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purplebadger

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Everything posted by purplebadger

  1. Hope I am not too late to add to this thread. Definitely an emphatic YES to the extended warranty, however it really is worth shopping around all the Lexus main dealers asking for a discount or seeing what offers they may have. Dealerships earn commission/ have targets on warranty/service packages so they may be keen for your business? You will certainly be more likely to get a favourable discount if extending your warranty by 2 or 3 years depending on how long you were planning in keeping the car? In the past I have always managed to get discount on the extended warranty whether it be negotiating on its own or extending it by a couple of further years or as part of a service package. Trust me its well worth several phone calls! Incidentally a couple of years ago I obtained a good discount (20%) by extending the warranty to 3 years rather than for one, I paid monthly so there was nothing upfront. Then when I changed my RX for a younger model about 10 months later, all I had to do was cancel the direct debit for the warranty with no penalty! (As with anything though- do read the small print first-agreements are changing all the time!) Do your homework and save yourself some money!
  2. I have been using mine without any problem having fixed it just to the rear- right of the rear view mirror in the mottled area. (Just wish it was universal for all toll roads throughout Europe!)
  3. That's great useful advice and appears the best way to replace the rear wiper rubber. Thanks
  4. I would find it strange that 'Lexus' would expect somebody to have to unbolt the whole arm in such a confined space under the spoiler just to replace a wiper blade? Perhaps you are right though? Thanks.
  5. Can anyone help please! How can you change the rear window wiper-blade on the RX450h? I have searched forums and internet but without an answer. It appears to me that the rear housing/spoiler at the top of the rear screen prevents the wiper arm being lifted sufficiently far enough to be able to remove the wiper blade. Stopping the wiper anywhere on the rear screen does not appear to help in being able to lift the blade far enough away from the glass to unclip it. The correct length blade is widely available via the internet however fitting it is proving mind-boggling? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
  6. Interesting as I have owned my RX450h just over 3 weeks too! I bought mine in York and got 46 MPG on the return journey. Never repeated that since but have only been driving shorter journeys and averaging 34 MPG. The better consumption must be long motorway driving?
  7. Confusing or what!!! :duh: Mine are side by side and illuminated! 07 plated model
  8. Windows media player uses your internet connection to connect to an internet music database to get the track names and album artwork...so this is not possible on MM system as there is no internet connection. An internet connection would be nice though. maybe Lexus should team up with Apple to do their next MM system..imagine a car with basically an iphone built into a car with a 3G mobile connection! The only way I know to get the track names would be to RIP the CD's to your PC (using Windows Media Player) and then creating a MP3/WMA CD. The MM system will then display the track names etc (no album artwork i'm afraid) I have done this and have about 50 albums across 6 CD's all sorted by album, with full track names and artist details. I takes a little while, but was worth it as I spend a lot of time in the car, and love listening to a wide range of music. Have a look at the MM system manual, it has more information in there. :D THANKS Darren I ripped a few music CD's and indeed tracklists are now shown on the MM. Much appreciated. ;)
  9. I looked at the Michelin one, but I am pretty sure that it's maximum inflating pressure is 50 p.s.i. and I need 60 for my skinny spare . . . . . I cannot find a reference to the several-years-old one that I keep in the car but this one (not the rechargeable one) looks very similar. It's quite small and the power cable and hose wind up into it so it is very neat and tidy. I wouldn't trust the auto-setting gauge though. I always over inflate slightly then bleed back to the pressure I want, using a good quality pressure gauge. http://www.bargainbrands.co.uk/digital_car_compressor.html I agree- DONT buy the one shown in the URL link that has the the auto-cut off, I did and it ended up in the bin after a few months -useless!
  10. No the model with the detachable gauge does not auto cut-off. If you want that facility you will need the next model up (the 12262) I think that sells for about £10 more?
