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Popular Content

Showing content with the highest reputation on 07/30/2020 in all areas

  1. Well March 10th struck down with Covid, hospitalised Apr 6th, and only this week did I get the LS out for a drive to the office to pick up some papers so I could work at home. So after so long not driving (other than short trip to get MOT sorted and there was no other cars about), the 15 miles to work was weird. Firstly forgot what happens when you put your foot down with a 4 litre engine Secondly seems like everyone coming the other way is a potential threat (I recall that feeling when I was learning to drive) Judging the width of car had me all over the place - just need a bit more practice But such a lovely car to be in compared my wifes new Mazda (which is okay, just not an LS). Roads busier than I was expecting, but quiet enough for me to start building confidence. Looking forward to when I have the stamina to drive out to see some friends in Wales, but suspect Dr will say take it easy for a while longer. Also decided to touch up key scrape down both off-side doors, just to make the car a little tidier looking, as not got the cash to splash on a respray. For sure it will still show, but not as bad as having a five foot squiggly white line. Just need to complete the job so that it looks okay(ish)
    5 points
  2. My experience with sale repairs suggests that it will be a mobile repair. My last RX450h had a tear in a door trim and after repair it was difficult to tell it had been done.
    4 points
  3. Glad you are on the mend Pete. Your observations mirror mine after being cocooned for 22 weeks. Take care, work less enjoy more and remember that our are not marked "return".
    3 points
  4. Well that settles it, halogens it is, thanks!
    3 points
  5. No matter how sure we are that our trusty steed will pass it's MOT, it's still a relief when it does. Glad to hear that you are now without interferance - - although as man becomes more immersed in technology, this will happen more frequently in future - - I'm just waiting for the day when some 'erbert near me, instructing his drone to simulate a barrel-loop, co-instructs my pacemaker to speed up!
    3 points
  6. Now that I can drive my car again ( no reoccurrence of the interference ), just had my Service and MOT. All fine, for a 17 year old car, apart from a hole under the rear nearside wheel arch requiring patching and welding. It's a bit of a mud trap. Japex did a great job though...
    2 points
  7. The front brakes on the GS450H are no different to the non hybrid versions as there is no drive to the front wheels. So I do not see the problem of it being a hybrid. If you find a local machine shop, and take the discs to them to be skimmed they will probably charge you less than £50 to skim them. John.
    2 points
  8. Welcome back Pete. 🙂
    2 points
  9. Shahpor, you are right regards the price of the new discs, our cars have massive front discs and they cost much more than lets say GS300h would. If you remember we were all surprised at the price Lexus charged you initially, it was a very good price. What I want to say, I had a very similar issue (I think I still some times do) with brakes - pulsing, and whatever I did it didn't help, I tried a few hard stops, I lubricated pins and slides, I changed pads and at the beginning it was slightly better but then judder was coming back, actually it got worse after a few hard brakes. So I phoned a couple of places in Glasgow regards skimming the front discs, the price would be just under £100 per disc, the main reason is that they are massive! So, some company have you remove the front discs and some can do it while the brake discs are on the car, bare in mind. Anyway, none of the companies were able to help as one of them had a broken machine and a 2nd one i can't remember tbh. So I started to talk to my wife, preparing her basically that I need to spend quite a few pennies on a new brakes hoping it will fix the problem, bare in mind, at that point I already had 4 new sets of pads all round, when she said that her workshop at work (she works in a big factory that do pumps) might help, next day she phoned me and said that the guys can do it and they do brake discs ALL THE TIME but they need to be removed. By then, for me to remove both front discs (I re-lubricated them twice within 2 months) would take 20 minutes, so I removed both discs and the guys skimmed them, I tell you, these brakes were never that good, it actually made me stop thinking of changing the car as by that time I was really ****** off with the quality of braking! So, it was all done about 8-9k miles ago, when I said it sometimes comes back, I was not joking, I am not sure why it is though, it is mostly at slow speeds, just before stopping but in most times the brakes are fine. May be yours do need to be lubricated, cleaned and put back together, now I do it to Lexus brakes this procedure every 4 months or so, last time it was done in April, took me couple of hours. So, if your discs have plenty life in them, take them to any machine shop around and get them skimmed, with the mileage you do they will easily last another couple of years! Especially if no one can promise that new discs won't have the same issue, get more out of your old ones! Do check any machine shop 1st, before you go to people who specialise on it, you might pay half the price and for a distance cnc machinist it is a pretty simple operation! Shahpor, keep us updated and good luck, I do hope you will sort the brakes! By the way, I do hold the car as well by brakes while stationary at the traffic.
