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This is a Land Rover dealer so I wouldn't expect them to know all the details. Technically the Pioneer bit is correct, just not the 10 speaker part. Pioneer head units are used on ML systems - ML don't manufacture or alter those, ML just provide consultancy around speaker placement, and spec the amps and speakers.

Red does look good with the carbon...

2004 face lift with 253k miles. Drives like new 🙂

Now if any one on here should find themselves on this particular piece of driving and riding apparently joyous place 🤗 Keep a look out for this particular Rcf I'm guessing you'll hear it before you see it as it's fitted with an armytrix exhaust........🙉 Big Rat

Yes the 'F' range are a difficult sell, to the uninitiated, personally I love that element of exclusivity, exiting a roundabout only the day before yesterday into a section of road with 4 lanes to join the M5 in seconds I noticed a C63 a pair of C43 an Rs6, all fine cars in their own right but....... well you get my point. So anyway as regards these two Carbons I've checked my photo Archive and found this picture and some information regarding the red car, with that mileage I personally would consider it I have no information it was used other than press staging stills work and dealer demo. Cant find a picture of the Grey car but I know the private reg on it is RD07 TES and it was part exed for a New LC. The mieage is appropriate for the year which it many ways is a good thing, all cars need regular exercise........😏 And maybe the dealer has just reflected this in the price........ nothing strange in that........ other than it must be a world first for a dealer to do that 😂 Big Rat

Hi all, I've been investigating alternatives to purchasing air shocks/struts/bags individually from Lexus at between £700-800 each! Now I've found many suppliers of components but no-one that makes an aftermarket unit or it's constituent components specifically for the RX. Ideally, I'd like to get a failed sacrificial unit to strip down, measure the air bag and shock damper to see if I can contact good suppliers directly (Dunlop, Bridgestone, KYB etc.) and hopefully make a DIY refurb guide. Unfortunately I'm not made of money but would be willing to buy a failed rear unit if anyone has one in their garage? From what I can ascertain, the front units are different air bag "types" to the so there would have to be 2 guides. On a positive note, many people state the system is scary and complicated - before my research started I would have been inclined to agree but the more I learn, the more I see how simple the setups are! The big problems are lack of decent RX information and suppliers. Full aftermarket air strut kits (ie: 2 x Front, 2 x Rear units) for the RX are available at £1200 BUT before leaping into the unknown, I'd like to see if a refurb of the Lexus/Toyota parts are possible to keep things as stock as is possible. If anyone can provide further info, ie: front and rear air bag dimensions, types and if at all possible the original manufacturer (as Toyota/Lexus don't make air bags!) then that would be really useful. Thanks all, Chris

Essentially, where the speed limit in the UK is 60 mph and used to be 90 kmh in France, it is now 80 kmh. As of 1st July.

Hello everyone my name is John and I live in south Devon. Last month I acquired my first Japanese car in the form of a 2007 IS220d. I was forced to buy a car because I lost my job and company vehicle due to ill health. I have been a ford and vw man all of my life but have decided to go for something completely new to me. Enter the lexus...the kids love it, my partner loves it and so do I. I know it's not the best engine in the world but I do enjoy a challenge. I will be slowly making it perfect over my recovery time so will be looking for some advice in the near future. John

ok, @Big Rat! It will be a surprise for everybody 🤓🙊🐭

You can say that again... @Big Rat! All good things come to those who wait... 😇 Hopefully my new exhaust will be fitted by the time the date will be set 😜😁😉

It's turned into the 11 year anniversary ...

Have you driven a car with carbon brakes though? They aren't exactly great at low speed, feel unusual. TBF Porsche ones are pretty good but the ones coming out of nearly other manufacturer seem to be crap in town.

