Leaderboard

Had a beer delivery from Gloucester Brewery today. It was brought by a guy with an immaculate black CT200h. We chatted and I was amazed to learn it had 178,000 miles on the clock. Full Lexus history at Cheltenham and apparently running like clockwork.

I purchased the Hawk one suggested by Howard which arrived within a couple of days and seems to be of a reasonable quality. They do supply an installation guide booklet and a model specific sheet but this only gives the wire colour and rough location so a bit of metering is required. Fitting involves removing the driver’s side lower dash, the heating ducting and the sill trim. Took me around 4 hours due to having to confirm the wiring and routing the wiring, the indicator flasher wires were too short to reach to the Hazard Warning switch so had to be extended but the rest were fine. This particular unit has the facility to remote open the boot (although the symbol on the fob is for sound mute on a TV) .The early LS400s with a single button key fob did not have this feature so this is a nice addition. The instructions say a relay is required but this is already fitted OEM so it was just a case of wiring to the boot release switch. Simply hold the fob button for 3 seconds to pop the boot. Another thing I have found is that all the doors unlock automatically when the ignition is turned off, this will save the other half from opening the window every time we stop and get out. The fourth button when pressed makes the indicator flash 3 times to assist vehicle location. Considering Lexus want around £500.00 for the chip and 3 keys I am pretty pleased with my £20.00 system which does more. I have noticed that since fitting when you select D the car goes backwards and when selecting R it goes forwards, I am however now getting used to this and I’ve put a label on the wood shifter panel like with the alien spaceship in Independence Day. Oooops. 😀

Found this old thread https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-f-2016-present/874488-it-s-finally-here-gsf-diecast-1-18-a.html Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

Built like brick outhouses (not so sure about more recent models), and I have mate who had a Volvo 240, used is a builders van, never went wrong in 30 years, my missus had a 440, (not an estate), but I recall it had a Renault engine, with some niggley faults, kept if for a year before going Honda. T5 lovely car, so long as you could keep a petrol station in the back, always interesting to put your foot down and watch it tell you it was doing a shade under 2mpg (not even my LS gets that bad even when hammering up a local 20% with foot to the floor.

I bought two models from e-bay of the RCF both were about £150 the blue one has all opening doors etc and the engine detail is superb, the orange one doesn't have opening doors. The detail on both is superb and they weigh an awful lot just like the real thing.

Autoart have some quality stuff pricey at 1:18 scale but all doors, bonnet,boot open I'm not 100% as I've not looked at my aristo for a while but think steering wheel moves wheels aswell Pics below just for reference of quality not my car Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

Herbs, You were right about chair type scooters needing deep discharge batteries as they are not intermittently charged during use, that is unless they are like this guy who wanted something that would produce more power lol.

Herbs, See what Professor Kelly says in the video link William gave from point 4 on about the deep cycling battery in the Prius (same technology as RX450h). This is what reminded me of what I had read elsewhere.

All AGM batteries are deep cycle to an extent, certainly more so than a flooded battery. IMO this is a good reason to have a deep cycle battery on a hybrid (unless you can fit a higher capacity flooded battery) because otherwise going on holiday for 2 weeks will take flooded battery below 50% and damage it (losing a bit of capacity). An AGM can take 70% discharge without too much damage.

As you all know I had a 1989 240 GLT auto petrol estate for 10 years. Bought in 2009 for £350 and sold at 234,000miles for £500 . Put 78,000 miles with me and only recovered once in that time or broken down. The tail output bearing always leaked a bit of ATF and finally prop centre bearing went around 191,000, and had to renew the tail output bearing as well as a used gearbox mount as bent it! The biggest repair job at a Volvo specialist. Just under £400. I had also replaced, tailgate looms, water pump, rad, hoses and service items. Its heater fan died 5 years after buying and never replaced as its a weekend of dash removal! Sold it a few years after buying my 1996 Volvo 940 for £250 as wanted AC and ABS. Again a reliable workhorse. Both volvos have always passed the MOT straight through with no advisories in my ownership. Newer Volvos are very complex. My volvo Specialist said avoid Volvos after 2003. James

hahahahaha, my pension pot for one ..... but hey, it's not real money is it ? not like buying a car we know the stock markets will whizz back up long before that Bentley needs new tyres and at £350 a pop no doubt ................... and being permanently on and off a trailer down to my indy for some niggling crisis or other that will set me back the purchase price again over a year or two no, I'll admire her on here from afar and imagine I'm in one when next I'm on my way to Sainsbury's for a cauliflower or two Malc

