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    Britprius

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    Dave400SE

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Showing content with the highest reputation on 03/17/2017 in all areas

  1. 2 sleeps to go until I become the next new owner, of this.....thanks in advance to Paul for his time (and jet washing skills)
    7 points
  2. After about a year I've got my Celsior back. It stayed local and I told the guy who bought it last year to give me a shout when he wanted to sell again. That 'shout' came today :) I spent a lot of cash and hours on this car and really happy to have it back.
    4 points
  3. Just picked her up 😊
    4 points
  4. I've been looking for small job to do whilst the weather is not the best. I've got some Throttle Body cleaner for when I have a little time, along with some spark plugs for the summer. I bought some MAF cleaner, looks a bit cheap and nasty but I took a punt anyway http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281839565740 My MAF looked perfectly clean, all shiny and new but I spayed the thing liberally with the cleaner anyway. I'm bamboozled by the difference, I wasn't expecting anything after looking at the elements beforehand. The engine revs much more freely, the whole car feels much more responsive. My Top Tip for the day, get some MAF cleaner and give it a spray every 6 Months or so. Takes 2 minutes to remove, 10 minutes drying time and 2 mins to refit.
    3 points
  5. Having owned a number of cars in the past with picnic tables fitted in the backs of the front seats I have begun a project that has seen my own attempt at the first stage of the build to create some fall tables. There are some images on google of some LS430's with MK 2 Jaguar tables retrospectively fitted which look smart and I have used MK 2 Jaguar hinges in my own design which have to be a cantilever hinge. The hinges are crucial in any table because the table must pull away from the seat back before tilting to the useable position otherwise the bottom lip would catch the opening. The original issue for me was getting hold of a second hand seat back from a 460, not easy but eventually found one for sale from a written off car. Using a donor seat back was crucial as I was working blind really in figuring out the design, size of opening and available space inside the seat itself as I didn't want to wreck my car's seat backs should the project fail. The pictures show a black seat back which had the upper section of it's vinyl covering torn away but that was not important to me. As 460 seat backs are not flat and are shaped in a number of planes including convex and concave areas I started by creating an oversized fibreglass mould of the seat back, later to be cut down to the final size of tray. An opening was made and the actual wooden table top was made from plywood which will be covered in walnut veneer prior to trimming. At every stage the donor seat back was offered up to one of my front seats to assess the available space even though the inside of the seat is a maze of seat components. I have used a great trimmer in the past who will be asked to match the vinyl seat back when it comes to covering the outer and inside faces of the fibreglass flap. NB: LS460's do not have leather seat backs but use a high quality vinyl. The smaller surface area on the inside of the fibreglass panel is likely to be covered in a grey alcantara to match the grey trim on the door panels but ivory vinyl will be used on the outer surface. My intention is to have the walnut veneer colour matched to the car's rich red walnut inside my car along with the table pull handle which you can see in the pictures. Stage 2 I hope will see the completion of the table in order that I am happy with it and before I decide to make a second table and before both are fitted in my existing seat backs. I hope to send in some final photos once completed but in the meantime if you want to comment then please do.
    3 points
  6. Busy morning, got the new Conti's and second set of alloys going on in the morning, then heading upto the meet. Looking forward to it.
    3 points
  7. Fair enough, rules are rules. But Mike, it's pretty obvious that some rules are unclear - to longstanding and valued members. Perhaps, instead of shouting at us in bold type, you could think about clarifying certain rules so that this issue doesn't actually arise again? That would be a tactful and constructive way of exercising your responsibility as moderator. If not, I think I've had it with this forum. It's not the friendly place it used to be.
    3 points
  8. No what it proves mike is that at almost £40 myself and obviously other people consider its not worth paying even to advertise a car. To remove a regular and in my opinion valued member of a forums post when hes not even mentioned his car being up for sale is just ridiculous. I also paid to join as i agreed with their rules.We've obviously got differing opinions on this so i dont feel this conversation is going anywhere.
    3 points
  9. The only thing I would say is that my original post was simply to announce my departure from Lexus ownership. I made no mention of where it was advertised or how much, but my post was removed. I'm aware of the rules which is why I didn't give any details, I just thought some LS owners may have been vaguely interested. Anyway, no point in this as I have a buyer (assuming he actually gets around to paying the agreed deposit!) Well he just paid so let the bereavement begin!!! Interesting that he said there are only 3 LS430's in NI.
