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Took my spark plugs out at the weekend and it started raining. Put them back in..... And it stopped. Give me a shout if you want guaranteed good weather for any upcoming barbeques 😜

best two tweeks I know for reducing under bonnet temps are firstly remove the bonnet, the second slightly more drastic, remove the engine

Not really a tweak but a useful tip in the spirit of the thread, I've found that urinating in the final bucket when washing your car (use of gloves recommended) it deters cats and dogs from cocking their leg against your wheels/car. I hasten to add this theory is, on the whole not fully tested.

After buying my ISF, I saw many more IS models on the roads than before. Obviously as an 'influencer' people were following my lead, so it is clear my choices have an important impact on the market. It was why I got such a good deal on my RCF, as Lexus wanted to boost sales. It works, as since I bought mine, there are many more RCF owners on the forum.

When I drive the car a bit spirited I put the heaters on full power and highest temp and put the windows down slightly so it creates a vacuum pulling hot air out the engine, defo adds 25.7bhp 👍

I don't know where some of the posters here live, but where i live you are either, stuck in traffic, standing still in traffic, heading for slow traffic etc.. and if by accident you find yourself on an open road whit out tractors , bicycles, or a slow moving lorry, you can be rest assured that if you go to quick the state of the road will quickly take care of your precious car. And if that ain't enough there is the forrest of speed camera's, trajectory control and speed bumps, that put your drivers license in a permanent state of danger. I just sold my BMW 730 after 4 years, it was a nice car but there isn't just room and opportunity to justify the heavy engine or RWD any more. Those of you who live in a place where you can still throw your car around the bends as they like to show in those fancy car commercials where you never see another car on the road, good luck to you, as for us, we're already very happy if we can keep moving along at a modest speed. I chose the ES over a new BMW because it has more room for the passengers in the back then my 7 serie's had, it will cost me considerably less to run on a year basis, i ordered mine with just one option ticked ( metallic paint ) and for the rest it has all the luxury specs i had on my fully loaded 7 and then even some! And boy this is a quiet car! And as far as Mat Watson is concerned, his love affair with German cars should be well known, there are other reviews on the web that paint a far better picture of the ES. like this for example

Best thread ever!!

Well guys and gals, here is an update for you, have been trawling the internet for a few months now, reading up on lots of things on different websites, and found something that might help others in the future, as you know I want an ECU with the part number 89661-50250 but have been unable to locate one a write up I was reading said something about an ECU they had tried on a car conversion using a 1995 LS 400 engine, they tried ECU 89661- 50380, I found a guy on Ebay selling one in the United Arab Emirates, so asked him to open it up and take pictures of the layout of the capacitors and board, He did, and emailed them to me, I then compared the layout to mine, it had 9 caps in exactly the same position as mine, then I compared other components and apart from a couple of extras on his they were identical, so I purchased it for $40, it came today and I eagerly fitted it, I turned the ignition on and let it load and off again for a moment then prayed it would start as I turned the key all the way, it started straight away, so I let her warm up for ten minutes and took her for a test drive, everything works great I am over the moon no warning lights goes like the clappers and glides like a dream. I have also found a Japanese import ECU 89661-50241 in America it had photos of the internals of the ECU and again had 9 caps and exactly the same layout as 50380. I have purchased it, and am waiting delivery, so again will update you if it works or not. Just thought the information may help someone else in the future, as I was getting to the point where I thought I would have to break my lovely Lexus and now I dont, Conclusion Needed ECU 89661-50250 the correct one for the car Used to get by on ECU 89661-50221 ( good for just cruising around with engine light on) only 6 caps on this one but car was running fine Working completely ECU 89661-50380 To be tested ECU 89661-50241 and will update you on the results Also bear in mind My LS400 has no alarm I had to have it bypassed to start the car when purchasing, the guy who owned it passed away and it stood for 3 years in his garage. hope this helps someone else, as gives you more options Kind regards all Phil

I’ve found the RC to be quicker if I have a friend in the car with a name that begins with an F. However the car feels a bit twitchier and gets quite exhausting if I have a friend in the car with a name that begins with an M. The weirdest one was when I gave my friend Antony Michael Gregson a lift - my car became really expensive to service...but the exhaust sounded amazing. Weird.

