Redsteve

It would probably be easier and cheaper to change insurance company than to buy and install an approved alarm and imobiliser. I will bet that 99% of LS owners don't have to retro fit an imobiliser, I know I didn't on my 1995 or on my current 2000. Good luck. Redsteve.

Isn't there one built into the car as standard? Redsteve.

Lexusdriver, Have you checked prices for your tyre size? I checked via google and found them for around £180.00 each, on average. Not many manufacturer's make 245/50/ZR17s though unless others with the DHP pack on this forum can advise you where to get the best prices from. Cheers. I have the DHP on my 2000 MK IV with the 245 tyres. When it came to replacing the tyres I was stunned at how expensive they were but by going down a size to 235 they were £50 cheaper each! :o I haven't noticed any difference in handling, the grip from the Pirellis is fantastic. I got my tyres from Central but they didn't do a very good job of balancing the wheels so I took it somewhere else for that. Hope this helps. Redsteve.

I understand the concept that people like different things (for example, some people like Land Rovers but I wouldn't touch one with a bargepole) but in layman's terms why would a Mac be better for my needs? I am curious because this discussion has raged for a long time but PCs still seem to be more popular to the general public. Redsteve.

To be honest, I don't know what the difference is. I only use my PC for looking on here (and the rest of the web), E-mail and burning CDs. Redsteve.

Hello all, I can't tell you how to set your screen to night time vision but I can tell you that if you turn the dial which adjusts the brightness of the dash lights all the way round to the right until it clicks then this will cancel the auto dimming of the dash lights when the exterior light fades. Hope this helps you. Redsteve. P.S. Will you even be able to see what is on the screen in bright sunlight if you try and set the screen to night time vision?

Thanks for the reply. My car is a 5 speed. I am a bit reluctant to go to my local dealer as they have already tried to fleece me once before, they told me my previous LS needed £5000 of work to get it through it's MOT. I had the tested somewhere else and it sailed through with no advisory notices for the next two years after which I had to sell it. I will try a flush and see what happens. I will also be on the lookout for an Auto Trans specialist. Once again, thanks for the tips. Redsteve.

PC. Redsteve

Thanks for the info. Are the solenoids adjustable or do they have to be replaced? More importantly, are they easy to get to, to either adjust or change them? Is it one solenoid per gear? So many questions... Redsteve.

Hi, have you got rough gear changes all through the box or is it just one gearchange? I would have thought that if it was the fluid causing my problem then all the changes would be bad. Redsteve.

Hello to you all. My LS has got a very annoying fault. :megaangry: When the car is accelerating there is one gear change which is not smooth, I think it is from 3rd to 4th but I am not sure. When the car is downshifting it is silky smooth. All other gear changes are perfect. If I accelerate hard then the gear change is quite violent. :o The car is a MK IV with 154000 miles on it and a full Lexus service history. I have checked the ATF, the fluid looks OK and the level is good. I have tried the PWR and SNOW settings on the gearbox but it makes no difference. This is really beginning to bug me now, I have had the car for about a year and it has always done it but it has got no worse in that time. Does anyone have any ideas what the trouble may be. Many thanks. Redsteve.

Hi there. If you are using the form from DVLA to tax your car then you can tax it two weeks before your current tax disc expires and it will run from when your current one runs out at the end of the month. You can display the new disc as soon as you get it as you must have already had a valid disc to be able to buy the new disc two weeks early. If you buy your new disc before the two weeks (like on the 10th of the month) then the disc will be backdated to the beginning of the current month. If your car has no valid tax disc and you want it to start at the beginning of the next month then you can only buy the disc two days before the beginning of the month, I am almost certain you can display and drive on this new disc as soon as you get it. Hope this helps. Redsteve.

Hi guys and gals. This is not so much a case of have I spotted you, but have you spotted me? I drive a white Mercedes Sprinter along the North Norfolk coast from Monday to Saturday. If you see such a van with Coles written on the front, give me a wave, it will brighten up an otherwise dull day! Hope to see at least some of you soon. Redsteve.

Hi, I had a similar problem on my trusty old Hilux a while back. It turned out to be the voltage regulator that was kaput. Well worth checking as they are quite a bit cheaper than a new alternator. :D Good luck. Redsteve.

I have a 2000 with the DHP. If I had my chance again then I would rather not have the DHP. It makes for a choppy ride on B roads and the handling isn't that much better. These cars just don't want to be thrown into corners, they are cruisers. The tyres for the 17" wheels are ridiculously expensive. :o The Sat Nav is awkward to use and the directions it gives are quite often very suspect. It can't be programmed while the car is in Drive so your passenger can't even use it while you are driving. The fuel enonomy is about the same as my 95 LS was, I average about 25 MPG. Having said all that, it might only have 20 BHP more but you can tell the difference when you stamp on the loud pedal. Personally, if my 95 LS had not lurched every time the AC compressor kicked in then I would have had another MKIII, that was the thing that annoyed me most about my 95. The MKIV is silky smooth AC on or off. Just my view. Redsteve.