    2 points
  10. Shahpor, Has anyone actually measured the warping? I wonder in view of advice on this thread if removing the rotors, thoroughly cleaning the hub and flange and refitting in orientation which gives least run-out might be worth a try. John
    2 points
  11. The MOT changes now make them illegal. If you've passed the new test since then, you've either had a lenient tester or one who doesn't know what he's doing - or maybe one who just doesn't care. The new rules state that the light source must be the correct type for the light fitting. In other words, if it's a fitting designed for halogen bulbs then anything other than halogen in there is a fail; if it's a fitting for HID, then anything other than HID is a fail, and so it is with LEDs too.
    2 points
  12. Apologies for confusing people earlier, it was the one in the original link at the top. Now only 7 hours to go, still £1800. Based on Royoftherovers comment, wonder what stopped previous sale.
    2 points
  13. I have read other comments about the seat bolster is on the I S 300 wearing quickly, that said mine is in good condition still despite my high mileage. If a Lexus dealer is going to get a professional in to repair it there is a very good likelihood that it will be done to an incredibly high standard, Smart repairers can work a multitude of miracles. Worst case scenario if you are not happy with the repair on the seat you can walk away from the deal, I appreciate that’s a massive letdown after building yourself up and looking forward to the new experience of Lexus ownership but, ultimately if you’re not happy with the vehicle then You may need to walk away from it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    2 points
  14. There is a buyers and sellers corner section if you scroll through the forums. In any event you should have no trouble in selling the front to back side rails. There have been 4 or 5 people seeking these since I have been on this forum including me (and I had to buy new as not readily available used)
    2 points
  15. Ride quality is a very subjective thing. There are cars that are noted for a soft ride particularly many French models whereas many German cars give quite a hard ride. Yet even with the latter there are owners who fit still larger wheels with ribbonlike tyres and compound this by fitting shorter and higher rate springs and shorter and firmer shocks. This is fine for the track but for general road use must provide a bone shaking ride on our poor roads. To such drivers the RX suspension must feel very soft! My RX450h has air suspension and I find the ride about right for me and the type of car it is. My regret is that I didn't try a conventially sprung model to make a direct comparison before purchasing mine but on other marques air suspension is supposed to give a smoother flatter ride. (Road testers took a particularly strong view of this on the Audi Q5 for example). It is interesting that Lexus dropped air suspension for the 4th Generation RX450h. One can only speculate on whether this was becase they had had a lot of trouble with the air suspension on previous generations, wanted to keep costs down or found a combination of springs/shocks that were at least as good as provided by air suspension. Use to which a car has been put and the way it has been treated as well as age and mileage, tyre type, size and pressure can all make small differences. I rembering reading a road test by a regular tester who found a 3rd Generation RX450h bouncy and floaty which mine is not, so as I said subjective.
    2 points
  16. I would get brake judder after a lot of town driving, in my CLS55 but this disappeared after a couple of high speed stops. The most common cause of brake judder is not ensuring that the disc to hub interface is spotlessly clean when replacing the discs. Just the smallest spec of rust and crud can throw the disc out and after a period of use cause judder or more descriptively, a pulsing on application.
