Enright

Enright, i totally get where yor coming from now. You dont like fog lights because in your opinion there chavey and you have seen a Lexus with fog lights on and you thought you would distance yourself from that and not want anyone to think you was chavey. Ok i wont ever call you chavey. Dont worry yourself no one thinks your a chav at all. Dont talk wet man its a car . A car says nothing about the man driving it. Its a car. Driving a bmw or audi makes you a c0ck because clarkson says it does? The only people that believe that at c0cks themselves. Your only problem seems to be not wanting to to be deemed a c0ck like a Saxo driver because you saw someone in a lexus with their fog lights on and wanted to distance everyone from that. Personally i think anyone who relates himself a beter or worse person because of what car heshe drives is a c0ck.

your concerned about the reputation of the "brand" because of having its front fog lights on. I wonder if i could sort that for you.

I will contact Lexus UK tomorow for you, pass on your concerns, they may stop producing cars with fog lights on after all they wouldnt want to loose sales by people not wanting to buy Lexus any more now that people are driving with their fog lights on.

Dont make me laugh mate is a car not a way of life. No one actually thinks "oh look a Lexus with his front fog lights on, i wont buy one of them, there all chavs"

Fil, I’m not sure exactly what you were hoping to gain from contributing to this thread - having apparently been by far the loudest voice here.

Yet through the ramblings about what is or isn’t a fog-lamp, the oh-so-clever ways you or your mates have found to stick 2 fingers up at the law, or even the snide comments at me (when neither of my previous posts were directed personally at you), I struggle to see what you’ve achieved. Apart from possibly making yourself look as though you had nothing better to do.

Was it just a case of taking up an opposing point of view for the sake of it? A Monty Python “Am I in the right place for an argument?” moment!

You certainly didn’t see how the d!ck that I was originally referring to was driving on the night in question – weaving about and driving erratically around me while I had my family in the car. Never mind ME distancing myself from him, NO self-respecting Lexus owner would have wanted to be associated with that idiot. To be honest I hoped he might frequent this site and get the message. If there had been a single red light to stop him on the evening that I first posted, I was so angry at the time that I’d have delivered the message personally, and he wouldn’t have behaved like that again (or even got back up) in a hurry.

You also might notice that my last post talked about my Lexus ownership in the past-tense, as thankfully it’s now become the burden of another. It may be nice enough cruising along in comfort, but I’d rather be spending literally HALF my money per month on fuel in something that’s nowhere near as sluggish thanks. So I honestly don’t care what people think of me as a Lexus owner now, cos I ain’t one, and am all the happier for it!

Finally back to the fog lights: now that we all know about your extensive driving experience, have you ever ridden a motorbike at night in heavy rain? I have, and it’s difficult enough having 10,000 lights from a car mucking up your vision through all the water droplets, without brainless dorks making it 20,000 for the sake of fashion! So if you choose to align yourself with them rather than all of the people who know damn well that they are idiots, then more fool you.

That’s all I need to say on the subject, and for that matter, on the site. Now I HAVE got something better to do, and it isn't here. End of.

Wow, that stirred up quite an hornets' nest didn't it?!?

A couple of points of clarification (as I'm not going to reply to all 6 pages since my original post).

I was dismayed to see that it was an IS200 in particular that was driving around with his "chav-lights" on, because one of the qualities I liked about my IS was that it was a quality car. I didn't feel as though I had anything to prove in it. Or at least certainly not "hey look at me, my car's got front foglights that work (same as 90% of other cars on the road, but I'm just too stoopid to find the off-switch again)", anyway!

