in pretty much comes out immediately. Servicing - nothing needed doing (apart from an upsell of four wheel alignment!). The brake disks still have 10mm on them so they're practically brand new. Talking of brakes, the absence of brake dust on the wheels is great. Hopefully Betsy's wheels won't go the same way as my IS250's did. Three times. Little things like a warning on the dash that a window is open and would I like to close it by clicking OK Being able to check tyre pressures without using an app. I used the memory seat function for the first time yesterday. The young lady who returned Betsy from the servicing area was quite petite. A quick stab on button 1 allowed me to get my less than svelte figure back behind the wheel. Radar guided cruise control is a wonderful thing, especially on the A1 between Peterborough and Stamford while the invisible workforce does its job. That lane assist/guide thing and going handsfree is fun, but only where conditions allow of course. Adaptive lighting - on backroads this is great, although I did have someone flash me. They were probably thinking "nice car mate" Talking of which, I have posted the tale of the young Asian chap who complimented Betsy at a local filling station. Several colleagues at work always insist on me driving if we go out together. They drive Schiessewagens. I would always spec a car with a heated steering wheel from now on. I thought they were a gimmick. Not so. As many have pointed out on here, automatic folding mirrors should be on all Lexi. It's a great way of checking she's locked as I walk away. The auto hold. A colleague took me on a "short cut" back from Leicester to Bourne (it took twice as long as going the conventional route). We came to a crossroads which was uphill. "Have you got a good handbrake?" he asked, "as you'll need it here". He was right, although I was surprised that he'd not taken on board the lack of a visible handbrake. Betsy just stopped and then went when I pressed the accelerator. No slipping backwards or anything. Tick VG. Fit and finish. You don't have to slam her doors like you do on a Scheissewagen. She doesn't creak like a Mercedes. I'm sure that there are many things I've missed. Am I glad that Betsy and I met on the fateful day when I took my IS300h in for the fuel pump recall? Hell yes.
    17 points
  9. Well, I ordered my new RX450h, Premium sport edition, and finally collected it last Thursday from Lexus, Birmingham. Wonderful service from start to finish, and happy to be back in the fold after an absence of 10 years, on the dark side with the VAG brands. I am so pleased with RX, mesa red with cream leather, so, so, comfortable, and so quiet. I must confess it’s been a long time since my test drive, and had forgotten what it was really like. It is reported by many motoring journalists as showing its age, and I guess that is true in comparison with more recent models, but I think it has all the tech that I need, and apple carplay works like a dream. It may be considered to be showing its age, but what a wonderful place to be, it exudes comfort and luxury. it has taken me a couple of days to get used to the car, but driven for its intended use, silky smooth, quiet, and so far returning 35mpg, no complaints at that! It really is a pleasure to unlock the door, and do a journey in my new car. So here’s to many many happy miles, and look forward to an upcoming holiday in Europe. Larry
    17 points
  10. Happy Christmas to one and all. And to a great forum also. Piers.
    17 points
  11. 17 points
  12. 20220426_143621.mp4 Yesterday had my 200,000 mile service at Lexus Birmingham and today clocked over the 200,000 miles mark on my odometer. I have owned my IS300h Premier from new since 2013, it is the best car I have ever owned and I will be sad to see it go later this year when I take delivery of a NX350h Takumi. Thank you Lexus for creating fabulous cars.
    16 points
  13. Traded my Boxster and picked up this beauty today; TVD, red leather, sunroof and Quicksilver exhaust. Suspect I will spend much of the weekend just listening to the sound!
    16 points
  14. Just put a deposit down on this beauty at Lexus Teeside EDIT - I asked if this model (it's a 2018 Luxury) was valid for the Android Auto installation and he said that it's capable but they haven't yet got the hardware to retrofit the RX. I forgot to ask him if that was just Lexus Teeside or if he meant that there are no dealers anywhere in the country who can fit it to an RX yet, so does anyone know?
    16 points
  15. I got the dreaded Check Hybrid, Check VSC and Check EBC warning lights. Fault code readings P0A80 Hybrid and P3017 (battery cell block number 7 fault). Having gotten a quote for around €6000 to fix it, I decided to do it myself. I ordered a battery cell on ebay for €45.00 delivered to Ireland. Tools needed: Socket set with 8mm, 10mm and 12mm. Flat head screwdriver, long nose pliers and a multi meter to read voltage. (You may also need a slow trickle 12v battery charger, I'll explain later). Time needed: about 4 hours, more if your connections a very dirty. 1: Remove ALL carpeted paneling from the boot (trunk if you're in the US). This is done by inserting the flathead screwdriver into the black plastic rivets and popping them out. Remove the boot flooring too, just leave the tool tray in place. You will need the 10mm socket to remove the rear boot floor luggage anchor points once you've popped open their plastic covers. The upper hanging points need to be squeezed to remove. Disconnect the power supply to the light on the right hand panel. 2: Remove the orange circuit breaker on the HV battery by sliding to the right and then pulling towards you. 3: Remove the black air duct on the bottom of the HV battery by popping the 2 black plastic rivets. 4: Unplug the power supply to the white cooling fan on the upper right of the HV battery and remove the 2 nuts holding on the fan. This should allow the 2 upper black ducting to move sufficiently to be able to remove them. 5: Open the panel covering the 2 Orange Cables (3 x 8mm nuts) and disconnect the 2 orange cables, (you can tape them up with electrical tape if you so wish). Pull back the rubber cover on the Black cable and unbolt that too. You should now look something like this: 6: Disconnect the cable running from the HV battery to the 12v lead battery. Continue to remove the 12v battery by disconnecting the +ive and -ive terminals and the white connector plugs attaching it the the HV battery. Also need to take off the temp sensor and the vent hose on the 12v battery. Remove the 12v battery support bracket and the battery tray itself. 7: Remove the last 2 bits of black ducting that was clamped by the 12v battery tray. 8: Remove the white tubing on the right of the HV battery. 9: Remove the 4 12mm nuts holding the base of the HV battery in place, 2 on each side. 10: You need to unbolt the nuts hidden behind the back seat headrests. 11: Pull the rear seats forward enough to remove the large plastic panel in the center between the rear seats and the boot wall, its hidden behind the fireproofing fabric. Use this panel cover to hold the seats away from the boot wall by wedging it between seats and wall. 12: Pull back the fireproofing to reveal 2 smaller access panels covered by a black sticky rubber square. Now remove the 3 12mm nuts holding the HV battery to the boot wall. 13: Now the tricky bit, lift the HV battery over the bolts in the boot and slide it out. (I recommend putting cardboard on the tool tray to avoid scratching when sliding the HV battery). If you are strong enough you can lift the HV battery out on your own, if not get help, it weighs about 50 kilos. Your boot should now look like this with the access panels behind the seats visible: You should also have this, I placed mine on some cardboard on my kitchen table: 14: Take off the HV battery cover by opening all the 10mm nuts, and a few 8mm. unclip the black cable while taking off the three cover panels. 15: Unclip the black plastic covering on both sides of the HV battery to reveal the 8mm connector nuts in the orange casing. 16: Number the cells 1 to 40 using a permanent marker. Use your multi meter to get a reading across each of the 40 individual cells, i.e. one lead on the +ive terminal of the cell and the other on the -ive, and record your findings, as you can see cell 28 was low for me: 17: Pull back the rubber vent tubing running along the top of the HV battery until to get beyond your bad cell/cells. 18: Remove the white end panel holding the cells in place: 19: Remove the 80 x 8mm nuts in the orange casing and clean if necessary. I used bleach and some sand paper to clean all nuts a copper plates, if you're gonna do it - do it right). 20: Remove the 8mm nuts holding each cell in place underneath until you reach your bad cell (this will probably involve removing the support leg and the converter assembly unit below the HV battery: 21: Good cells look like this Bad ones like this: 22: Start replacing your cells back into the HV battery, it doesn't matter what order and you can't mess up polarity as it only screws in on one side. I put my new cell in last in case it was a dud. (If your new cell is of a lower or higher voltage use a slow trickle 12v battery charger to get it to the same voltage as the other cells. 23: WATCH THE TEMP SENSORS UNDER THE BATTERY CELLS (3 of them), MAKE SURE YOU CLIP THEM ON AS YOU GO. See the black plastic clip peeping out here: 24: That's it you're done, just reverse everything to put in back in. Mind your back and don't bother touching cell 1 and 40 at the same time if you have the orange connector put back on. Good Luck!
