Leaderboard

Here she is btw

Buy one you'll love it, its the longest I've ever owned a car always puts a smile on my face when I get a chance to get it out of its cave.

Neil, If anyone deserves some good luck you are that man. Dare I ask two more questions. What would have been the normal labour cost to fit that replacement gearbox? Also is the external cooler in addition to the normal cooling within the engine radiator or does it replace it? I know it is always easy to offer advice from the side lines but have you considered sending a copy of your post to Lexus UK? You might add my comment as an owner of two Lexus cars that for them to leave matters as they now stand is to flush down the drain an outstanding reputation.

Right, Some of you might recall that I visited Lexus Liverpool about 3-4 years ago and spent a relatively large chunk of £££ on a series of jobs including a new transmission and torque converter, new back boxes etc. To be fair to the dealer, they did me a deal on their labour (next to nowt in cost). Some on here quite rightly thought I should have called it a day but the bronze LS430 has sentimental value (never good I know) to me as I'd bought it both for business miles and to ferry my terminally ill parents around with it's magic carpet ride and they loved it which made me feel decent too. Anyway... when I left the dealers I felt like the car was as good as ever but alas I wasn't smiling for too long as some 10000 miles later I was having a day with my camera on the Isle of Arran and on leaving the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry the gearbox seemed to slip a few gears then became stuck in 3rd (?). I drove home stuck in gear (keeping revs below approx 3500 revs) in the snow/sleet and the 300 mile trip to Merseyside was somewhat stressful to say the least. Straight to the dealership the following morning and they confirmed the gearbox was shot, when I produced their invoice for the work undertaken previously they looked horrified but eventually argued that the gearbox was only guaranteed for 10K miles and I'd done 423 miles over that - I was not impressed and told them so!! I thought I'd scrap it or trade in but as my FiL was on his last legs I decided to SORN it and deal with things later. I bought a used Skoda Superb 4x4 for work and kept the LS on the drive... to the chagrin of other family members. Roll on the clock 18 months and a friend told me of a Wirral based auto gearbox specialist so late last year a flat bed vehicle took the LS away and I negotiated a price with the garage for a rebuild to get it back on the road. After Christmas, the garage called me in and gave me their tale of woe... on three occasions they had stripped it down and rebuilt and on each time it burnt out within a couple of miles... they were of the view that there must be a hairline crack in the unit or another inherent weakness, but they did confirm that the 'fitted gearbox' from the franchise wasn't consistent in their opinion with one that had covered just over 10K. They reported that there was no water from the radiator in the transmission fluid. They suggested if I could get another box, they'd fit it for free and see what they could salvage from the old unit though they did recommend an external oil cooler as a safeguard and it was only a small additional cost (£90). So, a low mileage used transmission box including torque converter was picked up from a breaker .... thrown in and test driven for 40 miles.... success! Before celebrating too much, they put in for an MOT the following day and it flew through with no advisories!! They replaced the transmission oil as I requested (not cheap) and so I insured it as a second vehicle for less than £200 and she's now valeted and back on the drive!! I've only driven 200 miles since but she feels and sounds amazing... again..... I'm keeping everything crossed this time. Costs... Gearbox and Torque Converter @ £600, transmission oil @ £170, external oil cooler @£90 ... I insisted on them charging me for some of their labour after all the effort (£250 compromise) plus MOT, 12 months road tax and insurance. Hope I made the right choice and I won't be recommending a certain local franchise dealership to others. Wish me luck and I'll post pictures when the weather improves

The post on LS430 Aux input has kicked me into action on something I have been meaning to do for some time, fitting a USB input to the standard LS400 stereo. It also comes with integrated Bluetooth for the phone. The unit is the Dension Gateway Lite BT and cost just over a hundred quid. It plugs in to the CD input and they seem to know the score on the rather non standard Lexus wiring - this I'll confirm when I fit it.

Hey, It's been a while since I last posted. 2005 LS430 has been SORN-ed for 2 years since gearbox problems on the Isle of Arran in 2016..... recently put a new transmission/torque converter (breaker @ 43K miles) plus an independent oil cooler and voila... she's back! I put her through the MOT the next day and she sailed though.... welcome back to the quiet beast and special thanks to a Lexus fan in Darwen, Lancs for all your help!! ;)

