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Yes, its amazing how easy it is to get disorientated. Mind you a few drivers this morning drove me nuts. One decided that she didn't want to turn off the road into a car park to wait for someone she was picking up, and promptly parked her car in the middle of the main road through town at some pedestrian lights blocking the road for everyone else. A brainless family, led by "dad" then stepped out 20ft in front of us without looking (they were only 20 yds from the same pedestrian crossing!) and I thought for a moment even at 10mph, I was going to lock up and take them all out as they looked around and just stood there! A few choice words of advice were given! Another parked across the turning into where we live to make a phone call, engine running, and partially blocked the whole turning. Some people shouldn't be allowed out behind the wheel this weather. Roads are seldom so bad (unless it's hard packed ice) that it prevents a competent driver getting about here in the South West. It's always the drivers who haven't a clue how to drive in these conditions that cause the problems. If they lack that much confidence or are that inept then they shouldn't be out and about creating unnecessary hazards for those who are competent and careful.

Another service and mot today at Lexus Reading, sailed through...

Reminds me of when I had my old ratty Vauxhall Vectra in the snow years ago. A VW 4x4 driver was trying to get up a slight icy/snowy incline using the Jeremy Clarkson method (more power!). He was making no progress on this slight incline and spinning all 4 wheels. In fact he went backwards more than forwards. I got fed up and pulled out around this idiot in my ratty front wheel drive car and drove past with non-spinning wheels gripping the snow and ice. He just looked out of his window dumbfounded... This weather does bring out the more thoughtless and inconsiderate drivers. Mind you, my driving instructor was a bit of a comedian. On my lessons where it had snowed, he used to get me to drive up onto the moors and then tried to find the worst icy hill for me to climb. I generally got up all of them. Those were the days back when we had real snow. 8ft banks either side of the road.

Yellow Snow Warning.

Just taken my wife to the railway station. In her RX350, snow button on and her Nokian Weatherproofs. Could get through anything! Side roads bad - felt like a sunny summer day! 🤗

Have it tracked on a American 'Hamilton machine'. It will track what is there, and print out a reading as to what is within, or outside spec. Then they adjust it to factory settings with the steering wheel at 'dead straight normal'. Then the set it up, and print another printout showing it is all within spec. Takes about 30 mins and costs about £45-50. F1 Autocentres https://www.f1autocentres.co.uk/ have done about 3 different cars for me and been very good. When you leave having had it done, the car tracks the road like a dead straight bullet.

The tyres make a difference too. I think the OEM's were Bridgestone Potenzas which I recently had removed from my car and they are very torque steery. My new BF Goodrich Urban Terrains don't have this issue at all. They are much grippier in the wet than the Bridgestones too so maybe that explains why they don't slither around.

This was the view outside this morning for us. Minor roads buried, drifts on main roads on high ground and all untreated side roads under 5 or 6 inches of snow. Used a motorbike hot air dryer to blast the snow off the car (could have been made for the job!), was one of the first vehicles on our untreated side road to make it onto the mains road this morning. Drove the Mrs in to town to do the weekly shop, came back and will be firing up the workshop heater ready for a late work start this morning! Even on the Avon ZX7 summer tyres, the rx450 had no problems. Left it in snow mode and it pulled us out of a few iffy hard packed snow areas, slowly but surely. Over virgin snow it's a doddle. Just had to be careful as some of the kerbs weren't visible!

take care with where you travel and the specific local LEGAL need for winter tyres or chains in parts of Italy until maybe April sometime if I remember from my trip a few years ago ! Malc

I seem to remember seeing a couple of YouTube videos on this, and I think there's a surround you can get from the US that matches the grey. A bit of research and digging I think. I'm interested in something like this myself so I'll let you do all the hard work first!!