    16 points
  16. After reluctantly selling my ISF to a fellow member on here 4 years ago due to an overseas move, I’m back in the U.K. so I’m back in the ‘F’ fold. I bought the blue RCF that was up for sale recently with TVD and just 17k miles. It’s absolutely mint and I’m loving it! Great to be back 👍
    16 points
  17. Lexus RX 450h - Series 3 - Equipment specifications Lexus RX Series III.pdf
    16 points
  18. Hi, and welcome to the story so far of my IS250. I figured since I have started to change a few things, and with some more mods & upgrades planned, I should probably keep tabs on my progress and try and document as much as possible. I enjoy reading this kind of thing about other people's cars, so hopefully you will too. If nothing else, it'll be something useful for the next owner to have a gander at when I eventually part company with it. So, the car then. It's an Argento Ice (1G1) 2011 F-Sport with optional Navigation unit, and it's an automatic of course. I traveled just under 200mls by train, to Darlington, to buy it from a thoroughly nice chap and fellow LOC member in late August 2016. This is my third Lexus IS and my second IS250 F-Sport in a relative short space of time. The previous one being a 2010 model in the rare Sable Metallic (4T5) but this was sadly written-off inside a year with only 27K on the clock. Finding another low-miles F-Sport to replace it proved to be quite difficult and after a couple of months of fruitless searching I was starting to give serious consideration to buying something else. Then one day, someone on the forum announced that they were selling-up... Being honest, silver was not my 1st-choice when looking for a replacement. In fact it was probably near the bottom of the pile in terms of desirability, but the price was just too good to ignore and it sounded like a great car - one owner (a LOC member, no less), 36K miles, FSH & it had been kept in a garage since new. At this point I was thoroughly fed-up of having to borrow other people's cars to get around so I was prepared to compromise and a deal was quickly struck. On the day I arrived to see the car in the flesh for the first time, any misgivings I had about the colour disappeared the minute I pulled-up to the seller's house in a taxi. It was a gloriously sunny day and the IS looked absolutely amazing, sitting there, spotlessly-clean on the driveway. I knew right then and there that I would be going home in it. I quickly told the driver to keep the change because I couldn't wait to exit the taxi and have a closer look. After chatting with the seller over a cuppa and pouring over the car's history and piles of receipts, it was evident that the car had been well looked-after since the day it was purchased from Lexus Nottingham in April 2011. The test drive was pretty short. Just a mere formality really as I was already very familiar with how an IS250 behaves on the road and there was nothing to be concerned about, so the deal was finalised over another cuppa and then the car was mine. There was a generous amount of fuel still left in the tank at the point of sale, but I brimmed the car at Scotch Corner services and planned the journey home on the sat-nav. The obvious choice would've been to head up the A1, but I wasn't in a hurry so instead I headed west on a relaxed cruise along the A66 towards Penrith where I would join the M6, and then subsequently the M74 as I crossed the border before eventually turning off at Abington services in the Clyde Valley to join one of my favourite driving roads, the A702. This is a road that I'm very familiar with and it has it all; great scenery, sweeping fast corners, dips, rises, a few sleepy towns & villages to cruise through, twisty technical sections and plenty of long straights and clear sightlines for overtaking opportunities. Best of all, there's no speed cameras so you can really explore the limits of whatever you're driving. Taking in this road whilst getting to know my new car truly was the icing on the cake. (forgive my lengthy into and waffling but I really did enjoy the whole buying experience of acquiring this car, so I thought I would share it...) Anyway, here's a couple of pics from the sales ad showing how the car looked before I bought it. My first six months or so with the car were fairly uneventful. It had just been serviced, MOT'd and kitted-out with a new set of tyres shortly before it went up for sale, so all I had to do was get it taxed and enjoy it. My first modification (if you can call it that), was in November when I prepped the car for the miserable Scottish winter weather - by swapping out the OEM floor mats for the set of genuine Lexus rubber mats that were included with the car, and by switching to winter tyres. The winter setup was a carry-over from my previous IS250 consisting of 18" 3rd-gen F-Sport wheels shod with 225/40F / 245/40R Pirelli Sottozero 3 tyres, so this was something that didn't cost anything, and arguably looked better than stock so I was happy for my car to wear these for the next 4 or 5 months. The 2016/17 winter weather was particularly awful. Not to the extent that winter tyres were required, but it just seemed to be constantly raining and/or very windy, especially on the occasions when I actually had some free time! So during the dark winter months I just planned what I was going to do next and armed myself with some knowledge, and also picked up a few parts. Fast-forward to the spring and it was time to switch back to summer tyres. A successful PPI claim had given me some funds to play with so I wanted to upgrade to a set of staggered 19" wheels. Sure, the stock 18's look good on a 2nd-gen IS, but 19's look even better!. My initial plan was to save up for a set of graphite OZ Superturismo LMs, but these are pretty expensive and rarely show up on the used market, so I mulled this over for a number of weeks before deciding on my alternative choice of wheel - the OEM "blade" wheels off an IS-F. Produced for Lexus by BBS Japan, these forged and relatively lightweight wheels were hardly a booby prize and were actually a good choice for what I want to achieve. My overall goal for the car could be described as "OEM Plus". To try and make some tasteful improvements to how it looks and performs without ruining it, and to add a bit more of a sporting flavour without it looking out of place. At the end of the day this is my daily driver and I still want it to feel like a Lexus so I'll be using high quality aftermarket or genuine parts from within the Lexus family where possible. In this regard the IS-F wheels are ideal, so when a newly-refurbished set showed up on eBay, I snapped them up. Once the wheels arrived (from Latvia!), my next point of deliberation was tyre choice. I had narrowed the short-list of candidates down to three - Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3, Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 or Michelin Pilot Super Sports. In the end I stumped-up for the more expensive Michelins as they've been proven quality for years and are still featuring as an OEM application on various performance cars. Whilst, on the other hand, the other two are quite new on the market with less known about them. Regarding sizes, I took the safe option and went with stock widths as I didn't want to run into problems when I lower the car a touch. I didn't weigh them but just by handling them during fitting and removal and moving the various wheels in and out of storage a few times, the new wheel & tyre combo certainly felt lighter than the OEM F-Sport alloys, despite them being larger. What isn't in question though, is just how much sharper and more precise the steering feels with them, plus grip is superb. Refinement suffered a little of course, but I would say only a little as the car still rides extremely well. On my initial impressions, I was more concerned about the increased road noise and thought I had made a huge mistake, because, boy were these things loud! Thankfully they got a lot quieter after putting a few miles on them but they're still probably louder than a lot of other tyres on the market. I would happily buy them again though. Around this time I also gave the car it's first proper detail during my ownership, and it was badly-needed. After months of being caked with dirt and rock salt, the sides of the car felt like sandpaper, There were literally hundreds of tar spots, so an extensive decontamination and clay bar session paved the way for a course of Super Resin Polish and a coat of Soft99 Fusso Coat. This restored some much-needed shine and lustre to the paintwork, and for the first time in ages, it was actually protected from the elements. (Obligatory snow foam pics) April saw the car pay a visit to Lexus Edinburgh to be serviced and MOT'd and it sailed through with no advisories. In fact, the service manager commented on how clean it was, and how he had to double-check whether they had washed it or not. Next up, was to install a dash-cam. In my previous car I had the relatively cheap, but excellent A118c. And I was in the market for a new one because I carelessly forgot to remove it from the wreck before it was taken away. Anyhow, suitably impressed with how it had performed, I was all set to buy another one when I noticed that there was now an A119 on the market. This promised to be even better and could be installed just as discreetly as the older camera, so I ponied-up an extra few quid to grab one, along with the optional GPS module and a CPL filter. This time, I wanted to make use of the parking mode so that meant hard-wiring it into an "always-on" circuit, so I tapped into the keyless entry system. I was a little worried that this would drain the battery and leave the car unable to start, but so far so good. I've left the car parked-up for 3 or 4 days at a time without any trouble. This is especially impressive, since, after reviewing some footage that was captured whilst parked, it would appear that the motion sensor is pretty sensitive and will trigger the camera into recording an "event" quite easily, So, at times (like when it's raining) the camera can effectively be recording 24/7, yet it doesn't seem to be too much of a burden on the battery. This is something I'm mindful of though, so I'm keeping an eye on it. For the past couple of months, I've just been concentrating on keeping the car clean, but a couple of days ago I done my first "performance" mod when I swapped-out the standard air intake for the official F-Sport one (PTR03-53100). I'd had one of these in my eBay watch list for about 2 years, just waiting for a deal nice enough for me to pull the trigger on. Well, such a deal showed up a couple of weeks ago so I jumped on it. Some pics I took during fitting. Installation was a breeze, very straightforward and quick. I took my time however and cleaned my MAF sensor at the same time, and also cleaned-up some parts of the engine bay that were dusty & dirty before putting everything back together. As for the intake, it's a nice piece of kit. Being an OEM upgrade, you would expect the quality to be very good and the fitment to be perfect, and it is. The general consensus seems to be that this will free up around 3-5 bhp, but that's not something that can be felt. What is noticeable though is the induction sound. There's very little difference, if any, during normal driving but when you push the revs above 3K you're greeted with a fantastic throaty roar. My next move will probably be to lower the car another 10mm or so via a set of H&R springs that I bought ages ago, but until then here's a few pics of how the car looked with the 19" IS-F wheels. Quick Links: F-Sport Gear knob Winter Wheels prep & installation Interior LED upgrade New & current wheel setup IS350 Brake upgrade
    15 points
  19. It’s been 3 months since we picked up our GSF in which we have covered just under 2000 miles averaging around 19 mpg. Here are my some of my initial thoughts. The positives. The sound of the V8. My car is completely standard and I know it’s a little mute for some, but I love every minute of the sound from when it starts up cold to when it comes on cam. I don’t think I will ever get bored of it, and whilst I used to love listening to my music in the car, the stereo is rarely turned on nowadays. The responsiveness, performance and handling. Whilst I acknowledge that it’s not the fastest super saloon out there and these new hot / hyper hatches will arguably be faster off the line, it has more performance than I will ever need and I clearly will run out of talent before it will. I love how it also feels like a smaller car than it is. I definitely don’t think it feels any larger than my previous IS250 on the road. MPG I’m not worried about the MPG as I wouldn’t have bought a GSF if I was, but I’m very happy with it considering the car is barely warmed up by the time I arrive at work and I do little motorway mileage. As a comparison, my previous IS250 averaged around 23mpg over the same journeys. Subtleness and rare factor. I’ve only ever seen one other GSF on the road about two years ago. I love how the average passer by wouldn’t even give it a second look and I’ve had a few people who are in to their cars claim that they have never even heard of it, which makes me smile. Mark Levinson. I know that this doesn’t get the best views but I think it’s a great system ( on the rare occasion that it is on lol) for the music that I listen too. Practicality. Loads of room for my family of 4 and the car seats. Space was a struggle in the IS. Insurance. Unbelievably no more expensive than my IS250 and about £200 cheaper a year than our RX450. Likely to be due to there being only 63 ish registered and probably non of them being involved in a large claim. Paintwork. Seems to always have a deep shine even when it’s dirty. This could be due to the ceramic coating but I also liked how the acid etch damaged from seagull poo seemed to fix itself over a weekend in the heat. I’m not sure if this is due to the self-healing paint (does this work through the ceramic coating?) or the coating itself but something worked either way 😊. Looks. I know this is subjective but I think it looks fantastic. It’s split personality. I love how it feels just like how a normal Lexus should below 3.5k RPM. Smooth and quiet but then it turns in to a real super salon after this point. Amazing. A pleasure to drive around town but massively capable at speed when pushed. Blind spot monitoring. Absolutely brilliant, I now wish our RX had it! Carbon Fibre rear spoiler. Looks amazing in the sun but still relatively subtle IMO. The negatives Just nit picking here really as nothing is a major deal. Brake dust. Widely covered on here, I love the wheels and the orange callipers but they are such a pain in the butt to clean and I love cleaning cars! Mine have been coated in Poor Boys sealant which has helped massively but cleaning them still takes some time and the front callipers are a pain to get to. I will be looking in to the options other owners have mentioned on here when replacements are required. Rattle. I had a really intermittent rattle coming from behind the sav screen. This has seemed to have disappeared, touch wood, but was very frustrating for a couple of weeks. Powered boot lid. I love how the boot lid is powered but I wish that you could also close the lid via the remote and the button on the dash like our RX, instead of just the button on the lid itself. I expect that this is a dealer configurable option so I will look in to this before my next service. Sat Nav menu on start up. I wish the menu didn’t load up every time you started the car. A simple press of return solves this issues but as I very rarely use the sat nav, there is no need for it to load up every time. Speed sign recognition. I can’t really rely on this as it often picks up random speed limits, such as ones on the back of continental lorries, or not at all Carbon Fibre in front bumper. Chips are already present and more are enviable. I really don’t know how you would fix this. That’s it really. Both my wife and myself are well and truly smitten by it and we will be keeping it for as long as we can, before everything goes down the EV route. F.A.
