The Transporter

The IS200 does seem to have a very dirty engine, especially for 'only' a 2-litre! Well the IS200 does drink quite a lot so obviously it will spit out more, Carbon Dioxide is the result of a clean burning engine, it is just that CO2 has been made a convenient enemy of the world. Methane has a far higher GWP (Global Warming Potential) than CO2 but few mention that...Perhaps it is quite tricky to be able to tax farting. The government also tell us that it is Illegal for us to release the refrigerant used in car air conditioning (R134a) which also has a high GWP and they threaten large fines, yet go to a plumbers merchants and buy a can of pipe freezer and you can blow as much of that stuff anywhere you like, guess what pipe freezer is?? Yup, R134a :duh: Its a scam....

The problem with getting the fault codes checked is that some junior mechanic will do just that and in some cases will simply tell you that there are no fault codes found and so there is nothing wrong....Fault codes are limited in what they can tell you...there are plenty of faults that won't generate a fault code. For example, is a sooted up and defective lambda (O2) sensor (fitted in the exaust) a symptom of a faulty lambda sensor or a faulty engine temperature sensor? Eventually you will get a fault code saying that the lambda sensor is faulty but the true cause may be that the engine temperature sensor has failed (Many cars will not give a fault code for a faulty temp sensor as any temperature that it may report to the ECU could be a valid temperature (-50 if you live in Siberia or + 50 if you live in Dubai)) From this example we can see that we could have a situation where there may be either no fault code or a code for a faulty lambda which has been caused by a faulty engine temperature sensor which is causing the ECU to think that the engine is cold and so is overfuelling due to the car being constantly in its cold start mode (on choke) This is just what I have picked up from my experience with other cars and may not be valid to the IS200 but it may be worth checking out.. If a lambda sensor is sooted up then it can be cleaned by removing it from the exhaust and heating up gently with a blowtorch to burn off all the soot...If it is genuinely faulty then you will need a new one.

You'll be fine to drive the car with no drive belt on the ac compressor provided that it does not drive anything else....I'll have a look at mine in the morning. What I would be more worried about is why the belt snapped, if it simply became so old and decrepid that it fell apart then you need your butt kicking for lack of maintainance, if the compressor has failed and siezed then your wallet will get a kicking when it comes to have the ac repaired. Compressors are not cheap and the drier will need replacing and the system will need flushing to remove the guts of the old compressor from the pipework. I'd also be inclined to replace the expansion valve as they do not react well to metalic crud, and could have caused the failure in the first place

I'm not sure that it does, sure the 250 has a very pretty nose but I think that the 200 looks the more elegant car the IS200 is quite a cheap looking car nowadays...don't think the two really compare...you have to remember the 200 was pitched at a totally different market. The 200 seems to have been a stop gap car for Lexus when they discovered that they needed to compete in the BMW 3 series market. They have refined their product to compete with the current 3 series, I waited untill I had seen a 250 before I bought one of the last 200s. Just for interest when my 200 was in for service and Lexus Stoke kindly lent me a 250 I showed my new toy off to a group of friends who have a lot to do with cars of all descriptions and without putting words in to their mouths all agreed that the 250 was technically superior, more "grown up" and also far more corporate but had lost a fair bit in the looks department and had lost a degree of their quircky charm, perhaps these quirks had prevented many folk from buying the IS200 but having owned a fair few cars in my past can safely say that this is one car that I really like...I've even washed it a few times. But then I'm a little wierd.. My comparison of the old BMW E34 M5 to the current M5 was that the E34 was a pretty lady in a black cocktail dress and the E60 was a porn star...Both of them turn heads but for different reasons.

I'm not sure that it does, sure the 250 has a very pretty nose but I think that the 200 looks the more elegant car

I have to ask.... Does anyone pay any attention to an alarm going off any more? If anyone wants your stuff, then they will toss in a brick, grab your stuff and go. Far better that the car is immobilised and in this way the Lex is as secure as any other modern car as it would take a real pro to bypass the imobiliser, that is why the scuzzers kick in front doors and pinch your keys...So hide your keys when you lock up at night

Hehe... But the Volvo S40 and the Mitsubishi that it was based on was so dull, that getting whiplash would have been something to look forward to...

I always feel very safe sitting in a tin foil French thing surrounded by explosive devices in the knowlage that it has a high bull**** NCAP rating, I'm sure that will make me invulnerable in an impact over walking pace or when tangling with a ****** up Pole in a 40 tonner. Think I would prefer to drive a solidly built car with good crumple zones and less electronic gizmology. Oh and set your seat correctly..Not saying that this is the case here but far too many people just don't know how to sit in a car. How many of us have seen a female passenger in a car with passenger air bags sitting with her feet on the dash.....Dont you just wonder? Ha Ha

Sorry to hear about that Robbo, I really do sympathise. I went through an expensive divorce last year which has left me right back at square one but I'll eat gruel before I give up my IS200, when I drive her she reminds me just why I tolerate doing every grotty ****ty job known to man at every hour of the day.

