LexIS200Sport

Geometry. Wheel alignment :)

I'm assuming that headlight converters won't suffice for permanent registration in continental Europe. Maybe you could buy a used pair from ebay and install them yourself? I've seen American-spec ones go as low as £100 a side and I'm guessing the beam should be pointing in the right direction. Just a thought...

Sorry to interrupt, but just out of curiosity: does the 2JZ inside the IS300 use a distributor as well or does it use a coil-on-plug instead?

Thanks guys. I did a Milton Keynes - Cardiff roundtrip over the weekend and streamed audio via Bluetooth all the way. There was absolutely no drop in connection at all. Had a few phone calls along the way and the system transitioned smoothly between the call and the music player on my phone. Was doing 70mph on the M4 as well and had no issues with the call quality.

I finally got around to fitting everything today! Sorry for the delay everyone; I decided to wait until I had enough time to do everything below at one go: salvage my stuck CDs from the headunit replace LED backlights for the climate control unit install the Grom iPod + Bluetooth module swap the indicator and wiper stalks around (with Altezza ones) Right just to recap, this is what the Grom iPod and Bluetooth system looks like: Installation I generally followed the guide posted by Hando here. The photos below show where I have mounted the various bits and bobs for the Grom system: The Grom unit up close and personal The Grom unit all wired up and placed on the passenger side of the centre console The Bluetooth microphone The Bluetooth module, not visible but it is located behind the panel shown below, held by two black zip-ties. This panel is located at the top of the centre console I routed the microphone wires inside the black velvet border along the A-pillar. It then continues to under the dash (routes into the fuse box, located near the OBD port and bonnet-release lever), and then to the centre console. The overall routing was pretty straight-forward, it just got a little tricky when I had to look for mounting points to zip-tie the wire. I also made sure that it wasn't too close to the heating/cooling pipes for the climate control system. Operation The Grom system worked on the first go. You will have to switch to the Grom unit by hitting the "CD" button twice. You can then select to control your music either using the clickwheel on the iPod or using the buttons on the headunit. Pairing with the Bluetooth module was pretty straight-forward with my Nokia E71. Music is streamed via A2DP. Anything that streams from Bluetooth takes precedence over the iPod. Therefore, the iPod is muted automatically when I play music using the phone or when the satnav woman on Ovi maps interrupts. The same goes to phone calls; you can answer the call by hitting the "Next Track" button, and hang up using "Previous Track". If you have call-waiting feature, you can also switch between calls, though I am yet to try this myself. After initial pairing with the Grom unit, my phone remembers the settings and automatically reconnects whenever I switch on the ignition. If the Grom unit wasn't already selected on the headunit when the phone rings (for example while listening to FM radio), you can still answer the call by hitting the "CD" button. The Bluetooth connection remains even if you have selected another mode on the headunit. Sound Quality After trying out a couple of different tracks, this is how I generally rank the sound quality: CD player > iPod > FM radio > Bluetooth Somehow, audio streaming via Bluetooth makes my MP3s sound like sub-128k quality. Phone call quality however appears to be good. I tested the call quality with a friend while driving at speeds between 50 - 60mph and the sounds was clear with almost no background noise. Conclusion So there you have it folks. The Grom-iPod connectivity has already been well received on this forum. Streaming audio via Bluetooth may not yield the best sound quality, but phone calls were certainly clear. Or it could just be that the sound quality from my phone is sub-par anyway

I do the same too in my X-Trail automatic. It's just my personal belief that the park brake should do the primary job of holding the vehicle still, over the transmission locking mechanism.

The GROM user manual does mention something about the iPod consuming small amounts of power if left connected to the car. They also recommended disconnecting the iPod if the car isn't going to be fired up for more than a week. So, if the iPod interface in your Lexus is anything like the GROM unit, then I guess the same advice would apply. As for connecting a generic MP3 player to the iPod jack... yes it can be done. You will need a connector similar to one of these. I have not tried it though, but there you go :)

A pair will cover you for both front ends. Yeah give them a call or send them an email. I dealt with a gentleman called Tony who was very helpful. There is also a small discount if you are an LOC gold member. It takes about 2 hours to replace them. I got my bushes and front lower ball joints replaced at WIM. I suggest that you get them fitted at a garage too, because you will most certainly need to get your wheel alignment done afterwards. My car had the same problem as yours. I am fairly new to the IS200 myself, but from what I've read on this forum there are at least three possibilities: suspension bushes lower ball joint worn brake caliper slide pins I got the the first two replaced in one go and the clunking noise has disappeared, so I'm a happy camper :) Might even be the same solution for you. I guess you are right because most other cars have MacPherson struts on the front. As a result, the spring and its perch rotates when you steer the front wheels (the spring and damper forms the kingpin-axis). At the top of the strut tower, there is a bearing that allows for the spring to rotate about its axis. This bearing can seize over time and cause the spring to "clunk" when you steer the wheels. The IS200 has a double wishbone front suspension, and so the spring and damper isn't part of the kingpin-axis. As a result they do not rotate with the steering and thus very unlikely to cause a "clunk" when you steer the wheels.