    15 points
  20. Well just over two years ago I made the "mistake" of having a look around the showroom of Lexus Teesside while my 2011 RX was in for a service and MOT. I saw a 2017 RX while there .. had a look .. ended up buying it. After retiring at the end of June I thought I would consider when to change again and went to Lexus Teesside again today to enquire about when the list prices of the new models would be out. Mentioned that the thought of the V6 being dropped was putting me off the 2023 ones. Sat in their showroom was a brand new (unregistered) RX450h Premium Sport in Dark Blue with cream seats, HUD, Panoramic Sunroof ... looked gorgeous, especially in that colour. It was tempting ... very tempting ... too tempting ... Yes.. I bought it .. picking it up on Tuesday .. they are going to remove the dashcams from the 2017 and install them in the new one on Tuesday.
    15 points
  21. My 450h+ arrived at the dealer today! That's 5 months since placing the order which is pretty good in comparison to current schedules.
    15 points
  22. Well thats me had the UX for 17 days now, I thought I would post my initial thoughts on the car good and bad. Its my first Japanese built car since my Toyota Corolla SR in the 1970’s which I loved. Since then it’s been all German apart from owning a Volvo XC60 D5 for four years, so VW, Audi, Mercedes and latterly BMW finishing with an X2 M Sport 2.0D which was great. So I wanted a change and to downsize a bit since recently retiring, I cover <8k miles a year now (saved 63 quid on my car insurance when I told them to reduce mileage from 12k and I’ve retired!). My shortlist was VW Troc, Volvo XC40, Audi Q3 and Lexus UX, the UX was the last car I looked at. None of the other manufacturers had any stock to show me for my specification requirements, I got a test drive in an XC40 plug in hybrid but thats it. The Lexus dealership had some cars to look at and a demo which they gave me for 24 hours to test. I have to say as a dealership I felt they valued my custom and went the extra mile to allow me to make a decision on whether I wanted to buy. The others just more or less shrugged their shoulders and said it wasn’t their fault, cars are in short supply. So, following the test I decided it was the Lexus for me, it had so much going for it when compared to the opposition. Ordered 1st September, factory build, arrived at dealership and was handed over to me January 10th, hand over was excellent with great explanation of the cars functions and tech and the fuel tank was filled. One of the reasons I went for the Lexus was that it is unrivaled with the others in terms of the tech, F/R parking sensors, electric seats, leather seats, blind spot monitoring, radar cruise, heated steering wheel, keyless entry and the hybrid system the list goes on and on. This spec is available for <40k so VED remains in the low pricing category too. The drive experience is good, I quite like the CVT, it suits the way I drive and its very smooth, the engine and hybrid system is excellent and the transition between battery and petrol power is seamless. The seats are extremely comfy and although the boot is a bit small its adequate for us and our springer spaniel. The steering rake adjustment is a little too low for me even a maximum adjustment. The infotainment system takes a bit of getting used to when compared to the beemer iDrive but that being said it has significantly more functionality, its bigger and incorporates ACP so all in all combined with it having a bigger screen its actually better. Lights are good, reversing camera etc all a bonus and in the spec, but why oh why are there still filament bulbs on the indicators when all the other lamps have more efficient and better looking LED’s!! So I think I made the right choice but time will tell, the warranty is there if needed but Toyota / Lexus are renounced for reliability so hoping no issues there. I fitted a Nextbase 622GX 2 channel dash cam, my first foray into using them but the standard of driving in my opinion has noticeably declined during the past few years and I now feel its a necessary evil. Be interested to hear other peoples first impressions too!
    15 points
  23. I have some more news on this no firm date as yet but it is going to be most probably the latter part of April, as regards location it has not yet been decided but will either be Coventry or Cheltenham. There will be a full range of 'F' cars and LC as well as most likely 'F' sport vehicles. One of the reasons for the uncertainties of the date is that they are trying to secure anniversary models of Gsf and Rcf which would be great. Now one major plus for us is that Tim Huxley the Dealer Principal at Lexus Cheltenham has secured the attendance of one of the LFA's , now they are usually in attendance at events as a static display but he will have the keys so at the very least we can all drool and dribble at THAT noise. Just as soon as I get more detailed information for date and location I will post it up. Big Rat
    15 points
  24. Always enjoy little journeys out with my F buddies. Yesterday we did something different - a night blat. @Mark G came up with the idea of driving from the South West, through London and on to the East coast to watch the sun come up. So, yesterday evening, we met at Membury services (on the M4) and together with @emjay82 drove through the night. Here are some pics from our little adventure! Mark & Mark - a great night / day. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
    15 points
  25. Following previous discussions about Lexus Relax and Extended Warranty I have started this new thread with my current experience with the Extended Warranty. My current Extended Warranty on my Lexus IS 300h is due to expire early November. After the announcement of Relax (and the removal of the Extended Warranty from the Lexus website) I had spoken to Jemca (who I use for all my Lexus requirements) a few months ago and they had confirmed that an Extended Warranty will still exist for cars that fall outside Relax. My car is a 2014 registration IS 300h that has now done just under 108,000 miles and so this week I called Jemca to discuss an Extended Warranty. Here is what is on offer comparing the T&Cs of a new 10 Year Plus Extended Warranty with the old Extended Warranty I currently have in place: The new warranty is called Lexus 10 Year Plus Extended Warranty It is for approved Lexus vehicles up to 15 years old, subject to 150,000 mileage limit - the old Extended Warranty was for approved Lexus vehicles up to 10 years old and 140,000 miles, so the new extended warranty covers vehicles for longer in this respect It is only available for vehicles that are between 10 and 15 years old and/or 100,000 and 150,000 miles – Relax extended warranty automatically applies to all cars under 10 years old and less than 100,000 miles The 2-4-1 offer is not available on the new 10 Year Plus Extended Warranty – only one year at a time - the cost for my IS 300h is £474 for one year (the old one was £795 for two years), it can be paid either up front or in 10 interest free monthly instalments The car must still be serviced to schedule by a franchised Lexus dealer (as per the old extended warranty) It still includes the Lexus Roadside Assistance same as the old one did (note that Relax extended warranty does not include Lexus Roadside Assistance) The company that provides the 10 Year Plus Extended Warranty and ultimately pays all valid claims made under it is Toyota (GB) PLC (Lexus Division), and the administrator of the warranty is TWG Services Limited – this is all the same as the old one It doesn’t include the MoT testing fee (though I understand some of the old extended warranty didn’t either, although mine did include two MoT test fees) In Excluded Parts for the new 10 Year Plus Extended Warranty it specifically lists “Multi media components or in car entertainment systems, including but not limited to satellite navigation, CD/DVD systems, audio visual equipment and Bluetooth connectivity. Components will be covered under the Warranty if the failure results in the non-operation of an essential vehicle system, eg, air conditioning controls, heated screen operation and the parking assistance system.” - this is an additional exclusion in the 10 Year Plus Extended Warranty and as per previous forum discussion it mirrors the exclusion in the Relax extended warranty - I wonder whether it may be due to owners trying to do map updates themselves (that are the “dealer only” updates according to Lexus) or other modifications and bricking the system? – otherwise seems a strange exclusion and has been specifically added for both Relax and this new Extended Warranty Comparing the T&Cs of the old Extended Warranty and the new 10 Year Plus Extended Warranty clause by clause, then other than a few minor changes in wording (usually to clarify things) this is everything I could deduce. On that basis I have gone ahead and taken out the 10 Year Plus Extended Warranty on my IS 300h for the coming year. Although slightly more expensive that the old extended warranty I still think it’s value for money considering the age/mileage of my car and the fact it includes the Lexus Roadside Assistance which would be £125 if purchased separately (and my wife’s car also benefits from the free partner included with this). I have made successful claims on the Extended Warranty previously and so know that Lexus parts / labour can be expensive. I hope this helps others in similar position to myself - first point of contact to discuss further is probably your local franchised dealer. As always, I appreciate whether or not to take an Extended Warranty is a choice based on personal circumstances – it suits me but YMMV.