I've had my 2008 V70 for nearly 5 years and mechanically it's been great, only let down by silly electrical things, nothing major, just annoying. It's on 61k now and it's a pleasure to drive and feels very tight and solid. Also very practical, especially having a dog as it has a built in fold down guard, and with the front seat folded I can get 3 metre lengths in.

That link is teasing me with a 1/18 scale IS300 F Sport. It's only £139.71...... ouch!

Yes that is the same one, looking back at my e-bay history I bought it 2018. I've had a close look at both models and I think the blue non Kyosho model is actually better and cheaper, the seats move forward and all the seat buttons are there and the interior is spot on in every detail including the dash-board. I have a fairly big collection of die cast cars (mostly old Gorgi Lotus all mint in boxes) and it is up there with CMC and we all know how expensive they are.

Thanks David. I found this one, which I assume is the same? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-18-Toyota-Lexus-RCF-RC-F-Diecast-Model-Racing-Car-Toys-For-kids-Gifts-Blue/263924530079?hash=item3d7320bb9f:g:5JoAAOSwYelbk3O~ If so, it appears to have got more expensive. Still, impressively detailed, so no doubt worth the money. It is a shame that they don't do a GS version.

I'm sure that's right that it's better to drive the car to keep it in good operating condition, mostly because the engine is running most of the time and generating electricity while it runs. But when the car is moving, some of the electricity has to be used to power motor/generator 2 (MG2) as the car won't move unless MG2 is turning. If MG2 has no power, the engine would just spin to no effect. While you're driving, the engine is also turning MG1, which can generate the electricity needed by MG2 and any spare power can be stored in the high voltage battery. Some of the engine power is also used to add torque to MG2's torque to drive the road wheels. So only some of the engine's power is left over to be stored as electricity in the high voltage battery. By contrast, if the car is stationary, all the engine power is used to drive MG1 and virtually all the electricity MG1 generates can be stored in the high voltage battery. So if you wanted the high voltage battery to be charged, it might be quicker to do it by driving the car, with the engine running most of the time, perhaps up to around 2,000 rpm or more. But in terms of petrol used, it would be more efficient to keep the car stationary. While the car is stationary and the engine is spinning at around 1,100 rpm, MG1 is turning at around 4,000 rpm. But when you drive the car at lowish speeds, as MG2 goes faster to drive the road wheels, MG1 goes slower generating less electricity. Until eventually at some point it will stop altogether and then start spinning in the opposite direction. So at town speeds MG1 is probably spinning more slowly and generating less electricity than when the car is stationary. Having said all that, I wouldn't have thought there's much need to charge the hybrid battery at all unless you're going to store the car for six months or more. Even on one bar of the gauge, the battery still has a 40% charge and most reports on this forum that I've seen say that it loses very little power over long periods of time.

I've owned one or two post-2000 ones and though I like them I didn't find them to be any more reliable than any other car.

And I think I'd give the hosepipe a miss.

Must keep this updated. I know you all wait with bated breath to see what I've been up to. Never got the bumpers done because of you-know-what. Never got the touch up stick from Toyota and had to order non-OEM from Amazon because of you-know-what. I'm trying that today to see if it's any good. Even though I'm using it every day the car is staying spotless because of the glorious weather. A quick vac of the driver's footwell and job done. You may have seen I did get round to doing the engine bay which took all of 10 minutes More importantly I did the first partial (2.25 litres) drain of the ATF after waiting a fortnight for the delivery from ECP. I know I said I probably never would but the boredom gets to you in the end. And like most jobs on this car an absolute doddle. While I was under there I investigated draining the coolant and spotted the little valve/tap, hose and cut out in the undertray. Could they make working on this car any easier? Note: I had a little nosy at a CT200h and noticed that even though the cars are ten years apart and the hybrids are like spaceships next to my old GS, it still had the same coolant drain set up. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Now that is a challenge. XJS V12 anyone?

