Russell-H

Both my is200 & is300 are autos, the is200 used to do about 300 average 400 on a good run and the is300 does about 280 average 420 on a good run. The is200 is a 4 speed auto and the is300 is a 5 speed auto.

Kind regards

Russell.

After 2 is200 and an is300 i have decided that i want a change, so with winter just around the corner I have bought an old Honda CRV it is nothing special but should get me to work even if it snows and as i did not pay alot for it i am not going to worry about car park damage etc.

I have enjoyed owning Lexus and they have never let me down, it is a bit sad but I am just driving my is300 now until the fuel gets low (that never takes long) and then shall leave it on the drive and start using the Honda.

I would like to thank this forum for the help and advice I was given during my time on here and will be looking in from time to time.

Kind regards

Russell.

Here is a picture of my is300 with rx300 wheels running 225 35 18 tyres

Regards

Russell.

There are a few sets of rx300 / rx400 wheels on there at the moment that are cheeper and do not need refurbishment, these are 18" and lexus.

Regards

Russell.

I have owned 2 is200 and currently have an is300 during normal driving the 300 feels slower than the 200 but this is just because the 300 is so smooth and quieter as it does not need to work as hard as the 200. however when you boot a 300 it is great fun and sounds lovely.

Try a 300 once you have you would not go back to a 200

Regards

Russell.

Had new wheels put on my 300 and since then i have a whine at around 50mph from front offside area, when it went for mot they said there is play on the lower tracking arm inner bush. I have not had a chance to replace this and see if whine gos but wonder if they did something to strees this bush whilst changing the wheels.

Regards

Russell.

How unliucky am I ! no replys after 51 views so looks like i must be the only one that has had this bush go...

If it should happen to another car i have managed to find a pattern part at the local suppliers for £104.00 including VAT so have ordered that one.

Regards

Russell.

My IS 300 has had advisery on MOT that there is play in the inner lower front tracking arm bush. I have now been told by my garage that i use that you have to buy the whole arm for £146.00 +vat

I have seen some on eBay and wondered if these are the correct part and also are they any good or can you just buy the bush from somewhere, basically what are my options.

Kind regards

Russell.

The one key is not a problem if it is the 3 button master key, however if it is only ythe 2 button valet key you will not be able to program any more onto the car and that is an expensive problem.

I would go and look at as many as i can before buying as it is a buyers market at the moment and very few cars are changing hands at the advertised prices, there are normally lots on auto trader if you are prepared to travel.

Do not worry about which one of the two you have found is best find more and keep looking till you find the one that is best for you.

Regards

Russell.

Do they have to be aero's i got a set of 5 RX400 wheels off eBay for just over the £100.00 still Lexus and i think they look better on my is300 than aero's

Kind regards

Russell.

Wow I have never noticed that before, i am looking forward more than normal to the drive home from work today as it will be dark then and i can check the mirrors outside.

Regards

Russell.

And now another set, this is the guy i got mine off he only lives half a mile from me, 170595517167

I would be happy to collect and store these for someone if that would help them.

Regards

Russell.

A couple of people liked these wheels, so if they are interested there a a couple of sets for sale on eBay at the moment.

Item number 320646552507 & 260727956838

A lot more than teh £112.00 i payed for mine but good wheels.

Regards

Russell.

I had my car setup at STS tyre pros a while back, these are a big chain with many branches over the country. They also have an agreement to setup to WIM settings.

They phoned up Tony Bones for the settings and set the car up.

The guy who did it saaid to me that they had recieved a manufactures update a year or so ago and now there settings where almost the same as WIM, they had a corghi alingment machine.

It seems that now the IS 200 300 is older Lexus have quietly agreed that WIM settings are best for the car, so anyone with upto date settings should be ok to use.

Kind regards

Russell.

It looked like this...

A standared IS300 with standared Lexus 17" wheels.

Kind regards

Russell.

You could fit a 225 40 17 to the standared 17 rims but it is 2.2% smaller than the standred size which is acceptable, however i think the point being made is that lower profiles than standered on 17 rims just look to small. If you want to run a lower profile you are better off uping the rim size to 18

My is 300 has 18 inch wheels from an RX300 with 225 35 18 tyres, these are 1.8% smaller than standared.

Regards

Russell.