    14 points
  26. Well i've had the car nearly a month now and the radiator has been niggling away at me after seeing a few posts on this forum, i ordered the parts mid last month and they all showed up yesterday. Apparently there's been a spike in people ordering them! It's a relatively easy job, just a methodical approach and time is needed, of course tools etc too. A friend has a ramp in his garage which made getting under the car very easy, only needed to get the transmission cooler hoses and bottom rad hose off though, easily done on axle stands. IMG_20200904_170221 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr There was no need to take the wheels off but mine were on the wrong sides so swapped them over whilst in the air! Was interested to see they are labelled up which corner they should be on! IMG_20200904_170640 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr Old one out: IMG_20200904_175420 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr IMG_20200904_175351 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr Waterpump is all good! Replaced in the past under warranty: IMG_20200904_175703 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr Funnily enough we noticed i was missing a few trim clips as we took apart what we needed to, turned out i had 7 of them sat in the airbox pre filter! I can only assume they've been there since the pump was done some 45k ago! Fans swapped over onto the new rad, we had to drill and tap out the rivnuts on this where the transmission cooler lines attach, now attached with stainless m6 bolts which you can just make out in the third picture. IMG_20200904_181746 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr IMG_20200904_181756 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr IMG_20200904_184703 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr Going back together, you get a new expansion tank with the radiator and i fitted a new air filter and gave the throttle body a wipe whilst we were in there: IMG_20200904_192856 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr All done, in a much better state than last time it left Lexus, now with properly secured trim pieces and a surplus of trim clips! : IMG_20200904_194417 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr Radiator was £268 from memory and coolant maybe another £30ish (6L needed), i bought 1L of atf fluid too, only used 50ml or so into the cooler before refitting to make up the small amount that dripped out. Lexus Parts Direct have been great for parts. All in for £310ish and a few hours, happy with that!
    14 points
  27. What an unhelpful and inappropriate comment. The guy is asking a perfectly reasonable question of members on two specific models, whatever smaller car he may have driven in the past but quite possibly not for a long time. How is this 'pompous' ?
    14 points
  28. I admit that I haven't had her long, but here are my initial thoughts and musings: Getting into the ES doesn't feel like getting into a fighter jet or racing car like getting into the IS did. The driving position does not feel so "snug". More of an observation than any criticism. Betsy's extra size has not caused any problems yet. Please God don't let me have tempted fate there. There seems to be less things to adjust on the ES. I haven't found a speed warning setting yet, and as there is nothing I can see about one in the manual, I'm guessing there isn't one. There are no "service checks", i.e. no details of the air filter, oil needing a change etc. which were on the 2IS and 3IS. The sliding seat and steering wheel is a nice touch. I've just discovered that the wheel can either tilt, or telescope or both, and that the extent of the seat slide can be adjusted. Just the thing for the gentleman with a fuller figure. I've found it best to put seat belt on first to get closer to the start button. Heated steering wheel? Nice. She is so quiet! She is so smooth! She is so comfortable! I discovered today that in the vehicle settings, Sport was set as the suspension setting. I must take Betsy out again soon to see whether putting her into Normal makes it even more wafty and comfortable. There is no lag when accelerating, she just goes. At roundabouts in the IS, I would often put it into S to make sure power arrived when asked. The indicator stalks are not as solid as on the IS. I love having confirmation of Betsy being locked when her ears, sorry mirrors, fold in. It may be me, but I've found that the Nav screen takes priority. Perhaps more playing around and reading the manual is required. My wife tells me that the navigation screen will take priority, and as she knows everything, that's probably the case. I liked the light on the IS wiper stalk to show that the auto wipers were engaged. FWD Vs RWD? I have not noticed any difference at all yet, and to be honest I'm not what you'd call an enthusiastic driver anymore so it's probably not going to be an issue. People like it. I stopped to let a mother and her young son cross the road and he gave me a thumbs up. A future owner perhaps? Everyone comments upon the colour. Economy looks good at the moment - roundabout an indicated 45mpg with lots of (totally unnecessary) short journeys. I'd get about 40mpg in the IS for similar conditions. The boot is vast. When I discovered that my bass cabinet did not fit in the IS, I had to buy another one (well, didn't have to, but it was a good excuse). The old one would easily have gone into the ES. Android Auto is awesome. It's just a shame that it's not wireless but those very expensive adapters will come down in price soon I'm sure. The Rain free side windows really work! The phone holder is great, I love having a Qi pad and lots of deep cubby holes Tyre pressure display is nice but would like it in psi Betsy feels like my beloved IS250 I prefer the button to unlock filler flap. With the IS, it was too easy to get out at the filling station, lock the car, then have to unlock it again to open the filler flap. Cruise control controls on wheel took some getting used to after having the stalk behind the steering wheel for so many years. OBD port is easier to find Heating controls - having a dial is much easier than the slider on the IS. I'm not sure that the road speed limit recognition is as good on ES as on the IS The auto main beam system in the IS seemed better than on the ES. I'm not sure if I have it on - there's a light on the stalk, so I'm guessing that I have. I have only seen it from inside Betsy, but I do like the way the lights swoop up when they come on. Much like my IS250's did (the 3IS lights just come on?) It is a very, very relaxing drive. Even though she's an F Sport, the seats are much more comfortable than my IS F Sport and I don't creak or ache at the end of a journey. I'm sure that more surprises and observations will crop up in the coming weeks and months so I'll post any updates as and when.
    14 points
  29. This wasn’t supposed to happen. My NX is three and a half years old. I’m really happy with it, and it’s only done 24k miles. However, the value of my car as a trade in currently was too high to ignore. In the time I’ve owned the car - from new - it has lost only £8k in depreciation. That’s simply amazing, and I couldn't ignore the opportunity it presented. Lexus tried to convince me to pre-order a new NX. That was when the value of my current car as a part-exchange became obvious. However, I stood firm - no need to change, I’ll keep what I have. But then… …I asked about an RX. I’m the first to admit that previously I’ve found the RX too big. I used to live in (very) rural Wiltshire, and to access my village meant miles of very narrow single track lanes. In August I relocated to West Berkshire. Not such an issue here. I’ve also previously noted that, with my disability, the RX wasn’t as good as the NX in terms of the relationship between steering wheel, seat and pedals. However, Lexus loaned me an RX for a week to test it out. I discovered that with plenty of adjustment, I could make it work. With the discount on the RX on offer (very, VERY, large), and the thousands of pounds of equity in my current NX, the opportunity to get a new RX for not very much was staring me in the face. Today I placed the order. In early December I’ll become the first owner of an RX Premium with Tech, Safety and Protection packs. That means it’s almost fully loaded including heads up display, panoramic roof, electric tailgate etc. The quality, the silence and the comfort won me over. I certainly don’t need the space, but then again you only live once. Colour will be Sonic White, with black leather interior. I’ve had the combination before on Hondas and I love it. I’d have preferred the tan or beige leather interior, but that was only available on exterior colours I didn’t want and I didn’t want to wait until April/May for a factory order. I’ve loved my time with the NX. It’s a fabulous car. However, a week with the RX - and crucially at the incredible price available - convinced me to make the change. I’ll be moving forums, but I won’t be going far. My third Lexus. I’m clearly hooked!