Get yourself a smart charger and trickle charge in the car .

at that price it's really taking the p - - s I remember many moons ago we ( my car sales ) bought one of these at Colchester auctions, a T5 red estate ..... like the proverbial sh - - off a hot shovel wow, wot a car that was sold very very quickly to and to somebody who could afford the insurance premium too Malc

Good point!

Aren't Volvos supposed to be reliable? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174207867047

Very nice. Straying dangerously close to Jenson territory...

With the roadside assistance included in the extended warranty you only need to get the bare minimum insurance . I was surprised when I was looking for insurance ( fully compl) the drop in premium when I said I did not want any road side assistance,, car hire or European cover which, of course is all included in the ext.war..

Adrian Flux supporting the Lexus Owners Club With the UK in coronavirus lockdown many people are asking what help their insurance provider can provide in these trying times. Adrian Flux has a special relationship with the Lexus Owners Club and here we answer some of your coronavirus insurance questions. Is Adrian Flux still open for business? We are still available to take your calls and respond to emails. Our opening hours remain the same and you can still use the website to request policy changes and access policy information. Can I still change my Lexus motor insurance policy? Yes, we are still here to help with your queries or you can use MyAdrianFlux to access and change your policy. I have been advised to self isolate. Can I pause my motor insurance? It is a legal requirement to have valid car insurance unless your car is registered as off the road. Therefore we aren't able to “pause” your policy; it must be active or cancelled. Cars can be damaged by accident or fire and they can be targeted by thieves even when unused and parked on private property so you may find it cost-effective to convert to laid-up insurance cover. If you take laid-up cover while you fine tune your Lexus for the show season it will remain protected but the policies are cheaper because there is no third party risk. Doctors have advised me to self isolate. Am I still covered to drive? You will still be covered to drive but we advise against driving during the lockdown unless absolutely essential, especially if you are showing symptoms which could impair your ability. If you have concerns about your motor insurance, contact us on the dedicated Lexus Owners Club line 0800 587 6313 or visit the Adrian Flux website to see more: https://customers.adrianflux.co.uk/covid19-faqs/

Took the chance... it was flat so I unlocked the driver's door and quickly disconnected the battery and got it on charge now in the garage.

At least from some point this year she can get cheaper essentials servicing available for vehicles 5 years old to save a bit and still have the hybrid health check.

It is the most beautiful estate/brake ever made, saw one once and nearly displaced my all time favourite car since I was a kid, which was the 7 litre Iso Grifo, and got to see one in the flesh when at a garden show in 2018 one parked in front of me. Made my day. Would have preferred it in blue like my Corgi model was, but hey

Hi mine haven't arrived yet due any time now! I've put some ordinary black ones on for now and they look quite acceptable my car being mica blue. LH

I really wouldn’t bother using it if you have the original disc fitted, as many of the new roads will be missing . Although it’s a rubbish system I fitted the youngest disc I could find on eBay , now have a 2018 disc in a 2006 SC430. There a a few tutorials on YouTube just look for a 2001-2006 Lexus guide to give you some pointers ....last though ...I have a 6" tomtom satnav and set for a long journey last year on the way back home I also ran the Lexus satnav as a comparison, it gave some odd choices of roads and would have sent me in the wrong direction, so don’t worry if you can’t get it to work you are not missing much 👍🏻👍🏻

Lucky in front bank!

