gib

Thanks for responses!

Hi,

This was a question raised a while ago, but dont think was ever answered.

How do you remove the chrome tail pipes on the 250, for maximum cleaning opportunities??

Thanks

Thanks for replies.

Sorry I did mean to say that the whole instrument cluster would be replaced, not just the needles. It actually isnt that loud a noise, but if I can get it replaced FOC (the unit itself is £1000 from Lexus the dealer told me), then maybe I will get them to have a look at it. The fact the odo will read zero, kinda disturbs me.

I will also get them to have a look at the steering lock noise - its definitely getting a little louder. I just cant see the need for it to make any noise at all.

On another note, I recently used a detailing clay bar on the car followed by 3 coats of wax. The car was stunning and looked out of the showroom. When it looks this good, its a headturner. I think anyway. Plus at 36mpg who can argue!

Cheers.

Hi all,

Just back from a few days on the West Coast of Scotland. Went up to Glencoe, Ballachulish, Glenfinnan, Loch Ness. All stunning areas with some excellent driving roads. Jeremy Clarkson could do worse for his next test drive.....

However I managed just under 36mpg! Which I thought was excellent if you bear in mind the type of twisting roads I was driving on.

Anyway it gave me the chance to have a good look at the car and I have a couple of queries which I hope you can answer.

(1) The speedo dials make a slight whirring noise on start up. I know this is a long standing issue and Lexus will fix under warranty. However this means a new instrument cluster. It also means the odometer will not read the true mileage and will start at '0' again. Who has had this done? Will it affect the resale value do you think?

(2) On start up, that annoying noise from the steering lock disengaging appears to be getting louder. Again has anyone actually asked Lexus to investigate and replace this 'unit'. I don't know why it needs to be so loud!

(3) When I move from Auto to Sequential to use the paddles, the gearbox always moves to 4th, regardless of the speed - is this not slightly odd - should it not adjust to the speed and revs of the engine??

(4) When the engine is cold, the revs sit at about 1500rpm, before sharply rising to 2000rpm for a short burst then moving down to just over 1000rpm - it seems an odd procedure to go through and not very 'smooth' or Lexus-like. Is this the norm?

(5) Lastly, my car is a 55 plate - should the doors not auto-lock above 10-20mph?? Mine doesnt.

Other than that, great car and still the best looking small-exec. around.

Thanks

Colin,

Its incredible how little dealers know, I was demonstrating to a salesman the voice activation feature when I first tried the car - he didnt even know the feature existed!

I went into Lexus Edinburgh the other day to see if someone could give me an idea how the guidelines worked on the 250 MM for parallel parking. They did not have a clue. Truly bizarre......

you're right! - if i have programmed a destination then TMC works. It did on the way to Glasgow anyway.

Thanks

Hello,

The SatNav system has the Traffic Information system (TMC) which should update the route should you encounter queuing traffic, accidents, roadworks., etc. Mine never seems to update, no matter how many times i read the manual or press all the buttons known to man. Does the TMC graphic in the top left hand corner need to be black when working or receiving information?

There are roadworks for the last couple of months on my way to work, yet not a whisper on the Satnav.

Any ideas?

Thanks

I used to have blue reversing lights. But when the car was put into reverse, they showed white.

Besides, reversing lights are not part of the MOT testing procedure, so you're ok.

Remember no red to the front, red only to the rear (exceptions include amber indicators and white number plate lights).

Gib, in effect says lay off the negative criticism and give everyone a break, I'm sure he is well meaning but would he rather people lie?

On this forum lots of the regular contributers tell it how it is, that what makes it imo the best forum by miles.

Yes and probably why a lot of people have left the forum as well - and if you've been a member as long as I have, at one point it became nothing more than a slanging match before people just didn't contribute anymore.

My neighbour has a BMW (some diesel thing that sounds like a taxi). It is utterly incomparable to mine in style. No one passes his door and looks at his car, because it is as common as Ford. But everyone has a second glance at mine, cause it's different.

Thats why I like the Lexus marque. Makes you stand out from all the other 'sheep' that thought BMW and Audi were best, when they ain't.

Good night, god bless.

Clearly we all believe in different qualities which define a great car.All I know is my Accountant was happy with my Mk1's running costs & ,as a privateer,

I am happy with mine since 2003.Lexus is the dominant Premium Supplier to the demanding American Market & this fact alone speaks volumes for the Marques Qualities over & above the pan-Europeans.Finally,I know c. 20 Lexus owners & I am the only Loc member &, I & many other members of this fine Club have been very happy with our purchases so I conclude that there are very few people indeed whose experience is so poor they "jump ship".

Our Club is open to all,muscle into the Rival's Forums & 90% of their posts are negative underlining the above.

