bilmac

Mine has everything I think? Nav Bluetooth voice ect how do I find out without driving into the back of somebody.

Ye Phil, if you see radar ready when you engage cruise, top spec had keyless entry and go, soft closing doors, rear screen and side window blinds, a fridge, and power seats in the rear. William

Yes. Has everything but don't recall anything coming up on dash apart from cruise.

hi

phil only the facelift 430s came ACC Adaptive Cruise Control or Radar Cruise Control - in tends to be limited to 55 and 06 plate cars.

The easiest way to tell is to look at the grill - the ones which have have a clear rectangle around the logo like this overpriced example at Lexus coventry:

http://www.raccars.co.uk/used-lexus/ls/details-12279809/lexus-ls-430-4-3-v8-4dr-auto-acc-pcs

if you then lift the bonnet you will see a square box behind the grill which contains the electrical gubbins for the ACC

then as someone mentioned above when you press cruise a picture of a car with road markings comes up and says cruise ready.

hope this helps

Thanks Mark, a square box behind the grill which contains the electrical gubbins for the ACC

The weather in Ireland has been very bad with a lot of floods, perhaps this is the culprit.

If the ecu is in the grove box, what is this unit called, anyone know?

I think may be better to have car checked for error codes before buying ecu. William

He will need a scaner to check faults. On my car it was 2 of the oxygen sensors.

Hi Jake, thanks for reply, can you give more information. William

Hi William, best to keep it simple , any good garage can plug into the car and check the fault codes. If there are a few codes coming up they will need to back track through them to get the code causing the problem . I find the lads in the lexus garage in Galway a great help.

Sorry William just remembered my warning light was the vsc. The heads not what it used to be.

No problem Jake, you are ready to help which is what matters, and in keeping with the spirit of this forum. William

Mine has everything I think? Nav Bluetooth voice ect how do I find out without driving into the back of somebody.

Ye Phil, if you see radar ready when you engage cruise, top spec had keyless entry and go, soft closing doors, rear screen and side window blinds, a fridge, and power seats in the rear. William

Is radar cruise standard? 2004 ls430

Not standard Phil only on top spec, William

I had this warning on my LS600hl..... Turned out I had fitted my dash cam in front of sensor on top of windscreen which threw up the error, as soon as I repositioned dash cam The error went away.....Unsure where the sensors are on 430 but 600 are top of windscreen either side of rear view mirror and behind front and rear bumpers

There is a known problem with the radar cruise control ECU which flags up this error.

Check the receiver behind the front grill and located between the 2 horns for build up of crud/dirt and clean if required and make sure the grill itself is clear, other than that it may well be the ECU which is a known defect with a Toyota TSB issued for the replacement of it although given the age of the car I doubt Lexus would repair under warranty if this is the case.

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-3rd-gen-2001-2006/371689-help-pcs-check-system-cruise-check-system-errors-2.html

Buyer lives in country and drives like Jenson Button so I think (hope) it's just weather / road muck. William

He will need a scaner to check faults. On my car it was 2 of the oxygen sensors.

Hi Jake, thanks for reply, can you give more information. William

Hello All. As some will know I recently sold my 430. Buyer just emailed that this error is now showing. has anyone knowledge of the probable cause / possible fix. I don't remember seeing any posts about this while I was active. thanks William

Hi all,

I've been investigating alternatives to purchasing air shocks/struts/bags individually from Lexus at between £700-800 each!

Now I've found many suppliers of components but no-one that makes an aftermarket unit or it's constituent components specifically for the RX.

Ideally, I'd like to get a failed sacrificial unit to strip down, measure the air bag and shock damper to see if I can contact good suppliers directly (Dunlop, Bridgestone, KYB etc.) and hopefully make a DIY refurb guide.

Unfortunately I'm not made of money but would be willing to buy a failed rear unit if anyone has one in their garage?

From what I can ascertain, the front units are different air bag "types" to the so there would have to be 2 guides.

On a positive note, many people state the system is scary and complicated - before my research started I would have been inclined to agree but the more I learn, the more I see how simple the setups are!

The big problems are lack of decent RX information and suppliers.

Full aftermarket air strut kits (ie: 2 x Front, 2 x Rear units) for the RX are available at £1200 BUT before leaping into the unknown, I'd like to see if a refurb of the Lexus/Toyota parts are possible to keep things as stock as is possible.

