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Showing content with the highest reputation since 02/28/2013 in all areas

  1. 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!
    43 points
  2. I got the dreaded Check Hybrid, Check VSC and Check EBC warning lights. Fault code readings P0A80 Hybrid and P3017 (battery cell block number 7 fault). Having gotten a quote for around €6000 to fix it, I decided to do it myself. I ordered a battery cell on ebay for €45.00 delivered to Ireland. Tools needed: Socket set with 8mm, 10mm and 12mm. Flat head screwdriver, long nose pliers and a multi meter to read voltage. (You may also need a slow trickle 12v battery charger, I'll explain later). Time needed: about 4 hours, more if your connections a very dirty. 1: Remove ALL carpeted paneling from the boot (trunk if you're in the US). This is done by inserting the flathead screwdriver into the black plastic rivets and popping them out. Remove the boot flooring too, just leave the tool tray in place. You will need the 10mm socket to remove the rear boot floor luggage anchor points once you've popped open their plastic covers. The upper hanging points need to be squeezed to remove. Disconnect the power supply to the light on the right hand panel. 2: Remove the orange circuit breaker on the HV battery by sliding to the right and then pulling towards you. 3: Remove the black air duct on the bottom of the HV battery by popping the 2 black plastic rivets. 4: Unplug the power supply to the white cooling fan on the upper right of the HV battery and remove the 2 nuts holding on the fan. This should allow the 2 upper black ducting to move sufficiently to be able to remove them. 5: Open the panel covering the 2 Orange Cables (3 x 8mm nuts) and disconnect the 2 orange cables, (you can tape them up with electrical tape if you so wish). Pull back the rubber cover on the Black cable and unbolt that too. You should now look something like this: 6: Disconnect the cable running from the HV battery to the 12v lead battery. Continue to remove the 12v battery by disconnecting the +ive and -ive terminals and the white connector plugs attaching it the the HV battery. Also need to take off the temp sensor and the vent hose on the 12v battery. Remove the 12v battery support bracket and the battery tray itself. 7: Remove the last 2 bits of black ducting that was clamped by the 12v battery tray. 8: Remove the white tubing on the right of the HV battery. 9: Remove the 4 12mm nuts holding the base of the HV battery in place, 2 on each side. 10: You need to unbolt the nuts hidden behind the back seat headrests. 11: Pull the rear seats forward enough to remove the large plastic panel in the center between the rear seats and the boot wall, its hidden behind the fireproofing fabric. Use this panel cover to hold the seats away from the boot wall by wedging it between seats and wall. 12: Pull back the fireproofing to reveal 2 smaller access panels covered by a black sticky rubber square. Now remove the 3 12mm nuts holding the HV battery to the boot wall. 13: Now the tricky bit, lift the HV battery over the bolts in the boot and slide it out. (I recommend putting cardboard on the tool tray to avoid scratching when sliding the HV battery). If you are strong enough you can lift the HV battery out on your own, if not get help, it weighs about 50 kilos. Your boot should now look like this with the access panels behind the seats visible: You should also have this, I placed mine on some cardboard on my kitchen table: 14: Take off the HV battery cover by opening all the 10mm nuts, and a few 8mm. unclip the black cable while taking off the three cover panels. 15: Unclip the black plastic covering on both sides of the HV battery to reveal the 8mm connector nuts in the orange casing. 16: Number the cells 1 to 40 using a permanent marker. Use your multi meter to get a reading across each of the 40 individual cells, i.e. one lead on the +ive terminal of the cell and the other on the -ive, and record your findings, as you can see cell 28 was low for me: 17: Pull back the rubber vent tubing running along the top of the HV battery until to get beyond your bad cell/cells. 18: Remove the white end panel holding the cells in place: 19: Remove the 80 x 8mm nuts in the orange casing and clean if necessary. I used bleach and some sand paper to clean all nuts a copper plates, if you're gonna do it - do it right). 20: Remove the 8mm nuts holding each cell in place underneath until you reach your bad cell (this will probably involve removing the support leg and the converter assembly unit below the HV battery: 21: Good cells look like this Bad ones like this: 22: Start replacing your cells back into the HV battery, it doesn't matter what order and you can't mess up polarity as it only screws in on one side. I put my new cell in last in case it was a dud. (If your new cell is of a lower or higher voltage use a slow trickle 12v battery charger to get it to the same voltage as the other cells. 23: WATCH THE TEMP SENSORS UNDER THE BATTERY CELLS (3 of them), MAKE SURE YOU CLIP THEM ON AS YOU GO. See the black plastic clip peeping out here: 24: That's it you're done, just reverse everything to put in back in. Mind your back and don't bother touching cell 1 and 40 at the same time if you have the orange connector put back on. Good Luck!
    21 points
  3. I saw this earlier and I thought it kind of summarises much of my life and probably yours if you are of a certain age. They call us ”The Elderly” We were born in the 40-50-60’s. We grew up in the 50-60-70's. We studied in the 60-70-80's. We were dating in the 70-80-90's. We got married and discovered the world in the 70-80-90's. We venture into the 80-90’s. We stabilize in the 2000’s. We got wiser in the 2010’s. And we are going firmly through and beyond 2020. Turns out we've lived through EIGHT different decades... TWO different centuries... TWO different millennia... We have gone from the telephone with an operator for long-distance calls to video calls to anywhere in the world. We have gone from slides to YouTube, from vinyl records to online music, from handwritten letters to email and Whats App. From live matches on the radio, to black and white TV, colour TV and then to 3D HD TV. We went to the Video store and now we watch Netflix. We got to know the first computers, punch cards, floppy disks and now we have gigabytes and megabytes on our smartphones. We wore shorts throughout our childhood and then long trousers, Oxfords, flares, shell suits & blue jeans. We dodged infantile paralysis, meningitis, polio, tuberculosis, swine flu and now COVID-19. We rode skates, tricycles, bicycles, mopeds, petrol or diesel cars and now we drive hybrids or electric. Yes, we've been through a lot but what a great life we've had! They could describe us as “exennials”; people who were born in that world of the fifties, who had an analog childhood and a digital adulthood. We've kind of “Seen-It-All”! Our generation has literally lived through and witnessed more than any other in every dimension of life. It is our generation that has literally adapted to “CHANGE”. A big round of applause to all the members of a very special generation, which will be UNIQUE. -Author unknown Keep on keeping on!
    19 points
  4. Afternoon Folks, Just thought I would chime in and clear up a few points. No, car wasn't offered on here, being an owners club, most people already have an IS-F, so are less likely to be in the market for one. I also didn't want to break the rules by advertising without Gold Membership status. Regarding the price, even if someone does offer me close to the buy it now price (£26k), this is well under half what I have spent on the car. If I was trying to recoup my costs, the price would be over £50k. If you are looking to buy an IS-F, then tune/modify the car to make big horsepower you would spend a lot more to make a stock car look/perform like mine does. Also keep in mind the modifications are not extreme like most (no neon lights, lairy colours, spinners etc), car is still very subtle, and can be used daily if the new owner so chooses. If the current bids and offers are anything to go by, car won't be going anywhere. Worth pointing out I had a genuine offer of £17,500 which I respectfully declined. If you were in the market for a Japanese saloon that has over 600hp and is reliable, you would be hard pushed to find anything under £30k. I have no grief or ill feelings towards anyone on this forum, nor do I have an issue with people having their opinions, but to try and say modifications de-value a car or don't add any value is wrong. If you notice 'The Hulk' GTR is also advertised on eBay at the moment. I know the tuner who built it, Severn Valley Motorsport (SVM) and they want £155k obo. If you apply the it's a 2009 model worth £28k book price for trade-in, you would argue this is ridiculously priced, no one will buy it etc. My car is a one-off, the parts used are all high quality items and couldn't be bought/fitted/setup for less than £50k IF that's what you wanted to do. The supercharger kit alone is close to £10k plus the installation, setup, running in etc. I accept the fact I won't get my money back, that's the way it goes with modifying cars. What I will not accept is the idea of giving it away for a silly price. I am not desperate and there is absolutely nothing wrong with the car whatsoever, lack of free time is the main driver for potentially finding the car a new home. It is worth what someone is willing to pay for it, but if that price is too low, it won't sell as I would rather keep it. Hope that clears things up and if it did find a good home, rest assured I would still be around to help folks out with any technical issues or modifications they might need in the future. Cheers, Pete
    19 points
  5. I Would Like to wish All My Many friends On The L.O.C. A Very Merry Peaceful and Happy Christmas Followed by a Happy and Merry New Year...Happy Lexus Motoring For 2024 And Remember Your Problems are only As BIG as you make Them...God Bless you all..!!!!!!!
    18 points
  6. Hi guys I was involved in a very serious accident last week. Driving home from Gymnastics with my girls a full fat V8 Mustang driving like an absolute lunatic came barreling towards us head on (in my lane,) it was a head on collision, it's still all a bit of a blur, my car was on fire when I came round, I had my daughters in back, the back doors wouldn't open so I had to drag them both out through the front. it was a mess! All 3 of us were eventually taken to hospital and released a week later. The whole ordeal has been a nightmare, one of the worst thing things I've ever had to experience! Needless to say the Lexus is toast (literally) I'm gutted about losing it and everything in it but more importantly I'm extremely grateful that all 3 of us are still here! The broken bones, emotional trauma we all sustained should heal in time, and we live to fight another day. The Police wont tell me much at the moment but did mention that the Mustang ended up worse off than ours in terms of initial damage and the driver of that car along with his passenger are still hospitalized The Lexus did its job! (in addition to the car seats the girls were sat in) I chose this car because I wanted something reliable, comfortable & safe, it fulfilled all 3 of those requirements effortlessly. Started at every press of the button, got us from A to B in comfort and when it came to it, kept us as safe as it could in a situation many aren't fortunate enough to walk away from. I couldn't have picked a better car for the budget I had, i'm very thankful for that. Just wanted to share this for anyone new here considering buying an IS250 or any Lexus for that matter, and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone here sincerely for their help and advice to all the questions I had prior to buying this car and during my ownership period. I wouldn't have chosen it and maintained it correctly if it wasn't for the friendly advice and info I got from you all so again BIG thank you to everyone here from the bottom of my heart!! Not sure what I'm going to replace it with at the moment as well maintained ones are thin on the ground, prices starting to climb and I doubt i'll get much back from my insurer, but I guess i'll cross that bridge when I get to it... Please stay safe everyone, look after yourself and your loved ones, we just never know what's going to happen sometimes!
