is200 Newbie

I would think it is an indication that your head gasket is failing - get it checked out asap A failed cat or cats on these (there are two) cannot be replaced independent of the exhaust itself, the centre exhaust piece needs to be replaced at a cost of £1500 (yes, that's £1500 and not a typing error) and also comes with a 2 week wait for the part!

My cars at 72k at the moment so I guess they need changing or looking at at least. I have read on a few post that they are near to impossible to change yourself - is this the case? Anyone know if there's any walkthroughs around to change them?

There's been a lot of problems with build up on these units I don't have the problem but would it not be prudent if changing these units so often to purchase another unit and just swap them out every time they require changing. It would take the pressure off from taking it off the car / cleaning and putting it back on. With a spare one then it would give the owner time to clean the "spare unit" in time for the next swap out. Don't know what they cost though to buy a spare?

Hi James I use the metal ramps as shown in the picture - the extensions are good as they give that bit more clearance between the front bumper and the ramp itself. If used without then your front bumper would scrape the ramp due to the incline of them but I suppose it depends on the type of ramps but the extensions do help avoid this. Oil change is easy - you would need an oil filter cap removal tool but other than that its an easy job. location of the filter is at the front of the car approx. 24 inches in. Remove the small protective plastic cover to get to the filter underneath on the plastic engine shield cover (you will see this cover if you look under the car when its on the ramps). Use the oil cap tool and remove filter. Filter is not the can type but a paper filter type. I use "Japarts" company on the web for parts like this as there's no guessing on what part to use and they have always sent me the correct parts. Make sure the new filter you are buying includes the rubber seal washer. It does hold over 6 litres of oil which I found out. I have a catch can that I use when changing oil but it only holds 4litres. If you don't want to make a mess on your drive then its worth buying a larger capacity one for doing oil changes on these. I have always used Wynns engine flush when changing oils as its the ideal time to do so. The oil I use is Castrol Magnatec 5w/30 Good luck

Take it back to where it was purchased from and have it looked at. Swap for an auto IS250

I have used 2 cans of this BG44 - used it on half a tank to give it a stronger mix and then on a full tank. Used it because the car felt it was holding back and it had the tell tale signs of carbon build up, what can be best described as shivering. Since I have used this the car has been fine. Another symptom for the slow pick up in acceleration could be a blowing exhaust which I have also experienced and what you describe above was a symptom I had when my exhaust went. Exhaust repaired now and its like a rocket of the mark (using the gears) Servicing helps - especially a clean air filter. I have used a K&N oiled one and there is a difference you can feel, especially in drive (if you have an automatic)

Compare the cost of an exhaust for example - quoted £2100 for centre and back section - only available from Lexus. its not a part that's been released by them for the manufacturers that supply the likes of ATS etc - you can have a stainless steel one fitted for under £500 if you shop around through the specialist exhaust manufacturers.

Hi Normski That's a nice set of wheels

I had found one in Denton, Manchester while looking around for exhaust people but have no experience of them at all (lthough they did not answer an email I sent them, only tried once) MITSILAND http://www.mitsiland.co.uk/index.html This is the closest one to myself in North Wales (approx. 70 miles away)

Things looking up Had the part delivered yesterday - pictured below - not going to class this as a permanent fix but hopeful for now - just had it installed. Needed to drill out the bolt holes for the spring clip bolt to fit and cut it down by 7cms that was about it for the mods to the part. Had it welded to an inner sleeve I had made (5.7cm outer diameter steel tube / 2mm thick and 5cms long) inserted into the rear muffler and welded onto the manufacturers weld - in turn the part I bought was sleeved over the tube and welded together. Bit of time and effort to do - took the day off to do this just under 3 hours later walah - done! So basically there is a sleeve inserted into the box / welded and flex exhaust sleeve welded over the box sleeve and then clamped to the back boxes via existing spring clips. Runs fine - will allow me, if anything, to get the car to an exhaust specialist - cant see any possible issues in what I have done - if anything it may blow from the welds but will not break again. When it starts blowing I will get it done. Installing this part takes away the stress point right where the exhaust snapped - there is a bit of play in the part I fitted which takes the stress out - overall well chuffed - saved £1500 and a further few week wait.