The latest model BMW 1 series is a front wheel drive with fake plastic intakes in the bumper and the dynamics of a wet sponge. Other BMW models will follow...BMW design is following its core customers into middle/old age. Audi/VW are the same, and Volvo have occupied that market segment for what seems like forever lol Once again it seems like Lexus are in trouble only for getting in first 🙂 There is too much on the record evidence of how VW etc use their PR spend with mags to 'force' good coverage, for any objective observer to continue in denial. The unreliability and maintenance costs of German autos, even within warranty, is legendary. Lexus has a market, which is far from VW etc, and thank goodness for that imho:)

I don't know why they're called ghost lights but after being told about them by another member I bought a set of these. Less than £12 for the four, 1 minute each to fit and very bright and clear. Very impressed with them. Admittedly it doesn't say Celsior but you can't have it all!

Well just completed the above in my LS430. As expected a perfect trip, with no probs. Did 1150 miles overall, with quite a lot of driving on single track roads, so stop start. Got 27mpg overall and on the 360 mile trip from Fort William mostly at 80 on the motorway, achieved 32mpg, which is brilliant. Now gone over 99k miles and MOT due soon, so keeping my fingers crossed. Hopefully will get a French trip in this year, Cheers , Roger

https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/technical_notes/distress-and-inconvenience.htm Also worth considering if this has caused you any distress within the confines of the guidance above.

If you have confirmation that the policy was cancelled then it's job done. Send them a copy and tell them you want to raise a formal complaint, they'll have to log it and formally respond within set timescales. If you are no longer a customer then they have no legitimate reason to be contacting you under those circumstances, which is a different regulation entirely (consent and gdpr). You'll be fine, send them evidence and it should get sorted pretty quickly.

Adrian flux are a broker aren't they? I've had very good experiences with them with performance cars but sounds like you've had a bad run in! As per Steve's comment definately contact the fos, insurance companies have a very specific set of rules they need to follow which is binding in law through an act of parliament. I work in the regulated space. All companies have a duty to act with integrity (a leading principle) and treat customers fairly. The fos are typically pro consumer if the right facts are presented to them. Similarly, all debt collection agencies are regulated under the FCA, they have to follow the same rules on redress (dealing with a complaint), they may now "own the debt" if it's been written off by Adrian flux and sold. So threatening you with bailiffs may not be the decision of the flux boys at all Good luck anyway 👍 I'm sure common sense will prevail, you'll probably get some cash back too. Demps

Have you tried messaging Dan from AF who often posts on the forum to see if he can help?

It sounds like they never actually cancelled the policy, ask them for copies of all the related paperwork and get hold of your bank/credit card statements for the period you paid the £200.00. Did you receive any confirmation of the cancellation? It may be worth contacting the FOS. https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/technical_notes/cancelling-renewing-car-insurance-case-studies.html It would appear they are based in Kings Lynn so a bit of a trek from Yorkshire.

I’ve heard that if you de-tune the engine a little to comply with latest exhaust regulations so that it makes a bit less power, add a big wing on the back and pay for journalists to have an amazing holiday at an international motor racing circuit of their choosing the RCF is much quicker and handles as well as anything else on the road.

Interesting thread, new to Lexus and only driven an old Rx350 which I now want to buy! I see it a lot on all the forums I have been on, a mild obsession with BHP, when in reality it's torque that will make the most difference in most driving conditions, some cars don't hit peak BHP until right at the end of the rev range in a gear the car hardly spends any time in. I've paid for decent maps on cars that don't change the BHP at all, but adjust the torque delivery. An observation on the ES is that 220nm is feeble, I can only assume that's because the main engine is naturally aspirated and no turbo, so it will definitely feel slow against much much more powerful rivals (especially diesels). Couple that with a CVT gearbox and the associated rubber band effect (although I'm sure the e-cvt is more advanced that the ones I have spent time in) then you'll get a lot of acceleration noise and not much happening. Again, all relative I guess, I assume most buyers of a lexus aren't looking to hoon around, in which case it's not that relevant. For comparison, I had a great time in a ford sportka 1.6 N/A which had about 92bhp and it revved freely and sounded fantastic, with a lovely snickety gearbox. It was also the same speed to 60 as the Lexus we are talking about due to the weight and adventurous gearing. Anyway, great thread, some interesting comments, I love and appreciate all cars. Demps

Must missed it. Still I’m focusing on GS/LS/F parts of the forum so maybe it was shared somewhere else 🙂

