The Transporter

I think that it would be fair to say that we have all exceeded the speed limit at some time or other... A fair number of us have been caught and punished for it... And that is it, you get caught speeding and you take your punishment... It is typical of a great many folk these days who despite the fact that they know that they are guilty, try to get off on a technicality. Take your medicine, however distasteful it might be and learn from the experience...

We should ask you why not? My work vehicle is fitted with Winter tyres.....

I'd be inclined to stick with the standard kit unless you intend to modify the car for more power.... I think that a lightened flywheel will make the car more difficult to drive in traffic. The standard DM flywheel seems to last well on a petrol engine.. I've seen the VW diesels need new flywheels and clutches at 20k..... I believe some of you were planning to down grade from Lexus to VAG cars.....

A flywheel in it's simplest form is just a lump of pig iron stuck on the end of your crank which helps your crank shaft to rotate from the pulse of one cylinder firing to the next. For any given output of engine, the general rule is that the heavier the flywheel the slower the engine will change speed but the smoother it will be as it smooths out the pulses from the cylinders firing... Obviously the lighter the flywheel, the faster it will change speed allowing the engine to change from low revs to higher revs, needless to say that because there is less energy stored in the flywheel, then it will slow down quicker too, making the car more prone to stalling when compared to the standard flywheel, so you will have to give it a little more throttle when pulling away.... Just how much this affects the Lexus 6 cyl motor can only be described by the guys who have done the conversion as I would guess that the clutch that suits the lightened flywheel will be quite sharp in the way that it engages with it being directed more at performance and therefore built in a more robust way

You can have your MOT done up to a month before it expires, so you can have a situation where the MOT is valid for 13 months.

Vetilation isn't set to recirculate is it? the heating is noisier on recirc...

To be honest, I would say that if you are keeping the car, then a second set of rims and a good quality set of winter tyres.. Chains have limited use in the UK as you would have to take them off the car once you got to a road that was free of deep snow otherwise you would wreck your chains... I believe that Rob lives in the land of the cuckoo clock and would be able to give the definitive answer.

To be honest, I don't think that the TRC is too bad, I don't like traction controls that are too intrusive, this time of year the TRC light on my van is my best friend and it is a real pain if I forget to switch it off.. The lex rarely lights up as I reel it in before things get out of shape, I would suspect that most experienced drivers would do likewise... If the IS had no TRC, then it really wouldn't bother me at all as it would still be a stable and safe car..

Ha! Fiat had a system that switched off the engine when the car had been stationary for more than a minute or so back in the eighties but it relied on the starter motor to spark up the car... Needless to say these cars ate starters and the system was ditched very quickly.... There was talk of 42 volt electrical systems some years ago where the starter was part of the flywheel... Idea was when you raised the clutch pedal the electric motor would start the car rolling and then started the engine seamlessly.. Renault Trucks used a similar system 'bout 8 years ago in some of its heavys... Don't know if it is still an option

Flyeris, the TC on the IS200 will not try to lock the spinning wheel, merely reduce the power coming from the engine. My VW van will lock its spinning wheel but this is known as an "Electronic differential" which is a cheap and nasty way of imitating a limited slip differential. I think that what is up for debate is just exactly what the ECU does to reduce this power. Not being a big fan of electronic gizmos, I rely on the slightly overweight but highly intelligent organic ECU to prevent wheelspin... He simply backs off the throttle a little

I would pay good money to see you do that

The "SNOW" button magically makes all snow and ice disappear so that you can continue to drive your car like a muppet, even with unsuitable tyres.... It also puts a magic force field around the car so that road salt can not get anywhere near your paintwork.. you will miraculously miss all sign and gateposts.... Oh! and it desensitises the throttle pedal (On manual transmission vehicles) for those poor folk who have no control over their right foot.... A nice thought from Lexus for those of us with prolapsed discs.

The IS200 is falling in to the "Banger" category now it has been out of production for a few years and there are plenty who are happy to run one 'till it dies. If you do local trips, then this is fine but if you do use it on the motorway then a snapped timing belt in the third lane in heavy traffic can be quite entertaining when trying to get to the hard shoulder accross two lanes of 44 tonners. The sheer amount of paperwork for that poor truck driver when he turns your car/ you/ your family in to mush is quite horrendous... And you'll scuff his front bumper :shifty: I'm too tight to pay for servicing too so I do it all myself and because it is my car, I'll pay a little more attention to the job than any mechanic can afford to do... The IS200 is a dream of a car to service and repair because it is so nicely laid out. So how do new cars become classics?