    18 points
  7. 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
    18 points
  8. A quick list of what to look out for .... don't let this put you off ... all the faults I can remember are listed below (some are common sense), maybe there are a few more that owners can add Seized rear calipers - cost around £300 each - Easiest way to check is to take the car on a test run and then when parked back up again feel the heat on each alloy - should be warm and not excessively hot. No squealing. Also, if discs are still rusted looking after driving then there's a problem. Obviously pulling to the side is noticeable Brake pad shims - some members reported missing brake shims from the rear calliper - probably from when pads were replaced and the garage or dealer forgot to put them back on. Its not something you can easily check on a test drive but if missing they are very hard to source except from a scrap dealer if they will sell them at all separate. Seized front calipers - as with the rears, around £300 each. Both front and backs can be freed if not too far gone, re-greased and put back together again but once seized they may need looking after more than ones not having been seized in the past as pitting and ill fitting rubber seals may be an issue. Why does this happen ... last owner not looking after the car or using the wrong type of grease in that it attacks the rubber boots letting dirt and water into the caliper moving parts. If it was looked after by the dealer then new calipers would have been fitted if seized. Greasing is not a part of the service schedule from Lexus so be aware. You may not experience any warnings that they are seized. Its the most common fault on these cars so get an assurance from the seller to replace if found to be seized or have him check them first. To be honest If it was me i would also check them myself when I got home with a new car just to be sure. Easy DIY job to both replace and maintain (grease) I do mine every 6 months but a lot of owners do it every year. Black oil - A sign the cars not been looked after - the oil should not be black. It will go dark in colour but not black. Again, an easy DIY job - I use Magnatec and an oil change, including the filter will cost you around £60. Takes a bit over 6 litres. Oil filter cap seized - If you can, ask the dealer or garage to ensure the cap housing thr filter will move. A lot of garages, including dealers put these on far too tight and some owners have experienced cracked housings while trying to remove the caps to change the filter. An easy DIY job White crust around front water pump area - an indication the water pump is on its way out - costs around £200 for a new one (inclusive of fitting) Exhaust shot - Black soot around the welded joints - check the centre section around the middle resonator as this is a problem area. Get this checked out at an exhaust centre. Pay for the inspection as you wont get a lot of change back from 3k for the replacement parts (back box and centre) if it has gone or is on its last legs - the pattern parts have not been released to 3rd party manufacturers so the replacement parts are only available from Lexus unless you are going bespoke and going for a stainless one - a Cat back system will cost around £500 - if you have the time and want to get your hands dirty then you can put together a bespoke exhaust yourself for around £100. Tyres rotated wrong way - Ask why have they done this? un-even tyre wear so look around the shocks / springs to see if theres any issues - maybe nothing Tyre choice - A good choice of branded rear tyres will serve well. Remember its a rear wheel drive car - Do not go for cheap brands as while they may last/wear well, the performance in the wet will be hazardous. Read through the forums for owner experiences on brands. Leaking shocks - Expensive replacements but not a real issue - some owners have reported replacing them and hard to find Wheel locking nuts seized - Put on with a tyre dealer air hammer. Will come off with specialised tools and a lot of patience - I think this is common cause on all cars - happened on 3 in our household over the years. Check this out before buying if possible. Wheel security locking nut missing - check this is available when buying the car. Without it you wont be able to take the tyres off easily or replace if you get a puncture Alloy wheel corrosion - this is apparent across the Lexus range - corrosion on the alloy happens and noticeable by bubbles under the alloy coating - will eventually lead to pressure loss if not tended to as it will break the seal between the tyre and the wheel itself Tow hook missing - only handy when you need it so check its there - located in the boot of the car Spare tyre - it houses a space saver wheel - make sure its inflated. If it looks like its been used then take out and inspect to make sure its inflated. DVD sat nav extraction tool missing - only handy when you come to update the sat nav DVD - the tools for this should be in the black tool kit in the boot of the car CD/DVD head unit fully working - take an original CD / a DVD and an MP3 disc with you and test each one out - they should all work without messing with the settings. (you will need to select each disc to play and it should) Noise from front speaker cover - a cracking noise from the speaker cover on the front centre dash board - not experienced this myself but its apparently quite noisy. Also a rattle has been reported, again not widespread. Noise from driver door area - don't know If this is a common area. I originally thought it was the door seal but narrowed it down to the handle above the door rattling slightly - I oiled the hinge and the noise disappeared Coolant level low - check the heating is hot when on. Check for a "gurgling" noise which will indicate the cooling is low - if its low then there could be an issue with a leak or possible indication the pump is on its way out Front headlights - will become "cloudy" over time - no more than any other car and can easily be restored with a bit of elbow grease Corroded wheels - a common issue with the Toyota wheels - bad ones will eventually lose air and deflate due to the corrosion not creating a good seal. Uneven wear on tyres - indication there's something a miss with the alignment / shocks - to be honest this is not reported as a problem on the cars. Maybe more so from owners using non OEM wheels Cams are chain driven - no worries there but they can stretch (very extreme though) Rear blind working - read a few posts on here that its stopped working or stuck in the up position - check its operation Front discs - They are heavy on discs and front pads. Check the wear on the discs on the front - not expensive to replace and an easy DIY job Lights not bright and flickering - an indication that the bulbs are on their way out - check both are the same colour. If not, one has been replaced and other will need to be done at some point. Check all front lights as they are quite fiddly in replacing the bulbs Aircon works - should be cold - if not then check coolant level, if ok the system either has a leak or may need re-gassing Squeeky steering adjustment - has been reported by a few members. Mine squeeks in hot weather when automatically adjusting. Not all the time and has not caused any issues. Mirrors dip when in reverse - the mirrors should dip towards the road when in reverse, a feature on the cars to ensure easy viewing of where you are going. If they don't then its most likely they will just need to be cleaned internally. Again an easy DIY job. Parking sensors - with the engine running have someone walk within a foot of the sensors at the front and the rear of the car - it should start beeping when the person walks past them. Not seen any issues with this reported by the owners. O2 sensors - PreCat (within engine bay) will go around 70 to 80k easy DIY job - cost around £180 for OEM Denso ones - don't use 3rd party ones as they will not last Rear brake shoes - Cant easily be checked on a test drive - changed mine at around 90k last year and they still had a bit of meat on them, probably on the car from new so more than likely will need changing or inspection at least. Easy DIY job Main engine plastic cover - centre engine cover can become loose from removing and re-applying it. there is a push button tab that breaks off and it can in some instances be heard rattling over lumpy roads. Mine has broke - not a real issue as the radio at low volume masks any rattle. I expect some strong glue would fix this. Engine idle - make sure its constant at tick over when cold (quite high) and when hot (around 700revs) - if erratic it could indicate a carbon build up - not an issue with an application with cleaning liquids Valve Rattle - VVTI may rattle from time to time - the oil will drain in some cases from the resoviour for the valves after standing for a bit and as a consequence there is a rattle noise (similar to a dull machine gun noise) but will disappear in a second or so. Happenned on mine a few times when I first had it. but not come back for a couple of years now. Regular oil changes and I do an engine flush each oil change and in my opinion it has helped a lot. Exhaust smoke - no smoke from these - only condensate when in cold weather which is normal for most cars Cabin carpets - check the drivers side has clips anchoring the carpet down (if it has one) if it doesn't then the carpet can creep under the pedals Boot - Its a fair size boot but the opening does not give good access to large items - ideally it could have done with split seats but its not that kind of car I guess. Audio - Make sure the spec includes a Mark Levinson branded head unit which is the better of the head unit specs on these models.(indicated on the front of the stereo on the bottom right of the unit) Rear seat room - its a bit cramped in the back with passengers on the seats - leg room is dismal, maybe that's why I have never sat in the back when its been driven. Wife wont drive it due to the size of the car which I don't mind at all. Reliability - looked after its bullet proof, best make of car I have owned. Running costs are petrol only. Put in the time to do the services (oil, filters etc) and it will serve you well. Parts availability - Had my 250 for 3 years and an IS200 for 2 prior to that - the only time I was unable to get a part was the exhaust for the 250 - I could get one from the dealer but at nearly 3k I thought no way and went down another route. Parts are available from Eurocarparts / ebay / online easily enough and are not expensive. Speed - People forget these are not sports cars - they are quick in manual mode and can keep up with the best of them but are not made for that purpose. Its nice owning one for the individuality of having something different from whats sitting on the neighbours drive or in the works car park. I only know of an IS200 Alteeza and a IS220 local to myself so its my bit of exclusivity. Don't care how old it is, its still better than a new model medium city car. Mileage - mines on 93k - no issue and having has a high miler is200 and this one then I would consider another high miler but with the knowledge of what to look for. I don't think there would be any problems if you are careful in what you are looking at - gut instinct in a lot of cases. I guess there will be very few low milers available now on these cars now but you may be lucky in finding one. Keys - Ensure it has a minimum of 2 keys and they both work - if not then its definitely a bargaining chip to use as a replacement one will cost you around £350 and a trip to Lexus. Corroding windscreen wiper arms - these seem to bubble quite a bit under the paint on the main body of the wiper arm. No issue but it will break through the paint at somepoint. Check front windshield, if non-genuine check if wipers defrosters and auto sensing wipers works OK. As well windshields mouldings sometimes gets gets loose (broken clips) - about £80 to get new mouldings. (Courtesy of Linas.P) Main ground cable - In wet climate it was reported that main ground cable sometimes gets corroded and it is very hard to troubleshoot it.(Courtesy of Linas.P) Squeaky seats reported for the manual option (Courtesy of Vintagesixtysix) DMF issues (Dual Mass Flywheel) for the manual drive option (Courtesy of Vintagesixtysix) Paint - the paint is soft on these cars so are prone to scratching easier than other makes if not careful Cat failure - there has been a couple of reports of the cats failing on these cars but only a few have been reported at relative low mileage for the car (around 80 / 90k miles) not common though. There are 2 cats on these. Service milestones - consider cars around 60k miles require a spark plug change - or so Lexus recommends although they are good for 100k. This is an expensive job at around £600. Not done mine yet, planning on doing them at 100k. I would state at 100k then you will need to get your hands dirty and give the car a good going over, fluids etc just for peace of mind. Lexus service interval report does not state any excessive requirements, mostly checks to be made. Recalls - that I am aware of: cabin carpet mat required securing / airbags / fuel sensor washer. there may be more but these are the ones I know of. Spec - I would personally recommend the top spec SE-L Auto box at 2007 / 2008 as I believe when the face lift came along then the models lost a few features that were on the older models. A sunroof would be brilliant but like gold dust at this spec. Quite a bit of points above - don't let this put you off at all - the exhaust nearly saw me pack the car in when mine went but I went down the stainless route so alls not lost. Best to go into a sale knowing all the points to look at before making your mind up. Best car I have ever owned. One last consideration - in the 7 years I have owned the Lexus brand we have by far spent more money during this time in maintaining a fairly new Vauxhall !! One last point, if you have an ODB error code reader then take along and scan the ecu for any stored fault codes unless the dealer has cleared it down
    17 points
  9. Has it been a year already? Time clearly flies when you're enjoying yourself. Betsy and I have covered 8,706 miles since October 20th last year at an average of 45mpg. Did I make the right decision to swap my IS300h for Betsy? Let's start with the few things which I don't like: the cover for the centre console cubby hole could do with being a little more solid. The boot lid could be more rigid/heavier, but I guess this has been done for weight saving. And some of the updates I'd make: How about different warning sounds for front and rear parking sensors? A socket in the roof to plug in a For Hire sign. Only joking. And some of the things I haven't missed from the IS: Rear wheel drive The buttock unfriendly seats. Now onto the things which I like: She is supremely comfortable on long journeys, even as an F Sport with those big tyres Fuel economy is great. I could get more if I was a little less heavy footed and prone to rushing on the A1 Performance is perfectly acceptable. There are none of the worries joining roundabouts which I had in the IS300h (rectified by putting it in Sport of course). She'll easily mix it with the Scheissewagens in lane 4 of the A1 between Huntingdon and Peterborough with no loss of face. Or should that be no loss of grille? The boot is enormous and easily takes my big box of IT gubbins plus any shopping I might acquire on the return leg of an outing. My bass cabs fit with acres of room to spare. Cabin noise is virtually non-existent. It does however help to run some of that Gummi stuff around the door seals every month or so to stop any creaking from the doors. Android Auto - once I'd got the hang of it, and since AAWireless released a certain update, I love it. If you charge the phone on the Qi mat whilst using AA, it does get a bit warm and the power going in pretty much comes out immediately. Servicing - nothing needed doing (apart from an upsell of four wheel alignment!). The brake disks still have 10mm on them so they're practically brand new. Talking of brakes, the absence of brake dust on the wheels is great. Hopefully Betsy's wheels won't go the same way as my IS250's did. Three times. Little things like a warning on the dash that a window is open and would I like to close it by clicking OK Being able to check tyre pressures without using an app. I used the memory seat function for the first time yesterday. The young lady who returned Betsy from the servicing area was quite petite. A quick stab on button 1 allowed me to get my less than svelte figure back behind the wheel. Radar guided cruise control is a wonderful thing, especially on the A1 between Peterborough and Stamford while the invisible workforce does its job. That lane assist/guide thing and going handsfree is fun, but only where conditions allow of course. Adaptive lighting - on backroads this is great, although I did have someone flash me. They were probably thinking "nice car mate" Talking of which, I have posted the tale of the young Asian chap who complimented Betsy at a local filling station. Several colleagues at work always insist on me driving if we go out together. They drive Schiessewagens. I would always spec a car with a heated steering wheel from now on. I thought they were a gimmick. Not so. As many have pointed out on here, automatic folding mirrors should be on all Lexi. It's a great way of checking she's locked as I walk away. The auto hold. A colleague took me on a "short cut" back from Leicester to Bourne (it took twice as long as going the conventional route). We came to a crossroads which was uphill. "Have you got a good handbrake?" he asked, "as you'll need it here". He was right, although I was surprised that he'd not taken on board the lack of a visible handbrake. Betsy just stopped and then went when I pressed the accelerator. No slipping backwards or anything. Tick VG. Fit and finish. You don't have to slam her doors like you do on a Scheissewagen. She doesn't creak like a Mercedes. I'm sure that there are many things I've missed. Am I glad that Betsy and I met on the fateful day when I took my IS300h in for the fuel pump recall? Hell yes.