    2 points
  17. So I took it to Japex today and after much excitement I was told that car is in great condition in general for the age. Apparently the used car trader either replaced the wrong oxygen sensor or multiple one needed to be replaced and only replaced one. Moreover, he used the cheapest noname sensor. A few more thing will need attention in the future (brake fluid, suspension, coolant level) but apart from that, it's pretty solid and ready for long trips. I'm absolutely stoked! I've decided to get the sensor replaced by Japex and will pick it up tomorrow. I've made the investment of a phone holder and casette/bluetooth converter, will think about replacing the navi screen as hobby project. Thanks for everyone who helped with good advice or cheering on! Will post more photos later!
    1 point
  18. It's that blasted radio ham in Tokyo that's fouling it all up I tell you
    1 point
  19. Thanks for all the replies. I spoke with my local Lexus dealership today and he has reassured me that they have not had any issues with past replacements carried out by autoglass, so i feel a lot more comfortable with this and all of your comments. Booked in for tomorrow so I will give it a go.
    1 point
  20. Hi everyone, I´m a new member of the group, I am a proud owner of a 2001 Lexus IS 200. I hope i can help you as much as you can help me.
    1 point
  21. Thanks John, I usually do not write that much, unless I experienced it myself which is in this case I did. I also would not suggest above if the discs brakes were worn close to a minimum but I know Shahpor's discs should be almost new, so little skimming won't heart them, well, unless you have money to pay for all new discs and pads. 🙂
    1 point
  22. I don't know Piers but if yours is dead can you not just take it out and confirm the model numbers?
    1 point
  23. Hi John, I fitted HID bulbs to my RX. I think they cost about £120 with the conversion kit and the improvement was fantastic. They light up the road at least twice as far ahead almost like daylight. The only downside is that they take a few seconds to build up to full brightness the first time you switch them on. Dipping is fine and they come back at full brightness immediately. I suppose they have to heat up the first time you switch on from " cold". You do need to be a bit careful wiring in the electronic driver as they use a very high voltage so there is a real risk of a nasty shock but the instructions are very clear. It took me about 1/2 hour max to fit them. Keep the old bulbs so you can disconnect the power pack for the HID and use the old bulbs as an emergency if one blows. I have had mine since 2014 and they are still fine so unlikely to lose a bulb for a long time. Not sure what replacement bulbs cost, guess at £20. Mike PS I checked with my garage before fitting and they are OK and don't affect the MOT Mine was HB3 HIDS4U Ultimate 35W HIDConversion Kit from Autobulbs Direct and actually cost £95 . Not available now but others are at about £50. Replacement bulbs cost about £7.50
    1 point
  24. Not really surprising Re skimming - don't bother. Look on the bay - you can get pads and discs for way less and the labour's the same - you would need new pads. It's never worthwhile skimming normal cars brake discs. Sent from my PSP7551DUO using Tapatalk
    1 point
  25. Many thanks Paul.My mistake. Sorry .
    1 point
  26. Do you believe that the underlying interference on natural radio waves is Cosmic Microwave Background, Herbie ? Radio Ham, takes me all the way back to the Light Programme and Tony Hancock---I still have the cassette tape somewhere..
    1 point
  27. The seats cannot be repaired. The cover and internals are glued together - I had the same problem after buying from lexus used (110K). It cost me 800 euros for a new back. Mind you, mine are NOT leather.
    1 point
  28. As a radio ham I'm acutely aware of interference but what people may not know is that any manufacturer of any electronic equipment is supposed to build it with an immunity to interference. Sadly, many fail miserably in this respect.
    1 point
  29. Peter, No apology needed but thank you. Years ago at work we had an image intensifier (ex-military) that came with a reddish-orange filter for use in smoke. Same bit of physics. Fortunately fog is rare here. I can't remember the last time I used my fog lights. John
    1 point
  30. I find it strange that many people buy leather treatment products to treat a plasticised material. "Leather" certainly is not what it used to be !
