ColinBarber

This isn't a common issue reported here. Were the replacement callipers new from Lexus - they would come with a 12 month warranty.

GS series I, II and III have always been bad for this and if you are sensitive to it then it does become maddening. You will get people here who will tell you theirs doesn't rattle, but then when I've been in the same vehicle I can hear lots of little noises and pressing the trim panels will make it creak.

The series IV is definitely much better but not silent. The IS III isn't quite as good but better than both the GS III and IS II in this regard.

3 hours ago, Daft Dave said:

so I'm wondering if I should just carry on as I did before and use my local guy to do my servicing and take the hit if anything does go wrong with it?

Certainly no need to pay high Lexus service charges just to get a poor warranty. If you are concerned about the Battery then you can always service with an independent and then just purchase an separate hybrid health check from Lexus for around £60 which gives you 12 month warranty on the traction Battery.

15 minutes ago, robby666 said:

So what would i be getting for the extra 20 grand?

You would get a little more boot and interior space 😉

On paper it is a little difficult to justify the price difference between the two these days. Yes the RX is a nicer place to be with a slightly higher spec and improved sound insulation but the main difference used to be the drivetrain and they are the same now (with the NX improved and the RX worse without it's V6).

Personally I wouldn’t pay an extra for AWD on the UX250h but I wouldn’t avoid it either. It will improve traction in slippery conditions but in snow your money is better put towards all season or winter tyres.

1 hour ago, JeffL said:

If true, how would a potential buyer of a used NX know for certain that it had the new NG NX security platform? 

If it’s an NX300h or NX200t then it’s a series I. If it’s an NX350h or NX450h+ then it is a series II (NG).

Maps updates typically have nav firmware within them if needed. Added functionality on the infotainment system has historically rarely happened with Toyota/Lexus. That may change with some of the newer platforms on 2022+ vehicles but don't expect anything for your UX.

If you login to My Lexus then in the eStore you will either have free access to map updates (if you still have a valid subscription) or you can purchase and download the latest one.

On 3/20/2024 at 10:00 AM, Slippydiff said:

Slightly off topic and on the subject of the smart key and using a faraday pouch, does anyone know if by putting the key into battery saving mode, this has the same effect and stops it being cloned?

I have tested battery saving mode and the car cannot see the key for keyless entry so perhaps it does. Battery saving mode might therefore negate the need for a pouch? Although you'll still need one for the key card unless you don't use this and remove the battery.

 

Yes, it will stop a relay attack against a key. If you don't want keyless entry then it is better to just disable the feature in the car, that way you don't have to remember to put the key fob into Battery save mode every time - you just need to remember to hold your key against the start button to disengage the immobiliser before you start the engine.

There are potentially new attacks against remote locking systems with rolling codes that don't rely on relaying the signal from a key - if this becomes a reality for Toyota/Lexus vehicles then disabling smart unlocking, Battery saving functional or Faraday pouches won't do anything.

3 hours ago, Jagman said:

Really just leaving a spark plug change which does not look too easy.

Here’s a previous thread on the subject

11 hours ago, Daft Dave said:

I would have thought this style of driving to be well suited to a Hybrid?

In addition to driving smoothly there are two things that may help.

Firstly, accelerate up to speed, say 30 mph, then come off the throttle so the EV light comes on and then lightly press the accelerator again to maintain your speed without forcing the petrol engine to start up again. This makes use of electrical running more than if you just kept your foot constantly down.

Secondly, when braking glance at the energy meter and watch the meter go into the charge area - don’t let it get to the end and stop because at this point the mechanical brake start supplying additional braking effort - you want to brake gently where possible so all braking is done via electrical energy recovery. 

5 hours ago, PDM said:

Colin,  I am not sure about this.  I think the official word on this from Lexus is somewhat ambiguous - it talks about 1 iteration, which I assume to mean only 1 version of the plate has been created.  It's in the comments section.

https://mag.lexus.co.uk/lexus-uk-statement-on-vehicle-theft/comment-page-4/#comments

Paul

Rob has had new plates fitted to his RX:

7 minutes ago, eightk said:

Sticking a custom made mid pipe on to delete the secondary cat is still legal I think - the GPF is upstream of that somewhere I think

I don't believe there is a secondary cat on GPF equipped vehicles, certainly that's the case for the RC F - it is located in the same place, at the front of the exhaust. In the middle of the exhaust, they are just silencers.

As for removing a cat - it's somewhat a grey area in it's legality because you may not change the vehicles certified emissions (which is difficult to tell and certainly an MOT doesn't test this) however this is government advise:

The law

Under the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations (Regulations 61(7) and 61A(3)) and the Road Traffic Act 1988 (Section 42) it is an offence to use on a road a vehicle which has been modified in such a way that it no longer complies with the air pollutant emissions standards it was designed to meet.