    17 points
  10. Well, I ordered my new RX450h, Premium sport edition, and finally collected it last Thursday from Lexus, Birmingham. Wonderful service from start to finish, and happy to be back in the fold after an absence of 10 years, on the dark side with the VAG brands. I am so pleased with RX, mesa red with cream leather, so, so, comfortable, and so quiet. I must confess it’s been a long time since my test drive, and had forgotten what it was really like. It is reported by many motoring journalists as showing its age, and I guess that is true in comparison with more recent models, but I think it has all the tech that I need, and apple carplay works like a dream. It may be considered to be showing its age, but what a wonderful place to be, it exudes comfort and luxury. it has taken me a couple of days to get used to the car, but driven for its intended use, silky smooth, quiet, and so far returning 35mpg, no complaints at that! It really is a pleasure to unlock the door, and do a journey in my new car. So here’s to many many happy miles, and look forward to an upcoming holiday in Europe. Larry
    17 points
  11. Happy Christmas to one and all. And to a great forum also. Piers.
    17 points
  12. 17 points
  13. Lexus RX 450h - Series 3 - Equipment specifications Lexus RX Series III.pdf
    17 points
  14. 20220426_143621.mp4 Yesterday had my 200,000 mile service at Lexus Birmingham and today clocked over the 200,000 miles mark on my odometer. I have owned my IS300h Premier from new since 2013, it is the best car I have ever owned and I will be sad to see it go later this year when I take delivery of a NX350h Takumi. Thank you Lexus for creating fabulous cars.
    16 points
  15. Traded my Boxster and picked up this beauty today; TVD, red leather, sunroof and Quicksilver exhaust. Suspect I will spend much of the weekend just listening to the sound!
    16 points
  16. Just put a deposit down on this beauty at Lexus Teeside EDIT - I asked if this model (it's a 2018 Luxury) was valid for the Android Auto installation and he said that it's capable but they haven't yet got the hardware to retrofit the RX. I forgot to ask him if that was just Lexus Teeside or if he meant that there are no dealers anywhere in the country who can fit it to an RX yet, so does anyone know?
    16 points
  17. After reluctantly selling my ISF to a fellow member on here 4 years ago due to an overseas move, I’m back in the U.K. so I’m back in the ‘F’ fold. I bought the blue RCF that was up for sale recently with TVD and just 17k miles. It’s absolutely mint and I’m loving it! Great to be back 👍
    16 points
  18. Hi, and welcome to the story so far of my IS250. I figured since I have started to change a few things, and with some more mods & upgrades planned, I should probably keep tabs on my progress and try and document as much as possible. I enjoy reading this kind of thing about other people's cars, so hopefully you will too. If nothing else, it'll be something useful for the next owner to have a gander at when I eventually part company with it. So, the car then. It's an Argento Ice (1G1) 2011 F-Sport with optional Navigation unit, and it's an automatic of course. I traveled just under 200mls by train, to Darlington, to buy it from a thoroughly nice chap and fellow LOC member in late August 2016. This is my third Lexus IS and my second IS250 F-Sport in a relative short space of time. The previous one being a 2010 model in the rare Sable Metallic (4T5) but this was sadly written-off inside a year with only 27K on the clock. Finding another low-miles F-Sport to replace it proved to be quite difficult and after a couple of months of fruitless searching I was starting to give serious consideration to buying something else. Then one day, someone on the forum announced that they were selling-up... Being honest, silver was not my 1st-choice when looking for a replacement. In fact it was probably near the bottom of the pile in terms of desirability, but the price was just too good to ignore and it sounded like a great car - one owner (a LOC member, no less), 36K miles, FSH & it had been kept in a garage since new. At this point I was thoroughly fed-up of having to borrow other people's cars to get around so I was prepared to compromise and a deal was quickly struck. On the day I arrived to see the car in the flesh for the first time, any misgivings I had about the colour disappeared the minute I pulled-up to the seller's house in a taxi. It was a gloriously sunny day and the IS looked absolutely amazing, sitting there, spotlessly-clean on the driveway. I knew right then and there that I would be going home in it. I quickly told the driver to keep the change because I couldn't wait to exit the taxi and have a closer look. After chatting with the seller over a cuppa and pouring over the car's history and piles of receipts, it was evident that the car had been well looked-after since the day it was purchased from Lexus Nottingham in April 2011. The test drive was pretty short. Just a mere formality really as I was already very familiar with how an IS250 behaves on the road and there was nothing to be concerned about, so the deal was finalised over another cuppa and then the car was mine. There was a generous amount of fuel still left in the tank at the point of sale, but I brimmed the car at Scotch Corner services and planned the journey home on the sat-nav. The obvious choice would've been to head up the A1, but I wasn't in a hurry so instead I headed west on a relaxed cruise along the A66 towards Penrith where I would join the M6, and then subsequently the M74 as I crossed the border before eventually turning off at Abington services in the Clyde Valley to join one of my favourite driving roads, the A702. This is a road that I'm very familiar with and it has it all; great scenery, sweeping fast corners, dips, rises, a few sleepy towns & villages to cruise through, twisty technical sections and plenty of long straights and clear sightlines for overtaking opportunities. Best of all, there's no speed cameras so you can really explore the limits of whatever you're driving. Taking in this road whilst getting to know my new car truly was the icing on the cake. (forgive my lengthy into and waffling but I really did enjoy the whole buying experience of acquiring this car, so I thought I would share it...) Anyway, here's a couple of pics from the sales ad showing how the car looked before I bought it. My first six months or so with the car were fairly uneventful. It had just been serviced, MOT'd and kitted-out with a new set of tyres shortly before it went up for sale, so all I had to do was get it taxed and enjoy it. My first modification (if you can call it that), was in November when I prepped the car for the miserable Scottish winter weather - by swapping out the OEM floor mats for the set of genuine Lexus rubber mats that were included with the car, and by switching to winter tyres. The winter setup was a carry-over from my previous IS250 consisting of 18" 3rd-gen F-Sport wheels shod with 225/40F / 245/40R Pirelli Sottozero 3 tyres, so this was something that didn't cost anything, and arguably looked better than stock so I was happy for my car to wear these for the next 4 or 5 months. The 2016/17 winter weather was particularly awful. Not to the extent that winter tyres were required, but it just seemed to be constantly raining and/or very windy, especially on the occasions when I actually had some free time! So during the dark winter months I just planned what I was going to do next and armed myself with some knowledge, and also picked up a few parts. Fast-forward to the spring and it was time to switch back to summer tyres. A successful PPI claim had given me some funds to play with so I wanted to upgrade to a set of staggered 19" wheels. Sure, the stock 18's look good on a 2nd-gen IS, but 19's look even better!. My initial plan was to save up for a set of graphite OZ Superturismo LMs, but these are pretty expensive and rarely show up on the used market, so I mulled this over for a number of weeks before deciding on my alternative choice of wheel - the OEM "blade" wheels off an IS-F. Produced for Lexus by BBS Japan, these forged and relatively lightweight wheels were hardly a booby prize and were actually a good choice for what I want to achieve. My overall goal for the car could be described as "OEM Plus". To try and make some tasteful improvements to how it looks and performs without ruining it, and to add a bit more of a sporting flavour without it looking out of place. At the end of the day this is my daily driver and I still want it to feel like a Lexus so I'll be using high quality aftermarket or genuine parts from within the Lexus family where possible. In this regard the IS-F wheels are ideal, so when a newly-refurbished set showed up on eBay, I snapped them up. Once the wheels arrived (from Latvia!), my next point of deliberation was tyre choice. I had narrowed the short-list of candidates down to three - Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3, Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 or Michelin Pilot Super Sports. In the end I stumped-up for the more expensive Michelins as they've been proven quality for years and are still featuring as an OEM application on various performance cars. Whilst, on the other hand, the other two are quite new on the market with less known about them. Regarding sizes, I took the safe option and went with stock widths as I didn't want to run into problems when I lower the car a touch. I didn't weigh them but just by handling them during fitting and removal and moving the various wheels in and out of storage a few times, the new wheel & tyre combo certainly felt lighter than the OEM F-Sport alloys, despite them being larger. What isn't in question though, is just how much sharper and more precise the steering feels with them, plus grip is superb. Refinement suffered a little of course, but I would say only a little as the car still rides extremely well. On my initial impressions, I was more concerned about the increased road noise and thought I had made a huge mistake, because, boy were these things loud! Thankfully they got a lot quieter after putting a few miles on them but they're still probably louder than a lot of other tyres on the market. I would happily buy them again though. Around this time I also gave the car it's first proper detail during my ownership, and it was badly-needed. After months of being caked with dirt and rock salt, the sides of the car felt like sandpaper, There were literally hundreds of tar spots, so an extensive decontamination and clay bar session paved the way for a course of Super Resin Polish and a coat of Soft99 Fusso Coat. This restored some much-needed shine and lustre to the paintwork, and for the first time in ages, it was actually protected from the elements. (Obligatory snow foam pics) April saw the car pay a visit to Lexus Edinburgh to be serviced and MOT'd and it sailed through with no advisories. In fact, the service manager commented on how clean it was, and how he had to double-check whether they had washed it or not. Next up, was to install a dash-cam. In my previous car I had the relatively cheap, but excellent A118c. And I was in the market for a new one because