I rest my case for the Defence of this Great Marque!

Tel

Here! Here! If folk aren't happy then there are plenty of other marques out there. Forums, no matter what for (and I have been a member since 2003, but also a member on the Mini, TypeR and XBOX 360 forums) are all about negativity. I try not to read too many posts otherwise it would appear that my car is about to implode due to a creaking dash or dodgy stereo. Is there a maker that doesnt have faults in their cars?

Just like the workplace, everyone is good at telling you when you've done something wrong, but never keen to give praise where its due.

I read a new post the other day, some new member couldn't wait to tell everyone he had just purchased a new IS220d. He was then bombarded with posts about what was wrong with the car. Give him and everyone else a break please.

Your best bet is to google for Prestige car Breakers. Feel it for you - unless your insurance will cough up...all depend on your NCB status, whether it is guaranteed etc

Good luck

Definitely what your car insurance is for...........

We have a Lexus IS250 SE-L 2007 Model Automatic with In car entertainment. Its almost a year now and it needs service.

Can I ask do we have to take it back to the dealer or can we take it to a lexus approved garage.

Under EU regulations you can take it to any garage (need not be Lexus Approved), provided the garage stamp the book to keep the history up to date. You should ensure that they use Lexus approved parts though. But a service pack can be bought straight from the dealer. Its the labour charges which make up the majority of the final bill.

A full Lexus service history makes absolutely no difference in trade in price either. It only makes you vehicle look more attractive to a prospective buyer.

Blue sidelights are illegal and will fail the MOT. Not sure about interior lights.

this is were people get confused....mot law says both front side lights must be the same colour so if you came in to my work with your lex and had two blue side lights i cant fail it i can only advise and pass.but if you had one blue and one green then i could fail you.(i'm a mot tester) but the police are spoil sports with any blue light showing on your car and will give you a 21 day ticket or poss a fine if your cocky.just asked the wife(shes a trafic officer)depending on the mood of the officer, being seen with a blue interior light is just as bad as having blue sidelight bulbs or flashing blue strobs and you could get done!!!

hope this helps.

When I took my car for its last MOT - I had some of the sidelight bulbs that look blue but glow much whiter than normal bulbs and the dealer told me they'd failed the car on those as they're illegal and I needed to replace them.

They are not illegal from a colour perspective - the only reason I can see them being failed during an MOT is if they are not EU approved and as such perhaps 'not safe'.

However the colour of them is immaterial, provided they are not red to the front of the vehicle.

I searched the site looking for this problem, cause my car kinda has a musty smell, but not that bad to be honest. My old IS was worse.

I spoke to Lexus Glasgow about it. I was promptly told that there is a modification required to the vehicle which Lexus are aware of. Don't ask me what it is, but it involves removing the dash to replace some new parts (£1000 cost under warranty). That'll do the trick, I was informed.

Naw yer alright - I'd rather put up with the occasional odd mustiness as opposed to having the car taken to bits. As I said to the Aftersales guy, its a bit like getting an operation on your knee. It'll work afterwards, but it will never be the same again.

I will try the alternative friendlier methods.

The guidance is as follows:

No vehicle shall be fitted with a lamp or retro reflective material which is capable of showing a red light to the front.

and

No vehicle shall be fitted with a lamp or retro reflective material which is capable of showing any light to the rear, other than a red light

In respect of blue light, the only form of blue light which is not permitted is that which flashes or rotates, other than for use by emergency vehicles.

It is not necessarily true that you cannot display for example blue tinted sidelights (or bright white Xenon style ones which give a hint of blue tint). However if you used lights which it was felt dazzled oncoming drivers and they were deemed to be unsafe, then that is a different matter. But it is nothing to do with their colour. You should not have you vehicle lit up like a christmas tree.

In my local area, some taxi firms use blue and white lights (not rotating or flashing) on the roof of their vehicles to highlight the taxi firm tel no. Indeed many use green lights. In fact black cabs use yellow lights on their roof. This is not illegal and the Road Traffic Act makes no exception for them.

Just stick to the orginal parts and you will be fine.

Hi

The new car needs a good polish, the paint feels rough to touch with a lots of 'oxidisation' and traffic filsm.

Can anyone recommend a good rotary electric polisher - nothing too expensive though.

Is that the car in the banner - silver metallic?

It won't be oxidised, as it'll have a clearcoat over the paint, and silver tends not to fade like singlestage reds and blacks do.

Foregoing the polishing route, unless there's swirls and scrapes galore, then I'd suggest a good wash, clay, and sealant will do the trick.

