flotsam

I put an extra couple of layers of lacquer on mine when I got them. There was a little overspray onto the non-lacquered bits but as it's transparent it doesn't really show.

They'll go mangy very quickly otherwise.

You'll notice the V6 has more torque than the equivalent four cylinder (except for diesel) but MPG drops considerably.

I always garage mine so I have the option of turning off the ultra-sonic sensors.

If I leave them on, just opening the garage door will cause a disturbance and set off the alarm.

My 2000 model switches these off with a second press of the key.

I once had a Vauxhall Carlton which I bought at 60,000.

The cruise control died very shortly after I bought it. The rear o/s window winder began to jam soon after that and the circuit to drive the windows died twice soon after that. Rear stop light blew a few times too. Fuel injection relay overheated meaning I had to sit on the hard shoulder for half an hour until it cooled down. Wonderful! Fuel pipe sprung a leak. Trim on LHS fell off.

The engine was OK. Peak torque at 2600 and economical. Transmission only lasted another 20,000 before the diff went.

What a dog. Consider, then 60~80K as an absolute worst case for a Toyota. Lexus will be even better if that's at all possible.

I owned a toyota previously. No problems whatsoever. My Lexus ditto and counting.

A programme on tv said Toyota build a corolla in the time it takes BMW to correct the build faults on their 3 series.

That's called "design for manufacture". If they've put that much effort into the manufacturing design considerations, just think how much they've put into the car functionality considerations.

In addition, Autocar's german sister magazine quoted a german manufacturere who said he was impressed with Lexus because they "adhere to agreed procedures". In other words no short cuts. No rule of thumb in choosing B*&(*&^y fuel pump relays.

My insurance has just come up for renewal with Privilege. They offered it at £500 protected NCB, £56 less than last year.

I then went to their parent group Royal Bank of Scotland and they offered the same policy for £469 though I had to accept right there and then with the option to cancel.

I initially asked for it without legal cover but after accepting changed my mind and added legal cover. The made the amendment but didn't change the price. I guess the price didn't change for the same reason the acceptance had to be there and then. Perhaps the quote is based on up-to-the-minute pricing data or perhaps they just want to deter me from phoning around anymore.

Anyhow, I was feeling quite happy at having reduced my premium, but then got a phone call from Privilege who offered me the same deal as RBS but for £425, £409 without the courtesy car option.

That's £150 less than last year!

Obviously, the insurers have plenty of room to undercut. Mind you I have over 12 years NCB.

I'm not sure it's that simple.

Consider that the internal combustion engine has been manufactured for about a century and they've just about cracked it by now.

The engine should be matched to the load and run at optimum revs for the best MPG performance. Hence the quest for the infinitely variable transmission which would keep an engine running at a fixed rev (when you're not at the lights).

The IS engine was not designed JUST for optimum mpg. Take the LS430 for example there's less bhp but more torque than the LS400 which was the aim.

Consider also load, flexibility etc.

ie Horses for courses.

The Mk IV came out in 1997 with 280 bhp and had further tweaks the following year.

1) there's been a change to the interior light array at the front so there's no longer a place to put cards,

2) the lights for the window switches go out when you lock the windows,

3) where the first aid kit is.

4) there's diagnostics for the a/con and sat nav etc,

5) What the first and second click of the remote locking does (found out from an IS200 manual).

Any further contributions would be much appreciated.

micelis

I hope Lexus did a FULL CHECK on the car before you continue with the spending.

Shame about the exhaust. They're supposed to last the life of the car as their stainless an' all.

Personally, I thought the idea of the Lexus was discretion rather than flash. Also if you do long journeys in it (also what I thought the car was designed for), a noisy exhaust will get on your nerves.

There was a Mk IV which was being broken somewhere on this forum.

Fastest I've gone is 125 in a Scirrocco; it wouldn't go any faster.

From the video footage of the incident, I assume the donors looked up the road from the LHS of the lorry before overtaking on the right. Could easily have had a car doing the same speed as the lorry on the right.

Never met a biker with all his bits.

There is no correct camber setting per se. The same car should have different camber settings depending on the use of the car and the surface. IF the alignment is the problem then camber is the most probable cause for inner edge wear.

You can measure the camber settings by putting the car on level ground and placing a joiner's square against the wheel to give you the vertical.

Take the distance from the vertical to the top of the wheel rim, ditto to the bottom of the rim and the distance between the top and bottom. Use the arc tan to find the angle.

Considering the number of reports here, it is more likely over-zealous driving as the IS does handle very nicely. More negative camber can be used for this.

The only car that is particularly prone to the tracking being knocked out is driven by a blind man who keeps on hitting the curb. Don't pay anyone any money who tells you otherwise.

Tracking refers ONLY to toe-in toe-out.

Toe out gives the car stability as the wheels are trying to go in different directions. The tyres scrub as they turn and because they are probably designed to cover the wet as well as dry will wear more on the inside.

