johnatg

And there again, VSC has only a little to do with traction control and ABS - a fault there will show up 'Check VSC' but so will almost any other fault in any of the IS systems. It's very much a 'catch all'.

An ignorant and incompetent garage. VSC light is effectively vehicle management. If it was an IS250 I would suggest that they had left the MAF cable undone. Could be similar on 220D. Sent from my PSP7551DUO using Tapatalk

If you are replacing HID headlamps you may pass the MoT (but the teater will be able to tell - the machine they put in front of the headlights and squint down shows a detailed beam pattern). If the beam pattern is acceptable, you'll pass - if not, you'll fail (and they are very strict on beam pattern these days) If you are replacing halogen headlights you may or may not fail - mine failed with HID bulbs on the basis that it had a manual levelling switch (and therefore had halogen headlamps). You can tell them you've replaced your headlights and show them the receipt. But it will show you bought them in USA.........

Don't try and use LED bulbs - they simply don't work - they don't project enough light, even though they look bright to look at. LED bulbs are just not the same as LED headlights as fitted to lots of new cars these days - they do work! If you want to improve your lights, go for an HID kit - lots available on eBay for a few tens of pounds. They are illegal and you'll need to swap them out for MoTs (which is a bit of a pain because access, especially the nearside one, is very tight). But they do improve your dipped beams no end. Don't use HIDs in the main beams - get 'super' halogen bulbs for them.

New rings, I suppose - but that would be a major operation and the economics would be questionable.

What is the mileage? and is the car using any oil? I suspect that EGR valves work OK when diesel cars are new, but as the mileage builds and piston rings wear there gets to be a bit more oil in the exhaust, and EGR valves are very sensitive to even small amounts of oil in the exhaust. Just my theory! The objective of EGR valves is to reduce combustion (and exhaust) temperatures!

If that is the only damage, I would carry out a diy repair. Just sand down the scuffed area to get it smooth (that green glasspaper works fine) and get some spray paint from Halfords. You'll probably need to mix a couple of cans - Halfords 'Steel Wheels' is a good starting point, then cut it with some grey - there is a good range of Peugeot greys. Spray the paint into a container (eg the lid of the spray can) and apply it with a brush or your finger. With a bit of experimentation you will get it so that you can't see the damage from 6ft away. A professional approach will cost serious money (you'd probably need to get all 4 repainted for a perfect match) and you'll only scuff them again next month!

OK the roof is steel and that will rust if the paint is damaged down to the metal. Can still be repaired OK if it's caught early enough.

The spots are all on the bonnet, yes? If so, they aren't rust - the bonnet is aluminium. These are probably basically stone chips are are pretty easily repaired, either diy (you probably won't get them perfect) or by a chip specialist, who should. Aluminium doesn't rust but it can show a bit of corrosion - it can be removed and if properly cleaned off won't continue to spread as iron rust usually does.

It's a bit academic and obscure - but just to be pedantic, your second point is not actually the case. Headlamp washers (and self-levelling headlights) are an homologation issue, not an MoT one (ie a car will not get European approval unless it has washers and levelling when fitted with HIDs). And if they are fitted, they must work. However you can import a car - eg apparently some japanese pick ups have HIDs but no washers or levellers (and no, I can't tell you which they are) and they are able to pass the MoT without them. And in the days when having HIDs in originally-halogen headlights was not an MoT failure (as long as the beam pattern was acceptable) you did not need washers and levellers. The requirements or not for washers and levellers have not changed. My car failed on the basis of having HIDs in halogen housings, but I'm hearing that some test stations are passing cars with projector beam headlights fitted with HIDs even if they were originally halogen, as projector beam headlights are compatible with HIDs. (And they may or may not be fitted with washers and levellers) We shall see how that progesses - see if I need to put in a bit of time in the workshop before (and after) next year's MoT! It's not something I'm prepared to contest with DVSA.

The workshop manual doesn't seem to mention a torque spec for the plugs (it hardly mentions the plugs at all) but I always reckon 18 ft.lbs for plugs with a 16mm hex. (eg my MX-5 has a spec of 11-17ft.lbs but that is scarcely hand tight so I add a ft.lb for good luck!)

It could be that the inner ball joint is damaged. Or the lower ball joint. Or the tie rod or tie rod end - or something else! If you're going to change the tie rods yourself, disconnect the outer end first, then loosen the gaiter clips and slide it down the tie rod. Unscrew the tie rod from the steering rack. Whilst you're doing all this, do not touch the locknut which locks the tie rod end to the tie rod. Now make up some kind of jig to record the exact length of the assembly, then separate the tie rod end from the tie rod and remove the gaiter (if you're reusing the old gaiter). Now slide the gaiter on to the new tie rod and assemble the new tie rod and tie rod. Now carefully adjust the overall length with the jig to make it exactly the same length as the old unit, tighten the lock nut and recheck, screw the assembly to the steering rack then reconnect the outer end. That way the tracking should be more or less correct (at least the same as when you started). You''l still need to get the car tracked but it should be driveable meanwhile. You're supposed to change the claw washer between the tie rod and steering rack but I reckon you can reuse the old one if you reshape it, unless a new one comes with the tie rod. Probably a good idea to use Loctite (other brands available) on the threads. Note that the front lower ball joint is separate from the tie rod. And it's a complex arrangement with two ball joints (one connects to the wishbone, one to the tie rod end). You will need to buy the 'lower ball joint' and 'tie rod end' as separate components. Paul - most of the time you'll be correct, but it ain't necessarily so, partly because the construction of the joints is completely different. I think it's why 'tie rod ends' are sort of well known in motoring circles (even if people don't know what they are). 'Tie rod inner ball joints' are not part of popular parlance!