1) Get some Bilt Hamber Surfex HD - dilute to 10% strength, and use in a pressurised garden sprayer all over, including the wheels. Leave for 2-3 mins (try not to let it dry out), then rinse off - warm water if possible, as this makes the product more active, so cleaning better.

2) Wash with chosen shampoo - Bilt Hamber Autowash or Dodo Juice Born To Be Mild.

3) clay with their own Autoclay (soft version) using water in a trigger/pump spray bottle or the hose attachment.

4) Dry and apply whichever LSP (last stage product) you fancy/have.*

Now, this is where it can get a bit technical and confusing:

* If you have swirls, but don't go down the machine polishing route, you'd be best to use a filler sealant like Bilt Hamber Autobalm. The same product can be used regardless of whether its fillers are being utilised or not, but other sealants like Carlack/Klasse (the former based/derived on the latter from what I remember reading - not sure the exact tie-in between the two companies) or Zaino/Duragloss, they will highlight the defects more - so polishing to a highly mirror-like finish is better to appreciate them better.

If you shunned the polishing aspect, and went for Autobalm, the drying aspect, after rinsing could be omitted, as it'll disperse and set-up on a wet surface no problem, and which will help the applicator pad remain well damp to aid the spreading of the product.

Should you fancy swirl removal - 2 options open on a full rotary rather than random orbital machine.

1) Silverline (orange version better than blue, and not much more costly) from eBay sellers

2) Chicago Pneumatic/Milwaukee - 2x the price of the Silverline, but then a better long term investment, all things considered. Paul @ Glossmax would be worth speaking with on the Milwaukee, and pads.

Ben @ carnaubawaxshop.co.uk does the full gamut of BH products, Glossmax, only the wash/clays/balm.

Awesome response. I'm on it!!

Thanks

Only when mibe went in for it's first service I asked them to look at it as it's never seemed to work. They siad they used a torch and blocked the sensor and it dipped. So I get how the physics work but what actually happens does anything actually move or is it an electronic change? I have noticed a couple of times it appears greem but not sure if that's it. I was on the M42 early Friday am and a fiesta had blinding lights that lit the inside of my car but I couldn't look in the mirror as it was blinding.

Does having the rear blind up effect the workings or even the angle of the mirror if you are tall?

Yes the mirrors dim but do not dip. The sensor pickes up the light and darkens to green, which doesnt reflect the light back into your eyes. If you press the button on the front of the mirror, you will notice the 'green' colour disappears and you have switched it off. It should also work on the exterior rear view mirrors too.

I miss that on the SE............

Quite fancy a rear lip spoiler for the 250. Minimalist, nothing OTT.

Any suggestions for a supplier? Anyone bought from Lexus and if so how much?

I see a few on Ebay but always a bit suspicious about quality.

Murray...I think a check of the Registry would answer a lot of your queries, or perhaps use the 'search' facility

http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/ind...tem&CID=352

did try the search facility, got nowhere, but thats down to the user as opposed to anything else.

He's using Suntec

must be suntec carbon, is a good grade of film, i have not done any is220/250s but i know the is200 was a pain in the ***** as the heater elements where wild thick and the film did not want to stick round them, but got it down in the end. had to take half the car apart to get at the rear screen too.

price may be right if the new is is easier to work at than old is200. make sure he does a good job and dont be afraid to say your not happy if it dont look like a good job. no excuse for gaps at edges of windows or any small creases. only thing permisable should be very small dots witch could be airborn dust at time of fitting.

good luck

Job Done! And looks good. Just waiting on it drying out for full effect. Looks really good with the Oakham Leather and subtle enough for me.

Autotint (in Fife) do a good job. This is the fifth vehicle he has done for me without any issues. He said it was easier to do than he initially thought.

Highly recommended.

Hi,

Quite fancy a rear lip spoiler for the 250. Minimalist, nothing OTT.

Any suggestions for a supplier? Anyone bought from Lexus and if so how much?

I see a few on eBay but always a bit suspicious about quality.

Thanks

Murray

He's using Suntec

I used clay on my old car and it did work great.

Where do you get the Carlack stuff? I used Klasse in the past.

Thanks

Hi

The new car needs a good polish, the paint feels rough to touch with a lots of 'oxidisation' and traffic filsm.

Can anyone recommend a good rotary electric polisher - nothing too expensive though.

Thanks again

I would like to know too - no sign of any allen screws or similar........

Oh and another thing

Both my wing mirrors are sort of 'stained'. Really noticable at night with rear lights reflecting on them.

It looked to me as if the heating elements were damaging the mirror from the rear. Lexus garage seemed to agree, but had never seen the problem before. So they have send some pics to Lexus GB to get authority to fix it.

Anyone else had similar?

Other than that, the car is great - 33mpg!!