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This is Sarah Williams, John’s daughter although I think you all knew him better as Roy of the Rovers. Thank you for allowing me into the group and for all your messages of condolence which are hugely comforting at this very sad time. This community was an enormous part of Dad’s life and was very very important to him. As his health deteriorated and he couldn’t do much physically he spent longer and longer with his online friends. Being able to contribute to the group and help people out with their cars brought him so much joy - not least because his own children would regularly disregard his advice and buy totally unsuitable cars which he would then have to chastise us about! My husband (his son in law) has a mini. You can just imagine what he thought of that 😂. my mum, sister Liz and brother Andy and I are all keen to hear any stories you might have about him and find out more about the time he spent in this community so please do share your memories. We would be eternally grateful for them and they will help us get to know a different side of the totally wonderful amazing once in a kind human being we called Dad. I thought you might all like to see a photo of him - will try and share some of him with his cars in later days. if anyone would like to know about the funeral let me know and I will share details in here once we know. The staff at his local Lexus dealership have all said they are coming so I think we might need to arrange a Lexus procession to the service!

That's a wonderful tribute to your father Sarah, well said you. He and I had many enjoyable exchanges especially as he knew my overriding affinity with Greece and the Greek people. They have a saying, (one of many) which roughly translated says, "don't walk behind me as I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me as I may not always follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend". This for me sums up your father exactly. Warmest of wishes Philip

Thank you David, for sharing this very sad news with us. Like many here, I feel I have lost a friend that I never had the pleasure of actually meeting. I joined in June 2020 and it soon became clear that John was one of the stalwarts of the LOC. I appreciated his wit and wisdom - and in exchanging PMs discovered that we were not dissimilar in backgrounds and age. He was what we used to describe affectionately as a ‘Gentleman and Scholar’. In the last PM we exchanged exactly one month ago, he shared with me the news of his deteriorating health. I too extend my sincere condolences to Margaret and his Family and very much hope that they see this Post and thus appreciate how much he was admired by strangers whose only connection was that they owned a Lexus! One thing that amused us both - and that John would gently point out - was that the answers to many of the questions raised could be found in the car’s Manual. But that didn’t stop him from helping a fellow owner. I - and the LOC - shall miss him greatly.

Like many, I am very sad, to hear of John’s death, I feel a great loss and a sense of shock. My heartfelt condolences to all John’s family. I am sure that here, John will be remembered ( and indeed WILL always be remembered ) for his advice, guidance, interest, kindness and way with words. There is a certainty, than when I’m faced with a car related question, John’s ‘voice’ will pop into my head, “Read the Owner Manual”. And he’ll be right! John, I salute you. Thank you for your help and support, by forum and personal message. Rest in Peace, my friend.

Apologies for my somewhat delayed response. So sorry to hear this news, my sincere condolences go out to his family. Life as we all know is finite, be grateful for every day and live it to the full. RIP John. Steve.

RIP John. I really enjoyed our messaging and our emails. All be it he knew all about Lexus's. He also had a very astute business brain... And helped me with some of business problems... My sincerest condolences to John's family

Sadly.. It Is At Times of Great Loss we Realize just how Much Our Lives Hang In The Balance And our Health can Change in A Heartbeat..I Only Knew John For about a Year But Found him Inspiring Very Knowledgeable And Quick Witted But Most of all A Kind and considerate fellow...You Will Be Sadly Missed my Friend..God bless you and Till We Meet again..Condolensces to his Wife Margaret and Indeed all The Family..R.I.P

Our deepest condolences to John's family at this time. He will most certainly be missed within the forums

I'm surprised by how shocked I am by this news.. Like many of you, I had come to know John as a very friendly, helpful character on here and it just won't be the same without him. A prolific contributor, always ready with a great reply, and a reassuring presence. RIP 😞

My sincere condolences to all the family, Sarah hoping you and your immediate family have the strength and fortitude to bear the loss in the knowledge that he was much loved and appreciated 👍

I am a fairly recent convert to Lexus and the joy of owning such a fantastic car . Very soon after I got the car I joined this forum which made me aware that Lexus is a very special brand with lovely owners who have all sorts of opinions on cars and everything else but one thing in common is a love and respect for the brand Condolences to you Sarah, Margaret and all the family.

RIP John, may you enjoy your Lexus and Rioja on the other side.

Sad news indeed. It won't be the same without him.

Very sad news of a Lexus devotee. Condolences to family and friends.

Very sad. RIP John.

That's shocking news. I remember that he was the first to welcome me when I joined the forum and since then I quietly kept an interest in his posts. In my thoughts tonight.

