Kelraine

That's not much good.... The routing in my existing (2004 I think) CD is a bit suspect sometimes so I think I'll be steering clear of an update if it's actually worse. I think they're a b it of a rip-off these days anyway, you can buy a standalone satnav for about the same price as the Lexus CDs - though I guess it's nice to have it built in, and I have to say I do prefer to Lexus Satnav lady's voice to some of the other units I've heard. :D Out of interest, are you using the CD version? Is it the '07-'08 disc?

If you bought the Maplin kit, it (probably) has current limiting - so it'll just cut out until you reset it. You'll probably get 25A at 14.4 - which gives you 360W - I'd guess you'll have seriously annoyed your neighbours before you get anywhere near that level of power in a garage, so should be okay. If you want to connect two amplifiers to it, just connect them in parallel.

Difficult to talk you through it and wouldn't be too happy incase it caught fire or 'owt. How big is your system going to be? If you're talking a couple fo hundred watts, then you'll probably need at least a 20A power supply. Maplin do something that would just plug in - it costs about £100: http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=30391 You can set the voltage manually, and it'll give between 25 and 30 Amps (so, between 300 and 360 Watts). It mentions that it has a cooling fan, which might be annoying. An alternative, like I mentioned before, is to use an 'ATX' power supply of the type that's used in a PC. These typically have a connector that goes onto the motherboard with lots of voltages on it, and then a few 'hard drive' Molex connectors that have 12V and 5V on them - so, if you got one of these then you would be able to get 12V off the Molex connectors - and the amount of current you can pull off each connector depends on the design of the power supply. You really need to know what you're doing if you do this. This website shows the various connectors that come off a modern PC power supply: http://www.smpspowersupply.com/connectors-pinouts.html The two things you are interested in are the 'Main Power Connector' and the 'Peripheral Connector' To make the power supply turn on, you need to connect the 'PS_ON' pin on the main power connector to a ground pin (marked as 'COM'). When it is powered on, you'll get 12v coming out of the peripheral connectors on the pins shown. To get more current, you'll need to connect your stereo gear to more than one of the 12V connectors. If you have any doubts at all about how to do this then I'd suggest you just got for the Maplin power supply, as it just has two connections on it. Hope that helps...

Something like this might do the trick: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...5032d63ffeada75 The problem you'll have with things like subs is that they will pull big high-current transients off the power supply - so you'll need a significantly bigger supply so meet those transients than would be required at other times. This is particularly a problem with switching (as opposed to linear) power supplies. Linear supplies are large, heavy and expensive, however. Another option would be to use a PC ATX power supply - they are mass produced, quite cheap and safe. You would have to connect ground and 'Power On' (pins 14 and 15) together with a resistor to get the PSU to come on. The pinout for an ATX supply looks like this: http://wiki.xtronics.com/index.php/ATX_Pinout Most PC motherboards pull a lot of current of the 12A line and convert it internally - therefore, the PSUs can provide a lot of current at 12v. You might need to common several of the 12V outputs together... you'll need to read the PSU specification and know what you're doing to do this. An example is this thing, which chucks out 72A worth of 12v (apparently... not quite sure how that makes it qualify as an 800W power supply): http://www.quietpc.com/gb-en-gbp/products/...601-1000/x-800w One last thing - make sure you use a suitable 12v fuse as you will get smoke pretty quickly if you short something out with that sort of current.

I just ordered a GS300 (Series II) Satnav CD and was amazed to see that they sent the 2007/2008 CD. I talked to Lexus who told me that because I have a 'very old system' in my car, they don't update the CD very often and it might even be a couple of years before a new one comes out. .. however, another guy at Lexus told me they're updated about every 18 months and that a new one is probably due out very soon. Does anybody know when these things are released? 2007/2008 seems an incredibly out of date map to sell when it's nearly 2009. My plan is to send it back under the distance selling regulations and buy the new one when (or if) if comes out.

I am really hoping it's not the discs - I replaced them a year ago with Black Diamond discs - the originals weren't warped but were very worn. If Tony is watching - do you have a Hunter balancing machine at STS? Not sure about the geo - they asked me if I wanted the tracking done when I took it in and I said very definitely 'no' as Tony set it up last time and it handles much better than it ever did with the manufacturer settings.. however it has felt decidedly odd since I had it back.. I've since talked to people who used the same tyre-fitters / mechanics as me and have heard very bad things - a few people are convinced that things went wrong with their cars shortly after they'd taken them there.. I'm not sure there's anything dodgy going on, but I certainly won't be going back... Tony and STS from now on - luckily he's not far away.

