krosfyah

Cheers lads, appreciate the feedback! :winky:

Where you based matey, it does make a diffrence- I'm from London and I always travel up North to buy my cars.

If it's any help I paid £2,400 for a X reg IS200, mint condition, FSH, 81k. But it was up for £2,800.

Hi mate im in London, central(ish). Thanks for that, i figure its maybe worth 3k then? Thoughts?

Hi guys, after 3 years of fantastic hassle free ownership, i'm going to sell as i'm moving Stateside shortly.

Can anyone here offer any advice on pricing? It's a 2001 Y reg, with 75k on the clock and in pristine condition in and out. I'm the 3rd owner from new. Full Lexus SH etc. It's an silver auto.

Thanks all!

PS no mods, all factory standard

If anyone is considering using Kevin @ Albin Motors - i can HIGHLY recommend him.

Extremely nice guy, takes the time to accomodate you needs (i dropped the car off earlier than i said i would on 2 occasions and he did the work earlier than he said he would on both), he didn't charge for the 1hour his mechanic spent looking over the initial caliper issue because altough they tried to fix it, it was still much the same afterward. He fitted the new fuel cap spring and didn't charge me, taking it on faith value i would be back later to have the full work carried out. Anyway just returned to pick the car up today and he had fitted the new caliper and fixed 2 new headlamp washer covers on the front bumper using some ingenious clip system (didn't fancy shelling out £400 at Lexus for headlamp washers!).

Very nice guy, great operation, all ex Lexus Bromley as was stated - thumbs up all round!

Thanks guys, spoke to Kevin yesterday, booked in for Sat, will let you know how i get on!

Don't want to go to Lexus to get this sticky caliper looked at, so would rather take it to someone local - can anyone recommend a good local independent, either near by, or alternatively, a good local in London where you know they have worked on brakes before and have provided a good service please.

Any advice is much appreciated as ever, thanks guys!

Hi guys

Just got back from a nice weekend away to find my headlamp washers stolen - at first i though they just took the covers but the entire mechanism was taken! All that's in there is a rubber coil, which i guess is where the mechanism is housed? I'm trying not to let it get to me, it's just one of those things, but if i could catch the street vermin that did it...... :tsktsk:

If anyone can help me out, either by giving me an idea of the cost of washer replacements, and fitting, or letting me know how difficult it would be to order the parts and try and do it myself (i have very little vehicle maintenance experience) i would very be extremely grateful.

Many thanks all,

The scraping is definitely from the front, almost certainly (judging from where the sound is coming from) the driver side.

I will give the wheels a good cleaning and then check out for brake dust.

Cheers guys

Symptoms:

1. Between approx 40-55mph, i get serious wheel wobble. Below and above this speed range i don't get anything. This to me smacks of wheel balancing being off.

2. I have an auto. Usually, with my foot off the gas and brake, i creep forward very slowly. Lately i've noticed a noise like a "scraping", where the car creeps forward when im stationary and in gear, but very slowly. At times i won't hear any noise, and i won't creep forward at all. This to me smacks of a sticky caliper.

3. On braking from very low speeds (approx 5mph or less) to stand still, i get quite a strong pull to the left. This again smacks of a sticky caliper.

Anyone got any idea what this could be? Im thinking just to go get wheels balanced first, then have my dealer check for sticking calipers. Not sure what else it could be?

Thanks to any and all who can shed light, or offer thoughts.

Ok, like most, i was EXTREMELY disappointed to find out that my 2001, Y reg (registered slap bang on 1st March 2001, no less!) was going to fall into the £410/year tax category.

Thought i would run a quick check on the DVLA website to see if any of the financial/economic crisis had changed the Chancellor's mind about taxing us through our a55es, and lo and behold there seems to be a vestige of hope for us Y reg owners. Check here:

Car tax homepage

Scroll down to the "How much will i pay under the new rates" table. My IS200 is 239g/KM, however, it appears as if its going to be allocated to Bank K (£215/year) and NOT bank L as originally stated (£405/year). For some reason there is some wording to say "Band K includes cars that have a CO2 figure over 225g/km but were registered before 23 March 2006. These cars will stay in band K."

Am i right in thinking that because my car is registered within the 22 day window in March 01, i've ended up saving £200/year in car tax?

Im due to get the car serviced on Sat and it's still not here. I know it can take a while to arrive but can someone please confirm it has been sent out?

Also, do WIM do any Lexus Gold member discounts does anyone know?

Many thanks

Its just whats called the "dead band" of the sensor, it'll trip at one light amount but wont reset till one a bit lower.

So when you turn the lights off then back to auto its below the trip point so they dont come on.

Stav

Many thanks, i thought it might be something similar to that as it only happened as the ambient light increased gradually during sun-up

Guys anyone else get this? I keep my lights on auto. What i find is that if i start the car at dawn, when its still sort of dark, the lights come on (as they should, as its not very light out side). However as the sun rises and it gets to full daylight, my lights wont go off. I have to turn them to Manual setting by turning them off, then they go off (as they should) then i turn them back to auto and they dont come on again.

I only seem to get this when i start the car when its still early and dark and then the day gradually gets lighter. If i keep them on auto at other times they behave exactly as they should.

Anyone get this?

Guys - coming up for my 60k but timing belt and sparks all done, so it's just a standard 20k service.

I'm in London, looking to take it to Reading (heard good things about the level of service etc), but curious about what sort of prices people are paying on a standard 20k service.

I'm looking at £290 with my gold discount. How does that compare to what you guys have experienced elsewhere?