My NX 450h+ Takumi which was ordered on 30 June '22 has just been built last week. It was initially scheduled as March '23 delivery but in line with all NX and particularly Takumi it was delayed until potentially June/July. I'm pleasantly surprised that it's now actually been built and has 'Left the factory' so it should give hope that things are starting to move quicker. I tried to get the vessel name but my dealer was not remotely interested in helping, however Lexus UK customer relations were more forthcoming, although still didn't have the shipping detail but will in a few days. The really good news is that the detail provided did contain one key nugget below.... note the MY24 designation! I know this is covered in another thread, but unless the system descriptions have been updated before the actual production, then MY24 is being produced with the additional security features and some minor interior changes. Likely delivery is May so 10.5/11 months from order. Line off date: 9/03/23 Specification: NX Plug-In Hybrid MY24 - Takumi grade

This is very sad news and sincere condolences to you Sarah and your family. I remember the kind and friendly messages that John sent after I'd joined the LOC. He gave helpful advice and guidance to so many and will be very much missed. RIP John.

My sincere condolences to his family.

Very sad news indeed. Sincere condolences to John’s family and friends.

Many years ago I had a convertible sports car ( I am too ashamed to say what it was ). It had such a fantastic anti theft device that even the police could not tow it away when once parked illegally in London. It was a key in the footwell immediately under the clutch master cylinder. When this was on it locked the flow of fluid and set the clutch absolutely solid. I have no idea what it was and have tried to research it without success. The second line of defence was a set of Maserati air horns linked to a selmar "motion" anti theft system. One evening some scallys in Liverpool tried to molest it and I heard the alarm going off from inside the Cinema. It was SO loud. They disappeared due to all the attention it was attracting.

I agree wholeheartedly with your sentiments Len. A real shocker and for me it follows on last weeks news of a similar fate for a fellow Jaguar XK owners club member, Keith Fox, who will be missed in equal measure. As my dear Mother would've said "whatever is the world coming to"?

I'm very saddened by this news, John was a great contributor to this forum. His posting dropped away quite a bit recently and I was becoming concerned... My sincerest condolences to John's family Sleep well John

Like many of us, I'd never met John, but always valued his experience and advice. I am sad to learn of his passing, and, of course, offer my condolences to his wife, family and friends.

This is very sad news. Condolences to all of John's friends and family, he will be a much missed member of this forum.

If you are questioning if you can afford the vehicle still, I think you've answered your own question.....

R.I.P John

Surely releasing the order with the dealer is the cheapest option to go for? with the demand for them at the moment I can’t see them keeping any deposits. if you take delivery and then sell it you’ll lose the VAT at the very least. it’s better to put that money into a different car rather than paying the tax which you won’t get back?

It is down to how deep your pockets are of course. In terms of economy most cars will see poor MPG in traffic conditions simply because of continuous stop & go. The key is maintenance. If your genuinley worried about long term reliability rest assured you have bought the right car. You Just need to look at Taxis in service Prius etc. Lexus/Toyota will do mega miles providing you maintain it. Without getting all scientific as long as your changing the engine oil & filter to the manufacturer recommendation under 'Severe' conditions If im not mistaken it is 5000 miles rather than 10,000 you will have no problem. Engine oil degrades with continuos warmup cycles. Keep the oil changed regularly if your doing strictly low miles or short runs you will not or should not have a problem I have stuck by this rule & havent had an engine cause me any issues yet. When I was in the trade I have seen examples where owners are more likely to corrode the brake discs, & exhaust systems because of extremly short runs because they dont get upto temperature regularly before the engine gives you trouble. Not to mention carbon build up but this engine is not known to suffer from these issues as yet. Get it upto temperature & give it a regular Italian tune up keeps it running beautifully.

Regards John “Instructed and inspired by Britprius” He always had this at the end of his many wonderful and thought provoking Posts RIP John Malc

Oh dear. Gone but not forgotten. RIP Roy of the Rovers.

Very sad, RIP John. Condolences to family and friends.

really sorry to hear about john. Massive part of the community and will be missed. RIP John

This thread has reminded me of an episode from my past. I was going to see a client with my boss. At the time, I had a humble 1.2 Vauxhall Nova (the "Antibes" edition - so it wasn't anything hum-drum) but he had an Alfa 164. He decided he would drive. His Alfa was a meagre 2 litre one, not an exciting 3 litre model, but having never been in an Alfa before, I was excited. On the way back, a fog started to come down. "Nobody is going to run into the back of me!" my boss said as a finger on his left hand hit the front fog light and another hit the rear fog light button. I had to stifle a chuckle when he simultaneously removed his fingers and the button for the rear fog light pinged off somewhere in the driver's footwell.

