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Not a bad clip ...

So here we go my very own build thread, I though I should keep you lovely people updated on the progress of my IS. In my introduction to the forum I mentioned a few problems when I first purchased the car. The mark Levinson amp had blown so a replacement was sourced from eBay for £110 and was a quick plug and play replacement. Definitely worth it for me atleast as there is only one thing I love as much as cars and that's music. Next up the rear tyres were about to give up and so were the rear brake pads so replaced the tyres and the pads but found that the calipers were sticking on their sliders so have cleaned them up and are sliding fine. I was very surprised to find a set of brake shoes inside the discs which are solely for the handbrake. I will get around to replacing the rear discs and shoes when my bank balance recovers a little bit. Then there was the matter of no service history, I bought a genuine service kit from eBay for £60 and went about doing what I could. Replaced the air filter and pollen filter both had dates on them for 2016 so it looks like it was loved recentlyish. Note the pollen filter lives behind a flap at the back of the glove box. I haven't been able to replace the oil, oil and fuel filters yet as I can't really get on the ground like I used to so my friend with a ramp is going to tackle those for me. As for the service history I downloaded the MY LEXUS app on my android phone and once registered I can view all the service history lexus holds for the car....very helpful. And now for the strangest 'fault' my fuel gauge only reads half when it's full ! I downloaded the workshop manual for the car and found it has 2 fuel senders in the tank 1 for each side of the car but one is part of the fuel pickup pump assembly. After getting the locations and correct resistance readings I checked them both and found that the fuel pickup pump was open circuit and needed replacing. So I sourced one on eBay £30 and today got to work but what I found was odd to say the least. There is NO float, float arm or circuit to feed it on the pump ! The part numbers are exactly the same so I don't even know how or why this happened but its fixed now and reading a full tank.

Very easy to install, 20mm spacers do not require you to change out your studs, so it's a straight forward installation. Takes minutes. the only thing I've noticed while driving is the sharpness in turning. That's pretty much it. Yes, the Viper is mine. It's a 1st Gen early 93 with 7k miles on the clock. She's my pride and joy.

Ah that's interesting, if the whole caliper has excessive play then changing this 'bush' can't hurt. I guess the pins could also be worn but rubber wears quicker than metal 😉 I bought my 'bush' in a kit; https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/REAR-BRAKE-CALIPER-REPAIR-KIT-FOR-LEXUS-GS300-GS430-GS450H-IS250-IS300-TOYOTA/123263904168 You might be able to get that bush from the dealer but my local stealer parts department isn't great e.g. didn't know what a PCV was, so I've steered clear since. Take a look on the likes of Rock Auto, 7zap, etc for the part# and have a hunt around.

Thanks. Yes that is what i noticed, i told the garage that there is more movement on the NSR caliper than that on the OSR, the OSR has very little to no play but the NSR moves alot more than I was expecting it to. the garage checked it and said its tight and fitted correctly. Is this a dealer only part or will ECP stock this kind of part? Thank you for all the suggestions guys, it gives me something to talk about when i next see the garage

@usuf_x / Yousaf, You say that your calipers move a bit, which is consistent with mine. However my NSR recently developed a knock when the hydraulic brakes kicked in at low speeds. Whilst inspecting I noticed that the caliper itself had more movement than the OSR. So I replaced the top caliper to carrier 'bush', which is a rubber guide for the top pin/slider. Here's one; https://www.ebay.com/itm/4787930300-Genuine-Toyota-BUSH-CYLINDER-SLIDE-NO-1-FOR-REAR-DISC-BRAKE-/182382085127 This has solved my issue and may help yours?

@Comedian Personally I prefer this......... Big Rat

As far as I have seen GS450h rear pads and callipers, they are similar to mine GS430 (Sumitomo system), so: most critical to avoid annoying rattle are proper "fitting elements" - set of ridiculously complex springs, brackets, etc. properly installed around the pads. In every GS I bought half of them were missing or broken or wrong installed. Ask your garage about... something like in this link: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/REAR-Brake-Clip-Pin-Fitting-Hardware-Kit-Fits-LEXUS-GS-GS300-GS430-GS450h-05-11/302829831534

Here's your answer: LINK TO YOUTUBE I don't expect this to be any different on a Lexus hybrid.

