japthree

I know on the IS200 you have the SNOW button which is supposed to help in wintry conditions, however if you are driving an automatic without any such button how do you force a higher gear than in normal conditions.

As you know, you are supposed to drive a manual by starting off in 2nd (or even 3rd?) slipping the clutch if you need to and then drive in a higher (less powerful) gear than normally?

Is your traction control supposed to be on or off? Or it depends if you are stuck in the snow or what?

Thanks!

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/...tegoryId_165688

Prism Flexi Clear Daytime Styling Lights

Creates a daytime running light effect and a modern style of lighting that enhances the look of your car.

2011 will see all new cars fitted with daytime running lamps. In preparation, many manufacturers have already started to produce models with daytime running lamps. Flexi Clear Daytime Styling Lights creates a daytime running lights effect and a modern style of lighting that enhances the look of your car. These lights are made with a waterproof construction and are designed to easily fit vehicle contours.

Features and benefits

* 2x37cm flexi clear daytime styling lights

* 2x18 high intensity white LED's

* Strips can flex both horizontally and vertically to match the contours of modern headlamps

* Includes clear adhesive

* Both the strips and adhesive are clear preventing them from effecting the look of the car when not in use

* Easy 12V 2 Wire fitment - full instructions included

Additional Information

Road legal when used in conjunction with your vehicles original side postion lights.

* Type: LEDs

===========

I'm thinking of fitting these - what do you say - thing is I'm not very DIY so apart from sticking the lights on I'm not sure about the 'wiring'??? :duh:

Were you full of confidence (after all, you've passed your test - your good enough to drive alone!?) or a little, shall we say, tense and nervous or even worse?

Your experiences, memories please?

I was a little nervous but then if you aren't going to drive alone what's the point of passing your test! You've got to do it sooner or later!

You would have thought that you could go to the Shell UK, BP, Total, Esso, etc website and check the price of fuel at a particular petrol station?

How come you have to go via a 'third-party' site such as www.petrolprices.com?

If you want the price of a loaf of bread at Tescos you can visit tesco.com so why not the same for fuel?

Ever wondered????

The other week I nearly got squashed on joining the motorway. I was joining in the right hand slip road and got on the motorway with a car to my immediate right in lane 2 and one ahead of me in my lane 1.

The thing was that I was on the motorway for a few seconds and then I was right at the junction of end of the left hand slip road and lane 1 of the motorway and a car was joining in that left hand slip road and literally was RUNNING OUT of slip road... and had to give way... but I was pooing my pants as I couldn't change lane as I was blocked and couldn't accelerate as such as a car was in front (as already described above) and thinking the joining car was going to crash into me!

What do you say - bad luck on my part or what?

Apparently BMW group (BMW and Mini) fit their cars (all of them?) with metal dust caps...

A BMW owner told me he had his car serviced at BMW last year and needed two of his tyres to be replaced also. However he got the car back with those two tyres fitted with plastic black dust caps! He was going to complain but waited till the next service and requested they be fitted with metal ones to match the other two!

Lexus should start doing them too! They look good!

I have had the ERR1 problem with mine a few times and I think I had the ERR3 once.

I found that as soon as the unit showed any signs of jamming a sharp thump on the side of the console near the unit would sometimes shock the CD free.

Sometimes a series of small thumps on the side of the console would also work the CD loose while the motors are whirring trying to eject.

I do not know whether this would work in your case, it may be worth applying a series of thumps very close together while repeatedly pressing the eject button may release the jam, it has worked for me.

Also do this with the engine running so that battery voltage is at max (14V), may give the motors the edge they need.

After I had the problem a few times I stuck to one CD at a time to give it an easier life. It was still working when I sold the car a few months ago.

Give it a try you may recover it ... then use 1 CD at a time.

I also found that copied CD's were sometimes thicker and easier to jam.

I've given it a thump few times - with my fingers crossed - should I try using a hammer or something firmer? Can you describe your "thump" a bit more - I'm missing listening to CDs in the car .... aaarg! Heeeeeelp!

Just curious, has the novelty worn out - or it still brings a smile to your face?

Does Toyota or Lexus do this start-up routine in any other models? If not, perhaps it was to replace the swiss watch speedo feature on the MK1 IS to make the MK2 IS a bit different from the crowd?

ISimple ruels, lane one is your driving lane and lane's two and three are overtaking lanes. Even at 70mph people would still be passing each other because you don't need a calibrated speedomotre in the UK so people with new tyres will be going slightly faster than those with worn tyres.

Thanks for your replies and advice.

In theory, then if everyone stuck to lane one being your driving and lane two is your overtaking lane AND people who moved into lane 2 to overtake immediate moved back into lane one when it was safe to do so .. then there should not be anyone in lane three except when getting into a particular lane for an exit, etc.

BUT suppose you overtake a HGV in lane one at 60 mph and then are approaching Grandma driving in lane one in her IS-F at 65 mph you would STAY in lane two until you pass her - this is better driving then weaving in and out of lanes? Anticipation, forward planning ... Just checking!!!

dave1:

As for knowing if I drive at 70 - I'm just going at 70 according to the IS' speedo but manufacturers calibrate the speedo higher than the actual speed? My TomTom records a speed of 64 when I going at 70.

Reading the used car section in Auto Express a couple of weeks ago pointed out that a couple of issues are: the lacquer on the alloy wheels coming off and the relatively thin paint which is prone to scratching... a cousin of mine has an astral black IS and there are loads of scratches on it - a lot strangely under the door handle on the door... could a complete re spray / repaint be a feasible option? It's a shame Lexus / Toyota didn't use a 'thicker' type of paint???