Legal implications

A person using (or causing or permitting to be used) a vehicle on the public road, which does not comply with the emissions standards it was designed to meet, is committing an offence.

All vehicle owners should be aware of the need to inform their insurers of modifications made to the vehicle, whatever form these might take, as changes to the vehicle potentially alter the risk being insured.

It is not always obvious to vehicle owners that some modifications will make the vehicle illegal to use on the road, irrespective of whether the insurer is prepared to provide cover. For example, removing a catalytic converter or diesel particulate filter will almost certainly result in a vehicle’s emissions exceeding type approval limits and make the vehicle illegal to drive on the road. Engine re-mapping may also result in non-compliant emissions.

It is the driver who is responsible for ensuring compliance.

6 minutes ago, Niraj-3IS said:

Anyone know which Toyota model shares the same rear view mirror as the 2014 IS300H?

It depends if you have auto dimming or not. If yes it only seems to be shared with the Lexus NX. If not then the following all use the same mirror:

8 minutes ago, beyond the blue said:

Despite giving them all the details of the vehicle and recieving a confirmation email of the booking it wouldn't surprise me if things don't go according to plan.

There is a new plate for the RX. I wonder if it fits the ES too, or will they be expecting you to turn up in an RX.

1 hour ago, Daft Dave said:

Has anyone any other thoughts on this?

Your mpg should improve as you get use to driving a hybrid. Also as the weather warms up the petrol engine will cut out more as it isn't needed to keep the cabin warm.

The only thing worth checking is after a journey, place your hands near the wheels/brakes (don't actual touch them) to see if one feels hotter than the rest - that indicates a sticking calliper which will cause some drag and affect your economy.

It is unlikely you will match your friend's Corolla - its drivetrain is derived from the Prius series IV whereas the CT is from the Prius series III. It's an evolution of the same engine and transmission but there are changes that contribute up to 15% improvement in economy.

On 3/16/2024 at 6:04 PM, Lex loafer said:

This is in addition to the security plates available for the 4th gen RX.

Yes

9 minutes ago, peniole said:

So it's just a protection plate? No mention of software or security hardware?

The security update isn't available for approx. 6 weeks, if not longer.

There's some talk here:

If you have a newer LC with a GPF then you can't really touch that so you need to look for catback exhausts. 

Good to get recommendations as above, but there is no specific need for a EV or hybrid specialist - the back end prop shaft/diff/drive shafts/wheel hubs are no different in design than an IS250 or IS200t - all the hybrid elements are at the transmission up front.

19 minutes ago, RadicalCoupe-Fuji said:

you can get brembo on autodoc with the oem part number, well for RCF anyway

They have the OEM part number as reference, they aren't the same though - more than one member here has stated they aren't coated as well as the OEM ones - not that it really matters.

Autodoc also sell some low quality pattern parts so you need to be careful when selecting parts from them.

I'm not aware of anyone else reporting this issue here - whilst oil seals don't last forever it seems like you are unlucky here.

It's common for oil to be sprayed around as it comes out of a diff onto the rotating shafts and get flung out. The oil is quite thick when cold so it's unlikely to just seep out when the vehicle is stationary.

I doubt it was overfilled - you fill it at the side and it starts to overflow when you reach the level required so you would almost purposely want to overfill it actually achieve it. Even if it is, the oil is essentially sealed within the diff - it cannot get out through the filler which has an airtight seal. Symptom of an overfilled diff is wear of the gears because if excessive aeration of the oil, not oil leaking out.

It might be worth giving the diff area a degrease and see how quickly the oil comes back - if it's only very minor then you possibly could live with it but you would have to keep an eye on the oil level and it will likely get worse over time.

The seal itself would be inexpensive - your quoted cost will therefore be mainly labour and at £200ish per hour it would be expensive to get it done at Lexus - any mechanic could do this job.

2 hours ago, robsmith115 said:

The boot floor in the UX can be dropped by removing a panel.

It's not really the same as what VW offer in some of their vehicles though.

2 hours ago, Expatma said:

Some things are just very useful

No debate there, just Lexus don't offer it unfortunately.

You wouldn’t purchase a new Battery on a vehicle of that age - a second hand one from a scrap vehicle would be around £1500 or you can get a faulty Battery repaired.

If you get a hybrid health check done just before the vehicle is 15 years old you get a warranty for another 12 months.

Age isn’t really the concern though, it’s the number of cycles the Battery has done - unfortunately there is no way to know that so mileage is the best thing to go by. 

8 minutes ago, Tickedon said:

In 2023, in the UK, only 16.5% of new cars registered were EV - in percentage terms, this was down slightly on 2022!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68199898

Sorry my mistake. I was only looking at Dec 23 figures from SMMT not the full year.

The actual number of EVs sold was quite a lot more than 2022 but the whole market rose as lead-times of vehicles reduced.