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Stick with OEM level third party products and you will be ok. By OEM level I mean brands like Denso, Mahle, Mann etc not blueprint. Also some third party products are better. In some Toyotas for example the Toyota pollen filter is the white type. I much prefer using the carbon type (grey type) from a third party than a Toyota white type even when the third party product is more expensive than the Toyota version (carbon version is always more expensive than non carbon)

Been a loooong time!!!! So the battery relocation has started. 140amp circuit breaker, motamec battery tray, 2 post junctionbox, bunch of terminal connectors and all the cable. ripped all the rear seats and front passenger seat out. Pulled all the carpet up to find a decent place to hide it. Managed to push the cable through a hole in the wiring harness grommet in the firewall. Mounted the junction box. Mounted the battery tray.... Then realised the power cable is about half a metre too short!! 🤦‍♂️ so ive ordered another metre and a crimp joiner. Once thats come i can mount the circuit breaker and finish it off.

That sight glass is tiny, it just looked blue to me, when off kinda looked clear. This is if we are talking bout the same one that looks about 1cm. So called the place I bought the car from private dealer - they are going to regal for me as a start point, it did come with a 6 month warranty so we will see where we go after the regas. They sell only hybrid motors and mostly Lexus so I would hope they know what they are doing. They did have a good rating too, and to be fair I called to ask for warranty paperwork and they called me back to say bring it down they would look and regal if required. A good start.

You can check the level of refrigerant by looking at the sight glass and compare to this:

Have you ever used Milliput mark ? Since I was told about it I've mended so much stuff with it. You'd need to hold it in place for at least 2 hours. After that it's like steel. Easy to sand, easy to drill and it bonds to practically everything. I remember using it to fix some damage to the old RX rear bumper ( thanks to my dear wife ! ). I didn't go mad cleaning it but it bonded it and was there for over 12 years. Once it was sprayed matte black you just couldn't see the mend at all. I am reminded of it every day as I used it to mend my Sensor razor - still going strong which is good because Gillette don't make the razor anymore but you can get hold of blades off the web. Alan

Thanks for sharing your experiences driving your GS car. Mine is simply just awesome. I have been driving mine for over 6 months now and I am in love with it! I have been appreciating this car so much that I simply cannot wait to drive it again and again. After driven Mercedes cars and BMWs, Lexus is something else, way above the previous cars I have had. I love the way it drives in such comfort and luxurious way, so quiet at times when EV quicks in. The mileage consumption is very good for 3.5 V6 petrol engine, I get on average 29mpg driving in town (doing an average 20-30 mph) and on the motorway I can easily get 38mpg. The car is so composed and the suspension is soft enough to make the journey so enjoyable. They have done a remarkable job building this car. Driving on the motorway is so smooth and relaxing and yet the power is there when I need it. It really feels awesome. I feel like I am going to keep this car for years to come without a doubt. Now, I get to understand why Lexus drivers keep their cars for a long time. It feels really special to be part of this brand and the quality interior is by far the best I have seen from all previous cars I have had...

Images added - Couldn't sleep the other night, so took some pics of the car. Show us your's!

21mm I think.

Hi Rob, good to hear from you again.

Trailing socket will sort that, fella! 😉 Good to see you're still "on the case". Starting to think you'd found something else to do!

@Flytvr your ex is stunning, there is no doubt. She was outside my budget, otherwise given that she was just around the corner from me, I would have checked her out.

If the refrigerant has leaked out I'm not sure if it will do any damage to run the compressor without gas/oil or not. I'd assume not but I'm no mechanic so I can't be responsible for anything if you decide to keep running it 😉 First thing, check that sight glass to see what's happening there for a start. EDIT: - As always, Google is your friend, and it appears that you can damage the compressor if it runs without refrigerant (although a low pressure sensor should stop it from doing so): http://autotechac.com/ac-facts-and-myths/

