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I skimmed through an article on EVs recently,not with any great interest, as if I wanted to drive a milk float,I'd get a job with Express Dairies. On a more serious note though,has anybody thought about disposal/recycling dead EV battery packs?They weigh hundreds of kg. and the article mentioned that only Lithium salts could be extracted for recycling.Also,the battery packs themselves are large and heavy.What will happen to them? Apparently solar panels also have a limited life and again have very limited recyclability.Where will they go?

Disclaimer - my comments below are not intended to offend anyone, they are merely a summary of my thoughts without knowing other people’s circumstances and history. The actual mileage achieved in EV mode is much more heavily dependant on type of driving, traffic conditions and the right foot than it is in ICE mode. My last 2 EV charges have achieved 41 miles because the 41 miles were covered during driving on country lanes near where I live where anyone trying to more that 40mph will constantly have their right foot either on the brakes or accelerator if they tried to drive at more than 40mph. I know from previous experience that I would not achieve anything like 41 miles if I was driving on a dual carriageway at 70mph and having to constantly slow down to negotiate traffic at roundabouts etc. The miles achieved will also depend n how familiar the driver is with the characteristics of hybrid vehicles. MPG achieved in ICE mode only is probably more dependent on type of journey and traffic conditions. I have seen anything between 38mpg and 52mpg on long journeys in pure ICE mode only. Another tip is to manage the use of EV mode and HV mode. For instance if I am cruising on a motorway/dual carriageway, knowing that I will be driving in towns or on country lanes later in the journey, I will select HV mode on the motorway so that I can save the range I have left on EV mode for the town/country lane driving. Apologies if any of this sounds patronising, it is not intended to, it is merely an attempt to answer you questions @Mobeam

I won't shop anywhere where they won't take cash, so many more should do the same while we still have it!

Whether EV's take off to the extent that Greta and others hope for I'm probably getting too old to know the end result. I'm a great fan of the ICE car and I really hope that in the years I have left I don't submit to a car that goes along sounding like a washing machine on spin cycle and has a dodgy recycling future. My current vehicle on the other hand is very recyclable. Plus I can do just about any repairs to it myself without the risk of touching the wrong part and having my hair stand on end or worse!

EV batteries, solar panels, wind mills, when they are dead, they will be landfill - somewhere. Maybe a new mountain? The materials in them that is precious will be taken out and the rest disposed of. 5% of batteries or maybe a little more will be reused with a lot of power to get the rare metal out of the glue and other garbage that is bonding the batteries. Solar panels maybe not quite so bad and wind mills have much larger percentage of reusable material, but still a lot of resin (glue) and other stuff that is not economic to reuse. We screw ourselves by the way we live. Left-overs from nuclear power may be more dangerous than the left-overs from our preferred so-called green energy producers, but much smaller in volume and for the time being might be what can help us most. Water running down from mountains have provided countries like Norway and Sweden with enough electricity for many years, till suddenly much more electricity was needed. Why? Much of the power, we think we need, is used transporting things we do not really need around the world. Oh yes, we do need it to keep economy growing so the rich can get richer and the poor can go drown themselves. The moon has been walked on, and not many recognise that it provides the largest power source in the world: The tide. Nobody cares to use that. Confusion and stupidity are destroying the planet we are leaving to our children. Or do we think that they will be so much smarter that they can clean up the mess we leave?

The recall on my IS done wednesday. They cleaned the car and put £30.00 petrol in, checked 12v battery (my request). Shout out to Steven Eagell, Hatfield.

I usually get no more than 10K miles from the ZX7's but at £146 a corner I don't mind as this represents two years motoring to me and tyres ought to be changed really every 2 to 3 years, especially doing less miles as sat on the driveway they tend to craze quicker. During lockdown I hardly used the car and had to replace all 4 tyres a year later as the rubber had crazed in between the treads so it wouldn't have passed MOT. Used daily the rubber will stay more supple. I got rid of the OEM Dunlops very quickly as I found them harsh, noisy and they had awful wet weather grip. The ZX7's were a revelation. Better handling, a far more comfortable ride, significantly safer wet weather performance and braking performance. For the money they're the best I've so far tried. I also like the Geolanders a lot but they've now got a bit spendy.

