is200 Newbie

Hi Rory Sorry - got my letters mixed up - the bumper and rear skirt on mine is a TRD style yes it does look more like the avatar but with a flatter bottom to it and less of an eyebrow over the spotlight which is a full light and not a round one - it has TRD on the inner bumper in raised plastic letters with serial or part numbers also which has led me to believe it is a TRD, it also has a TRD badge inset into the front bottom of the bumper. I had thought about what make it was in the past as it looks different to what other people have here. I also have a set of TRD skirts that i am debating whether to fit as with the front bumper and the rear skirt on it it looks good without the skirts on. I believe these are a right b#*ch to fit? I have just got TTE and TRD wording mixed up in the post. I will post a picture when i get one

Are there different styles of the TTE bumper ? - mine is different from the one in the picture - I will post a pic of the car next week when the car is all cleaned up and the suns out!! That cars identical to mine apart from the grille which i am on the look out for - I bought the bumper for an astounding 99p, yes 99p from ebay at the end of last year from someone who was moving house and wanted the garage cleared - i dont think he knew what he was selling as he himself had had it kicking around in his garage for a while he said until he sold the car and did not need the bumper anymore. The Aero alloys i also found on ebay and these were in a hell of a state but i spent a lot of time on them and refurbed them myself and they came out brilliant.

Changed the bumper on car on Friday night from stock to a TTE one and although i have not done a bumper before i cant believe how easy it was - took just under an hour and most of this time was taken in taking the lights / washers out and refixing to new bumper. A very easy job!

Hi Martin I have put a post up in the main forum section called "Wheel Noise" with a link to a YouTube video of someone thats recorded a noise from his IS - take a look and see if this is similar to yours?

Thanks Dave - Havent looked at the rear brakes to see if this is the problem although i do know the caliper pistons are fine - its an awkward problem as you can only hear this when moving and as you can only stick your head out of the front drivers window then its a bit limited in figuring out where the sound is coming from but i will give them a a strip down and clean to see if there is anything obvious going wrong - cheers

Thanks Tony - i need to have a more indepth look at this again i think as its got to be something thats pretty obvious?.... I have found this guy when searchingthe web thats posted on YouTube who has a similar issue but only when turning corners - the noise he is reporting is the same as what i am hearing but where he only hears it when cornering i am getting it all of the time - he has put a resolution in his comments so i will try this also - the link to his post is below

Hi Guys There have been a few posts on the forum covering this - so apologies for repeating but i dont think anyone has touched on what their cure has been - also it's hard to describe this one and what it can be. I am unsure which section to post this also I am getting a bit fed up with this now and losing a bit of interest in keeping the car which i have looked after since i have had it. Its a really nice machine but to have this sort of problem is starting to get to me now and its not the sort of thing you would expect from a car like this. I have had the "vibration" when braking problem and am still experiencing this along with a new fault - in trying to narrow down the fault to get rid of the vibration, the calipers have been replaced - slide pins have been replaced and regreased - discs have been replaced - pads have been replaced - 18" aero alloys have been added to replace the stock LE alloys - tyre pressure set to 35psi. I have however noticed that the weights of the drivers wheel are missing and i will be getting the wheels re-balanced next week. I cannot get rid of the vibration when braking which only happens when braking from around 60 to 50mph, the car is smooth otherwise. When i have topped the air up in the tyres i have noticed an improvement in the vibration but it always comes back. I am hoping the balancing will cure this but with them not vibrating under normal driving i am pretty sceptical that the wheel balancing / adding the weights back will cure this??! Is there a chance that a set of Brembo discs could have warped as these were fitted around 18 months ago and if the calipers were sticking at that time then could these warp the new discs i fitted by overheating them? There are no signs of uneven wear on the discs or pads. I have also noticed for the past few months that there is a whine coming from the front area of the car - somewhere around the wheel arches I THINK?? It increases and decreases in noise with the speed of the car and does not dissappear when the brakes are applied. It does dissappear at around 10 - 15 mph but comes back again above 15mph. I cant describe the noise really other than a whine as if the brakes are somehow touching the disc but with what i have done above i know all the calipers etc are working fine. It is something i cant check the location of where the noise is coming from as it only happens when the car is moving. If i rev it up to check for the noise when the car is stationery i cant hear anything which is pointing me to think its something around the area of the wheels moving parts? I need to be put out of my misery one way or the other as im getting a bit fed up at the moment with it. I have a lot of things i would like to do with the car but dont see a point until this is sorted - can this be a wheel bearing or something else i have missed. The noise is not evident from inside the car but with the windows down then it can be heard clearly - when passing through a confined space it is more evident. I have never had a bearing go on a car before but have heard of people saying that its more of a rumbling noise. I dont know why i think this but it sounds like something is rubbing on the disc but i cant think what. Pads have good "pad" on them. Can anyone on the forum help me out with this one as i am pulling my hair out over this and i dont have a lot to start with .....!!

