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I had mine changed at 100,000 miles/12 years. The technician who did it said that there were signs of 'distress' in the area of the oil cooler connection. I really think that it is a case of 'a stitch in time saves thousands'. Here in Europe, Lexus say that their automatic gearboxes never need to be drained, flushed or filled under normal use. It appears to have been a selling point to compete with Mercedes and BMW, who say the same thing (in Europe). Having done an engineering apprenticeship many years ago, I think that is total rubbish. I had my gearbox drained, flushed and refilled last week at an automatic transmission specialist (it requires specialist equipment). I can really feel the difference.

About time I introduced myself. 1997 Toyota Aristo V300. She's mechanically stock apart from HSD coilovers 19" wheels and the Fujitsubo exhaust. I'm torn on the 19" wheels. I like the sleeper look so I was thinking of going back to the stock 17" wheels. No plans for power upgrades for now. I actually think she might be too fast for me as it is! More pictures to follow when I get a chance. [emoji106] Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

or maybe I should just keep my gas guzzling ( 30mpg on a good day ) 4ltr limo and never sell it ...... oh yes, that means I'm not building a brand new car and all the toxicity that involves .... and not polluting the environment with scrappage of my dear old gal Malc

The second generation IS250 equipped with auto-folding mirrors does not allow for folding the mirrors once ignition is turned off. This is because the switch is wired via the ACC +12v supply going to the mirror motor. Power folding mirror motors regardless of brand all work in similar way. They have two wires going to the motor. It folds and unfolds based on the polarity of the power supplied to it. The internal switch that folds the mirror basically flips the ACC +12v and ground around going to the 2 wires of the mirror motor. I initially did some testing and was able to operate the mirrors independently using +12v I was going to build my own polarity switching relay circuit but then came across these readily available "Intelligent Universal Auto-Folding Mirror Systems". They sell on the famous bay auction site for as little as £5 from chinese sellers. I purchased mine for £6.49 as that was the cheapest seller that had UK/EU stock which came in a few days. £5 one would have taken 20-30 days to arrive from china which wasn't a great option for the price difference. The price of buying components and prject box etc and making my own unit would have cost me more than £6.49. This system is universal and works on the same principal. As long as it's wired correctly, I had no doubt it would work. The internal mirror fold switch still works just like normal. The module is marketed as being a intelligent folding system. This is because if you fold your mirrors using the internal switch and then turn off the car, the system will not do anything when you lock or unlock the car. It's because lets say you parked in a really tight spot where you had to fold your mirrors with the switch, and then if the system just unfolded it when you unlocked it, that would be a disaster. So the system doesn't operate if you fold the mirror with the switch before turning ignition off. If you leave mirrors normally unfolded and turn off ignition then system operates normally. The system works great. Below is my video demo showing the end result. I will write-up a installation guide in the coming days and post on my blog and on here for anyone who is interested.