Although you can turn off the AC it's not really a good idea. These cars are equipped with climate control, the idea of which is to set the temperature that you want in the cabin and then the car computers use a mix of hot/cold/AC to maintain that temperature automatically. Another reason is that the AC system will contain one or two rubber seals in the pipework. If the seals dry out it can lead to a leak of the refrigerant gas, so an oil lubricant is circulated around the system with the gas to keep the seals supple - if the AC isn't running then no lubricant is getting to those seals. If it has already leaked out then you obviously need to get the fault rectified but don't go to somewhere like Kwik-Fit, ATS, or Halfords - go to a proper aircon specialist who has the right equipment and the right gas oil lubricant - that is extremely important. The AC compressors in normal cars are belt-driven from the engine but in a hybrid, because the engine doesn't run all the time, they are driven by an electric motor. The windings of the electric motor are actually immersed in the lubricating oil for cooling purposes, so the oil must be non-conductive. Normal PAG oil found in belt-driven AC systems is conductive and as little as 1% contamination of PAG oil in a hybrid AC system can cause damage to the compressor's motor. Of course, your particular problem may be something other than needing to be regassed, but it's one of the easier things to check so makes a good starting point.

6 years is generally considered to be the safe life of a tyre. I wouldn't go past this. Might be a bit far but Russell at Toyotec in Redhill is very good and honest.

@jpower if the refrigerant is low it may mean there's a leak somewhere in the system. I don't know much about hybrids so it might be different with those but typically there will be dedicated fan that comes on with the AC compressor. Sometimes the fan or its controller will go out and in that case the compressor will not run because the computers detect that it's too hot. If this is happening you'll often find that the AC works well when you're flying down a motorway and then gets weak again when you're stood still. If it's not working at all then it's likely something else.

Glad there are others sharing such a positive experience. I had to have my GS at a workshop as an UBER driver slightly hit the side of the front bumper when my car was parked on the main road (luckily I witnessed the incident) - so the driver admitted full liability and through the insurance I was given a replacement car for a week and it was Jaguar XF 2018 - The car looks great from outside but the moment I stepped inside, it was a reminder how much I wanted to be back with my Lexus and was missing it awfully. Quality interior of the Jaguar was disappointing - too much plastic around. The engine (2 Litre diesel) had a lot of punch (too much in my opinion) but too much for my liking as the rear tyres were spinning like crazy from standing at traffic lights and I was not racing and the engine sound was dreadful (diesel, what can you expect). So, again Lexus gives you the great power but in a much more control way, it is more linear power and gradual, which is exactly what you want for such a big car, not trying to skidd from still position like the Jaguar... Just goes to say how special Lexus is.

Both mine came loos, sounded like a tin of nuts and bolts rattling round the car. Took them off, cleaned them and refitted them with some penny washers. Been OK for the last two years.

I like the comment that your father didn't like the Silvia. Quite a different beast to a large barge, but impeccable taste nonetheless.👍

Good news is that my roof is fixed and up before all the rain that’s forecast came. A piece of plastic had come off and stayed in one of the holes the roof goes into above the windscreen, so the car thought the roof was already up and closed. I removed the piece of plastic, and the roof went up with no fuss, and my Lexus IS back to its normal reliable self. Thank goodness!

That's the thing with black cars though isn't it, they look fabulous once all the swirls have been done and a good wax polish. I've had two black cars and one weekend a long time ago I set to work on my RX7. With a Meguiars DA polisher and three bottles of Maguiars Ultimate Finish I managed to get it nearly perfect. I then followed it with some Pinnacle Souveran wax it went on like butter and came off with little work. I then entered it into our local Jap Car Club event and won the shiniest car award piston, enclosed is a photo of it that I've kept since 2009.

Welcome to Europe's Leading Lexus Club! Please Enjoy!

Nic yes totaly agree this is my third lexus and they have all been great but this one is the pinnacle it is subtle and not imposing i am loving mine and i feel very confident in it (mustbe the snob in me) but seriously i cant sing its praises too much Robert

Colin, this was my exact point to them, and they keep saying that that option is optional and it was my choice to take it therefore I am to pay it! Not sure what will happen, they said they will call me back, I doubt that though, will give them a call on Tuesday.

I've cable-tied it up for now, I think I'll let the garage spot-weld it back on, can't see it costing much. Good tip though I'll check that stuff out.

It’s easy enough to take strut off, two bolts at bottom and 6 14 mm bolts at top to hold cover and top plate to body , then 14 mm opened to undo air supplie pipe , before undoing top mount from body , you’ll need along 19mm socket to undo but that holds bearing and topmount to top of strut , sounds worse than it is but Brian does a fantastic job on them and is very reasonable

The other side of it looks like it's attached with a rivet of some kind, not sure if epoxy will hold it or if I should get the garage to rivet it back on properly.

