flotsam

I've got a MkIV with standard alloys. The front calipers are less than 5mm away from the alloy and as I don't like the clip-on balancing weights 'cos they scratch the paint, I always have problems getting the wheels balanced when tyres need replacing. Usually it means a few extra weights around the rim but out of the way of the calipers. I also have to watch out that the back wheels are similarly balanced as they'll hit the calipers if I do a tyre rotation.

I can't remember where I read it, but I thought there was a problem with Japanese environment legislation which meant that the paintwork on alloys were not very durable. Having read some of the posts here, it seems the problem isn't restricted to Japan. Does anyone know if you can buy alloys that either don't have this problem or are perhaps not painted e.g. chrome plated? I plan to keep my Lexus a looooong time as Lexus have obviously usurped Mercedes position as the manufacturer of cars that last decades. Mercedes have moved up the price range with Maybach.

Actually residuals are marked down by the car price guides. Where else would you find a product that loses a third of its value in the first year and half in three years? The insurance companies don't lose out if you have an accident. Let's say, for example, you pay £500 a year in insurance premiums. Then you have an accident costing £800. The insurance company LOANS you the money to fix the car. They then claim the money back in increased premiums EVEN IF YOU'VE GOT PROTECTED NO CLAIMS. The only way you can make money from a car accident claim, then, is if you write off the car and they have to buy you a replacement, EXCEPT, they only pay out according to the used car guides. You lose money as soon as you drive the car off the forecourt even though the car manufacturer doesn't when it puts tranport mileage on the car. This is the insurance companies getting the price as low as they can as soon as possible and why the big drop is in the first year. The only question is what kind of back-handers the car price guides get from the insurance companies or if they're actually owned by them. Is it any wonder then that Warren Buffett, now the world's third richest, gets over half his profits from the insurance industry?

How do I know you're not a car thief who wants to know all the secrets about my car? Obviously, Lexus don't reveal all the secrets in the manual and for good reason.

Make sure its a proper Lexus spec.; protection against UVA and UVB. Just look at what too much sun has done to me!

The Book Price is always too low. This is because the insurance companies will only pay the book price if you have an accident and the car is written off. This means second hand is always a LOT better value for money. Because a Lexus will not show age, a full set of records to verify mileage might be a good idea.

INSURANCE IS A RIP-OFF If you pay, say £1,000 a year in insurance, it's money down the drain. If you have an accident which costs £1,000 to repair, all the insurance company does is to pay for the repair but charge you the cost in increased premiums EVEN IF YOU HAVE PROTECTED FULL NO CLAIMS. The only way to make money, you would have thought, then, is to buy an old banger costing £100, have an accident and then claim £1,000. But no. The insurance companies only pay the book price and the book price is rigged to be lower than most people should reasonably pay for a second hand car compared to new. Where you DO gain is in buying a second hand car and pointing to the rigged low price in the book.

Not really, its continuing to use the gas pedal with your toes while braking with your heel, for rallye style cornering. It enables better synchronised downshifting while braking (double clutching or not), and it makes for a quicker corner exit, even more so as the turbos are then spooled up already. RX-Men-8 ← Errrml, no! The term is "double de-clutching" NOT "double-clutching" and it's not just for rallye style cornering it's used on the race track too. I know I've used it. It's called heel and toe but these days it's really the left part of your foot on the brake and the right part blipping the throttle. There is NO POINT in using it on a car with synchromesh. The point is to get into a low gear and use engine braking on the entry to a corner not on the exit, ready for pulling away.

Isn't it double de-clutching? Some racing cars have special pedals where the accelerator curves round the brake pedal. Some road cars have the accelerator closer to the brake. Shouldn't need it with synchromesh.

I tested a Mk III before buying my MkIV. I noticed the suspension was firmer on the MkIV and I don't think this was due to the MkIII being slightly older. The handling is a lot better as well. MkIV has gas dampers as well as HID headlamps, sat nav, folding wing mirrors, automatic dimming mirrors, parking sensors, five speed box and quicker 0-60 time. Some MkIVs have air suspension. There's also a sports pack which includes lower profile tyres, 17" alloys and lowered suspension. Look out for the different options on the stereo too.

Discs and pads and the materials used to make them are designed with the car in mind. Using the wrong materials for example could result in pads that overheat and/or discs that wear prematurely or not reach operating temperature etc.

Is the RX400h quick off the mark? Jason Plato drove an electric two-seater sponsored by a former F1 racing driver in Monte Carlo. He said " because 100% of the torque is available all of the time, nothink, I mean nothink, will accelerate faster off the mark". OK so the electric motors only provide about a quarter of the power, but they must provide a far flatter torque curve

Sorry, but "Which Car?" is complete bollix. They allude to being a consumer magazine "Which?" magazine. But they don't do a serious review. They figure their audience is anyone who knows diddley about cars. Buy it for the pictures and nothing else.

What don't kill 'ya, just makes ya stronger.

Ignore the book values. It's whatever the buyer wants to pay.

Aren't they ultra-sonic and could it be they're detecting the rain?

If you only use your car occasionally and for short drives, the battery is bound to not be topped up before you leave it standing for two weeks. Don't know about the circuitry in the Lexus as don't have any Haynes-type manual. There may be diodes from the cigarette lighter to the battery which would block the charge though I doubt it as the current would be quite high. Connecting it directly to the battery would be the safest. Maplin do exactly what you're asking for with crocodile clips and a cigarette plug too. All you need is a good source of sunlight if you keep it in the garage.

I'm insured with Privilege who promise to beat all comers. They specialise in low risk drivers and I've been unable to find anyone that comes close in the last few years. Since Lexus cars last longer, they're probably under-valued according to the Glass's guide or Parkers. This is good for when you're insuring but not so good if you're buying new and want to get a good second hand price.

Insurance is where you're forced by law to pay a comapny a fee every year and if you claim, they make you pay it back in the years after with higher premiums.

He always says that!

In neutral, the engine management system has to supply enough fuel for the engine to idle. In gear and coasting, it cuts the fuel.

If you read the Top Gear Magazine at your local newsagents, he calls the LS430 a BMW3 series beater. This week's Top Gear had the old fart talking about "torques" as though he knew what "torques" was whilst James May referred to the "inter-web"

Try pressing the key fob a second time when locking to disable internal movement sensors. As for opening the tail gate without switching the alarm off, isn't it supposed to go off when you do that?

I believe the originals are Dunlop SP270. There's another thread somewhere where someone was looking for ultra-quiet tyres because the rest of the car is so quiet.

I've seen a lot of those recently. Clearly the government is finding new and useless ways to spend tax payer's money. The only use is to test the accuracy of your speedo which means breaking the speed limit to make them show a reading.