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Showing content with the highest reputation on 04/19/2020 in all areas

  1. Well, all of it that I could see. I was quite pleased with the result and it only took me about 3 mins.
    5 points
  2. I would add that in doing my daughters car, I did flush out the system and used new antifreeze/coolant before applying the SteelSeal. Also after reading the instructions on their website I noticed the following. Unless you are confident that no coolant additives have been used in the past, we recommend flushing the cooling system with clean water. Steel Seal is compatible with most antifreezes, but also works in clean water. We do not recommend using Steel Seal with long life / extended antifreeze. If completing the treatment with water only, simply follow the steps above with plain water and add antifreeze afterwards for best results. As Lexus use the pink coolant which IS longlife, I would bear that in mind. Also, as far as scepticism goes, I have many years of fixing up vehicles both professionally and in a private capacity and have always poo pooed quick fixes but with my daughters car being worth next to bugger all, it was worth a try and as I said, it's still going strong. They do offer a money back guarantee but I would suspect that there are a few hoops to jump through before they honoured that if it didn't work.
    4 points
  3. Waste not, want not I want to buy what will probably be my final car. It will be either a nine-year-old Bentley Continental GT convertible or a slightly newer Range Rover Vogue LWB Autobiography. Budget £45,000 to £50,000. I am told that both are very unreliable, so which would you suggest? TM I'd choose reliability over status and go for a Lexus RX450h. It's also more environmentally friendly.
    3 points
  4. Those covers are the only bit of the engine I'm ever going to touch! I know my limits.
    3 points
  5. Today I changed the spark plugs, which all went according to plan. I also decided to change the power steering fluid, which was dark brown, so presumably is 24 years old. It's the one on the right!: I followed the procedure shown in this link: http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/steering/psflush.html This is my setup, which worked well enough: The low pressure return hose is 10mm internal diameter, if you want to try it. Unfortunately, what I didn't realise was that when I briefly started the car the bottom end of the hose extension would flail around under the car and not stay in the jug I used, so it made a bit of a mess. That aside, after that brief burst and with the engine off the fluid continued to drain out, albeit very slowly. All I had to do was keep topping up the reservoir, eventually using about 2 litres. However, after an hour or so I got bored, so reverted to the usual method of using a turkey baster to empty the reservoir, as much as I could anyway, and refilling with clean fluid, doing that several times. The neck of the reservoir is quite narrow, so I could only empty the reservoir to about halfway each time. Anyway, the job is done now, and the fluid looks much more like it is supposed to, and in all I used about 3 litres, but then the fluid was particularly mucky.
    2 points
  6. Problem sorted https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/124133985382
    2 points
  7. The man's got more money than sense, if I had that much spare cash to splash on my last motor I'd get a Tesla model 3 long range. Petrol and diesel cars will soon be as dead as the dodo.
    2 points
  8. I owned Lexuses since 2011, 3 different ones. I drove hundreds of thousands of miles in them and I never needed to use the warranty. That’s why extended warranty looks like a waste of money to me. 🤤
    1 point
  9. It is just a lot of Nickel Metal Hydride battery cells all placed into a battery pack. They don't have memory effort and they degrade by being cycled (used) - they are fine not being used provided there is sufficient charge. The cells will however slowly discharge so you need to allow your vehicle to charge the hybrid battery maybe once every month or two - just put it in Ready for an hour which will also charge your aux battery (but that needs to be done more regularly)
    1 point
  10. 1 point
  11. The RX is classed as an estate on the V5. Although I've had an RX300 and now have an RX450h, I think the luggage space is fairly disappointing for what is 'a big car'. OK, you can put the rear seats down and take out the luggage cover, which does indeed open up a lot of space, but that just isn't practical from a security (or safety) point of view, in respect of what's on view to prying eyes and scrotes breaking in to steal what they see. If you want the contents of the 'boot' to be covered, the actual space available isn't much at all.
    1 point
  12. that's brilliant then and it saves you just shy of £2bn too Malc
    1 point
  13. You should have had an extended warranty to take you up to a full 12 months comprised of both the original and extended warranty at time of sale.
    1 point
  14. But never use a hybrid car to jump start a non-hybrid car....
    1 point
  15. It's not Techstream that's the problem, it's the cable drivers. I've got it working on Windows 10 64-bit but I admit it was a battle and took about two hours of messing about before the car would talk to the laptop, so it can be done. However, the quickest and perhaps easiest way is to install Oracle's VirtualBox (https://www.virtualbox.org/) on your laptop and then install a copy of either Windows 7 32-bit or even Windows XP in that and run Techstream from in there, in which case it doesn't matter which version of the drivers you have.