Hi all, I introduced myself in the noobies section but thought I'd add something here as well. I've just bought a 2004 (53) LS430 for £4400 with 91k miles in blue. Initial opinion is good although it has its problems. Have done just over 1000miles over the last 2 weeks (Wickford to Crawley 3 days per week) and so far am loving the car. I came from a '98 Honda Legend with unknown mileage and shabby paint, but it was cheap (£900) and did me for 2 years/40k miles. Prior to that had an S320CDI for 2 years that was horribly unreliable, another Legend (120k miles over 10 years) and a couple of Carltons. I need a bigger car as am 6'4" and 27stone. The LS gets about the same fuel economy as the Legends but with 70 more Bhp and better comfort. The S got over 40Mpg but the turbo lag sucked and the reliability was utter *******, however the comfort was the best ever, with the LS a close 2nd. I have a few problems on the LS to sort over the coming months. It needs bank2 sensor1 replacing (heater is duff), the rear left door doesn't lock unless I double lock the car, and there are small rust patches above the windscreen and on the left front door. Otherwise she is in pretty good nick and everything seems to work fine. Have also ordered a Techstream kit so I can change some settings to my liking and will keep you up to date on my progress. Looking forward to owning this one for a while and hoping she will be reliable and fun. Cheers, George

Appears the red IS-F is back again. I believe Lexus Cheltenham had it first - previous Doctor owner who only drove it 5k miles or something. Then it didn't sell so was shipped off to Lexus Coventry. Anyway, someone has been enjoying it and its back on the market for close enough to say £30k. Wasn't it on for like £32k at Coventry? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lexus-ISF/192463642997?hash=item2ccfba2175:g:cdUAAOSw7EtajsC-

Just in case anyone needs the info its in the back of the owners manual for both is200 an is300. Added whole page as the coolant is also important to note

It is a rather fetching colour, though I'm not a fan of the interior with it. Looks a little too "Alan Partridge" for me. Reminds me of a Rover!! Marcus P.s. Got your PM big Rat, watch this space!!!

Welcome to a friendly and helpful community. There will always be someone here to offer advice which will save you time, money or skinned knuckles - or all three! You have bought yourself a very nice car, but I hardly need to tell you that. I bet you are still at that stage where you find reasons to go for long drives, and enjoy both the ability to waft along in near-silent comfort, or to show a clean pair of heels to a 'youf' who thinks that his hatchback with a drainpipe for an exhaust is a match for your LS. Have fun and I think that you can say that you have 'invested' in a nice car, rather than purchased one.

moved

i bought this in 2011 off a wedding hire firm lovely car

Arrrr you can’t any more ....just re read your post and you no longer have it. It hasn’t had an MOT since 2012 and the mileage was up and down on previous tests between miles and KMs suggesting an import, looks like it got scrapped before it hit 100k unless it is laid up in a barn somewhere.

Should be in IS-F section, my mistake!

I think you may find that hourly rate is for sitting in reception excluding tea and biscuits but plus VAT :)

Got some OEM from Japan at £32 each plus postage. YESSssss

I just bought one after months looking at BMW's,audi's,and Volvo's........ It's 12 years old mind,but it's the SE-L with 65k on the clock Paid just over £4000 And it's bloody gorgeous....😊😊😊😊😊 Do it,do it,do it,do it,

Just done mine again - ready for the frost this week...

No, it will stay on maximum regen as both brakes will be operational at the same time. It will only go back to 0 if the batteries are overheating and cannot be charged.

Issue 2) does it condense on the windows on sunny days as well? I’ve found in the past having to leave sunroof cracked so it ‘escapes’ and in the summer leaving windows and sunroof open to get it as dried out as possible. And in winter trying to get the least amount of water in. If you are drying the windows make sure all cloths and tissue etc are not left in the car as will add to humidity as well, (my 306 taught me a lot about condensation, especially in winter with frost on the inside) although it got a lot better after a good summer, which I appreciate is a way off

Graham, The external cooler replaces the radiator function in cooling transmission oil and sits independently from it leaving the rad to cool the engine and provide warm air to occupants. https://www.ebay.com/itm/PERFORMANCE-TRANSMISSION-TRANNY-TRANS-OIL-COOLER-11-5X5-5X2-IS300-SC300-SC400/231534986336?fits=Make%3ALexus|Model%3ALS430&hash=item35e88f8460:g:9iAAAOSwnTdaFdxV I'm no mechanic but would guess at £600-800 labour to replace Gearbox at a Lexus franchise and maybe half that at my independent? I still have all the bills from work undertaken on the vehicle by the franchise so if it drives ok in the next couple of months then I'll sit down and write to Lexus UK sharing my disappointment in the initial response of the local franchise and what that does to the reputation of the brand.

Have just joined this group and have found some fascinating insight... Just completed 10,000 miles since November - mixed roads of Motorway, A and B. I'm an advanced driver, certainly not a slug in driving style, but used 'normal' mode most of the time and have averaged 40.2 mpg over the 10,000 miles - My last three cars were Mercedes C220 and on over 100,000 miles on each I averaged 56mpg... would I go back? No. - a Big No.... I thoroughly enjoy driving my NX. I love the smoothness, driving position, interior build quality, lighting and even the Lexus customer service and I rarely find the irritation of the engine noise described by some - I enjoy the quietness or indeed silence compared to my agricultural Mercs... I'm happy with 40mph in return. My only regret is that having had an F Sport as a courtesy car during the first service - I wish I'd gone for that model - the superior Sat Nav [the only thing I find irritating on my Sport model] the HUD, all around cameras and driving lights were superb...