Also when turning the wheels do not describe the same arc.

As the IS is a rear wheel drive car the front wheels tend to pull away from each other so there is a countering toe-in rather than a toe-out.

Caster is how far forward/back the front wheels point and again aid in stability; re-centering the steering, but too much and the steering will be heavy.

Finally turning and inclination angle have to be considered.

A full alignment check will cost a lot more than a simple tracking check.

Yep! Quentin Wilson drives one and did a feature where a 100K LS was as new.

Look after your Lex and It'll last a loooooong time. I intend to keep mine for about 10 years so I'm going to make sure everything is well looked after. I only wear my slippers when driving and feed and polish the leather every few months. By then it'll probably be illegal to manufacture gas guzzlers.

Re the Volvo: I was thinking about buying a 700 and mentioned the reliability to the dealer. He said they last forever but that's because the service costs a fortune. I suppose they would last forever if you changed all the major mechanicals every few thousand miles.

I've had this problem in all the cars I drive.

I finally had a doctor friend point out that the problem was Baked Beans.

A 4K car!!?!?!?

He hasn 't stopped paying for it yet!

Have you tried reading the manual?

My Mk4 doesn't automatically close the sunroof and windows because it is a facility to leave them open when the car is locked.

All can be opened and closed with the remote.

Car dealers' jobs are to turn cars into gold.

A part ex isn't good for them.

You might consider selling yours privately.

From the other forum and this one, it sounds as though you've bought a dog with fleas.

Get it checked out before throwing any more cash down the drain.

For the US,

The GS400 is spec'd to use 9005.

LS400 '90~'93 uses 9004,

'94~'95 uses H4,

'96~2000 uses 9005 though may use 9006 Low beam is H4 but may use H3 Recommendation is to check your existing bulb.

I would have thought the whole idea of having HID lights is for the 3800K or even 4000K light colour (color) which tests have shown improve the visibility distance.

The amber lights are usually for anti-glare purposes; ie the other driver's benefit and may be a bit of yellow plastic stuck on.

If you want pretty lights I suggest Christmas tree lights.

The key and car should cycle codes and I presume this MIGHT be what the dealers are referring to. But my manual gives details on swapping the Battery and doesn't mention any problems with loss of memory. It could be that the circuitry holds enough charge whilst the Battery is being swapped.

However if there is a memory problem, then this means the second key would be out of sync as soon as you used the first key.

Hence, I don't believe there is a memory problem at all. Swap the Battery and use the second key if there's a problem.

Seriously Maneesh,

It sounds like your independent dealer is a shyster. The old "I'll have to replace the whole unit" scam is one that everyone who has had dealings with any rogue trader should be familiar with.

Suspension bushes are separate from the metal work as they're rubber and I would have thought they could easily be sold seperately and very cheaply. The cheapness means a rogue trader will try and bump up the price. This is my non-professional opinion as I'm not really a car mechanic. :winky:

Have you had a second opinion from a Lexus dealership?

ps I always get a second opinion from dentists and they always, ALWAYS give different opinions. I've stopped wearing spectacles and my eyesight is improving though it's taking a long time.

Tiny,

I'm suprised springs need changing, dampers perhaps but with springs there's not a lot to go wrong. Weak and Tired? Naaah!

You're right I was wrong. The steering wheel needs to be replaced too. That's another £10,000 pushing the price up to £190,000 but I'm not guaranteeing it'll fix the problem.

The mechanic is talking rubbish. I've been a car mechanic for 12 years and on the Lexus I know all the tyres, windscreen, electronics, chassis, bodywork and engine have to be replaced when the bushes go. In fact everything but the steering wheel needs to be replaced.

I can do the job for you and as a special offer, I'll only charge £180,000 but I'm not guaranteeing that it'll fix the problem.

I drove 600 miles in my LS400 and got out fresh as a daisy! That's good enough for me.

Add to that the most reliable marque bar none, the best security bar none, the best sat-nav bar none, what in my opinion is the best and quietest V8 and I can see why cars in this league cost as much as they do.

All Lexi have scored four stars in the Euro NCAP tests which is a considerable achievement.

The LS430 has a nicer interior and an even lower CD which makes it the best on the road except for concept vehicles and hybrids.

Let's face it! If you were the last person alive, this would be in the running for your car of choice.

Offset is the difference between the centerline of the rim and this same bolt flange. Zero offset is defined as the condition where the bolt flange is exactly aligned with the center of the rim.

Inboard | | Outboard

\_____________/

| |

Backspacing----|<------>|

|

Bolt Flange----------->|

______|______

/ \

| |

Centerline of Rim->|

|

Inboard | | | Outboard

\_____________/

| |

Negative Offset-----|<->|

|

Bolt Flange-------->|

___|_________

/ \

| |

Sorry about the font.