true blue

Well done ,glad you found what you are looking for ,These are great cars,we have recently returned from a 4 week holiday touring in France , brilliant car for this.Get out and enjoy the car with the roof off as often as you can while we still have this dream summer Dave

Hi worn pully bearing is not un known but should not result in a burning smell .If you feel confident you can remove the serpentine belt and run the engine for a couple of mins when all should be quiet . It is then easy to check for play and /or noise when rotating each pulley .The pulley is self tensioning an can be slackened using a spanner and levering to release tension .In order to avoid confusion when refitting you may find it easier to use a phone camera or draw on paper the route of the run of the belt .Don't forget the alternator bearings noise/play Dave

Hi the car you are looking at is top of the range as is the link from Ben ,these tend to be a high price ,even higher if you go down the main Lexus route . At 40,000 miles I would not expect any major work as long as the brakes have been regularly checked ,the plugs and serpentine belt will go to 60,000 as Lexus service schedule so OK for now .The prices will go down when the sun stops shining but who knows by how much .I purchased mine 3 years ago this December coming same spec ,last of the SEL 2011 20,000 miles and perfect £15,500 from a Merc dealer who thought it was too good for auction taken in part X .It has now reached 40,000 and runs like a swiss watch I do all my own servicing and have replaced discs pads and tyres apart from yearly service .You may be able to negotiate £11500 which is probably more realistic or go for a car with more than 60,000 miles which should be sub £10,000 .Good luck, let us know how you get on Dave

A thank you also from me for the guide ,I have not had to do this yet as low mileage car ,but I will use this guide .I think we should stick to the mileage figure and not time as a spark plug will not deteriorate any quicker with lower mileage I have removed these types of plugs from other vehicles at 60-65000 miles and they have looked in excellent condition .With regard to concern on if work has been carried out , as my REME trained grandad told me many years ago if you want a job doing properly do it yourself Dave

Hi great to read the feedback on this car, my 'other car' is a MX5 retractable top ( my second) but I to am not a fan of the new model and I am looking at the Toyota as a replacement .I would miss the fresh air but my IS250 is a convertible so I appreciate your comments Dave

Hi I agree with the Laser tool version , the housing can be difficult to remove ,it helps if the car is raised and use the longest bar you have { but not when re tightening ) as 18 ft/lb is the value as stated previously Dave

Hi with regard to mileage over 60000 , I do all my own servicing and these cars are quite straightforward ,there is no reason why a good local independent guy cant change plugs,change the waterpump and maintain the brake slider/calipers. These are the common jobs at these sort of mileages and the receipts can be kept for later ,if selling .As the car gets older there is no sense in paying main dealer prices . Keep looking ,your car is out there ,In my opinion the SE L is worth searching for good luck Dave

Hi ,as previously stated ,this is likely to be wear ,I ran my previous sportcross to nearly 100 000 miles and the shoes and linings were fine ;I would give the shoes and linings a good clean out with brake cleaner as excess dust tends to cause problems.If you are concerned about DIY ,it will not be expensive ,in among the receipts when I bought my IS 250 was a handbrake adjustment at £50 .On my SEL ,if I have a senior moment and try to drive off with the brake engaged I get a loud alarm !! Dave

Hi The hunter machine is an excellent machine if the guy using it knows what he is doing !! I am surprised if you can get a full alignment check for £40 I usually pay £80 including adjustments .At my Lexus dealer visit last week ,they quoted £85 for 4 wheel alignment Dave

Hi petergordon4 funny you should mention the main dealer ,last week ,for the first time in my life ,I visited a Lexus main dealer in Bolton for the air bag recall .I belive the wheels were fitted by Lexus Belfast very early in the cars life,I have the service sheet copies from them which show the tyre tread depths but no mention of the wheels .The 'health 'report and video last week noted ;- wrong wheels fitted, puncture kit out of date ,wipers smear but not split .I was also advised that due to the age of the car the air con should be checked and the wheel alignment also as there is no record of this being carried out .Don't get me wrong this was obviously a very through check and everyone was very professional but it was obviously done with a view of obtaining more work (£59 for wipers ? ) .I have no issue with the wheels ,Insurance is informed ,I have an alterative puncture kit plus breakdown cover and I replaced the wipers when I got home with a spare set ,although I did not think they were too bad ..The air bag recall was carried out ,no problems , I was given a courtesy car ,coffee biscuits and petrol plus a £50 voucher off a basic service which I declined .All in all top marks to Bolton ,They did not suggest what to do about the wheels ,and I will continue to get dirt under my fingernails as I have done for the last 60 years Dave

Hi brilliant write up which will help anyone who is capable and has the tools but just needs a guide to boost their confidence. I did the same job on mine a few months ago using Brembo parts which I bought on special offer ,I was also quite shocked the way the front discs had worn so quickly but it is a heavy car and as my first auto I notice the lack of engine braking on downhill runs .I was not as through on the pre painting as you , and because of problems I had encountered with my previous sportcross I used a dial gauge to ensure disc runout was minimal Dave

Hi the Brembo pads seem fine ; I fitted as set to the front and rear about 7000 miles ago excellent performance with no squeal . I bought mine on offer from ECP ,keep an eye out ,they regularly have discount offers Dave

