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  1. Herbie

    Herbie

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    rob_clio172

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    rich1068

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  4. Paul Brooksbank

    Paul Brooksbank

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Showing content with the highest reputation on 06/29/2020 in all areas

  1. Small update, managed to get the gauges finished in the nav unit and it turned out really good! Over the moon with it, just need to see if i can get the proper plug connector from Toyota for the unit. 20200622_002212.mp4
    3 points
  2. If you've got any scuffs on your red leather interior, try this stuff for a tenner, buy the cherry red 34, it matches the Lexus rose red perfectly. Dries quickly too. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LEATHER-DYE-COLOUR-RESTORER-FOR-FADED-WORN-LEATHER-SOFA-CHAIR-COLOUR-REPAIR/251391035795?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=550316974352&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
    2 points
  3. In a hybrid there are two batteries - a 12V battery that basically 'starts' the hybrid system and gets the car into READY mode (which is our equivalent of the engine running) and also a traction battery that drives the electric motors and is around 288 to 300V depending on the car. Conventional cars have a starter motor that, when you turn the key, will crank the engine to get it running. The starter motor can draw more than 300A from the battery to start the car and when the engine is running, the alternator will replace the electrical energy used and keep the 12V battery charged up but it's main job is to run all the car's electrical systems - the 12V battery is only used for starting. Our hybrids don't have a starter motor as such and they don't have an alternator either. Our 12V batteries only have to boot the hybrid computers and one or two other things and it takes less than 20A to do that job, which is a lot different to the 300A a conventional starter motor would need. Because of that, Toyota/Lexus thought they could save a bit of money by only installing small-capacity 12V batteries, which is fair enough, except that the downside is that the 12V battery goes flat quicker than a larger battery would. For instance, it's not unusual for the 12V battery to go flat if parked up for a couple of weeks at the airport while you're away on holiday. Quite a few of us carry something like this in the car just in case it happens. So, that's the 12V side. Remember I said that our cars don't have alternators? Well, it's because the petrol engine doesn't run all the time - the car sometimes switches off the engine and runs on electric motors, which are powered by the traction battery. Anything that would normally be run by a belt from the engine, such as the alternator, the aircon compressor or the power steering pump, are all driven by electric motors so that they can still be used when the petrol engine is off. In fact, once the car is READY then the traction battery feeds all of the car's electrical needs, just like the alternator does in a conventional car. Taking the alternator as an example, the 12V battery starts the car and gets it into READY mode. Once READY, some clever electronics in what's known as a DC/DC Converter (our equivalent of the alternator), steps down the 300V from the traction battery to around 14.5V to keep the 12V battery charged. Different boxes of electronics do the same (albeit at different voltages/currents) for the aircon compressor and other stuff, all run by the traction battery. The other main job of the traction battery is to provide power for the electric motors that drive the wheels when the petrol engine is off. This battery is mainly charged by regenerative braking. The regen braking system takes the kinetic energy that would normally be wasted in heat by friction of the brake pads against the discs and turns it into electricity to charge the traction battery. Every time you lift your foot off the accelerator you'll see the power meter needle drop into the 'Charge' zone of the meter, but maybe not so far. When you actively press the brake pedal the needle will drop right down to the bottom of the 'Charge' scale, indicating maximum rate of charge. If the traction battery is dropping low on charge but no braking is taking place to charge it, the hybrid system will run the petrol engne, which in turn runs one of the motor/generators (MG1 and MG2) in a backward rotation to act as a generator and charge the battery. I often get MG1 and MG2 mixed up so that may not be strictly correct but you get the idea - it's one or the other. It can be quite noticable if the car isn't moving at the time, which is why I think that this may be what you're feeling. However, as I said above, if the car is in neutral then this won't happen, which is why you need to keep it in drive. Something else to bear in mind is that these are hybrid cars, not electric cars. If you run out of petrol, the most you'll get on battery alone is maybe a couple of miles, no more, and it also opens up a whole host of other problems. To be a fully-functional car, three things are needed as they all work together - the 12V battery, the traction battery and the petrol engine. Hope that helps, Herbie
    2 points
  4. I've found that the Yuasa YBX3068 is compatible with the Panasonic OEM fitted battery. The Panasonic battery is fitted with a vent to the underside of the car, the Yuasa also has a side vent.
    2 points
  5. Hi Peter, I don’t have an RX, but an LS 430. No problems for 6 years then I noticed what you have described. The solution in my case was low on gas. I had it topped up and now my air con works perfectly as before. Maybe worth having it checked, and welcome to the club, cheers, Roger
    2 points