I carelessly forgot to remove it from the wreck before it was taken away. Anyhow, suitably impressed with how it had performed, I was all set to buy another one when I noticed that there was now an A119 on the market. This promised to be even better and could be installed just as discreetly as the older camera, so I ponied-up an extra few quid to grab one, along with the optional GPS module and a CPL filter. This time, I wanted to make use of the parking mode so that meant hard-wiring it into an "always-on" circuit, so I tapped into the keyless entry system. I was a little worried that this would drain the battery and leave the car unable to start, but so far so good. I've left the car parked-up for 3 or 4 days at a time without any trouble. This is especially impressive, since, after reviewing some footage that was captured whilst parked, it would appear that the motion sensor is pretty sensitive and will trigger the camera into recording an "event" quite easily, So, at times (like when it's raining) the camera can effectively be recording 24/7, yet it doesn't seem to be too much of a burden on the battery. This is something I'm mindful of though, so I'm keeping an eye on it. For the past couple of months, I've just been concentrating on keeping the car clean, but a couple of days ago I done my first "performance" mod when I swapped-out the standard air intake for the official F-Sport one (PTR03-53100). I'd had one of these in my eBay watch list for about 2 years, just waiting for a deal nice enough for me to pull the trigger on. Well, such a deal showed up a couple of weeks ago so I jumped on it. Some pics I took during fitting. Installation was a breeze, very straightforward and quick. I took my time however and cleaned my MAF sensor at the same time, and also cleaned-up some parts of the engine bay that were dusty & dirty before putting everything back together. As for the intake, it's a nice piece of kit. Being an OEM upgrade, you would expect the quality to be very good and the fitment to be perfect, and it is. The general consensus seems to be that this will free up around 3-5 bhp, but that's not something that can be felt. What is noticeable though is the induction sound. There's very little difference, if any, during normal driving but when you push the revs above 3K you're greeted with a fantastic throaty roar. My next move will probably be to lower the car another 10mm or so via a set of H&R springs that I bought ages ago, but until then here's a few pics of how the car looked with the 19" IS-F wheels. Quick Links: F-Sport Gear knob Winter Wheels prep & installation Interior LED upgrade New & current wheel setup IS350 Brake upgrade
    15 points
  19. It’s been 3 months since we picked up our GSF in which we have covered just under 2000 miles averaging around 19 mpg. Here are my some of my initial thoughts. The positives. The sound of the V8. My car is completely standard and I know it’s a little mute for some, but I love every minute of the sound from when it starts up cold to when it comes on cam. I don’t think I will ever get bored of it, and whilst I used to love listening to my music in the car, the stereo is rarely turned on nowadays. The responsiveness, performance and handling. Whilst I acknowledge that it’s not the fastest super saloon out there and these new hot / hyper hatches will arguably be faster off the line, it has more performance than I will ever need and I clearly will run out of talent before it will. I love how it also feels like a smaller car than it is. I definitely don’t think it feels any larger than my previous IS250 on the road. MPG I’m not worried about the MPG as I wouldn’t have bought a GSF if I was, but I’m very happy with it considering the car is barely warmed up by the time I arrive at work and I do little motorway mileage. As a comparison, my previous IS250 averaged around 23mpg over the same journeys. Subtleness and rare factor. I’ve only ever seen one other GSF on the road about two years ago. I love how the average passer by wouldn’t even give it a second look and I’ve had a few people who are in to their cars claim that they have never even heard of it, which makes me smile. Mark Levinson. I know that this doesn’t get the best views but I think it’s a great system ( on the rare occasion that it is on lol) for the music that I listen too. Practicality. Loads of room for my family of 4 and the car seats. Space was a struggle in the IS. Insurance. Unbelievably no more expensive than my IS250 and about £200 cheaper a year than our RX450. Likely to be due to there being only 63 ish registered and probably non of them being involved in a large claim. Paintwork. Seems to always have a deep shine even when it’s dirty. This could be due to the ceramic coating but I also liked how the acid etch damaged from seagull poo seemed to fix itself over a weekend in the heat. I’m not sure if this is due to the self-healing paint (does this work through the ceramic coating?) or the coating itself but something worked either way 😊. Looks. I know this is subjective but I think it looks fantastic. It’s split personality. I love how it feels just like how a normal Lexus should below 3.5k RPM. Smooth and quiet but then it turns in to a real super salon after this point. Amazing. A pleasure to drive around town but massively capable at speed when pushed. Blind spot monitoring. Absolutely brilliant, I now wish our RX had it! Carbon Fibre rear spoiler. Looks amazing in the sun but still relatively subtle IMO. The negatives Just nit picking here really as nothing is a major deal. Brake dust. Widely covered on here, I love the wheels and the orange callipers but they are such a pain in the butt to clean and I love cleaning cars! Mine have been coated in Poor Boys sealant which has helped massively but cleaning them still takes some time and the front callipers are a pain to get to. I will be looking in to the options other owners have mentioned on here when replacements are required. Rattle. I had a really intermittent rattle coming from behind the sav screen. This has seemed to have disappeared, touch wood, but was very frustrating for a couple of weeks. Powered boot lid. I love how the boot lid is powered but I wish that you could also close the lid via the remote and the button on the dash like our RX, instead of just the button on the lid itself. I expect that this is a dealer configurable option so I will look in to this before my next service. Sat Nav menu on start up. I wish the menu didn’t load up every time you started the car. A simple press of return solves this issues but as I very rarely use the sat nav, there is no need for it to load up every time. Speed sign recognition. I can’t really rely on this as it often picks up random speed limits, such as ones on the back of continental lorries, or not at all Carbon Fibre in front bumper. Chips are already present and more are enviable. I really don’t know how you would fix this. That’s it really. Both my wife and myself are well and truly smitten by it and we will be keeping it for as long as we can, before everything goes down the EV route. F.A.
    15 points
  20. Well just over two years ago I made the "mistake" of having a look around the showroom of Lexus Teesside while my 2011 RX was in for a service and MOT. I saw a 2017 RX while there .. had a look .. ended up buying it. After retiring at the end of June I thought I would consider when to change again and went to Lexus Teesside again today to enquire about when the list prices of the new models would be out. Mentioned that the thought of the V6 being dropped was putting me off the 2023 ones. Sat in their showroom was a brand new (unregistered) RX450h Premium Sport in Dark Blue with cream seats, HUD, Panoramic Sunroof ... looked gorgeous, especially in that colour. It was tempting ... very tempting ... too tempting ... Yes.. I bought it .. picking it up on Tuesday .. they are going to remove the dashcams from the 2017 and install them in the new one on Tuesday.
    15 points
  21. My 450h+ arrived at the dealer today! That's 5 months since placing the order which is pretty good in comparison to current schedules.
    15 points
  22. Well thats me had the UX for 17 days now, I thought I would post my initial thoughts on the car good and bad. Its my first Japanese built car since my Toyota Corolla SR in the 1970’s which I loved. Since then it’s been all German apart from owning a Volvo XC60 D5 for four years, so VW, Audi, Mercedes and latterly BMW finishing with an X2 M Sport 2.0D which was great. So I wanted a change and to downsize a bit since recently retiring, I cover <8k miles a year now (saved 63 quid on my car insurance when I told them to reduce mileage from 12k and I’ve retired!). My shortlist was VW Troc, Volvo XC40, Audi Q3 and Lexus UX, the UX was the last car I looked at. None of the other manufacturers had any stock to show me for my specification requirements, I got a test drive in an XC40 plug in hybrid but thats it. The Lexus dealership had some cars to look at and a demo which they gave me for 24 hours to test. I have to say as a dealership I felt they valued my custom and went the extra mile to allow me to make a decision on whether I wanted to buy. The others just more or less shrugged their shoulders and said it wasn’t their fault, cars are in short supply. So, following the test I decided it was the Lexus for me, it had so much going for it when compared to the opposition. Ordered 1st September, factory build, arrived at dealership and was handed over to me January 10th, hand over was excellent with great explanation of the cars functions and tech and the fuel tank was filled. One of the reasons I went for the Lexus was that it is unrivaled with the others in terms of the tech, F/R parking sensors, electric seats, leather seats, blind spot monitoring, radar cruise, heated steering wheel, keyless entry and the hybrid system the list goes on and on. This spec is available for <40k so VED remains in the low pricing category too. The drive experience is good, I quite like the CVT, it suits the way I drive and its very smooth, the engine and hybrid system is excellent and the transition between battery and petrol power is seamless. The seats are extremely comfy and although the boot is a bit small its adequate for us and our springer spaniel. The steering rake adjustment is a little too low for me even a maximum adjustment. The infotainment system takes a bit of getting used to when compared to the beemer iDrive but that being said it has significantly more functionality, its bigger and incorporates ACP so all in all combined with it having a bigger screen its actually better. Lights are good, reversing camera etc all a bonus and in the spec, but why oh why are there still filament bulbs on the indicators when all the other lamps have more efficient and better looking LED’s!! So I think I made the right choice but time will tell, the warranty is there if needed but Toyota / Lexus are renounced for reliability so hoping no issues there. I fitted a Nextbase 622GX 2 channel dash cam, my first foray into using them but the standard of driving in my opinion has noticeably declined during the past few years and I now feel its a necessary evil. Be interested to hear other peoples first impressions too!