    14 points
  30. Well, it appears that there has been quite a lot of anger and tension on the forum lately ☹️ Perhaps I shouldn't bother adding anything, but I feel that perhaps I should also share my views, even though they aren't specifically related a single topic. First, let me say, despite what it might appear like on this forum, that I like Linas and am glad he is on here. I know this might surprise some of you, but I do think this forum is better off for him being on here. My belief is that if everyone had the same opinions and views on everything then this place would be quite boring and a lot less active. Like with any discussion media, if enough people get together, there will be differing views and perhaps some 'conflict'. The recent 'SVU' thread has highlighted this perfectly and I am guilty of doing what I am suggesting, but the difference is that I never harboured any ill will on anyone and hopefully came across as not being annoyed because I truly wasn't during the thread. Now, the reason I don't have any issues with Linas (and others on here) is because I accept them for who they are and understand that they aren't going to change what they are like just because I want them to. In other words, there is no point continuing to argue a point once it has become obvious that an agreement isn't going to be reached. It is also worth remembering that it takes two sides to have an argument and it is rare that the blame can be placed completely on one side. One thing I can say is that I rarely see Linas be deliberately rude or calling others names, even after a prolonged debate, which can't be said for some other members. Ultimately, what I am trying to get at is that if someone has a differing (negative) opinion on a subject, regardless of whether they are being bias or not, then they can claim such in any open discussion forums just as much as those that have positive comments. Just because the post isn't positive - even thought it is always nice when it is - doesn't make it automatically wrong. As an example from the most recent thread that kicked off, do I think the IS300h is a 'quick' car? No. Do I want more performance out of my cars for whatever reason? Yes, hence me owning a GS450h as opposed to a GS300h. These are simple statements that I could have made, but sometimes I can't be bothered to have to defend a statement that might cause some issues. So, should certain topics appear, I would definitely expect Linas to express his opinions again (at least he is consistent 🙂) and would just read the posts and move on to the next one. Constantly going around in circles serves no purpose, so why even try? Anyway, it is my hope that this forum returns to its friendly, accepting ways soon (It has certainly been tense here lately) even if that means certain members making use of the 'ignore' function. Thanks for reading 🙂
    14 points
  31. Well... I have had my MRI scan. Feeling very spaced out still from the meds ( 4mg Lorezapam ). ( Having to correct almost every word I type.) Yes, it was better than I thought, but that was no doubt due to... Really good support from here and practical advice. Thank you so much. Doing physical exercise in the morning. Taking sedation ,took away the anxious feeling. Left me very wobbly afterwards, Music to (attempt) to listen to. An eye mask - a must; eyes closed. Excellent and caring staff all the way. Going in feet first. Listening to all the odd MRI sounds and 'engaging' with them. Having a chaperone - my wife. Having a panic button - not used. Took 45 minutes to scan. And yes, told noththing about results as yet...
    14 points
  32. ... I did say I'd put up some photos of our new beastie so here she is:
    14 points
  33. Rather than keep updating my New Members thread I figured a build thread would be a more appropriate place to keep track of my changes. Especially as Robb/Mod's went to the trouble of opening up this new section for us. January 24th'17 - GS 450H purchased This is my first Lexus, my first hybrid and it's such a joy to drive with plenty of power and it's very slick CVT gearbox. For a big car it goes/stops and handles surprisingly well. The rear boot space was the only concern but with just me and mrsF it's worked out just fine and 6 months down the line we've made a couple of trips over to Belgium without any issues. So lets have a brief recap of the initial 6 months of ownership. The car came with a spare key but it wasn't working, thankfully a new CR 1632 brought it back to life #phew January 31st - Lexus Full+100 service @Lincoln, including a Hybrid health check - was successful and warrantied for another 12 months The Lexus health check listed these items... both front tyre valves leaking - the OSF definitely is, around the base of the TPMS sensor. I can't see any leaks on the NSF rear brake pipe corroded - all I can see is a small rub on each side, looks like the inner arch has rubbed the pipes slightly front shocks leaking from body - all four dampers are bone dry tho! - I look forward to hearing what Lexus have to say about this exhaust blowing at 'Y' section - agreed, discussing this with the dealer that sold the vehicle exhaust also has a slight leak from the mid section - I couldn't get underneath sufficiently today to check this Not the best of starts but I was prepared for some work to get an older car 'straight'. February 7th new wiper blades Feb 11th, lowered bonnet bump stops that were preventing the bonnet from closing without a really good slam. Updated the OEM satnag, using http://www.latestsatnav.co.uk/ - now the local roads appear. This supplier has the UK/Belgium/etc countries all on a single disk unlike other providers or OEM (over several disks) I needed to disconnect the 12v battery to get the replacement DVD to load. Feb 14th, Dashcam fitted, a Thinkware F770 dual channel that I'd been using in my previous steed. Hardwired into the AUX circuit via a piggy back fuse on the drivers fuse board. Earthed to the forward fuse board bolt. As the fuse board is well recessed, I've left the cover off for the moment but I may cut a slot in later and then refit the cover. Routing the cable was quite easy and only needed the drivers side end of the dash un-clipping. The cable was then tucked in the drivers A pillar and roof lining, up and over to the camera. Excess cable was looped up, cabled tied and tucked under the carpet well out of the way. As the rear sun shade doesn't run parallel to the rear screen (it starts further forward in front of the 3rd brake light) I managed to fit the camera just above the 3rd brake light, higher would have given a better image but that would have interfered with the sun shade. The rear camera cable was run around the parcel shelf, up and over the rear door but I couldn't get a neat run around the top of the b-pillar. So I dipped the cable halfway down the passenger b-pillar, popped off the lower section to loop up the excess cable (out of the way of the seat belt). The cable then went up and over the passenger door and around the top of the screen to the camera. All neat and tidy (ignore the mirror that was just pushed out of the way to show the camera install). Test views, front rear Feb 15th, gave the headlights a quick polish to see how they'd come up. Quite pleased how they came our after just a few mins work. Cargo net fitted, under the parcel shelf so I still have easy access to the boot (like this sample pic) Feb 17th, the car has been up on the ramps today with my trusted local mechanic who gave it the once over with me. All of the shocks are bone dry with no signs of any leaks or misting ANYWHERE. So for now I'm going to ignore the Lexus recommendation LOL The exhaust is definitely blowing at the rear Y (see earlier pic). We also saw that the OSR box has a few issues... Pretty obvious huh. Neither Lexus nor the last MOT flagged it. It can't just have appeared in the last 3 weeks since I've owned it. I despair. The rear section is beyond repair so I bunged my indi some beer money for using him ramps. Looks like I'll be getting a new rear section made up in the not to distant future Feb 19th, new mats fitted, this Luxury version fits a treat http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252033676404 Gave her a good scrub Including the engine bay, no treatment applied yet Turns out the passenger footwell has only been blowing cold, giving mrsF cold feet and making her unhappy. Before you ask...yes, we tried all options of Dual/modes/temps/etc. So after surfing for solutions I dived in to check the servos; Drastic eh. I eventually tracked down the passenger temp control (passenger side) but with the fixing screws out, I couldn't get the servo out :( With fading light I decided to button it all back up and went for a quick test drive. What'd'ya know, the passenger footwell is now working! The only difference is that I taped up the ducting, both sides, to get a good seal from the heater core. Result. The sceptic in me reckons it can't be that easy and that I'll be back under the dash before too long. Which is just as well as I have a few screws left over Never finish up a job in the dark! I didn't get anywhere with the heater on Saturday afternoon, so buttoned it all back up and thought the mode control was roughly working. Nah, on a 5am commute the other morning clear screen setting kicked in (I didn't test that earlier) and the heater did zip all except vent to the rear seats! For the entire 4hr round trip At lunchtime I went back to basics and figured out what lever on the heater does what. I also removed the 2 servo's/mounting plate and let them do their thing. Once I had a grasp of ALL the settings (temp, modes) I set all levers in roughly the right setting, lined the mounting plate to the heater arms (no easy feat), restarted the vehicle and the first test failed I have noticed that when you turn off the ignition, the servo's sit for a while and then revert to some standby setting. I think this has been throwing me off so I removed the servo plate, set all levers in roughly the right setting again, fired up the ignition and let the servo plate settle. With the ignition still ON, I aligned the mounting plate to the arms for the umpteenth time and gingerly pressed a different mode button... The first test worked and the servo's didn't bind. So I tried another mode setting and that worked. Trying not to freak out, I carefully went through all the possible combinations and to my delight they all work The passenger side footwell output is still hopeless tho I think I may know which control needs a slight tweak but then it may just be the way the airflows. So rather than dismantle it all again I reckon I'll buy the mrs a heated blanket/mat or fan to keep her feet warm. To help align the 7? heater control arms to the servo plate I found one of these cheap endoscope camera's quite helpful to help see around corners http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/122076843254 Oh and this time there are NO spare fixings left over March 9th Yesterday I had the...pleasure? of exploring Leeds city center whilst my car was left at Tony Banks for a new exhaust. To recap the rear section had the usual split and a gaping hole in the OS muffler, so we definitely needed a new rear section. I knew the middle section had a slight blow and when Tony removed the rear...the middle section decided to snap in two! He spent around 6 hours (elapsed) crafting both sections from stainless. The cost of a new center section (with cats) was so tempting that I was already half tempted to get the whole lot done and then I'd never need consider the exhaust again. I didn't want any fancy or annoying noise so chose a standard set-up and driving around town you'd struggle to tell this system from OEM. Under hard acceleration or at dual carriageway/motorway speeds there is a slight increase in noise, which is no bad thing at OEM is really quiet. The system should quieten down a notch once it's coked up a bit. I didn't get back to the work shop before the car came off the ramps so I haven't had a close look at the system but from what I can see it looks dandy. The chaps were helpful and have plenty of varied work coming through the workshop, including a steady number of Lexus. Overall I'm impressed and wouldn't hesitate to recommend http://www.tonybanks.co.uk March 17th OSR tyre flat - punctured, replaced with an Avon ZZ5, managed saved the TPMS and fitted a new valve. OSF leaking needed which on investigation then a new TPMS sensor. April 2nd, cleaned/lubed rear calipers. OSR stone guard is badly corroded April 21st, paint correction/protection; July 6th, fitted 3M tape and a roof rack before the heavens opened. It'll allow me to get back on the bike and hit some nice trails, once I source a carrier. Found a great heavy duty bag to store the rack, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/263068408736 If you want any more details about anything above, then check out my opening thread;