This ISF has popped up for sale near by me, and I was wondering if it's former owner is on here. https://www.prestwoodgarage.com/used-lexus-is-stourbridge-west-midlands-1654547 It still has it's private plate on it and has the 'rarer' sunroof option.

And if you do phone the dealer please ask how much a 60k service is and report back please. I'd be interested to compare Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

Don't panic - he's a GOLD MEMBER and can do these sort of things!

Wow...you've still got them? I was thinking of a second set for winter, if I get an isf.

Have you done the two black ones in the front grill?

I think you missed the point a little - pins are one thing (with rubber or not, as discussed above), BUT those "wire" springs (look like mad japanese wire H knots) are for stabilisation pads against pins and callipers. Without them everything rattle. They have to be inserted with pins and pad, and in very proper positions, don't ask me what exactly in GS450, my GS430 has different "springs" for fitting pad.

@d3ron Deron yes mate thought so looking at the MOT history of the car confirms its from the Emerald Isle, in that it has no MOT history on the mainland apart from the last one. Ive no pictures or videos of the car bearing either of those places matey. 🐀

Thanks for that. Gave them a call, it's been on a private plate since new and they don't have the original '08' plate reg. The original private plate it was on for 8 years was VBZ200, which would tally with your Irish connection.

This thread and that rather annoying man on YouTube were very much on my mind last week during the family trip from Sheffield to Cornwall. Somewhere on the A30 and I realised we were running on fumes. The needle was below the red and I hadn't even noticed that or the little light. This is what happens when you're spoiled by years of range displays in Volvos etc.

Hi @Tevron, sorry to see that your zoorst fell off 😞 It looks like it's failed completely at the rear Y section, which is where mine was leaking from last year. The car still ran quiet with this fault so I understand how you didn't spot the issue earlier. I went up to Tony Banks (Leeds) and he made me a completely new middle/rear section for considerably less than an OEM equivalent. Good luck getting it resolved and let us know how you get on.

yes these are the pins that to me look like are the culprits, when the wheel was off these moved around and made a similar kind of noise whilst driving, the garage did put grease around them to but that hasn't worked. will see what the garage says or maybe go to a different garage and get a 2nd opinion but my only free times are the weekends.... Do we have any forum members who own a garage or are mechanics?

I think the regs actually do deem this illegal as the manufacturer (Lexus) have provided a very practicable vertical mounting "(3) This paragraph requires the plate to be fixed— a)vertically or, where that is not reasonably practicable, in a position as close to the vertical as is reasonably practicable," http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001/561/part/II/made

there's a market for everything ... my bro-in-law bought a pristine Austin Cambridge estate ( 1960's) for £10k some months back, rare as hens teeth, beautiful car ....... just had to spend £8500 on a new engine and gearbox and welding to make it properly driveable ............. cost £18500 .... realistic value right now about £8500 . and it's probably going up for sale . he's past the fun stage and wants to recoup some of his dream car costs ! One or twoLls400s are possibly like this tbh Being an ex car dealer I know people get rather carried away with their dream and spend fortunes on cars .. the full respray etc costing £10k on a car only worth £5k even after all the love and affection/attention ..............full nut and bolt re-build, spending £100k on a car worth, well, say £85k................. reality eventually sinks in I'm afraid BUT some are really good value, especially those where someone else has spent all the money and are available to buy on their resale Malc

Good find: interesting (if drawn-out) video. I'd have expected it to go a little further on battery, though. I wonder if long term battery health is affected by running them low? Probably not, as it seemed to stop before the batteries were dead flat. On my rx, the battery charge fluctuates in normal useage between 90% and , erm, well I'm not sure how low I've seen it go - maybe 20 to 30%?