Phil, I think you are a bit of a star tbh ....... my same car is thus far totally trouble free in the ECU department .... and I hope it stays that way forever 😉 But if it starts to play up I know that I can rely on your fantastic research to guide me out of trouble. A big big Thank You ........ from me anyway Malc

From your previous messages do I gather you bought the car used. If so it sounds likely the issue was already there. Which dealer supplied the car? When I had my wheel issue Cheltenham tried to claim and Lexus Warranty insisted I went through Derby who supplied it. Eventually after Lexus Warranty rejected the claim Lexus Customer Service sorted it. Think you may have to pressurise the garage you bought it from. Is there any sign of accident repairs which might have put something out of alignment?

thanks for the write up and glad you got it sported in the end. Your post reminds of a member who had a misfire on his 400 and he spent many months and money trying to sort with without success - in the end it turned out to be a clamp on one of the fuel lines - a happy ending just like yours

Here is interesting link on fitting coilovers to a 460. This would be my preference rather than refurb air suspension. LS 460 coilover report I have often wondered if air suspension could be done with flexible kevlar would it last longer, but I am sure even kevlar would give problems eventually.

I am sorry but this obsession with speed is completely misguided. I am a retired teacher and I used to drive a minibus regularly. When speed limiters were introduced they frightened the pants off me. I would be travelling on a clear road with a vehicle in front that was driving just a little too slowly for the conditions at the time. I would pull out to overtake and the limiter would kick in just as I was along side the vehicle, which had just woken up and increased it's speed as I was in the middle of the overtaking manoeuvre. Very dangerous situation to be in especially as it was imposed without driver control. Meanwhile I have a car behind me and I am having to slow during an over taking manoeuvre. Incredibly dangerous for everyone behind me. Speed is not and never has been one of the major causes of road traffic accidents. This is a complete urban myth - rather like the number of spiders that we swallow in our sleep, we've all heard of that one as well, and some people still believe it! Lets talk some figures here....20% off all recorded accidents have occurred because the driver has fallen asleep at the the wheel. 75% of accidents occur because of 'human error' (loss of concentration/ not checking mirrors before manoeuvring/ mobile phone distraction / driver distraction by other vehicle occupants etc...etc.) Less than 5% of accidents (According to ROSPA) have anything to do with speed and of those 5%, it is difficult to determine whether speed was the deterring factor or just a contributory factor. If you are going to be serious about saving lives then shouldn't you do something about addressing the main causes of accidents? If we are going to develop autonomous safety devices within the vehicles then we should be developing technology to address the main issues. There is already a Lexus system to detect drivers falling asleep at the wheel, that is four times more effective than chasing speeding drivers. There is so much misinformation or 'fake news' regarding our highways; take the 'stopping distances' as published in the Highway Code. Completely false! The Ministry of Transport has a duty to make the roads safer but it is clearly not tackling the route causes but just taking an easy approach by using basic technology to address a safety issue that is minuscule when looking at road safety as a whole. Peoples lives are at risk with thousand dying needlessly because the research is not being undertaken and the technology is not being developed to tackle that main causes of road traffic accidents.

Take it to someone who knows what they're doing and doesn't have a vested interest in you shutting up and going away. Demonstrate it to them if you can, if not leave it with them and ask them to drive it until they experience it.

I like that angle Mark. The trouble is that I've been at this for a year now. Neither Cheltenham or Bristol take me seriously or think there's an issue. As I said there are times when it can be really bad but what makes that happen is beyond me. I wish I could film what the hell is going on down there. I keep thinking that the engine is not properly mounted or that a mount has become damaged. In truth I've no idea ! Alan

Ask him to demonstrate the issue to you in another car. If they can't then you can demand that they fix it.

Yes Les. I was advised to go there and explained that the vibrations are more easily felt coming from under the drivers seat. When I was pretty sure it was playing up the technician (Mark) who was driving said " Oh they all do that ". Well none of the other six I'd driven did ! I thought I was getting somewhere when Lexus HQ offered to replace the silencer. Turns out that she meant the last little section and not the section with the big boom box in it. I find it hard to understand why 4 of the six rubber hangers allow maximum back to front movement (with a mall amount of side to side movement) whilst the other 2 prevent back to front swing! They allow a tiny amount of back to front swing and every time I look underneath the rubber is crushed against the mounting bar. That's why I wanted to try a new section to see if it was the cause of the problem. Such a shame for such a lovely car.

