kweilo

Not an auto - and the rad basically exploded just after I posted this.

Stuff everywhere, water looks utterly vile but I figure most of that is rust and crud.

So new rad tomorrow - if I can drive it to a garage without overheating!

So the car isn't overheating, but I've got (what looks like) oil and coolant coming from what appears to be the radiator matrix.

That can't be good right - the weird thing is the overflow / expansion tank isn't going down.

Any ideas - I'll be taking it to a garage ASAP but wondered if anyone had any thoughts?

Coolant is dropping slightly - was to the MAX mark yesterday, did a run to Swindon and I've lost 20mm off the MAX mark.

Something to be worried about?

This isn't the first run I've had, so I would've thought any air blockages would've cleared by now.

Can't smell coolant thought, so I'm surprised I've still got a leak (apparently!).

Man, heck of a day to be doing this - icy winds a blowin' in Essex...

Still, the thing is done.

Guide / pictures etc to follow - I need to have a word with whoever specified the world's thinest aluminium and barely structurally sound design for that heater matrix...

Nice to have (a) NO SMELL and (B) a whole lotta heat !

:D

hope you can share the walk-through how you get it install

all the best :zee:

I'm going to follow the earlier guide and just try for doing the matrix without the dash coming apart - not replacing the whole kit. But yeah, I'll take some piccies along the way :)

Managed to get me and the car to collect this...

Not bad for £35!

The chap said 'oh yeah, you'll need the dash off, but if you get stuck, bring it and the car here and we'll do it together' - said he'd tested it as well before removing so swore it'd all be fine.

Going to be a fun Saturday ;)

Thanks - since I'll be spending the weekend back in Essex / seeing family / that heater matrix job, I'll probably have a go with the wet sanding thing as well and see what I get!

Found this for you

http://www.lexusowne...showtopic=64252

Aye - been having a read and re-read on that one mate - I just had a look underneath the dash and I have to say that it looks bloody tight under there!

Still... it is either do this or scrap the car so nowt to lose!

Cheers for that - worth a shot.

It *almost* looks like it'll come out - this was a first attempt... (ignore the coffee where I dropped my Costa!)

This happened a while ago...

But hell, since I'm going to keep her, subject to the heater matrix going in ok...

Any ideas?

I did the normal in terms of buffing down, t-cut (very very lightly) but... well is there anything I can do aside from look at a professional touch-up?

Snagged that matrix from eBay, will hopefully collect Saturday and then go straight for the install!

If this includes the heater matrix bits, I'll be happy as.

Thanks for the share!

That's the same one as I posted the link up for you to see

At £35.00 for the lot, assuming it is not leaking it's a no brainer unless you want to buy a new one from Lexus.

Oh yeah. Sorry chap - serious case of the idiot going on there - I did one from home and the other on the laptop and it didn't click they might be the same!

I need my head screwing on properly. Might give 'em a call and get it - dash off and back on seems to be do-able in a day...

Not having much luck finding the part on eBay - only one I've found but it is cheap... £35 at the moment.

Apparently it is *in* Walthamstow so I could get it, head out to Essex, borrow my Dad's driveway for the afternoon and give it a go....

Thoughts?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221175901669

Oh and Lexus Southend said they'd never had one of these go before and hadn't done a fit either...!

I'm down in E17 - Walthamstow mate!

I did E17 - Lancaster for a site visit on Tuesday, then off to Manchester. Yesterday was Manchester - Sheffield - Barnsley and the home... which I got to around 1am on a truck!

Lexus Southend just gave me their quote - £920. Phoning around the local garages here at the moment to see what they think they can do it for.

If I can get the part quickly enough, I think the cut-pipe-dashinplace option is the one - with 156k on the clock and motorway miles giving the paintwork a hammering, the re-sale value is gone already. Spending £700+ to get it done just isn't viable.

So... we shall see!

Heater matrix. I'd checked the carpets - completely dry.

RAC chap was utterly baffled as well - no pressure in the system and coolant was disappearing mighty quick.

He went right underneath the dash, pulled back the insulation and whatnot... and sure enough there was water a-plenty.

Can't drive it - losing water this quick and 165 miles to home isn't an option.

Options for heater matrix - any old garage or Lexus job... or a home-fix?

As for the ammonia smell, he was stumped - reckons there was an additive in the coolant at some point. I'm still baffled on that one.

I still think its a catalytic converter you know

Hope it is - bloody raining and I'm in a suit so can't check. Hopefully RAC will be able to have a look - I checked the exhaust earlier and it felt like it was pumping out at a normal rate etc.

Nigh on impossible to diagnose with basic tools in the dark - so it'll be a transport back to London and then a bit of guess work before giving up and going to a garage.

Bah and humbug!

S***!!!

Driving on the M1, mist got silly and then ammonia-ish gas starts pouring out of the vents - must've been loaded with water vapour as I could *see* it.

Stuck at Woodall and waiting for the RAC now :(

Probably time for a trip to the garage I guess :(

drive it hard for ten minutes. Then stop the car and let engine running and vents blowing. If strong smell is coming after 10 or so seconds after stopping, its catalytic converters. They are about to go or already gone.

Did exactly that today, during a trip across from Manchester to Sheffield.

Almost 100% certain it isn't that - had serious issues keeping the car free of mist - and I'm almost certain there was fluid being misted on to the windscreen at some point.

Air con looking like the major suspect at this point :/

Not 100% sure but could be catalytic converter or something related to exhaust.

I had a strong rotten egg/ammonia smell in a works van a few years ago, coming through the vents, worse when heaters on. Made me throw up! It was the catalytic converter.

Urgh - that'd be a real ballache!

It was absolutely fine this morning (well yesterday morning) from London - Lancaster. Then this silliness on the drive back down south. I'll see what it runs like in the morning - might be an RAC job - can't be driving around gassing myself to death!

I've seen the topics about AC being musty / stuffy / generally nasty.

Well there was a smell coming through my vents earlier that nearly knocked me out - like smelling salts but heavier, maybe like ammonia?

It must've made me go a bit funny because I didn't actually think 'whoa there chap, stop and get this looked at' until I'd driven from Lancaster to Manchester.

Now I'm not an idiot on the roads, when I'd had fresh air and realised how strong the smell was, I almost kicked myself.

So, ammonia smells, folks... seems to be worse with the heating running hot.

I figured maybe coolant or something to start with, but coolant doesn't smell like smelling salts or ammonia...

Any thoughts?

52 plate IS200SE for the record!

Ok, maybe not crazy... but I'm still mighty confused.

The coolant / engine temp guage is swapping between medium and freezing, and the fuel guage light is flashing as if I have no fuel, whilst the dial has disappeared off the end of the scale.

I turn off the ignition, restart, and we're fine for a few minutes. Then, everything goes nuts.

Er, any ideas, anyone?

Have you had any of the other lights start flashing like a Xmas tree yet? If so, it could be water is getting into the junction/fuse box in the driver footwell. This happened to me about this time last year after me had alot of rain.

Nothing else has gone crazy, not has anything gone weird since Tuesday night. It did bucket down that night - probably worth an investigate. Cheers!