8. Put up with me................... before someone else mentions it

Won’t really be that easy to spot with all the other Blue RCF (base models) on the road 🤗

In addition, could I also suggest 1. Attending a course on sheep herding. This will help you get all attendees in the right place at the right time 2. Spending hours on Google maps / YouTube 3. Preparing yourself for some stress 4. Preparimg for the fact that even after days of route planning, and providing implicit navigational instructions (that could be followed by an Albanian goat herder in the dark), some attendees will insist on being sheep like and getting lost 5. Have a great sense of humour 😂 I’ve now organised at least 6 Lexus F driving events and numerous meets. It’s nothing but fun - I promise.......... 🤪

Our NX has just completed a trip to France and back. 600 miles each way with 700 miles running around whilst there (Total 1900 miles). Overall the brim to brim consumption was 46mpg. I was keeping to 62 - 65 mph on the motorways / dual carriageways and national speed limits elsewhere. What I did notice was that weight made a big difference. When we were driving around with friends in the car I noticed a drop of about 5mpg after days out. Similarly when travelling home on the return journey with a full load (wine etc) I was down by 4mpg. So, overall really pleased with the consumption figures. The car was very comfortable, really quiet and we felt far more relaxed after the end of a jorney than we did in our Audi Q3.

The passenger side bank on mine (2005 3GS), has a slight leak. Want to get it sorted before it becomes a severe leak. The car is 13 years old and has done 145k miles so will get both banks and all spark plug tube seals done at the same time. Lexus Leeds quoted £295. My indy, £136.

Many thanks, Phil, that is very helpful.

The adjusters on the shoe mechanism is adjusted after the drums are placed over the shoes . They are adjusted in sequence and have to be fine tuned or the shoes will bind when the parking brake is released or the car reverses with them contacting the drum. The correct way is to fit them in the lowest adjustment position ,fit the drum and then adjust the shoes alternative applications via the cog wheel until they bind then take them back a couple of segments on each cog wheel. The wheel should turn freely then apply the brake and release and if it still turns freely it is adjusted correctly. The cable adjustment is there to bring sufficient tension to the first adjustment level of the cog adjustment ,if the cog adjustment is at top and cannot be wound back the cable adjustment is too tight and needs taking back.

😂 I am not completely against that idea, but I would need someone to give me all the details of the last one

In the US Lexus provide full connectivity to most/all of their models, including the Fs. Unfortunately they don't in Europe, maybe due to demand, cost, difficultly of a single carrier agreement - who knows. There is a Wifi hotspot accessory you can have fitted, which the vehicle's infotainment system can attach to. Much easier to just use a phone IMO, and you don't need a second SIM/contract. http://blog.lexus.co.uk/hotspot-brings-wifi-to-your-lexus/

Personally I would bite the bullet, claim and then both vehicles are repaired without there being any hassle in the future. It is amazing how expensive a small amount of damage can be in the wrong area. A scuff on the front bumper and broken fixing clip on my wife's Fiat 500 was almost 2 grand because it was 3 coat pearlescent white paint. The cost of the paint was£400 alone. They did replace the front panel because he said that once it has flexed and stressed the micro crazing might cause problems a couple of years later if repainted. That was claimed on insurance and her premium has remained the same.

I saw the Lexus again going down the hill into Sennen Cove as I was staggering up after a few pints in the Old Success. It was a Thule rack.

I have a few times, but more on my bike. Sit on on one the two benches with a coffee from the little cafe. This week I met a bus going as I was driving to Treen. Bin lorry behind me and with the build up of cars it took quite a while for everyone to reverse.......

Wow, thank you for such a warm welcome. Iam so new to lexus I couldn't tell you what trim level mine would be but it has sat nav, mark Levinson audio, A/C, cruise control, 16' wheels and power folding mirrors also has cream interior with manual seats. This car has nearly 180000miles on it but after an Italian tune up to blow the cobwebs away it runs very well, unfortunately no service book or history so I am starting from scratch. Faults with the car currently is fuel gauge only reading half a tank when full and the handbrake is weak. Fuel economy does seem a little low but I am hoping to raise that with a full service and perhaps a remap aimed towards economy rather than power. The stereo didn't work when I got the car so after opening up the amp and finding a fried mess I bought a replacement from ebay. It sounds amazing now and definitely worth the money. Replaced rear tyres and rear brake pads only to find the handbrake is inside the disc so to help the handbrake out I will need a set of rear discs. I have ordered a genuine lexus full service kit for £60 on eBay Along with some custom fit carshades, the technicians manual for the car and a Bluetooth receiver for the Aux side of the stereo. I do enjoy finding out about a new car and the lexus is full of tricks to keep me occupied for a long time. My aim for this car is to keep it looking stock....except for some hub centric spacers perhaps.

doh, feel like a proper T*T. Should have checked Wikipedia first. Still nice car though.

