Leaderboard

Just wanted to express my gratitude to this forum Not only do I find answers to all the questions and problems (small number) I have encountered during my ownership of the Lexus Marque but on occasions I have been sent stuff free of charge. Once I was having a sound issue with my car (turned out to be fuse in the end) and a member sent me a replacement screen/cd player free of charge - a big thank you to that member Just recently I asked about part number for luggage net - a member pm'd me offering to send me one free of charge - they even sent it Special Delivery! - a big thank you to that member - I am grateful - I won't name them just incase - but feel free to reply to this thread if you want to. Finally I purchased Pete haylands LS430 recently - we literally done the deal within minutes and he kindly and happily delivered the car to me from over 140 miles away - great guy and great car which was as described and came with a boot full of expensive spare parts. Hoping for many years of Lexus motoring and contributions to this forum

There is an interesting Paper available detailing various solutions to mechanical attack. I belive that several layers of Kevlar fabric, laid crosswise behind on sandwiched within a metal casing will be most effective agains a saw or grinding attack, ai it effectively clogs and ties up the discs and blades. https://www.cpni.gov.uk/system/files/documents/8a/67/Project_FARM_Guidance_Doc_Materials_Spreadsheet_Manufacturers_V1.0.20160523.pdf

It is normally contamination, covering up the catalyst material to stop it working. Oil from a worn engine, coolant from a minor head gasket leak etc. Unburnt fuel from the engine igniting in the cat and overheating/melting the honeycomb structured catalyst will also reduce efficiency due to a reduction in surface area.

thats my mark 4 - sold it in 2012 with 80k for £2k - i think it went to blackburn then - everything looks the same apart from the bonnet

Just waiting at Le Shuttle to board, 2559 miles so far over 10 days and the old girls not missed a beat, didn’t see ANY F’s in any forms......shows just how collectible these fine machines will be, even the MPG isn’t to shabby 👍🏻

Try you tube for how to repair power door blinds.

Looks much better with the original wheels 🙂

Bit of a wash. First decent picture with correct wheels.

Hi I have got a Lexus GS300SE 2005 model I had a Stainless steel exhaust system fitted 3 years ago at Tony banks in Leeds for £800 because the Lexus dealership wanted £2000 plus fitting plus I am more mpg now so go for a Stainless steel exhaust system it's much better hope this will help you. Regards Eddie mason

Most dealers will give you a trade in price but allow you to sell privately before handover. Agree to purchase the vehicle, arrange a date in a few days time to collect the new car and in the meantime advertise on Autotrader slightly average private sale prices but above your trade in price. If a car is priced well you normally get calls within hours of a vehicle going up on the website.

I drive to and from UK to Andalucia twice each year and have traveled many routes for the last 15 years. They are always wonderful journeys.

Sorry thought they’d uploaded in France 🙄 Sat at 75-80 on cruise most of the way, obviously the odd little spat 😉

I discovered a local detailer, so it's nice and clean.

Just doing some digging. It seems service prices are the same across most dealers. £625 online and also when ringing. I guess this is oil, filter, brake fluid and a pollen filter. Any ideas on how to get this lower ? I'm aware Gold membership can get a discount,is there a way of confirming what dealers are part of this scheme ? cheers (seems very quiet on here since Ratty left )

Make sure you get the locking wheel nut it can be a disaster without it down the line if they forget to place it back in the car. Don't expect a spare wheel!

Ask for a full tank of petrol. I didn’t and had to fill up on the way home. When I queried about it they said I hadn’t asked, so don’t assume you will get a full tank. I am still annoyed about that even after 5 years. Most of all enjoy the experience as best you can in the new normal.

Hi gb1600e and Northern ISF, I recently had my transmission flushed along with a TCU and ECU reset as a last resort by Lexus Wolverhampton. My transmission starting shifting harshly and was doing the odd rev flare between 4th and 5th. Highly recommend giving Wolverhampton a ring as they have experience with mine and were fantastic through the whole process. The difference is night and day, it now uses less revs on the torque converter when unlocked and now locks the converter from 30mph instead of 55mph. It pulls harder using less throttle and MPG has increased from 21 to 27 on my 6 Mile commute to work. From the American forums it does not take much of a drop in fluid level for it to start misbehaving. With transmission fluid living a harsh life it's worth changing, after 12 years and 60k miles being worked, it will had degraded. My car is a 2008 with 60k miles. For comparison a friend of mine has a M140i. Although a different gearbox brand, ZF recommend changing their 8 speed transmissions' oil every 60k. Yet BMW along with every other manufacturer say it's sealed for life. There's a chap on YouTube who has an hour long video on how to remove our gearbox's sump, filter and replace, along with the oil and oil level setting procedure. Hope this helps

Well this is a big can of worms all right! Regarding Lexus Autoboxes that is. In the IS250 section ( and in the US on the LOC) there are those who advocate a change at least every 50,000 miles, those that say ‘Drain a bit and replace whatever amount comes out every 5,000 And those that sign up for the ‘For life’ statement! I don’t follow the ‘For Life’ crowd as I think that was a marketing ploy and the ‘Life’ according to Lexus is different to My version of ‘Life‘. I reckon that Lexus’s version of Life is for as long as they have any statutory/legal Responsibility for the car ie about 10 years. After this amount of time you don’t really have any recourse over wear’n’tear items, and I don’t believe that any type of hydraulic fluid ( that is what is in the gearbox in essence) is not going to deteriorate after that time ( if not before)

I have a 65 plate f sport with the joystick and I can confirm that the joystick will stay in the left/right/up/down position when moved there, but it only needs the slightest touch for it to move back to centre. It certainly does not “stick” in those positions but it will “stay” until tapped back to centre.