  6. This was my experience too on the IS. I gave up for about 18 months before investigating again. I hope I can help you avoid the same experience. The thing is, you were expecting voice recognition (as I was) and it doesn't have this feature. To do decent voice recognition you need a biggish computer or Google's servers. These cars don't have this, though perhaps some other Lexus models do. You may have experience with dictation software like Dragon Dictate or similar. With these, you can train it to recognise your voice and then it types what you say increasingly accurately as you correct it over time. This is also how live subtitles are done on television. The computer can't cope with the range of voices heard on the television so a subtitler trains the computer with his or her voice and then re-speaks everything that's said, using a single voice that the computer is then familiar with. But the IS and as far as I can see the CT don't do this. That's why I ignored this feature for 18 months. However, it does have a much more basic feature, which despite being limited is nonetheless quite useful. This is that you can record the names of people on your phone contact list. When you've done this, it's actually quite convenient to be able to call them just by pressing the voice button on the steering wheel and then speaking the person's name. The number will then be dialled. It's actually a nice and useful feature. But it's not voice recognition as generally understood and there's a maximum of 50 names that you can record. These recorded names are called "Voice Tags" which isn't very intuitive if you're trying to find the feature in the index of the manual and you don't know what it's called. So as so often with manuals, it's not very useful if you don't know what they call the thing that you're looking for. As I say, it took me 18 months to work it out. It would be nice if Lexus had a Documentation Testing Department but it looks as though they don't. So although the manual looks as though it ought to be able to help you, since they don't seem to have tested the manual on real customers, as often as not it doesn't.
    2 points
  7. I can't help it. MY2005 V70 2.5T SE. 150k miles, not been particularly well looked after, £1k. Let the fettling begin
    1 point
  8. There's been so many topics over the years about this subject that I confess I've lost track. Did we ever come up with a definitive alternative to going to a Lexus dealer and buying one from them? If so, we could do with it being 'stickied' or at least a topic heading something like "The definitive answer to the RX450h 12V battery dilemma." I don't know if it's just me or not but I find the 'Search' facility of this board to be abysmal, and by far the worst of any other board I'm a member of.
    1 point
  9. I could not have put it better myself Herbs. To describe the hybrid functions rely needs a book, but the big no no that is not self evident is avoid neutral if at all possible. John.
    1 point
  10. I was quoted £1,300+ for my GS300 mk3 from my existing insurer! Go Compare - £295.16 from esure! Thank you to Go Compare!
    1 point
  11. Hi all, thanks for all the replies. I picked up the silver ISF Saturday and to be honest I can hardly remember the RS4. I don’t miss it at all apart from the boot space, and to a degree the looks - it did look good in white - especially from the front, very aggressive. It was rare we really needed the estate levels of space, but I guess we will just have to pack a bit smarter and use the front seat (wife normally goes in back with junior) Swivelling car seat with Isofix is fitted, which was a struggle but not because of space but because I’m an oaf and hadn’t read the isofix instructions. Got just under 33mpg on the way back from Swindon, I could scarcely believe it. Rather less than 33mpg when I’m off motorways though.... The excitement when the noise kicks in is pretty addictive and just knowing that 5 litre is there, lurking under the swollen hood is a rather special feeling. I fancy an exhaust - but I’m out of excess cash for the moment. H&S with an x pipe anyone? Do they make a big difference to insurance?
    1 point
  12. Drive the car home a couple of hours ago...a installed a fully charged battery and everything worked, including the EPS. Journey took me just over 50 minutes. On parking the car the steering suddenly went heavy but I still managed to park. So the journey home drained the battery to the level it cannot power the EPS. Had a look on-line and new alternator is about £130.00 ( not Denso but with 1 year warranty ). Will order tomorrow and replace the belt as well. Once done will report back.
    1 point
  13. Yes that was great. Thank you for the very detailed explanation! I did always wonder how a starter motor would cope with the hybrid system but that makes sense. And did not occur to me about the alternator wouldn't be able to function normally either. Cheers
    1 point
  14. Would prefer a hard top but I wouldn't say 'No.'
    1 point
  15. You got 2! Want to swop one for my Chevrolet Camaro 😀
    1 point
  16. And I get more than dismayed when in spite of repeated requests we still do not have sequential numbering of thread contributions. This the only Forum of which I am a member which does not have it.
    1 point
  17. ahhhh thats handy to know thanks I'll have a look later kkx
    1 point
  18. There's a more convenient jump start terminal in the engine bay fusebox. The positive lead connects to the terminal under the red cover and the negative lead would connect to any unpainted nut, bolt or screw:
    1 point
  19. I like your thinking...weekend day trip ! Believe me, the thought has occurred a number of times, not just with the car 🙃
    1 point