If anyone can provide further info, ie: front and rear air bag dimensions, types and if at all possible the original manufacturer (as Toyota/Lexus don't make air bags!) then that would be really useful.

Thanks all,

Chris

Chris I got rebuilt air shocks for my XJ Jag from a site where A guy with a Audi Allroad, took the same approach as you, was successful, so made them available for other makes, but not Lexus Im afraid. Goggle Bagpipeing Andy. William

As some members know I have not been posting, I have off course been looking in from time to time.

So Happy Holidays to all I hope 2016 is good to you.

I have got myself a 7 series 2009 F01 730D space grey,only 112.000 Klms

so my Ls is for sale

its advertised on done deal.ie if someone wants to look at it.

All the best. William

Well that did not take long.My Ls 430 is on its way to a new home. Perhaps the new owner will come on here and benefit from the collective wisdom. All the best guys, I promise I will post around Patricks Day to share my feelings on the 7 Series. William

William, I hope you enjoy your 'new' motor. I would have liked to have had a drive in a 7 series just to compare it to my Mk4, especially one of the earlier older style cars. The same goes for an XJ Jag, (I love the look of them), but I'm still very happy to be wafting around in my LS for now. Can't really see myself in anything else to be honest. Dull, boring to look at ? Maybe to some people, but what car is as comfy, as smooth and as reliable as an LS?........ Exactly.

I have just been for a 120 mile drive and I tend to agree with you I have been unable to get the seat just right for me. So its possible I will be looking for a Ls600 to get back that Wafting Felling. I will give it until Patricks Day Then decide. William

Would be very interested to hear your comparison and your reasons for changing to a BMW?

First, seats in Bmw are not nearly as comfortable. Also, no holder for my glasses when I park up.

7 Series more engaging, by that I mean you have to drive it. unlike the Ls which you just glide in.

Why I changed. Well I never did have a BMW besides, I have never keep a car longer than 2 years.

I will drive it for a while and post again on the difference between the cars in real life. William

As some members know I have not been posting, I have off course been looking in from time to time.

So Happy Holidays to all I hope 2016 is good to you.

I have got myself a 7 series 2009 F01 730D space grey,only 112.000 Klms

so my Ls is for sale

its advertised on done deal.ie if someone wants to look at it.

All the best. William

hopefully this will work

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271822108474

There was quite a lot of Crowns in Ireland, I remember a friend having a 2.8 in Dublin. I don't remember if it had leather, but the seats in this one looks like the have a lot more than 60,000 miles on them. William

quick update, car passed the MOT without any advisories! very pleased and relieved about that. Churchill have agreed to insure it, and I am ready to send the paperwork to DVLA. Tarun[/quot

Tarun have you given any thought to the timing belt, I would advise that as your priority

quick update, car passed the MOT without any advisories! very pleased and relieved about that. Churchill have agreed to insure it, and I am ready to send the paperwork to DVLA. Tarun

I am happy to hear this Tarun. Have you considered a wrap for the car? mine turned out great. William

Hi . I have seen a car wrapped before but am interested to know what the cost for a whole car wrap would be, especially for a car the size of the ls430

Gentleman please please keep the temperature down. Can you please return to the original thread of what is needed importing a car from Ireland which has been very enlightening. Mike.

Mike, I believe in temperate discussion on forums, but if someone calls me an abusive bully I am going to give my side of the story.

On that front I note:

1. Bilmac has not offered an apology for SHOUTING (i.e. caps) that I had made a mistake about India, despite me pointing out I had already told him.

2. Has not apologised for claiming I bullied my vendor, which is way off the truth.

3. Has not offered any evidence against my calculation of how he priced his car, until the last-minute price change.

He describes me as a bully - I prefer to think I am someone who won't be mugged off by a chancer.

Anyway, back to the topic in hand. I mentioned the online calculator of refund value in ireland. You enter the model, age and mileage and it gives you a value, subject to confirmation by inspection. Bilmac was right in that they deduct 500 euro, but misleading in that the headline value they give is net of that deduction.

here is one I did this morning:

Your VRT Calculation

• Date
• 23/03/2015
• Time
• 09:15

• VRT Repayable
• 1504

• Rate of VRT
• 36%

• Modify CO2 Emission
• Modifying the CO2 value may indicate that you selected an earlier or later version and may produce an invalid estimate.

