bobjol

Just rang the office of my MSP and secretary said he would be very interested in reading the article and specific comments concerning racist remarks against Scotland. WATCH THIS SPACE.

A reply on this topic made about an hour ago has annoyed me. A reference was made about a Scottish Minister living on an island with a wife named Agnes. I am Scottish and my late mother was named Agnes. We dont live on an island, but take great offence at those comments and references. Why was Scotland chosen to make those racist and bigoted remarks?

I never realised that residents south of the border used umbrellas. We need them on a regular basis, but always assumed that anywhere South of Carlisle was rain free.

I can only quote my own experience with DIRECT LINE. My renewal was 2 months ago. I had to pay £214 for fully Comprehensive Insurance on my LS430. I requested the best maximum cover for me and 2 Named Drivers. I was happy with the quote after doing research online and getting crazy figures from other Companies. Everyone has different requirements and circumstances for car insurance. Don't rely on Price Comparison sites for Insurance. Do some groundwork, and you may discover some hidden gems. Insurance costs are falling due to the reduction in claims following the pandemic.

Quality Cover is what you require and request.

DIRECT LINE every time. Used them for years and never had a complaint. Always offered best quote for Quality cover.

My wife used to buy Umbrellas at the rate of 3 or 4 a year. Some 4 or 5 years ago, I splashed out on a Lexus branded umbrella as an addition to her birthday present. She is still using it on a regular basis today. This is despite seeing her through some severe Scottish weather. We know the Logo is just a stamp on a quality product, but the product reflects the quality of the Brand name.

Got same problem on LS inside windows. I discovered that I had used wipes designed for cleaning leather instead of glass. Chemical on wipes shows up as a cloudy film.

There was an interesting reply earlier on this Topic. I didn't realise that the clearance on rear wheel arch should be 27 to 27.5 inches. For some time now, my rear end felt solid going over speed bumps etc. Nothing concerned me about it, but just checked my rear clearance and its 28 inches. I will now get the rear height adjusters reset and drop height to 27 inches and hopefully return to the silky smooth ride which is normally enjoyed by rear seat passengers (after lockdown).

As we start to emerge from Lockdown, my thoughts were on good breakdown cover for an aging vehicle. Online are numerous Companies offering all sorts of cover at various prices. Our car is low mileage, well maintained but will be subject to longer journeys from the end of April. My preferred choice was either AA or RAC. Had online quotes from both services at around £140/year for advanced cover. A few days ago, I got a popup from RAC offering reduced breakdown cover prices. We now have advanced Cover from RAC for £70/year. Exactly same cover and service as previously quoted at £140. Totally content now and looking forward to end of Lockdown.

Nearly there with price. But my inbox and phone have been dinging non stop for the past 30 minutes or so. Something about a Rugby game which took place this afternoon. We are not great Rugby fans in Scotland, but appreciate the interest shown in our National Team.

Have a guess?

A Yuasa Silver was what I settled for a couple of days ago. 5 year warranty and higher capacity. Had to go for Halfords as they are the closest supplier to me. (1.5 miles). Fitter told me that they were running low on stock due to high sales volume and erratic supply chain. The old unit he was replacing had the positive terminal on the left hand side, but he had produced a battery with the positive on the right side. He turned the battery around and fitted it with no problems. The cables to the battery had enough movement to accommodate the terminals on the new unit although they were further away now. Not sure why old and new batteries were different. Car started immediately and with a lot more oomph!! All good now and bring on the next snow blizzard. (which only seems to be a few minutes away).

Thanks for all replies to this Topic. There are no Lexus dealers within allowed travel distance in my area, so it has to be a local purchase. One point of interest is the plastic cover which holds the battery in place along with the hold down rods. Does this mean that I have to get a battery which is the exact dimensions as the present unit and also has the Positive terminal on the left hand side? Online searches for a battery throw up several variations for the LS430. Some have right hand side Positive and dimensions much larger and smaller than present one. Some exact battery dimensions would be a great help, thanks.

Since Lockdown the car has only been used for short local, shopping trips. Not enough long journeys to sustain the Battery capacity. Following another non start this morning, with Temperatures close to zero, time has come to replace it. My recent purchase of a battery booster unit has saved me a lot of time and hassle. The present battery is a three year old Halfords unit. No problems with it up till now, but lack of use seems to have led to some deterioration in the Cells. Recently, my local Garage who I use frequently and trust, recommended only two Battery makes for this size of engine. Yuasa or Bosch. He said that others are not up to the Power required to start a V8 and will deteriorate sooner than expected. Price is not a problem, and I am being persuaded towards Yuasa, but any comments would be appreciated.

As we approach winter in Scotland and a possible new Lockdown ( nothing yet, we are still free ), I decided to invest in a portable battery boost unit, just in case. I was drawn to the NOCO Boost plus GB40 which is for petrol engines up to 6L. Local garage also recommended this unit. I have read up on the possible hazards concerning these devices if used incorrectly. It arrived this morning and really looks good and well constructed. Its charging up now from my PC. The biggest down side is the Instruction Manual. Its only 125mm X 77MM and text is very small. I had to scan the four pages and reprint at a readable size. Hopefully, I will not have to use it, but its very reassuring to know its in the Glovebox.

Its great to see people coming to Scotland for a Holiday, and you will be made very, very welcome. Hamilton is only a few miles from us and is a very vibrant, but down to Earth community. Take lots of warm clothing with you as the Temperature drop can be a big shock to visitors coming from warmer climates in the South. Heavy rainfall is another risk to be prepared for. Hope you have a great time staying in a Bothie, and without knowing the location, can only advise you to be prepared for the dreaded and hated MIDGE. Its Scotland's most feared predator. If the weather cools down, the MIDGES will not be a problem. If you wish to taste our National Drink, I would recommend a can of IRN BRU. Have a great time !!!!!

I am unable to help, but I've never heard of this item before and am curious to find out the purpose of a Luggage net ?

Mine was due on July 14th and was automatically extended to January 14th 2021.

Anyone got views on 6 month extension for MOT? Car test is due in 4 weeks, and local garage informed me that car is good and will pass. Would like to take advantage of the extended time period, but can anybody see any pitfalls? I have signed up to the Government website to receive updates on current legislation.

Your pict showed that damage was on the lower bracket which is attached to the lower arm. This part is not replaceable unless you buy a new arm with the bracket already attached. As stated earlier in posts, it is advisable to fit a new control rod and upper bracket as corrosion may have weakened them also. After my welding repair to the lower bracket, the car ran ok with normal suspension height using the old rod and upper bracket. The rod and upper bracket were replaced weeks after the welding repair when they eventually arrived from US. My car did about 1000 miles after the welding repair to the lower bracket with no issues. I would advise using a good independent mechanic to help with this issue.

That's almost good news, except for the repair not holding. My whole lower bracket became detached in one piece and was easily welded back onto the lower arm. The best news is that your suspension returned to normal, as I expected. Once you have a proper repair, the car may not sit exactly as before, but some trial and error tweaking of the height sensor should produce the required level all round. Very best of luck with it, and I've just noticed that this particular topic has produced over 50 posts so far. The power of Lockdown has brought a lot of people together.

My problem was caused by the bottom bracket becoming detached from the arm. Welding solved it, but whole linkage was replaced later.

I had exact same problem about 18 months ago. My problem was that one of the " Rear link height control sensors" had corroded and became detached. My mechanic did some temporary welding repairs, but advised replacement of both units. Car returned to normal height after start up. Very difficult to source new units in UK, at the time. Had to get them from US. Cant remember total cost, but it was less than £100 including postage. Both were very easy to replace, with no major suspension work required.