With the best will in the world no motor trader can buy a used car and know for 100% that it is perfect. Despite the full dealer history the previous owner could have been a complete gimp and given the car a really hard time. The paint and wheel issue as has been said is a known fault. As far as I can tell the IS200 seems to be an excercise in making a car pretty bomb proof and having owned quite a few new cars from Peugeot, BMW and VAG, the Toyota brand has drawn me to conclude that the Tercell (A small Corolla that I drove in Dubai) RAV4 that I bought for my Ex and the IS that replaced the RAV may not have the glitz of the European competition but do tend to be beter designed and use better components in their construction. Although I replace my car every 3 years, I cant imagine what I would replace my 2005 IS with, so I think that the wise decision is to keep it. It feels nice to get in to, it goes as quickly as I need it to, it has all of the toys that I want and it never gives me reason for concern. BMW? Mercedes? Audi? I'll stick with my Lexus thanks

My back window mists while the car is standing but clears quickly once underway, as has been mentioned, always make sure that you have selected to recieve fresh air from the outside, not recurculate, check that the recurculate flap is indeed moving, how clean is your pollen filter? , check for body water leaks or leaks from your heater matrix, I prefer to leave my AC off when the weather is cool to prevent excessive cycling of the ac compressor clutch and thus excessive wear, but do run it now and then just to keep things nicely lubed..

as i said, i am well aware of how to get the best out of a car, i have been trained to drive at high speed Got to keep that engine spinning, you can actually feel the step in the engine when the revs hit that magic speed. If I want to go Chav baiting I take the Van, nothing pisses them off more than a VW Transporter with two sets of ladders on the roof and 230 horses up front

40 and newly divorced So now I'm gonna find out just how much of a bird puller a black 200 SE is

I had the use of an IS250 SE whilst my IS200 SE was in for its 10 000 service at Lexus Stoke and although there is no dening that in every way the IS250 is the superior car, quieter and more powerfull, I had noticed that the new IS had lost its looks and just didn't have that same "come and drive me" appeal. Although I enjoyed the 250 my little 200 always makes me feel a million dollars.

Our previous car, RAV4 had 3 sets of wheels before we traded it. It got to be a bit of a joke, we dont clean our wheels, just have a new set fitted

Just had mine replaced on my 05, they gave me an IS250 to drive whilst they worked on it ( 10000 mile service also). Dont forget to get them to check and if required to order and replace the centres, all four of mine had gone mankey.

Hello Gents, This is my first post here, I hope that you dont mind me putting my introduction here before I add to this topic. We bougt one of the last IS200s about six months ago from Lexus Stoke as an ex demo, in SE trim, she had around 5000 miles on her, six speed manual, satnav, colour black. It is predominantly the wifes car, she fell inlove with it as soon as she saw it and hasn't stopped smiling since, it was two weeks before I was allowed to drive it. Whilst looking for a replacement for our 3 year old RAV4, we did go to look at a new 3 series, but she flatly refused to get in to the 3 stating that it was an airheads car, I wasn't too sure if the budget would stretch to a Lexus, but was pleasantly surprised to find that all of the toys that we wanted were standard, and the sat nav which I then regarded as an expensive toy was invaluable on the Easter bank holiday when an uncle who lives in Bavaria died unexpectedly and I found myself driving my elderly mother, aunt and sister on a 2000mile round trip to the village of Gankofen, deep in the heart of BMW country ( many of the people who live there work for BMW) The journey was totally uneventfull, speeds topped an indicated 130mph on the unrestricted sections of the autobahns, the car ran faultlessly and the satnav, which, remember, I regarded as an expensive toy was fantastic, she even told me which lane to be in. I did note that on all of the run down, I didn't see a single other Lexus, let alone an IS, and it did recieve more than one or two double takes when parked up. So Mr Clarkson, ladies dont like Lexus, I'm glad that I don't live in Chipping Norton, the ladies must be quite insufferable. And peole dont care about reliable? I also own A VW 174bhp T5 Van and it goes like a train, unfortunately it is about as reliable, I can empty a VW showroom now just by pulling up on the front. The Lex is due in for its first service shortly and Lexus Stoke have offered us a IS250 as a runabout, my wife had booked the day off so she can play with it, this could get expensive for me