Vehicle Details

• Statistical Code
• 40387147
• Model
• 430

• Make
• LEXUS
• Version
• LS 04DR A

Breakdown of VRT Calculation

• Open Market Selling Price (OMSP) determined by Revenue
• 108100
• Monthly adjustment
• +103%

• Depreciation code allocated by Revenue
• F2
• Odometer reading
• 113000 Miles

• Date of first registration
• June 2005
• Mileage/Kilometre reduction
• 0

• Rate of depreciation for this vehicle
• 95%
• Current OMSP determined by Revenue (Export)
• 5567

Revenue CO2 Calculation

• CO2 Emissions
• 289

• Rate of VRT
• 36%

• VRT Calculated
• 2004

• - Export Admin Fee
• 500

• VRT Repayable

• 1504
• ​

Anyone wanting to try this for themselves can try the calculator at https://www.ros.ie/evrt-enquiry/vrtenquiry.html?execution=e2s2

I believe you are not a genuine person, but a mean spirited petty individual. Who likes to think himself superior to the rest of us.

I will not be posting on this thread again, nor will I view it's content.so you are free to be as petty as you wish. William

I tend to abide by the rule in life that if you can't say something nice about people, say nothing. Which is why I referred to a false start with a member without giving detail. But since I have just been called "abusive", and this being the internet, no-one knows the caracters concerned, I feel the need to set the record straight.

1. On March 5th, just after bringing my car back from Ireland, I wrote (post #27) that I was away with work for 10 days and would update when I got back. That trip was to India.

2. In my correspondence with Bilmac, discussing how to conclude the sale I wrote on Feb 20th: "I have to go to India on the 6th, so otherwise it would have to wait til late March."

3. My vendor did not "allow himself to be bullied" as Bilmac so charmingly puts it. He was about to start a new job 3,000 miles from Ireland and was delighted to conclude the sale as his car had not attracted any enquiries in Ireland until my interest. He did present the car for export inspection and calculated his entitlements from the state. In fact he was a pleasure to deal with.

4. Below is the full text of my email to Bilmac

I didn't reply last night because I was so angry, and that is never great for writing emails. However I am no happier this morning.

"The error was pointed out", you say. But you didn't call or write to me and apologise for an error - you just presented me with a demand for more money without any explanation. That is rude and dishonest.

But it wasn't an error, in any case. When you put the car for sale on the forum you said 4,000 euro was "just about half what the car stands me". When i read that I went through what you had spent as follows: car 5,000 euro, service 800 euro, tyres 800 euro, wrap 1400 euro = total 8,000 euro. So even though the wrap has no value to me, as I would rather be able to see the paintwork, I could see how you calculated you had spent 8,000 euro on the car. The point being, writing 4,000 euro wasn't a mistake - it was the price you had decided to charge, and you explained the calculation. As I did my research, I could see that selling it to a UK forum member, which allows you to claim close to 2,000 euro VRT refund, meant it wasn't as bad as it looked for over a year's comfortable motoring.

So again, I think you have been dishonest in now claiming you meant £4,000 instead of 4,000 euro.

You're right, there are quite a few on donedeal. That's mainly because they are not selling. After close to 3 months with your car listed on the forum at 4,000 euro, you found one buyer - me. Now you want to try and sell it for 5,400 euro. Do you really think that putting the price up will produce more buyers for you? And even if you sell it to an Irish buyer for that price, you will end up with less because you don't get the export refund.

I generally think the best of people until such time as they let me down, and after investing many hours in researching your car, how to register it and get it home etc. I am very disappointed and disillusioned that you turned out to be dishonest.

Members reading this can form their own conclusion as to how abusive I was, but bear in mind the context was a discussion of which flight I was taking to buy the vehicle.

5. I wasn't planning to prejudice Bilmac's ability to sell the car to anyone else, but in the circumstances I am revealing that an Irish Cartell report reveals that the vehicle was originally silver, then black. It is now wrapped in blue plastic. So buyers have no scope to determine the current quality of the paintwork under the wrap, but it is not original. The report also states it is running on a Hackney license.

6 I believe the member to whom Bilmac sold his LS400 was very happy with the car. He also inspected a car for a fellow member. So clearly he is not a bad person. But I believe I am now the third member of this forum he has chosen to antagonise or insult, and frankly, life is too short.

