steve2006

The US guys seem to replace their "Motor and transmission mounts" on a regular basis, almost a routine service item. A good way to determine if the engine mounts are shot is to rev the engine hard from idle and see if the engine moves excessively. The tranmission mount can be checked visually from under the car.

Hello and welcome to the LOC. Are you anywhere near Peterhead?

Sorry can't help with the key situation much but would agree with Chris that you have a 3 button master so cloning is possible. Also welcome to the LOC.

Dropped of the Mother in Law last night and on my return saw both the speedmeter and tachometer needles were both at zero. Stopped and restarted but still the same but they came back to life when I gave the top of the dash a thump. Never seen this fault before but I may have to dig out the toolbox if it persists , don't think it's a mechanical problem more like a loose connection somewhere. The dash was taken out when the car was imported to do the conversion from KMH to MPH and the delimiter so perhaps after 6 years somethings coming adrift.

Very true, I had a look at mine tonight on my 1994 model and they do look like stainless steel pipes, did quality suffer on the later models then?

Hello and welcome to the LOC. I'm often working in Scotland but driving the company van unfortunately, last trip was to Wick so a drive of over 600 miles!

Towbars and their associated electrical sockets are also now included, the towbar must be type approved with the required identification present. The earlier type of trailer socket is tested for correct operation but the later type is a visual only check. Speedometers must also be working but there is no accuracy test, the speedometer must also be lit so technically a bulb out may result in a fail.

Also difficult to provide part numbers when the year of manufacture is unknown.

I can't believe an "AC Specialist" who by law needs to be registered simply recharged the AC without firstly checking for leaks as this in itself is illegal. If it the pipes to the rear AC that have gone it may be possible to bypass this part leaving you with just the normal front AC. Personally I would get a 2nd opinion as you seem to have met a "specialist" without the required skills and training, I would have thought replacing parts of an AC system were part of that job description. Corrosion of the pipes may be expected on a car of this age but unless quality has fallen they are normally stainless steel on a Lexus so unlikely to be perforated. The main AC problems associated with leaks of refridgerant is due to bad seals/O rings. Had your "Specialist" been up to the job, the system should have been purged of the remaining gas and then filled with a mix of nitrogen and an ultra violet dye. An ultra violet lamp is then used to show up any leaks.

There ia another fuse box in the cabin located in the lower dash on the driver's side, the fuses should be labelled on the cover.

Hello and welcome to the LOC. From what I have read from other 220d owners the engine, unusually for a diesel, has little low rev torque and they have to be worked through the rev range to get a decent performance. It will I imagine with moving from high performance petrol engines to a diesel take some getting used to but as you say you now have prestige,refinement and excellent reliability.

Well there are 4 jackpot winners each winning just under 3.5 million, one of them could be you! Another one to try is activate the remote locking/unlocking whilst gently pulling on the internal door opening lever it may then release the lock. Or try giving the interior door panel a few good thumps around the lock area to see if this helps. There are 7 screws holding the panel in place all concealed bar one when the door is closed!!

The guy in the know will be Smiffie at the Soarer Santuary. http://www.smiffies-soarer-sanctuary.com/

Chicken and egg situation, not the ideal reply but have you considered calling out an auto locksmith? These guys are normally pretty good with these situations and charge a lot less than Lexus who would probaly call one out to the dealership. They may also charge less as you could drive it to them.

If the car is driving OK I wouldn't worry unduly. Once you have the codes read you'll know more, it could be something like a wheel sensor or a bad connection to it.

First thing I would do is have the diagnostic codes read for possible stored faults, even if the EML is not on it may show something up. It's difficult to diagnose just from description but a blocked EGR valve can cause these symptoms or an obstructed exhaust ( collapsed cat or silencer). When was the last service done? Another is a problem with the VVTI system, there is a small filter in the oil supply which operates the valve timing and if it becomes blocked the low oil pressure can cause problems.

I had a look on ToyoDiy for you but it is difficult to determine which part you actually need. I would call into your dealer and ask them to take a look, they will be able to price the required part which will be Lexus dealer only anyway or maybe even replace it FOC.

You don't say which year you have so you may have an engine cover fitted, if so remove it and check all the black pipes around the engine for splits or loose connections.

Sounds like you may have it sorted, just keep a close eye on that temperature gauge and the coolant level for a while to be sure.

I noticed the other week that Aldi now do the Lyons Maid ice cream blocks, always had these when I was a kid as a wafer sandwich,happy memories. I don't think it's one and sixpence now though! I don't want to hear any comments about Mr.Whippy on this forum.

it's no good "assuming" anything as this will only cost you time and money. As other and myself suggest have a transmision diagnostic carried out before doing anything else, this hopefully will give you the faults code(s) to help diagnose the actual problem. There are many possible causes,one the transmission fluid has already been mentioned, it is Toyota transmission specific and any other type will cause problems so make sure it is Type IV and the transmission fluid level is correct by following the checking proceedure in your handbook. Then there may be a shift solenoid problem,again this should show on a diagnostic check. There may also be a problem with the kickdown system this is normally a cable from the throttle control to the transmission, if not correctly adjusted problems occur. So have the diagnostic check done 1st then come back with the results it is certainly a cheaper option than spending over a grand on an ECU which probab;y won't sort the issues.

When you say the brakes feel "lumpy" do you mean you need more pedal pressure to apply the brakes than you would normally? The idle speed as already mentioned is increased slightly to allow for the load of the compressor on the engine so I would check all your vacuum pipes for secure connections and the IACV for possible sticking. Low vacuum can effect both the idle speed and braking system.

When was the last time the rear brakes were serviced? It may be worth removing the pads,cleaning everything up and regreasing the pad contact points,also check the disc splash shield for catching.

Hello and welcome to the LOC. "I wish I'd bought a Lexus years ago" Everyone says the same including me!

If you can bypass it from within the engine compartment it may be worth doing, in the short term and shouldn't do any harm but keep an eye on the temperature gauge. To get to the heater matrix means a major dash strip down so rather than bypass it there you would be better off doing the replacement instead.