    3 points
  10. must be 5 or 6 isf expected at the meet tomorrow. Looking forward to the meet .
    2 points
  11. You are one extremely lucky boy Rudy (as indeed are all members of this Forum). Most people currently on this Planet do not have the opportunity to have one bite of the cherry and you have at least two ! 99.9999% of people who have ever lived on this Planet have never owned a car. 99.9999% of people who have ever lived on this Planet have never lived to be your age (whatever that is) 99.9999% of people who have lived on this Planet have never been as Rich as you (however Rich you are ) Just dwell for a few moments and ponder what I have said, as I pondered many years ago and you/we should thank our lucky stars for the pleasures we have been privileged to experience. I wish you well with the Celsior and look forward to your continuing contributions informing us of the pleasures she provides. Regards John
    2 points
  12. It looks very straightforward to get to: The only thing to note is what has been mentioned here already, namely, don't touch the wire.
    2 points
  13. Not always. Not everyone is keen on facebook
    2 points
  14. It has taken me a while to find suitable seals. I have found some high quality hydraulic seals that I have to import that will work at pressure in excesses of 10,000 PSI, and designed, and had machined some caps to carry them along with the ability "a port" to refill the shocks. These seals will work happily on a worn shaft as long as it is not scored or bent. I have designed the caps so that the seals can easily be replaced if it is ever required. Once fitted the shock can be topped up while still on the car if required without any dismantling. The only criteria for fitting these is that the shock absorber they are being fitted to still holds gas pressure. In other words the shaft still extends under pressure when removed from the car. Something around 90% do as the gas is held in a separate section at the base of the shock even if all the oil has escaped. John.
    2 points
  15. Well, have a look at this: We are definitely in the minority here age wise. However, I think that just shows that we have developed wisdom at a younger age.
    2 points
  16. Don't you worry about a thing fella it's the right car just think you could have bought one of these 😂 @Mark6pot
    2 points
  17. Hybrid tech makes improvements in start/stop traffic in the city. I have experienced and said that many times - it makes no sense if you living in rural area and doing mostly A/B roads or especially motorways. The comparison with GS300 is as well not very fair, heavier AWD vs. lighter RWD obviously has no chances on motorway. If you would compare say RX400 vs. RX450h doing 2x15miles per day in worst London traffic.. that would make something like 16 vs 28MPG - in other words decent improvement in efficiency. But on motorway, it is likely there would be no difference. I have driven IS/RC300h on motorway and they returns worse MPG than IS250 @70MPH (about same @65), but where it really starts hurting is @90MPH - IS250 does like 34MPG, whereas 300h only 28MPG@90. I keep seeing same thing for hybrids as previously for diesels. There is application for this configuration where it shines and that is urban start/stop... if you not doing urban start/stop everyday hybrid is not for you. Exactly opposite for diesels, they are extra urban cruisers - but "no no" for short journeys in the city. Yet what we see people doing - getting hybrids in rural areas and getting diesels in the cities....
    2 points
  18. Hey Russ What about this place instead, looks like they let any old tat in as well , I see they've done some slight mods to yours as well as repainted it in a decent colour 😂 Big Rat
    2 points
  19. Great choice sir. You will not regret it, you may regret speaking to one or two other members on here but never mind, they will be along shortly.......
    2 points
  20. I'm switching back from the larger tyre sizes (on the car when I purchased), to stock. If nothing else I begrudge being charged extra by the insurance company for declaring the alteration.
    2 points
  21. Received a letter yesterday to contact Lexus. Could be about the air bag recall finally starting?
    1 point
  22. I have read that thread. Not a good show at all. But in this case, I can't imagine it being a problem? Perhaps message Mike and see what their position on this is? I am sure there are many people on here who would be very thankful for your efforts.
    1 point
  23. I remember meeting Anthony Valentine (now sadly passed away 2015) who was in a broken down black Porsche 911 over the Snake Pass. I had a Mazda RX7 which was one of a LTD edition of fifty breathed on by TWR, we squeezed my wife in the back of the RX7 so Mr Valentine could get in the car and took him to a garage I don't remember where but they were happy to help him. Whole finding a garage we chatted and he said it was by far the worst car he had ever bought. He loved the look of the car and when it was running but this car had given him nothing but grief. Amazing who and where you meet some people.