  11. 35psi Front & 38 psi Rear for me too! If it helps anyone regarding choosing a compact 12v air compressor. Over the past few years I have brought a number of 'cheaper' compressors all of which have eventually broken or proven not up to the job of inflating a tyre from flat. I have for a while now been using one branded by Michelin which also incorporates a detachable digital pressure gauge and so far it is proving my best buy to date so if anyone is looking for a recommendation then there you have one! Costs between £20 and £30 depending where you shop.
  12. Is it just my MM that never displays the tracks on any original music CD? The number of tracks on the CD is shown but just blank and unknown artist and titles? Have I missed something obvious? Is any adjustment required in the settings? Have searched this forum but cannot find anything re this subject. Any help would be appreciated please. Frustrating because if I put any music CD, no matter its age, in my home PC the windows media player automatically displays the CD title and full track list. (Spooky but it also displays the correct album cover too!!) It would be a very useful feature to use, especially as the Lexus MM appears to cater for tracklistings?
  13. I have owned my 250SE Auto with MM from new for a couple of months now and I am still well and truly smitten with it. This is now my 4th Lexus and I am unlikely to change badge, as I have consistently been impressed with both the cars and customer service. Yes it does have a bit of a rattle from the dash from time to time, especially when cold but its so intermittent that its really not worth worrying about. Its a joy to drive and has all the quality and comfort you would expect from a Lexus model in this price range. As with any new car there will always be a likelihood that there might be an odd niggle but you do need to look at what the majority of owners opinions are. You would be very hard pressed to find a brand or model that is perfect in every way! We all know someone who has brought a BMW, Audi, Jag, Porsche etc etc who had a problem one time or another whether unique to one car or across the model range. Lexus are consistently appearing at the top of customer satisfaction surveys. Across this forum generally the majority are also satisfied (reading between the lines)! Lets be honest people are more inclined to take the time and trouble to announce a problem and post a bad review on the internet than a good one. I am very impressed with the IS250, it is a completely different car than its predecessor. I didn't even consider the diesel for a variety of reasons. I have absolutely no regrets at all with my purchase. Just one tip though, if you do decide this is the model for you, do make sure that you add the MM kit.
  14. Personally I wouldn't care if an automated car wash promised a wash that was smooth, soft and silky with feathers added for good measure, I still wouldn't trust one! I don't even like a Lexus dealership to clean mine after they have serviced it. Trust no-one with the cleaning, other than yourself! As for the winter, be a lot easier if the Highways agencies didn't use salt & grit on the roads at all, plenty of other Countries manage without it and have far worse weather than we do in the UK. I have on plenty of untreated roads abroad and never had any problem whatsoever as long as you drive according to the road conditions... As for passing a gritter lorry coming the other way, that gives me nightmares! Several years ago on a fast stretch of road one passed me in the opposite direction, I slowed down but the rattle of spewing grit was louder and harder than anything I had experienced before. It left several very nasty chips on my bonnet, front wings and windscreen (so badly damaged it needed replacing) of a previously owned GS. Thankfully I pursued a successful claim against the council concerned and they paid for all the repairs, turned out that they discovered their own driver was going far too fast in an attempt to finish his round early. At certain high speeds the grit is expelled with such force it is likely to damage oncoming cars....so you have been warned!!! If its not automated car washes, then the gritters will almost certainly get you this winter!!!
  15. Personally I think that Supagard is a bit of a rip-off given the price charged for the treatment, its quite easy to achieve the same results yourself for a fraction of the cost. All you need are a few materials, a spare day and plenty of elbow power! Jambo is right; carlack 68 is probably one of the better sealants available, but use sparingly or else expect bulbous biceps and a very sore shoulder afterwards! Of course always micro-fibre cloths for applying the sealant then buffing. Once finished definitely put on a top layer of carnauba-based wax for an incredible finish! I think that car dealers rely on the fact that we all want to keep our new pride and joy as close to showroom condition as we can for as long as possible, so paying for Supagard is very tempting and many obviously decide to buy it. Each to their own and not everyone can spare the time or inclination to do it themselves. I have only been tempted once on a previous buy, but never again. I find that by setting aside one day within the first week of taking delivery of a new car and treating it myself with alternative sealant and wax, not only achieves better results but is of course vastly cheaper! Its also a great excuse to spend time appreciating your new toy!