For 4 Euro's, you can view official Lexus workshop manuals from their website (https://www.lexus-tech.eu/).... I tend to do this for all work on my cars, to ensure I have the proper procedures... . Especially worthwhile if you need to remove trim panels, as they show you where all the clips are. The website is difficult to get started (I suspect on purpose, they have to do it for EU rules, but not in their interest to make it easy!). but for 4Euro, you get an hour, which is enough for most jobs

I also have had items given to me by other members at no cost both Lexus, and non Lexus related. The forum is also a font of information, and help with little or no trolling or abuse that seems to be prevalent on some forums. I also would like to thank all members for there helpful participation here, and long may it continue. John.

I went for the rx330 kit the tensioner is different after 2003 but I did a bit of research first by going to gates website and trying to find the part numbers for my car also parts are listed on ebay etc on rockauto site usually there are cross references for original manufacturer part numbers if you have a 2003 model year registered in 2004 there may be a problem I was confident as my car is 2005. All Lexus did as far as I can work out is make the same engine but bored out for the USA the rest of the UK car is the same as the RX330 including handbrake cables as I have bought them from Rock auto also. I hope that Helps.

A great Post Mark. Have you shown us Pete`s car in your possession? If not then we would all love to see it !

Didn't have to work it hard at all. I was seeing about 35mpg with a combination of motorway, dual carriageway and the tiny Cornwall lanes. I should say that I also had the cruise set at 75 as I assumed like most cars the speedo overread but when I checked with the GPS it was accurate. Hopefully no nasty letters on the way! It did drop a "cog" occasionally (7th to 6th) for the hills on the A30/A39 but it never seemed stressed. Something else that intrigued me was the automatic Eco Mode which involved the car shutting off two cylinders when they weren't required. So on a stretch of motorway or dual carriageway with very little throttle input the car would knock out two cylinders. How's that for NO WAY? BUT... let's be honest. It's no old Lexus or Toyota, it's a disposable item. That engine will be on the limit regardless of how it felt and the whole car will no doubt be a second hand nightmare in 3 or 4 years. Like most new cars I guess. I'd certainly never buy one, I'd lease one if we needed such a thing but if anyone feels the need to sink their own money into something like that then they need their bumps feeling. As they say

Excellent - thanks Mark. I've ordered them to be fitted on Thursday - £430 all in from Kwik-Fit. I'll call them in advance to verify it has rim protection ahead of time. But yes, totally agree why jeapordise the safety of the family for a few quid? Cheers, Ken

i had them fitted on my CT, on my 1st IS300h i had michelin cross climates and when i need them on this car i will go for the dunlops again at the end of the day tyres will cost what tyres cost imo there is no point buying a tyre that doesnt have low road noise,good fuel economy & good wet braking as you buy a hybrid for the quietness & good fuel economy and who does'nt want to know they can stop in the wet i would rather pay more and know i will be happy with the tyres as you are going to have them for a few years my car was 3 in may 2020 and i'm still on the original tyres at 25500 miles

https://scitechdaily.com/proteus-technology-new-material-is-strong-light-and-non-cuttable/ https://newatlas.com/materials/proteus-non-cuttable-bike-lock-armor/

The pins themselves have small holes through which the spring end goes through. Rotate the pin until the hole is visible, it is about the same diameter as the spring. The spring in question has to be facing the opposite side so the pads as they wear, move away from the pin holes so the spring does not prevent them from moving towards the rotor. The thin end of the pin, fit the spring so that the pin cannot come out of the caliper the same principle as described above. This spring prevents the pin from sliding out of the caliper. Chris.

The spring in question its ends go into the pins behind the pad so as the pads wear, they move away from the spring ends fitted in the holes of the pins. The centre part of the spring goes into the brake pad. First fit the ends of the spring into the pins, then turn the centre of the pin and drive it into the centre hole of the pad. Make sure that as the pads wear, they move away from the spring thus not inhibiting their movement towards the rotor. Chris.

I’ve seen the one in question and I think it looks really nice. I can’t remember seeing another mk4 for sale in the same colour, very nice colour as well I think. But what has happened to the bonnet..................it looks like it’s been scratched to hell!! iirc the MOT history looks ok apart from the rear subframe corrosion, if it’s been dealt with and treated it shouldn’t be a problem. If it’s as described and drives well then it’s worth considering if the bonnet condition doesn’t put you off.