    1 point
  31. That's good news. I must confess it's difficult to really see the issues from the pics. However once you get your car treat yourself to some Gliptone leather conditioner. I use it on all my car's leather seat's. Easy to use and gives the car a lovely leather car smell. https://www.liquidleather.co.uk/leather-care-c57/conditioners-c85/gt11-leather-conditioner-250ml-p157 Sent from my G8142 using Tapatalk
    1 point
  32. Just read this and one other thought came to mind, as it sounds like similar problem I had on Omega over 15 years ago when I had new tyres fitted. Tyre separation. One of the new tyres had the tread wall coming away from the inner belt, and I had wobble at really low speeds 15mph to 25mph (like I was constantly hitting small patches of ice) at higher speeds like the wheels were totally unbalanced (but balancing showed things to be perfect). It was AA man who suggested I just get a tyre depot to have a proper poke of the tyre, and hey presto new tyre found to be seperating.
    1 point
  33. As much as we'd like to believe that a car is a purely rational purchase based on financial values and long-term planning, if that were really true we'd all be driving Fiat Pandas or something. I would never have considered a vehicle from the German manufacturers because long-term reliability is no longer a priority for those brands. I also wanted the latest-generation hybrid system, as we're not quite there with electrics yet. Running costs attracted me as well, especially compared to my last car which was so thirsty I avoided using it. But I'm also logically aware of all of the shortcomings, the areas where other manufacturers provide more attractive offerings: a) Outright performance b) Interior/cargo space c) Cost d) High-speed fuel economy e) Infotainment Ultimately, my decision was weighted towards the aspects that appealed to me, both logically and emotionally. I had to be able to justify the purchase to myself certainly, but I also had to *want* the car I chose. Aren't cars fun? 😄 Nick
    1 point
  34. Thanks both. I have always purchased German, this is my first non European car. For me, all of them have some common issues and unfortunately because they all share the same platform/components these days, there is no getting away from them. I am really hoping the CT meets my needs, I guess time will tell but from what I have experienced so far, I think it will be just fine. Whats not to like, a 8 year old car that has 3 years warranty, comfort, toys, reliability and all for the price of a few bags of crisps!! (Well, quite a few bags of crisps but you get what I mean)
    1 point
  35. Welcome! Having owned a couple of Lexuses (Lexi?) then jumping to BMW (118i) and VW (Polo) I'd never go back to those again (both awfully unreliable). Like any forum, there are woes aplenty (go to the BMW ones and there are pages and pages of common issues) expressed but overall, from my experience, you can't beat Japanese for build quality and reliability. Lexus just seek to top it off with added luxury. Hope the CT serves you well. Driving a self charging hybrid is an initially weird experience but gets more fun over time I find.
    1 point
  36. I have no problem with the HUD. Like most things it is a question of getting used to it. Its important to adjust it to get it to the optimum position for your personal comfort. If wearing polarised sunglasses it needs to be switched maximum brightness.
    1 point
  37. I am an Electronic Engineer and have worked on battery products and used expensive Maccor battery equipment before. So, Malcolm do not pay Lexus this amount of money. 1. share photos of the batteries you need - the more info you provide the more help you can get 2. cell balancing is crucial, without this any battery fix is useless. Maccor kit can do this quite easy but there are other ways to do this without spending 40k on test equipment. all you need is some load to discharge cells and a way to charge them. It may take some time but its possible - what are these individual cells? manufacturer, type? http://www.lithiumlifepo4battery.com/sale-11542621-lexus-gs450h-hybrid-car-battery-288v-hybrid-vehicles-type-hev-ima-6500mah-capacity.html I found this https://himaxelectronics.com/product-item/nimh14-4v-repalcement-hybrid-car-battery/# I would try replace the dud cells but it maybe easier to get an entire pack if you have no time, expertise or patience
    1 point
  38. I came from a C63 W204 to an ISF I wouldn’t look back for one minute once you set the isf up correctly the car is on par with the E92 M3 balance wise. also my C63 broke and I had a 5k bill to pay I’ve also got a friend who’s ac compressor went out last week and it’s approx 2k to fix on 20,000 miles the mercs sound great but cornering wise it was terrible as it is very tail happy.
