keiron99

Thanks!

I didn't know I could disable the interior sensors...Hmmm. I looked in the manual and didn't see that. Will have to take a look again.

In the last couple of days, the alarm on my GS300h has sounded while the car has just been sat on the drive. There's no indication of anyone trying to get into it, no string winds, nothing unusual at all.

What could be causing this?

I've got a 64 plate GS 300h (hybrid). Have had it a few years.

It's in immaculate condition, with 64k on the clock. I've added just about 4k in the last 12 months.

It's now due an MOT and according to  Lexus a major service for £625. Frankly, I am neither prepared to pay that, nor am I able to!

Given I'm keeping this car until forever, I have no interest in resale value so I'm not interested in getting the log book stamped by Lexus,

However, where can I find a proper independent garage that specialises in Lexus? When I google it, I just get these ads from local garages pretending to be experts, but they clearly aren't. 

Is there a database anywhere of independent Lexus specialists? )For info, I'm in Stockport, South Manchester)

I read a test on Auto Express where they put microphones on the head rest when testing tyres.

I guess what you're saying, John, is that each vehicle will respond differently to a particular tyre?

It's a bit of a lottery I suppose!

Does anyone have any further advice on choice of quiet 18" tyres for the GS300h?

The problem with the decibel rating published is that's OUTSIDE the car, not the noise in the cockpit.

I've got Dunlop SP Sports on at the moment, and the back ones are just weeks away from needing to be replaced.

I am still disappointed at how much road noise there is in the cabin. It's the one thing that the Lexus doesn't do as well as my old Merc E Class!

Thanks, John.

This is what I will get for my £485

https://d3rvezpmgp265q.cloudfront.net/lexusone/lexgben/Lexus-Full-40-60-80-Service-Summary_tcm-3066-418956.pdf

Doesn't look like great value for money or anything that any honest, half competent mechanic wouldn't be able to do! I'm struggling to see the advantage of going to the main dealer.

With no plan to sell it for at least another 3 years, I think I might just take it to 'Dave' who does the missus' little Fiat!

Being a skinflint, and with my GS300h overdue a service (it's on 43k now and not had one for about 16k miles) because cash has been tight, I was wondering whether there were any independent Lexus garages around Stockport who can do a decent job? It seems to be such a complex vehicle that I'm not sure I would entrust it to a run-of-the-mill local garage.

I was spoilt for choice with my Mercedes which I had prior to the Lexus but Googling doesn't seem to bring any joy for independent Lexus specialists.

Do I just have to stump up the cash?!

26 minutes ago, Northern_Si said:

Silly question, you have your seats set to Auto?

You mean the heating/cooling switch? Yes I do, and by and large it works very well!

I assume there are pressure pads in the seat that detect someone is sat in them?

You would have thought that for a negligible cost they could have installed them in the rear, and the heating/cooling vents would operate when someone is sat there.

I'd never heard of S Flow and didn't have a clue as to what that button did.

After testing it and reading the manual, I am still not sure what it does!

When I pressed it so that the light went out, I could feel cool air blowing through them. Great. 

But the cooling fans also started blowing in the front passenger seat, despite noone being sat there. 

What's the logic behind that?

I have a GS300h, without the elaborate system for air conditioning in the rear (as far as I can tell!)

But surely, there must be some way to get cool air into the rear, through the vents on the centre console perhaps?

It was really warm yesterday, so much so that the little fans came on in the front seats, but there was no cool air on the back. The vents on the centre console put out nothing, despite the fact they were definitely "open".

That can't be right can it?

Brilliant. (I'll have to write that on a post it and attach to dashboard for a week or so until it sinks in!)

Can someone please explain in plain English...!

I normally just leave the key in my pocket. 99% of the time it's just me in the car. But a regular thing on a Saturday morning is that the missus and me go to the supermarket and I fill up there.

Sometimes I get out and take the key with me, and the missus daren't move for fear of setting the alarm off.

Sometimes I leave the key in there, but cannot figure out a way to put the radio on while the engine is switched off.

What's the solution? (Please don't say "Read the manual...", it's completely impenetrable!)

I also don't get the "handling like a boat" comment!

I came to my GS300h from a 2009 Merc E Class. 

The Lexus feels a LOT smaller and handles as such. The boot is smaller, and the back seats too, which are really only suitable for 2 people. The middle rear seat is no good for anyone other than a midget for 10 minutes.

I also find the ride not as smooth or quiet as I'd hoped (I posted about that before). There's a tremendous amount of road noise - more than any other car I have ever owned, I'd say. Possibly the tyres, who knows. 