I've been pretty terrible at updating this thread but I've just had the car back from Lexus after the recall work and it's somewhat clean so I thought I would post some pictures. There has been a lot of minor changes since September. The changes I remember are the the maxton body kit, dechrome, gloss black wrap (spoiler, wing mirrors, roof & hood vent), window tints, tinted rear lights and badges. The main thing I want to do next is change the exhaust, the stock exhaust just doesn't have enough character. If anyone wants to sell me one drop me a pm 😉

I think you were lucky, I just bought a couple of things for my Sc430 and as you can see ended up quite expensive!!!!! Order total: Price US $70.00 Postage US $17.57 Import charges US $22.42 Total charged to £92.50 Total in USD US $109.99 Based on exchange rate at purchase: 1 GBP = 1.18908 USD

Me too. I hate heights, I barely made it through the 70's with the fashion for platformed shoes 🙂

Haha very true Ant. A few obvious enhancements through proper manufacturer due diligence would have made it a better car out of the box. It bugged me that Lexus put so much effort and resource into making the previous Soarer so special and downgraded the SC430 in so many respects.

Agree the Lexus Link is awful. Mine has now stopped recording mileage, only records about one journey in 4 and now states my car is 13 miles away and the date is 11 March when it's 17 Feb. Hugely disappointing and I am totally fed up with it.Spoils what is otherwise a brilliant car.

Digital currencies are badly needed. Which other ways are there for people buying what is illegal on the dark web? Does Bank of England support that? What are you saying? You are a naughty one.

Innocent till proven guilty. The politicians cannot claim not knowing anything of what they are doing. They are not bribed. Oh no! That is not permitted. They are being influenced, by lobbyists that are paid. Unfortunately for some politicians they are being caught in knowing they are lying, some even receiving a little gift or two for helping the lobbyists, but that is OK, because now they know better. And continue to do what is in their best interest. Yes, stupid people know nothing. They are not bad, and it is not their fault they have little brains, or care little about other people, or are racists. It is a shame there are so many of them.

Is it worth getting a second opinion from an experienced auto welder? Second hand subframe etc sounds a very expensive solution.

https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/drc-mining-industry-child-labor-and-formalization-small-scale-mining An interesting read highlighting something that will only get worse. Something that EV owners need to take notice of rather than assuming the shiny car with the green stripe on the reg plate means you've "done the right thing"

In 2040 when people look back at this they will admire the skulduggery that went on to shape the future, politicians are the same the world over - self employed in an office with unlimited access to do as they wish and if you pay them enough money they will work for you too.

Also have them fitted on rear. Positive - good wear performance, very good rim protection. Negative - a bit noisy, extremely low grip(I have wheel spins on wet roads even in eco mode), Bridgestone's rubber cracking issue.

Had A Look At This Watch And Must Say Its a Cracking Timepiece Just loved the design and that colour is amazing Sorely Tempted...R

No. These: Powergy - Car tyre | Pirelli

Problem with a used subframe ( if you can find one!) is that it has probably been subjected to the same unkind UK climate and road salt as yours so in a similar condition. The link below is for an import breakers (think Toyota Harrier) who may be able to help supply a decent one off an imported model. https://nipponautospares.com/rx300-45-c.asp

I previously worked at a silicon wafer plant where as stated above any employee could make a suggestion for improvements in the process.It was called the Kaizen scheme there was rewards offered if accepted. Many years ago i was told a story about match makers wishing to save money on sandpaper costs used to strike the match,an employee said he could half the cost the boss called his bluff the answer was to put sand paper on one side of the box instead of both.

Beyond simple OBD2 reader Techstream can read the codes from each module directly (those are not seen on OBD2), it can calibrate the modules, reset modules and configure what is available for that car. You can read fuel ratio on simple OBD2 anyway, and so you can do it on Techstream. You obviously can't change it on either. I am not sure if OBD2 has so called "instructed" vs. actual fuel ratio, but Techstream shows both. The VVTI timing maps and fuel ratio maps would be in ECU programming, so those cannot be seen by either of the scanners. ECU decoder/programmer is needed for this - not aware of any off the shelf available for say IS250, but I have seen people soldering pins on ECU terminals and finding the ways to change the ECU programming.

Paul Frost has sold me used LS430 spares in the past. He trades on ebay as lexussparesdirect. He may be able to help. If I had spent money on a LPG conversion I would be reluctant to get rid of the car, particularly as it drives well. You may have to spend £1600+ on it, but you will have to spend much more to get a decent replacement.