    15 points
  23. I have some more news on this no firm date as yet but it is going to be most probably the latter part of April, as regards location it has not yet been decided but will either be Coventry or Cheltenham. There will be a full range of 'F' cars and LC as well as most likely 'F' sport vehicles. One of the reasons for the uncertainties of the date is that they are trying to secure anniversary models of Gsf and Rcf which would be great. Now one major plus for us is that Tim Huxley the Dealer Principal at Lexus Cheltenham has secured the attendance of one of the LFA's , now they are usually in attendance at events as a static display but he will have the keys so at the very least we can all drool and dribble at THAT noise. Just as soon as I get more detailed information for date and location I will post it up. Big Rat
    15 points
  24. Always enjoy little journeys out with my F buddies. Yesterday we did something different - a night blat. @Mark G came up with the idea of driving from the South West, through London and on to the East coast to watch the sun come up. So, yesterday evening, we met at Membury services (on the M4) and together with @emjay82 drove through the night. Here are some pics from our little adventure! Mark & Mark - a great night / day. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
    15 points
  25. Following previous discussions about Lexus Relax and Extended Warranty I have started this new thread with my current experience with the Extended Warranty. My current Extended Warranty on my Lexus IS 300h is due to expire early November. After the announcement of Relax (and the removal of the Extended Warranty from the Lexus website) I had spoken to Jemca (who I use for all my Lexus requirements) a few months ago and they had confirmed that an Extended Warranty will still exist for cars that fall outside Relax. My car is a 2014 registration IS 300h that has now done just under 108,000 miles and so this week I called Jemca to discuss an Extended Warranty. Here is what is on offer comparing the T&Cs of a new 10 Year Plus Extended Warranty with the old Extended Warranty I currently have in place: The new warranty is called Lexus 10 Year Plus Extended Warranty It is for approved Lexus vehicles up to 15 years old, subject to 150,000 mileage limit - the old Extended Warranty was for approved Lexus vehicles up to 10 years old and 140,000 miles, so the new extended warranty covers vehicles for longer in this respect It is only available for vehicles that are between 10 and 15 years old and/or 100,000 and 150,000 miles – Relax extended warranty automatically applies to all cars under 10 years old and less than 100,000 miles The 2-4-1 offer is not available on the new 10 Year Plus Extended Warranty – only one year at a time - the cost for my IS 300h is £474 for one year (the old one was £795 for two years), it can be paid either up front or in 10 interest free monthly instalments The car must still be serviced to schedule by a franchised Lexus dealer (as per the old extended warranty) It still includes the Lexus Roadside Assistance same as the old one did (note that Relax extended warranty does not include Lexus Roadside Assistance) The company that provides the 10 Year Plus Extended Warranty and ultimately pays all valid claims made under it is Toyota (GB) PLC (Lexus Division), and the administrator of the warranty is TWG Services Limited – this is all the same as the old one It doesn’t include the MoT testing fee (though I understand some of the old extended warranty didn’t either, although mine did include two MoT test fees) In Excluded Parts for the new 10 Year Plus Extended Warranty it specifically lists “Multi media components or in car entertainment systems, including but not limited to satellite navigation, CD/DVD systems, audio visual equipment and Bluetooth connectivity. Components will be covered under the Warranty if the failure results in the non-operation of an essential vehicle system, eg, air conditioning controls, heated screen operation and the parking assistance system.” - this is an additional exclusion in the 10 Year Plus Extended Warranty and as per previous forum discussion it mirrors the exclusion in the Relax extended warranty - I wonder whether it may be due to owners trying to do map updates themselves (that are the “dealer only” updates according to Lexus) or other modifications and bricking the system? – otherwise seems a strange exclusion and has been specifically added for both Relax and this new Extended Warranty Comparing the T&Cs of the old Extended Warranty and the new 10 Year Plus Extended Warranty clause by clause, then other than a few minor changes in wording (usually to clarify things) this is everything I could deduce. On that basis I have gone ahead and taken out the 10 Year Plus Extended Warranty on my IS 300h for the coming year. Although slightly more expensive that the old extended warranty I still think it’s value for money considering the age/mileage of my car and the fact it includes the Lexus Roadside Assistance which would be £125 if purchased separately (and my wife’s car also benefits from the free partner included with this). I have made successful claims on the Extended Warranty previously and so know that Lexus parts / labour can be expensive. I hope this helps others in similar position to myself - first point of contact to discuss further is probably your local franchised dealer. As always, I appreciate whether or not to take an Extended Warranty is a choice based on personal circumstances – it suits me but YMMV.
    14 points
  26. Well i've had the car nearly a month now and the radiator has been niggling away at me after seeing a few posts on this forum, i ordered the parts mid last month and they all showed up yesterday. Apparently there's been a spike in people ordering them! It's a relatively easy job, just a methodical approach and time is needed, of course tools etc too. A friend has a ramp in his garage which made getting under the car very easy, only needed to get the transmission cooler hoses and bottom rad hose off though, easily done on axle stands. IMG_20200904_170221 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr There was no need to take the wheels off but mine were on the wrong sides so swapped them over whilst in the air! Was interested to see they are labelled up which corner they should be on! IMG_20200904_170640 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr Old one out: IMG_20200904_175420 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr IMG_20200904_175351 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr Waterpump is all good! Replaced in the past under warranty: IMG_20200904_175703 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr Funnily enough we noticed i was missing a few trim clips as we took apart what we needed to, turned out i had 7 of them sat in the airbox pre filter! I can only assume they've been there since the pump was done some 45k ago! Fans swapped over onto the new rad, we had to drill and tap out the rivnuts on this where the transmission cooler lines attach, now attached with stainless m6 bolts which you can just make out in the third picture. IMG_20200904_181746 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr IMG_20200904_181756 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr IMG_20200904_184703 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr Going back together, you get a new expansion tank with the radiator and i fitted a new air filter and gave the throttle body a wipe whilst we were in there: IMG_20200904_192856 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr All done, in a much better state than last time it left Lexus, now with properly secured trim pieces and a surplus of trim clips! : IMG_20200904_194417 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr Radiator was £268 from memory and coolant maybe another £30ish (6L needed), i bought 1L of atf fluid too, only used 50ml or so into the cooler before refitting to make up the small amount that dripped out. Lexus Parts Direct have been great for parts. All in for £310ish and a few hours, happy with that!
    14 points
  27. What an unhelpful and inappropriate comment. The guy is asking a perfectly reasonable question of members on two specific models, whatever smaller car he may have driven in the past but quite possibly not for a long time. How is this 'pompous' ?
    14 points
  28. I admit that I haven't had her long, but here are my initial thoughts and musings: Getting into the ES doesn't feel like getting into a fighter jet or racing car like getting into the IS did. The driving position does not feel so "snug". More of an observation than any criticism. Betsy's extra size has not caused any problems yet. Please God don't let me have tempted fate there. There seems to be less things to adjust on the ES. I haven't found a speed warning setting yet, and as there is nothing I can see about one in the manual, I'm guessing there isn't one. There are no "service checks", i.e. no details of the air filter, oil needing a change etc. which were on the 2IS and 3IS. The sliding seat and steering wheel is a nice touch. I've just discovered that the wheel can either tilt, or telescope or both, and that the extent of the seat slide can be adjusted. Just the thing for the gentleman with a fuller figure. I've found it best to put seat belt on first to get closer to the start button. Heated steering wheel? Nice. She is so quiet! She is so smooth! She is so comfortable! I discovered today that in the vehicle settings, Sport was set as the suspension setting. I must take Betsy out again soon to see whether putting her into Normal makes it even more wafty and comfortable. There is no lag when accelerating, she just goes. At roundabouts in the IS, I would often put it into S to make sure power arrived when asked. The indicator stalks are not as solid as on the IS. I love having confirmation of Betsy being locked when her ears, sorry mirrors, fold in. It may be me, but I've found that the Nav screen takes priority. Perhaps more playing around and reading the manual is required. My wife tells me that the navigation screen will take priority, and as she knows everything, that's probably the case. I liked the light on the IS wiper stalk to show that the auto wipers were engaged. FWD Vs RWD? I have not noticed any difference at all yet, and to be honest I'm not what you'd call an enthusiastic driver anymore so it's probably not going to be an issue. People like it. I stopped to let a mother and her young son cross the road and he gave me a thumbs up. A future owner perhaps? Everyone comments upon the colour. Economy looks good at the moment - roundabout an indicated 45mpg with lots of (totally unnecessary) short journeys. I'd get about 40mpg in the IS for similar conditions. The boot is vast. When I discovered that my bass cabinet did not fit in the IS, I had to buy another one (well, didn't have to, but it was a good excuse). The old one would easily have gone into the ES. Android Auto is awesome. It's just a shame that it's not wireless but those very expensive adapters will come down in price soon I'm sure. The Rain free side windows really work! The phone holder is great, I love having a Qi pad and lots of deep cubby holes Tyre pressure display is nice but would like it in psi Betsy feels like my beloved IS250 I prefer the button to unlock filler flap. With the IS, it was too easy to get out at the filling station, lock the car, then have to unlock it again to open the filler flap. Cruise control controls on wheel took some getting used to after having the stalk behind the steering wheel for so many years. OBD port is easier to find Heating controls - having a dial is much easier than the slider on the IS. I'm not sure that the road speed limit recognition is as good on ES as on the IS The auto main beam system in the IS seemed better than on the ES. I'm not sure if I have it on - there's a light on the stalk, so I'm guessing that I have. I have only seen it from inside Betsy, but I do like the way the lights swoop up when they come on. Much like my IS250's did (the 3IS lights just come on?) It is a very, very relaxing drive. Even though she's an F Sport, the seats are much more comfortable than my IS F Sport and I don't creak or ache at the end of a journey. I'm sure that more surprises and observations will crop up in the coming weeks and months so I'll post any updates as and when.
    14 points
  29. This wasn’t supposed to happen. My NX is three and a half years old. I’m really happy with it, and it’s only done 24k miles. However, the value of my car as a trade in currently was too high to ignore. In the time I’ve owned the car - from new - it has lost only £8k in depreciation. That’s simply amazing, and I couldn't ignore the opportunity it presented. Lexus tried to convince me to pre-order a new NX. That was when the value of my current car as a part-exchange became obvious. However, I stood firm - no need to change, I’ll keep what I have. But then… …I asked about an RX. I’m the first to admit that previously I’ve found the RX too big. I used to live in (very) rural Wiltshire, and to access my village meant miles of very narrow single track lanes. In August I relocated to West Berkshire. Not such an issue here. I’ve also previously noted that, with my disability, the RX wasn’t as good as the NX in terms of the relationship between steering wheel, seat and pedals. However, Lexus loaned me an RX for a week to test it out. I discovered that with plenty of adjustment, I could make it work. With the discount on the RX on offer (very, VERY, large), and the thousands of pounds of equity in my current NX, the opportunity to get a new RX for not very much was staring me in the face. Today I placed the order. In early December I’ll become the first owner of an RX Premium with Tech, Safety and Protection packs. That means it’s almost fully loaded including heads up display, panoramic roof, electric tailgate etc. The quality, the silence and the comfort won me over. I certainly don’t need the space, but then again you only live once. Colour will be Sonic White, with black leather interior. I’ve had the combination before on Hondas and I love it. I’d have preferred the tan or beige leather interior, but that was only available on exterior colours I didn’t want and I didn’t want to wait until April/May for a factory order. I’ve loved my time with the NX. It’s a fabulous car. However, a week with the RX - and crucially at the incredible price available - convinced me to make the change. I’ll be moving forums, but I won’t be going far. My third Lexus. I’m clearly hooked!
