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Hello all, Been looking for ages for a Mystic Gold with beige interior on a Y plate... I know, asking for hen's dentists. In the end thanks to a weekend in Amsterdam with my brother along with EU data rules and eBay for android I bought this instead! 2001 Y plate LS430 in Blue Onyx with the Ecru (beige) interior. Fixed a few niggles and have a few more to fix too. Nothing untoward and nothing I'm not afraid of tackling, I've rebuilt engines and welded up cars many a time in my years on this planet. Had to bodge the offside rear ride height sensor as the arm snapped on my drive home after buying it! Fixed now with the proper part. Need to get my LPG conversion going sharpish as I'm averaging ~12mpg with my commute. Also need to get used to filling a 90l petrol tank vs 68l LPG tank - price difference is quite drastic for a full tank! Polished and clearcoated the headlights as they were very yellow and let the car down, then put a HID HB3 kit in the main beams and the fogs (I do a lot of driving on the fens so lighting up the road with daylight is a must!) The little light lenses next to the foglights are not used on my LS for some reason, perhaps a JDM/US market thing. I am planning on putting some LED 382 bulbs in and use them as DRLs Also had a play with techstream and a £14.99 cable from eBay. All worked and told me I have two dead O2 sensor heater circuits on the pre-cat sensors. Will need to replace ASAP. All for now, shall report back once I've found the cause of the slight knock on the nearside front and put new front discs and pads on her. Cheers D

I live in the middle of rural Wiltshire, in a small village 3 miles from the nearest B road. This is Subaru / Land Rover / tractor / combine territory. The NX fits right in...

Marketing and selling cars hey.. they know exactly who will be the buyers what agegroup income profession status where they live etc etc. thing is marketing is creating an image around a type of car and thats why you see good looking athletic people in their early thirties loading a surfboard in the back of their NX and they smile 24/24 never work and live in villas. reality is the potential buyers are 50+ middle aged men like me but i guess i dont look good enough in a commercial!

Just had a right royal battle with the rear wiper motor, the wiper blade had been juddering and noisy for some time so I took the arm off and ran the motor, what a racket. I removed the motor which took some effort as the window bush had rusted too but I finally freed it. That little motor is really powerful, I removed the cover to expose the gears and I couldn't turn the spindle. I finally removed it and cleaned off all the rust and then rebuilt and fitted the motor with a liberal coating of marine grease. The moral of this story is that if your rear wiper is noisy and judders don't leave it too long before giving it a coat of looking at, it may save you pounds as a new motor will not be cheap.

Finally got round to wiring the DRLs and I'm quite pleased with the results. You don't really get the full effect on the video (presumably the fault or limitation of the camera) but in reality, they work well. The DRL set was just under £12 from China and I think I spent another £8 or £9 on a couple of changeover relays to make sure they went off when the sidelights were switched on. Just got to get round to refurbishing the headlamp units now as they're yellowing quite a bit. I've got a 3M Headlamp Restoration Kit for that but still need to get some UV-resistant clear topcoat/sealer. [youtube]

Hello all, Newbie to Lexus ownership here having done the full Alan Partridge going from a Rover 800 to an LS430 via Norwich Airport thanks to a weekend in Amsterdam and the wonders of EU data and eBay... Joking aside I'm loving the LS, mine is an early 2001 Premium Pack on a Y-plate. 144K with full Lexus dealer history up to ~125k Fixed so far: Ride height sensor on the rear right (yes it seized then snapped) Polished and coated the headlights Replaced the HID's and put HID HB3 kit in the mains and fogs (I do a lot of driving in the fens) Swapped my private plate of the correct size and font (I'm a bit OCD with my number plates) Need to fix: Front discs and pads (well worn/warped) Knock from the nearside front suspension Both pre-cat O2 sensors (knackered heater circuits according to Techstream) Rust on boot lid (number plate lights) OEM ML radio/cd changer unit (previous owner replaced with a beatsonic unit and an Alpine ilx-700 and I like the look of the clean original) Want to do: AUX input bypassing CD changer as I have a Pure Highway 600 DAB/Bluetooth module to hide away in the glovebox. Mirror polish the alloys as they are knackered and need a refurb anyway - I saw a photo on google of a 430 with the original 17" alloys just mirror polished and it looked the Nuts. Dig out the DAS 6 from storage and polish the living daylights out of it! I'll be on here a fair bit in the future I think! All for now. Dusan

Two things my friend: 1. Regarding your idea for daytime running lights - I don't know if this is worth considering in your situation but all I can say is that I've put them on my RX300 and they are excellent Link to eBay switchback LED flasher/DRL 2. Which UV protector clear coat did you use after polishing up your headlamps? I've got a 3M Headlamp Restoration Kit but don't want to start the job until I can get a decent UV protector.

Same on my RX too. I use a squeegee to clear the glass before setting off.

Good to know.