I am going to be replacing the front bumper in a couple of weeks - a new one is currently in the spray shop getting a re-spray. Would anyone know how to remove a front bumper (step by step) or point me to a forum topic on how to do it? Also - while i have the bumper off is there anything i should look at while it is off to check out / clean etc - i will be going over the headlight washers but i think that will be it ...?

Would anyone know what temp - approx - the caliper slide mounting would get to under normal braking, in particular the slide pins? I am guessing that they cant get too hot (not like the discs) due to the caliper mounting and parts being manufactured in aluminium - i have had a good look on the web and there are claims there that these can get up to between 200 - 300 degrees!? all be it on other cars but i cant see that (not under normal driving) The reason for me asking - I have been given a tube of high temp red grease with teflon from a friend. This is motorbike formula and he uses it on his bike bearings / brakes / chain etc and swears by the stuff. It has a high temp melt point and i was going to give it a try on the slide pins on my Lex to see how it performed over a week. It seems to be slippy stuff but at the same time holds it's lubrication, is rubber seal friendly and is good against repelling water so i am thinking of giving it a go on my slider pins to see how it is. I believe the grease is good up to around approx 130 degrees Anyone with any info on the temperatures?

I clean the carb on mine with a carb cleaning spray from Halfords - not had an issue with it in the 3 years i have used it - nothing promped me to use it, i just wanted to make sure car was running ok. I did note however that after use (on each occasion) that the engine management light came on - i was told that this would go out within a few hours when the spray evaporated away from the sensor in the carb and it did. I just sprayed the aerosol into the body and wiped around the rest. Its a 10 minute job that will help to narrow down the problem and also clean out the carb body but be careful if using wipes not to drop any into it. I had the hunting problem on an Astra i had and found it was the airfilter along with the air mass meter that had blown (so i was told) - i replaced the filter and as above cleaned the card out and it was fine after that. Not saying the Lex is the same as the Astra but it could be a cure?

Have you had a look at your air filter or the carb itself - maybe air filter needs cleaning or renewing and the carb needs cleaning?

Thanks guys - been a bit wary all week about it draining again but seems to be fine now???!!! Haven't put any load on it yet though by switching lights on etc - just the windscreen wipers after all this rain !!!!!!

I came back from a 2 week holiday - left my car in the airport carpark - came to start it and it and the battery was dead - i have had no issues with it in the past although i do think it is a small battery for the car. The airport guy jumped it and it started no problem and has been ok now after 5 days of use. Can anyone tell me what their battery meter on the instrument panel reads under normal driving... mine reads just under 12v before starting the car and just over 12v when running. I am presuming this is normal - also would anyone recomend what battery should be in this car? Thanks

You can do a quick check and see if all the the spark plugs are in tight - if they are loose, even one, then this could produce a petrol smell but i am not too sure if this would cause it to run over - it could do if there's unburnt fuel there?

Hi Stavros I have an Auto 04 LE model - with cruise control - I used to do a 120 mile round trip 3 times a week down the M56 with no stops. Cruise set at 70 and i would have enough left in the tank at the end of the week to do another 50-60 miles i reckon (1/4 of a tank left) On a 350 mile trip to Scotland i got the same with 1/4 tank left so i think its pretty consistent that you should get around 400 to the tank. A lot depends though on how the car has been treated in the past - i have looked after mine, had it 3 years and it's just under 100k with no fault apart from the caliper issue which is an easy fix. This is my first auto and after driving manuals for 20 years i think i would stick with an auto box. I dont think they are as quick in acceleration as manuals when in the drive mode but when using 1,2,3 gears it will fly from a stop start but red line is reached very quick if pressing hard in these gears. I tend to find my auto needs to warm up first if you want a good bit of acceleration while in the drive mode. But all in all - very happy to put it in Drive / set the cruise and let the car do the driving. Cruise control is very easy to use also.

Does anyone here know what these rubber bonnet bumpers should look like - i think i have half of mine missing as when opening the bonet by using the lever in the cabin it opens but does not spring up at all - just makes an opening sound. My bumpers are flat but there is a hole in the middle that looks like it should be there but it looks like something should be attached to them. Anyone have any ideas - i have tried to upload a picture but cant find a way to do so.

Are these rubber bumpers round and flat or round and cone shaped?

That sounds about right regarding the old ones - i stripped them down / cleaned the pistons and they moved in and out spot on but after a bit of time they reverted back to being a bit tight in their bores. Thanks for the replies anyway -

Hi North - I think i will wait and see what the result is when i get the passenger side caliper done. The pads are Mintex ones ..... thanks

