true blue

Hi Rowley, you seem to understand the basic differences between the saloon and the convertible ,I have had mine for 7 years now and I am still very happy with it. I think all the convertibles are SEL spec all singing and dancing ,and I now use a stand alone sat nav. The tyres are not run flat and there is a wheel well space in the boot which will take a "skinny "emergency spare . The back seats are cramped but fine for occasional use .It is great for fine weather ,wafting along in the breezes.!! The roof does appear complicated but in my experience most problems are connected to limit switches or set up ,ensure it works properly if you purchase one and make sure nothing is left in the boot to impede the roof movement ,I'm sure in some cases this happens and the mechanism gets strained. Go ahead and get one you won't be disappointed ,the reliability is legendary ,I look after mine myself only had to do routine maintenance just passed MOT last week ;8 MOTs now not even 1 advisory ;this should be the best time of the year to buy one they are more expensive than the saloon but in the spring prices will go up a lot Good luck Dave

Hi I agree with what Declan says all I would add is you must ensure that the drain holes and water channels that funnel the water away are clear ,you can carefully push a thin wire through the holes to ensure they are not blocked (bit like plumbing really ) .You will find this inconvenience forgotten when the sun eventually shines and you fold the roof 😀 Dave

Hi I have a CTEK which I have used for a few years with no problems, I also have a Accumate charger which I have used for 15 years with no problems ( I purchased this as it also caters for 6 volt motorcycle batteries ) ,it is a smart charger but only 1.2 v output which is good to keep topped up but will take a long time if the battery is flat, you may wish to consider one of these as an alternative Dave

Hi thanks for your thoughts ,after trying everything I was convinced I would need professional help with this one, as a last resort I tried the IT solution turn everything off and then back on again so I disconnected the battery for 1/2 hour for the ECU to reset; reconnected and BINGO everything is OK again !!! Dave

Hi I have to agree with what has been said about a 2nd opinion ,there are a lot of garages that get involved with Hunter alignment equipment but I am afraid a lot do not know how to operate it .A web site ' Align my car ' lists garages that specialise in alignment .I see you are in Lancashire ,if you are anywhere near Bolton ,I use Nigel Langs garage for 4 wheel alignment ,they are brilliant ,I have no connection and do not usually recommend garages but they use a hunter machine and I have been well satisfied with cars they have set up for me including our MX5 which are notorious for alignment problems ,check out the web site Dave

Hi I have just noticed the drivers side window on my IS250C is not fully closing ; normally when I open and close the door there is a slight final movement which drops the window when opening and goes up again when closing ( about 5-6 m/m ) ,this is not now happening on the drivers side only ;the passenger side is OK ,thus leaving a gap,I have done numerous window resets ,the hood mechanism works perfectly the central locking works I am vainly looking for some switch related problem ,any ideas gratefully received .Does the normal saloon have this function ? or is it just on this model because of the hood retraction.

Hi as Mr Vlad posted ,as far as I am concerned the 520D is a different animal ,the only advantage I would see is in the fuel consumption for the BMW which would help you save some money towards the higher maintenance costs .Having had my IS250 7 years,I would go with this ,checking the MOT history on line will give you some clue as to how the car has been maintained and have as long a test drive to ensure everything works and gets up to temperature if you are not happy there are quite a few out there ,do not be phased by 100k + if well maintained . Good luck Dave

Hi as stated ,insurance rates do not follow what we would call a logical calculation I have insured my IS250C for the last 7 years ,and when getting quotes at renewal they vary wildly between companies for the same set of circumstances.I would not have expected a price reduction on the convertibles it costs more to purchase ,I would think the security is not an issue ,as the convertible bit is an aluminium roof securely fixed ,I would say if you want a 250C go ahead and buy one ,they are a great car ,the only decision is can you live with the smaller rear seat capacity and the reduced boot space when the roof is down Dave

Hi if you read my posting on 'new brake calliper what is this for ' I replied explaining the procedure for removing the rear disc and adjusting the handbrake on completion many people have been caught out with this ,If you carried this out BEFORE jacking the disc off all will be O K .If not you will have to remove the disc and inspect the shoes and springs, otherwise ,if the normal braking is working properly then the adjustment of the handbrake shoes will rectify your problem .Aim for 6-7 clicks on the pedal to set the brake Dave

Hi no this is not a problem ; 1 pad each side to be fitted with this wear indicator we used to call them screamers due to the noise when the pad wears down and the metal pin contacts the disc Dave

Hi Texas is correct ,but usually the discs look worse on the reverse side once you have removed them ; if you are doing the job yourself (no labour charge ) I would change them, new pads and discs will bed in together more quickly and with better results in my experience Dave

Hi looking good to go .Not trying to be clever ,but if you have not done this job before ,you need to be aware the hand brake shoes need to be backed off from the drums before you can get the discs off, this is done by turning a star wheel adjuster which is accessed through the hole in the drum when the rubber grommet is removed and the drum turned so that the hole is positioned at the bottom ,its a bit fiddly you need a small flat blade screw driver and a bright light, catches some people out when the disc won't come off !!.Re adjustment is needed on completion Cheers. Dave