    14 points
  30. Well, it appears that there has been quite a lot of anger and tension on the forum lately ☹️ Perhaps I shouldn't bother adding anything, but I feel that perhaps I should also share my views, even though they aren't specifically related a single topic. First, let me say, despite what it might appear like on this forum, that I like Linas and am glad he is on here. I know this might surprise some of you, but I do think this forum is better off for him being on here. My belief is that if everyone had the same opinions and views on everything then this place would be quite boring and a lot less active. Like with any discussion media, if enough people get together, there will be differing views and perhaps some 'conflict'. The recent 'SVU' thread has highlighted this perfectly and I am guilty of doing what I am suggesting, but the difference is that I never harboured any ill will on anyone and hopefully came across as not being annoyed because I truly wasn't during the thread. Now, the reason I don't have any issues with Linas (and others on here) is because I accept them for who they are and understand that they aren't going to change what they are like just because I want them to. In other words, there is no point continuing to argue a point once it has become obvious that an agreement isn't going to be reached. It is also worth remembering that it takes two sides to have an argument and it is rare that the blame can be placed completely on one side. One thing I can say is that I rarely see Linas be deliberately rude or calling others names, even after a prolonged debate, which can't be said for some other members. Ultimately, what I am trying to get at is that if someone has a differing (negative) opinion on a subject, regardless of whether they are being bias or not, then they can claim such in any open discussion forums just as much as those that have positive comments. Just because the post isn't positive - even thought it is always nice when it is - doesn't make it automatically wrong. As an example from the most recent thread that kicked off, do I think the IS300h is a 'quick' car? No. Do I want more performance out of my cars for whatever reason? Yes, hence me owning a GS450h as opposed to a GS300h. These are simple statements that I could have made, but sometimes I can't be bothered to have to defend a statement that might cause some issues. So, should certain topics appear, I would definitely expect Linas to express his opinions again (at least he is consistent 🙂) and would just read the posts and move on to the next one. Constantly going around in circles serves no purpose, so why even try? Anyway, it is my hope that this forum returns to its friendly, accepting ways soon (It has certainly been tense here lately) even if that means certain members making use of the 'ignore' function. Thanks for reading 🙂
    14 points
  31. Well... I have had my MRI scan. Feeling very spaced out still from the meds ( 4mg Lorezapam ). ( Having to correct almost every word I type.) Yes, it was better than I thought, but that was no doubt due to... Really good support from here and practical advice. Thank you so much. Doing physical exercise in the morning. Taking sedation ,took away the anxious feeling. Left me very wobbly afterwards, Music to (attempt) to listen to. An eye mask - a must; eyes closed. Excellent and caring staff all the way. Going in feet first. Listening to all the odd MRI sounds and 'engaging' with them. Having a chaperone - my wife. Having a panic button - not used. Took 45 minutes to scan. And yes, told noththing about results as yet...
    14 points
  32. ... I did say I'd put up some photos of our new beastie so here she is:
    14 points
  33. Rather than keep updating my New Members thread I figured a build thread would be a more appropriate place to keep track of my changes. Especially as Robb/Mod's went to the trouble of opening up this new section for us. January 24th'17 - GS 450H purchased This is my first Lexus, my first hybrid and it's such a joy to drive with plenty of power and it's very slick CVT gearbox. For a big car it goes/stops and handles surprisingly well. The rear boot space was the only concern but with just me and mrsF it's worked out just fine and 6 months down the line we've made a couple of trips over to Belgium without any issues. So lets have a brief recap of the initial 6 months of ownership. The car came with a spare key but it wasn't working, thankfully a new CR 1632 brought it back to life #phew January 31st - Lexus Full+100 service @Lincoln, including a Hybrid health check - was successful and warrantied for another 12 months The Lexus health check listed these items... both front tyre valves leaking - the OSF definitely is, around the base of the TPMS sensor. I can't see any leaks on the NSF rear brake pipe corroded - all I can see is a small rub on each side, looks like the inner arch has rubbed the pipes slightly front shocks leaking from body - all four dampers are bone dry tho! - I look forward to hearing what Lexus have to say about this exhaust blowing at 'Y' section - agreed, discussing this with the dealer that sold the vehicle exhaust also has a slight leak from the mid section - I couldn't get underneath sufficiently today to check this Not the best of starts but I was prepared for some work to get an older car 'straight'. February 7th new wiper blades Feb 11th, lowered bonnet bump stops that were preventing the bonnet from closing without a really good slam. Updated the OEM satnag, using http://www.latestsatnav.co.uk/ - now the local roads appear. This supplier has the UK/Belgium/etc countries all on a single disk unlike other providers or OEM (over several disks) I needed to disconnect the 12v battery to get the replacement DVD to load. Feb 14th, Dashcam fitted, a Thinkware F770 dual channel that I'd been using in my previous steed. Hardwired into the AUX circuit via a piggy back fuse on the drivers fuse board. Earthed to the forward fuse board bolt. As the fuse board is well recessed, I've left the cover off for the moment but I may cut a slot in later and then refit the cover. Routing the cable was quite easy and only needed the drivers side end of the dash un-clipping. The cable was then tucked in the drivers A pillar and roof lining, up and over to the camera. Excess cable was looped up, cabled tied and tucked under the carpet well out of the way. As the rear sun shade doesn't run parallel to the rear screen (it starts further forward in front of the 3rd brake light) I managed to fit the camera just above the 3rd brake light, higher would have given a better image but that would have interfered with the sun shade. The rear camera cable was run around the parcel shelf, up and over the rear door but I couldn't get a neat run around the top of the b-pillar. So I dipped the cable halfway down the passenger b-pillar, popped off the lower section to loop up the excess cable (out of the way of the seat belt). The cable then went up and over the passenger door and around the top of the screen to the camera. All neat and tidy (ignore the mirror that was just pushed out of the way to show the camera install). Test views, front rear Feb 15th, gave the headlights a quick polish to see how they'd come up. Quite pleased how they came our after just a few mins work. Cargo net fitted, under the parcel shelf so I still have easy access to the boot (like this sample pic) Feb 17th, the car has been up on the ramps today with my trusted local mechanic who gave it the once over with me. All of the shocks are bone dry with no signs of any leaks or misting ANYWHERE. So for now I'm going to ignore the Lexus recommendation LOL The exhaust is definitely blowing at the rear Y (see earlier pic). We also saw that the OSR box has a few issues... Pretty obvious huh. Neither Lexus nor the last MOT flagged it. It can't just have appeared in the last 3 weeks since I've owned it. I despair. The rear section is beyond repair so I bunged my indi some beer money for using him ramps. Looks like I'll be getting a new rear section made up in the not to distant future Feb 19th, new mats fitted, this Luxury version fits a treat http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252033676404 Gave her a good scrub Including the engine bay, no treatment applied yet Turns out the passenger footwell has only been blowing cold, giving mrsF cold feet and making her unhappy. Before you ask...yes, we tried all options of Dual/modes/temps/etc. So after surfing for solutions I dived in to check the servos; Drastic eh. I eventually tracked down the passenger temp control (passenger side) but with the fixing screws out, I couldn't get the servo out :( With fading light I decided to button it all back up and went for a quick test drive. What'd'ya know, the passenger footwell is now working! The only difference is that I taped up the ducting, both sides, to get a good seal from the heater core. Result. The sceptic in me reckons it can't be that easy and that I'll be back under the dash before too long. Which is just as well as I have a few screws left over Never finish up a job in the dark! I didn't get anywhere with the heater on Saturday afternoon, so buttoned it all back up and thought the mode control was roughly working. Nah, on a 5am commute the other morning clear screen setting kicked in (I didn't test that earlier) and the heater did zip all except vent to the rear seats! For the entire 4hr round trip At lunchtime I went back to basics and figured out what lever on the heater does what. I also removed the 2 servo's/mounting plate and let them do their thing. Once I had a grasp of ALL the settings (temp, modes) I set all levers in roughly the right setting, lined the mounting plate to the heater arms (no easy feat), restarted the vehicle and the first test failed I have noticed that when you turn off the ignition, the servo's sit for a while and then revert to some standby setting. I think this has been throwing me off so I removed the servo plate, set all levers in roughly the right setting again, fired up the ignition and let the servo plate settle. With the ignition still ON, I aligned the mounting plate to the arms for the umpteenth time and gingerly pressed a different mode button... The first test worked and the servo's didn't bind. So I tried another mode setting and that worked. Trying not to freak out, I carefully went through all the possible combinations and to my delight they all work The passenger side footwell output is still hopeless tho I think I may know which control needs a slight tweak but then it may just be the way the airflows. So rather than dismantle it all again I reckon I'll buy the mrs a heated blanket/mat or fan to keep her feet warm. To help align the 7? heater control arms to the servo plate I found one of these cheap endoscope camera's quite helpful to help see around corners http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/122076843254 Oh and this time there are NO spare fixings left over March 9th Yesterday I had the...pleasure? of exploring Leeds city center whilst my car was left at Tony Banks for a new exhaust. To recap the rear section had the usual split and a gaping hole in the OS muffler, so we definitely needed a new rear section. I knew the middle section had a slight blow and when Tony removed the rear...the middle section decided to snap in two! He spent around 6 hours (elapsed) crafting both sections from stainless. The cost of a new center section (with cats) was so tempting that I was already half tempted to get the whole lot done and then I'd never need consider the exhaust again. I didn't want any fancy or annoying noise so chose a standard set-up and driving around town you'd struggle to tell this system from OEM. Under hard acceleration or at dual carriageway/motorway speeds there is a slight increase in noise, which is no bad thing at OEM is really quiet. The system should quieten down a notch once it's coked up a bit. I didn't get back to the work shop before the car came off the ramps so I haven't had a close look at the system but from what I can see it looks dandy. The chaps were helpful and have plenty of varied work coming through the workshop, including a steady number of Lexus. Overall I'm impressed and wouldn't hesitate to recommend http://www.tonybanks.co.uk March 17th OSR tyre flat - punctured, replaced with an Avon ZZ5, managed saved the TPMS and fitted a new valve. OSF leaking needed which on investigation then a new TPMS sensor. April 2nd, cleaned/lubed rear calipers. OSR stone guard is badly corroded April 21st, paint correction/protection; July 6th, fitted 3M tape and a roof rack before the heavens opened. It'll allow me to get back on the bike and hit some nice trails, once I source a carrier. Found a great heavy duty bag to store the rack, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/263068408736 If you want any more details about anything above, then check out my opening thread;