Dear Esteemed Peers, I have returned once more to the fold. I left when I sold M420HPC (Gary Lineker's old motor) and I sulked, moped and rued the day I sold it. I have another one, it hasn't quite the charm of the first but then it didn't cost £500 and I haven't V-maxed it on a french dual carriageway yet. It is all the things the old one was and more (some is good, some bad). It is brisker. It is better nailed together. The brakes aren't wobbly and by heck are they strong. It is rustier. It has brighter lights. It has touch screen satnav. However, in essence it is still the same fun car the old one was. The rust I am having sorted before it becomes a true pig. The inner rear arches are (I now know) prone to tin-mice and this one has had it bad. Paying someone to chase all the rust away, fabricate new panels, weld through primer everything he can reach behind the rust, weld the new panels in/on, seam seal, paint and then underseal. That will be the biggie done. I hit a pheasant at close to 3 figures on a private road the pther day and that obliterated a xenon headlight. £30 later, I had a spare one from ebay. I ran the restorer pads and compounds over it and it is as new. Will self-service it from here on. Won't be using it till the rust is treated but I am please to be back. Best, F

Not my car thankfully but I was browsing Gumtree looking at RX's and found this one for sale. The engine starts but it has no drive so I just wonder what that could be. The only thing that I can think of is that there is an electrical issue causing a break in communication between the gearstick and the gearbox or the planetary gearset has broken. I've never come across a failed gearbox on a 400h before so I thought that I would share it. The car does appear to have a towbar on it albeit with no towball attached so maybe the gearbox could have overheated as a result of towing something heavy but again a very rare event indeed. https://www.gumtree.com/p/lexus/2006-lexus-rx-400h-3.3-se-cvt-5dr-auto/1324610681

Yeah, wasn’t implying necessarily that the tracking was out, just that it can be adjusted to the correct angles, even with the steering rack not centred. The turns to full lock in both directions will just tell you whether the rack is definitely centred or not :) If you are lucky, it is, and it’s just the steering wheel needs moving as that’s the cheapest option. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I have been lexus driver for past 3 years so i have orgasam everytime i get in them 😂

That is plain crazy - the website https://www.lexus.co.uk/car-models/is/prices-and-specifications/# has the various grades such as Executive, Advance etc. with a specification and yet when you download the price list doc from the page it is totally different specs. To be collecting a car last month from the dealer built for you with the website still showing something completely different for someone looking to order today is just madness. Someone at Lexus UK is clearly not on the ball and you have every right to be extremely annoyed unless they gave you the full details of the specs the car would be built to when you placed the order - I would be livid. A case for mis-selling? If you get no joy from Lexus UK (who have clearly screwed up with the website and maybe the brochures, but haven't seen those) I would be off to Trading Standards...

Be very, very, very careful Vince as you sound as if you are the sticky slopes to a motoring orgasm. Please report back when all sensory perceptions have subsided and you are back in the land of the living !!

Update getting 48.5mpg around town and motorway better than NX which was 35mpg the lane departure is brill gets some getting used to as it actuals drags the car back into lane love how it picks up car in front on mway and follows it in lane auto heat seats great idea as switching on and off for you same with steering wheel the ride is like on air you get out of car feeling relaxed and chilled You sit slightly higher up than a normal saloon so good position dont feel cramped especially in back with bags of room and my back seats recline which is fab Everyone that as been in it says it is a luxury limo way better than the germans and jags and these are people who own these type of cars will update further vince

Congratulations...CLIFF. The answer to your question is yes it was written on Widnes station!

I drove in France last year for 2 weeks and left the AFS switched on. Also didn't fit any kind of "beam deflector" as the LS430 has flat beams rather than the silly inclined ones fitted to most cars. Didn't get flashed once so yer not likely to be blinding people with the lights, unless yer on high-beam. 😀

should be simple enough to straighten up, it sometimes happens when a (not very good) wheel alignment is carried out, they should ensure steering wheel is in the 'neutral' posistion before making any ajustments and then make sure it is still like it afterwards! paul m.