I hope this clarifies my position.

Jon

I will contact the seller and post in due course.

In the meantime, it's my opinion you are a bully, I felt bullied by you. William

The third member indeed. First he felt it necessary to start with Ambermarine out of the blue. Then he called me a fool and now its Jon !

In my opinion the forum would be a better place without mr Bilmac so, by all means, feel free to leave!!

So I promsed some more feedback on the importing process once I was back from India and here I am. Some of this will be a recap as I can't remember everything that was discussed.

Irish owners of cars with engines over 3 litres are motivated sellers. Motivated by an annual road tax of 1800 euro. After a false start with a member of this forum, I found a vendor of a 2004 model, 2nd owner, almost full service history, 95k on the clock. He was looking for 5,500 euro. I pointed out he would get a refund of half his car tax, as it was taxed til October, and he agreed to deduct that from the price.

But there is another twist. Ireland has a punitive tax on new cars. If you export a car, you get a proportion of that back. There is an online calculator of how much you get, which in this case came to 1400 euro. So I suggested he would get his full asking price if he took 3,300 euro off me, and 2,200 off the state, plus there was another 100 in there because they would undoubtedly chare him something for the admin. Vendor agreed, and I flew over with that the agreed price, and about 20 photos in my inbox. I knew the front parking sensors weren't working, there was a scuff on the driver's door, but just before I left I got him to confess that he only had one key, which we agreed to sort out when we met.

Vendor picked me up at Dublin airport and we went for a drive, in which the car seemed fine. We agreed to split the cost of a new key, and went to a dealer, only to learn you can't do it same day. So we called a UK dealer, got quoted a price between £200 and £300, and he knocked 200 euro off the price. So the final price was 3,100 euro. Vendor drove the car to the Dublin docks and I caught the late ferry to Holyhead. Total transport price for buying in Ireland including flight, ferry and fuel, just under £200.

Now you are legal to drive an imported vehicle to a pre-booked MOT if you insure it on the VIN, but when I went to my regular garage to get a letter confirming an appointment, they said "here, take these" and gave me a pair of trade plates. I drove the four hours home with a very brief stop for coffee, enjoying the calm of an LS430 cabin. Only issue was the tyre pressure warning coming on, which the vendor had warned me it would. I need to reinitialise the sensor.

Mot was a fail, but only on n/s headlamp alignment, which turned out to a five minute job once I found instructions on the Lexus forum. So now the documents are off to Swansea, and the car is sitting on the drive waiting for a UK registration.

Photos to follow.

Jon

So now that you are back from INDIA. OF COURSE, I KNOW YOU MEANT IRELAND, YOU JUST MADE A MISTAKE, THE SAME AS I DID.

any normal person would have seen that you could not buy a car like mine for only 4000 euro.

Also at no time did I agree to sell my car to you, at any price.

Anyway you seem to have came out alright with the car you bought, unlike the seller who allowed himself to be bullied by you into agreeing to allow the VRT refund. This refund is subject to rules, one is that the car must be presented for inspection to Irish revenue before export. the sum you mentioned is correct however there is a fee of 500 euro deducted which leaves 900 euro. This is money that the buyer will not get now. and he won't get the motor tax refund unless he is the owner in the log book and he can show car is exported.

I am happy I did not do business with you as your abuse to me on learning that you were not getting my car at the ridiculous low price you thought was quite upsetting for me. and all because I made a mistake in a post. JUST AS YOU HAVE. William

quick update, car passed the MOT without any advisories! very pleased and relieved about that. Churchill have agreed to insure it, and I am ready to send the paperwork to DVLA. Tarun

I am happy to hear this Tarun. Have you considered a wrap for the car? mine turned out great. William

OK gentlemen I have hopefully edited all the posts containing the PM information, if I've missed anything please advise me with the post number as a reference.

Karma should now return to the forum :)

Thanks Steve.

I don't really see the issue in naming the dealer?

Surely he had the car advertised so everyone was able to see who was selling it.

You are a fool, from now on I will ignore you. William

I apologise, a foolish post does not make you a fool. However I will ignore you. William

I don't really see the issue in naming the dealer?

Surely he had the car advertised so everyone was able to see who was selling it.