Hi Mike ,have you considered the IS 250 convertible ? A couple of years ago I looked long and hard at the SC ,I was impressed but ended up with a 250 convertible , It does not have the V8 but has a little more space for occasional use in the rear. I am pleased with the car ,it is a great cruiser and we have enjoyed 2 continental touring holidays in the last 2 years .You also know your way around the IS250 and I think running costs may be a bit less Dave

Hi Alan ,yes I just cut the hockey puck across the diameter with a groove similar to the rubber attachment in the top diagram from Colin ,never had any problems Dave

Hi ,pinch welds on the sills are always a problem when positioning axle stands,My solution which has worked for many years is to buy a couple of adult ice hockey pucks ,and cut a groove all along one side to fit the flange of the sill with a hacksaw .When the car is safely jacked up the axle stand can be positioned with this 'buffer' between the sill and the top of the axle stand before lowering .One of these can even be used on the jack platform to lift 1 side of the car to reposition an axle stand .These pucks are made from very hard vulcanised rubber and are quite cheap off the net . I have been using these since I was a part time mobile mechanic 40 years ago ,so although it may sound strange to some it does work Dave

Hi another problem with the IS 200 worth checking is the windscreen ,is it original or has it been replaced ? I along with many others have had problems with windscreen replacement allowing water leaks .Check all round the bottom edge inside the car .If left it can affect electrics ,especially internal fuseboxes , silica gel is a good idea . I notice you say it has covered 60000 miles ,this is important with regard to the cam belt ,does it have a record of a cambelt change Dave

Hi ,continuing on the dealership theme ,I have finally got the OK for the air bag recall , for all the years I have had Lexus cars I have never even been inside a main dealers, my nearest dealers appear to be Bolton ,Stockport or Chester and I will of course have to entrust the work to one of these , any advice gratefully received Dave

Interesting topic , I have been driving for a long long time , the worst car for me easy, Ford Zodiac Mk 4 ( google a picture if you are too young to know what it looks like ) .Good looking car with dreadful brakes handling and reliability .I had a V6 ,bought for family transport in the days before MPV s ,low miles ,1 old lady owner (yes really ) broke down every other week .The really annoying fault was in hot weather with the carb being between the V of the cylinders ,vapour lock would prevent the car restarting if you stopped the engine so you went for a walk while it cooled down a bit!!. Gave up in the end and gave it to a couple of scrap guys who were touting for junk .They drove it away thinking I had gone mad. Best car ;difficult as they are all good when you purchase them, but I have had lexus for the last 12 years and mazda MX5 for the last 15 ,running 2 totally different cars side by side , at the end of the day the IS250 wins ,not by a big margin but it is a great allrounder for us. Dave

Good posting with all the relevant information; as suggested ,use official outlets ,there have been cases of people fitting these plugs ,Denso and NGK in the MX 5 owners club ( other car ) where the electrode has become detached and caused a lot of engine damage Dave

Congratulations on your choice ,the SC is a great car, I looked long and hard a couple of years ago but finally chose the convertible IS 250 ,rear seats for grandchildren ! .I think you will enjoy it ,especially the V8 .Spring is just around the corner Dave

Hi Alec,I have serviced my own cars for many years including my previous sport cross; I can assure you that your Lexus is a straight forward car to maintain ,find a small independent garage with a ' hands on' owner and you should have no problems . Lexus parts are of course good and dependable quality ,but I can also recommend Gates brand for timing and ancillary belts ,they are used as original equipment on some makes and are a bit cheaper Dave

Hi and welcome to this excellent forum ,looks a good car ,I,m sure you will enjoy driving it ; There are quite a lot of wheel refurbishers and I,m sure you will find a good local one if you ask around for recommendations .£80 a corner should get a good result ,I would only use a guy who takes the tyres off ;strips the paint and does a proper job , these cheaper refurbish options where the tyre bead is broken and the wheel quickly ' blown over ' the the tyre re inflated will not last long . It would appear from the last MOT there is an advisory on the rear callipers starting to seize, This is a common and easily fixed problem with plenty of advice on here for you to read . I would advise doing it promptly as if you leave it to seize up on the pivot pin it will become a much bigger problem . Regards Dave

Hi ,the boot light is terrible for a car of this quality ,I have never seen one so useless .If you look in the owners recommendations Parts pinned post at the start of this section you will find Normski lists a Festoon SMD 28 m/m long this works fine .I also have 2 cheap 2 inch dia battery LED lights ;push on and off ,mounted by self adhesive velcro to help this time of the year .You can mount them anywhere you please .I do not mind having to push the button for a light as the boot light in the convertible is manual anyway Literally back to the dark ages Dave

Hi I agree but I posted the tyre size with these wheels as they are all 8 inch and 225 is the industry recommended fitment . To go to the original 255 section on the rear the wheels need to be 8 1/2 inches Dave

Hi ,I have these on my IS250C they were on when I bought it and according to the history I have were swapped by Lexus Belfast for the first owner .I think they suit the car ,the only downside for me is they are difficult to keep clean , and they are not ' staggered ' for the rear size ,so all 4 tyres are 225/40 .This does not seem to have had any effect on the drive over the 12000 miles I have covered Dave