johnatg

Save the £406 towards the potential cost of any essential repairs before you sell the car, then take your wife for a nice weekend away when you don't need to spend it!

Also consider that lower-profile/usually-wider-tyres wear faster than standard size tyres and cost much more to replace. You need to choose tyre sizes such that the overall diameter is approximately the same as 17" wheels with 45 profile tyres. There are various calculators available on line to help you do that. Tyres for 19" wheels are bound to be lower profile than those for 17/18" wheels. Larger wheels inevitably weigh more than smaller wheels, given similar construction and materials - but there are wide variations. The combination of lower profile tyres/heavier wheels leads to harder ride.

Yes. You need HB3 fitting.

Flushing oil seems to have gone completely out of fashion, and it doesn't do much for sticky deposits. Best to use an engine flush you add to the old oil - some can be driven with for a short distance, some you must drain out after a short idling period. Halfords/eBay have a selection. I don't think you have anything to worry about really, but I use a flush at every oil change.

Is this petrol or diesel? It must be running hotter than it should, even if it isn't apparently registering on the temp guage. Possible head gasket problem? - get the coolant checked for hydrocarbon gases right away (most garages should be able to do this). Don't wait for it to obviously overheat - that might be too late. The brake problem sounds as if a cable has broken - relatively easy to replace, but a potentially fiddly job. Strange thing to happen - maybe it's a link somewhere that has come undone. It is less likely to be something inside the brake drum, but could be. If it's one of the rear brake cables, you have to remove the disc/drum on that side anyway - if it's the front cable I think you don't.

I've always understood that projector beam headlights (as per IS250) don't need deflectors as they don't have the left hand side kick-up like conventional reflector headlights. To add to Normski's list - you need a viz jacket for every occupant, and kept inside the car, not in the boot. And you need alco-test kits - at least two. At least - those are the rules. (BTW - I've been stopped just about every time I've been to France - usually for identity checks late at night - (always carry your passports!) or routine interrogations near border crossings. Once for turning left (as instructed by sat-nav) at a 'no left turn' junction. But I've never had a 'car check' (all this stuff)

I'm not sure that there's not a lot of mumbo jumbo around as far as antifreeze is concerned. eg - from the safety data sheet for FL22: (Quote) Composition/information on ingredients This product also contains approximately 10 ppm of bittering agent, denatonium benzoate. Ethylene glycol; (ethanediol) - 50-100% Other ingredients, determined not to be hazardous according to NOHSC criteria, and not dangerous according to the ADG Code, make up the product concentration to 100% (end quote) FL22 (pre-mix only) is sold by Mazda dealers for £56 for 5 litres (Q. - who to?) - MX5Parts sell it for £12.07 for 5 litres BTW - there's plenty of Toyota Long Life Red Coolant concentrate available on eBay - eg item 221480963080

According to the workshop manual, the full coolant capacity from a dry engine is 9.1 litres. You won't fully drain it during a normal drain/refill but you certainly need more than 5 litres. I wonder if the dealer only drains the rad? (Or maybe they were meaning 5 litres of concentrate, but don't contemplate using that in a hard water area like London (unless you also buy deionised water). I would only use deionised water anyway, wherever you live, for mixing with concentrate. Safer to buy premix, but don't flush the system with plain water if you do)

BluePrint and Aisin are both reputable brands - Aisin are an actual parts manufacturer - I suspect BluePrint buy stuff from all sorts of manufacturers (as do all Japanese car manufacturers) and package the stuff under their name, but they provide their own guarantees and are well established and respected. Check compatibility carefully - I haven't looked in detail, but those two pump listings quote different years - it may be that the pump has changed (or it may be that it has been revised, but a revised pump will fit earlier cars). I dunno.

The engine must be off. Disconnect one battery terminal, then set your multimeter to current (amps) and connect between the disconnected terminal and the battery post that you removed it from. If you disconnect the neg terminal, connect the multimeter positive (red lead?) to the terminal and neg (black lead?) to the battery post. If your multimeter has a 6A setting/terminal socket, try with that first, but dark current draw should be no more than 250mA. Don't switch anything on or operate the starter whilst you've got the battery/multimeter hooked up like this and beware - most (cheapish) multimeters can't cope with large currents! Bang! (or at least a fuse will blow) A battery can pass all the tests with flying colours and still be on the way out.

They're both correct. The first is for an IS220D, the second for an IS250. They have completely different engines, hence completely different water pumps!

It won't have changed since 2005. Unusual in that it doesn't give a list of cars it fits - I guess due to the way the seller has entered the listing.

You should be able to get an individual pulley from a Lexus dealer - you just need to identify which one it is! The proceedure to change the water pump is quite complicated - not least because it says in the workshop manual that you need to discharge the aircon gas (and obviously recharge it again afterwards). This is so that you can remove the compressor - now I'm not sure if that is absolutely necessary - it may be possible to just move it out of the way without disconnecting the pipes. You most certainly need to get hold of a workshop manual before tackling the job. Has anyone here actually done it and could provide some pointers?

585 382WA (also known as WY21W) - amber wedge base 21W. They are a pig to change - they fit vertically into the base of the headlight. You need to remove the front bumper and at least partially remove the headlight (move it forward a bit). The owners manual says to go to a dealer (and pay!) We talked about this recently - forget who it was - did you get it/them changed succesfully?

That pump will be fine. If you're really careful you should be able to save at least most of your coolant - drain the block (two cocks) as well as the radiator. Preferably filter it before you put it back (coffee filter paper, funnel and jug(s)! Or buy fresh!