The inner end of the tie rod consists of a ball and socket joint.The socket (the enlarged bit which has the torque specs pointing to them on my diagram) screws in to the end of the steering rack. The ball is formed from the end of the tie rod. The tie rod as received from a supplier comes assembled - ie the ball is well and truly in the socket - like your arm attaching to your shoulder. it is not disassemblable. There is no adjustment available - the socket bit screws in to the steering rack to the torque specified - and that's it. It can be unscrewed/assembled with a big open ended spanner - fairly easy if there's access and once the gaiter has been removed.. I think it is not commonly appreciated that there is a joint at this point (but otherwise how would the suspension move the tie rod up and down (and as you steer, side to side) without affecting the solidly-mounted steering rack) or that it can and does wear. The outer end (your diagram) - the part commonly known as the track rod end - is a short piece which attaches to the suspension (steering knuckle) via the lower ball joint. Adjustment of the tie rod length (for tracking purposes) is achieved by turning the (inner part of) the tie rod so that it screws in or out of the tie rod end, hence changing the overall length of the tie rod assembly. You are able to turn the tie rod because it has a ball joint at the inner end! The joint at either end of the tie rod can wear - either causes the steering wheel to feel 'loose' - it is the sort of thing that you don't notice until there is substantial play - then changing the tie rods and lower ball joint makes an amazing improvement in the 'feel' of the wheel - like a new car again! (As does changing the anti-roll bar links - another part with a joint at either end which might seem a bit insignificant but makes a huge difference to the feel of the steering and front suspension) Hope that makes it clear!

Here's my reply to a pretty much identical question a month or so ago: In my experience, this sort of feeling etc is due to wear in the joints in the tie rods at the inner end. See the drawing which is, hopefully, attached. People have heard of track rod ends - that's the short bit that screws on to the tie rod. It has a ball joint which often wears, but if bushes etc have been checked these may be OK. But see the inner end - there's a joint where the tie rod screws onto the steering rack, covered by a gaiter. (NB - tie rod, track rod - same thing) I am not sure just how easily accessible the gaiter is on our cars - you may need to remove the under tray. But if you grip the gaiter with your hand and get someone to turn the steering wheel slightly, you may be able to feel obvious movement within the joint. The tie rods are easily replaced and shouldn't cost too much. (Relatively - no Lexus parts are actually cheap!) This wear is caused, IMHO, by turning the steering wheel when the car is stationary. In the days before we had power steering you almost never did this because it was too hard to turn the wheel. But power steering is very powerful so the wheel is easy to turn. Go to any high street or car park and you see people doing it all the time. It puts enormous stresses on the tie rod joints , both inner and outer ends. Don't do it, folks - make sure the car is moving, even if only slightly, when turning the steering wheel.

Used and out of stock there. Just search for 90987-02027 - new ones from China on Amazon at £7.99. Loads of used ones on ebay at even lower prices. Looks like a standard relay for lots of Toyota vehicles and in multiple applications.

(Overlapped reply) yes - it's not a Phillips head It's a toothed wheel (rather like the toothed wheel you get in the rear brake drums to adjust the handbrake). The screwdriver shown in the pics I sent is just being used to flick the wheel round. See the teeth on the bolt head you turned. (As I recall, anyway)

Ah..yes - you see the bolt is actually part of a toothed wheel. I said the horizontal adjustment thing is not easy to find. Have you removed the trim strip along the edge of the wing? It looks from the middle pic that it's still in place (The rubber to the top and left of the washer tube in the middle pic)

He was asking about a IS220D last time he posted (about heated mirrors not working). I assume this is too - extra or replacement car? - and he is posting here on the IS250/IS220D forum!

PS - not sure which bolt you refer to without going looking, but it has nothing to do with adjustment. The adjusters are two notched wheels each side - I vaguely remember that they are behind the trim strip which goes along the wing edge.

Actually, you probably need the whole page so here is the full thing in 2 jpgs (I tried pdfs but the quality was rubbish) ( A couple of clicks on the images should bring them up to a reasonable magnification)

You've got both horizontal and vertical adjustment. See the attached instructions. The horizontal adjustment screw is not easy to find, as I recall - but it's about three years since I fiddled with mine!

And it will be basically the same as any 30 or 40 amp relay which you can buy on ebay for £3 or less - you'd probably just need to add spade terminals to the wires. (Or maybe they are already there) Sent from my PSP7551DUO using Tapatalk

Can't you ask an aircon place to extract the gas, then you go away and change the compressor then return a day or two later for a leak test and regas? The aircon place would only be doing the same work they normally do - just split over a couple of days.

Once you are inside the car you are largely shielded from spurious radio signals so the fob can work there but not outside the car. You can't detect radio waves except with a receiver - they can come out of the blue (or from some emergency vehicles, etc)! Sent from my PSP7551DUO using Tapatalk

SE doesn't do it. Less to go wrong! Sent from my PSP7551DUO using Tapatalk