true blue

Hi, I cannot understand a garage not being able to replace the spring and clip assy as although it is a bit of a fiddle it is the same arangement that most cars with drum brakes have had for the last 20 years; and there is a special little tool which you push in and turn to allow the plate to lock . there is no need to remove the hub .The only thing I think could have happened is that they have pulled the disc off without fully backing off the brake shoes which can,deform the cranked shape of the pin which holds the spring ,which allows the shoe to scrape on the disc ;I have seen this before ;the part number of the pin is 47447-50010 and as it is under £2 it is worth fitting a new pin 1 each side ;the other pin is straight so is not affected .With regard to the brakes ,although they will take a short time to bed in they should still feel firm after the first few operations;I would suggest that the brakes are fully bled with new fluid Hope this helps

Hi not a common fault this, it refers to a problem with the variable valve system .What I suggest you try ;easy job first It may be dirt/foreign objects in the system -change the oil and filter and flush -switch off light. if it returns change the OCU oil control unit part no L15330-70010 switch off light.if it returns check cambelt timing marks ;timing may be 1 tooth out although this usually shows code P1346 . This worked for me but one of our professional techs may have more to add

Hi freezing screenwash is always a problem in the recent low temperatures I have been using a concentrated Unipart screen wash which is available in 5 litre containers from my local unipart depot .this works well for me and the car is kept outside at night ;according to the label on the container at full strength it is OK down to -15 and can be diluted to 10/15% for the summer

Hi yes you could use a sealer ,but if the bead is still leaking this means it has not been cleaned up properly . Go back to the tyre place and tell them to clean all the corrosion off the bead properly .This is quite a common problem on alloy wheels and when I have had a problem the wheel has been cleaned with a rotary wire brush with no further problems

Hi have a look on the OPIE OILS website, you can put your details in and get reccomendations for all oils good guy good prices no problems

Hi thanks for posting this , my is200 sportcross is 2003 ;i've put the vin on the lexus site and it says my car is not affected :)

Hi Halfords do a laser wheel nut removal kit approx £17 will remove the locking nuts but render them useless so you will have to replace them . works on a left hand thread principle & works best with an impact driver ,but can be done with a 1/2 in drive bar and a big hammer Last resort

Hi I appreciate your dilema ,I have a son and daughter in a similar positions but they are not car enthusiast,s so make do with a Honda CRV and a Volvo estate; an answer but :winky: I run a sport cross which would be an great replacement it has plenty of room and I can cope with the grandchildrens kit; With regard to the Galant I ran one of these for a few years they are a great car very underrated especially the V6 . One downside is a lot are grey imports which adversly effects insurance and spares prices

Hi glad to help a fellow Lancashire lad :D your cabin filter is behind the glove box 10 min job 1 Remove2 plastic hinge pins that hold the base of the glove box 2 glove box will then come out may need to twist it a bit 3 The filter access plate is on the black duct pull it off 4 Remove filter holder -remove old filter -replace with new 5 Reassemble Job done Dave

Hi as winter is approaching; I'm thinking I don't want the problems we had last year keeping the car outside .Thought I might go for a top cover for the windows etc or maybe even a full cover .I have a Sportcross and as these are not a popular car ,most places are offering a cheap 'universal 'cover, I fancy something a bit more substantial;has anyone on here anything they can recommend ? Thanks Dave

Hi just got round to checking the height on my standard IS 200 Sportcross 2003 16 in wheels REAR 68 cm as yours FRONT 65 cm car empty Dave

Ive taken the wheel off and notice the caliper has the slightest bit of wobble on the slide pins. also the front discs seem to be able to rattle on the studs. Theres like a 1/16th of movement around the stud and when you grab the disc and give it a bit of side to side action it makes a very similar noise to the knocking im hearing. Hi the discs will move with the wheel off ; when the wheel nuts are tightened all will be secure. The noise you have is either a seized or sticking caliper piston or most probably a shim problem ; strip down the pads again and make sure all pistons move freely and all the shims and anti rattle springs on the pads are firmly in place,if in doubt fit a new shim kit,also put copper anti seize grease on the REAR of the pads which will help Dave