  16. If you search "static shock cars" in Google then will find a few interesting websites that provide both useful tips and some solutions.... Noel provided the most common solution in terms of how you get out of the car.
  17. Another Carnauba wax option and recommended website for cleaning materials! Have just cleaned and waxed my car, first using Carlack 68 sealant as recommended by many users on this forum (heed the tip: use sparingly or expect very sore shoulders afterwards!). Rather than use the P21's wax which appears a very popular choice on this forum, I tried Collinite No.476S , it's another type of Carnauba wax. Very easy to apply and end result is a very deep & satisfying shine! It is suggested that this is a little harder than P21's and shouldn't require as much 'topping up' as P21's but time will no doubt tell..... If it helps anyone I brought it and several other cleaning products at www.cleanyourcar.co.uk easy to use website plenty of very good cleaning tips, wide range of cleaning materials and really fast delivery times.
  18. It really does pay to shop around. Approach as many dealerships as you can, not just local ones, because a significant saving can often justify a longish trip to collect etc. Like Lex Bhoy I obtained a new car for less than a pre-registered but if I had waited a month for the next registration plate the reduction in price on my trade- in was simply not worth waiting. Its all a balance of cost at the end of the day coupled with how much time you are willing to put into shopping around.
  19. Hi Ivan I have only had my IS250 for one week so my wheels are as new! As this is my 4th Lexus I have had mixed experiences with the wheel corrosion that appears to often blight the Lexus brand for some owners. The opinions of what causes it has appeared on this site previously and also those opinions vary from who you speak to, owners or Lexus staff. I have heard blame laid at the salt used on roads, corrosive wheel cleaners (I favour that one based on my own experience- read below) poor alloys used in the manufacturing process, breaks in the protective lacquer etc etc My first a GS300 had all four wheels replaced under warranty a couple of years in. They were very badly corroded and once the 'bubbling' started it appeared to spread very quickly. I believe that many of the earlier models also suffered the same problem? My first IS200 also needed four new wheels due to corrosion, again after a couple of years but thankfully once again my dealer replaced them under the Lexus warranty without quibble. The last IS200 I owned (traded in at 3 years old) had spotless wheels with no sign of any corrosion. I don't know if it was connected or just coincidence but this last car had the darker-coloured alloy wheels from new which was an option on the later ones. Also coincidentally, I didn't use any of the widely available alloy wheel cleaners on that last car at all. I did use them though on the first two cars that suffered the corrosion. Connected or not I have no idea, might simply have been coincidence of course, but rest assured I still intend to stick with warm soapy water to clean the wheels on my new one!
  20. Just wanted to say hi since I joined this forum today and more importantly a very big thank you to those who post on this forum. From it in recent weeks I have obtained some very useful tips to help me decide which model IS to buy. So much so I am now the very proud owner of an IS250SE auto with MM, Velvet black with cream interior(not true the colour combination was influenced by my fondness for Guinness!!) This is now my 4th new Lexus having previously owned one GS300 followed by two IS200's. Having had the new IS250 for a few days I have to say it is a wonderful piece of kit and I have no doubt that it should give me as much enjoyment and reliability as the previous ones I have had the pleasure in owning. If anyone is in any doubt regarding 'must have' spec on the IS250 then I too agree with many of you, definitely get the multi media package! I am so glad I took note of the advice, since I had been wavering, and finally decided to take this optional extra. That then takes me nicely back to how I started this post... many thanks indeed to all who add such helpful reviews and tips on this site. I now hope that I can also make some worthy contributions in the future. (now off to read the posts regarding which Bluetooth mobile phones are most compatible with the MM system!)
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