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Showing content with the highest reputation on 02/16/2019 in all areas

  1. Wanted to get the V6 plugs changed but everything I've read says it's a nightmare job, fiddly, 4 hours, difficult and v expensive😶 So bought the oem plugs from Lexus Birmingham on ebay, £70 instead of £100 plus from Dealer, and took the car off to two guys who've looked after my Lexus cars for more than fifteen years off and on. 1 hour later Pete and Lates have changed all six plugs using the 'remove wipers, arms and entire cowl but leave plenum/manifold in place' method 🙂 tbh I was stunned and impressed. Lexus book time for the job is iirc 4 hours. So quality work at a great price. What more do you want....? A few pics:
    5 points
  2. Sounds like a goodun and well worth the TLC you're giving it. I'd love to try an older 300 or 350 now I've got used to my 450.
    2 points
  3. And the bonus is we put the car on the lift to have a good look underneath. Checked the spare and it is a brand new full size spare on matching original Lexus alloy! Cushtie as some might say....
    2 points
  4. I know your right,i just hate not being able to do things myself.I just don't want to admit i can no longer do the things i could do,i don't want to be charged a fortune to be told it'll cost a fortune to fix.Bought with 11 month mot,so far new altinator £148.00 fitted by me,new battery £60 quid,gonna have to fit a timing belt kit for piece of mind £150 quid.i just expected to be driving it.But yes,i know both you and Tulpin are right.
    2 points
  5. The sensor is just a variable resistor so I'd say the internal connections need cleaning. You need to get it off the car and on the bench, clean everything up inside and measure the resistances against the manual. Think of a radio with a crackly volume control. Cleaning the wiper and the carbon track stops the crackling and this sensor works on the same principal.
    2 points
  6. A quick list of what to look out for .... don't let this put you off ... all the faults I can remember are listed below (some are common sense), maybe there are a few more that owners can add Seized rear calipers - cost around £300 each - Easiest way to check is to take the car on a test run and then when parked back up again feel the heat on each alloy - should be warm and not excessively hot. No squealing. Also, if discs are still rusted looking after driving then there's a problem. Obviously pulling to the side is noticeable Brake pad shims - some members reported missing brake shims from the rear calliper - probably from when pads were replaced and the garage or dealer forgot to put them back on. Its not something you can easily check on a test drive but if missing they are very hard to source except from a scrap dealer if they will sell them at all separate. Seized front calipers - as with the rears, around £300 each. Both front and backs can be freed if not too far gone, re-greased and put back together again but once seized they may need looking after more than ones not having been seized in the past as pitting and ill fitting rubber seals may be an issue. Why does this happen ... last owner not looking after the car or using the wrong type of grease in that it attacks the rubber boots letting dirt and water into the caliper moving parts. If it was looked after by the dealer then new calipers would have been fitted if seized. Greasing is not a part of the service schedule from Lexus so be aware. You may not experience any warnings that they are seized. Its the most common fault on these cars so get an assurance from the seller to replace if found to be seized or have him check them first. To be honest If it was me i would also check them myself when I got home with a new car just to be sure. Easy DIY job to both replace and maintain (grease) I do mine every 6 months but a lot of owners do it every year. Black oil - A sign the cars not been looked after - the oil should not be black. It will go dark in colour but not black. Again, an easy DIY job - I use Magnatec and an oil change, including the filter will cost you around £60. Takes a bit over 6 litres. Oil filter cap seized - If you can, ask the dealer or garage to ensure the cap housing thr filter will move. A lot of garages, including dealers put these on far too tight and some owners have experienced cracked housings while trying to remove the caps to change the filter. An easy DIY job White crust around front water pump area - an indication the water pump is on its way out - costs around £200 for a new one (inclusive of fitting) Exhaust shot - Black soot around the welded joints - check the centre section around the middle resonator as this is a problem area. Get this checked out at an exhaust centre. Pay for the inspection as