    1 point
  16. Bought some Goodyear 4 seasons in November and am delighted with them, they have transformed the ride of the car which I always found to be on the harsh side. Haven't really had a winter so cant comment on winter performance
    1 point
  17. those two old Ls400s did need MOTs for sure It's not many owners would however put more money into the car for repairs than the car's worth on the open market at that time I remember last year ( or maybe the one before ) i put about £2.5k into her with 4 x UCAs, cam belt waterpump 4 new tyres etc and knowing sh'es good to go for another 10 years at hopefully minimal excess maintenance costs .... a bit of an act of faith i guess, especially when last August I had the write-off after all that work completed BUT I could buy her back from the insurers and repair the silly little door squidge for relatively little money .......... Malc
    1 point
  18. So you can't be arsed! as the expression goes!
    1 point
  19. just thinking of all the UK and EU safety issues you'd need to develop your new car into, to comply say 10 years and a couple of £££ billion maybe might be best just to set your sights a little differently and buy something that's already just like an estate ............ my neighbour has a S reg jaguar estate that looks quite commodius .. alongside two other jaguar cars too tho, for when one or the other is at the repair shop ( maybe frequently ) Malc
    1 point
  20. Peter has explained for you Paul. Thanks Peter.
    1 point
  21. Planet Rock will come out of the stereo on startup as always :-)
    1 point
  22. Yes good luck Andrew, just go for it you won’t regret it. You just have to get used to things not going wrong 😜
    1 point
  23. When getting the CT last year from my local dealership at Lexus Birmingham - I decided to go for the monthly service plan for 3yrs at less than £30 per month DD. Takes the hassle out of things. Dealership experience so far has been excellent. As other folk have said - don't worry about the hybrid battery - Toyota/Lexus know what they are doing. My wife needs convincing to drive it still - just because she doesn't like autos! Good luck mate and of course we all look forward to some pics!!!👍 Kish
    1 point
  24. My renewal has just come through as my 12 month cover expires in June. Might have to pay monthly to make things work. I know the F cars are extremely reliable, but for peace of mind it is an excellent deal. Any drive train issues and I'd be ruined.
    1 point
  25. A bit of #CoronaWork - Gtechniq C2V3 topped with Zymöl Concours Wax. I must say that whatever powdercoat finish Lexus do to their wheels, these are the easiest to clean out of any wheel I’ve ever cleaned! Keep meaning to C5 them but they come up amazingly with just a light wash.
    1 point
  26. That reminds me I still haven't taken the EGR off to clean it, but then we're barely doing any mileage in it ATM. I've had to remove the cover and free the pin up a couple of times since my last post though so it needs doing. I did buy the parts to clean it so I'll try and do it next week as I'm off work.
    1 point
  27. I just updated my IS200d (manual transmission) with a new android unit similar to the one shown in the Youtube link above from Shenzhen Top Navi via Alibaba. The specs on the unit I ordered were: Android 8.1 with TS9 Octa core, 4G+64G, with built-in 4G and carplay. I also ordered the DVR (dash cam), an OBD2 scanner, and a USB DAB+ radio accessory at the same time. Total cost with shipping (to Belgium) was about 425 USD. https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/10-1-Car-DVD-For-Lexus_62355789908.html?spm=a2700.9114905.0.0.MfLDPl I also installed the backup camera shown in the link below. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reversing-License-Parking-Specific-Integrated/dp/B07T598BB2/ref=sr_1_27?dchild=1&keywords=backup+camera+Lexus+is250&qid=1585486901&sr=8-27 Everything is working very good after a decent amount of work. I wouldn't say it works flawlessly, as there are a few glitches, but it's certainly better than the outdated original option. Below are my impressions and lessons learned (that are not in the above youtube video 'How to completely transform your driving experience....'). The good: The android interface works well. Navigation programs all work well. I mounted the GPS receiver on the windshield as close to centre as the cable would allow, and reception is fine. Music from Spotify and the music play (mp3) app work well. Climate control all seems to work fine - although it's currently too cold to test the AC properly. The bluetooth phone interface works fine, albeit a bit basic - it allows you to answer/make calls and stream music from your phone. The Apple CarPlay interface seems to work. I think I need to order a dedicated SIM card for the android unit to test it adequately. Without a SIM card, the android car unit seems to be trying to pull