I drive the Lexus is300H F-sport 2014 model, with mark levinson, OEM Nav and jogpad. After a lot of research online I decided to upgrade my stock 2014 screen to an aftermarket 10.25" touchscreen running on Android. What a blessing this is! The new screen is so much better in many ways compared to the original screen. With this new screen+Android OS, you can do pretty much everything you could do on your mobile smartphone. The good thing is you can switch back and forth between the stock and Android OS. I have not tested every single option yet, but everything I do daily in my car (listen to radio, usb music, bleutooth phone, stock navigation, tracking hybrid info, etc) all seem to work as it should. When flipping over to Android OS, you get a few standard apps, including play/google store, so basically you can install anything you want. Sofar, I installed Sygic and waze for navigation. MX player to play videos, tried connecting to the internet to browse thru Chrome. All working fine. Will continue to test more over the next few wks. The things I do need to call out: Wiring can be a challenge for those doing this installation first time. Its doable. I am no engineer and did it. Just take your time. Android sound need to be coming from the AUX source. Sound quality is not as good as OEM. In particular the bass is bad, but you can lower this on the equalizer so it becomes acceptable. Using the mouse/jogpad in Android OS is not perfect. It works, but just not as smooth as it should be. I prefer the touchscreen instead. Touchscreen does not work when in Lexus OS. Then the mouse/jogpad works perfectly fine. Screen does not mount on the original bracket and screws to hold it down. It only uses the pens to hold it in place. Good enough, but not as good as original. It's running on older Android OS. It works, no hiccups or whatsoever. The good things: Love the big screen!! Android OS - many apps!! Including navigation, carplay, etc Touchscreen is easy to use - like on your tablet. Love the big screen!! 😃 Specs: Multi-language support Media support: JPEG, WMA, MP3, MP4 Radiotune Touchscreen ROM = 32G RAM = 2G External mem = 128G Screen resolution = 1920*720 Screen size: 10.25" Build in speaker/microphone WIFI support Steering control compatible Plug and play power Brand: NAVIRIDER OS = Android 7.1 Operating System CPU: Samsung octa core Cortex A53 Frequency up to 1.4 GHZ RAM: 2GB DDR3 RAM Memory ROM: Built In 32GB Amplifer IC: tda7388 amplifer IC Bluetooth : Support Bluetooth 4.0

It’s various suspension bushes, joints, pins, front discs etc so worth checking. I’d do it before purchase as there may be reference in the service history to show the work has been done. I suspect it has as the most recent MOT shows no advisories, but I’d want to be sure.

Yep, there's one on the Bay of Fleas from Lithuania for about £36 including postage here.

Quite a few advisories on the previous MOT (Jan 19), so may be worth checking they were addressed as the current MOT shows no advisories

Thank you Farqui, useful advice and very reassuring indeed to know about the good reliability of this model. The boot size I understand is not big but I shall be using the car mainly for driving enjoyment during weekends or to go to work. I have already test driven two different GS450h models here in Sweden - one was a 2008 model with 60,000 miles and another one- the 2007 model at close to 120,000 miles, mentioned in my previous post. Both felt very solid, stable and powerful and I must say I could not tell a difference between the 60k and 120k mileage in terms of handling or power delivery (both were indeed very well maintained by the previous owners). As a comparison I drove in the meantime also a test Toyota Camry Hybrid 2020 model here at the local Toyota dealership and I must say although of the same manufacturer it was nowhere near the 12-year old GS450h in terms of comfort, dynamics, quiet ride and this solid driving feeling that the GS450h gives. I missed to buy the lower mileage car as it was taken by someone else, thus contemplating on the second option with the higher mileage, as there not many on the market in continental Europe hence was curious what forum members would say of the older and more used model, in terms of maintenance. Based on your good advice, I shall check the exhaust of the said car for any rust there, as I did not think about that during the initial visit. I could not find on the forum maybe a longer term review of the model when bought second hand? Maybe because most owners are relatively happy and there is not much to complain.

@chris1601 I have a key fob for our X, but the Model 3 is all done via your phone though you get a smart card to use in emergencies. Tesla is suppose to be updating the software on the X at some stage so it can also work just via the phone. The mobile App is almost separate, you can login to your car, unlock, pre-heat, remote start, track, even smart summon (in the US), from any phone any where in the world as long as you have your login details. My wife has actually driven the car when I left it parked near her work by remote unlocking/start using her phone App. The App security is like any other banking/account based app on your phone, when you open the App you have to either unlock using biometric passkey or enter the login details. Anyone can download the Tesla app from the app store, but clearly unless you have a Tesla account with cars linked in its pretty useless :). You can also use the App to look at/control all other Tesla products linked to the account, in my case our current X (including a previous one which was written off) and PowerWall, if in future we were to buy another Tesla it would also appear on the App. The chances of Lexus been able to implement such connectivity for the next IS is 0%.

The Auris does use the same system as the Prius. You possibly know already "but it is not clear from your post" all the Toyota/Lexus hybrids are auto's there is no manual hybrid. Other Toyota hybrid cars worth looking at are the Yaris, and the Rav4. John.

