Roy Gardiner

Thank youi very much, I shall check that out.

The plate in the engine compartment says C/TR/A/TM 6Q7 LH03 101A A650 E MODEL UCF20R - AEAGKW My repairer says there are 2 paints needed to fix scrapes (upper and lower body slightly different). Can they be deduced from these numbers, please?

Thanks for your replies, main agent to take a look on Monday. Pound to a dog, erm, to a penny that they don't find anything. Ian, 31mpg eh? I recently did a trip round the M25; on the speed restricted section at 50mph, was getting about 23. Out of restriction and going considerably faster, consumption improved to just on 30mpg. How's that work again...?

Don't you just love intermittent faults? My 1999 LS400 will sometimes catch, then die, then turnover but not catch. Just like it's flooded. But I don't get why it just sometimes dies like that. Is it likely to be just that, flooding, or is there some known fault on the car? It's properly serviced at a main agent (if that's not an oxymoron) and I wouldn't mind second-guessing them. I'm in IG9, Buckhurst Hill in West Essex, and I'd be glad to hear about any independent experts I could entrust the car to. Thanks in advance. Roy Gardiner

Sorry, I am new here and did search the site, honest guv. Well I sure didn't see it and I looked quite hard. And the swirls are curved just like it's my arm, not straight as they would be if the autowash did 'em. hmm, betcha that's it. I thought the finish was supposed to be quite tough, and the chamois is an old one...Anyway, thanks for your help.

Audi A8 or S8, Jaguar XJ, VW Phaeton? Hmm, what sort of thing? Is there any reason for them to go wrong? I'd be interested in ride comfort, smoothness, quiet, from those; not pace and handling.

I got my latest LS400 Supaguarded (before I joined here...) and (although very expensive) worked well, nice shiny car. Put in through automatic car wash (you know, the ones with the huge flail-like devices which 'thrash' over the car - I know it's anathema to some here but bear with me...) and the pristine finish wasn't harmed. But washed the car myself and there are those tiny swirly scratches :tsktsk:. I used the Supaguard stuff in the wash, a sponge, hosed off, leathered the wet car. No polish. I've now used some of the Paintseal Cream supplied, which has helped greatly but hasn't eliminated the scratches. Did I do something wrong in my own washing of the car? What actions do you now recommend to get the perfect (to me, anyway) finish back, if I can?

No doubt this has been done to death, but I'm new here so I'm sure you'll all set me right if it's too old hat. I've owned 2 LS400s, a 1992 and 1999; the 1992 traded on 135,000 for the newer one. I've also owned BMW M535, Jag XJ40 (the square one), 1 MKIII XJ6, 1 Daimler Sovereign D6 1981. The Daimler I owned for 20+ years and was the nearest rival to the Lexus, and a newer Jag would maybe match it; but otherwise the Lexus is the best big saloon I've been in, let alone driven. Would anyone say different? What's the nearest rival? Anyone tried Rolls or Bentley? Old ones are amazingly cheap for what they are.

In searching this forum for information I saw this: I live 3/4 mile from them. I have a dink where someone obviously dropped something on the bonnet. About the length of 1/2 a matchstick, same width, very very shallow - I can't see it at all when the car's dirty. BUT the damn thing's right in the middle of the line of sight so ANNOYING. I went to to them and they offered a £486 quote. Plus VAT.I'm going to try 'Dent Wizard' or 'Chips away'. Anyone around Buckhurst Hill, Essex with a recommendation?

Thank you, that looks like altogether sensible advice.

So everyone here is saying 'No' to Supaguard.As you see, I'm new here; I had mine done before reading all this; what is now my best course of action? Do I need to renew the whole thing every so often? Should I stick with Supaguard? Can the general public buy the boxes?