The more owners that start adopting the above quoted attitude, the poorer a reputation the brand as a whole will have, and the worse it will reflect on the remainder as owners. Take my original parallel with Citroen Saxo's - I could have said BMW or Audi drivers if I was quoting Clarkson I suppose. After all who now doesn't think "ah look, another c0ck" when they spot one behaving in the expected manner? Yep, stereotypical maybe, but you all knew exactly what I was on about. Oh and I commend the vast majority for coming out and applauding my sentiments. It's restored my faith in the forum a lot, because I was starting to think it was all getting a bit too "pimp my ride" for my liking. If we're lucky, it may even have educated a few and converted them to the "(fog)Lights Off Brigade". ;)

That's why my initial tack was to point out that "it's naff (and by the way illegal)", as I felt it would have more of an effect on the mentality of most than "it's illegal (and by the way naff)". Because they probably think nothing of wandering across lanes without indicating while talking to their homies on da mobile, so what's one more ikkle rule going to matter...?

This evening some wannabe boy-racer in an IS200 was dazzling me with his fog lamps. Odd that he didn't think that driving around with rear ones on (like I suddenly started doing in protest) looked anywhere near as cool! Why wouldn't he want the same wattage back?!? ;)

Can we just get something clear here: fog lamps when you are in traffic, or can see perfectly well, are just for Citroen Saxo drivers and CHAVS!

So if you aren't one, then you must be the other! Next time you're out, check out the sort of people who drive around with them on - you'll soon see what I mean. It's the current equivalent of the backwards Burberry baseball cap. Do you really want to look like that?

It DOESN'T make you look classy or like some sort of dude, it just makes you look like a t!t on the way back to his council estate - oh and by the way, it's also illegal and therefore another thing that the police will use a reason (make that excuse) to pull you over.

Rant mode off.

Firstly, I'd already tried freeing the original up and had it fail a re-test.

A seal kit would cost as much if not more than a second hand caliper and I'm fed up of messing about with it in the cold.

Secondly, thanks to John for indeed NOT selling them, but actually GIVING me a replacement.

Now hopefully I can finally get rid.

Hi all,

I've got a buyer for my IS200 but the front passenger side caliper is sticking (partial seizure due to a damaged seal), and I need to get the car MOT'd before next weekend.

Does anyone have a decent condition caliper that they'd be willing to sell?

If so, please can you PM me with your asking price?

Thanks!

BCingU

En.

You know, looking at them Lexus locking wheel nuts aren't very secure - they protrude quite a bit.

It would be relatively easy to use an angle grinder to put a couple of flats on the circumference and then just get a big spanner on them.

I'd loosen all of the other wheel nuts first though, because the lockers aren't usually torqued up as much as the rest. Tightening the rest can pull the wheel tighter against the loosest nut, so the converse (loosening) is also true.

And seeing as Lexus alloys aren't that desireable, who says you need to replace the destroyed lockers like for like? Just get some standard wheel nuts from a breaker on eBay.

My little boy was 1 this week, and my IS200 has been fine. Not quite as versatile as my old Peugeot 306 hatchback, but no problem as long as you use a bit of lateral thinking sometimes.

Firstly, you don't need a pram. We bought a Mamas & Papas Pliko P3 pushchair - you can find specs on Mamas & Papas website. This pushchair starts out as a chassis to which you can fit a M&P cot (effectively turning it into a pram). We also bought a Primo Viaggio IP car seat, which clips onto the chassis too. Later on you fit a cushioned cover to the chassis which turns it into a proper pushchair.

The chassis easily folds small enough to fit in the boot. The biggest problem is that in the early months you need a rear facing car seat, but you can't turn off the passenger side airbag. So your partner might have to ride in the back with the baby, otherwise the baby might scream on every car journey because they can't see either of you.

Fortunately I did. But then I bought a Lexus!

Going back to my earlier post, for me it was as much (if not more) about eeking out a bit better economy through improved flow. After all, it's usually a trade-off - it doesn't HAVE to be all about power. Besides, I have the Lotus for flies in the eyes motoring. My IS200 just needs to move me around in comfort - preferably without drinkiing the contents of my wallet!