Interesting choice of tyres haha. Have never heard of them but maybe they are to blame

My idea was to take the rear wheel and put it on the front - which will clear the calliper, and then use a skinny spare on the rear which will fit over the smaller brakes. The issue BR mentioned is that the rear wheel/tyres might be too wide for the wheel arch/liner on the front. Something to try when I have some spare time....

I just hope they see it as an alternative and not a replacement. I can see the appeal of the crossover for some but for me I don't like the sacrifice of poorer economy and handling that is the trade off for sitting higher off the road. The CT could have been bigger if it had the option of more power (CT 250h) to compete more with the BMW 1 series and Mercedes A class, instead it has a more limited appeal being a Prius in a smart jacket.

Great looking road trip, Stelvio Pass, and Spa Francorchamps on the way back for me................

Generally, the Lexus batteries tend to go around 8 years. Mine certainly did, had to get the AA out because it literally just went overnight. Batteries are like tyres, go for the best one you can afford - and a big capacity one at that. Car Parts 4 Less are cheaper than ECP for batteries and currently have 16% sale on which makes the batteries about £10-20 cheaper than ECP. Copy and paste the product code over from ECP into CP4L and use topcashback/quidco for 3% back. Ive had good experiences with Varta and they are better value than Bosch with better CCAs and Ah

Mine did exactly the same at 10 years old. Luckily still under warranty so Lexus fitted all new and strangely all the AC piping as well. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'd suggest the manufacturer's recommended oil because using that got it to 180k. Why change a winning combination. :)

I did open my bonnet to see if there was any information, unfortunately it’s housed within a cover and the only sign was a “Lexus” label 🙄......but it did show that the size will be something to make sure is right, cosco one sounds good value if cca and dimensions are right 👍

Big thanks to everyone for the advice. As usual, you guys have come up trumps. much appreciated.

I'll be headed down to the Monaco Classic Grand Prix. Back home via Italy, Austria, Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium. Route so far attached. Approx 2,400 miles. One fellow F. Might start a new thread for suggestions on places to visit etc.

I had exactly the same issue, just around 160k. Stuck A/C compressor. Generally, if you turn it off A/C, compressor clutch should disengage and turn freely, by your description it sound like you have faulty/stuck clutch as well. In my case I got A/C compressor reconditioned and all in all paid £310 instead of £900 for OE replacement and fitting. See here:

Cool so nothing major, I keep looking at a pic of a black one with a wald kit and want to buy one [emoji23]

@Catlnike Carl I've been through my data I don't know this car it was on a private plate for some time L3XKG, it has a pretty good MOT history and is priced fairly well, if it was at a Lexus dealer it would probably be £2-4K more. Got to be worth a look IMO, if it's an ex members car sooner or later someone will be along. Big Rat

So got the head back today, skimmed and angle job done, hard to capture the angle job on a picture and is alot more clear in person. Will be lapping valves in on tuesday and hopefully fitting the crower springs and titanium retainers.

So got the sump welded today... then cleaned it up and gave it a spray, looking nice and fresh again..... 1 last final inspection of inside the block to make sure nothing had fell in there and hiding and all was ok, applied the toyota sump sealer and dropped the sump on.... Then fitted the sump baffle..... Also noticed something really cool which toyota did. Where the oil return boss has been welded in, the baffle tray already has a nice moulding to it to catch the oil and return it into the sump pan.... Then got the pick up pipe fitted with new gasket and fitted the lower sump pan again with toyota sump sealer.... Also painted the alternator, now i could have stripped this down but i used a trick i think i found on this forum for painting this. I just tucked bits of news paper in between all the gaps so the paint didnt go inside it, then pulled them all out and it worked a treat.... Thats it for now, next plan is to paint the a/c compressor and bracket for power steering pump, also paint the large metal coolant line that goes around the block and make a new coolant line to bypass the auto transmission cooler. Head will be back on saturday now and by then my gasket set should have come from toyota, no over night parts from japan like toretto here!!

So my rod bearings and turbo have come....... but the rod bearings are damaged. Ive emailed whifbitz about it and just waiting for a response, it was just poorly packaged and the turbo has dented/crushed the bearings so its a little set back but its ok im sure it will be sorted. The turbo on the other hand ......... jesus ***** it is huuuuuuuuuge!!! Alot bigger in person compared to looking at pictures of it! Just for comparison ive placed a 2ltr coke bottle next to it, keep in mind this is slightly larger than the normal 2ltr And 1 next to honey 😂 Will crack on with piston ring gaps tomorrow and hopefully my bearings wont set me back too much

I get a puncture, I'll be calling Lexus to come get the car. Don't want to be breaking my fingernails.