you wont get a lot of change back from 3k for the replacement parts (back box and centre) if it has gone or is on its last legs - the pattern parts have not been released to 3rd party manufacturers so the replacement parts are only available from Lexus unless you are going bespoke and going for a stainless one - a Cat back system will cost around £500 - if you have the time and want to get your hands dirty then you can put together a bespoke exhaust yourself for around £100. Tyres rotated wrong way - Ask why have they done this? un-even tyre wear so look around the shocks / springs to see if theres any issues - maybe nothing Tyre choice - A good choice of branded rear tyres will serve well. Remember its a rear wheel drive car - Do not go for cheap brands as while they may last/wear well, the performance in the wet will be hazardous. Read through the forums for owner experiences on brands. Leaking shocks - Expensive replacements but not a real issue - some owners have reported replacing them and hard to find Wheel locking nuts seized - Put on with a tyre dealer air hammer. Will come off with specialised tools and a lot of patience - I think this is common cause on all cars - happened on 3 in our household over the years. Check this out before buying if possible. Wheel security locking nut missing - check this is available when buying the car. Without it you wont be able to take the tyres off easily or replace if you get a puncture Alloy wheel corrosion - this is apparent across the Lexus range - corrosion on the alloy happens and noticeable by bubbles under the alloy coating - will eventually lead to pressure loss if not tended to as it will break the seal between the tyre and the wheel itself Tow hook missing - only handy when you need it so check its there - located in the boot of the car Spare tyre - it houses a space saver wheel - make sure its inflated. If it looks like its been used then take out and inspect to make sure its inflated. DVD sat nav extraction tool missing - only handy when you come to update the sat nav DVD - the tools for this should be in the black tool kit in the boot of the car CD/DVD head unit fully working - take an original CD / a DVD and an MP3 disc with you and test each one out - they should all work without messing with the settings. (you will need to select each disc to play and it should) Noise from front speaker cover - a cracking noise from the speaker cover on the front centre dash board - not experienced this myself but its apparently quite noisy. Also a rattle has been reported, again not widespread. Noise from driver door area - don't know If this is a common area. I originally thought it was the door seal but narrowed it down to the handle above the door rattling slightly - I oiled the hinge and the noise disappeared Coolant level low - check the heating is hot when on. Check for a "gurgling" noise which will indicate the cooling is low - if its low then there could be an issue with a leak or possible indication the pump is on its way out Front headlights - will become "cloudy" over time - no more than any other car and can easily be restored with a bit of elbow grease Corroded wheels - a common issue with the Toyota wheels - bad ones will eventually lose air and deflate due to the corrosion not creating a good seal. Uneven wear on tyres - indication there's something a miss with the alignment / shocks - to be honest this is not reported as a problem on the cars. Maybe more so from owners using non OEM wheels Cams are chain driven - no worries there but they can stretch (very extreme though) Rear blind working - read a few posts on here that its stopped working or stuck in the up position - check its operation Front discs - They are heavy on discs and front pads. Check the wear on the discs on the front - not expensive to replace and an easy DIY job Lights not bright and flickering - an indication that the bulbs are on their way out - check both are the same colour. If not, one has been replaced and other will need to be done at some point. Check all front lights as they are quite fiddly in replacing the bulbs Aircon works - should be cold - if not then check coolant level, if ok the system either has a leak or may need re-gassing Squeeky steering adjustment - has been reported by a few members. Mine squeeks in hot weather when automatically adjusting. Not all the time and has not caused any issues. Mirrors dip when in reverse - the mirrors should dip towards the road when in reverse, a feature on the cars to ensure easy viewing of where you are going. If they don't then its most likely they will just need to be cleaned internally. Again an easy DIY job. Parking sensors - with the engine running have someone walk within a foot of the sensors at the front and the rear of the car - it should