all the data from my phone and this is very sluggish. When I put my phone SIM in the car and ran my phone off (home) wifi, things seemed to work better - but that's limited to the radius of my home wifi or course. The annoying: Most of the steering wheel controls work fine, except the previous/next buttons are backwards. It is possible to switch them via a software option, but the settings don't seem to stick. It's a good thing the steering wheel controls work, because I can't get the software interface that allows you to program buttons to work. Based on other forums I've read, I guess I should be happy most of the steering wheel controls work fine. The bad: The interface with the original car radio is awful on my car. I had to do a lot of playing to prevent it from turning on randomly. The interface is extremely basic and difficult to control. Thankfully the unit offers so many other audio options (Spotify, mp3, and internet radio via 4G) that this isn't so painful. Lessons Learned during my installation: 1) The reversing camera The reversing camera I chose was difficult to install. The IS has a plastic cover on the boot/trunk lid from the tail lights down. This has to be removed to install the new license plate ligfht/camera unit, and a portion of the plastic needs to be ground away for the camera to fit. Reinstallation is very tight, and will not work if the camera is connected to the light unit. It needs to be unscrewed and removed - if the unit arrives at your house with the camera glued to the light unit, return it - installation is nearly impossible. Second. For the backup camera to work on my car, the red 'trigger wire' that comes from the yellow RCA adapter that plugs into the android unit (labelled as 'Reverse-in' on the picture/ link below) https://disk.yandex(blocked word)/i/2OcAUyKD3LqYTf?spm=a2700.12243863.0.0.2ce83e5ffiyBwu needed to be connected to the brown wire in the pictures/link below that runs between the CANBUS and the android unit (see pictures below). On the Android unit, this wire was labelled 'reverse detection'. From my understanding the car/canbus didn't send a signal when in reverse, so I had to cut the brown wire and connect the camera's red trigger wire with the brown wire going into the android unit so it would recognise the reverse camera was on. Once the reverse camera is on, all sound is muted. After these adaptations were made, the android unit had no problems recognising the reverse camera and I could select the camera type (NTSC). Of course this is all contingent on the camera being wired correctly to the backup lamp in the boot/trunk (picture above). https://docviewer.yandex(blocked word)/view/0/?*=PkdMqU7hiqYoiUE8sJs9EuuujPd7InVybCI6InlhLWRpc2stcHVibGljOi8veXN5YzQ1eExSd0tZZ1lRZ01YV1BaTVFDQkZ2ZFBoWVZVV3hLMWIrVVZ0Yz0iLCJ0aXRsZSI6IlNvdW5kIHByb2JsZW0uZG9jeCIsIm5vaWZyYW1lIjpmYWxzZSwidWlkIjoiMCIsInRzIjoxNTg1NDY4MTA1ODEzLCJ5dSI6IjY4Mjg5NzU4MzE1NTAxNzYxNDkifQ%3D%3D 2: Audio/Radio functionality: After all wiring harnesses are in place, there is an RCA cable that originates from near the original radio - the white/red RCA ends are labelled Aux L IN and Aux R IN. These need to be connected to the AUX L and R that are coming out the Android head unit. My unit came with a harness like the one below. There are FL and FR OUT as well as RL and RR OUT lines - DON'T USE these I needed to use the two AUX lines, that on my harness were ambiguously labeled as AUX L IN and AUDIO R IN. Once the wiring was correct, the sound quality was good (no Mark Levinson stereo on my car). However I had to turn off a number of software options to prevent the radio from turning on automatically and randomly and the interface with the steering wheel controls is awkward. Important to note, there are several video in options on the harness above, but the reverse camera on my unit DID NOT connect to these, but rather to a separate RCA input harness 3) The optional DAB+ USB radio I ordered with the unit: I never did get this to work properly, but for 36 USD, I'm not going to pursue it further. I have the impression a proper ground is critical (and sticking the antenna's ground to the metallic painted metal frame wasn't adequate), but I haven't pursued this, as the USB adapter also doesn't seem to play well when required to share the USB cable with the dash cam. 4) The Universal Car DVR Camera / dashcam Works great. The camera will slide off the mountiing base to the right, while the extra required microSD card is inserted on the left side. Consider carefully where you mount the camera. Mounting to the right of the rearview mirror will allow you to slide the camera from the mount AND have access to the SD slot. 5) the OBD2 connector the comes with the wiring harness connects to the OBD2 connector below the steering/above the clutch. From what I can see, the only purpose for this is to indicate which doors might be open Hope this helps anyone who tries this installation.