    1 point
  24. Yes thanks. After 100k my paintwork is shot but the detailer did a good job. Basically I really need a respray but most people will think it looks about perfect now! Sadly I had to drive back in the rain so it may have lost a bit of shine by the time I get to the canock meet 😣
    1 point
  25. I really think that we are trying to compare Apples with Pears. OBC measures the current RATE at which fuel is being consumed having regard to past consumption as measured by the OBC and all of the data it holds. Brim to Brim measures the fuel in total which has been lost prior to the last Brimful. Simples aint it ? No point in further discussion. I will stick with Brim to Brim comparisons. Regards John
    1 point
  26. That question after just having read "The acre's post No longer a Lexus owner" puts me in a difficult position that I had not intended. Please read that post. John.
    1 point
  27. Hello and welcome to the LOC. We have a club meet tomorrow in Cannock if you are free, details are in the ISF forum.
    1 point
  28. Hi Carl and welcome to the LOC. We are a friendly bunch so please don’t hold back asking questions big or small should you have any problems with your car. We always welcome ideas on how to overcome problems with our cars but as they are the finest cars in the universe they don’t go wrong that often. Happy Lexus Motoring. Mike.
    1 point
  29. I do mine every year Here is a post with a video about cleaning the MAF
    1 point
  30. I always send a private message to the member with a link to becoming a Gold member and also a link to the rules to some members on more than one ocassion. Whats wrong with that? I think that what you all need to do do is contact Steve Barnes the club founder and chief admin and tell him as Chasdad put it " That shows how daft the rule is" as Scribe says " some rules are unclear" Steves email address is lexusoc@gmail.com As one member has said it would be best to close this thread as its not going any where.
    1 point
  31. I trust the manual brim-to-brim method more. While some pumps can dispense and display wrong amounts of product some of the time (I imagine as often in the customer's favour as not except in places where controls are fewer and fraud likelier), most of them do so accurately most of the time. Such degrees of unreliability as may initially be seen or suspected in purchases-based consumption calculations will therefore tend to become attenuated over time as the volume of purchases and number of re-fuellings grow. In other words, once the gap between the OBC and brim-to-brim figures stabilises, the possibility of cumulative error in the latter, already small, will have dwindled to insignificance. That brim-to-brim calculations seem, in the experience of owners of IS and RC hybrids, to be less supportive of economy claims should not be taken to mean that Lexus is acting with dubious intent, but it is nevertheless strange that a reputable car manufacturer should not err on the side of caution in calibrating its OBC - and be seen to be doing so - especially when the consumption is by any token more than satisfactory. On a connected subject, I have been glad to see that the total km displayed by the in-car counter (and by the satnav for individual trips) and those recorded by the Tracking/Security device mentioned in my OP correspond exactly. I take this as a confirmation that the RC300h's km counter is accurate (not that I ever doubted it) but, of course, a logician might argue that the possibility exists that both devices are wrong ......
    1 point
  32. Hi Carl, welcome to the forum and thanks for sharing a great pic of your car. Good to hear that you're a long time Lexus fan too, did the previous models serve you well? Cheers, Lee
    1 point
  33. Malc do you mean aslong as he doesnt install a a mini keg of guiness in the fridge with a dispenser next to the table all connected nicely with temperature display so that you can enjoy your drink at the touch of a button whist being wafted away he wont need to inform them?
    1 point
  34. ... only if you put a drinks cabinet in too .......... Malc
    1 point
  35. Hi The Stop Start is the same as the older version, it is fine to use. Cheers Tim
    1 point
  36. Oops, that's a surprisingly short action film with most of the footage covering the Beemer bleed and recovery. Oh and the Beemer sneaked a jump start and the IS-F still trounced it
    1 point
  37. No no no Silver got the nod. Oh crap I feel as though I've back stabbed my Silver motor now. There wasn't anything in it really. I feel terrible. Lol