I do get the feeling though that the IS's engine is a but gutless for it's size, so because it has to work harder that contributes to the poor mpg. Being partially strangled could account for only achiving 155bhp from 2 litres.

It's a shame that nobody replied to my original questions who had actually bought and used the parts. Maybe that means it's all just been a big marketting exercise and they haven't actually sold any!!!

What are you after? There seems to be plenty of stuff on eBay. :)

I doubt there is an MOT tester slack enough to pass the car with no Cat. To detect any minimal improvement in performance produced by removing it; you will need to get a tattoo up your neck in an oriental language you don't understand and/or have a vivid imagination - although the car could be slightly louder while you drive around breaking the law by taking it out. People have successfully removed Cat elements using the same tools as used previously to remove their brains.

OK then, in that case can you recommend any good tattoo parlours please, because I’m obviously missing one! :P :winky:

I’ve already come at this from the opposite direction on my Elan, with stunning results:

It had a drink problem from before I bought it, averaging a truly awful 22mpg. As one of the early M100 SE’s it was only fitted with the standard open loop system. There was provision for an O2 sensor, pre-cat and catalytic converter for the export market, but being as these weren’t law in the UK until the introduction of new models after 1991, none of them needed to be fitted. Instead there was a bung where the O2 sensor could go, the pre-cat was hollow with no honeycomb inside, and the main exhaust system was mercifully un-strangled. This presented a great opportunity...

Installing a closed-loop (S2) Everest chip and an O2 sensor instantly corrected the stochiometric (air-fuel) ratio to 14.7:1 and as a result quartered the emissions. IIRC the CO limit for older cars without cats is 3.5%, and for those with them fitted as standard it is just 0.4%. Even without a pre-cat or main cat they came down to 0.65% - well inside the actual limit and only a whisker over a cat equipped car’s! This was on the MOT tester’s own machine, meaning that they were hardly going to argue with it, I didn’t have to rely on them being “slack”, and the car ended up completely legal.

Furthermore my fuel consumption increased by at least a third, and I’ve even seen in the 40’s on a run.

Then there was the power increase - the chip improved the boost pressure and fuelling, while the sensor ensured that the burn was as efficient as possible.

So I gained 40bhp, up from the original 165. Not bad for a 1.6, and living proof that you CAN have your cake and eat it!

Many fellow Elaners have since followed my lead and gone closed-loop with no adverse effects. See here:

http://forum.lotuselancentral.com/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=13359

Now back to my original question on the Lexus but with a few more details, as since my last post there’s been some daylight which has given me chance to look at the system a little more:

Most of the work has already been done in this case because the O2 sensor is fitted on the exhaust manifold just upstream of the pre-cats, and the main cat looks to be about level with the B-pillars.

So as expected the O2 sensor only measures the emissions as they come out of the engine, and passes the signal back to the ECU to alter the ignition/fuelling accordingly. Then the 2 pre-cats and the main cat simply scrub the spent gases to bring the CO level down by the last few tenths of a percent to below the legal limit.

There’s a very fancy looking exhaust manifold on eBay at the moment which does away with the pre-cats, and then as an alternative there’s the de-cat pipe which I previously linked to.

Increasing flow, as long as the air-fuel ratio stays correct, should be the first step in either releasing more power or upping fuel economy (or if you’re really lucky, both).

Past experience tells me that cars produced for the global market are built to be easily tailored to the strictest emissions standards on a regional basis, and ours aren’t the strictest by far. It comes down to how good the engine management system is in reducing emissions in the first place, before what’s left is passed through the exhaust system and ultimately measured.

I’d still like to know how hard the cats are forced to work, how good a job do they do, and why would getting rid of any of them produce an engine check-light when the gases have already passed the sensor? Could it be because the engine can now breathe properly due to the freer flowing air, so it has too little back-pressure?

Thanks in advance for any helpful replies! :D

I think the loom is completely different. I bought one on eBay (they come up every now and again), and am just waiting for the missing components to come up at the right price. All I need now is a remote (plus holder), and the all important display. Then the fun REALLY begins...!