Flytvr, thanks for quick reply. Just saved me £££££. What was the giveaway? Thought I'd found a rare is-f damn.

My IS 220d is on 177,000. Drives very well and my newest car. Daily a Volvo 940 2.3 LPT auto petrol on 196,000 and a 240GLT auto on 234,000. All run well. James.

Think they just struggle to sell them much like they do with all f cars. Folk are just VERY bought in to the m4 and c63 cars and the rcf doesn’t get a look in. Looked just now and the rcf is only 340lbs heavier than the dct m4. That’s nothing in cars these sizes. Also the m4 and c63 are more tunable so while they can’t lay down the power at all its bragging rights with hp stats.

Mileage seems to be a concern - a lot of these leases are starting to say 8000 miles per year or your face an excess mileage charge. There is no way I would buy a brand new car unless money was absolutely no object (come on lottery win!)

Glad you all enjoyed it. Quick snap on the mobile.

The last set I bought for a GS were very thin (genuine part). The garage said they needed replacing, but when the saw the new ones, they realised they didn't (they are only ever applied when the vehicle is stationary, so they never really wear, and hence only need a small amount of material). I'd guess a couple of mm. I'd have though the LS would be similar.

As I exepected. There are subtle differences in shoes' shape for models years and models, as far as I remember. Aftermarket manufactures care not much (Brembo should be ok, but who knows), aftermarket suppliers advert any [censored] care even less. I suggest to find shoes precisely for you car, for example in https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/lexusofficialstore or with any Lexus dealer maybe, this is not very expensive item. Or try to compare old and new shoes for every detail and shape, and adapt new ones if it will be possible.

A week from September 15, we stay just outside St Just.

New shoes have about 1/8 inch or 4 mm. John.

From what I understand, down changing with the paddles will only serve to top up the battery less that if you left it alone and used the brakes to slow yourself down. In normal deceleration, these engines keep the valves open to minimise engine drag. When you use the paddles to downchange (like the "B" mode on the original Prius), the valves work like they do on a traditional IC petrol engine and you get lots of drag which helps slow you down. The problem is that the more the engine slows you down, the less the regeneration system gets involved and therefore the slower the battery gets topped up. For maximum economy therefore, just leave it alone and use the brakes. Unless that it you want some fun, in which case have fun with the flappy paddles. There is also the time when the battery is full; I guess using the paddles then to downshift would slow you down with zero impact on ecomomy.

Final job recently, one that I didn't have time for at the 60K service was the diff oil change. The hardest part here was getting the car high enough that I can get underneath and also level so I get the right amount of oil in the diff. You will need a 10mm Allen key for both the fill and drain plugs. 2 litres of diff oil and two metal o ring washers for the plugs I also have a hand pump to put the oil in the diff, its a lot easier than messing with bottles and filling spouts. I always undo the filling plug first, no point in draining the diff if I can't get the filler open. both the filler and the drain and on the right hand side of the diff (viewing from the back of the car) the one circled in black is the drain, in yellow is the filler don't forget to clean the magnetic trap at the end of the drain plug put the drain plug back in, fill the diff up until the oil is flowing out of the fill hole and then reinsert the fill plug. its not a hard job to do, just awkward because you are working upside down and dealing with slightly smelly oils. the next big job will be the transmission oil change or the EGR cooler......be back soon