This may be of interest - taken from information on the RAC web site. Whats the shelf life of petrol / diesel? Probably not as long as you think. Once you’ve put fuel in a jerry can or other container you only have a few months before the quality starts to fall away – even less if the fuel is contaminated in any way. Generally speaking, petrol has a shelf-life of six months if stored in a sealed container at 20 degrees – or just three months if kept at 30 degrees. The more it's exposed to heat, the more quickly it will go off. If the container isn’t sealed, you’ll be able to keep it for even less time. As for diesel, it can remain usable for between six and 12 months before becoming ‘gummy’ which, if used, can clog up filters and cause you issues with your engine. Mine has been off the road since mid March and has been used once a week, current tank level is around approx range of 250 miles. Guess theres a few months to go first before this issue above will need to be taken into account, cant really drive it any long distance to reduce whats in the tank due to the lockdown and should think the lockdown would be lifted soon, certainly before the above needs to be considered. I guess fuel stations will be ticking over slowly with people still using them at the moment, not sure on how much their tanks would hold from the point of view of shelf life on how often they are filled - do they check their fuels for effectiveness?

All fixed now, fitted a new coil pack and spark plug and it runs like a dream, wasn't an original denso coil pack but will try and get one of those as a spare. Luckily I took a snap of the diagnostics otherwise those guys would have been swapping out the rear packs.

Yes it does John, and I am indeed on one. It's just that my mate used to charge me £30 plus parts

It's like a mini Q car. Always liked the looked of the last shape Accord estate too. An interesting discussion was had on Twitter the other day about the Lynx Eventer. In my opinion one of the best looking coachbuilt estates/shooting brakes. It just looks right. Rear window is from a Citroen Ami 8 apparently.

I liked the E-type hearse in "Harold & Maude". I like the Lagonda estate conversions. Yes I know they are a money pit, but I love the look and I fit in them. If only the coachbuilders could continue the door/window line it would look so much better. If I win the Lottery I could create an AM Lagonda Estate with a supercharged 3UZ.

Lovely cars, a bit thirsty around town, but on long runs hot too bad, and lovely to drive.

and there's a 2000 year one with 118k miles with MOT to November for £400 just needing new tyres a good workhorse methinks if that's what one wanted rather than a classic to love and nurture and not use much at 10 x the price .. £4k Malc

Honda estate you say... https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1215611

Lexus reliability seems to be available in most Jap cars, though I find the Toyota estates a little 'ugly'. My choice of Jap estate would be a Honda, rock solid engine body work robust, My wifes Honda was treated with next to no respect by her, but kept going until 200K, when a badger strike took some lights out (mind you we still got £250 trade in on an Jag X-type, lovely car the X-type, until it rusts and rusts and rusts at the age of 10 years old). By the way I always loved the look of the Aston Brake (and the Lagonda - which was like being on your favourite chair with a steering wheel) much preferred to DB7 and DB9 I have been in (mainly noise and two fingers IMHO)

Mornin' Paul, - and welcome back to the fold! I found myself in a similar situation to you last August - when I bought a 2014 version of your motor, - and I DID buy the extended warranty from Lexus. I'd arrived at that decision having read many pages on the subject on this very forum, where I'd arrived at the conclusion that the majority of opinion was that the warranty was a worthwhile purchase. It is, of course, only a form of insurance policy, and we can always debate whether any form of insurance is a 'value for money' purchase - (it IS you one needs it, and ISN'T if one doesn't of course). However, I also purchased a two year Lexus Service package - I liked the peace of mind that gave me - ( my days of scrabbling around under cars doing my own servicing are well over ) - and with a well made vehicle - I want quality maintenance (ships and ha'porth of tar etc) I would also suggest that with your annual mileage being at least double the average, then there is a greater arguement for an extended warranty. And just to justify my own decision - I promised myself to buy just one bottle of reasonable wine LESS per week (£10 bottle) - that way both the car and I would stay healthier!

No all the Lexus and Toyota dealers around me are all closed down temporarily. I got it today from GSF car parts and using there code I got 60% off leaving me to pay £156. It’s a genuine YUASA battery which is identical to the original one I removed. Very easy job took only 10 mins. The car only lost the time and kept all other settings eg: radio channels,phone. Everything is back to normal [emoji1360] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Getting slightly back onto topic, I've found myself addicted to this shy, reserved character on YouTube:

I read an article some time ago that stated those listening to Rock or fast paced music tend to drive like a Bat out of Hell, not sure how well that was researched.