    14 points
  34. It’s a long time coming, but I promised a number of members that I would summarise life after Lexus. I don’t pretend to be a capable driver, a track god or even someone of any real automotive knowledge. There are plenty on here that put me to shame! I have however owned an IS-F, RC-F and now a C63. I’ve spent a fair amount of time in GS-Fs. I’ve also had time in both versions of the LC-500. Mercedes wise, I’ve driven a fair few miles in a C63s, an AMG GT and a current E63s. So, I think I’m in a good place to render an honest comparison between Lexus and Mercedes. What follows is my experience as a Lexus / AMG owner. Just one person’s view - just my view. IS-F – wonderfully stealthy I loved my IS-F. My heart still skips a beat whenever I see one on the road. Maybe this happens because they are so rare or just because I will always feel an attachment to the Lexus brand. The engineering, the build quality and the customer service are all qualities that impress and leave a lasting mark. Of course, you know there’s a BUT coming. The BUT came in the form of the anonymity of the IS-F. The very thing that appeals to so many – the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Call me vain, call me a show off, but I started to get a little annoyed at the lack of recognition the IS-F got in the real world. Only dedicated petrol heads knew what it was, and I got a little tired of having conversations such as “Yes, I have a Lexus IS-F. It’s the equivalent to a BMW M3, Mercedes C63.”. I wanted the car to be recognised for just how good it was. An even bigger problem was the temptation to show M3 and C63 drivers just how good my IS-F was. Obviously I resisted…. The seed was sewn, and my head was turned by an RC-F. IS-F to RC-F I found my RC-F on Autotrader. A 15 plate Carbon edition in white. The day of trade in, the IS-F performed beautifully – flawlessly, and it really was hard handing over the keys. I felt like I was betraying a friend, but it had to be done. I always find the process of purchasing a new car stressful - the paperwork, the money exchange and that nagging thought in the back of the head “Have I done the right thing?”. One the part-x was done, I headed South from Stoke, down the busy M6. I had a headache, the sun was very bright and I had no sunglasses. Not a great start. That nagging thought in the back of my head was really evident. My first couple of hours in the RC-F weren’t great. I started thinking that I’d spent £40k on a car that was arguably no better than the IS-F. More striking, definitely, but still arguably no better. I’d stopped at the services (somewhere on the M6) in the hope I could buy some sunglasses. On my return to the car park, a guy (who turned out to be a Boxster owner) was walking around the RC-F. He was very complimentary about the car. This attention was to be repeated over and over in the 10,000 miles of RC-F ownership. People stop, stare, photograph, video and adore the look of the car. By the time I got off the motorway and on to some fast A and B roads, I started to bond with the RC-F. Over the next year, my RC-F proved to be utterly reliable and adequately fast! Goodbye to the Lexus F fold Two things annoyed me about the RC-F (and IS-F) 1. The RC-F’s sheer confidence. I found that to get enjoyment out of the car, I had to wring its neck. If you’ve driven the Mountain Road on the IOM, you’ll know it’s derestricted. To enjoy it and any other road in the RC-F, I found I really had to obtain speeds that were way too high. 2. Noise. The intake noise inside the cabin sounded amazing. Outside it sounded pretty good on the boil. However, when pottering around, things were a little sterile. The exhaust note was disappointing. A QS exhaust helped, but that came with downsides. So, those were my two reasons for leaving the F fold. Where next? The next car would have to entertain at lower speeds and make a great noise. The options – the M3, but they sound ******* (and fake). Alfa thing – reliability. F-Type – I’m too tall. LC-500, has all the issues that the RC-F does. That left me with the C63, and I ended up buying a C63 Coupe. Day one with the C63 Don’t listen to what people tell you about Mercedes reliability and build quality. Do what I did – just go buy one and experience it in the flesh. Mine got me home from the dealer only to be recovered straight back there. What a nightmare – but I did get several weeks in an E63s loaner. A quick note to all F drivers – no matter what car you have, don’t battle it out with an E63s – they are in a different league – biblical performance! My C63 got returned to me after a couple of weeks but immediately some trim fell off it. This time I got a £125,000 AMG GT loaner. Another rapid car – not as fast as the E63s, but still in a different league to F cars. C63 v RC-F There’s no winner. It’s a personal preference, but I’ll list the pros – cons Lexus wins on 1. Build quality – HANDS down – different league 2. Reliability….. .most of the time. My IS-F did need a new steering rack - £5k) 3. Warranty – cheap and usually comprehensive 4. Induction noise. Epic. The C63 engine itself (minus exhaust) is quite boring. 5. Rareness 6. Handling – always predictable. I’d still be more confident in an RC-F (especially in the wet). Haven driven TVD and Flintstone LSD versions, I wouldn’t bother with the TVD (contrary to many previous debates). Personally, I found the TVD a little counter intuitive at the limit. 7. Standard kit (at least in Carbon edition). Things like radar cruise as standard 8. Nobody will nick a Lexus C63 wins on 1. Overall looks. Yes, the RC-F is eye catching and from the rear 3/4 a real stunner. But I just find the nose on the RC-F (and IS-F) awkward in profile. The C63 has less awkward angles. Incidentally the GS-F has the best F nose. 2. Noise. AMG have performed miracles with the exhaust system. It’s an epic, guttural noise. The popping and banging is also awesome. What’s more – if you don’t like it, turn it off. I've yet to encounter the perfect aftermarket F exhaust. 3. Fun at low speed. You don’t have to go fast to have fun. This is partly down to the epic sound track and……. 4. Torque. With 8 gears, the F cars can often leave you in no man’s land. In the AMG you have this stuff called torque – low down the rev range. 5. Recognition. People know what AMGs are and even if they don’t they appreciate the noise 6. Road placement. The 63 'feels' more compact than the RC-F. The RC-F has that big swooping bonnet. On the road, the RC-F actually feels bigger than its sister the GS-F! Do I miss the RC-F No. Will I ever own a Lexus again….. I hope so. The AMG’s current garage buddy is a Lexus GS-F. I walk past it every day. I still admire everything about it. Lexus F cars – I’ll always have a soft spot for them. Thanks for reading.
    14 points
  35. I think, the one and only LS460 in flame-blue or ultrasonic-blue 2.0 (8X1):
    14 points
  36. Morning Chaps, Just thought I’d share a few photos of my new steering wheel, centre console, and inner door handles. The carbon paddles and steering wheel controls also work I think with making the overall result rather special. Will probably be sending the old wheel State side as buyers are few and far between over here sadly. Anyway, hope you like them. Cheers, Pete
    14 points
  37. So like a few of you my RCF is my daily car, but I really don't do many miles in a year nowadays <4k. My pride & joy is my UK Spec MKIV Supra. And for track duty I have an old MR2, which is quite rough around the edges, but means I don't care if i run out of talent on an airfield or track somewhere
    14 points
  38. Well I'm sorry to say, and I am because I have loved every minute of ownership of my isF but she's gone a year or so earlier than I planned but with big 60 on Monday Mrs Rat said "Go for it treat yourself " bless her. So left early this morning with a list of 3 RcF's to view Hatfield- Swindon - and Cheltenham, leaving Cheltenham to last as it's nearer home and that's where I bought a great deal IMO and a fantastic car pictures below not good it was getting dark by then. Thanks for all the help at Lexus Cheltenham Alex Ben Karl and Tim. I want to say that the journey from Isf on this forum to the RcF isn't only about the cars for me it's about the people on here a considerable number I'm pleased to call friends and I have had some great support and advice about an assortment of matters from you I'm naming no one there are to many, I don't care if this sounds a tad odd to some who may read this but I like being on here and the banter and personalities make this place the cars are a secondary issue whatever model age colour and so on you drive cheers guys 👍 Some will be horrified I bought something that isn't SILVER 😳 Big Rat
    14 points
  39. I don't know why you are complaining! This is actually the latest in Lexus security features. Even if you defeat the CANbus you still can't get in the vehicle!!! Genius indeed. 🙂 Paul
    13 points
