FlashBastd

Alas, fuse was fine, new pump ordered. Relatives car in the US, circa $48. Should be easy enough to swap though.

Hi, as per title, don't have the book pack, which fuse should I be checking? There is no noise from the pump, so I am hoping it could just be a fuse, but if it is the pump, what is the typical price and how do I swap it? Thanks for your help!

Pricing isn't bad, books at £4,500, but he would struggle to get £4k from a dealer. Don't forget the tax will be very high from next year.

I would try to hunt down an IS300, not a lot of difference on VED and fuel, but much more powerful, and I think better spec'd than most IS200's.

Don't fancy an '04/54 IS300 Limited Edition 4dr, 30k for £8995? I am near Leeds, so not far away and my car is very tidy!

Hey, Buy Mine! I am only in Leeds, it is excellent value, and is an IS300, not one of those slightly limp 2.0 litre jobbies (no offense guys).

Are you hoping to get a US import? Didn't think the IS300 was ever available in Europe with a manual gearbox, or is that just in the UK?

Thanks, it is on there, as well as Autotrader. What are you running now?

No, I am moving abroad at some point in the not too distant future, and will go back to using my old 318 until then. I have hardly been doing any mileage recently and can't really justify having all that cash tied up in a car that has done only around 350 miles since late April.

I am not honestly sure. I know that sounds hopeless, but it only went up 10% when I changed from my '93 318i, despite the value of the car increasing substantially. I think according to CAP, it is Gp15, compared to a 200 at Gp12 and 200 Sport at Gp13. In my experience, the groupings don't necessarily make as much difference as you might expect. I would strongly recommend anyone considering changing to any car got a few quotes first though.

Hi there, without wanting to shamelessly plug my own car, the IS300 is noticably quicker and smoother, yet uses only a similar amount of fuel, and is in the same tax bracket. If you are looking at an '05 plate IS300 Limited Edition for £11k, then consider my 04/54 with 30k for just £9,350. PS, it really is true about the tax and fuel economy, it isn't just me making it up!

Hi there, just to clarify, are you talking about an IS220d? I didn't think these came out until 2006?

By all means use a pressure washer to get the crud off, but don't use any form of brush on your paint. I rinse the car with the hose (we have great water pressure) Wash using Meguiars Gold Class shampoo (two bucket method) Rinse with low pressure sprinklet nozzle Dry with Auto Glym synthetic leather thing People have different opinions on how to dry, but in my opinion this is what really finishes off the wash. If you don't dry it properly, it won't look good. Also make sure that your sponges and leather are all clean. If the car is really dirty, or has lots of bugs, etc. it might be worthwhile to wash those areas first, i.e bonnet, below the waist line, wheels, then rinse and start again, having thoroughly washed out the sponge (or better still getting a new one). You also need to be careful of watermarks from the water drying before you have leathered it off, this is especially a problem in hard water areas. I used to have a black Puma, and washing it in summar was a real pain, I had to keep the sprinkler on while I washed it, otherwise the bodywork would absorb the heat and evaoprate the water, leaving nasty marks. That was when I lived in a hard water area though, much better where I am now.

You have a PM.

Mine is the wrong colour for you, but it seems much lower mileage, and much better value than some you have seen. Plus being a '54 plate it has the headlamps with a dark background. If you are at all tempted, I am quite close to you, just off M1 J39. Sorry to hijack.

RE: Value, I would guess at 10-10.5k. Mine is a 54 plate IS300 LE, with 29k, and I haven't sold it yet for only £11,295.

Get an S-Max. The FR-V has very narrow seats, hence 3 abreast, and you seem very close to the door, had one once as a courtesy car. The Verso is dull in extremis, and you won't be able to use it without getting flagged down as a cab.

As I mentioned previously, the ISOFIX points are so awkward to get to, they are almost useless anyway. Much more difficult to use than in anything else I have tried, so you haven't really missed out. Also you can't fit a Duo Plus in the boot, and the opening is tricky to get a full size pushchair in and out of. Guess Toyota just didn't want these cars to be used by families.

H Harrald & Sons in Sheffield did my spare key for £10. I had no luck with Timpsons in Leeds (Headrow & White Rose) or Wakefield (Ridings).

The problem is that the ISOFIX mounts are so far behind the cushion, and offset, that they are a real pain to use before adding any extra padding. I am thinking about ditching the ISOFIX and just fitting with a seatbelt. Very poor design on Toyota's part IMO. I have used ISOFIX in several cars, and it was much, much easier than in the IS.

Even if they are there, they aren't positioned well, and don't line up with the "seat" part, being offset toward the hump. I fitted my daughters Duo Plus with ISOFIX, but having removed it to clean the car, will prob just replace it using the seatbelt. If you are at all considering changing your car before your child has grown out of the seat, I would still go for the Duo Plus - when I got it I was running an E30 BMW, but knew I would be getting a newer car in the not too distant future, so went for the Duo Plus - it fits really well to most cars just with a seatbelt, and actually seems at least as good in the back of the IS with the belt as it does with ISOFIX. If you have leather, I would recommend getting a car seat protector thing from Halfords - not so much to protect the leather, but because they provide a less slippy surface for the seat to be mounted on. Also, try Mothercare and Halfords to decide what you want, but shop around before buying, neither of the mentioned places are especially cheap. We got one of our Duo Plus's from Babyscene in Leeds, and the other from Kiddicare.com, both places being much cheaper than the national chains.

don't fancy a "300" do you?

Really nothing that tricky, but if anyone wants any pointers I would be happy to help.

Live near Wakefield, but I was in Sheffield yesterday and the chap at Timpsons Meadowhall suggested them. Tried Timpsons Meadowhall because I had been told that Timpsons Riding Centre had the necessary equipment but they weren't prepared to have a go.

I think so long as it looks the same, and is from a European car (US different frequencies), you should be fine. At least that was the policy I used when I bought mine. FYI for anyone in S. Yorks, H Harrold & Sons in Sheffield cut my key for £10.