J Henderson

So, it appears the exhaust on my car is not long for this World. For the past few weeks, it has been sounding a bit more throaty during cold-starts, but otherwise quite normal once idle speed stabilised, or once on the move. But today, I got out to retrieve something from the boot with the engine still running, and I could clearly hear that distinctive blown exhaust sound emanating from roughly the middle of the car. This would tally up with the advisory I was given at the last MOT test. Central Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases Leak at centre silencer (6.1.2 (a)) I haven't been under the car to have a proper look, but assuming the rear section and the rest of the pipework is fine, I think I'll try and find someone that'll cut the silencer off and weld in a straight pipe. The so-called "Resonator delete" that seems popular across the pond. Has anyone done this? I've seen a couple of vids on YouTube that suggest it won't be much louder than stock.

That 2nd product sounds like a degreaser. Overkill unless your engine bay is un-Lexus-like and covered in oil spills & leaks. A regular APC (All-purpose cleaner) is sufficient.

Yes, it has a traditional petrol engine (4cyl, turbocharged) and a conventional )8-speed) auto gearbox. I'll leave the pros & cons for actual owners to answer.

Here's another one you might enjoy. RDT_20230318_141025.mp4

Believe me, you won't miss it... A big red "!" warning triangle appears in the multifunction display, along with an audible sound.

Only until next year, then it'll be discontinued. The Corolla GR is another car that Europe won't be getting. In the case of the GR86. Toyota has stated that emissions aren't the reason why it will no longer be available. Instead, it's down to new (GSR2) safety regulations that all new cars sold in Europe after 2024 have to adhere to. The article mentions that complying with the regulations, along with being cost-prohibitive, would destroy the dynamic character of an 86... I follow JM Imports on Facebook. They seem like a very reputable organisation.

I think it must be something like 6-7L. It can certainly take a full 5L bottle of screenwash once the low level warning has appeared.

Optimistic price....

Lee, glad to hear that you and your family are on the road to recovery. A car can always be replaced. Still sucks that it's now gone though through no fault of your own. I had a similar experience when my previous IS250 was written-off because someone, who was also driving on my side of the road, collided with me. It sounds like your accident was way worse and more dramatic though! I personally had enough time to steer away a bit and avoid a full head-on smash, but it was still quite a scary experience as the other vehicle involved (Ford Transit van) was considerably larger. The car took the impact very well though and I walked away without even as much as a scratch. These cars give you the impression that they are solidly built just by the general fit and finish - how well the doors close, or how well they insulate the outside noise etc. I'm happy to report that they are indeed solidly built. I had no hesitation in replacing my car with another (the one I have now). 😃

I was disappointed with Lucy. Not really in the same league as Luc Besson's earlier work. Of which, Leon (1994) is a personal favourite of mine. Haven't seen The Right Stuff for a few years now. Great film. I was hoping it might get released on 4K Blu-ray at some point since it turns 40 this year.

The SE and Sport are very similar in terms of standard equipment. The Sport can be identified via a number of cosmetic differences; 2-tone steering wheel, metal pedals, scuff plates, dark rear windows. It also has a limited-slip differential and was only available with a manual gearbox. I believe the "S" model lacks things like electric seat adjustment, heated seats, sunroof, headlamp washers etc.

Can't believe this garbage is getting released here whilst the IS, GS & LS - the very cars that helped establish the brand, are now history.

Low Traffic Neighbourhoods https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/c5q52xdp861t

You might consider also changing the coolant in the radiator and inverter. Coolant Replacement The differential crush washers are the same for both drain and fill plugs, so you need 2 of them - 12157-10010 Make sure you can crack the fill plug loose, before you attempt to drain the diff...

Here you go Lexus - Service Table 0418.pdf

Can't see why not. I think they're an official sponsor of the Owners Club.

Since it's a 300, it's arguably worth the expense and could prove to be money well-spent. Even if it'll be a 4-figure sum to put right. These cars are probably just going to become harder (and more expensive) to acquire in the future... My old IS200 LE suffered the same fate and I had the sills patched a couple of times to get through MOTs. Then some of the bodywork got damaged in a car park, so decided just to sell it on to a friend, as-is, rather than spend a fortune putting it right again. Had it been a 300 (or an Altezza) I might not have parted with it so easily. BTW, my friend ran around in it for about 3 years, then sold it to a guy from Ireland, who subsequently put the time and money into restoring it. This is how it looked a couple of years ago. So, yes it is indeed possible to "save" your one.

Is that a spider lurking behind the surge tank? 🤔 Doubtful they'd be meaty enough to produce significant amounts of smoke though. Lee, since you say the car appears to be driving normally, burning/hot brakes have a quite distinctive smell and would maybe be more obvious that something was amiss. Alternator is a good shout. A quick visual clue is headlights getting significantly brighter when you rev the engine.

Congrats. It looks a beauty. Must be very rare in that colour, I'd imagine. 👍

Part numbers tend to change over time, so yeah probably a newer variation. The ones I listed were 334mm GS450h discs I bought in 2020. Rear brakes on an IS don't appear to be overly critical. Solid ones will be fine unless you plan to go on a racetrack. Yes, F-Sport wheels.

Those are vented. Front GS disc numbers; 43512-22260 43516-22010

The last pair of rear discs I bought were this part number; 42431-30290

Haven't heard of Rotinger, but I believe the solid rear discs are 291mm or thereabouts. If you wanted to upgrade to the vented setup, you would also need new calipers (Vented ones are different). As for wheel clearance with the bigger front brakes, It might be touch and go. The OEM Lexus wheels ("8 wide, +45 ET offset) barely clear the calipers with only a few mm to spare behind the spokes. Meanwhile, 19" IS-F wheels (also 8" wide & +45 ET) will not clear the brakes without a 5mm spacer. I don't really have any pics that show just how little space there is between spokes and caliper, but believe me, it's very close. Worst case scenario, you would need a 5mm or so spacer. There's plenty of room, circumference wise, with 18" wheels. The backing plates were around £20-25 each when I was contemplating getting them. I would've got them but fitting them involves removing the hub and I didn't want to deal with that.

The GS calipers are actually significantly lighter since they're aluminium compared to cast iron, but yeah the bigger rotors are heavier than stock IS250, so it more or less balances itself out. It's a great upgrade. One thing I'm not convinced by though is the durability of OEM Lexus discs. I've gone through 2 pairs that have developed issues prematurely. I now have EBC discs and Yellowstuff pads. Sounds like you might have solid discs on the rear. The 310mm ones are vented.

Or Sport Contact 4, or F1 Eagle Asymmetric 4. I believe 4 is considered a "bad" number in some cultures... As for budget tyres. I don't think I've ever actually bought any as, let's just say, I was definitely scared off them by working in a tyre shop for a couple of years when I was a lad. The amount of customers that came back with cheap tyres or remoulds that were deformed or literally falling apart was a real eye-opener. Tyre technology has moved on since those days, but the old adage You get what you pay for still applies, and I view cheap tyres as a false economy and a potential risk. The comparison in the video only shows the gulf between them when the tyres are new. It'll probably only get worse as the tread depth gets lower. One of the reasons why I'll pay the extra £££ for Michelins, is because they'll still perform great right down to the wear indicators.