    1 point
  28. So I have successfully installed the system tonight . Initial impressions are very positive . It functions as well as the interface does in the Audi . It is miles better than the built in system from Lexus and will only get better as the phone software is upgraded as it is just an interface for the phone . The car is a 64 Plate CT200h Premier Pro with the Mark Levinson SD card based navigation (the first facelift) Installation The installation was simple plug and play with the cables. Once the centre console has been dismantled and the facia around the screen has been removed it is easy to plug everything up. There are plenty of instructions available to do this and the reassembly is as easy as disassembly with a screwdriver 10mm socket and some trim removal tools. There was some experimentation with getting the right combination of can links for my car, but it all seems to be working as expected now . The box is small and easy to hide. I choose to just poke the USB lead in the passenger foot well centre console trim, I may change this for something integrated habit better into the facia . Interface The boxes software is easy to navigate the system boots quickly and directly into CarPlay if you have a phone plugged in. It has it's own interface with will let you choose between various types of interface media input HDMI input and the various types of screen mirroring and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto My car has a joystick, it seems the hack to get it to work is treating it like a wheel (it navigates around the interface the same way my Audi does with factory Carplay) . It is not perfect but neither is any hardware interface for Carplay. Moving the joystick to the left and right jumps goes from a selected item to the next, up and sown seem to jump 5 items at a time in a list not 1 by 1, once you have your head around it it is easy to navigate. Pressing the home button is the back key and clicking the joystick selects. If you hold the joystick it activates Siri that seems to work accurately with the built in microphone in the car. Switching between the cars system and the box is done by holding down the home button, the steering wheel controls for volume work as do the keys to skip tracks and the call and drop call buttons work as expected . The keys on the right still control the screen in the dash and the voice control button only works for the cars system Audio/Display Quality (The display quality is much better than it looks in these photos the compression on this forum has done odd things to them ! ) The car has to be set to AUX or A/V input to output the audio from the box I choose to use A/V because it seemed to sound better to me no idea why..... The display is a limiting factor because it wasn't amazing in the first place that said the bright simple CarPlay interface works well and is easy to use on a screen of its size and resolution. There appears to be no degradation in audio quality I have done back to back comparisons between the stock head unit and it still sounds great The car has the mark Levinson and it still sounds great. Call quality is better than the stock Bluetooth ! There is no echo like with the stock unit and the call is clear at both ends. Wireless Apple CarPlay Seems to work well, you are instantly given the option to use it the first time you connect the phone . The only downside is the car doesn't have wireless charging so CarPlay will eat the battery of the phone. Parking reversing sensors etc The Car switches perfectly to the factory camera when it is put in reverse and the sensors can still be heard clearly. Bad points The use of the joystick will take some getting used to. The system needs to be used on its own you can't have audio from the car radio at the same time as the box which means if you want to use CarPlay and get navigation announcements from Waze etc and listen to the radio you will have to steam through an app this seems to work well with the BBC Sounds APP. I has also crashed once but this was when I was connecting phones 3 phones in quick succession testing and it was also connecting to a phone wirelessly ..... Time will tell how stable it is but so far so good . Conclusion I think it has really improved the usability of the car, with a modern Sat Nav using Waze and lots of audio options. It nearly works as well as a factory installation. Most importantly the wife is really happy with it 😃 Wiring and Dip switch settings for a 2014 FaceLift CT200h Premier Pro with the Mark Levinson audio system and an 8 inch monitor
    1 point
  29. Don’t put all weather/all season/winter only across one axle. If you hit snow/ice this will lead to a big imbalance front to back and could result in serious oversteer.
    1 point
  30. There will be many different opinions on this, and by far the most will say buy Michelins, but these are possibly the most expensive. My own preference is for Hankooks. Buying the tyres with the lowest db rating on the now compulsory tyre label should give you the quietest tyres. A reading of 68db is quiet, and you will find the level goes up to around 74db with some brands. I am testing some cheap tyres at the moment put on free of charge for me to asses over the next 10,000 miles. At the moment I can say they have exceeded my expectations in all aspects including noise level, but it would be unfair of me to disclose the brand until I have put at least 5000 miles on them. I am only at 500 miles at the moment. They are less than 1/3 of the price of so called top of the range tyres. Tyres get noisy as they ware so your Dunlops are probably suffering from this. The tyre label gives information on wet grip fuel ecconomy, and noise level, so have a look at suggested tyres. The economy rating can make such a difference as to pay for the tyres in there life on fuel saving so do not ignore this rating, and the wet grip speaks for it's self on safety stopping distances. John.
    1 point
  31. 2 post lifts are now a popular way to raise a vehicle safely from the ground to allow work under earth to be conducted. The lift has 2 adjustable arms each side to suit the majority of vehicles. The actual contact points of the lift should match the jacking points on the vehicle which of course are designed to be structurally built to do so without damage. Unfortunately I have recently discovered damage to both my company Vauxhall Vivaro van after it was main dealer serviced and even worse my Celsior after it’s last MOT. As can be seen from the photographs the sill lips have been crushed at all four contact points of the lifting arms, in the case of my own car I know this has only happened whilst at the garage because it is the only time it has been in the air and I always use a trolley jack under the chassis rails not the sills. Fortunately in both cases there is no structural damage as a result but the metal on both is distorted and crushed. The damage may not be obvious initially being so low down under the vehicle, the van damage was seen from distance as I was walking towards it in a car park prompting further investigation and the car damage was only seen when I decided to remove the sill cladding for cleaning and rust proofing. To have one vehicle damaged could be put down to human error or lack of product use training but to have 2 suggests these lifts are causing repeated damage.
    0 points
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