@NothernDan Dan I’ve always said it your a very nice young man 👍 Looks promising for me as a result of a customer conversation last night...... involved steak and alcohol 🤡 🐀

29th of September my dear partially sighted rodent friend. Full details very soon which may be slightly modified after Saturday's recon mission.

As you live in the Midlands try MIJ on Pleck road Walsall. They specialize in stainless exhausts at very competitive prices with a lifetime guarantee. If you fancy a DIY approach there is a thread of mine on hear of how to build your own exhaust. It's not as difficult as you may think

Hello and welcome to the LOC. Sorry to hear of your exhaust problems unfortunately Lexus moved from stainless steel systems (which tend to last the lifetime of the car) to mild steel. The section you will need consists of both rear boxes and the connection pipework to the mid section, Lexus price is around £600.00 but a better and cheaper option would perhaps be a custom made stainless steel replacement. The link below lists several companies on ebay who offer this service or maybe try a google search for where you live. https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=lexus+rx450h+exhaust&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR1.TRC0.A0.H0.Xlexus+gs450h+exhaust.TRS0&_nkw=lexus+gs450h+exhaust&_sacat=0

I can’t find the longer clip which I am sure exists. This is just the summary. It does tally with other track reviews re strong brakes, stable cornering etc

@Holmsey24 The Orange is great virtually every market the Rcf is sold in...... except here gets it except us 🙄 🐀

AMCI got a nice cheque from Lexus for that one 🤣

It may be that the files that you have stored are not in a format that the car can read. I did have an issue where a memory stick that I was using suddenly stopped working. To fix it I deleted everything and then reformatted it on a computer and copied the files back again and it has been fine since then. I think there are a few glitches with the Sat Nav and media player. I had a software update done on mine but that was a few months ago and so hopefully your car should be up to date anyway if it is new.

That’s exactly the look I’m after! I don’t want the thread hijack too much, but how do you find them? Easy to install, any noticeable difference whilst driving? Is that your Viper? 😮

Once more I have adapted the jacking plates I made a few years back and so far have used them on 4 cars including the GS450h I have just bought. As usual the sill flanges on my car were buckled as I expected, the fronts significantly more than the rear. The car is 6 years old and as such the effects of swing arm damage was obvious. This can be down to mis aligning the swing arms and not getting them centrally on the sill flange. The huge weight of the car is often just too much to be supported on an area of steel no longer than 4 inches by only a quarter of an inch thick . If members use dealers for servicing etc on a regular basis I suggest you have a look at your own car's sill flanges were the car is officially to be jacked up. If they are folded flat or distorted it will be down to how the car was raised. I'm guessing a lot of members have their own methods to support the car when working at home, wooden blocks, adaptions to their trolley jacks etc but when it goes to a dealer and/or a garage the car is at the mercy of the technician and how careful he/she is. Four poster drive on car lifts raise the whole car on it's own wheels so no undue load is placed on the car. I agree it is easier for a technician to work on a car when it is raised on the sill flanges and the wheels are hanging but the manufacturer's simply don't give the right amount of strength to the sill flanges to avoid buckling. The jacking plates now fitted on my car are not actually for the benefit of garages, although they always find it easier to raise the car as there is no guesswork where the swing arms should be located. No, the jacking plates are for me to quickly remove wheels when required, cleaning etc. The full load of the car in each corner is fully supported and doubly so when a trolley jack is used. My jacking aid is removable quickly as the main body of the device is held in place by 2 bolts. Very similar to how a car is fitted on a body jig during accident damage repairs when the car is held on it's sill flanges. The bolts pull the bracket against the sill flange as they tighten. The round foot screws to the bracket. The blue tape makes them visible to the technician.

