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durg

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Everything posted by durg

  1. I know it doesn't help you now but for these larger tyre sizes then looking early on in the year (even in the summer!!) is the only way to get a matching set as the tyre makers often only make one production run each year of certain sizes and they then run out of them until them make a new batch months down the line. This used to happen with the R17s a few years back when the winter tyres on that rim size was much less popular. Each year it seems the supply is getting better as more and more people in places like the UK realise how good they are in the winter.
  2. Currently it looks like what people are saying is correct. Most of the websites can't offer a matched brand and tread pattern together. The best you can get is Michelin Pilot Alpin with PA4 on the front and PA3 on the rear. One option you have is to buy a set of 18" rims (or 17" if possible as the price falls massively of the tyre - but will they fit over the brake setup?) and get a set of tyres for them - then you just swap them over in winter and spring - nice and easy!
  3. I agree with Normski - get yourself a 250 Auto - it's not killer on Road Tax really and if you drive it carefully you can get 40mpg on a good run. Average about 35-38 usually with a few shorter runs. Plus it is sooooo smooth and quiet! With my winter boots on it at 70mph it is totally silent :-)
  4. Why do people think winter tyres are a legal requirement in Germany?? Without your insurance is not valid. In Switzerland if you block the road as a result of not having winter tyres you have to pay all the costs to clear the road as I understand. I think they probably know quite a lot about them over there! And this applies to areas in towns and cities - not just in the mountains. Fact - without winter tyres my IS300 would not even move off my flat driveway using summer tyres when we have about 2cm of snow. With winters fitted it ploughed through about six quite easily. I owned it for five years and know what it's like. My new IS250 has its winters fitted now!! I wouldn't go without them.
  5. Have a look here... http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=46731
  6. Errr - yeah I get that bit! I was going to fit the 17" wheels to the IS250 (I have a full set of 17" alloys I bought for the IS300 and have found the stud patern is the same) so was just wondering what the impact of using a smaller diameter tyre on the IS250 would be - as in where is the speed sensor - front or rear wheels?
  7. Hello all, Quick question about winter tyres - I have a complete set of tyres from my old IS300 (215/45/17) and was wondering if they would be suitable for use on my IS250. It is running on 225/40/18 front and 255/40/18 rear. I guess the issues are ride height, tyre diameter and stud pattern. If the speed sensor comes from the front wheels then I think it should be okay - tyre diameter is only 1.9% different. The rear at a bit more than 5% and therefore more of a problem. Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Dave
  8. Thanks for the reply - my question wasn't intended to be a silly one! I was just intrigued in how it works in terms of the MOT test. The design of the catalyst system is carefully planned. The close coupled catalyst (often referred to as the "pre-cat") performs as big a role as a catalyst as the underfloor (or "main" catalyst). The close coupled catalysts are designed to deal with the emissions coming from the engine when the engine is first turned on and although they are smaller than the underfloor catalyst they contain much more precious metal and are therefore more active. They will convert about 90% of the hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions coming from the engine and a significant level of NOx. The second catalyst is there primarily to deal with the NOx emissions generated by the engine during higher speed driving conditions where more catalyst volume is required. Yes a hot underfloor catalyst is very active but it is not the only active component fitted. My point being - on the MOT idle and elevated idle test the close coupled catalyst on its own (if in good condition) should be capable of dealing with emissions and bringing them under the threshold required to pass the test, and this is why I asked the question about the specific details of the test requirement regarding which brick is being considered during the test. I work for one of the worlds largest (if not the largest) suppliers of catalytic converters and I'm currently running some advanced engineering projects for Lexus so I do have quite a good understanding of how these things work. Thanks, Dave
  9. I'm intrigued with the comment that the pre-cat isn't classed at a cat in the MOT test. Surely so long as the tail pipe emissions meet the right level (ie. they are below the limit) it doesn't matter if the front or the rear catalyst is doing the work? Also a question - does the IS200 have five O2 sensors as the IS300 does?