Thanks to all respondees :winky:

cars registered after march 1 2001.............www.direct.gov.uk/en/Newsroom/Budget2008/DG_073093 :)

ARGH! Because my car was registered bang on 1st March 01, i fall into the "on or after 1st March 2001" category, how f**king frustrating! :tsktsk: :tsktsk: :tsktsk: :tsktsk:

no your ok and one of the last ones

your car must be on a 'x' plate

cars up to march 31st are ok

to be sure go here

http://www.vehiclelicence.gov.uk/EvlPortalApp/

click 'vehicle enquiry' then 'next' then input you r reg and make to get the answer on what you will pay

Nope, i'm on a Y reg. It's saying 12 months is £210/year, therefore i believe i fall into the new £415/year category.

F**KERS

cars registered after march 1 2001.............www.direct.gov.uk/en/Newsroom/Budget2008/DG_073093 :)

ARGH! Because my car was registered bang on 1st March 01, i fall into the "on or after 1st March 2001" category, how f**king frustrating! :tsktsk: :tsktsk: :tsktsk: :tsktsk:

at least thats what they have done in their latest road tax hike

this 'stealth' tax done under the guise of the 'green' card makes owning and maintaining a pre april 2001 car much more attractive than upgrading to a newer model as all cars before this date have a fixed £180 tax.

compare that with a new, say , range rover, which from 2010 which will cost you £950 to tax new then £455 a year after that

i know most people who can afford this car wont bat an eyelid at this but this is just an example and alot more people will be effected that are not expecting it

an IS200 post 2001 is going to be £430!!!

im looking for an older one which will now probably go up in value :winky:

Post April 2001? I thought i was post March 1st 2001??

It would be great for me if it was April 2001 - my car was registered 1st March 2001 - can someone please confirm which is the correct cut off date?

Don't forget one very important element....make sure each spark plug has the correct feeler guage gap! Not sure what it is, but im sure someone else will post it up. Even if they're new spark plugs, the gap between the ground electrode and center electrode may have changed during transit.

Can someone please explain what this means in non-mechanic, laymans terms?

Thanks

I have never done it, and i have no mechanical experience. However, i have a mechanic mate who could probably help me do it - what i would like to understand from those who have done it is what sort of tools/work is involved to do the job?

Any particular difficulties with getting them in and changed?

Thanks

Just went through my first full tank - 380 miles before light came on from completely full, with a fairly balanced mix of motorway (approx 200 miles) and urban (approx 180) driving.

I have been driving without snow mode, but am driving like i have egg shells under my foot, and have wanted to use this as a "control" to see the best economy i could achieve on a mix of urban/motorway.

This was on standard 95 RON from BP

Anyone else experienced this? Tried to change my front fog bulb today, removed the 2 bolts but couldn't get the bloody fog lamp unit out the front bumper for love nor money.

Is there a catch or something to hold it in?

Thanks if anyone can help.

Finally got myself one of these baby's, getting it cut wasnt half awkward though, tried both the local timpsons in Aberdeen, both refused - had a barny with the guy <_< because another LOC member got theirs cut at the same place, that got me nowhere so went to another key cutter on george st by the way for anyone in Abdn & got it done with a laser cutter, wish I aked for a price though before I agreed to getting it cut because I got stung grrrrrrr.

No one should be paying more than about a tenner to get a key laser cut for their car.

I had mine done in London at a local lock smith for £9.50. Took me 5 mins using google to find a lock smith with a laser cutter. I had to call around a few, as some said they couldnt do it, but just ask them if they can recommend someone who can do it.

Timpsons, but the sounds of what i've read on this board, are hit and miss. Go to a general locksmiths, there should be plenty you can find on Yell.co.uk or Upmystreet.co.uk

i cant find any laser keycutting places around surrey might have to travel around - where was the one in london?

There are 2 near me - Fortress Lock and Safe Co in Stockwell and Autokeys, who were located in Wandsworth but were shutting up the shop when i went in, for good by the looks of things.

Finally got myself one of these baby's, getting it cut wasnt half awkward though, tried both the local timpsons in Aberdeen, both refused - had a barny with the guy <_< because another LOC member got theirs cut at the same place, that got me nowhere so went to another key cutter on george st by the way for anyone in Abdn & got it done with a laser cutter, wish I aked for a price though before I agreed to getting it cut because I got stung grrrrrrr.

No one should be paying more than about a tenner to get a key laser cut for their car.

I had mine done in London at a local lock smith for £9.50. Took me 5 mins using google to find a lock smith with a laser cutter. I had to call around a few, as some said they couldnt do it, but just ask them if they can recommend someone who can do it.

Timpsons, but the sounds of what i've read on this board, are hit and miss. Go to a general locksmiths, there should be plenty you can find on Yell.co.uk or Upmystreet.co.uk

Does the IS200 auto have an ECT power switch? as in the Altezza 5AT turning that off makes a difference ... ie it won't rev as high before changing up and doesn't drop down as aggressive either when you floor it ...

Yes it has one - i always keep it off as it helps, as you say, to keep the revs down before changing

It won't actually change gear ratios, but I'm sure it'll clear what the gearbox thinks is your driving style. However, it doesn't take long for it to learn the way you drive so I wouldn't really bother.

If you're light on the throttle it will change up pretty quickly, if you hit the throttle quite hard it hangs on to each gear, so it all depends on the way you drive.

The stuff you've read about ECU resets and economy, is mostly due to switching from normal unleaded to optimax or v-power, to make the engine learn to use the new fuel quicker.......I've been using V-power for the last few fills now and I'm seeing a definite improvement in economy.

Thanks Parthiban, that clears things up nicely!