We came back via Zaragoza, over the Pyrénées, Pau, Poitiers, tours, Le Mans and Calais, stayed away from Borduex as we got stuck in heavy traffic going down, took 3 hours to get through 😔

There have been several threads on this subject and on one I posted an alarm system which would have had to be activated if the pipe was cut. Perhaps as an additional refinement a dye could be released in the process. Stealing cats has become quite a problem in the USA and some mainland European countries as well as the UK and it calls for serious collaboration between automobile manufacturers and security experts. Unfortunately, the Police are overstretched already so the scumbags have a very good chance of 'getting away with it'.

Maybe some gumming up of one or more piston rings. I don't know the set up in your car but mainly the oil control ring can be responsible although I have seen cases where compression rings have become stuck. Was a compresssion test done?

Sorry for lack of any feedback, life's gone a bit crackers and the car doesn't seem that important anymore, and thanks for responses 👍 Had MOT recently it sailed through, also had oil and filter change done as well, after this was done for a few days no smoking at all, then it came back again it has a slight blue tinge to it, only happens from a cold engine start up this happened for a couple of weeks and now touch wood it's not smoked at all for several days now.... baffling !! I'm thinking with the age of the car it might be wise to just live with it, it drives fantastic engine is so smooth, could treatments do more harm than good ? Might give the rocker cover gasket a go how much was this to do if you don't mind me asking ?

Looks very clean, well prepped with low mileage. Check to see if it has had a cam-belt + water pump service. Before you buy, try a face-lift model too so that you can compare the difference.

I think that would be caused by something else (although I have to admit that I don't know what) rather than deterioration of the precious metal catalysts themselves.

I have bought such car, 70k on 66 plate. 1 year Lexus warranty and extra 2 years Lexus warranty bought already too. 2 years was the maximum I could buy at the moment. Seats are pristine (black). Body has wear, small scratches, blemishes etc if you are picky.

https://www.lexuspartsdirect.co.uk/parts/lexus-is/lexus-is-phase-iii-2013-present/lexus-is-3-exterior-interior/lexus-is-phase-3-n-s-rear-outer-tail-lamp/

Difficult one that as I've sold them! I think I'll try Mark's suggestion of swapping the wheels around as it's one I've considered. It does feel as if there's play somewhere but everything is tight.

Hi, I've got the Champagne Silver with a lovely black interior. I can't believe the condition, considering it will be 20 years old next year, apart from slight bubbling on a couple of corners of the roof, it's immaculate, a credit to it's previous owners.

Took for 100k service today at main dealer to see if I had bought a turkey. All was good except a weeping radiator and a tiny hole in the rear exhaust section. I thought every main dealer would try to get you to replace shock absorbers. Hybrid health excellent as well. Phew!

You could simply have too much oil in the engine...so check that first. if it`s the valve stem oil seals, and it sounds like it is, you could try adding a oil leak stop additive after an oil change using a fully synthetic oil...not a very thin viscosity, and be very sure you don`t over fill. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wynns-Engine-Stop-Leak-Oil-Treatment-Additive-325ml/164230458648?epid=8008815976&hash=item263ce5ed18:g:WlAAAOSwmv1ezo68

Rich, I have located a secondhand ECU for you if you need one, let me know via PM and I’ll pass the details over to you.

Double bonus! Got new tyres fitted today and now TPMS warning light is out after finding passenger side reset button. Replacement set of wheels had 4 good senders. Second bonus. Old bling wheels hopefully being collected tonight for £300. Managed 37mpg on a 40 mile round trip.

Just bought a set off eBay. Might be able to recover a bit of cost by flogging the huuuuge ones to a drug dealer. Actually a bit embarrassing rocking up at the tyre place with aftermarket wheels.

I went with this firm in the end and I can't thank you enough for recommending them. Ordered on the Sunday and arrived on the Wednesday all the way from California. Parts were spot on and in excellent condition. Prices were brilliant also. Car is now back on the road - Thanks again :)

If you search the forums, you'll see that someone had a custom-made, stainless steel, cat-back exhaust, guaranteed for the life of the car, made and fitted for £495 if I remember correctly. He got it from https://www.cybox.co.uk/ but if that's too far from you I'm sure there'll be somewhere closer who isn't too far away price-wise.

Less of a problem if full Lexus service history but if independent garage or no service history its a bit of a gamble. Basics is its a Toyota/Lexus .....so well build and should last. list..service items....Timing belt /water pump, calipers sticking, exhaust blowing, oxygen sensors . shock absorber wear out early and give a rough ride, front suspension can wear and you get a knocking or steering pulls. tyres wear if tracking is out or worn suspension...size 245-40-18 around £100 a corner for a brand you've heard of ! Warning lights on dash.....Tire pressure warning system.....sensor in wheels playing up or battery flat , engine management dash light......oxygen sensors . Most don't have a space save spare just a compressor and sealer by now probably missing ...check in boot. if you can look after the car yourself to not a major expense but if using a garage could be expensive .....and not all cars will have all the problems above. Just shout if you want more advise :)

I've just bought an IS 200SE Lexus, so only just getting a look at the Lexus Owners Club For some reason I have acopy of a SC 300 / SC 400 Soarer Handbook in quite good condition Free to anyone who wants it in excange for the postage charge - approx £ 3.00 Any takers? Conchain