Yeah - I had replacement rear calipers which were alleged to be a new design to 'cure' the problems. I think the boots looked a bit different. But presumeably the boots they sell now are the 'new' type? Although having said that , the Ebay link shows ones that look very much like the originals (and the same as the ones I bought from Rock Auto when I changed the front ones (and also fitted new pins))

The dust boots are the same though. The change in '07 was to wider calipers to cater for vented discs - the discs were solid before. (That's the rear discs) Be aware that these boots are a bit fiddly to get in. The workshop manual says to use a suitable socket to drive them in - they are a very tight fit! But it is quite difficult to get them to stay straight whilst you're applying pressure.

Well, It's coolant, but it doesn't look like a serious leak. I'd wipe it off and see how it goes. Maybe it was overflow or a spill from when it was changed. If you're at high mileage (or even if not if you're unlucky) it's possible that your water pump has got a worn shaft or otherwise is on the way out.

Ebay item no: 301229370783 £16.29 Part No ADT35502 - and the same thing fits most Lexus and Toyota models (including IS220Ds)

You don't need to remove the undertray to drain the oil - the sump plug is accessible. Best to drive the car up on to ramps. There's a hatch to access the oil filter from underneath. The special filter cover removal tool is strongly advised - the cover is pretty heavy duty alloy and it seems to tighten between oil changes. A general purpose filter removal tool may well damage it. The cover should be torqued to 18ftlbs - your average grease momnkey will do it up to 'FT'. (*** tight) The special tool is an alloy heavy duty cup wrench (shaped like the pressed tin ones you can buy) but has lugs to engage with the projections on the filter cover. You will recoup its cost with a couple of oil changes compared with using a garage!

This thread has prompted me to do a bit of research on these hybrid blades. They are available complete from a few sources (not genuine Lexus ones) - eg some sellers on Ebay, Amazon and wiperblades.co.uk. I have flat blades on my MX-5, but they suffer from the usual problem of scrubbing fresh air at the left hand side of the screen. Hybrid blades are claimed to contact the screen better, especially when it's well curved. So I've ordered some from an Ebay seller for the MX-5 - £5.99 a pair! IS250 ones would be £8.95 or so - a pair (bigger blades) We shall see what sort of quality they are!

No brand markings on them - there's an angled joint/hinge about a quarter of the total length in from each end and the blades have a sort of spoiler profile. To get the blades off you lift up a catch just beyond the hooks, then the blades can be slid off the hooks. Hope that helps!

Well, it may not make a lot of difference and certainly at least changing the oil gives the main benefit. Me - I always change the filter and use engine flush at every oil change.

You want to get the rubbers from a Lexus dealer - I paid ~£15. The thing is that IS250 blades are hybrid - not standard modern 'flat' ones and not old fashioned type with hinges and gaps. So nothing else will look original. The rubbers are easy to change - you need to look carefully at how they are held into the blade - you'll see that you just need to disconnect the rubber from a pair of hooks - there are slots in the blade to suit. It looks hard at first - but dead easy when you've worked it out! Actually, if you take the blades in to the Lexus spares counter they'll probably change the rubbers for you!

I think you'd be wasting your money to go to a Lexus dealer. Be realistic - your car is 7 years old and worth a fraction of its original price. A full Lexus service history is not going to make a hill of beans difference when you trade it in - I assume you're not planning to do that for at least a year (and there's likely no reason to for five years or more). 8 year old cars go straight to auction. (With rare exceptions) There's nothing special (except change coolant) needed at 100K miles - it's just an interval where 5K, 10K and 20K mile services coincide. Now you need to know what you're doing to change the coolant properly - but there's nothing complicated about it and a good experienced garage should be able to handle it Do you have a good local garage? Here's my check list - do this at the intervals stated and your car will most likely go on for years. It's pretty much lifted from Lexus specs - with reduced intervals for oil changes and the addition of brake slider pin maintenance. Give them the list if you like and discuss it with them. Most things on a Lexus involve checks - visual inspections in most cases. Many of these are done at MoT time - they are noted below - delete those unless your MoT coincides - don't pay to have the same things inspected twice each year. (assuming average 10K annual mileage) OK: Every 5000 miles (Note - half Lexus' recommendation!) Replace: Engine Oil 5W-30 Fully Synthetic Oil Filter Every 10000 miles / 1 year Replace Air Conditioning Filter (make sure they know aircon must be in recirculate - or do it yourself - it's dead easy!) Check: Brake Pads & Discs MoT Washer systems & Wiper Blades MoT Tyres MoT Exhaust and mountings MoT Steering and suspension components MoT Brake caliper slider pins - inspect & lubricate Auxiliary Drive Belt Lubricate Hinges/Locks Check all controls and lights Road test Reset Service indicator if showing Every 20000 miles / 2 years Replace: Brake Fluid Check: (for) Damage and corrosion Brake Pipes and Hoses MoT Coolant/Anti-freeze (Replace @ 100000 miles/10 years)) Automatic Transmission Fluid level Drive Shaft Boots MoT Brake Pedal & Parking Brake - check & adjust Battery - condition/security/electrolyte Underbonnet connections and hoses Headlight beam adjustment MoT Seat belts MoT Every 40000 miles/4 years Replace: Air Filter Every 60000 miles Replace: Spark plugs. The only addition to that list might be to replace the auto transmission fluid (actually you can only change a small proportion of it each time). And possibly diff oil. At 100K miles. How Lexus get away with charging hundreds of pounds for this list is beyond me - well, I suppose you have to pay for their swish premises!