Thanks Herbie - just starting my Googling journey - so will check these out too! 😀

Thanks simon,mines a bit worse than a crooked picture,mines more like when the Titanic was going under.

Hi Given that there’s nothing amiss with your suspension...you’ll need to get it to a tyre place to straighten via the steering arms and check the geometry. Some shops have difficulty in getting it right so test it before you drive off...mines a tad off and it’s like looking at a picture, crooked on the wall.🤪

I went to see a car that this dealer had about a year ago and nothing inspired me to go for it. His description didn't match the car at all I'm afraid, and I think his prices are high from what I saw. He often has older LS's that look poor.

When new, my car used to do 43 miles to the gallon. As the years went by, this figure kept going down and by coincidence when a maintenance item was carried out according to the maintenance service schedule. eventually it dropped to 40.4 miles to the gallon and two months ago, I used to get " check VGRS system " and the car would not start on the first time. I used the techstream and no trouble codes were present and the VGRS system was ok. However there was a message that the 12v battery was low with only 10 volts. I charged the battery to the full and the car started without any codes. It run for a few minutes and the engine stopped, normal behaviour. After a few minutes , the engine started again and it should not have done since the car was stationary in the garage. This only meant that the 12v battery needed to be charged. A check on the battery revealed 10 volts. I had the battery checked and it was not up to specification. I put a new 80Ah ordinary battery and not the original Panasonic and the car now does 42.5 miles to the gallon. I was convinced that the hybrid battery was in need of maintenance and I was planning to do so in a couple of months when the weather improves. I never thought that a bad 12v battery would make so much difference in the fuel economy. Chris.

Rumour has it that Simon and Garfunkell composed " Sound of silence" whilst travelling in the back of an LS400 Taxi in NY !

Good motorway run .... Manchester to London... I will see around 50 MPG. Road trips across Europe, I'm getting about 42MPG. With a new job, my commute has changed to a 11 mile, 11 MPG average hour drive each way. I'm averaging just over 30MPG a day.

Someone ( not me or anyone I know!) is selling a PDF version ( will get emailed to you I guess) on eBay for a tenner! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lexus-LS400-XF10-XF20-1989-2000-Workshop-Service-Repair-Manual/283360593916?hash=item41f99b87fc:g:vBkAAOSwnipWbqaR dunno if it covers your car but only just been listed. paul m.

Amazing isn't it, how roads and junctions one drives every day suddenly become totally unfamiliar? Trying to judge the kerb even when walking isn't easy. Nearly came a cropper a couple of times!!

Bad enough here the road edges have disappeared, still snowing hard too.. I'm going nowhere

Yes, we've got it quite bad here in West Sussex which is unusual. I see the worst is the A30 at Bodmin, I hope it doesn't last, I'm off to Cornwall next week!

What you are showing here is the details of your "Software Update", and the I.D. for that; which is different to your map update version. What you need to find is MAP DATA, if you search in under NAVI, or under SETUP > NAVi, you will find the details of your current version in this format:- " MAP DATA Map Version: 02 – 12 – 52 [2012 – 06 – 2]" At least you will be able to check the date of your previous update - (as above - that had been updated 02/06/2012.) I believe, as with the 2013 model, that your car will have the Multimedia Device:- EMVN Premium Navigation. As such, this version is not available on the https://www.lexus-mapupdates.eu/Shop/Index - as it will tell you "to obtain, contact your dealer". Take my word for it, for this model car, don't waste your time and money buying a 'spare' DVD from ebay, as with this system Lexus has (to me) an ultra-secure install - you will need a unique License number, generated by Lexus, unique to the car and the DVD. The bottom line is, the genuine Lexus Update is expensive, but this is an expensive car - £50K + new. I believe the Navigation system is an integral part of the car, and as such the update was worth doing for me. If your Map Update version is the original (it could be showing a date in 2013), and if you will get benefit from the many detailed map updates over the last 5 years, it may be worthwhile for you.Some Lexus dealers will do the update at slightly better prices, so it is no harm checking around.