Cold weather does help as the air is more dense, but correction values on dynos become less accurate the more you move from typical ambient temps

My 2006 RX350 went into Lexus Cambridge yesterday for its annual (essential care) service and MOT. At 13 years old and 100400 miles I suppose some problems were to be expected - and so there were: * new rear wiper * brake fluid topped up a tiny touch with advice to replace in next few months * some surface rust on inside face of front discs MOT passed with flying colours That's the trouble with owning a Lexus; imho they are truly reliable and built like tanks. In my times of owning an SC430, a GS450H SE-L and now a RX350, the annual service and MOT has always been the main event. That's the trouble with owning a Lexus, not enough time to catch up on these forums as too busy driving the Lexus not, as per BMW etc, complaining about the latest thing to go wrong! Same time, same place next year😎 Hope all is well with everybody Cheers all!

Enjoy.

This might be of interest to you "Lexus Structural Blue, paint code 8Y0 is a standard basecoat/clearcoat system. This amazing color looks like it might be difficult to repair, but actually, it's very simple. Follow this recommended procedure from PPG to perform a small spot repair on this color. Structural Blue was developed by Lexus and VIAVI Solutions Inc. It’s based on the coloration of the vibrant morpho butterfly, a species found in Central and South America. The butterfly appears blue in color but does not actually have blue scales in its wing surfaces. The blue color — which varies depending on the ambient light — is achieved through light interference. PPG has introduced a training video to assist paint technicians with refinishing Lexus automobiles sporting the OEM’s Structural Blue finish. The video has been produced to dispel the notion that complex colors require a complex refinish process. In fact, it's not difficult at all." I was quoted £1100 to repair a simple stone chip on my Sonic Red painted bonnet..

So the cars back! They traced the problem to: previous owner couldn’t find a blown fuse - which turned out to be in the fuse box in the interior - so instead bypassed it with the red wire and piggy back fuse. Garage didn’t say what or why the fuse had blown, but it’s been sorted. Additionally they spotted a pipe going into the radiator had perished so replaced it. Next thing now it to peel all the engine covers off to see what’s what! Once I’ve been to pic up some replacement plastics clips(!)

Thumbs up to hellrider. My last car I had before the lexus was a Toyota Corolla. Had it from 05-17 cracking car. Didn’t like the Auris so got the is cos cheap lol. Must say like the look of the new corolla. Saw the new Camry in car park, it’s bloody huge but looks nice. But at the mo i❤️Lexus

https://www.confused.com/sell-my-car/guides/avoiding-online-car-selling-scams Very common scam, I had a call for every car I sold on autotrader. "I am abroad .... I will send money via paypal and someone will collect it" So there is no proof of collection by the buyer. One more tip when you buy japanese cars or even toyota never buy diesel go for petrol. Best choice for japanese cars and no turbo problems or dual mass flywheel .

There was a gen2 Prius taxi in Grease that covered 3,000,000 miles. Toyota gave the private owner a new Prius gen3 for it so they could dismantle it for close inspection. John.

As an LS owner for last 11 years, I would be going Prius in this case, the Gen 1 was good, the Gen 2 better, and amazed at the room and comfort in them. Having not been in a 220 I cannot say whether the Pruis would be noisier or quiter, but always found them to be fine at 60+mph, not as quite as LS, but then again way less thirsty than a 400.

............. been driven in a fabulous all black leather Prius taxi the other day, amazingly comfy and a " nice place " to be in If one of these was available at your figure you wouldn't do better maybe Prius taxis in the States regularly achieve 700,000 miles they say Malc

The is250 will have a considerable higher running cost in terms of fuel/road tax, servicing (if you opt for lexus servicing) and parts compared to the Prius. If you do lots of town work/ i think you will struggle with high 20s mpg with the IS250. It adds up even if you are only doing 7000miles per annum as we are talking about 2xmpgs vs 40+mpg. Prius also has a more useable boot and rear seats (which folds down) as opposed to the Is250 (something you may factor in if you have dependents). The IS250 will be more refined/quieter cabin/ more gadgets (depending on which trim you go for). Barry

