thatfatbloke

Got my MK3 a second key cut and programmed for £45 a couple of months back from my local locksmith (see my 'Problems already' thread). Some on here of course commented on the security of doing this,but hey,it's a £625 car,why spend another third on top just for a key!.You don't HAVE to go to Lexus as some think.

It gets better. They now say they haven't received an application for the Lexus!. Luckily I have the new keepers part of the V5 so don't have to pay the £25. So at least another six weeks to wait. In all fairness to them,I can't 100% guarantee that the trader sent it. So with Christmas in the equation,I probably won't see the V5 'til next year. I was hoping to sell the car before then,but don't want to sell without the V5. Never mind.

Nice one. Looks as if she started out in life down my neck of the woods. JK is/was our local registration mark.

Sorry forgot to mention the fact that he is also going to nail the offside plastic 'sill cover' back on as it's become detached underneath. Oops...

Been getting a clonking from the front as described in a previous post. Finally took it to Mr Mender Man today,and he reckons it's 'the D bushes aka. anti roll bar bushes mate'.He's ordered the pair from Toyota and will be doing the job in a couple of weeks. £110 with the fitting. Does this sound reasonable?. He says the rest of the suspension is excellent,just a bit of play on these anti roll bar bushes.Worst on the offside,but replacing both anyway. Ta.

Just had an e-mail from them,they are saying 'up to 6 weeks'. No matter.

Spookily enough got home today to find the acknowledgement for the F*c*s I used as part ex for the Lexus,so it must be being dealt with as the paperwork for both cars was in the same envelope. Thanks.

Has anybody had any dealings with them recently?. I'm still waiting for my V5 almost four weeks after I purchased the MK3. I've e-mailed them with no response. I suppose I'll have to phone 'em. AAARRRGGGGHHHHH...............

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281457638261?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Yes I have the original wheels on there,but they need refurbing desperately. At around £200-£250 to refurb them I thought I'd look around for some decent wheels from another car. Quite a few Toyota wheels will fit of course,some Nissan,some Mazda and the Suzuki Swift apparently. But it's knowing exactly which ones will fit with no problems.

I've tried googling for a list of 16" wheels from other cars that will fit my LS without much success. I would like to keep them at 16" because I want to get a few more miles out of the existing tyres. Is there an English site where I can find this info please?. Ta.

It was Sk****rs Malc,but I gave them a call and they couldn't help,which was disappointing. However I have linked the name on the invoice for the coil spring that was replaced last year,to a local dignitary!. I left a message on his answerphone on Saturday,but no response as yet. I'll keep trying.

I have just spoken to my local Lexus dealer,and he can't find any info on the car at all. He's going to give me a price for the belt on Monday!. However,as suggested above there is always the alternative of not bothering,and just running it 'til it goes pop.I'll probably go pop before the car does!. Can only assume (there's that word again) that you get no warning as to when it's going to let go. Think I'll just leave it for now,unless I win the lottery,and give her some fresh oil and a filter instead,and get the clonking looked at. I do have another source of info,in that I have the phone number of the garage in Rye that changed a coil spring on her last year,and I'm sure I recognise the car as being the one that was always parked at that garage whenever I drove past it.There was certainly always a silver LS parked there. It may be a member of staff there that owned it,you never know.No reply from them this morning though.

indeed, or at the very least inspect the belt. The MK3 has an interference engine so you don't want the belt failing :o Would it be a reasonably easy job for a mechanic to check the belt?. Is it visible without having to take the engine apart?.Thanks.

Thanks ColinBarber. VIN came up fine in the above.

Morning folks. I don't have the service history for my recently acquired 1997 MK3,that's why it was cheap. I have tried to find out any Lexus dealer history on their portal,but the VIN number keeps coming up as not recognised. Should I be worried?. Also I recently read on here that the timing belt interval is 60,000 miles or 6 years for a MK3. Is that right?. I understood it to be 90,000 for some reason. She is on 130,000 miles now. I would assume (a dangerous thing) that if the interval is 60,000 then at least the first change was done. So the next one was due 10,000 miles ago,and I don't know if it's been done!. As I thought at the time that it was a 90,000 mile change,I assumed it was done at that mileage and would be good for another 50,000.

The system I've got uses a seperate fob for the central locking. I got that working the other day after advice on here. Yes,he cut a key,made sure it worked in all the locks then put in the chip and programmed it to the car. It works fine,which is all I want.

Surely the key is matched to the car that it's been made for and no others. At £45 as opposed to what Lexus would charge,which would you go for?. A lot of the local dealers bring customers car's to him to do the keys. He does it in about twenty minutes,the dealer then charges the customer an exorbitant amount to get their car back.

Funny you should say that Ambermarine,as he was doing it I was thinking this. But I think he would work on better (well.more expensive anyway!) cars to have his eye on. He picked the lock of a newish 6 series Beemer in less than 90 seconds at the station the other day as Mr Beemer had locked his keys inside somehow. The bloke didn't even miss his train!.

Well that's a turn up. Just got a second key (with a chip) made for £45. I dread to think what Lexus/Toyota would have charged. Now have two working keys and two working fobs. Now - that banging.................

Thanks for your replies. I just tried the above method to reprogramme the fob - and it worked first time. Thanks Rupert. So how do I go about getting the spare key to actually start the car?. It turns the engine over but will not fire. I don't much fancy paying £150 for one. The whole car cost me not much more than that!. Update. Just tried the method involving depressing the brake and accelerator pedals etc,and it worked,I was able to start the car - once,then nothing again. Also can I clarify that I have the seperate remote/fob with three buttons plus panicfor getting into the car and a key with no buttons on to start it. The key that works is a Lexus one,the spare is a Silca.

Panic over!. Whilst rummaging around in the boot again,I noticed the slidey out tool kit on the offside. I'd forgotten all about that. Bingo - there was the wheel nut key in the case. I'd also forgotten about the secret compartment under the front passenger seat,that's got a first aid kit in it. Result. Just been for a hoon around town and didn't notice the banging from the front this time. Just leaves the key issue to sort out now then. Whilst in the boot I unearthed the Alpine cd unit for the sat nav that's nailed to the dashboard. Probably cost an arm and a leg when installed,but probably well out of date now. I'll have a play with that tomorrow.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171173862823?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT Assume these are the right nuts to order.

Thanks for your prompt replies chaps. Just spoken to Lexus Tunbridge Wells who say they can't do anything for me 'due to the age of the vehicle'. Would a valet key be able to get the ignition lights on and turn it over then?. Does the key contain a transponder like my old Saab 93 did?.Regret no service book (hence the low price)and no codes in the handbook. Code may not have been set of course. Wishbones were replaced for last MOT,are they different to suspension arms?. So it looks like I'll have to trust the scrap metal chavs round the corner who say they can 'remove' the lockers. Thanks.

Just found a card amongst the paperwork which pertains to the locking wheel nuts. It has a four digit number on it. Also the date of 05.97. Can only assume that this would be a Lexus card,though Lexus isn't mentioned anywhere. I've had a quote of £30 to remove the lockers. I'll give Lexus a bell and see what they can do a replacement key for.