Interesting views - but I dont really rationalise purchases If I want it and like it, I usually just buy it without looking back - so I guess thats my rationalisation.

Got some more done today, plans of installing the AEM was shelved as the weather was decent as i wanted to get the engine bay stripped some more and cleaned up. I removed the ecu and fuse boxes, unclipped and moved the loom on both sides of the bay, fully removed the a/c pipes and dusted everything down ready to wash. Bit of meguires gold class and some hot water and worked in using a brush, gave it wash down using a slow flowing hose and avoided the loom like the plague. It didnt come up too bad to be honest, lots of scratches around and on the passenger side it looks at some point like the battery has leaked acid! Its eaten into the paint and sent the metal rusty. This is going to be sanded down, and painted. Now thats done ive also finally got the engine on the stand. Its at this point i really started to think as to just how big this project is! Ive got AEM air fuel ratio and boost gauges to fit as well as the loom. I also need to sort the original engine loom and slightly extend some wires to relocate the ecu box where the battery was, which leads me on to having to relocate the battery to the boot which means a running a cable through the car front to rear........ and thats just part of the whole thing! Got a few bits stripped off the engine on saturday afternoon... And the child in me did this little fast and furious quote ............ my mrs just shook her head at me 😂... Next up going to sand down that rust and prep the bay for painting. Im also going to get the AEM in and plan where im going to route the loom and how to extend the original slightly.

So once it was back in the garage i got it up on the stands ready to remove the gearbox. The power goals i have in mind would blow the standard tranny to pieces so the best option for me and what i want it for was to convert to manual transmission. This modification over in "merica" is very comon amongst the IS comunity, this is where i have got all my research, plans and ideas from. The best choice would be the v160 from mk4 supra but these are very rare and eye watering in price!! Other option was to used the cd009 from the nissan 350z with and adaptor plate but i wanted to keep this original with a toyota transmission. So this led me to use the r154 found in jzx10, chaser, mk3 supra....... list goes on. Very robust, proven to take big power, bit clonky and noisey but its good for the job and bolts straight up to the 2jz! So i didnt mess around, instead of going 2nd hand i just brought a brand new 1. I figured trying to get hold of a 2nd hand 1 and the price of a 2nd hand 1 just would not be worth it, it would need a refurb and even worse it coud be a completly shot gearbox. The dogs not to bothered 😂 Gearbox coming out.... Clap of the hands and this happens....... Once this was out i just trial fitted the r154 to see what would have to be done to make it work, this is when i hit a few road blocks. Firstly the rubber mount from the auto box on the cross memeber does not fit the r154. So i got myself an uprated megan racing rubber mount designed for the w58 gearbox this bolts straight up to the r154 and the original auto transmission cross memeber (good old toyota 👌). This now makes the cross member sit too far back! Then i noticed the gearstick is to far back to come through the body. This is the 3rd revision of the r154 and this particular 1 is for a jzx10 so its using the tripod style gear stick support. This would need changing to center the stick up This is what it would look like in relation to the trims when fitted... Not to worry as i have another option for this. Another reason why i trial fitted the r154 was to get the measurments for the prop shaft. Measured from gearbox rear seal to diff flange. The auto prop will not fit and the only real option is a custom made jobby. This part i ordered from america from a company called the driveshaft shop. Great customer service and did not have to wait long either. This work of art turned up..... Fits absolutly perfect, its alloy and weighs about 7kg, and can handle over 650whp! Game on, more to come shortly.

Hi as stated the IS 250 is a straight forward car to service ; if you use the correct tools (eg oil filter removal tool ) all the manufactures schedule can be carried out .There are guides on the internet and you can buy time on the Lexus site to access their workshop sheets . I maintain my own cars and the cars of the family ( 7 in total ) .I am a retired old school engineer with 60 years experience with cars and motorcycles so I have an advantage in this respect ,but if you take your time and ensure you follow safe working practice ,it can be done .This probably seems daft to some people to be crawling under cars at 77 but the more I see of todays work by ' technicians ' the more I want to do the job properly myself . Because of the prolonged time laying on the drive doing clutches and exhausts ,I no longer do these jobs Dave

We only paid £23k so perhaps the dirt ingress increase by 50% on the gummy pfledge note id second that, it's pretty good stuff although I'd only bought it with a view to protect the seals from frost might re apply this weekend and check again

Can't wait to see the photo's of your girlfriend's Mum!.

Ah you're missing out on the good life I suppose. Luckily my fingers don't get too dirty as I tend to use the touchless badge on the RX to open the boot so the red leather remains grub free. However, always handy keeping a stash of baby wipes in the boot for those odd occasions where you have to deal with the chore of pressing a filthy button.