Using air con or not using it might not have affect. They seem to die on is250 at 10 years age. Happened to me and I have posted about it. Thanks to John, Linas and other members here I was able to put the car back on road when RAC failed to fault find. What you should try is turn the ignition on. Don't start the engine. Toggle ac to on and off a few times then set it to off. Then try starting the car. If that does not work then you need to remove the belt and then start the car. Turn off the ac. Then put belt back on. Ensure ac is set to off and start the car. And off you go. Remember removing belt means no water pump etc so only do it for few seconds.

Ive had most of my cars mapped it's really good for power and economy. Factory maps are more suited to everyone in all conditions where as a re map can be set to give more benefit on your personal driving style. Eg you can map for either power or economy or somewhere in the middle if you want best of both remap only benefits turbo cars tho so a no go on the 300h.

Before you try this: Know you try this at your own risk. Dont point fingers at me should anything go wrong. I am just a "member" here sharing my own experience. Follow instructions in this youtube video to demount your center console and screen. Watch up to 3min40sec. No need to remove the glovebox. Start vid from 5min15sec again to see how to remove the connectors on the back of the audio system. DO NOT FOLLOW the instructions on how to connect the cables, as the video is meant for beatsonic carplay. Tip: Make a picture of the BEFORE you unplug the cables first so you can be reminded which one goes where. Do not unplug all original cables from the back of the audio system, as only a few need to be "replaced". Compare new set of connectors with original connectors to see which one need to be unplugged and extended. Once determined, unplug the original connector from the audio system and put in the same "new" connnector in the same plug. The other end of the new cable should have the opposite connector (male or female) so the original connector be reconnected. Few of the other end of the new cables (I believe 3 cables - video cable, gps, micropohone/speaker) need to be channeled through the back of the audio system to the upper part of the dashboard so it can reach your screen. The channel to pass thru this will be limited, but what helped is I unplugged the bezel around the speedometer (just clips holding it in), so I had more space to pass thru the wiring. The system I bought does not use the original bracket which holds the stock screen. so I just clipped in to the area and it has been holding it pretty firm. There is one brown connector behind the screen which ended up not being used. Not sure what the brown connector was for, but there has been no issues identified by not plugging it. Seems like it is not needed for the new screen. Once done, test your system by starting up your car. If all works, congratz! Hope this helps. Sorry I dont have pics on this, as I wasn't thinking of creating a "how to" in the first place. Good luck to those trying this out!!

yes and yes. Even the steering control works

I paid approx Euro 650,- including shipping. excluding customs/tax. This may go up or down, dependent on your set up and seller offering the package.

This pic is not my car, but the screen looks the same. This is the start up page when you start your car. You can choose between the Lexus OS or this Android OS

😄 Same thing happens in my IS250. I sh*t myself and thought I had a catastrophic engine or gearbox failure the first time it happened.

I could see some occasions when it might be useful. Clearly the car recognises the fact it's raining, or does it also ask when it's dry? Does the car ask to close the sunroof when it starts raining? Is there an option in the setup menus to disable the feature?

Definitely some useful info there Wayne, thanks bud!! I'm suffering with a bit of Rattly McRattly Rack!! 😩 Feels like when your drop links have gone on your BMW 3 series. You just get a loose rattly getting through the steering wheel when going slow over bumps or uneven ground, not there at speed. Lexus says it could be play in the stab links, track rod ends, rack ends or the rack itself. About a grand to do the first 3, about 3 grand to do the rack but it comes with rack ends. My thoughts were do the first 2 and if the noise is still there do the rack and rack ends. Maybe second hand like you say though. Lexus reckon there is a small amount of play in them all 🤔🤔🤔 Hmmmmm, I reckon there's a small amount of bollo# and an opportunity to charge someone the earth! Defo seeking a second opinion before I take the plunge.