BF03

There is a huge amount of helpful info about keys on this formu - thanks. Big thanks also to the ever helpful Jay who supplies genuine two-button transponders which are straightforward to program. Since I only received one key with the car I decided to get spares. Having read about some people trying several key cutting shops before hitting a winner, I bought five blank metal blades from US via eBay and all arrived fine. The two-button transponders fit into the empty three button case. But before I got a new blade cut, the original key broke. The blade came away from the plastic case while trying to turn the barrel of the boot lock. I suspect the boot lock gets least used (I usually use the drivers lever to open the boot) so it was a bit hard to turn and the metal part of the key snapped the plastic case near the screw. I managed to start the car by using a pair of pliers to hold the metal blade and turn it in the ignition. I soon worked out I also had to hold the transponder near the blade in the ignition or else it wouldn't start. Initially I had to use the un-immobilise sequence - everyone out of the car...lock with transponder.. lock again with transponder....unlock...turn key WITH TRANSPONDER NEARBY. Now I always hold the transponder near the key blade when starting and it works. NOW I am trying to find someone to cut the blank blades I bought. I tried Hemel Timpsons but they won't touch a key off eBay. Can anyone suggest a key cutter in Herts/Beds/Bucks or even London who will definately cut a customer-supplied blade, so I can get these blanks cut? I'm not after a locksmith who will provide a blank and cut it, but someone to cut the blanks I already have. Might even be worth starting a log of known key cutters by location since this sort of question keeps popping up.

obd reader - I got mine from super-trade direct on eBay. They are currently (May 2010) selling one as item number 120576192634. Since that will be long gone for future readers, the key thing is to go for one that has the 'ELM 327' chip. Apparently all UK registered cars from 2001 have a 16-pin socket compatible with this chip. On my 2003 IS200 it is behind a plastic cover just above the drivers feet, i.e. bellow the steering wheel. The one I got fits my friends Ford Puma and my wifes Honda too. If you don't mind runnnig cracked software, ProScan is included on the supplied disks, along with a load of other software, some of it open source.

Just ot explain my idea about how they all show errors - if one ignitor showed an error, someone could have swapped that ignitor around with another one. This should let them verify that it is the ignitor thatas at fault, as the error will show up on whichever cylinder they swapped it to. Its just possible someone could keep swapping the ignitor between cylinders until the faulty ignitor has thrown an error on every cylinder. As I said, its a long shot, but possible.

oksie, well deff get a code reader, clear the codes, and see what re-occurs. Mine had a trouble code for one ignitor, and I was able to verify it by swapping out that one. I did replace all my plugs too, 'cos they looked a bit grotty, but the replacement ignitor got me sorted. Still a bit puzzled at all SIX showing trouble codes. At a guess, someone may have had problems with one, and swapped it with others until they all showed trouble codes, but thats a long shot.

Well the 'codes' link helped verify what the codes refer to, but to save you £45 every time, spend £25 on a code-reader thing (plugs into a socket just above drivers feet). If you have a modern-ish laptop you can then read and re-set error codes for yourself. Regarding the 'ignitor circuit' suggestion these are the things that sit directly on top of you spark plugs (one per pot), so the 6 codes you quoted would seem to indicate they are ALL faulty. That would seem a bit odd. Maybe the spark plugs themselves are all malfunctioning, but you can pop them out and take a look easily enough. Or else it could be something further up-stream in the ignitor circuit (sorry to be a bit vague there). Getting hold of your own code reader would let you reset the codes and see how quickly each one re-appears. Then you can try to chase down exactly which ignitors are busted (if any). Just look for obdII in this forum for ideas about getting a reader. It would help to know if the car runs lumpy or rough, or stalls, or if there is any evidence of work done on the engine. Or does it run just fine? Any other clues you can give us?

I've run lpg cars for ten years and its brilliant. Engine runs hotter in the chamber but cooler overall. DO go for the 'flashlube' valve seat lubrication system and keep it topped up - I just bought an IS200 with a brilliant lpg system but the loon before me never topped up the lube system which has resulted in NO COMPRESSION on cyl one - i.e. BURNED VALVE SEATS. Flashlube is about £16 a litre, should last well over a year (it uses 1ml per litre of fuel). There are plenty of filling stations - download a free satnav plug-in or buy a map telling you where they are. Fuel at about 60-70p/litre just now (April 2010) and since it has a slightly lower energy-density than petrol you get a few less mpg. But since its already a vapour it burns better so mpg loss is not so bad. I reckon its 70% of the cost of pertol for the same MILES. Also its environmentally good: you know those flares on top of oil wells? Thats the gas being burned off. So why not burn that same gas in an engine, and run close to carbon neutral (yee yes, energy is used in compressing it to a liquid, carrying to the filling station and selling it to me).

I noticed inside the boot I can see the back of the rear shelf speakers. Now I'm wondering if a trim panel is meant to go there, to prevent the wires etc get caught on anything I might chuck in the boot. Can anyone confirm whether there should or should not be a trim panel? It would only be visible if you stuck your head right into the boot and looked up at the underside of the parcel shelf. Cheers

ok now I feel daft - it IS in the boot, but hidden under a sheet of plastic that fooled me - I thought I was looking at the boot floor, but when I lifted the sheet there it is, just as described. Now I need to unbolt it from its chassis to get at the eject mechanism and find the number on the disc. Thanks for all the help.