Sounds like you've not got the battery back in the key fob correctly (or it's dead) so it's not disarming the immobiliser. Glueing the key never works for long anyway so I'd suggest you order a new key from this guy on eBay then put your own electronics in the empty shell along with a new battery. EDIT: sorry, I thought I was in the RX300 forum and just realised that you've got an IS200. The guy on eBay may be able to help if you contact him or just browse his other listings on there, but I'm afraid that the link I gave you is for RX300 keys, sorry. SECOND EDIT: it seems that the keys will be ok for the IS200 anyway

That sounds right, you don't have AFS, so you should have halogens and non-xenon (HID). That makes all much easier if you planning to go for aftermarket set-up. Now in terms of adjustment I am certain they must have some sort of adjustment somewhere which might be manual rather than satellite switch in interiour as for genuine ones. As for motor replacement, I cannot say for sure where it is and how to do it on non-HID, but as far as I know whole pre-facelift non-HID units are rather cheap, so it is probably best to replace whole headlight to make sure it is properly sealed etc. and will solve the problem for good.

Just to add a bit more information to Peter's post above - that £295 is the price for replacing the cam belt only. When changing cam belts it's good practice to change the idler/tensioners too and also the water pump. All these parts are in or around the same area and the biggest cost of the whole job is the labour charges for the time taken to do it. A good 90% of the work done in changing the cam belt would have to be done again to get to the water pump if it was done at a different time, so having everything done at once saves a lot of money. Mine was somewhere between about £425 and £450 at a local independent garage for the belt, idlers/tensioners, water pump, new coolant and labour, including VAT. Oh, and the belt needs to be replaced every 100k or 10 years, whichever comes first because they do deteriorate with age as well as use.

I would say yes to both, but there are caveats: LED DLRs can be fitted and are even available in Chinese aftermarket form, fitting genuine facelift lamps are both expensive and more complex, because I believe DLR has separate plug on new models which is not present in pre-facelift which means that needs to be fabricated. The best advice is - if you get the laps, get it with the loom so that you can join right leads together. It is not plug'n play. As well see halogens vs. xenons - because they would have differences in terms of upgrades. Finally, I belie such upgrade generally screws-up auto light levels so you will end-up with either on or off. As for rims the largest rims to fit by standard on IS mk2 are 19 inch (IS-F), 20 inch might need arches to be rolled or even change in suspension geometry and obviously just my opinion would look rather outrageous, the different ride high would screw-up HID auto-level and it would need to be readjusted and would show incorrect speed (higher), you as well will need to get custom tracking to be done as car adjustments were not designed to accommodate such wheels. Larger wheels (by that much) as well would significantly increase fuel consumption, road noise and make car more sluggish i.e. car will have slightly higher top speed, but slower acceleration - I believe opposite is preferable. My personal advise would be not to go above 19 and even then - best to stick with genuine IS-F rims (they are forged and as such lighter and stronger). Cheap aftermarket wheels just going to screw-up ride etc.

I had both sensors replaced just to keep everything balanced by our village garage who have been servicing our family cars for the last 30 years. They replaced them with OEM. I think they were about £180 each. My Lexus has been converted to run on LPG the week after I bought her. I am paying around 46p a litre and I get around 17 MPG. She has never missed a beat and there is no loss power that I can feel. If you're thinking of getting yours converted be very careful who you get to do the install because there are more cowboys than good ones and it doesn't matter how much you pay for the LPG system if the conversion is done badly you might as well send me all the money and be happy with the thought that you have helped another LOC member to have a great holiday. There are lots of threads on here regarding LPG. You need to have a lot of patience, FSH or as near as possible is a must. Timing belt needs to have been changed and you need to see an invoice which is checkable. If it hasn't been changed then that needs to be taken into consideration in your negotiations. The only weak point is the Y section in the Stainless Steel exhaust which can be welded at a few independent garages for about £50. Be patient in your search there are still some great cards coming up but you have to be quick as genuine ones don't hang around long. One final thing, you may already know this but you can now check online for the MOT history, which is great to see what the how the cars fail and pass rate is and also a mileage check. Good luck with it and if we can be of help just give the forum a shout and we will do our best,

You say that like it's a bad idea

All sorted. The AA man duly turned up, faffed about under the bonnet looking for a way to jump start the car before managing to power up the fuse box, which allowed him to open the boot, which allowed him to get to the battery, which allowed him to start the car. He then brought his skills and spanners to bear on the brake pedal switch, and has adjusted it. which was apparently all out of alignment and not working properly. As it stands the car is working normally; brake lights not on (unless I’m braking), cruise control working, and everything peachy. I’ve cancelled the appointment with Lexus tomorrow. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I have the Kumho Solus All Weather tyres fitted to my GS450h for over 12 months now John. They have been excellent and according to my last MOT on 29 August, have not begun to wear as they still show the tread depth of 7.0 I would recommend them to you as being excellent value for money.. Regards John

Thanks mate, Headlights were a doddle to remove. get some trim out of the way, two bolts and some carefully directed heaving. It is a bit nerve wracking getting the lower lip over the edge of the bumper but placing a few old business cars along it as scratch protection works very well.