the basic idea behind the front and rear pad change is exactly the same, as is the disc change, the only thing to remember on the rear discs is that you have handbrake shoes, ill come on to that later. i'll start with the pad change as its the more common of the two. Jack the car up and support with axle stands first job is to push back the piston and ensure the sliders move smoothly, I have a set of water pump pliers and a large flat bladed screwdriver. The caliper carrier is held onto the hub with 2x17mm bolts and then there are 2x14mm bolts that connect the caliper carrier to the main caliper body once you have undone the two 14mm bolts you only need to remove the top one, leave the bottom one loose and it will act as a pivot Prise the old pads out, clean up the stainless steel pad springs make sure they are clean to the point of being shiny again, I smear a small amount of copper grease on the flat surface, other people use more specific things like 'padgoo' On the end of each of the old pads is a little curved piece of metal that slides onto the end of the brake pad backing, remember to remove them from the old pads and swap them to the new ones, if you don't you will certainly get pad rattle. Slide the pad into the caliper and put a small amount on copper grease on the backs of the brake pads to stop brake squeal. If you have aftermarket pads you may find them very tight to fit, sometimes the shoulders that sit in the caliper carrier need a little filing down, do it a little at a time until they fit with a small mouth of resistance, don't overdo it. refit the caliper body and do up the 14mm bolts to the required torque, I also use thread lock, again thats a personal preference. Repeat for the other side. Rear pad changes are the same as the fronts except the pads are slight smaller. Disc changes. If you are doing discs then you are also changing pads at the same time, I remove the pads in the same way as doing a pad change, and also push back the caliper, but in order to remove the disc the caliper carrier needs to be removed, this is held on the hub with 2x17mm bolts. once the carrier is removed the disc will not just pop off, it needs to be remove using two 13mm bolts that are screwed into the holes on the disc face it will let go.....eventually and sometimes with a Big Bang!, just be aware of that. I used a couple of old manifold studs to remove mine Clean up the hub assembly where the disc sits, it will allow the new disc to sit squarely on the hub. The rear discs are the same principle except for the rubber grommet needs to be removed in order to gain access to the adjuster mechanism. pop the grommet out and then place the hole at about the 10 to position, shine a light in the hole and there will be the adjuster, in order to back the adjuster off you will need a flat ended screwdriver and you will need to spin the adjuster anticlockwise until the handbrake shoes back off enough to allow the disc to slide over them. readjusting the shoes is the reverse of this, its a bit of trial and error, I try to set them up so theres a bit of drag but not too much, it took me a few attempts to get the right. whilst I had all my brakes apart I decided to repaint them all, first job was cleaning them all, I use trolls breath to get rid of the worse of the brake dust etc leave it to soak in for 5-10 mins and then agitate it with a small brush, then wash off with warm water, it works very well. I stripped the caliper carriers off the car and painted them on the bench the caliper was don't on the car, I didn't want to get into the joys of having to rebleed the brakes, I also took the time to really clean the pad springs a couple were damage so had to be bent back into place. then reassembly, caliper carrier all fitted up and ready to go at the same time I had cleaned the inside of the wheels, getting rid of 60K miles worth of crud and brake dust, sadly I didn't get any pictures of that I am really pleased with how they came out, the callipers now stand out a little and don't look all rusty and crappy

Next big job was the discs and pads all round. I had noticed how crappy looking the callipers were so I planned to paint the callipers whilst I was at it, before that though I also wanted to paint the non contact parts of the brake discs, again I can't stand rusty looking parts. Father in law came up trumps again, just shy of £250 for discs and pads all round. Ive used Blue print (ADT) brake parts in the past and had no issues with them at all, good value and last as long as OE First job, degrease and mask the discs once the inner and outer face of the disc is done then time for some paint, I use silver smoothrite And the same with the rears, but I have masked the contact area where the wheel mounts against the hub as I don't paint that surface once all of this was done it was time for the swap over

So blue is the new silver?

Mine has been driven a fair bit the last 10 days. Around 500 miles. i can't stop myself. Unlike other cars I've owned, I don't really care if it racks up the miles. It feels like a keeper.

Travelled around with Grandparents renovated a house in Cornwall, 2 in Birmingham one in Normandy France, lived in France for over 7 years and then moved to County Kerry, Ireland and renovated and extended a bungalow there and stayed for 2.5 years. Moved back to the UK and after a 18 months found a job as a maintenance man in a care home. Did that for 10 months and didn't like being on call and travelling all over the UK to cover their 4 other homes. Pay was £7.60 an hour and if the home was under 50 miles each way didn't get paid for travel time. Ended up setting up as self employed as Plumbing and Property Maintenance and enjoy the variety of work. Mostly last year decorating and bathroom renovations. I'm a fully qualified plumber and I certainly don't earn a lot. This tax year 10k but don't need a big income as live on my own narrowboat and have no wife or kids to support. Contentment in life counts more to me. James

80k miles and just over the border into Scotland after a great run from London

I love this post, I know I'll be doing this sometime in the future, and info on where to buy all the parts for the refurb?

