johnatg

I've never really found any problems. Just press the brake pedal harder! You can always get to the point of bringing in the ABS (you would lock a wheel otherwise).

I dislike brakes which make a car stand on it's nose when you just touch the brake pedal - my wife's Mii is like that - makes it hard to modulate your braking to stop smoothly. My supercharged MX-5 (which has redstuff pads) needs high pedal pressures and you can modulate the braking easily from 'slight' to 'wheel lock' (no ABS on that) with varying pedal pressures. I know women generally do not like to drive MX-5s with redstuff pads. (Apologies if that's sexist - it just reflects comments I've heard over the years)

It seems the smaller and less powerful a car is, the more the brakes feel 'too much', and the faster the car the less braking you seem to have - at first sight. If you've ever driven a racing car you'll know they feel as if they have no brakes at all at first. It's all a matter of feel and using the brakes correctly - and driver experience.

Dunno - check with dealer/warranty provider?

MTEC grooved/drilled discs (black) plus EBC Redstuff pads do it for me. Next time I'll get Yellowstuff pads, but you have to drive really hard to get fade with the Reds - but I use some long steep hills!

2006 IS250 - I have three but I keep one in the boot as I find the centre one obstructs rear vision. Maybe that's what's happened to yours and it has got lost along the way?

I have a friend who is Service Manager at an agricultural engineer. They have problems with a certain brand of foreign tractors - often they won't start even when new and the reason is that that they are now fitted with DPF's.

The manufacturer has issued them with a long large diameter drill and instructions to drill out the internals of the DPF. That works!

I would think that the sort of drill used to drill big holes through masonry/brick walls would work!

Just a thought......

This is what you need. Also available on eBay, and cheapest from China. It's not a simple cup wrench - it has cut-outs to engage with tabs on the housing.There's a Sealey version and unbranded ones.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-Expert-Toyota-Filter-Replacement/dp/B008RXS7FM

No such thing as a choke these days, especially with a diesel. Idle speed is entirely up to amount of fuel being injected. I'd say you've possibly got an injector problem - one (at least, possibly the 5th one) injecting too much? Might be the control ecu (unlikely) or a temperature sensor (more likely).

It's not really the octane rating but the fuel system cleaning properties and smooth burn features of some of the expensive fuels that are the real advantages. But the octane rating does help - all modern engines are optimised for 97 RON fuel - the fact that they run OK on 95 is because no manufacturer wants to be seen insisting on 97.

(I suppose the smooth burn is attributable partly to the octane rating, but some fuels are better than others.)

IMHO

There is a bit of anecdotal evidence on this forum that the small increase in cost is largely offset by similar small improvements in fuel economy.

I would forget the ASDA fillups - use Texaco Supreme (the more expensive one) all the time. I know you're right about there being few Shell stations in Carmarthenshire (or S Wales generally). I use Shell V-Power all the time - Texaco Supreme is nearly as good. It is 97 octane rather than 98 but has good cleansing additives.

An aside: We went on hol near St Davids last year in my supercharged MX-5. It needs Shell V-Power - or at least 98 octane fuel or it pinks (detonates) like crazy. It's a very practical car - it has a very small boot and I have to navigate via Shell stations. As it is also water-injected (substitute for intercooling) - and it injects 2/3 distilled water and 1/3 methanol - it needs copious supplies of both. Hell of a lot of fun, though - it has about the same power as the Lexus and weighs not much more than half as much!

Anyway, I located the Shell staions on route and identified one (of the few) in Llandysul - went about twenty miles 'off-route' to get to it and found it didn't sell V-Power! I ended up using Texaco Supreme + Octane booster, which I carry for such occasions (rather frequent in the sticks!)

You don't need to go to such extremes in the Lexus, but it's well worth using the most expensive fuel.

And don't be afraid of the accelerator pedal! The car will soon change down if it knows you actually want to get up the hill!

Try using the ECT switch 'Power' setting. My observation is that this makes general progress slightly less smooth, but the car is more likely to be in the 'correct' gear at any given time, especially where you have to slow down for sharp bends or climb steep hills. It also seems to give you a bit more engine braking when descending hills.

There does not seem to be any fuel consumption downside.

ACEA C3 is very similar to C2 (it's also suitable for diesels with DPFs) but without the fuel economy requirements.

Now - does the formulation of the oil (as opposed to viscosity etc) make any noticeable difference to real world fuel economy?

Debate......

Yep - I swear by GM Dexos 2 - use it in all my cars and a couple of family ones I look after. Fully synthetic 5W-30 and meets specs of most manufacturers. Here's a typical source:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-x-5w-30-GENUINE-GM-VAUXHALL-BMW-FULLY-SYN-ENGINE-MOTOR-OIL-5Ltr-DEXOS-2-/281201430441?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4178e94fa9

But lots more on eBay. Note that Dexos 2 is a spec as well as a specific product from GM.

Be careful to get packs that show the hologram on the top right of the label - and there should be a multi-language leaflet on the back. It is alleged that there is a lot of fake stuff about.

Vauxhall dealers sell it but the price from them is apparently about £40 for 5 litres unless you have a trade deal.

I've had these advisories about the covers - said various things were not inspected due to covers fitted in engine bay and underbody. MoT testers are not allowed to dismantle anything. So they can't see the bodywork around the tops of the shock absorber towers for example.

But my usual tester doesn't mention them. (On one occasion I had to take it to a local Ford dealer as my usual tester was shut down for the vital month for 'retraining' - ie they'd been caught out by VOSA!)

If you've got the original hybrid blades the cheapest thing to do is get replacement rubbers from a Lexus dealer - about £12.

