Huggy...

I phoned up Lexus Croydon, asked how much a spare key would be for my IS200 Sport 52 plate... I had someone call me back because the service dept was busy... I got a call an hour later quoting me £275... I asked how come its so expensive; they replied that because they have to reprogramme the transponder chip in the remote... I have done a search on LOC and found a few links... ie press this, insert key, press this and that button... can anyone guide me to a simple method or is it just a case of shopping around... do I have to get it from Lexus...? Does the car have to be present or can they do this by giving a key code... they did ask for my Reg no. not sure why though... Please assist... Thanks

Because my IS200 Sport was born 09/02 its probably way out of warranty for most things... so I couldn't have the water pump issue solved. I will look into the nuts and bolts thing though

Wow, that's quite a bit to fit a water pump... if I take it to a private garage and not a Lexus dealer, will that be okay... a feline friend also pointed out that it could be worth just replacing the O ring... could be a lot less expensive...

Thanks guys (Jason, Gord & Winnie), The IS200 Sport 52 plate has done 57k miles... Its a shame actually that Lexus couldn't use galvanised nuts and bolts; it would do wonders for the appearance when one opens the bonnet. Is there a rust remedy at all that I could apply; and also does the water pump need changing at this stage... Its my first Lexus you see... Thanks

The IS200 Sport 52 plate I went to see today had a number of rusty nuts when I lifted the hood... it seemed that the nuts/bolts hadn't been galvanised... and a few other bits also... is this common...? If I attempt to show a few pictures below; could anyone give me feedback if this is normal or if something is missing please... thanks in advance I will attempt to show some pictures... Does my water pump leak; how bad is it... http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/813/dsc00159ev7.jpg Should the below have a cover of some sort on the electrics? http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/8202/dsc00162yx6.jpg Is this rust common on nuts and other fixtures (none on the body though)? http://img226.imageshack.us/img226/4408/dsc00163ai5.jpg http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/9481/dsc00164yw6.jpg How does the engine appear generally... is it okay...? http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/2672/dsc00166mp8.jpg http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/6272/dsc00165cj7.jpg

Wow... Some real mixed feelings... Some good and some not so good... When I saw the car it was really nice but I guess I need to give it a good once over, a test drive, look at service history and use the check list on the LOC site... I have a quote for some service from the Lexus dealer in Croydon as stated below; is this reasonable... The price of the 6year/60k full service including spark plugs is £642. For a 6year/70k intermediate service it is £192 The cambelt & tensioner is £420 inclusive. If you would like us to carry out the full service & cambelt this is obviously a big job so I'm sure we could work out a small discount on this price. Please call us if you would like to book in. I have looked at AutoTrader and some Lexus dealers... The dealers are selling a similar spec car around £12k and private around £10k... but I guess the 60k service will have to be done and add another bill... So, ultimatley... would you... I am thinking after it has been all serviced, it will pretty much be back to new would it not...?

Went to Car Giant in White City on Sunday for the first time; what a place... it's like a supermarket... and I found the perfect IS200 Sport next to the tin of beans...!!! Has anyone had experience of buying from here... I have seen an IS200 Sport for £8k with 57k mileage... its on a 52 plate. Please advise if this is a good price... or even the things I should find out or ask before I buy... thanks in advance Here's the link (hope it works) http://www.cargiant.co.uk/cars/search3.asp?Id=289240

I went to see this car, it was one of the worst examples I have ever seen... front and rear bumper resprayed because of collision, dents on top of the boot lid... rust spots on top of the bonnet and very rusty brake calipers... cracked rear light and a clear sign of rain water getting caught because of the green deposit of fungus... eugh...!!!

Just made a call and it does have full LSH but since 30,000 and probably no cambelt change either as the owner thinks. It requires a full service because it hasn't had one for over 12 months and the front and rear bumpers were resprayed 6 months ago because they were flaking... It also has a small 1mm x 2mm chip in the front end of the bonnet... Is it worth a visit... and how much will a ful service cost... Thanks in advance

I have just sold my beloved Jap Classic shape WRX and am now hunting an IS200 SE or Sport. I have just seen a reasonable SE on a very popular website (without giving any plugs) which states as follows: 70,000 miles, Platinum. 6 Speed Manual, MOT (Jun 07), Tax (Jan 07). ABS, Air conditioning, Alloy wheels, Climate control, Power steering, Remote locking, Airbags. Excellent condition. £5,999. ono I want to view this tomorrow and give an offer of around £5550 pendning quality... Is this a reasonable price for 70k mileage for a W Reg 2000 model... ??? Thanks in advance

Thanks Chips and thanks Aaron... I have seen a couple of nice ones on Auto Trader... I hope to get the money from my WRX really soon so I can go and view these two I have my eye on... one is an SE and the other a Sports... Hopefully around the 20th of this month my customer will pay the outstanding amount (as he has put a deposit down). I hope they are good examples... I just wish I knew about cars a lot more... My budget is around £6k

Would it be fair to assume (or maybe statistically may be true) that because the LSD uses more clutch mechanisms, the clutch of the Sport is under more strain / usage than the normal SE therefore maybe worn quicker... because it has LSD... Or are they fine... how are the clutches on SE and Sport models...?

Aha... yes of course... sorry... and thanks... the reason I have chosen the SE over the Sport (because the sport seems to have everything the other models have) is because I can do without the silver sills, sport pedals, tints... however does the lowered suspension (is it just lowered or is it actually a stiffer / harder suspension or ride) and wasn't exactly sure what LSD would have an advantage over... Sorry, a lot of questions... should I be considering any other factors...? Thanks

Sorry, blonde moment coming on (no offence to blondes) what is LSD...

Hi all, my first post today... I have been reading and searching various posts and threads etc... have found a few check lists... I will be buying my first IS200 in the very near future but wanted to know what exactly to look for in terms of engine / electrical issues (not that I think there should be any) after inspecting regular intervals of service history. I have thought about the SE model (X reg, around 2000 model) as opposed to sport because I understand there is only a slight mods, ie lowered, silver sills and sport pedals... (tints maybe)... The engin is normally covered by plastics... but what else can I check re issues, faults... is there a detailed list available anywhere please... I have taken note of the checklist link on LOC, RAC and the AA. Please help... thanks in advance