  20. The answer may just be in the second line where you mention "neutral". When you come to a stop at the lights, always keep your foot on the brake and keep it in D(rive) or if you thing you'll be a while, put it in P(ark) - the traction battery will not charge if the car is in neutral. If you've not been using it much, or only for short journeys, the traction abttery may be low on charge and what you're feeling is the generator trying to charge it, which would be more noticable with the car stationary.
    1 point
  21. Welcome to Europe's Leading Lexus Club! Please Enjoy!
    1 point
  22. I'd change the wife.....then change the car 😉.
    1 point
  23. This is brilliant, I'm going to be tackling mine tomorrow on my 2008. Thank you! I'm assuming there's three servos in total?
    1 point
  24. Stow-on-the-Wold yesterday. Not the best pic as I used my wife's phone.
    1 point
  25. Well I've found out that Labour charge inc vat for lexus to change plugs is £300. Not heard back on plug price but genuine Toyota plug set just over £50. From what I've seen online its a pig of a job so I suppose £300 is a fair price.
    1 point
  26. Thanks for the info, I really appreciate it. I did actually look through the above vid but the indicators issue completely passed me by, I will put that down to brain overload as I spent most of the weekend trawling the net for answers. The info given has given me the confidence to explore the possibility of changing a few things. Having said that, I think I will leave the indicators as stock. Rewiring electrics isn't a strong area for me. Electricity is "Witchcraft" as far as I'm concerned. I can just about cope with plug and play, so I will stick to that. I've had the car since November last year and it's probably the nicest motor I've owned. I've been a bit of a BMW fan boy for the last 35 years, the 350 beats them all in terms of comfort and presence with one exception, a 1993 e32 7 series that I had for years. Although it was a great car it was lacking in tech, probably why I liked it so much, but, it was a looker and a great wafter. As for the 350, I will change the bulbs that are within my knowledge and I'm thinking of restoring the headlight lenses as they are looking a bit tired, should keep me busy for a bit. Once again, thanks for the advice. Col.
    1 point
  27. Rent a Ramp in Warrington. £12.50 for first hour and £7.50 per hour therafter sounds mega cheap to me, especially if you have the knowledge and confidence to DIY the job. https://www.ufixautos.co.uk/services.html Also, Lexus Birmingham sell lots of stuff online and even if you can't find what you want on Ebay give them a ring as they tend to do deals on stuff much cheaper than your local dealer.
    1 point
  28. Wow thankyou so much for sending this through. However I think beyond my ability to do all that. I didn't realise it would be so complicated. I think a trip to halfords is on the cards. Cheers.
    1 point
  29. These are the ones I bought for the reversing lights They don't throw any codes or cause any problems with the CANBUS system, literally just plug and play. You could use these in the front indicators like I did in my 2005 RX300. These pass an MOT because the actual light fitting and lamp are not testable items, only the colour (amber) and flash rate are testable. They do mess with the CANBUS system and that's what those big orange resistors are for. Without them, the indicators hyperflash but as long as you wire them in they flash at the correct rate. Only other alternative would be to replace the actual flasher unit with one designed for LEDs. This is how I did it and how they looked. As I say in the article, don't take any notice of the horrendous test run for the wiring, it was all tidied up properly
    1 point
  30. Due to a back injury I had a long time ago I find normal saloon cars difficult and painful to get in/out, which was my main reason for going to an SUV. The RX is brilliant in this respect and is SO comfortable that I'd even sleep in it if I could.
    1 point
  31. i have an F sport is 300h and i haven't any issues with the seats never had a sore back even though the F Sport has firmer suspension , years ago i snapped the ligaments in my lower back so i always have concerns when changing car for this reason i am sure you will get on with the seats just fine test drive both cars before making any decision just to be certain which one is right for you
    1 point
  32. First of all, leave your HIDs as they are, as it's now an MOT fail if incorrect bulbs are fitted. That means that halogen fittings should have halogen lamps, HID fittings should have HID lamps and so on. The pic below is taken from the MOT Inspection Manual: The reversing lamps can easily be replaced with LEDs because they aren't tested. If you search the forum you'll find info about how to remove the reversing lamp 'shroud' which also improves light output. If I can find it for you I'll post it up.
    1 point
  33. I don't know why that would be. I had a Nextbase 402G for about 3 years and never formatted the card, and my current Viofo A119S has been in there well over a year and never formatted. Given that the camera overwrites the data, starting with the earliest files first, I really cannot see any reason to manually format at all.
    1 point
  34. I put some on my 400h for purely cosmetic reasons. Only had them on for a couple of months because the increased noise was just too much. They were Heko. Can't imagine the Climair ones would be any different.
    1 point
  35. Thats seems like a good video. My 2000 ls430 cd player gave up the ghost a long time ago, then the tape player and the radio although the radio did play intermittently. I might just give this a go. Nothing to lose really [emoji106] Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
    1 point