Closing the loop. Fixed it. I wasn’t sure which part of the central console wasn’t working so bought a second hand unit from eBay at £450, there were less expensive units but the code didn’t match on the top screen element and didn’t want to risk it. I’m no expert but watched a video on YouTube on how to replace it and did it in a couple of hours. Ah - we’ve air conditioning and the audio system which is all we really wanted - integral sat nav is no where near as good as TomTom app. Thanks for the help all those who came back.

Your exhaust is very high quality stainless steel and will last the life of your car There is a gremiln part that's mild steel though and can usually be welded " right " by a competent guy Malc

112,000 and still going very nicely thank you 🙏🏼 Won’t get to second spark plug change this year, I’ll drop the oil again before the winter months and a new cabin filter...... Apart from that 🤞.....

Very occasionally you'll get a huge surprise and find that the main dealers are actually competitive on price and if that happens to be the case then fair enough, I'd go for it. However, Toyota/Lexus don't make such things as batteries, tyres, wipers and exhausts, to name just a few of the 'wear and tear' items. They just buy in from whoever does make them, put them in a Toy/Lex box, add a markup and sell them out again, so you're not getting "genuine Lexus" parts anyway. Of course, I don't advocate going to 'Slippery Sid's' back-street shop where they're selling cheap Chinese knock-offs, but as long as you buy from reputable motor factors who sell to the trade and deal in well-known and respected brands, you can save yourself a few quid and still be safe in the knowledge that you're fitting high quality parts - possibly even from the same people who made the 'genuine Lexus' parts in the first place. I suppose it also depends on what you're going to do with the car, to a degree. If you're the sort of person who changes their car every year or two then you may want to keep it as close to factory as you can for the next owner and I suppose I can see the rationale behind that. However, we're the sort of people who buy a car and run it until it can be run no more and it goes to that great scrapyard in the sky, so any perceived value in having everything supplied and/or done by Lexus is lost on us and I'm more than happy to put in other high quality aftermarket parts.

I am not familiar with Lexus protect. My Gen 3 glasscoat was applied by the main dealer for around £300. It is a ceramic coating. When I had to use the smart insurance to get rid of a door scratch the repairer said that as I had the glasscoat the scratch had not penetrated the paint so could get the scratch out without repainting. I also use the glasscoat shampoo. Which costs a lot more than any shampoo I would put near my hair and hand wash using two buckets. The paint still has swirls in but stays clean for longer and still looks good after four years. https://www.gen-3glasscoat.com Cleaned it yesterday.

Took some better photos today, the first one was me trying to be 'arty' and failed playing with the light/shade. Also note the £12 e-bay rear diffuser.

Finally got to wash it.

Finally got around to giving her a good wash today after picking her up on Saturday. A good hand polish, and the paint has come up better than expected.

Got about 43,000 on my 2007 IS250 over here!....but ( at my current useage of about 3k/year) I don't think I'll be posting up a pic of 100,000 for about 19 Years 😂😂 paul m

Looks a bit like a video game here but it is real 🙂

Thanks for the update @V8ORBUST. These last two posts have just upped my excitement level - I've ordered the Quicksilver, but they didn't have any on the shelf so it'll be a couple of weeks before it is manufactured. Can't wait!

Busy day: washed, tar removed, Autoglym super resin polish then HD wax, tyres treated with Meguiar's Tyre gel and wheel cleaned with poorboys wheel sealant. Changed rubber mats for carpets for summer and cleaned dash.

Drove it home yesterday, about 90 miles of mainly A roads. quite busy so mainly about 50 to 60 mph and managed just over 40 mpg, was impressed by the comfort and quietness.

The "grandad" profile of Lexus will ensure that no young joy rider will bother with one. ☺️

Post Goodwood clean car pics...

On the way home yesterday we stopped to help a broken down ‘Fiat’ . Once the ‘Fiat’ was fixed we had a play on the way home.

Here’s a few of mine.

Ok I have had a read and no there is not an alternator as such driven from a rubber belt. It then points towards a faulty battery. Although however the battery is charged it would need more than 30 mins to bring it back from flat imho. Lexus did a Hybrid health check on my IS at the last service which gave a readout of all the systems. Ed

@Flytvr No matey they fitted it to my car prior to selling it last week 🐀