    14 points
  34. It’s a long time coming, but I promised a number of members that I would summarise life after Lexus. I don’t pretend to be a capable driver, a track god or even someone of any real automotive knowledge. There are plenty on here that put me to shame! I have however owned an IS-F, RC-F and now a C63. I’ve spent a fair amount of time in GS-Fs. I’ve also had time in both versions of the LC-500. Mercedes wise, I’ve driven a fair few miles in a C63s, an AMG GT and a current E63s. So, I think I’m in a good place to render an honest comparison between Lexus and Mercedes. What follows is my experience as a Lexus / AMG owner. Just one person’s view - just my view. IS-F – wonderfully stealthy I loved my IS-F. My heart still skips a beat whenever I see one on the road. Maybe this happens because they are so rare or just because I will always feel an attachment to the Lexus brand. The engineering, the build quality and the customer service are all qualities that impress and leave a lasting mark. Of course, you know there’s a BUT coming. The BUT came in the form of the anonymity of the IS-F. The very thing that appeals to so many – the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Call me vain, call me a show off, but I started to get a little annoyed at the lack of recognition the IS-F got in the real world. Only dedicated petrol heads knew what it was, and I got a little tired of having conversations such as “Yes, I have a Lexus IS-F. It’s the equivalent to a BMW M3, Mercedes C63.”. I wanted the car to be recognised for just how good it was. An even bigger problem was the temptation to show M3 and C63 drivers just how good my IS-F was. Obviously I resisted…. The seed was sewn, and my head was turned by an RC-F. IS-F to RC-F I found my RC-F on Autotrader. A 15 plate Carbon edition in white. The day of trade in, the IS-F performed beautifully – flawlessly, and it really was hard handing over the keys. I felt like I was betraying a friend, but it had to be done. I always find the process of purchasing a new car stressful - the paperwork, the money exchange and that nagging thought in the back of the head “Have I done the right thing?”. One the part-x was done, I headed South from Stoke, down the busy M6. I had a headache, the sun was very bright and I had no sunglasses. Not a great start. That nagging thought in the back of my head was really evident. My first couple of hours in the RC-F weren’t great. I started thinking that I’d spent £40k on a car that was arguably no better than the IS-F. More striking, definitely, but still arguably no better. I’d stopped at the services (somewhere on the M6) in the hope I could buy some sunglasses. On my return to the car park, a guy (who turned out to be a Boxster owner) was walking around the RC-F. He was very complimentary about the car. This attention was to be repeated over and over in the 10,000 miles of RC-F ownership. People stop, stare, photograph, video and adore the look of the car. By the time I got off the motorway and on to some fast A and B roads, I started to bond with the RC-F. Over the next year, my RC-F proved to be utterly reliable and adequately fast! Goodbye to the Lexus F fold Two things annoyed me about the RC-F (and IS-F) 1. The RC-F’s sheer confidence. I found that to get enjoyment out of the car, I had to wring its neck. If you’ve driven the Mountain Road on the IOM, you’ll know it’s derestricted. To enjoy it and any other road in the RC-F, I found I really had to obtain speeds that were way too high. 2. Noise. The intake noise inside the cabin sounded amazing. Outside it sounded pretty good on the boil. However, when pottering around, things were a little sterile. The exhaust note was disappointing. A QS exhaust helped, but that came with downsides. So, those were my two reasons for leaving the F fold. Where next? The next car would have to entertain at lower speeds and make a great noise. The options – the M3, but they sound ******* (and fake). Alfa thing – reliability. F-Type – I’m too tall. LC-500, has all the issues that the RC-F does. That left me with the C63, and I ended up buying a C63 Coupe. Day one with the C63 Don’t listen to what people tell you about Mercedes reliability and build quality. Do what I did – just go buy one and experience it in the flesh. Mine got me home from the dealer only to be recovered straight back there. What a nightmare – but I did get several weeks in an E63s loaner. A quick note to all F drivers – no matter what car you have, don’t battle it out with an E63s – they are in a different league – biblical performance! My C63 got returned to me after a couple of weeks but immediately some trim fell off it. This time I got a £125,000 AMG GT loaner. Another rapid car – not as fast as the E63s, but still in a different league to F cars. C63 v RC-F There’s no winner. It’s a personal preference, but I’ll list the pros – cons Lexus wins on 1. Build quality – HANDS down – different league 2. Reliability….. .most of the time. My IS-F did need a new steering rack - £5k) 3. Warranty – cheap and usually comprehensive 4. Induction noise. Epic. The C63 engine itself (minus exhaust) is quite boring. 5. Rareness 6. Handling – always predictable. I’d still be more confident in an RC-F (especially in the wet). Haven driven TVD and Flintstone LSD versions, I wouldn’t bother with the TVD (contrary to many previous debates). Personally, I found the TVD a little counter intuitive at the limit. 7. Standard kit (at least in Carbon edition). Things like radar cruise as standard 8. Nobody will nick a Lexus C63 wins on 1. Overall looks. Yes, the RC-F is eye catching and from the rear 3/4 a real stunner. But I just find the nose on the RC-F (and IS-F) awkward in profile. The C63 has less awkward angles. Incidentally the GS-F has the best F nose. 2. Noise. AMG have performed miracles with the exhaust system. It’s an epic, guttural noise. The popping and banging is also awesome. What’s more – if you don’t like it, turn it off. I've yet to encounter the perfect aftermarket F exhaust. 3. Fun at low speed. You don’t have to go fast to have fun. This is partly down to the epic sound track and……. 4. Torque. With 8 gears, the F cars can often leave you in no man’s land. In the AMG you have this stuff called torque – low down the rev range. 5. Recognition. People know what AMGs are and even if they don’t they appreciate the noise 6. Road placement. The 63 'feels' more compact than the RC-F. The RC-F has that big swooping bonnet. On the road, the RC-F actually feels bigger than its sister the GS-F! Do I miss the RC-F No. Will I ever own a Lexus again….. I hope so. The AMG’s current garage buddy is a Lexus GS-F. I walk past it every day. I still admire everything about it. Lexus F cars – I’ll always have a soft spot for them. Thanks for reading.
    14 points
  35. I think, the one and only LS460 in flame-blue or ultrasonic-blue 2.0 (8X1):
    14 points
  36. Morning Chaps, Just thought I’d share a few photos of my new steering wheel, centre console, and inner door handles. The carbon paddles and steering wheel controls also work I think with making the overall result rather special. Will probably be sending the old wheel State side as buyers are few and far between over here sadly. Anyway, hope you like them. Cheers, Pete
    14 points
  37. So like a few of you my RCF is my daily car, but I really don't do many miles in a year nowadays <4k. My pride & joy is my UK Spec MKIV Supra. And for track duty I have an old MR2, which is quite rough around the edges, but means I don't care if i run out of talent on an airfield or track somewhere
    14 points
  38. Well I'm sorry to say, and I am because I have loved every minute of ownership of my isF but she's gone a year or so earlier than I planned but with big 60 on Monday Mrs Rat said "Go for it treat yourself " bless her. So left early this morning with a list of 3 RcF's to view Hatfield- Swindon - and Cheltenham, leaving Cheltenham to last as it's nearer home and that's where I bought a great deal IMO and a fantastic car pictures below not good it was getting dark by then. Thanks for all the help at Lexus Cheltenham Alex Ben Karl and Tim. I want to say that the journey from Isf on this forum to the RcF isn't only about the cars for me it's about the people on here a considerable number I'm pleased to call friends and I have had some great support and advice about an assortment of matters from you I'm naming no one there are to many, I don't care if this sounds a tad odd to some who may read this but I like being on here and the banter and personalities make this place the cars are a secondary issue whatever model age colour and so on you drive cheers guys 👍 Some will be horrified I bought something that isn't SILVER 😳 Big Rat
    14 points
  39. REPAIRED FOR £7 !!! Hi all, I have finally repaired my transmission oil pump on my GS450h !!! After many months of 'trying to find time' to repair it, I finally got the car on a ramp today. Firstly drained the ATF fluid from the gearbox (approx. 4.5 litres came out). I them removed the exhaust bracket mounted on the gearbox (4 bolts). Then I unbolted the oil pump (4 bolts) from the gearbox and unclipped all the connectors from the oil pump controller and wiring mounts from the chassis and fed the cables back from the engine compartment to the gearbox area. I then checked out continuity of the wiring from the connectors to the pump. All were fine. Next I removed the pump housing from the motor and inspected the shaft by trying to spin the shaft on the output of the motor. It was seized. I tried moving it with some mole grips and the shaft moved, but grated. I then took the pump assembly apart to look for brushes (had to drill out 3x M5 screws as they were seized on), only to find that it is a brushless motor with 3 coils, like a stepper motor. I checked out the front shaft bearing and found that it was worn, causing the shaft magnets to grate against the motor coil assembly. Bingo.!!!!! Fault found!!!! I then visited my local bearing specialist and, hey presto, he had the correct bearing in stock! I also purchased the rear bearing too, just as a matter of course, totalling £14 in parts. They are only little 22mm bearings, and are common parts. Then I started to reassemble the motor with the new bearings. I had to drill out the 3 M5 screws completely and re-tap the threads to M6 and fit 3x new M6 screws in place. I then reversed the removal procedure and then filled the gearbox with ATF. I started the car. The same Hybrid fault came up. So I plugged in my code reader and cleared the P2797 code, and HET PRESTO. NEXT TIME IT WAS STARTED, THE CAR RAN PERFECTLY. I now had full Hybrid functionality and a fully wrking car. I am ecstatic. and extremely pleased with myself. Considering Lexus say the only remedy is a new oil pump at the cost of £3240. I have fixed it for £7. All in all, it took me 5 hours to repair (not including finding a bearing supplier). Lets hope this is good news for all of us GS450h and LS600 owners (same pump on both cars). Regards, Giles.
    14 points
  40. I don't know why you are complaining! This is actually the latest in Lexus security features. Even if you defeat the CANbus you still can't get in the vehicle!!! Genius indeed. 🙂 Paul
    13 points
  41. 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.
    13 points
  42. 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.
    13 points
  43. Not the best of photos just quick snaps will post better ones later
    13 points
  44. As per the title, I got my LC500 today. Here's a quick picture. All seems good so far. I need to set up all the gadgets next.