  10. I don't know if this applies to all models but the button on the dash board for the rear window heater on mine also includes a little picture of the wing mirrors. I seem to remember seeing some IS200s where there is only the symbol of the rear windscreen. I don't know if this actually means anything but I'm guess it is likely given the attention to detail Lexus usually put in. The alternative of course is to remove the old mirror and have a look. I had to get a replacement one for mine and I got it from the Toyota dealer spares centre - the person should be thankful that you don't have heated and auto-dimming wing mirrors - they are ruinously expensive as I found out! I seem to remember the heated ones where about £90 for the glass only. Thanks, Dave
  11. I've had this problem (but the other way round - I couldn't lock mine) twice with my car in three and a half years of owning it. Got home one day and it just would not lock with the fob - had to lock it from the inside and then finish off with the drivers door using the key. I had read that interference from the surrounding area can cause problems so I drove it round the corner and tried it again - hey presto - it worked. Drove back home again and it was still no go!! So there was something in it perhaps. Anyway, next morning I went out and tried using the fob to unlock and it worked perfectly. As I say - it's done it twice in three and a half years so I wouldn't worry too much. The battery going flat makes the range reduce or means you have to hit the button a few times for it to work. Could be either though really. Just thought I'd share my experience to see if it helps.
  12. Well you have two options here - the cheap way and the expensive way - and there is quite a difference as I found out! The IS300 has heated and auto-dimming wing mirrors. I had exactly the same problem you are talking about I think - it looks like a blue colour growing out as it gets worse. In the end you can see the heating elements in the glass and the mirror becomes more ineffective. If you are going to go for a Lexus mirror then you need to remove the old one and replace it. The mirrors are held in by a clip on the back of the glass and some sticky white stuff that is applied to the back of the mirror from new. To remove it you pull with a gentle steady force (from the bottom I think - when you get a new glass you can tell exactly which way to pull by looking at the clips) until it releases from the glue (you think you are going to damage it but they are quite tough really) and then pull the glass down and away from the housing. There is an electrical connection going to the glass and this can be released using a very thin screw driver. Once you have done this you simply reverse the process with the new glass and it's job done. Now the bad news is that these mirror glasses are about £220 each!!! There is a part for the IS200 that is heated only but this does not work as the connections are different on the plug behind the glass. The other option you have is to go for a cheap stick on glass from an autospares type place (Halfords do one I think) which you just put on over the original. You can get one of those for about £10-£15 each but it will look nothing like the orignal. It's up to you. I went for the expensive option in the end but I only needed to change one glass and it's the only thing that has ever gone wrong with the car in the entire time I've owned it so I didn't think it was too bad in the scheme of things - especially not when you compare it to my mates cars who have all had to shell out hundreds and hundreds of pounds over the years to keep their cars on the road at every service. Also I plan to keep the car so I wanted it to look right. The choice is yours!! Hope this helps - let me know if you need any more help.
  13. That's really good economy you've got there, the most I've had out of my IS200 auto is 27mpg, and that's being really conscious about what I'm doing with the throttle.......or is the majority of your driving motorway cruising? I'd say it's about 50/50 between dual carriageways/motorways and smaller A-roads with some fun :) On a long run (~150miles up the A1) I get about 31 if I'm really careful with the cruise control on at 70mph travelling later at night with not too much traffic. The lowest I've had is about 18mpg having some fun in the Alps, but that's what we buy them for so I don't mind!
  14. I've been keeping a close eye on my MPG figures over the years and in 35,000 miles of driving (22 mile daily drive to work - small A-roads, some town, and weekends/holidays) I average 27.1 MPG. Not too bad really for a quite old design 3 litre engine with an auto box on a heavy car - and it is so smooth it makes all the petrol worth it :)
  15. yes indeed they do the thinner the tire the better anyone got any 2cv citreon wheels to prove it? wide tires are yellow snow poor lol I used to drive a 2CV when I was learning to drive and it was brilliant in the snow - lived on a hill and the guy at the top of the road used to have to leave his XJ6 Jag at the bottom as it was useless in the snow. The 2CV would just sail up no problem - they are pram wheels on them though ;)
  16. What speed rating do you go for with the Bridgestone Blizzak Nordic WN-01 on your IS200?? Thanks
  17. They didn't have the RE040s when I went to change so got the RE050s as well. Had them on for about 12k now and they are lasting really well. Excellent grip in the wet and quiet.