start beeping when the person walks past them. Not seen any issues with this reported by the owners. O2 sensors - PreCat (within engine bay) will go around 70 to 80k easy DIY job - cost around £180 for OEM Denso ones - don't use 3rd party ones as they will not last Rear brake shoes - Cant easily be checked on a test drive - changed mine at around 90k last year and they still had a bit of meat on them, probably on the car from new so more than likely will need changing or inspection at least. Easy DIY job Main engine plastic cover - centre engine cover can become loose from removing and re-applying it. there is a push button tab that breaks off and it can in some instances be heard rattling over lumpy roads. Mine has broke - not a real issue as the radio at low volume masks any rattle. I expect some strong glue would fix this. Engine idle - make sure its constant at tick over when cold (quite high) and when hot (around 700revs) - if erratic it could indicate a carbon build up - not an issue with an application with cleaning liquids Valve Rattle - VVTI may rattle from time to time - the oil will drain in some cases from the resoviour for the valves after standing for a bit and as a consequence there is a rattle noise (similar to a dull machine gun noise) but will disappear in a second or so. Happenned on mine a few times when I first had it. but not come back for a couple of years now. Regular oil changes and I do an engine flush each oil change and in my opinion it has helped a lot. Exhaust smoke - no smoke from these - only condensate when in cold weather which is normal for most cars Cabin carpets - check the drivers side has clips anchoring the carpet down (if it has one) if it doesn't then the carpet can creep under the pedals Boot - Its a fair size boot but the opening does not give good access to large items - ideally it could have done with split seats but its not that kind of car I guess. Audio - Make sure the spec includes a Mark Levinson branded head unit which is the better of the head unit specs on these models.(indicated on the front of the stereo on the bottom right of the unit) Rear seat room - its a bit cramped in the back with passengers on the seats - leg room is dismal, maybe that's why I have never sat in the back when its been driven. Wife wont drive it due to the size of the car which I don't mind at all. Reliability - looked after its bullet proof, best make of car I have owned. Running costs are petrol only. Put in the time to do the services (oil, filters etc) and it will serve you well. Parts availability - Had my 250 for 3 years and an IS200 for 2 prior to that - the only time I was unable to get a part was the exhaust for the 250 - I could get one from the dealer but at nearly 3k I thought no way and went down another route. Parts are available from Eurocarparts / ebay / online easily enough and are not expensive. Speed - People forget these are not sports cars - they are quick in manual mode and can keep up with the best of them but are not made for that purpose. Its nice owning one for the individuality of having something different from whats sitting on the neighbours drive or in the works car park. I only know of an IS200 Alteeza and a IS220 local to myself so its my bit of exclusivity. Don't care how old it is, its still better than a new model medium city car. Mileage - mines on 93k - no issue and having has a high miler is200 and this one then I would consider another high miler but with the knowledge of what to look for. I don't think there would be any problems if you are careful in what you are looking at - gut instinct in a lot of cases. I guess there will be very few low milers available now on these cars now but you may be lucky in finding one. Keys - Ensure it has a minimum of 2 keys and they both work - if not then its definitely a bargaining chip to use as a replacement one will cost you around £350 and a trip to Lexus. Corroding windscreen wiper arms - these seem to bubble quite a bit under the paint on the main body of the wiper arm. No issue but it will break through the paint at somepoint. Check front windshield, if non-genuine check if wipers defrosters and auto sensing wipers works OK. As well windshields mouldings sometimes gets gets loose (broken clips) - about £80 to get new mouldings. (Courtesy of Linas.P) Main ground cable - In wet climate it was reported that main ground cable sometimes gets corroded and it is very hard to troubleshoot it.