Is this the sort of thing that this topic is referring to?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LEXUS-IS200-2-0-STAINLESS-STEEL-EXHAUST-DECAT-PIPE-/350371346962?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item5193c27a12

If so, please can anyone quote on their experiences with theirs? Specifically:

Can the car still pass an MOT with it fitted?

Did you need to change the O2 sensor? If so, how much did you have to spend on one and where did you get it from?

What difference in power/economy did it produce?

Alternatively, can you just remove the internals from the (edit: PRE-)cats for broadly the same result?

Wow I didn't realise the difference was THAT much!

I just re-taxed my 2000 model yesterday, and it was only 205 for the year.

Also as it was originally registered in Northern Ireland it doesn't have an age related plate, so only people on here would have any clue to the car's real age.

At 40 difference per year I'm glad I didn't get a newer one, because that's soon going to mount up, and I'd rather spend the money on keeping it in as good or better nick than the rest!

Pants - duplicate post, sorry!

There are also body colour coded covers available, which may look quite good (depending on your body's colour).

What's on your spare - the same?

Hi folks,

It might sound stupid but I thought I would raise this with you all and see what you think.

A new recommendations section - featuring all the things you've bought for your Lexus including;

-a review of the product you have purchased

-how much it is

-where to get it from

Perhaps there could be a section like this under each model?

with several categories eg tyres & wheels, suspension

It would just be handy, say you need a new clutch for your IS, you want to know what others have bought, how much it is and who's the best supplier to approach.

your thoughts folks?

What a great idea.

So instead of having to take pot luck on products that could be awful (or having to trawl throught pages of rubbish and duplicated topics), you instantly get proper market research results from the people who matter!

Let us hope that the powers that be are listening...

That's very thoughtful of you - were you thinking that they might help him get round the kiddies a bit quicker?!?

If so, I hope he has (or IS) a good mechanic as one of 'em has no engine!

Still, I guess he still has the reindeer to tow it, and it's less draughty than a sleigh... :D

Note to Moderators/Admins:

Please could you pin this topic (and possibly lock it too to save it from turning into a discussion), and then delete this post to leave just the original one above?

Thanks. :)

Click on the following link for the Lexusownersclub's own Buyers Guide:

Buyers Guide

The only thing that I would add is that while an HPI check is recommended, a full HPI check can be expensive.

However a "mytextcheck" (www.mytextcheck.com) only costs £3 (plus standard network rate).

I wish I'd remembered that advice when I bought mine!

Just text the reg no to 83600 - well worth £3 for peace of mind.

10 seconds on the Search function :)

Here's the buyer's guide in the LOC Knowledgebase for the IS200:

Buyers Guide

Fairy Nuff, but if you can educate all newbies in one go to find and read that (rather than just posting here first), then you're a better man than I! :winky:

Thanks for the link, I'll see if I can get it pinned.

My other (better?) half has a habit of answering questions a bit like that, usually about her missing car key when she's blocked me in and I need to go somewhere!

And like my response to her I'd have to say that it can't really do it's job very well if nobody can find it!

Does anyone have a link to it that we could put a sticky post pointing towards?

That's brilliant, thanks. Good to be able to read them.

In fact if you like you can nuke my posts highlighting the issue now it's fixed.

Not getting at anyone, but I wouldn't be surprised if the regulars get a bit bored of answering this same question over and over, so simply tend not to bother responding anymore.

Perhaps it would be worth a moderator pulling out a few of the best tips, and combining them into one post as a generic buyers' guide that could be made sticky and locked.

Is it just my browser or does everyone else have the same problem with the Spec Sheet Topics that are pinned near the top of the page?

When I click on the links in any of these I get "error 404 page not found":

http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=2102

http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=2101

http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=2100

Could any of the forum moderators either repair the links or if that's not possible, un-pin the topics?