I have no manual for the sat nav, so if you coulld check and let me know that would be great, thanks

Can anyone say for sure how to get at the Lexus Navigation Dvd in a 2003 IS200? I've searched the forum and plenty of people seem to find it in the boot, but not in mine. Then the US lexus owners site (http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t7498.html) turned up a promising thread saying its under the passenger seat. But I can't find it there either (I looked under both front seats). In case your wondering, I DO have a sat nav and it works fine, but its a 2001 version 1 disc. To get an update from the often-mentioned http://www.lexus-mapupdates.eu/ it seems I need to pop the disc out and find the number written on it. So if anyone can suggest where else to look, please post here.

Well talk to sam who has a nice bit of kit that lets you remap the ecu offered at http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=66250&pid=715705&st=0entry715705

Do a search for ELM327 in the forums. Lots of people have bought readers and give advice/codes/idea about using the reader. The socket should be just above your right foot, under the steering column. Socket points downwards and has a little clip on cover. If you want advice, try Gendan Limited, recomended by several forum users. Here's an email I received from them: ------start of email--------- Assuming the IS200 is a petrol engined model, and it's a UK car (not a grey import), then being a 2003 model it will be EOBD compliant, and so should work fine with an EOBD / OBD-II tool. The EOBD regulations standardised the diagnostic socket, and the software languages that can be used for engine diagnostics, so tool like our EngineCheck PC package would be able to read and clear engine management fault codes, and view live data from the engine sensors: http://www.gendan.co.uk/product_STN327.html'>http://www.gendan.co.uk/product_STN327.html That's assuming you only need to cover the engine. If you want to access other systems such as airbags and ABS, it gets more complicated (and expensive) as they haven't been standardised by legislation. If you need that coverage too, we may have another PC package that would cover it, but you'd be looking at around £400. If that would interest you, let me know and I'll check the coverage. Best regards, Mike West Specialists in Car Diagnostic Tools Gendan Limited http://www.gendan.co.uk Tel: 01792 588002 ------end of email------- In the end I got mine from eBay for about £25. Had loads of fun playing with it, but I did have to guess my way around the software, and my laptop anti-virus flagged up two problems with the supplied discs. Probably safest to download your own software from a site you trust.

Whatever the outcome in your situation, if anyone else finds too much oil in the sump, remember there is an oil drain plug at the bottom of the sump.....

Bought my IS200 last weekend with 184000 on the clock. But I once had a Toyota Carina that died at 240000. In fact I sold it and some bloke got it going and I still see it pootling about. So I have high hopes for the IS200. Good to see high milers listed here as still going strong. I think the old idea of what a high mileage is was invented back when iron engines coughed to their death about 100000. This is why so many ex fleet cars come to market with that on the clock. But these modern engines have much longer life, which makes for dead cheap cars for the brave

Here's a pic of my six plugs in order going 1 to 6. Normal IS200 but runs on LPG. So plugs 1-3 are the right colour, but it just gets worse towards plug 6. Is that oil I see? or just un-burned hydrocarbons (plugs removed from a hot engine). Car doesn't idle right, MOT failed on fast idle emissions, but still drives smoothly on motorway (so I get 220 miles for £26 on lpg). Previous owner didn't keep 'valve-saver' oil topped up, so it might be burned valve seats, or could be just the valve shims need changing to take up the wear on this 180,000 miler. Best scenario, just needs cam timing adjusted, middling might need a head gasket, worst case could be burned valve seats. Anyway ideas welcome, but I suspect its ging into a garage to sort this.

..and one salutory lesson: Someone managed to twist this brake hose when they put the brake caliper back. Failed MOT on this, so Itook the brake disk and caliper off in one piece and un-twised the hose. see pic

Ok ok so I checked aaaaall the lights meself but it took an MOT to spot that one of the number plate lights was out GAAAH. Fitted new one and dash warning light has gone out

Wow yes please - I've sent you a PM

'TRACK OFF' is flashing continuously on my dashboard. I've tried pressing the relevant button, holding it in etc. but the warning never stops flashing. The SNOW button next to it seems to work (SNOW warning light goes on and off when I toggle the SNOW button) but nothing I do seems to alter the state of TRACK. Car is great fun to drive, but I'd like to be able to CHOOSE whem TRACK is on or off. If anyone can suggest where I should investigate, I'd appreciate it.

Hi TOC folk Just bought a very pretty IS200 in blue and it's got a light on the dash that I'm sure means something. No Owners Manual, so can anyone tell me what the little picture of a car with (looks like) its rear light on is means to indicate? See pic here It is on when ALL the lights are off, and it stays on no matter what combination of lights I turn on. My guess is it should indicate when a bulb is blown, but I checked and every light is working as it should. (I've seen the brilliant online manual, but any idea where I can download an owners manual, otherwise I'll just watch eBay for one) Thanks for all the advice on here - helped me greatly when choosing this car