Can someone explain this to me : if I'm doing the official 70 mph on the motorway and am in lane 2 or lane 3 why should that be a problem? Because why would anyone want to overtake me (as you are supposed to be doing 70 max also?) And overtaking me would mean you are doing more than 70?

Also the other day there was a goods vehicle in lane 1 and another in lane 2 side by side. According to the Highway Code goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes (and cars towing trailers and caravans) are supposed to do 60 max. I overtook both of them by going into lane 3 and stuck at just over 70, maybe 72. Some one comes up behind me right on my tail and starts to flash to ask me to out of his way. I couldn't do this immediately as my left hand side was blocked. Soon though I moved into lane 2 and he zoomed off at around 85... into the distance...in lane 3 (exceeding the limit...).

Now... who is driving correctly me or him? Or neither?

IF everyone is driving at 70 in lane 1 (the "slow" lane) should anyone be in lanes 2 or 3 if you are all supposed to be doing 70? Unless of course you have to be in a particular lane as an exit or motorway is coming up.

The reason you move into the middle lane (lane 2) is to overtake a "slow" vehicle in lane 1 (i.e. not doing 70?) Right?

Reminding me of Knight Rider - what about 'V' - I found out that a remake is currently soon to be on air in the States!

If it follows the same format though - Visitors are taking the water and humans for food, etc - well the suspense has gone cos I already know that!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_(2010_TV_series)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_(The_Second_Generation)

I can't see Lexus changing their brand identity. I think all we're talking about here is an administrative issue. As I said, I can't see any mention of Toyota on the leaflet that I got through the post from Lexus, everything there was Lexus.

The red envelope "HOW CONVERTIBLE ARE YOU?" on the back says if undelivered please return to: Toyota GB PLC - Lexus Division"

also the postcard's address is Toyota GB PLC- Lexus division if you want your Lexus Centre to contact you about the IS250C....

The letter "TAKE THE NEW LEXUS IS250C FOR A 21 SECOND TEST DRIVE" has the same as the top and bottom.

Check out page 144 of July's What Car magazine for the best compact executive - can you guess? Hint: it's not the 3-series!

Check out page 153 for best manufacturer - hint: it's the same one as last year and the last and the last ad infinitum...!

Got a letter and blurb about the IS250C and it seems Lexus has been 'renamed' - I thought Toyota was trying to get the image across that Lexus is a separate identity few years ago... but it seems they've gone back? The address on the brochure and letter has Toyota (GB) PLC - Lexus Division instead of Lexus (GB)?

any official Lexus / motor trade figures and/or what you see on the roads... - I think black and silver are pretty common. I suppose options-wise it's IS250 SE Auto with MM pack?

as standard? Amazing! You have to get these as an option? Where do you put your leaflets, books, mags, maps, tissues, etc then?

Why not as standard - is it not trendy or what?

P.S. Do other car companies do this too?

........Obviously you remove all valuables so no-one steals them but what do you do if it suddenly rains or a bird decides to poo on your car?

http://www.carpages.co.uk/audi/audi-a4-safety-09-02-08.asp

These daytime LED lights on various Audi models were a bit cheesy first to my taste; but I've gotten use to them and for some unknown reason whenever I see a black A4 with them (on) my heart skips a beat!

Supposing I get another car or one for my partner it would either be an E90 3-series, IS250 or an A4 BUT I'm finding the A4 a bit exclusive and it's the newest model out of the three and not many on the road even as of today... I'm not too keen on the inside cabin though, I think a 3-series is much nicer!

But then I still think Japanese cars are the most reliable so it could be a IS250 or the new convertible in the near future... but those Audi daytime lights are unique - Lexus don't do anything fancy with their headlights and BMW's Xenons aren't as good as those daytime lights from a visual perspective... IMHO.

Perhaps Lexus IS models aren't a good example as the engine range is limited but suppose you take a 3 series model range, you can have a 318, 320, 325, 330, etc I've never quite understood why one would actually need to buy a 330? If you stick to speed limits, etc, defensive driving surely that extra power over say a 320 (as a standard size) would never be used unless you were on the run from the police!

What's the point of the extra money for that size engine and lower mpg, higher insurance premium/insurance group, etc.

Can you recommend some good (Windows XP and Vista) software and download sites please or direct me to tried and tested computer security forums, etc for accurate info

Any internet links for internet security guides, etc which you use, recommend too please. Thanks.

I was driving in D as you do and accidentally shifted to N with the gas on - the car stopped but screeched and pedestrians looked to see the source of the noise!

It was quite scary - but does it affect the car / damage it and is it safe to do - would the car skid or something in the wrong conditions for instance?

Thanks.

I like the reg plates with repeated characters like "MM55 ..." or how about "OO07 ..." (as in James Bond 007!). Do you have or seen any other good ones - not personalised / private of course!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_car_number_plates

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/gr...s_lexus_is.html

How embarassing! Seat Exeo is basically the last-genenration Audi A4 revamped!

Not all BMW drivers are 'snobs' or 'arrogant' and drive too fast, etc so why do people have this 'view' of them? Some want to drive safely and stick to the rules of the road and just buy a Beemer because of the quality, handling, etc just like Lexus owners buy Lexus!

Also if you own a BMW or another prestige make it doesn't necessarily mean you are 'rich' cos you might have bought it second hand rather than brand new?

???