Hi seeing as no one has come forward with a reply ; all I can tell you is these 2 codes refer to a weak mixture ( 0n banks1 and 2 ) I would check the obvious things first air leaks altering the mixture or any loose pipes or connections .Have you disturbed anything ? how did the fault manifest itself? did it just happen without warning or was it after some work was carried out. Sorry I can't be more specific

Hi as you are in Manchester I can recommend Paint-tec www.paint-tec.co.uk in bury just round the corner from the Toyota garage my mate had a set of 17in done really good job £50 a corner worth a look

Hi I think the main consideration is whether you are satisfied with the wheel design you have .A refurb should be cheaper than new wheels if you are happy with the design .A professionally refinished wheel will last a lot longer than the original 'cheap' original finish which is a known weak point on Lexus. You should be able to have them done at £50 a corner approx; where in the country are you ? I'm sure someone on here will be able to recommend a place they have used .

Hi this bolt can be a problem to release ;it seems a shame that you seem to have organised a system that does work without success , obvious question ,you were turning the bar the correct way !!!! . I have struggled myself over the years on other vehicles and I think you only really needed a longer bar ( I use a 3/4 sq drive plus a 3 ft bar ) An alternative is if you can get access to a commercial workshop with a pneumatic air gun which will shock off the bolt. With regard to the garage labour cost ,I think the Toyota rate is about average ,you should be able to find a good independent for about £200

Crank-shaft bolt thread? I presume you mean the one holding the pulley onto the end of the crankshaft (removed for cam belt change) normal right hand thread but this rascal is TIGHT there are posts on here with various methods of removal good luck

Hi yes correct quantity but I did not find the topping up easy 'there is not much room in the transmission tunnel and I don't think you will be able to get the plastic bottle in .2 tips there is not enough room for a socket so you will need to use a 24 m/m ring spanner to remove the level plug and I found using a suction gun easy; I got mine on E bay item 350288216682 well worth £6 don't forget remove the level plug before the drain plug :winky:

Hi the fault is as stated by the previous posters the timing is 1 tooth out; this happened to me when I changed mine ,car ran ok could not belive it ,kept turning it off it came back :unsure:I had to do it all over again,OK now,take it back ASAP and tell them to do it properly

Hi great result and cheap to :winky: I,ve had some great advice off here good crowd I,m an engineer but its hard to know a persons ability just off a forum ;hope you don,t get any more problems

Thanks for that info have been using their fine clay bar and auto wash both excellent products ;I will try it when I've used up my Turtle wax :D old hat but works for me

Hi this seems to happen quite often with the IS studs ;not to bad a job for DIY ,I will give a quick run down and if you feel it,s within your cabability (good pictures in the on line manual) do it ;otherwise a good workshop should charge 1 hour I guess ; part needed Lexus stud 90942-02070 approx £2-50.jack up car ,secure on axle stand remove wheel,remove 2 mounting bolts and remove disc brake assy suspend securely to prevent damage ;release parking brake ,remove rubber plug from integral drum ,back off adjustment through hole with small screwdriver,remove disc ,knock out broken stud through flange with drift .It is just possible to get the new stud in through the back with patience.make sure stud is square pull through using a spacer ,washer, and wheel nut. re assemble disc re adjust brake shoes ,replace carrier and pad assy replace wheel .online w/shop manual section BR-41 BR-44 covers the job with torque values etc Hope this helps Dave

Hi as said previously,wheel balance is favorite I had this problem a while ago and after a through check 1 wheel was found to be buckled (pot holes again :tsktsk: )check with a straight edge when balance machine is rotating slowly .One tyre may also not be truely round All O K now but I need a cheap 16 inch as a spare as spare was like new so I replaced bad wheel with that

Hi glad you posted about the air con as I was about to post a query;Also just had mine done by an independent but there was total confusion as the Lexus sticker in the engine compartment says R134a charge 100 grm + - 50 grm .Now after much disscussion and a few phone calls it was agreed this cannot be right and 600 grm was put in .works fine so I'm reassured that 600 grm seems to be the correct amount as I was worried it may cause some problem

Hi i'm a bit confused with the 'electrical hissing' this could be caused by dirty/loose terminal.Make sure the battery terminals are clean and tight before splashing out on a new battery