Think I have cracked the problem now - may need some good gum and a welder but have found a flexible exhaust repair on the web after a lot of digging around tonight. Will need to re-tap the bolt holes on the new piece but it looks like it will work - £12 will fix the problem plus a new support weld from the exhaust to the body which will remove the stress point on the exhaust. Its just at an awkward place on the exhaust that its gone. If it works I will re-post with the instructions ... will save quite a bit of money when other people experience this..

Exhaust update 2 weeks on from thinking I had sorted this, was informed on Friday that the wrong part had been ordered. A further 2 week wait for the part would be on the books. Got a refund and took the business elsewhere as I couldn't get the car there until mid October. Bought a replacement part from breakers after being told from a local garage they could fit it. Part came and it was immaculate, I thought I struck lucky - two days after receiving the part I had the car booked in for the piece to be installed. Felt really happy now it was sorted. Back in my car again after sitting in a Vauxhall for 3 weeks. 5pm came, just finished work and went to collect car. Found that the exhaust could not be replaced. Firstly, the one on the car had 4 rotted bolts onto the manifold so there was a good chance that the manifold could crack or get damaged when getting them off (actually saw this for myself while it was on the ramps) the room to get these off is minimal so would require grinding off. Secondly there are two lambda sensors (one on each side of the centre piece pipes just before the cats, looking down from the engine) These sensors have minimal wire of approx. 4cms exposed from the shell of the car to the exhaust so chances are that when removing these the wiring would break. These seem to be plugged in within the cabin under the carpet in the front seat area. So it would mean removing the 2 front seats and carpet to track this plug down to un plug it. May patch up and px or look at the stainless option again ..... Back to the drawing board - hello Vauxhall again !!!

No pre-cats but 2 cats are installed on the centre section which may explain high cost along with the replacement of the two sensors.

I had what seemed like fuel starvation on mine a few months back and figured out it had carbon build up or possible build up - I put some fuel additive BG44 in the tank and ran with Shell petrol for a few fill ups, put another can of additive in after a few fill ups and it improved. I have been told, whether it is true or not, from a friend who had an old IS300 that not having the fuel filler cap on tight enough would affect the fuel delivery as he done this on his and it wasn't running right until he noticed the cap was loose. I think having it on tight creates a vacuum but what that does to the fuel feed I don't know. Easy to check though

To better describe the "chugging" is it more like the car shivers?

Would anyone know if the 250 has Pre Cats installed on the exhaust - also have I got it right in thinking that the box behind the tail pipes, approx. mid centre of the exhaust is just a secondary muffler - there are two small rugby ball shaped boxes further up the exhaust towards the engine just before the pipes fully splay out and I was thinking these were pre cats but then they cant be as they should be before the cat shouldn't they? Diagram below shows the layout

Just a question of the exhausts components - I have added a diagram of the exhaust (ignore the arrow as that's where my exhaust had gone) Does this car have pre-cats? Looking at the picture below - there are the back two boxes then there is another box (second muffler I am thinking?) - there are also two rugby ball shaped parts in the exhaust which is further down before the pipes fully splay out - what are these as they look like pre cats and if that's the case is what I am thinking is muffler is that the actual cat itself? or are the pre-cats (if it has them) on the manifold - sorry picture not that big.