Well I took my 2006 RX400h with 53k miles on to my local Lexus dealer the other day to test drive a couple of cars and was offered £6500 for it which as its near mint thought for a main dealer wasn't too bad an offer. Mine has been ultra reliable with only the odd brake caliper sticking and wheels needing to be refurbed. Just make sure all recalls have been done and allow £60 per wheel if need refurbing.

Just an update on this. Lexus had a look while it was in for a service and recommended getting it fixed properly ASAP. I knew it was a botch job but thought the cost would be epic. Anyway not too bad as the fusible link is £94 and £115 in labour to change it. Booked in next week to get it done.

My money is on that switch, just as Farqui says. Braking very quick can also lodge crap between plunger and it's recess, thus trapping the plunger in the retracted position and thus leaving the lights on. I'm not sure though if the light circuit is powered when car off and shut, powered down completely though. If they are, then above still works. If not, then I suspect a short somewhere, allowing power from another circuit to flow through the brake circuit even if switch is not pressed. Start with the switch though, much easier lol

It's OK, it's not a mid life crisis unless you get a Porsche :-) Our eldest daughter is more cynical about marketing than me cause she works in marketing... and maybe she's a victim too: She'd like a CT. It would be interesting to know the actual demographics of the people who buy each model. I suspect there are more 50ish owners of NXs than the marketing suggests, and Lexus hopes, cause of the cost.

This has just started happening right? Take a look at the switch on the brake pedal, maybe it needs adjusting? They often have a lock nut and can be wound out a turn or two before nipping the lock nut back up. Or to check if the switch is faulty, try unplugging it and see if the brake lights go out. Will be interested to hear what the issue is and how it's resolved. Good luck.

Dealers should see curtesy cars as potential test drives and put you in the car they hope you would buy next.

I always have found a good independent auto-electrician to be way better than any main dealer technician. They diagnose, (they know about electricity!) and then fix, rather than replace everything. A good one might charge £20 to tell you what is wrong. Money well spent I think. They do get it right!

These look good https://www.blackcircles.com/catalogue/goodyear/efficientgrip-performance/225/60/R16/W/102/f?tyre=33565971

@Rusty Crobar I didn't think you got jet lag on business class 😂 🐀

Embarrassingly, I sold my SC with the warning light on, but the new owner soon informed me that simply putting 33 PSI into all wheels the TPMS system reset - so clearly there was some charge left in the TPMS valves as my 'little used' car had simply leaked a little air from one of the wheels - thinking about it, the same probably fixed it after the first occurrence last time! In my defence I didn't have the time to visit the local pumps to attend to this before his viewing. Lesson learned - pump them up first and then worry!

I'm 49 on Monday and bought an '02 IS300. Guess which one of us is having a mid-life crisis?

I can testify that 430 headlights respond well to a refurb. Sadly i don't have before pictures but they are transformed. I now have to get the dent away treatment as perfect paint work shows up all the little blemishes. Jon

That's what I'm planning on doing. Just bought a 9 year old GS with 73k on for £5k plus £900 for a 2 year Lexus warranty. If I get £3k back in 2 years that's less than £3k for 2 years stressless Lexus motoring.

Young and Urban 😆 Well i guess its more catchy than. middle aged / smart and informed / disposable income. i dont work in marketing btw 😆 Im 49 ,and quite possibly the youngest hippest RX owner out there . (Not verified or proven otherwise) Anyways nice car, Enjoy ! Stay cool Bro.

That's actually very good reasoning, pay more now for lower mileage or just keep that money for future repairs. Are there any high cost repairs coming up around the 200k KM mark?

If you pay upfront, you've paid 7k more for definite and may still need to pay more for repairs and maintenance. 100k isn't 10k, it's not new after all and has been used. If you buy cheaper, you might have to pay for repairs, but the chance is less than 100%. That money can go to the warranty, and preventative maintenance and could possibly mean more hassle free driving than the more expensive one. Imagine if it didn't go wrong anymore than the 100k one, your 1/3 Better off. One that's been used more and serviced and looked after, could well offer the better deal. Personally, I'd buy higher mileage, well looked after, used and cared for over potentially stood longer, doing shorter journeys and rusting from the inside all day long, especially when it leaves a good chunk of cash in the bank but buys you the same thing (to all intense purposes), not to mention if it did blow up etc, your less down the drain than the more expensive one hitting the dust.

A friend and me rolled the rear fenders of my ISF with a roller fender and a heat gun. My friend had already done it on 2 or 3 cars before. In 1h30 we had made the 2 fenders.

It really is subjective. I put the car in Eco about 700 miles ago as a trial and haven't moved it back out aside from to overtake; what that tells you is I don't care about acceleration (actually I often let the adaptive cruise do that for me). So what works for me in terms of expectation may not work for everyone. But then it may!