The front lower arm bushes are certainly replaceable, as I have replaced them on my IS200 about a month ago. I am not too sure about the upper arm bushes though. I wouldn't imagine the IS200 and IS300 to have different bushes (someone else may be able to confirm this), but here are the part numbers anyway: TRD Front Lower Arm Bush #1: 48654-SE101 TRD Front Lower Arm Bush #2: 48655-SE100 TRD Front Lower Arm Bush Support: 48657-SE100 You will need a pair of each. I got mine from Fensport Hope that helps.

+1 agreed :)

I wonder if a seizing piston inside the brake caliper may cause this. As soon as you lift your foot off the brake pedal momentarily, does the steering wheel continue to wobble? Did you also get a chance to inspect the condition of your suspension inner bushes and the upper arm ball joint?

Still waiting for my climate control LEDs to arrive mate Friggin postal services...

Absolute gold... I LOL'd

That is awesome, thanks for the pictures! You have a very neat installation! This will definitely come in handy... I'm all too tempted to plagiarise your setup! :P

My car is a year 2000 model and the front floor mats have the word "Lexus" on them. The driver's side has a hook too (just one).

I plan to install the microphone in a similar location as shown in the picture below: However, I am a little unsure on how to remove the A-pillar trim. I read through the PDF guide from this link and had a hard look at my own A-pillar, but I couldn't find the bolt that is securing the trim? Any advice on removal will be greatly appreciated!

It connects to the CD-changer port at the back of the headunit. From what I understand, it cuts out the iPod when you receive a phone call. But you still have to preselect "CD1" on the headunit for the Bluetooth connectivity to work. I think. I'm hoping to get it all connected next week, so I'll confirm if this is the case! :)

+1 on the Falkens. Have had them on my car since I bought her, and with around 5mm of thread left she seems quiet enough on the motorways and pretty grippy on country roads in both wet and dry. I'm also getting close to 400miles on a tank with mixed driving so I'm guessing that the Falkens probably have reasonably low rolling resistance too...

Thanks for the tip mate :) But what I actually meant was dissecting the CD player itself to retrieve my CDs. I remember reading about it on this forum somewhere... but I can't seems to find that post anymore :(

Try Bigg Red, they might have 'em

I've got the 13903 unit in my year-2000 model IS200. But just last week, it got all frantic and started making a loud whining noise after I loaded a 5th CD into the changer. Now it won't play anything and it is holding 5 of my favourite CDs hostage... Which is why I decided to go the Grom-Ipod route. I will be removing the headunit at some point to try and salvage my CDs. If anyone here knows a way I can take it apart and safely retrieve my CDs, I will be most grateful...

guess what I received in the mail today... tada!! :P It's a Grom unit with the Bluetooth module. I'm just waiting for my climate control backlit LEDs to arrive and then I will install them all in one go. I read through the user manual, and apparently you just need to hit the "next track" button on the CD player to answer the call, and "previous track" to hang up. Any music that is being played by the Ipod will be attenuated automatically. You can also stream music from your phone via Bluetooth. I'll post here again when I have it all hooked up and running!

Apart from spark plugs, I got all the above replaced at Lexus Wolverhampton for about £260 My car has a manual gearbox.

I read somewhere here about American-spec headlights failing the MOT because they are focussed to shine in the wrong direction, being left-hand-drive and all that. Don't quote me on this but I think it's worth doing a search about this before buying a pair from over there.

I apologise in advance for being negative, but I had a set of Wanlis in my Nissan Skyline GT and they were absolutely appalling. They were "ok" in the dry, but dangerously slippery in the wet! There was more than one occasion where the car's rear-end stepped out while I was making a simple U-turn in the rain. I have since switched to a set of Goodyear Eagles and they are worlds apart. I am sorry, but based on my experience I wouldn't recommend these tyres at all.