    1 point
  38. But as you know I'm not allowed to even mention that I'm selling. Nothing would have pleased me more.
    1 point
  39. picking car up this weekend, i had to wait for it to get the windscreen fixed that has been done now. now it just needs MOT and a good wash and wax.the LCD touchscreen Digitizer for the nav and radio is not working ordered parts from ebay and should arrive next week. Plans I have: Change the grille to a honeycomb grille Get Eibach springs and Lower it do not want it too low as i live in london Get spacers i have read 15mm front and 20mm back I also contemplating a spoiler lip and maybe the new style headlights with the DRL
    1 point
  40. I would point out that with previous generations Lexus (GS and IS) the standard non-ML system was so good it was always hard to tell difference. I had IS250 with and without ML and for the style/source of music I am listening I could not tell any difference. ML seems to have more clarity if source is original and good quality CD, but that is about it... very minor improvement for £3000 it costed. As such, I believe if you can buy car with ML at no extra costs.. it obviously bonus, but it is not worth extra money in previous Gen cars. However, Lexus realised that and in current Gen and put totally awful standard system - 6 cheap speakers worse then system you would get in sub-compact cars for £10k... so ML or at least premium became very important upgrade. I suggest you try comparing your ML with new GS without ML and you will start appreciating the sound you have.
    1 point
  41. The only majour problem with the GS450H that had not been sorted was the leaky shock absorbers. The transmission problem has been solved "hydraulic pump motor bearings". However now being able to cure the problems with the shocks has made the car much cheaper to maintain. Towing a caravan puts a much greater strain on particularly the rear shocks. I have been able to refill these with a slightly higher viscosity oil to increase the damping effect with the van in tow, and this I find improves the normal ride. The best way I can describe it is the shocks act like they are in the sport mode when in normal mode, and more noticeably stiffen up when in sport mode. This difference was difficult to perceive with the OEM shocks in standard form. John.
    1 point
  42. The wheels had been refurbished before I bought the car, and I try very hard not to damage them. The interior is cream leather. Once I have sorted the problems with the mirrors, and other items I will post the details of the modifications. When doing electrical modifications I try to keep things simple, and easily returnable to OEM condition. John.
    1 point
  43. Wish id known you were selling . Id have bought it like a shot
    1 point
  44. You're not wrong! The thing is I'm moving out of my workshop after 26 years and building one at home so I can no longer leave a car parked at work. Parking my wife's estate and mine and a Lexus at home is just too tight. However, never say never!!
    1 point
  45. My car is at the detailer right now, hope it comes out like the American one!
    1 point
  46. I only put in the fuel consumption out of interest of others on the forum, as it usually a topic of dicussion. To set the record straight, I have been using locally lately - 20 mpg! £80 of petrol for 327 miles - that might make some people wince. If I take my LS400 on a long run, keep below 80 mph, and especially on a motorway - 30 mpg plus is usual. The key to getting good overall economy is ONLY take it if you are going over a 20 mile round trip. Hope that makes sense?
    1 point
  47. One of the worst things one can do is to use washer fluid/concentrate from different manufacturers. Often there is an incompatibility and a sludge forms causing various problems, most notably a nasty smell...
    1 point
  48. I may have to get mrs to drive as i'm recovering from a broken leg, only thing is her driving gets me paranoid! lol
    1 point
  49. Car: LS400 Mk4, Year: 1999 (T-Reg) I changed the coolant on my LS400 today. I’ve changed coolant many times before but it’s the first time I’ve done it on a LS and it took me quite a bit of time to locate the drain plugs. I checked many different parts of the LS400 service/repair manual and I found it wasn’t very clear where the drain plugs were located so I was looking in the wrong places for too long ! In the end I ended up finding them myself. One thing I liked about this car as far as coolant goes, compared to other cars where I’ve changed coolant, Lexus have placed special drain plugs with small nipples / tubes on the engine so that all of the coolant can be drained. Other cars do have engine bolts for draining coolant, but if the car is more than 4 or 5 years old and you try to open one of these bolts you might end up breaking the bolt since it has seized up, or you get problems trying to seal it back on to the engine block again. What this mean is that you have to make do with draining just the coolant in the radiator. Anyway if there are other MK4 LS400 owners wanting to change their coolant fluid they might find the below information