Yes there is!! Fill yer boots! Not sure about the core market. The way I see it it's younger drivers getting cars on lease/PCP that don't really care much about driving dynamics but do car about touchscreen fripperies and big wheels. The manufacturers are businesses, they're giving the market what it wants.

No not from a Lexus dealer, but a reputable local dealer, and he gave me a great deal on my C class C350 AMG coupe...cost me next to nothing to change

Ok Thanks for reply. Got it sorted! I was chasing a phantom! The bulb at the bottom of the casing doesn't exist. It's a mirror reflection of the one at the top. A clever optical illusion. (But looks very real!) Didn't realise until I took out the top one to check it & the bottom one disappeared! It was the top one that was blown! Easy! I wonder has anyone else got fooled by this? Or am I the stupidest person in the world? Doh!

UPDATE.......WITH A BIT OF LUCK I GET THE CAR THURSDAY 30TH MAY.................IF AND ONLY IF THE DEALER INFO IS RIGHT ......

Congratulations Tom, looks the business. Mine's just a few months older (late November 2013) so I know you'll love it. Enjoy

Well done Car looks great 👍👍👍👍

right, will keep it brief as it late and I am tired, but this test is in no way conclusive, firstly by blocking the bonnet vent and removing the engine cover you are changing how the air flows within the engine compartment, buy only having one sensor you do not get the picture of the total under bonnet temps, the temperature may reduce in this area but increase in others, secondly, for any test to be meaningful you need a baseline, this test has clearly been done with back to back runs, the ambieant temps have increased but also the latent heat within the engine has increased, first test you are cooling a moderately cool engine with cool air, last test you are testing a warm engine with warm air and cooling curves are not linear, we are comparing apples with eggs!!

Well, the ICE level depends a bit on the exact car. There are at least 3 variants of the radio in the CT200h but none have Android Auto. Mine does have Bluetooth and MirrorLink however as well as 2 USB inputs. You have to keep in mind the CT 200h came out in 2011, long before Android Auto and Apple Carplay were a thing. I don't think you would have much success retro fitting a new head unit, especially not to drive the display. It isn't the best but I've found the system to work fine with my iPhone 7, both on Bluetooth and via USB.

Cheltenham Lexus are usually very helpful. Have you taken someone from there out in the car and replicated the problem?

In your opinion - on which step of this pyramid you are at the moment?

Does anybody know an independent Toyota specialist in Bristol ? Lexus just want me to shut up and go away. It is a problem replicating the judder. I've become sensitive to it and I know exactly when the engine is spinning at 1,200 revs. Unlike a proper car you can't just hold your foot on the throttle and feel for vibration. The engine decides when it's going to spin and at what speed and for how long. On some occasions the judder is truly awful but they say they haven't noticed it. I wanted them to test out a new exhaust on it but they aren't going to do that. I can see underneath that the silencer is pressed hard against the supporting bar ( as if it were made too long ) but every avenue I've explored I've drawn a blank. Alan

ES300h please, just like this one...

Can they not reproduce these symptoms when testing it? If they can but still maintain its normal then they should show it to you in a similar car.

They're just replacement door puddle lights and are just a novelty. I've got them on my car too.

At that age I'd assume it's under warranty so I would take it to an independent toyota specialist and have them diagnose it, then take the report to the stealership and make them fix it. Definitely doesn't sound like something a Lexus should be doing.

Sounds like a great example so long as the condition is commensurate with what you'd hope/expect at that sort of mileage. Even after you've had it for six years, at the annual mileage you're doing it'll be about 70k so it should be a good car for a future owner. Les has pointed out the wheel issue, and I'll reiterate my problem with the exhaust and undertray damage I found on mine doe to a careless (or unfortunate) previous owner. Some examples seem to rattle and creak around the rear - possibly the seats, but I think on mine it's something around the tailgate. If it's one owner from new you'd like to think it had been sold and serviced by the same people from day one, and hopefully find they've part-exchanged it for another Lexus. Rubber mats and bootliner are good to have, as is the rear bumper protector.

Gotta say when I read the 'cause' of this thread's posting I was a bit horrified....wheel nuts loose!!!!! Sorry but that is quite basic. please don't let your confidence exceed your competence when working on your car cause you could be driving somewhere near me! paul m.

Here she is btw

Hi I have fitted a Meisershaft 2 stage CAT Back exhaust system that I imported from the US. Make the car sound amazing and get you and extra 50 BHP. if you want more power this is on way of doing it.