Do Not Sell My Personal Information Jump to content


Scribe

Established Member
  • Posts

    668
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    8

 Content Type 

Profiles

Forums

Events

Store

Gallery

Tutorials

Lexus Owners Club

Gold Membership Discounts

Lexus Owners Club Video

News & Articles

Everything posted by Scribe

  1. Battery has charged up, and I drove the car round the neighbourhood to check everything works. Even the VSC light reset itself. Took a couple of photos in case they're of interest. Battery now on trickle charge. My garage no longer deals with the Yuasa supplier, and would have to replace the battery with a Bosch. Not sure if I'll have to pay. If I do, I'll go for a LPD one instead.
  2. Also less commuting for me since Covid - I now work from home 3 or 4 days per week. I've always liked the Legend, but not the cost of taxing it!
  3. Good question Malc. I also have a 1999 Honda Accord V6 Coupe, currently SORN and about to be MOT'd and re-taxed. That's my normal daily drive. Thirstier than the Lexus but easier to park and more straightforward, with no electrical silliness to deal with. And a Peugeot 207CC, currently my daily drive but otherwise referred to as the girly hairdresser car (no offence intended). I've often wanted to replace it with an MX-5 but I'm too tall for one.
  4. Thanks Paul. My charger has 3 settings: trickle, slow and 'jump start'. I've only used the second of these, when the battery has lost most or all of its charge. It charges up within a few hours. Do you suggest I leave it on 'trickle' most of the time, just to keep it topped up, and disconnect when I use the car?
  5. Yes, the Lexus is my hobby car, not my daily driver, and I very rarely drive more than 20 miles in any direction. So it doesn't get long runs any more. I do charge the battery from time to time, but it's gone flat a few times, so maybe it's damaged. I'm going to get a new one, then try to use the car more. I guess it does no harm to disconnect the battery if the car isn't going to be used for a few weeks? Malc, the current Yuasa battery has a 4-year warranty so I may be able to return it.
  6. Thanks all for your comments. I had the negative earth to the body replaced last year, which cured the problem of the car going dead, sometimes when driving (not pleasant or safe). The battery terminals were replaced at the same time. Jon, your comment makes sense because there's every indication that the battery is fully charged when it obviously isn't. What I don't understand is how a low battery level can cause such differing issues. Sometimes it struggles to crank the starter, but other times the car can be started several times a day, for example when going from shop to shop, and then give up overnight. Once (in wintertime), when I hadn't used the car for a while, one headlight and the central locking didn't work. Both problems disappeared when the battery was fully charged. It's like the electrics go haywire, but not always in the same way. This is why the car scares me - the problems seem illogical. I'm sure one of you tecchies out there could explain it all, but I'm mystified by the whole business. Maybe I should remind myself that the rest of the car is tough as old boots, and that most newer cars can also have electrical problems. And maybe I should think of batteries as having a 3-year life.
  7. Thanks Malc. I know I don't use the car enough. But half the time, when I want to, it has no electrics. So it's not much use to me any more. The battery has gone flat a few times, but when it was last checked it still had 93% efficiency. Happy to try a new one, but I don't understand how something so simple could present so many weird symptoms. And I'm running out of patience with it.
  8. I've disconnected the battery, connected the charger, and switched it on. The green 'charged' light immediately glows, instead of the orange 'charging' one. And the gauge reads 100% charged. But no juice to the car's systems when I reconnect the battery. Could the battery be knackered but show a full charge? It's still under warranty, and my garage will replace it. But I need to be able to start the car to get it to the garage. And if that's not the problem...??? It feels more like a connection issue.
  9. Last week, electrics were non-existent after leaving the car unused for two weeks. No interior lights, no red security light, nothing. Connected the battery charger to the battery and there was nothing - as if the battery was dead. I wondered if it (Yuasa, three years old) had given up. The next day, when I tried again, the battery charger lit up as if there was now a connection, but the battery seemed not to take any charge. The following day, when my mechanic came to pick up the car to fix the exhaust, there was power but not enough for the starter motor. He put his battery pack on and the car immediately fired up. He was going to replace the battery but the car was fine all day, and started a few times perfectly normally. I used the car two days later and it drove beautifully without missing a beat. Everything worked. But this morning, after another four days, there are no interior lights, nothing from the ignition, no lights. It's as good as dead again, except that the red security light is flashing normally. I assume that if the battery's faulty, the power wouldn't go but come back again. Ditto with a blown fuse. So could it be a connection issue?