Hi bben offered a complete air strut for my 2003 rx his came of rx350 2006 does anybody know if they fit ok look slightly different on pic but seem basically the same also anybody breaking a rx need front air tube to strut or at least connector to strut and a foot or so tube many thanks Richard

Hi Chris got a few options the push fit connectors once I have exact outer thread measured would work , only possible problem and cant see it being much of an issue would be instead of directing air direct into strut you would be filling the entire strut tube don't know if this will have an effect on height control switch or wether or not compressor keepd going until it gets to a desired pressure back at compressor but will let you know if I use this option

Just had a thought, I wonder if replacing the Lexus connector on the strut with a universal £2.19 "push to connect" fitting could work? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BSP-Female-Thread-Metric-Push-Fit-Pneumatic-Water-etc-/121183198969?var=&hash=item1c3714def9 That way you can chop off the standard fitting at the brass tube and just push he existing hose in to the new fitting...

More pics, after painting & siliconing... Bear in mind that these struts were only half as bad as the ones from my car and if yours are as bad as the ones I removed a few posts back in this thread, then I would recommend they are beyond refurbishing due to the sheer amount of metal you will have lost due to the infernal rust... However, this whole project for me was just to tide me over until I concoct a way of rebuilding the strut using some of the original OEM strut and aftermarket "bag over strut" air bags, so stay tuned!

Right so an update for those interested! Everything bolt wise and chassis wise on the Lexus RX is made from cheese (and not the good kind). My conclusions from refurbing a not so bad second hand air strut is that the struts don't fail easily and the design (if expensive) is actually very sound. The element that lets it down, is not the actual air bellow/Spring/bag but the metal or lack of treatment that causes the strut to disintegrate over time. First, let me scare you a little if you have a 10+ yr old RX SE-L (see pics) this can only be attributable to a part designed deliberately to fail once it hits a certain age. Decent treatment or paint could have avoided this! My original strut (offside rear)...

I think all air setups will wear over time (just like normal shocks & springs) but have more components and most bits are very expensive to replace. I think trouble is most mechanics, including the Lex dealers, are a bit clueless when it comes to fault finding air suspension issues and like to replace multiple bits hoping to eventually stumble across the failed part at some point (or until customer can't afford the "fault finding" process any more!) I know mine is currently giving message c1751 in an error code which means something like "compressor circuit continuous current". So, let's swap out the air compressor for £1300, eh? Simple fix or so it would seem? When I reset the code, the compressor and solenoids work fine! Odd that! So, what could the cause be then? When looking at each air strut, I had one that loses air almost as quick as it is put in by the compressor (most likely a split/tear in the air bag on the strut now it's 12yrs old and 108k miles use). This causes the air compressor to be run longer than it's programmed "safe" value of 99seconds (to protect it from overheating and breaking, good job when they are that expensive!) and log the c1751 error. The suspension computer then disables the air system for 10 mins or 3 engine starts, warm ups and then shut downs, before re-enabling the system to see if the fault remains (weird terrain and other issues may have caused the error rather than something breaking/wearing out). If the fault persists, the air system is then disabled for 70mins of continuous driving or another 3 start/warm up/shutdown cycles. As all of my struts are not currently holding the air pumped into them, the compressor doesn't get a signal from each wheel height controller to the compressor saying "I have enough air thanks, I don't need any more, you can turn off now", the poor compressor stays on until the computer freaks out at the 99 second count and shuts it off. My current frustration is sourcing replacement air bags for the struts. A £100 repair for almost all air suspension cars except my RX as Lex will only sell the whole strut (which includes strut tower, shock absorber and air bag) for £600-800 depending whether front or rear (fronts cost more)... I haven't found out who makes the bag component for Lexus struts so can't source a replacement that way (yet, maybe!) but a lot of household name companies (Bridgestone, Dunlop, Firestone etc) make air bags... The above also holds true if your air bags are fine and a shock absorber has failed (leading to ride problems) - the shock absorber cartridge or whatever you call it on a normal car setup would just be replaced for a few quid, but on the air suspension the KYB shock part/model is not listed, so you've guessed it, gotta replace the whole air strut! (Hey, at least I know KYB make it, so there is some hope!!) Sorry if I have bored you all! Chris.