  36. I have just replaced the original main/dip bulbs on my IS250 with the new D4S Osram Xenarc Night Breaker. I’d always felt that the original bulbs were inferior to my previous car (Honda Accord) and had asked Lexus if they could be changed for HID bulbs - only to be told that on my model they already were, Previously I would even turn on the fog lamps to help light up the near side verges of our narrow, potholed country lanes. The new bulbs give a much brighter and better defined dipped beam which is much more comfortable to drive behind. Main is similarly improved. I feel the improvement is significant and well worth the investment.
    1 point
  37. As above. With regards to headlight washers: these are mandatory on all cars with HID/Xenon/LED headlights and activate as described by Brian. See the little body coloured squarish protrusions that sit on your bumper in front of each of the headlamps: these are your washers. They pop up when activated.
    1 point
  38. Nice looking car mate, you will NOT be disappointed. Re your queries: - 1. I just stick mine in for a hybrid service/check every year - costs about £70 and that guarantees the system for a further year, well worth the money. Lexus have extended the warranty on the hybrid checks to 15 years so you might be struggling depending on when yours was registered.... 2. No aux in for the stereo system bu 6-CD auto-changer will play MP3 discs so you can have hundreds of tracks at your disposal 3. Headlamp washers only work when lights are on and you pull the wiper leaver to wash the windscreen as far as I know. There are guys far more technically advanced than me on the site and they are always willing to help. Happy motoring.
    1 point
  39. All mirror covers are the same from 2011>> Obviously except for colour. I’ve taken my N/S mirror apart before. Use a trim removal tool to lever the mirror glass out. Behind there is 4 or 5 screws (sorry can’t remember)which releases the rear cover and surround. When refitting the glass push it back into place in the centre until you hear it click. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    1 point
  40. If I may be permitted to hijack this thread, you have reminded me of this gem. If it's what I hope it is, there's a section where a chap and his wife cry because their Cavalier SRi ("i" for "important") is taken away, and they are given a Maestro diesel. There are also some howlers about coat hangers, middle lane driving and badge snobbery. Wind it back to the beginning - my attempts to paste a link where it starts from the beginning failed miserably.
    1 point
  41. OK the rest of the kit arrived so repairs have now continued. Having reluctantly taken a scouring pad soaked in some solution to remove the original finish and cleaned down with isopropyl alcohol I followed the instructions further completing the tear repair, filling, smoothing and than applying 8 coats of “Leather Binder”. This has made the leather a lot softer and more pliable. A sponge dabbed coat of colour was followed by a spray coat of the same on the bolsters and front panel. I tried to mix the correct colour shade but despite my best mad scientist impression failed so have now sent a leather sample to the supplier for an exact match. Picture shown is at the present stage, it still needs the rear panels dabbing and spraying, 2-3 more coats of paint then finishing lacquer applying. I’m not expecting perfection (just in pursuit of it) but I think it’s certainly already looking better.
    1 point
  42. If you follow the instructions then, as @whiteman says, the results should be good. I bought a similar kit, albeit from another supplier, when I restored a Mercedes-Benz 420SEC 3 years ago, and below are the before and after shots. I used the supplied filler paste on the hole in the armrest and the renovation cream was mixed by the supplier to match the correct shade. It's a very rewarding job, but don't rush it. Good luck!
    1 point
  43. these really are lumps of thick steel and never likely to corrode until about 150 years young methinks,in normal operation when MOT Testers say corrosion it's often just a figment of imagination with a light brown wash thereupon Malc
    1 point
  44. That's interesting, didn't know they put prices online. I've ordered a battery online for £125 which I'm assured is a direct replacement AGM type battery. Will post details if it's a straight forward swap. Well I'm happy to make and shame, it was Lexus Leeds that quoted me. I'd have let them do it for £235 cost.
    1 point
  45. Try pulling the parking brake pedal all the way up with your toe while you release it with the handle. I had to lube the mechanism on my 90 LS occasionally to make the pedal come up all the way so that the dash light would go off. If the parking brake is depressed only a fraction of an inch, the warning light will remain on.
    1 point
  46. Was enjoying the day out house hunting with my partner in Littlehampton and Lexi suddently died on me! Set out just after lunch to look at a few houses. Drive was very relaxing through the A24 with aircon, music and of course the satnav on. After viewing the last house and while attemptng a 3 point turning, the steering bacame heavy and engine died on me! Wow....am miles from home (Sutton, London ) and Lexi's battery was flat. Didn't notice any warning lights so thought I have a dead battery. Jumped start Lexi and off I went but only for about half a mile and everything shut down. Got a friend who live 30 minutes away to bring a battery. Started and noticed the battery warning light was on. I may have been too busy concentrating on house viewing that I did not notice the warning light. So.....is the alternator dead or is it something else?
    0 points
  47. I got my D bushes from Rockauto this morning which I ordered on Wednesday, plus two fridge magnets!
    0 points
  48. Nope, still living in hope that one fine day it will turn up with our smiling postman.
    0 points
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