Some superior things made in Japan are not even intended to be sold abroad. Take watches for example. Some of their best models are what is called JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) range. Of course there are sellers who are happy to export and enthusiasts all over the world that often pay well over the local prices to obtain one. I have personal experience of this. Just before Christmas I decided to treat myself to a good and nice looking Quartz watch as my 16 year old Seiko Sportura had suffered some wear particularly on the black external Tachymeter ring. It even went into an MRI scanner but I remembered it was under my shirt while the scanner was just ticking over and before a 'sequence' started. I pressed the emergency button and a somewhat annoyed lady took it and said "Well that's ruined". It did stop it but I reset it later and it still keeps excellent time years later, a testimony to Japanese quality. But I digress. Now, everybody in the UK knows Casio are well known for calculators and mainly low end watches but in Japan they do some much better ones, the Oceanus range for example and I saw a model within this range I liked the look and specification of but they can't make them fast enough and I couldn't get the one I wanted even at a premium. This blue finished one is the model - just look at the spec although there are other ones with more 'Complications' that are far more expensive. https://www.discovery-japan.me/category/select/pid/460/language/en/currency/GBP?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6JK66v-V-wIVJu_tCh0TPwOoEAQYCiABEgLVI_D_BwE

Insurance these days seems very much like legalised theft. You pay for insurance, have an accident that wasn't even your fault, and then somehow paying for the repairs yourself seems like a better deal than claiming. How the hell have they managed to get away with creating a situation where this is the case. I think we've all become slowly aclimatised to this so it seems normal but this area of the economy feels like it's run by a mafia.

One further point that hasn't been mentioned is future insurance. As I understand it one a potential claim has been notified to insurers whether or not it is pursued they treat it as a claim and this will affect NCB and future premiums over the next several years. Last year while in France someone reversed into my parked car and damaged one of the doors. It wasn't too bad and as the car is now 17 years old and I am not concerned about it appearance I was going to leave it. In the end I decide to get it pulled out and re sprayed which cost about £500. I didn't mention it to my insurers and will not record it as an accident or claim in future renewals. I hope you can unwind the mess that has arisen here. You will certainly be better to recover the car and repair it ( better the devil you know etc). The insurers will try to roast you over the value and it will certainly cost you more to replace it with anything similar or newer which will come with unknown problems. Mike

Totally Agree With You Peter...Work Attitude and pride in What They Do is Paramount...Always has been..!!!!

Scotty Kilmer, apart from extolling Lexus/Toyota cars over the years has said Japanese built ones best.

I think this is very sound advice, John. Of course, some owners may not be comfortable with lump sum prepayments, but they offer the benefits you describe. And your point about developing relationships - which I’ve mentioned myself - requires a degree of commitment by all parties involved. Sadly, it would appear that this particular Dealership is now beyond redemption. But I personally would not let that overly influence my opinion of the car itself. I would also hazard a guess that the majority of Lexus owners are satisfied with the service they get. Highlighting the rare Dealership that lets the customer down is a valuable service that sites such as LOC provide. I would only ask that Members are as quick to ‘Name & Praise’ when appropriate.

The dealer principal was very, very rude to me and sent me packing when I went in to complain. I have left a 1* star review on Trustpilot and have no such back from the branch, Listers HQ or Lexus HQ despite my asking them to discuss with me. They simply don't care. Avoid the Cheltenham branch at all costs. I know of others since who have said similar. The whole Lexus ethos has become snobby too with emphasis on wealth and flicking a middle finger to those with older cars who clearly don't bring the £££ in. Can anyone suggest and recommend another dealer (Swindon or Bristol maybe) or even a Toyota branch whom I can continue my servicing with please?

This sentence doesn't really support the first statement in the article?

say it as I've found it over very many years of life's experiences at all levels of society and educational outcomes , working and nay, me as employer and as employee and continuing to date too ...... what else would one want to do to stave off tedium in retirement ... wots that ! me too in times past ...... it's lamentable that one encounters such employee and senior management people attitudes when as customers dealing with all and any / many businesses in whatever fields .......... it winds me up too and I know i just have to let it go and not to let it get " under me skin " and then drive me nuts ............... I want a quiet life these days ...... that's why i drive a Ls400 🌞 Malc

I share some frustration here. My wife had a brand-new car from a VW/Audi stablemate and it had electrical issues from day one. Back and forth, eventually they provided us with a courtesy car until rectified. Whilst driving my car, we saw my wife's car on the motorway, being driven at excessive speed and followed to a point where a 'test drive' was more than achieved - if indeed needed. An email to the dealer principal and their head office resulted in us rejecting the car and monies returned. We went back to Toyota then and never regretted it. Similarly, my BMW went into a dealer at the start of this year. Dashcam removed, no pulled off its adhesive mount, after the car was being driven off site - it went in for a valet wash before return. Dealer says removing dashcam is company policy - why didn't they do it on the last 2 visits? Car returned in a shocking finish to paintwork, even went back in for rectification and was still poor. In conclusion, Trust Pilot and BMW survey updated, will never step foot into that dealership again - even though this now means a 90 miles round trip to my alternative/nearest. BM have asked me in to consider 'an upgrade'... I am visiting the Lexus dealership on the same day. I don't think I'll make the same mistake twice 🙂 I sympathise with those who treat their cars well and not just a means to get from A 2 B. The dealerships in my opinion have grown too big in their portfolio and some are losing that personal touch. Just saying.