  40. Hello All, I am writing this thread to help fellow future Lexus owners. There is an IS250 new buyers thread, but can't see one for IS220D. I have had the joys(not) of owning a 220D. I thought of writing this thread for new potential buyers of this car. If there was a thread for IS220D before going to test drive my old IS220D, I wouldn't have never got it, and would have just went for IS250 instead LOL! 🙂 PROS : * Very good spec for the year of the car - I have had the Sport model, which came with auto lights + wipers, memory seats, fully electric seats with lumbar support also. It also had a 9 mode sunroof, but I believe that was an added extra option. Very good sound quality (I believe it's the Mark Levinson head unit). Auto dimming rear view mirror + auto dimming side view mirrors which tilt down when reversing. Keyless entry and start + front and rear parking sensors. * Much better drive comfort than it's competitors - Especially for longer journeys, drive is very comfy and the car is very practical. CONS: * High Tax Costs - The tax band for this car is quite high, as it comes around £330 a year. * High Fuel Costs - The reported figures are 35mpg/City and 52mpg/Motorway for the non sport models and 29mpg/City 45mpg/Motorway. However, from my experience and Fuelly average checks, it will be hard to get above 35/mpg on a motorway run, and more than 25mpg in city. If you give the car a good run, you will be seeing around 20mpg in city, and 27mpg on motorways. * Gearbox Is Awful - On the Non Sport models, you will find yourself not being able to shift into 6th gear on motorways, as the RPM's are too low driving at 70-75mpg. On the Sport model, the gears are too short, and the 1st and 6th gears are useless. The gearbox stick is heavy and chunky, and quite uncomfortable to shift gears. There is a quite loud crunch when changing into 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears. * The Engine Generally Feels Underpowered - This is obviously a large car, and made for comfort, not speed. However the engine feels underpowered, when taking off as the turbo starts to kick in at 2k RPM's. In first gear, the acceleration is slow and sluggish. * The Engine Has Lots Of Common Faults - It has the Toyota D4D engine, that is being used in Toyota Avensis. The injectors do go bad quite often, and head gaskets go bad on them very often as well. The EGR valves are also known to get very clogged easily, and need regular cleaning (Easy job, if you don't mind getting your hands dirty). WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR ON THE TEST DRIVE BEFORE TEST DRIVE * Head Gasket Leak - When engine is cold , pop the bonnet and unscrew the oil cap. The oil cap should be nice and clean, with no frothy contents on it and milky like residue. Also, check the coolant level and colour of it, it should be topped to max and it should be nice pink colour. * Fuel Injectors Condition - Take the engine cover off, and start the engine. Inspect the engine near injectors and look out for any leaks. Put your ear close to each injector and listen out for any rattling or knocking sounds. If it has any fuel leaks, or knocking sounds, steer away! It will be very pricey! *Auto Lights/Wipers - Turn the wipers and lights stalk to 'Auto' setting. There is a sensor on the windscreen, in the same position where the rear view mirror sits. Cover it with your hands, and have someone else inspect the lights - they should turn on. Take a bottle of water with you, and throw the water on the windscreen, it should wipe it off. *Seats/Radio/Air Con/Sun Roof - Check that the seat can be moved front/back, back of seat can be moved fron/back, seat height can be adjusted. If the car has memory function, put the car in neutral, start the car, put the hand brake on and hold the 'Set' button and press 1,2 and 3. There should be a beep indicating the position was set. Check that the radio works. Also check that the aircon blows hot/cold air and that the sun roof opens if there is one fitted in the car. *Check MPG - Check the AVG MPG and Tank MPG indicated on the computer. Reset it, by holding the 'Disp' button on the AVG MPG button. Go for an extended test drive, and check the MPG displayed. It usually overstates about 1/2 mpg depending on tyres etc, so bare that in mind. DURING TEST DRIVE/AFTER TEST DRIVE * Brake Callipers - Walk around each side of the car and check for heat coming from brakes. Each pair of wheels should be the same heat, if one is hotter than other, callipers are seized and will require rebuilding/replacing which is quite expensive. Another obvious tell tale sign is the car pulling to a side. * Brakes - Check that the brakes are not spongy, and brake hard enough. * Oil filter cap seized - The cap, where the oil filter screws into may be overtightened and impossible to get out. Make sure to ask, if it has been changed and if you are buying from dealer, ask them to check it before sale. Mine was screwed on solid, and had to get a new oil filter housing, which took a very long time to find second hand, as breakers don't sell them separate, they sell them whole on the engine block. I have scrapped the car before fitting it on, so still got mine if anyone is after one! * Leaking shocks - Check if you can see any leakage coming from shock absorbers, expensive replacements but not a real issue - some owners have reported replacing them and hard to find. * Exhaust Smoke - As any diesel, do a hard acceleration while checking your rear view mirror - there should be no clouds of smoke left behind. If you can, have someone watch you while accelerating past them for any smoke - lots of smoke could mean lots of expensive fixes. * Clutch - Make sure that the clutch is not rattling or vibrating, when depressed. The biting point shouldn't be too low or too high, and there shouldn't be any fishy smells in the cabin. * Exhaust - Check that after test drive, there is no exhaust smell in the cabin or outside the car. This could indicate bad cat, and exhaust replacement is quite expensive for this and the IS250 model. * Rust - Check for general health on wheel arches and underneath the car. It shouldn't be excessively rusty. Hope this helps prospective buyers! My opinion is, that there is a reason on why these are cheaper than the IS250. I have had mine for a while, and there was nothing but issues. Bad MPG, high road tax, rear callipers were seized, front calliper was seized, there was an exhaust issue and more. I have ended up trading mine in for IS250, and the V6 petrol version is better on MPG, than the IS220D sport model :O. No DPF, no EGR systems to be blocked. If you want the Lexus, just go for an IS250, as it is much more better running costs wise to IS220D, and much more reliable. If you really, really want a diesel, switch to an Audi A5, BMW 520D or Mercedes E Class, do not go for IS220D, unless it has had new injectors, head gasket replaced, and DPF is clean. But let's be honest, if someone invested that much money in it, they will not be selling it LOL! 😄 HOPE THIS HELPS SOMEONE LOOKING TO BUY AN IS220D.
    13 points
  41. Like many, I am very sad, to hear of John’s death, I feel a great loss and a sense of shock. My heartfelt condolences to all John’s family. I am sure that here, John will be remembered ( and indeed WILL always be remembered ) for his advice, guidance, interest, kindness and way with words. There is a certainty, than when I’m faced with a car related question, John’s ‘voice’ will pop into my head, “Read the Owner Manual”. And he’ll be right! John, I salute you. Thank you for your help and support, by forum and personal message. Rest in Peace, my friend.
    13 points
  42. Hi all, Apologies for the lack of Lexus content, but some time ago now I agreed to update you on the progress of my new car. As some of you know, I sold my GS450h in Sept last year in anticipation of its arrival. Somewhat delayed longer than I hoped, I finally picked it up yesterday. So, here it is, my new Kia Stinger: Only driven about 200 miles, and since it is still breaking in the engine I haven't had a chance to go above 3000rpm so far, but it is certainly different to my GS! 🙂 Whether it is 'better' is yet to be seen..
    13 points
  43. Not the best of photos just quick snaps will post better ones later
    13 points
  44. I’ve now competed 250 miles in my new RX 450h Premium with Tech, Safety and Protection packs. Those miles have been across A-Roads, B-Roads and mostly motorway on the M4. Previously I’ve owned two NX 300h, the first a Sport from 2017 and the second a Luxury from 2018, competing 30k miles across the two. My initial comparisons are: Comfort - a score draw. Both have exceptionally comfortable seats that suit me very well. The driving environment in the NX felt more compact, with some functions easier to get to - the heated seats and climate controls the most obvious. However, the RX counters with the automatic heating/ventilation for the seats which have meant I’ve simply left it all on ‘auto’ and let it do its thing. All very good. Ride quality - a narrow win for the RX. I always found the NX ride to be good, despite some of the media reviews. Yes, bigger potholes tended to make things a bit ‘crashy’ but generally it was a refined experience. However, the RX copes better and is much smoother over a wider variety of road surfaces. Bigger imperfections have a similar ‘crashy’ quality to the NX, albeit much less obvious. Refinement - a clear win for the RX. Don’t get me wrong, the NX is a very refined cruiser, but only when driven gently. That’s how I drive, but the difference in the RX is marked. At 70mph on the motorway, the RX is almost silent. At the end of a long day, facing a 70 mile drive in the dark and wet, I can’t think of a better car I’ve owned. There’s a sense of serenity that just made me very relaxed. I thought the NX was good - and it was - but the difference is much greater than I expected. Quality - score draw. As you’d expect with Lexus, both are exceptional. I can’t see any difference in material quality, or paint finish or anything really. Superb. Space - narrow win for the NX (but it’s relative!). Bear with me here. The RX is clearly larger, and has more space. However, given the size difference it doesn’t have as much space as you might think, especially in the boot with the seats up. The NX is actually a very practical car and is usefully smaller. Boot space seems to be about the same which has surprised me. I know the numbers say the RX has more capacity but my real world perception is that it isn’t noticeable. Economy - win for the NX. Accepting that my RX hasn’t loosened up yet, but economy - using the onboard computer - mirrors my experience when having RX loan cars. On the journeys I’ve completed in the RX so far, I’d have achieved 40mpg I’m the NX. In the RX I’m getting 32mpg with the same driving style. That’s fine for me, but worth noting. Equipment - not really able to compare, as the RX I have is a higher trim level and much more expensive. The NX had everything I thought I needed, but the RX takes things to a whole new level. The panoramic roof is lovely. The HUD and blind spot monitors are very useful. The heated steering wheel is real luxury! Is it all really necessary - obviously the answer is no. Do I like it? The answer is a definite yes! The only thing I’m unconvinced by is the steering assist, but I may get used to it over time. Overall I loved my time with the NX. It’s a great car. To be fair, every Lexus I’ve driven - IS, GS, UX, NX, and RC - has been fantastic. They all have a feeling of superb quality, and a sense of occasion that I haven’t experienced in any other brand. The RX continues the theme. It’s a lovely thing, and I realise I’m privileged to be able to own it. It takes the strengths of the NX and builds on them, but at a financial cost. If you have an RX and are considering downsizing I personally don’t think an NX would feel like you are dropping down too much. If you have an NX and are considering an RX the differences are enough to notice, but the question is whether the extra expense is worth it. I think it is - after all, if we all simply had what we ‘needed’ then I’d be driving a Fiesta!
