Jobow

I have just returned from a driving trip accross France to Swtzerland and back. My Is200 was full loaded with 4 occupants and luggage. On the way back it was loaded with booze and hunkered down! Event with the weight, performance was good and it kept up with the traffic well. It didnt miss a beat, use one drop of oil or coolant. It was spot-on the whole time. I was chuffed with the performance!

I would go with the Toyota Garage. I had my 60K service (although the car have only cover 19K) at a small independent. Timing belt, tensioner, oils, MOT only came in at £385. I didnt have the waterpump changed. If it aint broke, I am not going to fix it!

Thanks guys, Really appreciate the tips. Plenty for me to look into and research Thanks again joe

Thanks for those tips, I will potentially be taking my IS200 automatic. It has the TTE front and rear bumpers.

Hi all I thinking of driving accross to Swtizerland in April, to visit family. I have never done this, so wonder if any of you have any pearls of wisdom you would like to share? Routes? What maintenance items I should carry in case of emergency? Modifications for driving in other countries? Insurance? Breakdown? Tunnel or ferry? Points of interest? Any tips gladly welcome? Thanks in advance?

Hi all I am potentially thinking of driving accross Europe to Switzerland in April. Know the frotn bumper may take bit of a hammering from grime, stones, flys etc I was wondering what I could protect it with, over and above a good waxing? The paintwork is good, so I wondered if a body wrap on the bumper is an option? Maybe transparent or a carbon weave effect? Any ideas appreciated and any good garage recommendations welcome! Many thanks joe

Hi james, Sorry for the late response. I have had my leus serviced at Albin motors two years running. I find kevin and his crew (ex lexus mechanics) to be honest and frendly. They are open and fair when quoting for work and always keep me informed if anything unexpected comes up. Also Kevin wont push work on you, which is refreshing. Despite being a pig of a drive to get there from where I live, i will continue to go there. Wholly recommended. joe

Hey Needed two small chinks on two alloy wheels sorted. After trawling the net, I plumped for My link For a mobile service in Surrey, they were very good. Tony was particularly helpful and did a thorough job Recommended if you need the odd alloy sorting Joe

Hey Dont worry about those fine scratches, look up a professional detailer on the detailing world website. They will valet the entire car and easily remove those marks. Equally buy yourself a porter-cable polisher and have the satisfaction of doing it yourself.

Hi all, We unfortunately touched the kerb the other day which has resulted in a slight scuff on the edge of my front alloy. Nothing big at all, but I would like it touched in, none the less. I dont think the wheel needs a full refurb and they are not teh diamond cut alloy. They are the sport alloy with a sliver lacquer finish. Question: Anyone know a reputable wheel repairer in the surrey/middlesex area? I live in Twickeham. Any recommendations would be great many thanks Joe

Hi all, My car is coming up for servicing, and I usually go to Albin motors. I will most likely go there again. However, I have noticed another lexus independent in Mitcham. The link is below. http://www.dandbautomotive.co.uk/ Has anyone used them? Does anyone have any reviews? Just wondering as they are a bit nearer to me Many thanks Joe

Hey, That would be good to see, if you could upload it, as I am toying with either the rack or the roof mounted bars. If you do have a picture, please upload it. Many thanks Joe

Great thread! A story. Test drove my lexus before I bought it from a small trade garage, no clunking on the front brakes. Bought the car, and it was kindly "serviced", including new pads on the front! Great! 2 weeks after having bought it clunking starts at the front of car. I am certain the garage threw the shims away when they replaced the pad. Anyhow, the brakes clunks all the time. Due to get the pads replaced at a lexus indepenent soon. Bottom line - live with it! Mine clunk all the time except at high speed, as I cant hear it. Seems the japs couldnt design a decent brake system on a presteige motor. Amazing!

With the saris rack, how many bikes do you put on it? I am worried it may bend or affect the bootlid. Do you also have to fit an extra lights or reg plate?

Hey! Does anyone know of any good bike racks? I want to take my mountain bike further afield. Seems roof bars and bike mounts on top of the car, are the way to go? Any suggestions on what equipment to go for?

Nice mate, Is that devon cliffs, sandy bay?

O.k So I see an advert for alloygator, a thick strip of nylon you wedge in around the wheel, to stop it getting kurbed. Sounds sensible. My question, anyone on here used them? Any reviews out there amongst you owners?

Premiums have definately gone up. I am 31 and have just paid £440 and that was the cheapest I could get. A jump of £50 on last year. Crap!

Get a bit of Blue Hylomar on it!

good work on the polisher and harley wax. Its good stuff! Your car will look good after you have gone over it. Other prodcuts to consider, Megs 80 or Menzerna Final Finish and Intensive polish. Go over the car with this and then the Harley wax! Another wax you may also consider is Collinite 476 double coat. Amazing durability Happy wazing!

Yeah I get that too, especially in this weather. I pop the heater on and it clears, nothing to worry about

Autoglym wont actually remove the scratches. It will clean the paint of any oxidisation but doesnt have enough cut to remove deep scratches. Having said that you can have varying degrees of success using a machine polisher. I would first off purchase a g220/Das polisher machine http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polishing/po...r/prod_519.html This is different from a rotary polisher in that it orbits as it polishes and wont burn a hole in your paintwork. Therefore its safe and effective to use for deep polishing. Get yourself some Meg 80 professional polish or Menzerna (used by Porsche/Mercedes) Final Finish or Itensive polish. These all have a mild degree of cut, which when used with a polisher will remove mild scratches and rejuvenat teh paintwork. To finish, the best wax I have used on a silver car is Collinite 476 doublecoat. Very durable and leave a deep glossy finish. Before any of this, it goes without saying that you should "clay" the car first as any polishing without performing this step is pretty pointless, in my opinion. The claying will remove any crud from the paintwork, which isnt visible to the naked eye. Having used it, it leaves the paintwork feeling like glass and youll be amazed at the crap you remove! Happy polishing!

Sounds a bit drastic if its the head! Especially if its running fine. It may sound daft bit have you really checked all of the rubber rad pipes for signs of leaks, epsecially if they are dry and start to crack? Have you also checked the jubilee clips that hold it all together?

Hi! I would be inclined to drop your car off at Albin Motors in Lower Sydenham, not far from London Bridge. (ABM Motors) They are an independent Lexus/Toyota specialist. Kevin, the owner will be able to sort any key issue out as well as look at the car for you and test drive it. On the subject of the key, any Lexus garage will also sort it out but may charge you more? Official costs of a spare key (with blipper) about £150, so I hear. Check out some other threads on this forum and youll see a more DIY version where you buy the key off ebay and reprogramme it yourself! Hope that helps joe

Good post! I am thinking of doing the same and investing in a rack that sits on the back of the boot! Like you I would be interested to know what people use, where to get one and the cost?