    13 points
  45. Just collected my new RC300h, now in Azure Blue, replacing my Sonic Red 2016 model. First impressions are, it's noticeably quieter. There is much less 'milk-float' whine on deceleration. The car will accelerate much longer on electric, the car switching to battery power more readily in general driving. The Mark Levinson sounds much fuller than the standard audio in the 2016 model, which wasn't poor in any respect. The Sat Nav has been improved no end, much easier to set routes etc.. Filled the tank with V-Power and looking forward to exploring the suspension and steering upgrades
    13 points
  46. It’s been around a year since I purchased my GS450h. I figured it might be useful to others to do a review of what a year of owning one of these cars is like. My Car It’s 2008 (MKIII) GS450h SE-L, with ACC (adaptive cruise control), PCS (pre-collision system), and a sunroof. This means it’s the top model, with every option ticked. It’s black with light grey leather, and piano black wood including wood inserts on the steering wheel. At the time I bought the car it had approximately 58,000 miles on the clock. It’s now on about 72,000. I bought it from Lexus Edgware Road. Driving Experience I’ll get to the point, it’s fast. When the battery has charge and the 3.5 V6 is warmed up it’s very quick, especially above 50 mph. The rate at which you can gain speed when you floor it once you’re already moving is incredible. Off the line it’s quick without being ridiculous, and if you find yourself in a situation where the battery is depleted (say, having crawled through slow traffic for a mile or two), outright full bore acceleration is blunted as you’re relying purely on the V6 to haul 1900 KG of car and driver up the road. While undeniably quick, I wouldn’t describe the GS as ‘fun’ to drive on a twisty road. It’s certainly competent, and between point A to point B is probably just as rapid as the obvious competition, but I do have the sense that you’d be having more fun in a BMW 5 Series. The handling is predictable, grip is good, but you do get the sense the car would rather you stopped being silly and drove properly. The flip side of this is that it’s outstandingly comfortable when driving at 7/10ths, and is quiet, comfortable, and competent. So, it’s fast, but it’s not sporty. I also find myself missing the soundtrack of a car accelerating through the gears, but that’s mostly because I’m immature. The rest of the time when you’re not driving like you're qualifying it’s a very smooth and comfortable drive. The radar cruise control is absolutely excellent, as is the stereo and infotainment system. Following a few weeks of driving brand new Lexus courtesy cars I was glad to leave their garish graphics and contrived menus behind and get back to the simplicity and elegance of my decade old GS450. I’m half considering a GROM VLINE to bring connected apps into the car, but at £500 there are more pressing uses for my money. I do with the car had a bigger fuel tank. With my fuel consumption (see below) I'm generally needing to refuel after about 320 miles. An 80 litre tank would make my trips to the forecourt far less frequent. The silent running when stuck in traffic (as I frequently am in Cambridge) is really enjoyable, as is the feeling of cruising along burning no fuel. This is an addictive quality of hybrids that is hard to appreciate if you’ve never driven one before. Obviously subjective, but in terms of looks I think it looks best from the rear three quarter view, and overall it’s not as good looking as a Mercedes CLS or properly specced BMW 5 Series. Maintenance Since I bought my car from Lexus, it came with a 12 month warranty. In the 12 months I’ve owned the car the following things have been replaced under warranty (remember this is a relatively low mileage car with a full Lexus service history, bought from a Lexus dealer). TPMS sensor Water pump Offside rear shock absorber Driver side washer jet Passenger side washer jet Driver’s door mirror Front passenger seatbelt and mechanism I’m not quite sure what this lot would have cost had I been paying myself, and to be honest I probably would have sorted the easy ones myself, but I’d say it’s comfortably in the £1,200 to £1,500 range. I had an issue with my brake light switch which was resolved by the AA (cover included as part of the Lexus warranty). I’ve had the car serviced once in my ownership, that was relatively cheap at around £250, including the Lexus Owners Club discount. My next service at 80,000 miles will be a bit chunkier at around £500 but that’s some months away. Last October I bought four new Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres to replace the budget tyres Lexus sold it with. The Michelin PS4s were around £650. Tyre wear is predictable and I expect the Michelins to last about 15,000 to 18,000 miles. I’m perfectly happy with this as this as the PS4 is a high performance tyre and they’ve barely lost traction in the entire time they’ve been fitted – money well spent. I’ve had one wheel refurbed following a close encounter with a kerb, which was £85 from Lexus. I bought a front wiper blade at around £20. I’ve not spent anything on the brakes since ownership, though I will need new discs and pads front and back in the next few thousand miles, for which I’m looking at £700 ish. I’ve taken the two year Lexus warranty which is £1095, which I’m paying off at 0% over 12 months. This seemed like a no-brainer given the relatively high number of issues thus far, plus for peace of mind. You don't need much to go wrong on a decade old £50K Lexus before you comfortably cover the warranty outlay. Fuel Consumption This is where Fuelly comes into its own. Every time I’ve refuelled the car I’ve (very anally) entered the details into the app. Screen shots below. In terms of outright fuel consumption it’s not what you’d call economical, but it is pretty good relative to its size, weight, comfort and especially performance. To put the 28 mpg of my GS450 in context, over the same sort of use in my BMW E46 330i I was getting 23 mpg, in a Toyota Prius 1.8 I get 46 mpg, and in a Volvo S80 D5 I was getting 38 mpg. It seems I have a heavy right foot, or I’m just a rubbish driver, or maybe both. As stated above I wish it had a bigger fuel tank. 320 miles between fill ups isn't ideal. Owning my Lexus My local Lexus dealer - Cambridge - is also essentially the same as my local Toyota dealer so I see them a lot between warranty claims on my Lexus and regular servicing on my 20,000 miles per year Prius. I’d say they are pretty good, but hardly exemplary. The staff are lovely when you’re there, the coffee is good, and they have the option of collecting my cars from my office and dropping back, which is really convenient. I have needed to escalate and push to get things done in a reasonable time, and I’m not sure they are really that switched on when it comes to customer retention. I’ll carry on using them but I’m not sure I’d chose a car because of them… Will I keep my Lexus? In short, yes. I certainly plan to run my GS450 for at least another two years while it’s still under warranty and potentially more if it seems to be holding up well. I’m not entirely sure on what to replace it with anyway. My experience of modern Lexuses have left me a bit cold, and aside from a MKIV GS450h not much else appeals. I’ve looked with interest at the Infiniti M35h but an E Class convertible appeals despite the diesel engine. Thoughts on Lexus as a brand I’m not sure I necessarily see myself as a dyed in the wool Lexus owner. I really like my car and appreciate its virtues but the current range of Lexus cars doesn’t really stir me, and the absence of non-SUV Lexus estate means when I need to replace my family transport Toyota Prius with something bigger I’ll end up looking at E Classes and 5 Series which is annoying as something like a GS300h Estate would be ideal. As a Lexus driver there is a slight feeling of being in a Toyota with better quality materials and finish, which isn’t really surprising but may not be what everyone wants from their luxury motoring. Would I recommend a GS450? Hell yes! Brilliant car and if you buy well/have a warranty/are lucky then it’s also very cheap to run. In my view I’m running a £50K car with almost all the peace of mind of a new car but at a far reduced cost. Thanks for reading.
    13 points
  47. I’ll start my review with a huge thumbs-up to Lexus Hedge End. They’re consistently a pleasure to deal with but this time one of their sales guys and true petrol head, Michael, really pulled out the stops for me... I’ve been given a LC500 as a courtesy car. So, “how does it compare to the GSF on a rain-soaked February afternoon?” I hear you all ask... Under normal driving, it’s remarkably familiar! The engine is the same 5.0 V8, albeit with twin intakes over the single one of the GSF/RCF. The gearbox is now a 10-speed, with a slightly clumsy new design of shifter, but economy appeared the same. The rear-wheel steering is unusual! Sage advice from a slightly nervous Michael - “take the first few roundabouts gently, and don’t steer as much as you think you need to!” He was right - it feels like the rear wheels are sliding sideways! An odd experience, but ok once you learn to work with it. I believe the rear wheels turn slightly in opposite directions to the fronts at low speeds, effectively shortening the wheelbase - this has the result of making the car feel more like a go-kart, together with the Torque Vectoring Differential. The opposite happens at high speed to increase stability. Picking the speed up, the twin intakes give the V8 a proper howling scream above 6500rpm with lovely pops and the occasional crackle on a downshift. The car is more of a GT that can be hustled than a sports car - I though it felt it’s weight a bit more than the GSF. The OEM tyres are 21” runflats and provide good, if not exceptional grip - perhaps the non-RFs on the GSF as well as, frankly, me owning rather than borrowing it, allowed me to push the saloon harder. The ride quality is good - only the occasional thump over really bad roads, but I did notice a bit of squirming over undulating poorly maintained tarmac. The brake pedal felt slightly spongy, but the stopping ability was good. Inside, the seats are just as supportive, the cabin roomy (in the front) and the equipment list is extensive. Many of the features the GSF has buttons for are now incorporated into the computer, which now uses a touch pad to navigate instead of a mouse-lever-platform-type thing. Compared to the (dare I say “corporate”) interior of the GSF, the designers have really cut loose here! They seem to have used every type of material/surface/texture they could get their hands on, with bold, swooping lines devouring the insides of the doors. This is, of course a matter of taste, but I found it a little busy. A few bits of the switchgear are in different places - I particularly like the drive mode selector and the traction control knob to either side of the instrument binnacle - a nice nod to the utterly unobtainable LFA. There’s not much room in the back - it’s a 2+2 at an absolute push - I’d say if the person in the front seat is 6ft+, you’ve just generated a bag storage area behind. Finally - is this a car I’d look to trade up to? I’m not sure. It’s very good indeed, but apart from the looks, it feels so similar to my GSF (not a bad thing!!), I’d need to think about it more. I’d like to try the hybrid sister LC500h before a firm verdict! So, there you have it. Enjoy the pictures!
    13 points
  48. Here are my first impressions after three days and 560 miles in the C63 AMG. Bear in mind I am comparing a 2008 IS-F with a car six years younger so I have tried to be as objective as possible. Ride - I may be wrong but I don't think it is solely due to having 18" wheels as opposed to 19" on the IS-F but the ride feels better damped. In the IS-F the suspension used to rebound a couple of times which I had gotten used to but bumps and imperfections in the road are less intrusive in the C63. Don't get me wrong, it's still a firm ride though. As my IS-F was a 2008 model it's an unfair comparison as the ride is supposed to be improved on the later IS-Fs. Handling - when the C63 was facelifted in 2012 the suspension was improved significantly so although I've not pushed it too hard yet it feels slightly more planted than the IS-F. Again an unfair comparison as the suspension was improved in the later IS-Fs. I've not experienced any wheelspin in the C63 yet so it's not as tail happy in the wet as the motoring press like to make out. Economy - IS-F wins easily. I saw an indicated 25mpg (calculated was slightly less) in the C63 on a steady motorway drive I normally get 28-29 mpg from in the IS-F. The extra gear in the IS-F helps with this obviously but there is more engine braking when lifting off in top gear (7th) in the C63 than when lifting off in 8th in the F. I suppose this is due to 8th being a much taller gear. Equipment/Technology - The AMG is a 2014 model so ignoring where tech has moved on I'd say Lexus wins here. In absolute terms I have lost keyless entry/start and radar guided cruise control (radar guided bit is an extra, I just have standard cruise). I have gained bluetooth music streaming, USB integration and hard drive based sat nav (all three standard in the later IS-F anyway). Transmission - I always thought the F's transmission was underrated anyway and the C63's was similarly rated by the motoring press. There are three gearbox auto modes (comfort, sport and sport plus) as well as fully manual and a 'race start' launch control. Auto downshifts are not as smooth as the F but the facelifted C63 allegedly has a much improved transmission where it went from a torque converter auto like in the F to a Speedshift MCT - which is not a multi clutch like DSG or PDK (despite being called MCT) but uses a wet clutch instead of a torque converter. I'll need to drive it more to come up with a verdict for this bit. Engine/noise/performance - Both cars' engines are masterpieces in their own right. The secondary intake induction noise at engine speeds over 3700rpm in the F sounds better than the induction noise in the C63. The C63 seems to have more low down and mid range torque - down to the extra 1.2 litres of engine capacity I would guess. The C63 seems quicker revving or more free revving as well. Also, the 6.2 engine is artificially restricted to 457bhp to stop the C63 being faster than more expensive AMG models with the same engine. A remap removes the artificial restriction (throttle is limited to 65-75% opening depending on where you read) adding around 50bhp but I'll hold off for now. It does feel a little quicker than the F by my seat of the pants reckoning. Exhaust - I'm sure everyone knows already but the OEM exhaust on the C63 is loud! Interestingly, it's not louder than the F (inside the car at least) when pottering about but it really sounds great with cracks, pops and bangs when flooring it or auto blipping on downshifts although inside the car is much quieter than I expected - the noise is mostly on the outside. I'll add a quick clip. Practicality - my reason for changing cars - mine's an estate so decent load space, folding rear seats and seating for three in the back. I also think a debadged estate is more discreet. I deliberately avoided black and white C63s and went for boring silver. (Sorry don't mean to restart the colour debate again!) I will just add the front seats in the C63 are awesome though! That's the end of this brain dump for now, if I think of anything more I'll add to this thread.
    13 points
  49. My work mate does photography as a hobby and fancied trying some car pics. We spent a full day on Sunday in the work car park and out on some quiet roads. I'm pretty happy with the results so far, especially as he didn't charge me 😂
    13 points
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