Trustpilot review to follow after a discussion with Lexus HQ.

For Andrew, read Martin Malc. Too much West Country living eh ?🤣

So you have two routes of escalation, Listers is a large network of dealerships covering multiple marques and ultimately that is the company that you contracted with to undertake work on your vehicle. So they will have a management team and Managing Director you can escalate to. You could also consider your local trading standards, although I suspect they are more concerned with actual criminal operations rather than just incompetence. Lexus own the brand, but are not directly responsible for the actions of the dealer but would no doubt be concerned if a dealership is consistently under performing and providing sub-standard service.

Would it be worth your while to visit that address and discover what connection it had to the Dealer? Although it’s probably best not to go on your own! After all - if I’ve understood you correctly - you’re dealing with someone who didn’t know how to delete a satnav address, but was engaged in some activity that involved a misalignment of your steering wheel! As plots go, I’ve read worse!

Not POOR as in wealth, but poor as in MIND

Its free John, setting up an account is one minute work

Not if you are not a member of Linkedin Bernard ?

Yes. Awaiting a response.

Martin, The answer to your first question is No. The Warranty is provided by Lexus and has certain conditions attached to it. If one does not fufil those conditions, then one loses one`s Warranty. Have you made contact yet with Lexus UK over your original complaint ?

Incorporating the test drive, to assess the steering offset? On that note one of the 'clauses' in the T&Cs on the back of the worksheet I mentioned above was the statement that time is not of the essence (or words to that effect) that I took to mean they would take whatever time it took to do the job (properly?) and would not be held to time estimates. (You being late for work was not their fault)

Maybe they used your car to facilitate another customer's delivery / collection.

Basically. The day after my car was on for an MOT etc (see my other Rant thread) I'd realised some of the car's settings had been adjusted. The onboard computer had been zeroed on the MPG and the settings fir satnav (eg. North up) had changed. Then I noticed that a satnav entry for a residential street had been inputted that no one using the car would have done/has done. I rarely use the satnav so this entry stood out a mile. I calculated that approx an additional 25 miles had been covered when it was with the dealership. The counter argument from the dealer is that this was for a test drive and returning the car to me (1 mile). No one is giving an explanation as to the satnav entry. The fact too, as highlighted on my other Rant thread the steering wheel was way out of alignment, concerns me that something probably happened during this lengthy 'test drive'. The franchise isn't so far having any of it and have neither confirmed or denied the car had been used for business use. Things are not adding up.

@MadJam250 I am currious, could you share some context or background on this topic. It is an interesting topic especially as I often use the collect and return service my current garage provides for servicing, MOT etc as it is convenient but I do wonder what else goes on during the test drives and collect or return journeys. So far nothing has surfaced that raises any suspicions for me but I insist on getting a copy of the collect and return paper work from the driver which I check for date and time just incase of speeding fines and additional vehicle damage etc.

Please read the paperwork you are asked to sign Keith as you might unknowingly be authorising something you would wish to think seriously about. Have no fear as the Dealership or whatever has a duty of care towards your vehicle whilst it remains in his possession i.e until it is returned to you.

The answer to your question Martin lies within the paperwork that each of us signs whenever we leave our vehicle with the Dealership for Servicing etc.

Hi Martin It is always difficult to consider a question like yours without comprehensive information about the individual case. I have some experience in service management and associated legalities although this is my opinion and only by seeing a qualified solicitor will give you bonafide answer which would stand up to legal scrutiny. I am presuming that the above is an event which occurred to your car or that of a third party? You didn't say is this a Lexus dealer, a national company or an independent garage? Despite the above I believe that: Legally, I would imagine they are within their rights if the car is roadworthy, taxed and insured. It has been entrusted into their care, often with a signature giving them the right to test the vehicle as they see fit. It could be argued that incorporating a business errand in the vehicle and a road test would serve to give the vehicle a good test with no testing time to be attributed to the job. Morally, I would believe it is up to the morals of the garage or employee, if they believe it is appropriate to use a customers vehicle in this way. The incident you speak of could be considered immoral but would not be illegal. Regards, Anthony