Do you mean IS-F wheels on IS250 or Bola wheels on IS-F... I am not clear at all what you asking 😄

Hi John, Hope you get well soon and the Lexus does you proud. I bought a 2006 IS 220d too. off ebay for £1,475 and over 4 months and 2,400 miles no issues. Mine has now done 177,000 miles but 4 year Lexus and rest independent history. Last Tuesday went straight through MOT and no advisories. Emissions 0.17 allowed 1.5. Installed a new Nissens AC condenser and now have working AC. Mine is the basic model. Performed fantastic on my weeks holiday of 762 miles in 28+ degree heat on the Isle Of Wight. The more you drive it you soon get used to the gearing. Main thing give it a good run and avoid short journeys and 6th gear. James

Welcome John. Sorry to hear about your situation and best wishes for a swift recovery. Good luck with the IS220, keep us posted with progress - don't forget the pictures though

Thanks for the suggestion John. Perhaps, when it cools down a little, I will have a go at fitting some.

😜 I got about 200k miles on many 20+yr cars and never had new callipers AND never re-greased or dismantle them yearly, only when pads/discs changed. Only lexuses in my scope (and toyotas too, I presume). So maybe this advice it very good here, but not common. We are not in 1958 (even 1995 was not in 1958), when commonly you had to grease ten points around the wheel, steering and suspension every 3000 miles 😝

John, thanks for suggestion. My current GS was squelling beast, I put some copper grease and it is better but not perfect yet, maybe I should follow your advice. Or, maybe I would try my old idea, never tested, cut some "pads" from copper or bronze foil to replace steel anti-vibration "pads" behind pads. In theory it could quiet anything and everything, I presume. But I am lazy dude, not inventor.

You can buy self adhesive pads on line that stick on the rear of the pads, and in the past I have found them very effective. Also you can buy "pad goo" a special grease that does not dry out like copper slip. Both items can be had for well less than £5. John

Mine was serviced 2 weeks ago by Lexus and, during service they noted my handbrake was not holding anything and that one of my rear Calipers had seized and needed stripped down. They did both jobs, without charge, as part of the service. No mention of a new Caliper. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

John @Britprius, well done your calipers look dandy now [emoji106]

One of the main problems for Lexus caliper pins 'seizing' is that they are not attended to in any of the service schedules, and if Lexus come across a siezed unit they will only recommend replacement! Which is as already mentioned 'not cheap' so as a preventative measure I have come to accept that inspection and greasing of the pins on a regular basis is the way forward. I accept that this may be a bit of a pain but it does not require any 'special' tools and after doing it a few times the job does not take very long. I will be doing mine every six months so hopefully won't have to inquire about replacement calipers!!! paul m.

This topic reminded me that I have not checked my brakes for nearly a year. So having some spare time yesterday I decided to check them out as the brakes had started to squeal in reverse. There were no problems with the fronts or rear NS, but the OS lower slide pin was seized to the extent that it took considerable force to hinge the caliper on the pin. After much work freeing off the caliper pin I cleaned everything up, and re greased the pins. While I was at the brakes I descided to paint the calipers, and disc centres adding "Lexus" logo's to the front calipers. Unfortunately I ran out of paint for the front disc centres. paint used was Aldi silver metallic a very close match to the wheel colour, and only £1-95 a can. The results are shown below, and the squeal has gone.

I managed to repair one of my calipers this way but when I found the cheap ones, I just replaced both with new.

Maybe, but IMHO it is an overkill (and bad mark for Toyota; I never have a car before anybody even think to remove and grease callipers pins every year). But I agree, pins (and even cylinders) are weak points here, I got problems in both previous GSes. In my mind - if you free up callipers succesfully: 1) newer use old pins nor cylinders, nor any old rubber around them, always immediately replace ALL "small parts" 2) good pro grease (and big load of it), and MOST important 3) keep an eye on "seals", dust covers, any missed or ignored damage guarantee problem with elder calliper in months.

I was going to say what John has said above - Calipers from Lexus are not a bad price It might be an idea to remove, clean and regrease the pins every year - this will proling their life

Looks like nobody is going to own up to this one! 🤣

Don't trust fuel gauges especially in hot weather get a taxi home and get your wallet or borrow a tenner

Ensure the disc to hub face is scrupulously cleaned...