I had two new tyres fitted a few weeks back and have noticed a fair bit of vibration through the steering wheel - there had been a little bit (since the same company fitted a front tyre) - I got them to re-balance the original tyre at the same time as they fitted the new ones, but the viration seems to be a lot worse... I noticed they balance through the centre hole - I've taken it back twice now and the last time I mentioned that the hole is probably not central - they didn't seem very impressed and told me that all wheels are balanced via the centre hole these days and they don't have the kit to do it any other way. When I brake from about 70, I get pretty bad vibration as it slows through about 55 - could warped discs be the problem? Also, Lexus recently replaced the rear discs and pads (one of the calipers had stuck and scored the disc). I'm thinking it is probably a balancing issue - the car hasn't felt right since they had it. It was beautifully smooth until these guys got their hands on it and now it's all over the place. I'm very tempted to take it over to STS to see if Tony can sort it out - could probably do with the geometry checking again anyway, what with all the potholes around where I live... Any thoughts on what it could be? I'm hoping it's balancing and nothing more serious.

Hi Could anybody recommend a bike carrier for a series 2 GS? I don't have a towbar, so I'm thinking either roof-rack or boot mounted.. Any suggestions much appreciated!

I use Toyo Proxes T1-R on my Mk-II GS - they're excellent - quiet, grippy and seem to wear well. I got mine from Camskill this time - they do next day delivery, and I get them fitted locally...

actually, I've just checked my car, I was wrong about having to remove the bolts (you need to do that if you want to remove the side trim). What you actually need to do is: - Make sure the footbrake is applied (!) - Move the gear-lever all the way back (use the shift-lock button - it does have a use after all!) - Open the ash-tray, grap the edge of the ash-tray surround just above the ashtray and pull, the whole unit should come free. - Close the ashtray and then remove the unit - HINT: make sure you don't put it down ash it has sharp bits that will scratch your centre console.. - Remove the wiring harness from the back of the ashtray and remove the tray. You will see that the back of the gear-shift panel locks in with two lugs just under the gap where the ashtray fits in. Now, open the centre console and lever up the back of the gear-shift panel (where it touches the centre console) as mentioned in the previous post - and then slide the assembly backwards.

..it could be either - I'd replace the bulb just to be sure.. You need to remove the gearshift panel - to do this (from memory), you need to remove the ashtray (it just needs a firm pull back towards you) and remove the two bolts on the edges either side of the gap. A magnetic screwdriver will help here - you really don't want to drop them... When you have done this, you need to lever up the back of the panel (where it butts up against the centre console) - use a wide flat-bladed screwdriver with tape over the blade or similar. the back edge is held in with clips, so it should just pop up. Then, slide the whole assembly back - observing how it fits so you can replace it! Good luck.

It's a Mk II.. I took it to the nice people at Lexus Hatfield who who fitted new disks and pads for less than I had imagined. They reckoned the pistons were all moving freely but said that the pad that was worn was angled slightly in the caliper. It sounds as if there was no obvious reason for it to wear the way it has. I actually changed the brake fluid when I changed the rear pads (about six months ago) and everything seemed fine. It's odd that I didn't hear the shim before the pad wore through - probably due to my taste in music.. I'll keep an eye on them this time. Anyway, thumbs up to Lexus Hatfield - they fitted me in at short notice and fitted them while I waited.

My brakes recently started making a grinding noise - I took both rear wheels off and it looks as if the pads on one wheel have worn down completely, whereas the other side looks as if it has not worked since the pad was changed (the pad still has the 'lip' from when it was new). Unfortunately, on the other side it has worn down to bare metal and scored the back of the disk. Any ideas what might cause this? And how much would Lexus like to relieve me of to replace both rear discs and pads?

Yes - definitely go and see Tony. My GS handled like a barge before he looked at it - since he sorted the geometry it's been a pleasure to drive and even better, it no longer scrubs the edges of the front tyres. He really knows what he's doing.

I use a Nokia CK15-W - it is connected to a relay box so the sound comes out of the car speakers. Very good sound quality. Apparently it is very difficult to do this if you have the Mark Levinson sound system though.