(Courtesy of Linas.P) Squeaky seats reported for the manual option (Courtesy of Vintagesixtysix) DMF issues (Dual Mass Flywheel) for the manual drive option (Courtesy of Vintagesixtysix) Paint - the paint is soft on these cars so are prone to scratching easier than other makes if not careful Cat failure - there has been a couple of reports of the cats failing on these cars but only a few have been reported at relative low mileage for the car (around 80 / 90k miles) not common though. There are 2 cats on these. Service milestones - consider cars around 60k miles require a spark plug change - or so Lexus recommends although they are good for 100k. This is an expensive job at around £600. Not done mine yet, planning on doing them at 100k. I would state at 100k then you will need to get your hands dirty and give the car a good going over, fluids etc just for peace of mind. Lexus service interval report does not state any excessive requirements, mostly checks to be made. Recalls - that I am aware of: cabin carpet mat required securing / airbags / fuel sensor washer. there may be more but these are the ones I know of. Spec - I would personally recommend the top spec SE-L Auto box at 2007 / 2008 as I believe when the face lift came along then the models lost a few features that were on the older models. A sunroof would be brilliant but like gold dust at this spec. Quite a bit of points above - don't let this put you off at all - the exhaust nearly saw me pack the car in when mine went but I went down the stainless route so alls not lost. Best to go into a sale knowing all the points to look at before making your mind up. Best car I have ever owned. One last consideration - in the 7 years I have owned the Lexus brand we have by far spent more money during this time in maintaining a fairly new Vauxhall !! One last point, if you have an ODB error code reader then take along and scan the ecu for any stored fault codes unless the dealer has cleared it down
    1 point
  7. Having look into this I decided to fit a NextBase 380GW unit, which is what a Lexus dealership would fit as their recommended solution, but at a far greater price. I thought it might be of use to record how I achieved it and have produced the attach PDF file that covers the installation. I state that this is purely an example of how one might install a dashcam and hope it gives some guidance for those wishing to diy the process. Fitting a Dash Cam to a 2014 RX450H.pdf
    1 point
  8. Welcome Ian 🙂
    1 point
  9. One thing to note for same model RX owners. In pic 3 Lates on the left is holding the power & signal cable for the wiper motor. When back in place that cable sits across metal and plastic which over time has chafed the insulation. We wrapped it with extra tape and cable protector to ensure no future issues. A job worth doing anytime you have access.
    1 point
  10. Welcome hope you find the forum educational and informative
    1 point
  11. Welcome on board fella. Everyone likes a photo so when you can upload some. Lots of experience on here so any questions please ask away. Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
    1 point
  12. A good job Paul, both in doing the work and providing us with the pdf, but if I may suggest a small alternative.... I would have taken off the trim from the A-pillar and run the cable up there instead of the door rubber. The curtain airbag runs top to bottom so having the cable run 'across' the pillar like that may interfere with its deployment if its ever needed. Of course, it shouldn't interfere, but stranger things have happened and Murphy's Law could come into play.
    1 point
  13. Cliff, I agree with Herbs...…..I, too, am at an age where I can no longer bend double in a footwell. My future health is important to me - so I, reluctantly, pay an expert to do things which are now beyond me.
    1 point
  14. @lazzlo amundo Cliff, I like to help people when I can. I don't have a lot of knowledge but I will openly share what I have with anyone at any time if it's helpful. Please believe me when I say that I do not wish to cause you any offence and I say this with the greatest of respect. I have a back injury that was bad enough to get me medically retired from a job I loved, so you have my sympathy with regards to your health and your ability to get down to the fuse boxes etc. However, if you can't do it, then why are we spending time guiding and directing you - why not just take it to an auto-electrician who'll get it sorted for you?
    1 point
  15. No that isn't how power is distributed. There is a clutch but it is permanently engaged at the flywheel as a protection device but that wouldn't normally slip and wear. The transmission fluid should be inspected every 40k miles - mainly for level in case there is a leak but quality should be checked too. There is no interval for it to be changed. If you run the 'severe' maintenance schedule then the fluid should be changed every 60k miles.
    1 point
  16. I'd suggest you test drive a model with 17" wheels. Ones with 18" are a bit hard and the F Sport a bit more crashy with its different suspension.