    13 points
  45. Today, I had to take the current Mrs Mincey to the hospital at Stanmore for a checkup. I will freely admit that I was looking forward to it, because it would give the ideal opportunity to compare the trip in Betsy against the same trip in my IS300h. The trip to Stanmore was, incidentally, the furthest I'd driven in the IS300h during our short acquaintance. Anyway, I digress, which I'm sure you will all agree, is not unusual. It was an early start - the appointment was at 9am. This meant an alarm for 5.30, then departure at 7am sharp. I had primed Waze with the route, as I wanted to see how it worked with guidance via Android Auto. All was good. All suddenly stopped being good at around 6.32. Mrs Mincey was watching BBC Breakfast when the local travel reporter announced that the A1 was shut southbound. I checked Waze. Waze now told me that the trip would be 92 miles, not 65, and that it would take two and a half hours. This was not good news. Not at all, in any way, shape or form. We had to leave immediately. Shoes were hastily put on and and coats grabbed. Betsy was roused and we set off in a Northampton-ish direction to pick up the M1 as suggested by Waze. When we reached the junction of the Peterborough Parkway system with the A1, it was congested to say the least. Luckily we were going towards Oundle, so we could dodge the queue. This is where it started to go a bit wrong. I used to use this route to get to Redditch and Coventry in a previous life as it was the quickest way to get to the westbound A14. I recall it being a pain in the derriere on occasions, and boy, it was hard work today. Queues at the Oundle roundabout, queues all the way from the edge of Thrapston to the A14 junction. I was not a happy bunny at all. Mind you, Betsy was being very kind on the mpg front as most of the movement was being done electrically. Nice one my lovely. As we approached the A14 roundabout, I put a question to the current Mrs Mincey. I wanted her to confirm my suspicion that if we headed down the A14 towards the A1, we would miss the part which was closed and be able to continue on our merry way southbound. She concurred. After waiting for what seemed like months in the queue to reach the roundabout, I sped off on the first left into the bright sunsheeeeine (as Liam Gallagher would say) towards Huntingdon. At this point, Waze got the hump badly. It kept trying to route us back home. I was not impressed at all. In fact, it was only when were were 5 minutes away from Stanmore that it finally understood what we were doing and routed us in a sensible direction for the remainder of the journey. Once on the A1, we hit the usual holdups at the Black Cat Roundabout (although the Black Cat was sporting a poppy, which was a nice touch) then Sandy, Biggleswade and Stevenage. To be honest, Stevenage wasn't too bad, unlike the run up to the roundabout near Elstree. This part was made worse by having to endure the awful Zoe Ball talking pretty much non-stop to Sophie Ellis-Bextor about her 24 hour dance marathon thing for Children in Need. At this point, I should point out that I would normally be listening to Planet Rock, but the current Mrs Mincey has gone on record to say that only people who haven't grown up listen to that, hence having to suffer Radio 2. We arrived at 9.30 which given the circumstances wasn't too bad. Just about everyone else who was there was complaining about the traffic, so I didn't feel too bad. They always run late there anyway. The return journey went without any dramas. I followed a white LC500 for a bit around Welwyn - I shall grab some stills off the dashcam at some point and post them here in case it's anyone we know. Now the bit you've all been waiting for. How did the trip in Betsy compare to the trip in the IS300h? I cannot compare how tired I felt after each trip because after an early start preceded by a restless night, I'm knackered anyway. However, I have to say that Betsy is much more comfortable than the IS. Mrs Mincey said she found Betsy's seats didn't squeeze her ample bottom at all, unlike the seats in the IS. Betsy is so smooth and feels so planted on the road - no skittish behaviour or bouncing over bumps. She does have a slightly annoying reflection of the instrument binnacle on the windscreen in direct sun however. Other than that, tick VG all round. Crawling in traffic is much smoother than in the IS as there is no jerk when taking off, and she is very, very quiet at motorway speeds. MPG? This wasn't a true test because I'd done a couple of short trips after filling up, but I did get an indicated 47.4mpg and an Excel-derived 46.4 which isn't bad. I did get 51ish from the IS on the same trip, but I did drive like a girl on the way back. All in all, I'm very happy. I'm happy too because Mrs Mincey has been signed off and I won't have to make that journey anymore. Yay!
    13 points
  46. As per the title, I got my LC500 today. Here's a quick picture. All seems good so far. I need to set up all the gadgets next.
    13 points
  47. Just collected my new RC300h, now in Azure Blue, replacing my Sonic Red 2016 model. First impressions are, it's noticeably quieter. There is much less 'milk-float' whine on deceleration. The car will accelerate much longer on electric, the car switching to battery power more readily in general driving. The Mark Levinson sounds much fuller than the standard audio in the 2016 model, which wasn't poor in any respect. The Sat Nav has been improved no end, much easier to set routes etc.. Filled the tank with V-Power and looking forward to exploring the suspension and steering upgrades
    13 points
  48. Long post warning - but still featuring GSF content!! I’ve been a petrolhead for a long time - ever since my first Matchbox car I guess. Later, as a young teenager, my posters of semi-naked ladies were forced to share space with car pictures; I remember staring at both a lot. Another thing I remember, just next to my poster of Lindsey Dawn McKenzie (remember her??!) was an older picture of a Dodge Viper, a gen 1 car, in red - I’d had this poster since I was 8 years old. The Viper lacked some of the more refined design cues that Ferrari and Lamborghini boasted, but she seemed to have an evocative, outrageous and curvaceous style all of her own. There was nothing else quite like her - I was smitten! The car was nice too. (please excuse the grin... 😂) A couple of decades later, and after a track day driving one, I thought “why not?"; so here’s my new toy, a 3rd gen imported Viper that lived in Florida until very recently. The gen 3 is considerably more refined than the early cars and the original 8 litre V10 now displaces 8.3 litres, which is 14.6 pints. There ain’t no replacement for displacement so they say... Many people will remind you that it’s a truck engine, which is and isn’t technically correct. Originally, Dodge mooted using a big-block V8, but needed more power. The engine was duly handed to Lamborghini, who added two more cylinders and recast the block in aluminium, resulting in an engine both more powerful and lighter than the original V8. Its a relatively simple and old-school giant, 20v, pushrod and with no fancy turbos, cylinder deactivation - nothing. I’ve only done a few hundred miles in it so far, but here are my initial impressions; Firstly, just look at it - the Viper’s doing 150mph just standing still! The enormous bonnet, huge vents/slashes in the bodywork (all of which are functional, to expel heat - we’ll talk about this later) and massive fat tyres - 345/30R19s at the rear, 275/30R18s at the front all edge toward the superlative! The folding roof is manual, can be completed in about 10 seconds but unfortunately does involve opening and shutting the boot. Getting in, the driving position is a little unusual, aside from being a left-hooker, the pedals are offset slightly to the left. When cruising the below-waist configuration could best be described as ‘manspreading’. The driver is cocooned in a very comfortable seat between wide sills, which house the side exhausts, and the immense gearbox in the middle. The steering wheel isn't adjustable, but the pedals can be moved closer or further from the driver to fit. Visibility is a leap forward from the gen 1 cars (where, being 6’2” I couldn’t decide whether to look out of the extreme top of the windscreen or stretch and drive over the top of it!) The engine utterly dominates the car as you would expect. Physically, it’s massive, and from the moment the red start button is prodded, a huge bassy rumble of thunder splits the air, quickly settling into a surprisingly low 600rpm idle. The gearbox is probably the most truck-like of the drivetrain components - it’s heavy, a little vague and fairly slow, although it does deal with 505bhp but more specifically 525lbft (712Nm) of torque with ease. The gearbox almost isn’t required, however. Shifting into first and pulling away, I’d be surprised if you could ever stall it. Gentle driving activates the skip-shift mechanism, which will guide you straight from 1st to 4th if you change before 15mph for ‘economy’. A $30 plug in device can disable this, but I’m undecided for the moment. Torque is everywhere and in the lower gears at least, the Viper appears to have little inertia; you decide how many revs you want to do, and the car’s speed immediately comes up to match. On a motorway, the Viper is sprung fairly softly, the tyres aren’t ultra-low profile and the ride is at least as comfortable as my GSF; which surprised me. There is some tramlining, but it’s easy to drive around that. The cabin is typically American (plasticky), although reasonably refined with little wind intrusion with the roof down. In the ultra-long 6th gear, revs are barely above 1000rpm at 70mph. A country road blast really wakes the Viper up, although it’s a wide car and needs room to play. Above 3000rpm, the brute force of that mighty V10 pins heads firmly to headrests, like a modern day Cobra. It’s not traditionally sonorous - sounding more like a V8 with extras, rather than the wail of other V10s. It handles like a go kart, has very quick steering and ample visibility to create a very enjoyable hoon! A blast in it reveals the engine’s dominance in more than just noise and power however; the heat haze is plainly visible from the 10 slats in the bonnet, and the warmth from the transmission tunnel, and the sills (do not touch these when getting out!) works the air conditioning hard. It’s been my dream to own a Viper, and it was difficult to let my previous track toy, a Honda S2000 go. Let’s hope I did the right thing! I aim to keep this thread updated for as long as anyone is interested, any questions, ask away. Hope you enjoyed the post, and I'll get some more picturesque images once it stops raining!)
    13 points
  49. My work mate does photography as a hobby and fancied trying some car pics. We spent a full day on Sunday in the work car park and out on some quiet roads. I'm pretty happy with the results so far, especially as he didn't charge me 😂
    13 points
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