useful (and possibly save themselves from beating around the bush like I did). To avoid confusion when referring to position of components (e.g. driver side or passenger side), the below is for a normal UK right hand drive car. 1.) Open the radiator cap on the reserve tank under the bonnet located towards the driver side. This is obvious to spot. 2.) Remove the engine cover and remove the 10mm bolt on top of the throttle body. This is what it looks like (photo below). You will need a 10mm hex key to open this. Be careful not to drop the gasket into the engine bay when you take the nut off. It is best to open the radiator cap and bolt before you start to drain the system so all the fluid can drain with gravity. FillerBolt 3.) There are now 3 drain plugs you have to open in order to drain all 10 or 11 litres of the fluid. One of these drain plugs is the radiator drain plug actually mounted on the radiator and the other two are mounted on the engine. The drain plug on the radiator is on the driver side end of the radiator. It can be opened from the under the bonnet. When the radiator drain plug is opened, the photo below (take from under the car facing the front) shows the pipe from where the coolant will drain when the plug is opened. Place a container under this pipe. The plug is a normal plastic one and should open without too much force. RadPlug 4.) DRAIN PLUG ON DRIVER SIDE: Next you will need to open the drain plugs on the engine. I was able to access these by getting under the car. One of the engine drain plugs is on the driver side of the engine. To locate it, it might be easier to follow the long black ribbed rubber boot which comes from the driver side wheel hub, and the drain plug can be seen just above it. This is shown on the photo below. In order open this bolt I needed a 10mm socket and a 11 or 12 inch socket extension. Yes that’s right 12 inches. Be warned: the nut is quite far deep inside the cavity than appears on the photo or even when you actually look at if from under the car. (At this point I got stuck because I only had a 3 inch extension for my breaker bar, so I had to phone a friend to buy me another 8 inch extension from Halfords and bring it round.) I combined the 3 inch with the 8 inch extension along with the actual 10mm socket and it just reached and no more. Even with a flexible joint breaker bar which I had there is not much room for manoeuvre. DriverSidePlug Anyway, you might want to attach a piece of hose pipe to the outlet going into a container. I did not remove the 10mm bolt, only enough (a few turns) to let the fluid out of the outlet. 5.) DRAIN PLUG ON PASSENGER SIDE: Now open the drain plug on the passenger side of the engine. It is located in between the cross-member support and the long black ribbed rubber boot which comes from the passenger side wheel hub. This is shown on the photo below. In order open this bolt I needed a 14mm socket, and again, the long socket extension. The access to this bolt has slightly better room for manoeuvre than the driver side. Again, you might want to attach a piece of hose pipe to the outlet going into a container. I did not remove the 14mm bolt, only enough (a few turns) to let the fluid out of the outlet. PassengerSidePlug The fluid took quite a few minutes to drain and towards the ended it trickled out for 5 minutes or so. 6.) You will need enough contains at the three drain points to take 10 or 11 litres of fluid in total. Once the fluid has drained, tighten all the three drain plugs. The radiator drain plug can be hand tightened. The ones on the engine should be torqued to 12.7 Nm. (I just tightened it with the socket and then gave it a slight nip since my half inch drive torque wrench does not go as low as 12.7Nm.). 7.) Make sure you have 11 litres of pre-mixed red Toyota Long Life Coolant. I purchased 11 litres from Toyota. I purchased two 5 litre cans, (part # 08889-80002 for £17.94 each inc. VAT) and a 1 litre bottle (part # 08889-80002 for 4.34 inc. VAT). Start filling in coolant slowly thorough the filler bolt opening on the throttle body until it becomes full. I filled it up slowly so as not to get any air locks. Towards the end you will also see coolant filling up in the radiator tank. Once full, put the 10mm hex bolt back on and tighten to 45Nm torque. 8.) Top up the remainder of the radiator reserve tank through the radiator cap opening until it reaches the full mark and install the radiator cap. 9.) Start the engine and turn the heater temperature (both driver and passenger temperature) to ‘MAX HOT’. By doing this, it will open the heater water valve under the bonnet. Rev the engine at about 2,000 to 2,500 rpm until the engine is warm. Once the coolant starts to circulate and the engine is warm, the coolant level in the radiator tank will drop. Wait for the engine to cool down again and re-fill the tank to the full mark. 10.) Over the next couple of days of driving you might need to top up the radiator tank if the level drops below full. Always remember to check the coolant level when the car is cold for an accurate reading.
    1 point
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