What on earth do you need to swap between second and first for? once the IS is rolling at a walking pace, second pulls strongly... Infact unless you are on a hill, then the IS will pull from rest in second

Erm, GS450, family saloon, very fast, and 0-60 could supprise a few Porches! Is that a PVC porch or a hardwood one..... I think that we were discussing the IS 200, I find it quite amusing that guys buy a quite heavy car with a smooth lazy engine that will run happily for many miles complain about a lack of power... If the IS is too slow, then they should buy a car with more power... Perhaps a Porsche Even with the minuscule power that the IS 200 has, there are quite a few posts from guys here who complain about the IS kicking it's RS end out on wet bends which leads me to suppose that the power of the IS is adequate for what it is and also too much for them. As for Bazzas comment on the IS cruising at 120 all day, well he is right, I do drive to Munich and Prague now and again and I rarely drop below 100 on a good run.. The GS, I expect would do the job even better.. Both cars will still be cruising nicely when the current VWs and Renaults are being converted into coke cans

My diesel van produces more power than my IS, however the van also spends a large potion of it's life being repaired as I suspect would the Clio.... Squeezing more and more power out of the same number of CCs using the same materials will always have a pay off.... Not too many years ago, 3.5 litre V8s were producing 155Bhp... If you want a fast car, then you should buy a fast car, not a family saloon..

I'm inclined to say that all this kind of stuff is snake oil... Redex and its like were born back in the bad old days when cars regularly needed a decoke.... but the standards of fuel and fueling systems have improved beyond all recognition... Can anyone here say when they last needed a decoke? Keep your money in your pocket.

Oh My!.... Congealed oil suggests to me that stop leak has been used....... I would try to remove all the gloop by stripping down the system and blasting through brake parts cleaner.... Lots of it but if it has set solid anywhere, then I'm afraid that it is virtually impossible to remove... the compressor, I'd flush through with loads of PAG lubricant whilst on the work bench in the hope that I could get all of the contaminated lube out... Why folk can't be bothered to repair leaks properly is beyond me...

With the exception of body and paintwork, everything else I do myself... The IS is one of the most straight forward modern car to work on and a good car for DIYers to learn on.

And ya still have to turn the key to disengage the steering lock.....

So have they said that the problem is a leak or is it a blocked system?... Leaks can be tricky to find in an engine bay but not impossible... UV dye is of limited use and is more of a marketing device... If the leak is big enough for dye to escape then so will the oil, look for a damp patch... To confirm, pressurise the system to around 200psi with Oxygen free Nitrogen and spray with leak detector fluid... If the issue is a blockage, then this may be caused by metal debris from a disintergrating compressor, dessicant from a damaged drier pack or If anyone in the past has used aircon stop leak, then the stop leak may have set in the pipes/drier.. In the case of the stop leak, then if it has set, it will never be totally removed and your aircon will give trouble untill the car is scrapped as bits of sealer will periodically break off and clog the drier or the expansion valve... A bit more info on your issue would be nice, as for a refund, don't count on it.. What year is your car?

wheres that just to clarify? i really need to do mine it stinks whenever i turn the aircon off!! its the wee rubber tube that the water drips out of under the car just behind the front wheels.you'll prob find it when you put your head under the car and you get dripped on lol. Or if it is blocked, you'll get an icy stream of water running up your arm when you unblock it

This is the second one lie this in just a few days, and the wear would suggest that something is not running true as the belt seems to be pushed to the front of the pully where it rubs against something and gradually wears away. Could this be caused by the belt only being changed without the tensioner having been replaced? Very slight wear in the tensioner causes the belt to be forced forward? If so then this is a compelling reason to replace the tensioner and not to skimp on the job..

I think that it is time for a new belt

The odours come from the evaporator box and evaporator coils. When the air con is used, the coils become damp when the airbourne humidity condenses on them.. Most eventually drips off the coils and in to the drip tray below where it runs out through the condensatr drip tube and on to the road, leaving the little puddles that you can see on your drive. When you have finished your journey the evaporator box and all inside it warms up, forming a very humid and warm breeding ground for mould to grow giving rise to those nasty niffs so the primary target to reduce these odours is the evaporator box. Some manufacturers have a facillity where the heater blower motor overruns for several minutes after the engine has been switched off to help dry the evaporator box and so reduce the smells that come from a wet evaporator.. you can help to prevent smells by switching off the air con a few miles before the end of your journey which helps dry things out.. It also pays to avoid the use of the recirculate button as this does increase the chances of smells by not introducing fresh air