I bought a car once and there was a little green light symbol on the dashboard when I switched on the headlights, I assumed this was an indication for the headlights being on, took a few months to find out it was actually for the front fog lights 🙂

So ive been experimenting with using eco mode on the car to make fuel go further. I noticed that the engine takes much longer to get to full operating tempreature. I do a 10 mile trip almost every day. During the 10 mile drive the engine tempreature gauge is mostly at around 1/4th way up vs a tad under 1/2 way up like in normal mode. And if I get stuck in stop and go traffic then sometimes the tempreature gauge goes almost all the way back to the bottom when stopped. In general depending on traffic if I am in eco mode typically the car gets to full operating temperature almost at the end of the 10 mile journey or not at all. But in normal mode it gets to full operating temperature pretty fast (around 2-3 miles) and stays there irrespective of traffic. Has anyone else noticed this? If so does anyone know why in eco mode the engine would run cooler for longer. Surely the faster it warms up fully the more efficient the engine will be?

This is very sad news indeed. My condolences to his family and friends. I'm sure that in real life, John was even more of a wonderful fellow than he was here in virtual form. His sage advice - "have you looked in the manual?" will remain with me forever. RIP John, you will be missed.

I would wait. Why pay more for a lower spec car?

In 22 years of driving I can count on 1 hand the amount of times visibility was so dangerously low that rear fog lights were needed for safety so you dont get rear ended & out of all the cars I've owned with front fog lamps only 1 was any good, a Toyota Altezza rs200 which had factory fitted yellow fog lamps, all the rest of the cars I've had with them were too dim or just made no real difference. Anyway the worst offenders are the drivers who turn the rear fog on because its a bit hazy outside & then forget to turn it off for days after.

All makes sense. I agree, these days the drivetrain is likely to outlast the rest of the car anyway. My neighbour has a 2008 gen 2 prius that is extremely poorly maintained but is his daily driver and works fine. Like the thing literally has different coloured body panels (probably from a salvage yard) but keeps going so must be mechanically sound. I do around 5k miles a year and am a bit obcessive about the car so hopefully servicing once a year should be fine and it will be trouble free motoring. Also another workaround I figured that works for my use case is to get the engine fully warm in normal mode then when its at temperature switch it to eco. This way the temp remains constant and doesn't keep dropping. Also since the engine is warmed up faster its better for heating the interior as well.

I haven't seen the article, but if that's what they published I would have expected better from the Telegraph. Facts: New gas boilers will be banned (the Govt says) from 2025 but you will stiil be able to get replacements for existing. Newer gas boilers can already be converted to run on hydrogen fairly easily. We will not, by 2026, be able to produce enough hydrogen to run the whole gas grid on it. Pilot projects are in place to run small areas on a hydrogen /natural gas mix as a trial. Hydrogen has a much smaller calorific value than natural gas so for the same heating effect more hydrogen will have to be supplied. This will mean that either pipes will have to get bigger (unlikely) or the pressure in the system will have to go up. Gas pipes have been replaced over a number of years with yellow plastic, not to make them ready for hydrogen but to replace the old steel pipes which are rotting. The yellow plastic may need some kind of treatment to stop the hydrogen leaking out through the structure of the pipe as hydrogen molecules are small enough to diffuse through some materials. The amount of lazy reporting and plain misinformation being disseminated by the media is breathtaking and I think is being driven by people whose interests are best served by a change to heat pumps. (Which won't work for much of our housing stock) Just my opinion.

Dubai, Australia, Japan from a google search. But they can afford them. We are all skint especially after the Car Tax rises and Nasty Duff budget this week. 🤮🚓 IsF up to nearly £700! I am seriously considering a SORN this Autumn.

You can get very tiny pinhole leaks that eject coolant when the system is under maximum pressure. When this happens the car is usually being driven and the engine hot. The coolant just evaporates. To find it there are two options: 1) Get the engine very hot and inspect it whist running - if that's even possible with a hybrid. 2) Get the coolant system pressure tested, and because it's a tiny leak over a bit longer than usual, say 1 hour. Just because the Main Dealer can't see the leak doesn't mean there isn't a leak. Having said all that, in the original post it's not 100% clear whether the drop is due to the coolant being full during the service (possibly a warm engine) and dropping when cold. I'd expect a drop in this case. The coolant needs to be topped up and checked only when the engine is cold.

It was semi foggy this morning on my way to a client site. Some drivers had no lights on at all. I had mine on (front and rear) but no fog lights. It got a little foggier and the van in front put his lights on, then his rear fog light, but turned it off again straight away. Good chap, I thought. You clearly looked in your mirror, saw me and thought "yes, I can see the car behind, I don't need to fry his retinas with my fog lights, and potentially cause him to run into the back of me because he can't make out my brake lights due to the glare". Five minutes later they went on and stayed on. Even when the fog cleared they were still on. Had I been a Rozzer, I'd have given him a tug.