If not, these are said to be identical to OEM blades:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290690410797?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Well yes. But warranties whether original or extended, always specify that the car had to have been serviced in accordance with the manufacturer's schedules. The slightest deviation from that is often used as an excuse to refuse warranty claims, even where the claim is for something not related to the deviation. Car related 'agony aunt' columns in newspapers often feature such tales. eg a fuel injection problem where the deviation is a failure to change brake fluid at a specific point.

Quite right. There's nothing complicated about servicing an IS (the spark plug change is a bit of a fiddle as it involves removing the inlet manifold and a load of stuff to enable you to do that).

But workshop manuals, workshop data and parts are all readily available and a competent indie should have no problems.

Most of the regular services are just inspections anyway - and most of them are done at MoT time. There's not actually much that needs doing apart from oil changes (including diff) apart from MoT inspections.

Not sure what extra needs doing on diesels - fuel filter changes I guess - but at least you don't need the spark plug thing! Just save up for the head gasket........

But watch out if you have a Lexus warranty - if you were to claim on that, indie servicing would be a problem. Lexus dealers have you by the short and curlies.....

Or are you flogging round at 120mph + ??

The most expensive tax group prior to March 23rd 2006 was band K - currently £285 per annum, so if a manual 250 was registered before that date it is still now subject to paying £285. On that date (budget day) bands L and M were introduced - L is currently £485 and M - £500.

Manual 250s first registered after 23 March 2006 are band L - but autos are band K.

Note that there's a budget coming up next week - that's when tax rates might change!

It's due to compromises in the steering geometry. Do a google search on things like Ackerman steering geometry - eg see this: http://www.motor.org.uk/documentlibrary/Sep%2009/TT%20_%20Sept%2009.pdf

Lexus pushes the limits of what is achievable with the geometry - they have to build in things like steering feel, weight, tyre wear etc. as well as getting the car round the corner.

It's nothing to worry about, unless you want to drive round very tight circles at speed! Just take it easy on full lock.

I'm sure it's not switch bounce - it happens over too long a period. Gradual fade of interior lights is a common feature, especially of 'upmarket' cars.

I would guess the fade is done by voltage stepping and cutting internally in the body control ecu and may be one reason why LED interior lights are not fitted as standard. It's a curious clash with the map lights and the gear change illumination.

Have they worked out how to do fade of leds with more recent cars or do they still use incandescent bulbs?

They are called 'micro-blade' fuses - they are smaller than mini blade fuses. Available very cheaply on eBay.

eg these are micro fuses http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MICRO-BLADE-FUSE-SELECTION-TOOL-3-5-7-5-10-15-20-25-30Amp-x120-RR24-Bike-/271741977183?pt=UK_BOI_Electrical_Components_Supplies_ET&hash=item3f4515825f

and these are mini fuses - longer 'prongs' than micro: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/35-Piece-MIXED-Mini-Blade-Fuse-AUTO-Car-Motorbike-5-7-5-10-15-20-25-30-AMP-CA-/221633752746?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item339a66aeaa

But I think you will find it very difficult to wire into the fuse box under the dash. The fuse box is actually part of the ecu/junction box and you absolutely cannot get into the back of it to put wires in (And I have one broken into - largely in small pieces and not re-assembleable). I suppose that theoretically you could stick a wire into the front of it if you could identify a suitable power source in an unused fuse position, but having just had to pay for two of these ecu/junction boxes at £600 a piece - I wouldn't recommend it.

Your best bet might be to identify a wire that carries sufficient power to feed the camera as well as whatever it is meant to feed and tap into it - but if anything goes wrong Lexus will show no mercy if you have non-standard wiring. It has just cost me over £2000......

Doh! No wonder the fuse didn't blow! Wrong one - I replaced the power window/mirror fold fuse. But I've just tested those - even running both window and mirrors together - no problem.

The door locks are protected by a 15a fuse - I'll change that for a lower value tomorrow.

Michael - points taken. And no - I can't find the fuse extractor, though I know there's supposed to be one. Been using pliers - actually those fuses need a hell of a pull to get out!

The standard fuse for the door locks is 20a. Can't do any harm fitting lower values - a lower value one may blow prematurely, but that's all. I'd never fit a higher value. The wiring in this car can certainly not sustain big currents. Most of it is very thin/lightweight indeed. But electric motors do cause a big momentary surge/spike on start up - that might be why they fit fuses way bigger than obviously needed.

Re PO-40 - no. My original one is on it's way to Michael and his techs, and he's sending me a replacement which hasn't arrived yet. I must say he has been most helpful - several private emails apart from public corespondence here.

I suspect that they dumped the parts last Thursday when they fitted the new ones. I collected the car on Friday 'cos they said they wanted to test it some more. Hmmm.... I intend to write to the dealer principal about the 'warranty' on the part fitted the first time. It really isn't good enough, is it?

I fitted a 10a fuse in place of the 20a one protecting the door lock (in the fuse box under the dash driver's side - actually part of the junction box/ecu). Ran it through quite a few lock/unlock cycles - it didn't blow - no problems so far! I just knew that fuse was too damn big. Maybe I should try 7.5a! I'll give it a little while though.

I'd be interested to know if there are any Tech Service Bulletins about this, but I doubt it - Lexus Stockport claimed they had been on the dealer forums (where they no doubt complain about irritating customers just like we complain about them ! ) and they said no-one had come up with anything. And the guy who did the work said he had never replaced on of these JB/ecu units before.

I think they're the same - need to check the part numbers. Does someone here have a parts list?

The 'engine bay' ones are the main sensors, used to adjust fuel/air ratios. The ones further down the exhaust are post-cat - they are used to check that the cat is doing its job by comparing O₂ exhaust content with the pre-cat readings (some predictable amount of O₂ is used in the cat process)

Correction 7/2/15 - they are NOT the same. The upstream ones are heated, the downstream ones are not. The connection plugs are different.