I have a basic understanding of how brakes work - i am not a mechanic but just through changing pads / cleaning calipers etc i sort of know the basic principal of how they operate (i think) I have a problem which has been mentioned in previous posts with what sounds like squeeling shims on the front brake pads. I have replaced the caliper on the drivers side where i thought the noise was coming from / have previously replaced the sliding pins / pins are free and greased (with Castrol LM hi temp grease) / pads and shims are copper slip greased. The last thing i done to get rid of this squeel was to replace the caliper as i noticed the bottom piston on the old one was not coming out uniformly with the top piston when the brake pedal was pressed. It woudl come out but only when the top piston was a good centimeter+ out. Changing this caliper has "deaddenned" the sound quite a bit but it's still there. I haven't had a chance yet but i will be changing the passenger side caliper in a few weeks so i am hoping it cures it. There was a bit of vibration when braking also which has almost gone so i hope by replacing the other caliper that this resolves this. Brembo discs were fitted last year so i would doubt they have warped already after 5k miles. Tyre pressures ok (at 35psi) and wheels balanced. My understanding of how the brakes work is - and this is a basic understanding - press the brake pedal and this forces the fluid to the calipers - this forces the two pistons out from the caliper pressing the first pad onto the brake disc and in turn this forces the caliper to slide in causing the other pad to connect with the disc and you stop ! So the emphasis on having good slide pins is evident as if they were siezed or sticking then the second pad would not engage the disc. So on the other hand - when taking your foot off the brake the reverse of the above should happen. My question is actually how do the brakes retract from the disc, what forces them back to their "relaxed" state - i am trying to track down the squeel and am thinking that it could actually be the pins sticking causing the pads to touch the discs slightly (although the pins are freely moving). I have noticed that when turning round a corner there is a quiet "clunk" noise and from that point the nosie happens which leads me, rightly or wrongly to think that the pins are in fact sticking as it sounds like the noise is from that area. I have also noticed that they wont squeel when the cars cold for example when getting into it first thing in the morning and driving 3 - 4 miles but then it gradually appears. Getting into the car after work to come home is the same, ok for a few miles then they start singing!! They are a bit stiff in pulling out but i think thats the grease thats causing that in creating a vacuum/seal in the guide that the pins actually slide in and out from. When i greased these last which was last week, becasue the grease was forming a good seal when i pushed the pins into their hole they would immediately come out as if on a bit of elastic. I had to hold them into their holes while putting the calipers back on. Not with a lot of pressure but just enough to keep them in. It may be i am using the wrong grease on the pins so when doing the other caliper i will get the Lexus approved grease from the dealer and give that a go on both sides. I have not checked the rear brakes - the pads were changed last year and thats about as much attention i have given to them. I have been told that the rears dont do a lot of work when stopping the car (around 80% braking on the front and 20% from the rear?) Discs are fine. Anyone with any suggestions with what could be causing this would be appreciated but i will still go ahead and change the caliper and grease and re-post the results from doing that job as there does seem to be a lot of people out there with this unresolved problem or that have the problem and it turns out to be something complately different. thanks

Hi North - Is there any benefit or not in running the flush through twice - i have done this a few times in the past before oil changes and had no effect but just wondered if any damage is being done? Also have you ever used any of this Slick50 type of additive (i havent but people around me keep saying to give it a go because it is good stuff. Think they are after a guineapig to be honest) Cheers

Kind of on the same topic - i refurbed my calipers a couple of years ago and worked out fine. Have noticed recently that they have been making a low screetching noise which increases / decreases depending on what speed i am doing and i am pretty sure it has to be something to do with the brakes binding a bit? I had a look this weekend - pretty sure it's the drivers side as the noise is most noticeable on that side with the window down when driving. The slide pins are ok but i took them out / cleaned and re-greased. I checked the caliper pistons by starting the car and watching their movement while pressing the brake. I noticed only one comes out initially but if i press the brake pedal harder a few more times then the other one comes out. I have also started to notice a bit of sterring judder at around 60 when braking. New Brembo discs were fitted in July last year so while not impossible i dont think its warped discs... QUESTION - should, when the brake pedal is depressed, both of the pistons come out uniformly/equally or does one come out leading the other? The car is an automatic so is heavy on the front brakes ... any help?

Just checked the AC temp - just over 5 minutes with AC on full and managed to get down to 8 degrees so i am happy with that as would prefer the windows / sunroof open over using the air con anyway

Thanks guys for the info - spot on - left car in shade today so it was cool when i got in to go home and it operated as normal - switching temp down below 18 starts the air con - it's not as cold as a fridge so may stick a thermometer in a vent with air con on and see what it gets down to. Happy Chappie now - no problem to fix !! thanks

I think i may have a problem - but then again i may not !!?? - if so it is the first one i have had in 2 years and car is just touching 100k I have noticed while driving it this week that the circulation light when starting the car will revert back to interior circulation instead of whatever it was set to the previous time it was started. If i had it on the setting from drawing the air from outside when driving last / turned the car off then restarted it then it would go to the internal circulation setting. Its not a big problem, as pressing the button will change it back and switch it over to either setting - this week the weather has been very hot here, which probably wont last for long, but is this something the car will do automatically when the interior cabin gets too hot in an attempt to cool it down or is it more than likely to be a fault on it - i have had the climate control blower set to auto and then tried the feet and vent setting and it reverted to the interior setting both times when re-starting the car so i dont know if its a fault or not? To be honest i have not noticed it happenning before in this sort of weather. Anyone else seen this happen?