Wow, the Premier pack adds 18" wheels (no idea what they look like, but assuming like the current Premier Grade) - Fancy "3 eye" LED lights and a heated steering wheel! Wasn't expecting those goodies!

As always nothing is straightforward. Apparently replacement wheels are not available so Lexus will pay for full professional refurbishment. According to dealer they would usually send them away, but they are researching a mobile repair at my home (dealer is 180 miles round trip). In view of the location of issue at wheel hubs t am less than keen. I have suggested that my local dealer get the work done as they will lend me a car for a week while wheels are away. No doubt will hear shortly.

Oh, the irony. The car that seemed pretty much ignored by everybody with under 300 cars sold in the UK last year is stirring up lots of emotions and splitting opinions. 35 pages and counting, average 25 messages per page so almost 900 expressions of members like me that feel they have to contribute in one way or the other. It all seems to boil down to the end of an era. from V6 to Hybrid 4. From RWD to FWD, From a designated 5 series beater designed by engineers, that propably was never understood, to an upmarket version of the Avalon designed by the marketing department. The writing is on the wall, The Death Of The Sedan. This segment is shrinking rapidly so large investments will flow into other models ( SUV/Crossovers) that sell like hot cakes regardless of price. LF1 - RXL - RX - NX - UX and the US dealers now asking for a halo SUV model above the LF1 to compete with the prime example of bad taste the escalade. How will the Lexus portfolio look in 5 years time? Better get your hands on a second hand GS 6 or 8 pot before they are gone!

I nearly purchased an RX400 seemingly a good price low milage. 79k https://www.gumtree.com/p/lexus/lexus-rx-400-h/1325864041 Did an HPI, Declared total write off in 2014. You would think this would be criminal. Andrew

On the HPI it states RX400. I did notice that the discription was copied and pasted from somewhere. The seller had no V5 and was allegedly awaiting a new one in a day or 2. This was a red flag so refused to depart with a deposit. We settled on £7300 although I had monies for a deposit, I thought a HPI check was the next sensible step. I really hope one one falls for this scam. Andrew

AD also states Silver with black leather??

It's not illegal but it is being economical with the truth. That's the good thing about the Autotrader website/app in that it will show if a car has been a total loss and what category it was. Maybe that's why this car was advertised on Gumtree instead! That said always do your own checks for insurance loss and outstanding finance regardless of which site the car is advertised on. As long as it's been professionally repaired then there will be no safety issues but being written off does affect it's value after being put back on the road. Did the HPI report say it was a 400 or 450?

It should be recorded on the V5 on the front page that it's been a right off.

From the Government website for MOT checks and history here : https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/ with this reg: YS08OLN please note the third symbol is ZERO and the fifth the letter O It seems like RX450h and this is RX400h. Not sure what is going on. The best is to report the gumtree ad if you think this car is not genuine.

Good that you did an HPI check but that link now shows 404 Page Not Found. Can you put the reg number up for info? EDIT: forget that Andrew, it's now alright and I can see the plate which looks like YS08 DLA possibly?

Thank you both

I have one of these with my own software on it: https://geolink.io/opentracker.php Works great and imho much better than any of the expensive commercial options.

I don't have the CT wiring diagram to hand but I doubt there is one, there isn't on other modern Lexus vehicles as it is directly driven via a flasher unit within the instrument cluster. There will be a fuse, in the engine bay I believe on the CT, but is shared with the indicators so if they are working then the fuse should be good.

Good News! Just had a phone call from the Supplying Dealer to say that Lexus are going to replace all four wheels as the car is so new. They will be in touch again once the logistics are sorted.

A ~30psi tyre exploded and killed someone? 😏 Edit: wow.. apparently it’s true! Didn’t think tyres would explode until well north of 100psi, or that 30psi would have enough power to actually kill someone! http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8600833.stm