What should be an easy replacement has turned into a nightmare. the company I found cannot do the exhaust now until October - so it would be off the road until then and then there's the hassle of getting it there which is 40 miles away but I need it in the mean time. They were going to replace the middle section but I found out that they were actually going to cut the pipe after the cat from the original part so if any problems occurred in the future then there would be a further problem of matching up the exhausts as they would not be standard fittings. Bit the bullet tonight - £1500 lighter - booked in to be done in two weeks time (2 week lead time on the part) Happy with the car and do expect to pay for the pricier parts but for something like this (that is a consumable) I cant justify it as cost of part vs car value you would expect it to add a bit of value to it. I expect the back boxes to go next so that's £2200 in total on an exhaust. IT MIGHT BE WORTH ANYONE READING THIS THINKING OF PURCHASING ONE OF THESE TO CHECK THE MID EXHAUST BEFORE DECIDING TO BUY. Not happy but what can you do when you only have one source for the part.

Sorted - had missed first name out !

Hi Normski I did see the note / info - I have tried to change this a few times but it keeps reverting back to the original info - short of closing account and opening one again I don't know how to resolve it.

Needed to do something today as the cars just sitting in the drive crying. Got on the web and found a company that will manufacture a FULL stainless steel exhaust system (cat back) for between 4-500 £'s fitted. Will need the car for a full day to custom fit it but down side is that they are that busy at the moment and cannot fit it in for another two weeks. Worth the wait ... watch this space !

Final update - exhaust ended today on the way home - paste didn't help! - lost power also. Car is only drivable at 30 mph and sounds like a tank now. The middle back box broke away from the pipe. Was talking to a mechanic at lunchtime today, took car in for a second opinion on whether it could be welded. He actually had a 2007 250 in the compound that he was waiting for a front piece for from ebay. It just so happened that he had seen the break happen on another 250 (a 2008 model) a few months back at exactly the same spot and was unable to weld as the metal was too thin. All he managed to do to get the guy home was to weld a support onto the pipes so the guy could get home ok.. The one he was working on had been sitting there for 8 days still waiting for the exhaust to arrive. He also confirmed it was a Lexus only part Seemed to think there was a lot of stress at the point where it had broken as seen on the other 250 and the one in the compound. May be an issue coming to light with these in that its getting to the point now where the exhausts are coming to the end of their life and the problem is now being highlighted? He gave me a company to contact to quote me on a stainless one. Will give them a call tomorrow. Will update on the cost if I manage to get one?!

It is a 250 (cant update the profile info for some reason?!) Update on the exhaust - cant be welded as its too thin - garage I took it to also very wary on doing this due to the electronics in the car. They advised the best method to weld was using a "mig" welder and with grounding the welder, or something, then it could mess with the cars electronics? Next up I bought a tub of exhaust paste - last chance of repairing it. Got under the car and gave it a good go at sealing the hole. After cleaning it up before applying the past I found that its holed around the manufactures weld (about a 3cm thin crack / hole around the pipe that is located on the first box which is joined to the pipe from the exhaust tips. It seems to be a stress point on the exhaust - it flexes at that point which is evident now its rusted at that point so I thought the paste would not hold that well but gave it a go. Sounded good this morning on the way to work. Dinnertime I went out in it and it started blowing again. Got home tonight and had a loot at where it had been pasted and noticed it had cracked again through the past - must be the point where its flexing I think. Must admit it felt different this morning when driving, more responsive. Have re-pasted over the hole again but don't hold out much hope of this lasting - dilema ...don't want to pay the £1400 lexus price, want to keep the car Might try ebay for a second hand one from a breaker - webuyanycar.com values it at £6000 ! MOT is up April 2014.

As with Normski - definitely drive a few £9000 seems to be a bit on the high side for a 2006 model though.

Thanks Normski Just an update on the price - the quoted £705 I had turns out to be for the back section (twin pipes up to the first join. The section I am after I have found out is the next section which is a complete front section (seems there's only two sections) which will set me back £1426 fitted !! All for the sake of one small hole in the middle box. I am pasting it up tomorrow - if that doesn't work then its off to a welder - might buy a welding kit myself as it looks like its the cheaper option. Over £2000 for a complete exhaust is laughable. My other option is looking for a company to make a custom one.