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johnatg

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Everything posted by johnatg

  1. johnatg
    Likely it's salt, or the results of salt acting on the metal of the catch. I'd suggest spraying with WD-40 and then with white spray grease.
  2. johnatg
    Do you straddle speed humps? That wears inside edges of tyres quite badly. The alternative of course - to have one side in the centre of the hump and the other side on a flat bit - risks suspension damage unless you slow right down - but then that's the intention!
  3. johnatg
    Old brake fluid won't really affect the feel of the brakes - it's still not compressible (unless it boils because there's too much water in it, then you get more or less total brake failure). Lexus specify that brake fluid should be changed every 3 years/36K miles - many manufacturers specify every two years. Garages (maybe even dealers) often don't bother. Soft feeling brakes could be due to air in the lines - did the local garage bleed the brakes? Do they harden up substantially with an extra pump on the brake pedal - that's a good sign of air.
  4. johnatg
    Maybe but don't kid yourself - if you buy any 7-8 year old car and sell at 10-12 years, the difference with or without dealer SH will be negligible IMHO Sent from my PSP7551DUO using Tapatalk
  5. johnatg
    BTW - I just noticed the bit about 'carrying on with Lexus servicing'. That will be expensive and totally unnecessary - the only things needing regular attention are oil changes and oil, air (only very occasional) and cabin (pollen) filter changes - after market filters work fine at a fraction of Lexus prices and oil is oil. Buy your own fully synthetic 5W-30 on eBay along with filters etc and get a good indy to do your servicing if you can't do it yourself. All the other servicing 'work' is/are inspections - hell, the MoT covers most of them. Lexus dealers don't do the essential brake caliper maintenance, and they charge full price for any parts they consider 'needed'. You can buy filters, tyres, brake pads etc much more cheaply from the after market and they work just as well - often they are the same parts in a different box. Using any dealer for any car after it's out of warranty is throwing money down the drain, IMHO - they are geared up to maintain cars within warranty and change 'units' - they don't consider or attempt any suitable fixes which require a bit of dismantling, repair and reassembly. A good indy will seek the best/lowest cost compromise to deal with problems.
  6. johnatg
    There's no reason why an IS250 should cost you any more to run and maintain than a Honda (Accord?). IS250s are at least as reliable as an Accord (which I know is very reliable indeed) I guess your commute is about 30 miles each way - that should be enough and not too much to keep the car in good nick for a long time. The comments above cover pretty much anything which could potentially go wrong - the brake calipers do need their regular cleaning/greasing, but eg my exhaust is still original (from 2006) with no signs of problems (I probably shouldn't tempt fate like that!)
  7. johnatg
    I'd say you have a cat problem. I'd try a can of Cataclean in half a tank of fuel and give it a 50 mile blast on the motorway in 4th at 70mph. Sent from my PSP7551DUO using Tapatalk
  8. johnatg
    Original Type Approval needs auto levelling and washers, but the MoT test doesn't (but they must be working if fitted). The Mot test says these items 'may' be fitted with HID lights. After market HID bulbs are not e-marked and so are technically illegal. But so long as the height adjustment and beam pattern are OK (and they will be in projector beam lights) they seem not to cause problems. Sent from my PSP7551DUO using Tapatalk
  9. johnatg
    Simples really - if they were done at 60k leave them until 120K+ - if not, do them soon! Sent from my PSP7551DUO using Tapatalk
  10. johnatg
    Yes they are fiddly to fit (mainly because of access) but still easy. You need to make quite a big hole in the lamp rear covers for the big grommets which you can see on the wires near the bulbs - use a hole saw for best results. These bulbs are for the dip beams - the outer lights in the housings. The main beams are the inner lights - they need HB3 halogen headlight bulbs - eg Nightbreaker Unlimited. The sidelights (parking lights) plug in to the main beam housings and best to use led bulbs - W5W fitting.
  11. johnatg
    I've had them previously in the dips and I've got Nightbreaker Unlimited in my main beams now. The reviews are probably accurate but a lot depends on the actual design of the light unit, so what is brilliant in one car may well not be in another. You can certainly fit them with no problems - they are just a direct replacement and don't use any more current than normal bulbs - but they won't transform your dip beams much - I reckon mine improved from 'fairly poor' to 'somewhat less than adequate'. Since you can fit HID bulbs in the dip beams fairly easily (though a little more work is involved) i would recommend them, even if they are technically illegal - I've had them in for a couple of years and two MoT tests with no problems. They certainly make the dips adequate (though not wonderful) HID bulbs work in the projector beam dips but they should not be used in the mains - they need halogen bulbs and Nightbreaker Unlimited (HB3 pattern) are probably the best you can get.