I mostly deliver to Lancashire,Staffordshire and the Midlands. Ok. If you do ever find your way this far south then look out for the green LS outside Cole's and pop in for a coffee.

Do you ever deliver to East Coast Storage in King's Lynn? I work on the same estate as them and I am sure I have seen your company's trucks driving past our sheds. Redsteve.

It was the hinges on mine. If you open the top glovebox (where the CD changer is on a MK IV) and see if you can wobble the hinges in and out, if you can then you need to tighten them up. The hardest part of the job is getting the little screw covers off without damaging them but it should only take about 10 minutes to do the whole job. The peace and quiet after you have done it is lovely! As for the sunroof cover rattle, if you push it firmly all the way to the back of the car it should stop the noise. Mine does work it's way forward every two or three days but is no real problem.

I just trimmed the plastic clip with a Stanley Knife, it took about 30 seconds to do and now I can fit any make blade from any store. When I need new blades I just re-use my trimmed clip. BTW, yes I am a skinflint! ;) I have moved away from using Bosch as they do start to squeal like a pig with flu after a few weeks. On a slightly different topic I bought a Bosch garden strimmer a couple of weeks ago, used it once and threw it to the back of my shed in disgust, it is useless. :tsktsk: Redsteve.

Get the 'Lux! I have had 3 Hi-Lux now and I just love them. The only reason I have had 3 is that I have always had to sell due to financial problems, every time I get back on my feet I go and buy another Hi-Lux. The L200 has way too many reliability issues, they look pretty but I have been led to believe that underneath that body it is all old technology that has been spruced up a bit. I will admit that the new Hi-lux is not the best looking truck in standard trim, but a set of wide arches and some nice wheels make all the difference. Stick with the marque that you know and love, the finish is not as good as the Lexus but the build is just as tough! Just my two pence worth. Redsteve.

Hello Randy. I changed the front pads on my LS in November. The warning light had not come on but I knew the pads were getting low so I changed them anyway. About two weeks after I had changed them the brake warning message flashed up on the dash. As the pads were new I knew that wasn't the problem so I thought, as you do, that it must be a sensor somewhere. However, I had four new tyres put on the old girl this week (ouch!) and while the wheels were off the car I noticed a very clean band round the inside edge of one of the front wheels. Upon further inspection it was the wire which comes off the brake pad which had been rubbing on the wheel and it had worn right through the outer tubing and through both wires inside. I suspect that is why my brake wear message has appeared. Apparently it is quite common for these wires to break, I would check these first as it is a cheap and easy fix. Let us know how you get on. Redsteve.

Hello David. I don't know exactly how the boot release from inside the car works, but I am assuming it is not a cable release so it might be an electrical problem. Perhaps the switch that the lever that you pull operates is broken or even the lever is not making contact with the switch. You said that the boot opens with the key and also with the remote so it can't be the catch mechanism in the boot. If it is just the switch at fault then it should be a fairly cheap fix. I hope you get it sorted. Redsteve.

Hello all. I am thinking about having a wood burner, or multi-fuel stove installed. I have quite a large fireplace so when I have an open fire a lot of smoke gets into my living room making everything smokey and sooty. :yack: I don't use the fire every day as I also have central heating but the cost of oil is beginning to worry me. My thinking is that if I have a wood burner the wood will be cheaper than oil and I will be able to leave it burning when I go to work or to bed and the house will stay warm. My question is, does anyone here have one installed and do you think they are worth the investment? Has anyone got any horror stories about particular makes of stoves. I am intending (assuming I decide to go for it) to have it installed professionally by a reputable local firm using the correct flue. Any advice will be gratefully received. Redsteve. P.S. I do realise it will make it more difficult for Santa to get down the chimney, but he can always push all my presents through the cat flap instead. ;)

Yes, I watched it. I didn't even know there was any boxing on TV, I was just channel hopping when I came across it just as the fighters were getting into the ring. :D It was an awesome fight, as you say, one of the best I have seen for a very long time. I must admit, I thought Froch was going to get careless in the middle of the fight and end up on his back :outforcount: but he sure can take some punishment, as could the other guy! I like to watch the Friday night fights on Sky (when they are on). It is always American, there have been some fantastic scraps on there. Redsteve.

I work for a fishmerchant, filleting and delivering fish to restaurants. It's a cold and smelly job but the money is not too bad. :) The downside is that my car always smells of fish! :( It is easy to find in the carpark though as it always has a cloud of flies hovering over it. Redsteve.