There's probably only an hour every year when fog lights are necessary. Trouble is, most idiots leave them switched on for about six weeks or longer afterwards. Oh and front fog lights are a bit Colin McRae innit? Thank God most manufacturers now make them reset with the ignition, so everyone knows you're a weapons grade idiot if you "forget" to turn them off.

I was going to say being a Lexus it was probably still going strong, but last MOT was in Sep '17 at 72k.

James , that police car is 15 years old now . old photo when times were a little different and Lexus didn't have to armour plate them ....... Reading much of the above . it's not surprising that gangs roam the streets ......... many of them now probably gangs of residents doing simple vigilante work protecting their own and armed with truncheons ......... buying them at the auction where the police have flogged them off coz they never need them these days NOW . you may have guessed much of what I'm saying is " tongue in cheek " BUT the day will surely come when ordinary law abiding folk will just have to do something to " in the Public Interest " do a little proactive vigilante work Now then, where's me cosh ............. 😇 Malc

The system does not work. Many years ago I stumbled into an incident where a policeman was being attacked in a shop and "asked" to help out, and I mean the policeman and the shop manager were crying out " help us ". The policeman was losing the fight. The shop manager ran away. I helped restrain the ( very large ) attacker and the policeman got up and took control with his truncheon. Police arrived in a van and took the guy away. The policeman was very grateful. A week later I got a letter from chief constable's secretary. I thought " It must be a thank you or something, maybe a nice letter or a medal even😇 ". WRONG. It was a threat that if I did not appear in court to testify I would be prosecuted. Fortunately the aggressor pleaded guilty, BUT the point is that my name and address were given to the defence team, so the well known nasty type with a bad family knew where I lived. It turned out that he also had a knife on him! He was from a notorious gang of peripatetic itinerants. Conclusion: The shopkeeper fled the area never to be seen again, and probably because the offender pleaded guilty I did not have to appear for the prosecution, so no known consequences for me, luckily. However, I would probably do the same again to help a person in distress and have to suffer the consequences.

What bother me the most is that in UK they not even pretending to do anything, in other countries they at least come to the crime scene, check the evidence and is there are some obvious leads they do absolute minimum to investigate it, but at least they do that... and surprise surprise 50% of the cases only needs absolute minimum. But in UK they are so blatantly not even pretending, I had several cases of burglary, one arson etc. they don't even come to look at CCTV... and sure CCTV may not show anything, but it may show something, it may show registration number of the car... pay them a visit and it turns out even thought you didn't find the biky stolen on this case, you find another 28 bikes reported on other cases... but in UK they absolutely do nothing. Make report online, they send you crime reference number and 2 hours later you get another e-mail - your case closed "no leads to investigate" or "not in public interest to investigate". This last one is so funny for me... how the hell they know what is in "public interest"? We are the public - NOT them? It is clearly in public interest for all cases to be investigated... sometimes I understand that it is not in public interest to prosecute all the cases, but I can't see any reason why it would not be in public interest to at least investigate. For police most of the time even that doesn't work, because they have unique ability to be useless. But I have used it for insurance several times with great results. Without dash cam it would have been 50/50%, not only that I wouldn't get anything out of it, but my insurance would have gone-up... with Dashcam I was able to prove in minutes that it was 100% non-fault accident and I had my case "pre-approved", meaning I get pay-out even before other party insurance agrees with it. Without dashcam it may take literal months of backwards and forwards to get even straight forward cases dealt with, talking with witnesses, waiting for other party to respond, negotiating the price and all that non-sense. With Dashcam - video sent, money in the bank account within 2 weeks. So definitely good investment and not even that expensive anyway!

Sorry but in my experience police do not pursue such matters. Guy literally crashed into me going trough the red and did not stop. I had dashcam, I called police to report hit and run and they advised me to call the insurance. There was actual damage to the car, I had dashcam footage - responded after 2 weeks - "not in public interest to investigate". Hit and run is not in public interest to investigate! If there is no damage what exactly you expecting? Whatever they could do would need do go to the court, because private dashcam footage does not automatically count as evidence, they can't issue fine based on it, that means they need to go trough entire process of suing him and even then only assuming you can very clearly make out the person in the speeding car from dashcam footage it will go nowhere, will not be proven beyond reasonable doubt it was even him... Yes I understand you want to do right thing and I commend you, but from practice I know police does not give a shait, all they care is collecting £100 for from stationary camera when somebody was doing 60MPH on the empty motorway at night on 70MPH road, because there was temporary roadworks limit of 50MPH and obviously nobody working. That is sort of thing they like - 0 investment, 0 time spent, 1 automated letter for £0.10 and £100 in the pocket. Spending actual time, calling the person into police station to give statement, filing everything to court, just to be laughed out in the court is not their cuppa. Just found an old e-mail exchange - note the investigate only "where death, physical injury and major damage is a factor." How about that?! 😄