Your first question is the 300 worth getting over the 200, IMO yes anyday the 300 is a much nicer car, I have owned 2 200 and now a 300. The problem is that people always state how the fuel consumption on the 300 is not much heaveier than the 200 and this is very true, what is missed in that staetment is how bad the 200 is on fuel by todays standareds.

You can not even begin to compare a 300 to a Fiesta off the top of my head the consumtion would be nealry double! on 7 mile trips i would expect to get 280-300 from a tank that is nearly £80 to fill.

Regards

Russell.

Thanks for the positive comments, the reason for the 35 profile and not 40 is that firstly i liked the idea of a low profile and secondly i was worried about fitment as the new wheels are et35 and the old ones are et50 and the lower profile gave a bit more clearence between the wheelarch. the down side of the low profile is that whilst 225 40 18 are a very popular size and are therefore cheep to buy 225 35 18 are quite rare and tyres are fairly expensive. The tyres on it at the moment are Continental sport contact 2 and i can not find these for under £200.00 a tyre.Even my cheep falkern guy down the road from me wants £91.00 each fitted.

The other reason that i thought 35 profile was good is that it is the same difference as the 40 profile from standared just smaller not bigger, ie using a tyre comparacter website

http://www.rimsntires.com/specs.jsp?item=Wheel-Tire size comparer&sw1=215&ar1=45&bd1=17&rw1=7.0&et1=50&sw2=225&ar2=35&bd2=18&rw2=7.0&et2=35&text1=&text2=

if you compare the 225 40 18 to the standraed 215 45 17 it is 1.8% bigger the 35 profile is 1.8% smaller so speedo not going to change much.

Car does feel more positive round bends since fitment but that could be down to the fact that i had a full 4 wheel alignment done at the same time as wheels fitted and the geometry was way out, it was toeing out not towing in.

Kind regards

Russell.

Have now managed to get hold of the original Lexus centres instead of my home made ones, so thought i would put a couple of pictures up to see if people liked the wheels. I think they suit the IS really well and can be found much cheaper the Aeros on eBay i payed just over £100 for mine.

Kind regards

Russell.

Niether do either of mine illuminate.

Regards

Russell.

Got a new set of 18" wheels on my IS300 they are genuine Lexus wheels off and RX400 i belive and unlike most people who go for the 225/40 tyres i went a bit lower at 225/35 have got a set of continetal 2 's on there at the moment and they seem to grip ok most miles been done in snow at the moment.

Have stuck a couple of pictures up, the centers are tempery ones that i have printed at the moment until the ones i ordered off eBay arrive.

Regards

Russell.

16" Wheels fit both the is 200 & 300

Snow here not to bad but I find my 300 is better than my 200 was mainly because the LSD means i have 2 wheel drive pushing squarely but the 200 was one wheel pushing sideways.

Regards

Russell.

Firstly because the one place the tyre may hit is fronts on full lock are very close to wheel arch and sidewall on 35 profile is only 79 mm whilst side wall on 40 profile is 90 so quite a big difference, also the tyre size calculater that i use http://www.rimsntires.com/specs.jsp?item=Wheel-Tire size comparer&sw1=215&ar1=45&bd1=17&rw1=7.0&et1=50&sw2=225&ar2=35&bd2=18&rw2=7.0&et2=35&text1=&text2=

says that the 35 profile is 1.8 % smaller and the 40 profile is 1.8% bigger than standared so so both as close as the other, plkus i am lead to belive that the lower the profile the more stable the tyre.

Kind regards

Russell.

It is the heater matrix in the dash, the passenger pipes are vertical and drivers horizontal apparently and this causes the passenger side to block. Last year i removed the 2 hoses where they go through the baulkhead filled it with radflush and then run the hose through it both ways for some time, this cured it for 6 months but now i have the same problem back again. It is such a pain would not mind if other way round but my wife hates the cold and i have to cokk myself to wram her side of car up.

Kind regards

Russell.

This has put my mind at rest, i think the wheels are off either a gs or rx i got them of eBay and only paid £100 for them so a good deal made even better by the fact that the seller only lives 1/4 of a mile away so no postage. I just did not want to buy tyres then find they would not fit the car. I will put picturwes up once fitted however this could be a while yet as i want 225 35 18 and these are quite rare and so expensive.

Thanks

Russell.