My 2000 GS is starting to show a bit of wear on some of the leather - the armrest and the drivers seat are starting to lose their colour in a few places. Is it easy to dye the leather back to its original colour? I've seen some leather repair kits advertised and wondered if anybody has tried these and could recommend one. Any suggestions appreciated - I'd like to get the interior looking nearly as good as it did when she was new!

Yes - my GS rattled since I bought it (pre-owned). The dealer was initially quite helpful, but after a few return visits they made it firmly (but politely) clear that they had done as much as they were going to. Mine's a Mk-II - I guess you're talking about a Mk-III? The main rattles come from the roof on mine, and some come from somewhere in the back - the dash also creaks a bit, especially in the winter. I also get a lot more wind-noise than I expected. In retrospect it was a learning experience - if I had had longer to test-drive the car (and at higher speeds) then I would probably have noticed these things and looked elsewhere. I've got used to it now, but was extremely annoyed at the time, especially given the marketing for the Mk-II which played on the 'total silence'. The dealer's attitude was that it was a big, complex car and that I shouldn't expect total silence. My attitude was that I should be able to expect it to rattle less than my wife's Toyota Corolla. Hopefully Lexus will take heed of the complaints over the Mk-III - I have driven a Mk-III a few times and noticed lots of creaks and rattles from a car that had only done a few thousand miles - this strikes me as entirely unacceptable in a 'luxury' vehicle (and even in a non-luxury vehicle these days). I guess they will fix it if people start looking at other marques.

Original thread is here: http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/ind...?showtopic=3704

Mine has started to reboot every now and then - the whole screen goes blank and then it resets - however, I suspect it is some kind of watchdog function, because it doesn't force me to accept the disclaimer after it has done it. Have you checked the cable harness going in to the unit in the boot? It's possible it has come loose..

Interesting.... do you reckon a new gasket would make much difference to performance / fuel economy? Strangely enough, when I asked about the cost of anti-squeal shims when I replaced my brakes, they told me they would have to order them in... I reused the old ones in the end (they cleaned up nicely) - although the service manual is adamant that they should be replaced with the pads. I wonder what else they don't do? I notice that the fuel filter is supposed to be replaced at the major service - I'm willing to bet they don't bother.

That doesn't sound good... they should last a lot longer than 8000 miles. Is it possible you've got a sticky caliper? I'd get somebody to have a look at it - you don't want to trash another set of disks. I'm using 'Black Diamond' pads and disks - I went for the drilled and grooved 'combi' disks but would probably just get the grooved ones next time (the drilling makes them a bit noisy under heavy braking). I'm very happy with them. Would be good to hear what people think of Mintex.

They seem to have accepted responsibility for it - they're going to get a company they use to have a look at it. Tony - thanks for the info, it looks as if they should be able to fix it fairly easily by re-staining the leather. How good are repairs done this way? Is it permanent?

Thanks for the replies. That was my thinking too - good to hear other people feel the same way.

I had some work done on my windscreen the other day (re-bonding) and when I got the car home I noticed a black dot on the passenger seat - I hadn't noticed it immediately because they'd put some paper that had been on the floor on top of it. Anyway, I took it back and they claimed it didn't look like they had done it but said they would try to remove it anyway and, like an idiot (in retrospect), I left it with them. Anyway, they told me that as soon as they tried to remove it, it 'spread'. When I asked them what they had used, they told me 'Swarfega' - :tsktsk: !!! Well, obviously, it has spread the mark out and removed a load of pigment from the leather which looks absolutely awful - much worse than just a black dot. Does anybody know whether this kind of thing can be sorted (i.e. the leather re-pigmented) or is the seat completely ruined? It's a difficult situation now as they claim they didn't cause the mark in the first place (although it is directly under the top edge of the windscreen and I suspect was a drip from whatever solvent they use to clean up the surfaces before re-bonding). Any suggestions appreciated - I can't believe they've made such a mess of my pride and joy!

Well, I don't think it was the pads - the RAC guy told me they were worn, but when I took them out they looked to be only 20-30% worn.. However, the discs were really badly worn (big ridge round the outside) - to I replaced both the front pads and discs, flushed a load of brake fluid through the whole circuit and the problem has gone away. The brake fluid level warning is -very- sensitive. Once you've replaced the pads/discs you need to turn off the engine and pump the brake pedal 40 or so times - then make sure the brake fluid is topped up to the 'maximum' line. Hope that helps.