    1 point
  39. Shark fin was added to Premiere spec in 2015, than a bigger facelift in 2017. But no real significant changes in these cars over the years.
    1 point
  40. This is the first time I hear of such a lot of hot air from people who are supposed to be professionals. If this happens in uk what would they expect to happen in hot countries like UAE! I changed my front rotors by originals some time ago and as far as I remember, there is no brand engaved on them, only the minimum thickness. I would conclude that they fitted rotors out of a rejected batch or non original rotors. Inferior quality and lower price is associated with poor casting and machining resulting in poor performance. Chris
    1 point
  41. A slight softening could result from fitting 18 inch rims with correspondingly higher profile tyres but I would see if you could get a ride in a model with these fitted before going this route. My RX450h certainly gave a more comfortable ride after I replaced the Dunlops with Michelin Cross Climates
    1 point
  42. Hello John, you are running the same tyres as myself I find the ride to very smooth and compliant. I did also own a Jaguar (S-Type facelift) many moons ago, had the best ride of any car I have owned, nothing rides like a Jaguar. Unfortunately it's very difficult to make an SUV ride and handle like a car.
    1 point
  43. I'm in the same boat as you! Just finished paying off the £2,900 credit card finince for the LS430 I bought last year. On a serous note. If you had bought a Merc S class, I would advise you to trade it in before the manufacturers warrenty expired, and I'm speaking from personal experiance! Having had a Lexus LS for over 11 years following my S Class disaster, my advice is keep it. They are by far the most reliable luxury cars on the road. (Watch Scotty Kilmer on You Tube.) John N
    1 point
  44. I was worrying as you do about the lower control arm bushings going a clunk in the night. In the garage I already had a set to be pressed in however I did NOT want the car off the road if I messed it up so I bought some already pressed in. So now I can press mine in at my own convenience and just bolt mine in as if by magic. In case anyone is interested https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FRONT-LOWER-CONTROL-ARM-BUSHING-WITH-BRACKET-FOR-LEXUS-LS430-2001-2006-PAIR/222550691853?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
    1 point
  45. my 63 plate didnt have a sharks fin but it did have the premium nav my 17 plate has the sharks fin and the premium nav so maybe the sharkfin was added after the face lift tbh i prefer the not having sharks fin its just a smoother line across the roof
    1 point
  46. Hi guys I’ve just been quoted for a full custom header Job at £1550 do you think this is a good price it includes VAT, the company that is willing to do it is IWS developments, you can see them on officially gassed last video he upload with his new exhaust on his Audi. I’m sure if we can get a group buy going the manifolds could be much cheaper just throwing it out there. regards vinay
    1 point
  47. that road looks famliar is it near Beaulieu?
    1 point
  48. Hi to me personally it seems madness that people want to sell the cars for only the smallest chance that something might happen. It’s like not going on holiday because your plane might crash. No way am I giving up my Lexus because there is the odd ***** thief around.
    1 point
  49. Michael: Your two posts come gratifyingly close to confirming my own conclusions of 28 June under Tank Range. My cumulative consumption (real) has now improved to 17.6 km/l (49.7 mpg) (read-out 17.9 km/l=50.6 mpg) after 21,500km, and this puts me within tantalisingly easy reach of precisely doubling the 8.9 km/l (25.1 mpg) I got after 235,000km in two 250s of which I otherwise retain fond memories. In other words, ".... 50 mpg [17.7 km/l] without really trying...." is proving to be not only a reasonable objective but also a personally satisfying one.
    1 point
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