  12. johnatg
    That writing is Japanese, not Chinese. They're most likely genuine Denso ones.
  13. johnatg
    But probably perfectly adequate. The cc of a car doesn't tell you anything about reliability, longevity or even much about performance. Likewise, CCA for a battery. Yuasa make excellent batteries - other brands are available.
  14. johnatg
    Yuasa YBX3030 - £76.99 from The Battery Shop, Swindon for example. Probably an excellent choice! Sent from my PSP7551DUO using Tapatalk
  15. johnatg
    Got mine done last week at a local garage (within walking distance of home) - I've used them for several years for several vehicles - £35. (The max price these days is £54.95 - lots of places discount that, but you do need to be aware of those who attempt to con you with unnecessary advisories - no advisories on my certificate)
  16. johnatg
    I think it very unlikely that it came with an Exide from the factory. I would have expected it to be a Yuasa or Panasonic - can anyone who bought a new IS250 remember what the original was? Or maybe it's still fitted?
  17. johnatg
    Selecting the correct battery is more to do with size (w x d x h) than anything else. Any 068 battery will do the job - Exide 030 is equivalent (why can't they use the standard numbering system?) but 031 has the terminals the wrong way round. There's an equivalent Optima battery - at least twice the price of anything else. Many of us here have had good experiences with Bosch S4026/Varta E23 (they look identical apart from the badge) - other brands are available!
  18. johnatg
    Certainly don't remove the cats. The sensors are downstream oxygen sensors - less important for running but if they're not connected I think you'll get engine management light problems, so don't remove them either. A catback system should be OK, but specify that you want a guarantee that it will be as quiet as the original as many stainless systems are noisier. You can get a soundmeter (decibels) app for your smartphone!
  19. johnatg
    Getting the cover off is a bit of a fandangle - be aware of the battery temperature sensor on the engine side of the cover - you'll need to disconnect (and later reconnect) it. Then remove the negative battery lead first (that's the side nearest the wing). Apart from that and resetting the windows, it's all straightforward.
  20. johnatg
    Yes - 'recommended for diesel' is irrelevant - and it's not OK for IS220Ds etc because they need a much bigger battery. It is probably OK for some other diesel cars. 12V car batteries all do the same job - they vary in capacity and ability to deliver enough power to start the car. Basically the bigger the engine, the bigger the battery required (and diesels need bigger batteries because of glow plugs and higher compressions - need more oomph to turn the engine). And they vary in size and configuration (position of the terminals) - denoted by three digit codes - IS250 needs a 068 battery - that is a rare spec and not often stocked in regular battery shops - don't be fobbed off with something that 'will do'
  21. johnatg
    The service schedule says after 10 years and then every 5 years.
  22. johnatg
    The only things that matter are the thread diameter (14mm) and thread length (26.5mm) - same for both. The Denso catalogue here: http://www.denso-am.co.uk/e-catalogue lists both types, IKBH20TT under 'TT' and they're promoting TT as the latest and best. Thanks for bringing this to our attention - my plugs are due for a change really and these prices are a lot more reasonable than I was expecting!
  23. johnatg
    Well, see here: http://www.denso-am.co.uk/media/698507/2015denso457-irtt-product-update-.pdf These came in November 2015, so presumably more or less replace FK20HBR11 which date from pre-2005. They are specified for more Toyota models (mainly Japanese market) so that might explain the price (vast) reduction. And if, as implied above, Lexus Birmingham are supplying these when you order FK20HBR11 - they're making quite a mark-up!
  24. johnatg
    It looks as if these IKBH20TT are newer, so may be better. Some kind of strange pricing anomaly going on. Even cheaper here: http://www.gsparkplug.com/1x-denso-iridium-tt-spark-plugs-ikbh20tt-4705-042511047051.html £6.72! Sent from my PSP7551DUO using Tapatalk
  25. johnatg
    Oh - seems they're OK - a lot cheaper than FK20HBR11 - but FK20HBR11 is listed in the Denso catalogue. Sparkplugs. co. uk list these as alternative / equivalent. Sent from my PSP7551DUO using Tapatalk
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