Thanks for the replies. Sorry to see you suffered a similar fate Britprius :(

Fixing this myself is just beyond me. I could perhaps do the filling but no way could I make a decent job of the painting.

I've had a quote of £197 plus VAT from Lexus to replace it, and £140 inc VAT from a local body shop to repair it.

Is there a possible downside to getting it repaired (and saving £100)?

I ran into a branch hanging off a tree and cracked the housing on the passenger side wing mirror. Dammit. See attached. In fact it has knocked a hole in it.

Now, I'm going to ask Lexus about a replacement but I know it will be an arm and a leg.

But I can't help thinking this could be a relatively straightforward repair for a body shop? Couldn't they plug the hole and fill and respray?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

PS I have taped over the hole in the meantime as I assume there are some electrical gubbins in there, all of which, fortunately, appear to be working OK.

Thanks John - that did help, in the sense it encouraged me to look into the darkest recesses and I eventually found it!  I have however not been able to find it again since.

Why on earth did they put it in such an inaccessible place?

Well..a couple of days on and I still haven't found it. Maybe i need to get my eyes tested!

I've had the tyre pressure warning light occasionally flash at me, only to check the pressures and find they are all spot on.

The manual says you should press and hold the tyre pressure reset button after filling up with air...but I cannot for the life of me find the switch!  

Anyone care to give us a clue?

At the risk of sounding dim...what's the difference between summer and winter tyres?

Where is the rain sensor positioned? 

On 11/26/2016 at 3:34 PM, cruisermark said:

 

The original dunlops gave alot of tyre roar even at local driving speeds, they were very unforgiving on uneven surfaces and dragged on full lock.

With the Avon all this is sorted - they are very quote (car has never been so quite in the last 4 years), very supple and forgiving on uneven surfaces and the dragging on full lock has gone - very happy indeed.

3

Interestingly, the Dunlops on my GS300h exhibit this "dragging" effect. I've never experienced it before, and it frightened the life out of me the first time I pulled into my drive (when I use full lock).

Is this right? Is it a wheel alignment issue? Could this in some way relate to the tyre roar I am hearing?

On 11/27/2016 at 11:37 AM, Ten Ninety said:

 

I am well aware of the sensitivity collar. In my car, it offers several different positions for 'off' until you get to max sensitivity, at which point the wipers may come on but often remain stuck in a 'too little, too late' pattern. On other occasions during an extended period of rain they do the opposite and gradually crank themselves up to max speed unnecessarily. And, as already mentioned, they have a habit of coming on when it's dry that cannot be attributed to a dirty screen or the lighting conditions outlined in the manual.

1

This is my experience exactly in my GS300h. I have now given up with the auto sensor and just set things manually, switching On and Off as required. Very frustrating - I can't remember the last time I owned a car where I didn't just leave the wipers in Auto.

I have to admit, perhaps contrary to what I'd earlier said, after a couple of months of ownership of my GS300h I think the noise levels in the cabin are higher than my old E Class when cruising on the motorway.

I think this is largely because of the road noise. My old Merc had 17" wheels and Continental tyres. My Lexus has 18" wheels with Dunlops.

On long stretches of the M56 (my miserable, daily commute!) the surface is "dressed" with chippings. The road noise is high, but I think it's the relatively high frequency of the sound which is irritating, It's a blessed relief when the surface changes to the smooth black stuff.

Are there any ways to reduce the noise? I was reading the other day on a blog somewhere that the plastic wheel arch liners are so thin on cars these days, you can improve matters by painting them with some kind of waxy underseal or similar. That seems a bit unlikely to me.

I guess the only other alternative is applying a Dynamat material to the floor and panels, but that's seems like a heck of a challenge for uncertain rewards.

Anyone tried any of these measures or anything else...or is it just me that's bothered?

On 19/11/2016 at 7:58 PM, diarmaid said:

 

The ambient lighting under the door trim strips is almost invisible - is there a way to turn it up? I have the dash lighting at max.

 

 

I didn't even realise there was a "door trim light" until after I'd had the car a couple of weeks! As has been pointed out, it works in tandem with the dash display brightness.

But if I have the brightness such that I can actually see the door trim lights (which are a lovely, stylish feature), then the speedo burns my retinas!

A shame you can't operate them independently.

I don't think it's possible to show either mpg or distance travelled from the start of the trip without resetting. Which is a bit daft. I'm not sure why, for example, you'd want to know the time elapsed more than you'd want to know the distance covered.