Raj Rupra

Hi Ozzyoz. By HID, I'm assuming that your mechanic means the HID bulb and not the complete headlamp unit, unless that's corroded or damaged in some way. I'd clarify that with him before paying more and changing the complete headlamp unit. As far as the ballast is concerned, any reputable motor electricIan should be able to check whether it's functioning correctly. If you plan on keeping the car for a while and you haven't done it yet, I would get both of the bulbs changed for starters and see of that isolates your problem. I hope that helps.

I had the same problem on my 6 year old GS 450h. Lots of opinions from mechanics and lay-people, including loose connection, failed ballasts and expired bulbs. Worryingly a mechanic who had diagnostic equipment told me it was the ballasts and managed to get a quote (expensive) from the Lexus dealer for me. When I decided to take the plunge and call the dealer myself, the lady on the other end of the phone immediately knew it was the bulbs. So, I booked the car in and ended up paying around £200.00 for bulbs and labour, inc VAT. Expensive, I know but it could have been worse, had I trusted the "know-it-all" mechanic! Bear in mind, I had to reduce the labour charged by the dealer. They wanted £260.00 because they reckoned it took one hour to change both bulbs! I had to alert them to the unreasonableness of that charge. They were supposed to be the experts who know the cars inside out, so I suggested that half an hours labour would be more than sufficient, especially considering the price of the bulbs and the age of the car.

How on earth did you guys get your fingers down there to replace the bulbs? I took the plastic engine shrouds off the front and passenger side to replace a blown sidelight bulb and there was no way I could get to the bulb holder. Does the handbook assume we all have 10inch fingers made of titanium? Any help greatly appreciated...

Update: I couldn't be bothered with it any more. The car was almost 13 years old now and I expect it didn't have many more happy and cost effective miles left in it. Bodywork was also a bit shabby in places where it had been vandalised. Mechanical and electrics were spot on though. So.... I part-exchanged it for a 2006 450h SE-L.

Thanks. Halfords checked the system, bled and changed the brake fluid and then told me where the problem lay (brake booster). All without charge. And they were correct. Another mechanic clamped flexy pipes in turn and checked caliper pistons for jamming and found nothing wrong. Finally, I took it to another mechanic who has pretty comprehensive diagnostic equipment. He plugged it in and said that everything pointed to a fault with the brake booster.... as Tigerfish said. He reset a few things through his machine and was successful in restoring sufficient pressure for me to brake safely, although at crawling speeds it can be unpredictable. Time to scour the salvage yards now. Number 2 mechanic is pretty skilled and says he'll take the job on if I get the part. I think it may need reprogramming by Lexus (according to Halfords) after fitting, but shouldn't be too costly. Thanks for your inputs.

Thanks Tigerfish. Much appreciated. I've read your earlier advice in Feb 2012 to another member on replacement of the brake booster. That too was helpful. All the electricals are fine, as are all brake lines and calipers. There is no warning light so all that remains is to isolate the pump and check its function, along with the master cylinder. Thanks again.

I've been scouring the pages of this, and other Lexus forums but I cannot find a solution..... About 2 weeks ago, while standing in traffic, my brakes required more depression of the pedal than usual. Over the following 24 hours the pedal travel was so long it began to touch the floor. As I accelerated and drove normally, brake pressure seemed to build up. So much so, that a stop from 30mph felt as though the initial bite was ok and I had normal retardation, but if I pressed further, it made little difference. Also if I backed off the brakes and reapplied them the pedal travel was extended considerably. After a couple of days, low speed/crawling manoeuvres required pressing the pedal to the floor. There are no warning lights or buzzers to alert me to a problem. I took it to Halfords Autocentre and they said the brake fluid looked as though it hadn't been changed for years! They changed it for free and checked for any leaks but couldn't find any. They then said that my VSC system was faulty. Apparently they'd turned it off and the brakes worked fine, although the ABS/TCS would be disabled. I was advised that whatever was wrong could not be diagnosed by them, only Lexus, and that it would cost me a fortune to fix! Upon collecting the car, I turned the VSC off and it made no difference to the brakes at all. In depair, I have given the car to a mechanic friend to look at. He's had it for almost 2 weeks (although he only works on cars in his free time). To date, he has found nothing in the system that could cause the problem. All brake lines and calipers have been checked. He had it hooked up to a diagnostic tool (not Lexus, I guess) and it showed no faults. I am going to collect the car this evening and pass it to an auto-electrician to go over and see if he uncovers anything. Can anyone suggest anything that I may not have had checked, and where's the best place for me to take it, apart from the overpriced Lexus dealership? All help will be greatly appreciated. NB. If it ends up being a prohibitively costly solution, I'm likely to break the car up for parts. It's a black 2000 GS300 SE with sat nav and rear spolier.

Easy! As far as I understand it, the system just needs to re-synchronise because the fob battery was removed. This also applied if the car battery is temporarily disconnected for any reason. My Lexus is a Mk2 GS300, registered Aug 2000. Simply insert the key into the ignition and switch the ignition on. The key should be left in there for, I believe, about 20 minutes with the driver's door open. Obviously, don't leave the car unattended at this time, or it might not be there when youe return!! During this time, the system re-synchronises and when you turn the ignition off and then on again....... it should start! I hope this was helpful.

Thanks guys. When it stops raining this year, I'll have another rummage.

My 2000 GS300's cassette player keeps ejecting tapes without playing them. Any ideas, anyone? I've only just bought the car.

My 2000 GS300's cassette player keeps ejecting tapes without playing them. Any ideas, anyone? I've only just bought the car. They may be to tight Thanks, but I've tried various cassettes and it just ejects them. The display recognises that the cassette player has been activated but the tape is ejected before it is played. I can't find anyone in or around Birmingham (except probably a dealer) who is able to diagnose and fix the problem. It's a shame because everything else on the car works (great for an 11 year old) and I do have loads of old cassettes.

They may be to tight Thanks, but I've tried various cassettes and it just ejects them. The display recognises that the cassette player has been activated but the tape is ejected before it is played. I can't find anyone in or around Birmingham (except probably a dealer) who is able to diagnose and fix the problem. It's a shame because everything else on the car works (great for an 11 year old) and I do have loads of old cassettes.

My 2000 GS300's cassette player keeps ejecting tapes without playing them. Any ideas, anyone? I've only just bought the car.