  18. The original was the RE040 - still got a brand new as yet unused spare in the boot :) Having said that I'll now get a puncture!! They did stop doing the RE040 for while and Lexus recommended the RE050 instead but they seem to be around again now.
  19. Rim protectors are a thicker bit of rubber made into the tyre wall mould to try and help protect the alloy from damage if you run along the kerb slightly. It would not save you if you drive hard into the kerb though!! But can be a bit of help.
  20. It's also recommended that you put the car into "3" if you are towing. It stops the car changing gear all the time (given there is more load on the engine than normal) and even though the engine is revving more it often uses less fuel because it isn't working so hard. And it gives more engine braking and battery recharging. If you stop for a long time at the lights or in heavy traffic then you will save fuel by putting the car into neutral.
  21. Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (or ULEV) refers to the efficiency of the catalytic converters fitted to the car and their ability to remove the unburnt fuel, carbon monoxide and NOx from the exhaust gas - in the same way cars in Europe are referred to as being Euro 5 compliant for example. For a long time carbon dioxide has not been considered a pollutant but this is changing. Funny when you see it in relation to a 5.0 litre V8 though I agree :D
  22. Just a quick question - the cars going in for its 40,000 mile service in a week and I was wondering if it needs a brake fluid change - it's a November 2004 54-plate IS300. What do people recommend and do they use DOT4 fluid? Thanks
  23. Traction control does two things - it regulates the power to the engine by automatically varying the throttle position, regardless of the amount you have your foot on the gas pedal (in the IS200/300s this is done via the electronic throttle control - some older systems with mechanical throttles had a second throttle that would close the airflow to cancel out what your foot was telling the car to do). The second thing it does it to use the brakes of the car to control the spin of the wheels. The same system is used as is for the ABS, so the noise you hear could be this - it would come from the engine bay but it is sometimes hard to pin point when you are sitting in the car. The two methods work to give you the best traction given the conditions. You can tell which is working because you will feel more noticeably the power being cut (it takes a second for the power to cut back in) than the brakes being applied. Normally your foot is on the brake when the ABS kicks in so you feel it through your foot as well as hearing the sound so to hear it but not feel it can be a bit odd. It's not perfect and in this weather physics takes control most of the time with these heavy RWD cars! The LSD is also very helpful is you have one.
  24. The whole system of catalysts (two precats and one main cat) is specifically designed so the car meets the necessary emissions legislation set out by the European union (or the EPA in the states). There are different emissions legislation targets based on when the car was made. As Aido said the precats (or close-coupled catalysts as they are also know) are there to help the car convert the engine emissions when the car is first turned on from cold. They have more concentrated catalyst material than the main catalyst to allow them to convert engine emissions while they (the gas and the cats) are still cold. Also being nearer the engine they get hotter faster, and therefore work more efficienctly in a shorter time than they would do it they were positioned under the car. The main catalyst is required to cope with the emissions coming from the engine when it operates at higher speeds (look up NEDC on Google to see what the European legislation test looks like). The MOT test is different to full European legislation testing as it only looks at the performance of the catalysts once they are fully warmed up. Once the complete system is warm (typically 2-3 minutes after you start the engine) then realistically either the precats on their own or the main cat on its own should work sufficiently well to allow you to pass the MOT test. At 118,00 miles then that's quite good going for the original catalysts to have lasted that long! I would image if you replace only the main catalyst you should pass the MOT test. That's probably the cheapest and easiest thing to change first - if you can wait and take up Yeldarb on the offer that may be the cheapest way - just need to get it fitted. Otherwise a new main cat on its own shouldn't be too expensive.
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