Hi Lucas ,thanks for your input I should have realised it was you who had the GT86 I have had many MX5's over the last 20 years and now have a NC with the retractable top Your findings fit in with my thoughts ; I may go and look on the Toyota forum! Thanks Dave

Hi Alan as a retired engineer I also take pride in carrying out my own servicing and repairs and also work on the families cars .I keep a full record of work done and all bills MOTs etc in a folder, I have never had any problems when selling or part exchanging ,in fact most people are happy to see a detailed record with receipts and not just a stamped book without receipts ,which can easily be forged .The last car we part exchanged in a dealership was my daughters Merc it was 11 years old and I had looked after it for the last 7 .Of course the dealer made a big deal about not having a main franchise history to reduce its value ,but we eventually struck a deal and after all was signed ,I said come on now you can tell us how much more it was worth with a franchise history ,£600 he reckoned. so we saved a fortune on 7 years servicing plus I recon that car had a better history than most on his forecourt ,so carry on the good work .As an aside how do you like the GT86 ? I have a MX5 and fancy the Toyota as a change Dave

Yes very low mileage for a car of its age just over 700 miles a year won't be many of these about .I had a Mitsubishi in the past with a YEO number not that one ,out of interest YEO originates from Barrow in furness ,just round the corner from me ,old style identifier A 1983 Dave

Hi Paul that is from a private seller ,and in my experience many private sellers have an over inflated opinion of their cars value Dave

Hi looks O K subject to the service history ;age and over 60,000 miles means a big service should have been carried out ;- plugs ,coolant ,which if not done would need a reduction to cover it . as Mr Vlad says top dollar in my opinion but a trader knows when he has a good car and will hold on knowing there are a lot of cheaper cars that are cheap for a reason .Well worth talking to the dealer ,also car prices are on the up so you will find it difficult to find a bargain at present Good luck Dave

Hi I agree with scudney The items highlighted on the MOT do not bode well with a 'full service history' brakes ,tyres ,windscreen wipers not serious but would have been addressed during the annual service .This 'full service history ' description given by some dealers amounts to a wipe down with an oily rag at some point in the not too distant past , some I have checked for friends and family have been a joke ; I would advise anyone wanting to check history to look for dated receipts not just stamps in a book ,these can easily be forged and with Lexus you can check the official records from a dealer if Lexus workshops have carried out the servicing Buyer Beware. Dave

Hi Scott I cannot find any information either on the hood retraction gear lubrication , when I carry out a service I lubricate bonnet hinges door hinges and various pivot points with a smear of lithium grease ,I also use this on the boot pivot points ,the hood pivot points ,the tooth crank arms 1 ea side and the 2 machined gears which are under a flap on the cover which fills the gap when the hood is down .1 each side .Inspect the geared arms carefully as they are a metal pressings and it is important that the teeth are all square with none bent or missing most problems seem to arise with micro switches which can prove troublesome to locate Dave

Hi I think it is now improving in our area ,we got caught in a cleft stick ,my son has been looking for a replacement car for a couple of weeks ,we found one last weekend ,a nice little Jazz which I went with him to check out ,problems ? non except the garage did not sell fuel ,the car had the low fuel light on ,the sales guy said you will be O K for 20 miles so we did a 25 mile test drive then bought the car ! Now we are not chancing our luck any further so the car has stood ready to go for a few days while I cycle round (on an E bike I built during lockdown ) with a can 😘 to get 5 litres so he can get it home ,success today plus £35 in the tank you never know the next problem when dealing with idiots Dave

Hi do as Nemesis suggests ,as there may be more deposits than usual due to the pads having to beg into the old discs. I would normally suggest the problem being caused by the slider pins being stiff or seized but as the dealer has replaced the pads I would assume it has all been reassembled correctly with the approved grease ;if you still have the problem I would also suggest a trip to the dealer Dave

Ha Ha yes I had 2 guys in France thought it was a Merc. Love the LC 500 idea but I don't think so on my pension 😀 Dave

Hi I think the 07-SEL is a better bet than the higher mileage option which is far too expensive in my opinion . This one seems to have a reasonable MOT history apart from consecutive rear pad advisories ,the brakes would need to be checked out plus new MOT plus service paperwork .It is in Keighley N Yorks but I think you will have to be prepared to travel to find the car you want Good luck. Dave

HI they are a nice car but not for everyone; iI can live with the restricted rear seat room and the restricted boot with the hood down ,I have had mine nearly 7 years now ,suits us so well I don't know what to do if and when it comes to replacement. In this time I have only seen 3 others, and I still get people asking what is it ? ,last week one guy seemed quite put out because he thought it was an Audi !!! Dave

Hi I agree with what Herbie posted earlier Air con systems require air con specialists If your man says it MAY BE the compressor are you prepared to throw money at this fault .As a retired engineer I do not go down that road ,my son had a similar problem with a Honda system where air con problems where put down to the compressor ,when questioned they did not know for sure but wanted it replacing .I convinced him to use an Air con specialist who was mobile ,came to his drive ,diagnosed and fixed the fault which was a solenoid and had it back to normal for less than £100 on the same day .He was able to do this because automotive air conditioning systems was what he specialised in . Hope your case is not to expensive Dave