    1 point
  17. Hi all, just wanted to give an update as I have finally (at last) had my airbag replaced, an essential minor service and air con cleanse / re-gas. I ended up going to Lexus Swindon and have to say I am extremely pleased with everything about them! The whole Atmosphere in the dealership, the service manager and front of house reception were lovely people and the technician who I met outside when I arrived was also brilliant. I am very thorough with my cars and check all lights, tyres etc at least once per week and had new Michelin Cross Climates less than 1,000 miles ago. The technician found a small (and I mean small) bulge / damage to the inside of a front tyre that I know could of potentials been extremely dangerous / have blown out!!! It was amazing he spotted it and shows just how thorough they were at checking around. When the service manage brought the car around to me we spent ages trying to find it and whilst extremely small I never take any risks at all with tyres so ordered a new one from a business I use. I get ridiculously good prices on tyres as work in Motorsport and have great contacts but unbelievably the service manger said he would not only match but try to better the price that I could get!!! On top of this I wanted two new wiper re-fills / rubbers, I have had a Michelin equivalent and whilst perfect at clearing I did not like the ‘J hook’ appearance. I still can not believe it but I was told they could not supply just the rubber but only the complete piece. I said oh well I will just have to pay the £50+ for the two and when I got the invoice the total for both of them was under £20!!!!!! In fact I am totally confused with their invoicing (doesn’t really make sense) but the cost of everything was superb and my Mazda MX5 is FAR more expensive for parts and servicing which I have done at Mazda. The best company I had ever dealt with before was BMW Carlisle but even though the service was fantastic it was all a bit too pretentious and uncomfortable in the dealership and the people were totally ‘up themselves’. The experience I had yesterday at Lexus Swindon was without doubt the best I’ve ever had and I have had a huge variety of brands both company and private. So I’ve decided that after the summer my Mazda is going and next year when I get a pension through i am buying a used RC as love everything about Lexus.
    1 point
  18. If I have the lights on first, then ignition, it always does the 'dance'.
    1 point
  19. Worth reading this series of reviews which seem very balanced and accurate based on my experience. https://www.driving.co.uk/car-reviews/extended-tests/extended-test-2018-lexus-nx-300h-review/ Reviewer notes on a couple of occasions how quiet the NX is, especially compared with a Skoda SUV diesel. More economical too...
    1 point
  20. Thanks for the tips, but it happens so fast I wouldn’t be able to react fast enough to drop it out of gear. Leaning toward sticky calliper currently. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    1 point
  21. My wife usually drives our rx, but I stole it off her today- all in the name of research! 🤣. It's 15 miles to work, and most of it is on country a and b roads, so plenty of time to collect data. So, still no more flashing AFS light. It has not flashed for several days. Headlights still do not dance on start-up. Think the last time this behaviour occurred was last weekend. Still no DTCs in obdautodoctor, and c0700 pending in easyobd11. Whilst driving home in the dark, the right hand headlamp was clearly moving left and right a lot, corresponding to steering input. The left hand headlamp did move left and right as well, but it's movements were much more subtle and of smaller magnitude. Is it normal that the left hand headlamp moves less than the right hand one? The sideways movement does not normally occur when stationary. Is there a known test mode to test the movement? Is it normal that the start-up dance does not occur at every start-up? Is there a known test procedure to force a dance to occur?
    1 point
  22. Had a 2010 version for a little over a year and certainly don't regret it, agree with all that has been said. If I have one grumble it is the lack of a heated front screen, a real omission at this time of the year, amazed at its absence given the original purchase price...
    1 point
  23. There seems to be some confusion as you were asking about the battery discharging over a 4 day period. Hence my above reply. According to the wiring diagram in common with many Toyota/Lexus cars the is a multiple link strip fuse mounted in the side of the fuse box. This link is easily overlooked. and is difficult to change or see. On the LS 400 it contains 3 fuse links rated at 150 amp, 100 amp, and 30 amps. One or more links typically blow when reverse polarity jump starting has taken place. This is not a plug in fuse. John.
    1 point
  24. Lexus hybrid is a very complex car. I have a very close friend who is a car mechanic for over 20 years and up to the Lexus was looking after my previous cars. When I asked him to service the Lexus, he said I am not experienced with hybrids and you are better off to go to Lexus or another hybrid specialist. If you do not want to go to Lexus main dealer you have to find someone who knows Lexus hybrid systems.