  10. I had a similar problem, and although I can't remember exactly what happened I think it was because I was locking with the remote but unlocking with the key, or vice versa. Then the remote wouldn't work, and the alarm went off. I disconnected the battery, waited five minutes and reconnected, and everything re-set correctly. Now I make sure I use the remote all the time, though the unlock button doesn't work as easily as it should.
  11. I've been with RH Specialist Insurance (via ERS) for several years. They cover my LS400 and my 1999 Honda Accord V6 Coupe for a very reasonable cost, though there are restrictions on the policy. It's me only to drive, maximum of 3,000 miles per year for each car, and this year they told me the Lexus isn't covered if I leave it on the driveway overnight instead of putting it in the garage. This is no problem for me, but it might not be convenient for some of you. This doesn't mean they wouldn't still provide cover, but they might charge more. Fortunately I've only had to make one claim - for a windscreen on the Honda - and they've been fine to deal with.
  12. Oli, you've doubtless realised by now that you may have to travel a long way to find one, or the right one. I went all the way to North Lincolnshire (from Brighton) to look at mine, and then had to go all the way back there to collect it. No regrets, of course.
  13. I agree. Most of my problems have been battery-related - it's a car that was designed to be used, and mine isn't very often. I also have a 14-year-old Peugeot that's only done 33,000 miles, so it's in very good condition, but it failed an MOT on two tyres that were completely cracked/perished on the inside (not visible from outside) through lack of use. So something to be aware of if you're lucky enough to have a 'garage classic'.
  14. If you're tall you might be more comfortable in an LS430, which has more cabin space. The LS400 is a bit cramped in the front for people with long legs.
  15. I've run an LS400 for the last 13 years but don't have experience of an LS430. They scare me, to be honest, because there's much more to go wrong with them - and they seem expensive things to fix. But they're all old cars now, and I'd prefer a well-maintained 430 to a so-so 400. Condition is everything with old cars, I'd say.
  16. Not sure if this is related, Phil, but when I get stuck in traffic in warm/hot weather for a long period I get a creaking from the front suspension afterwards. It never happens in normal driving, i.e. when I can keep moving except for a few minutes at traffic lights etc. It seems to be heat-related, as if the bushes have dried out. The following day, or even later the same day, when everything has cooled down, the creaking has gone.
  17. Not directly related to Nick's post, but thanks to the driver of the S-reg Mk.4 (same colour as mine) who flashed me in Tesco car park in Lewes a few weeks ago - just in case it's a reader of this forum.
  18. Thanks Steve. I have an MOT coming up so will get the garage to do a few other jobs (including new bonnet struts recently bought).
  19. Heater comes up to temperature but then doesn't maintain it. Also, the air conditioning doesn't seem to do much even after being re-gassed. Could this be something to do with the interior thermostat? Engine temperature is fine.
  20. Paul, I hope I never have to go through all this, but if I did, how would I know I had a faulty ECU or capacitor issue? Malc mentioned revs dropping and the engine cutting out, and this happens to me after the battery's been reconnected/charged from completely flat, but after a minute or two it sorts itself out and idles normally. Is this the ECU resetting itself?
  21. Exactly. You end up putting dirt/moisture back onto the paint. But if you have a leak of some kind, there's no alternative to a cover. Bungees essential though! I usually buy a set from Aldi when they have them in the middle aisle.
  22. My unlock button is a bit iffy - I often have to keep pressing it hard - while the unlock one is always fine. Maybe need a new remote, or can one button be adjusted/repaired? For a while I used a combination of remote and key locking/unlocking but that eventually confused the electrics, or so it seemed, because one day it set the alarm off. A quick disconnect of the battery re-set everything.
  23. Would be interested in having more details, if you're willing to share them, e.g. what's the car's mileage and when was the cambelt last changed (date and mileage)? My (indy) mechanic says that whenever he's changed a belt on an LS400 the old one has never shown any signs of wear - not that that's a reason to put off the replacement. Mine's due next year, I think, after 10 years but only about 25,000 miles. Phil's (ambermarine) suggestion sounds sensible, given that you'd have to source a decent engine - and how would you know it's okay? I gather most of them find their way straight into other cars. I met someone the other day who put one in a Toyota Hi-Lux pickup.
  24. Daniel, on balance I don't regret buying a cover for my small car, but it seems like they cause the most hassle at the time when you most need them, i.e. wet weather. Still useful to protect the car from dust, seagull poo (especially round here) etc.
×
×
  • Create New...