    1 point
  25. Remove the "dome" fuse and connect a multi meter set to 20 amps to start with across the connections where the fuse fits. Turn down the current range until you are using a range that is just above the current being drawn. With the car doors closed, and ignition off remove, and replace the fuses controlling the systems in the list noting any fall in the reading on the meter. This will show where the problem(s) lies. The maximum standing current should be around 20 ma (20/1000 of an amp). The dome fuse feeds many fuses down stream of it'self. John.
    1 point
  26. I recently bought an RX450. Despite being low miles and slightly newer than you're considering, it had picked up some impact damage to the exhaust and a scraped undertray held on by a cable tie. Maybe a previous owner thought it was more of an off-roader than is really the case? As such, I'd say do give the underside a good look as well as the interior, bodywork, service history etc. In the current cold weather with lots of short journeys and cold starts, having to let it warm up while I clear frosty windows, I'm getting something like 28-29mpg. On longer runs I'm getting more like 32-33mpg. On the one I bought when I picked it up it was showing an average of 29.6mpg. Because of the exhaust issues and questions that raised about how it was looked after I'm now looking to exchange it for another model, and the alternative car is showing a more healthy 31.8mpg average.
    1 point
  27. I came from a 530d with 19” wheels on M Sport suspension to an IS300h exec on 17” wheels, so more compliant than the 18” on the F Sport you’re considering. Have to say that whilst it’s definitely more comfy than the M Sport, even on the 17s its still fairly firm - more so than I was expecting. Given there’s the F Sport option, I’m a tad disappointed that the Exec model isn’t more compliant as standard. So would be interested to see how you find the FSport Compared to the LS I’m pretty sure you’ll also notice much more road / tyre noise. Again, slightly disappointing but actually a victim of the relative quietness of the hybrid drive. But the LS would’ve been equally quiet, if not more so due to better sound proofing, so you might find the IS tyre noise instrusive. Apart from that, and despite what it may sound like, I’m actually loving the way the IS drives !!
    1 point
  28. 1 point
  29. Hi - we bought a 2011 Rx450h in 2014 when it had 72k on the clock - ex co car fully maintained etc. 5 years on we have added 50k miles, car has been serviced each year at Lexus - total cost £3870 which included the big 100k service, all tyres and discs/pads too. The only spend outside of service and tyres/ brakes has been two new shock absorbers which is included in the total figures I have mentioned. I never worry about the hybrid battery - all healthchecks have been fine on it. It's a great car, my wife loves it and she wants to keep it forever, I have a 20 year old LS400 with almost 300k on the clock and I believe the RX will still be in our household at the same age/mileage. I don't think you will regret purchasing one.
    1 point
  30. Any lexus under 2005 can be converted to LPG
    1 point
  31. Not sure if you're on Twitter Alex but one of the serial car buyers I follow on there has just picked up a Soarer and it's his new play thing. Look for @Joe_Hallenbeck
    1 point
  32. similar to this - they can be stiff and only move about 1mm as you push against the clip. Try forwards and backwards, it could have been put in the wrong way.
    1 point
  33. Would love to go to another meet. Enjoyed the last one.
    1 point
  34. A few IPhone snaps from last weekend
    1 point
  35. Hi Ian, Congratulations on your purchase, i hope you like the NX as much as i do. I was in a similar position to yourself about 18 months ago. I had an RC, beautiful car, stunning to look at but like yourself, a bit too low to get in and out of. Lexus Cardiff did me a great deal on my first NX which was a 66 plate ex demo in sonic white. I would still have it had Cardiff not made me an offer i couldnt refuse. In fairness the new one is better in a couple of areas, so im really glad i changed. I love my NX and the Lexus brand in general. I hope you are as happy with yours as i am with mine.
    1 point
  36. Another service and mot today at Lexus Reading, sailed through...
    1 point
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