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aido

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Everything posted by aido

  1. TPMS worries are exaggerated - I have multiple wheels for one car (summers & winters) and bought some of the generic Autel MX-sensors at less than £25 a corner and then program them accordingly with the Autel MaxiTPMS Pad. For the LS460 you just need to know the sensor IDs that the Autel program generates and then program them into the car via Techstream or similar and you're good. I used a Carista Bluetooth dongle and my phone last time on the LS460 to program a new sensor in.
  2. Maybe these are all pretty clean then - it's impressive it's that clean while still chewing through petrol 🙂 @ Malc, on one of the previous MoTs it had 6 user added notes and it was basically all advisories, so guessing that tester didn't quite know the system back then. Last years was a pretty bad MoT (a full failure) as a fair bit of suspension work was needed, saying that everyone I looked at seemed to have the same problem, the guy I bought it from charged me £500 and he covered the rest. I can't argue seeing as quite a few suspension parts were changed. It's surprising a few of the ones I looked at were never sorted - a couple were asking £8k yet they never got rectified so maybe they were split for parts. It's a shame. I think this still needs a new bush even though the MoT haven't mentioned anything as I've noticed a noise on speed humps, I'll get it in the garage and see what they recommend,
  3. Well that's a year already - took it in for the MoT yesterday to be told it had 5 failures - a few seconds of silence, and then laughs all around as they were pulling my leg and it sailed through 🙂 Well almost - a few advisories - one for the two front tyres being at 3mm on the edge, one for the undertrays being fitted and then one for worn brake disks, but not excessively at the front. The car had a full geometry at Lexus last November time so should be ok but I'll get it checked again. Not so sure how much I trust that main dealer after noticing the wheels had been fitted wrong with 97 rated on the passenger side and 100 on the drivers side instead of matching per axle. I've still got the new Lexus front disks and pads sat in the box I bought last October as the garage has said these have still got plenty of life in yet. The tester said he had expected it to fail on quite a few items when he saw the age pop up on his system, and afterwards was singing it's praises as suspension, brake lines and interior were like new. Technically the suspension is one year old and the interior two years old so not far off but a sign at least the cleaning and Dr Leather products have done their job. He gave me his number for should I ever want to sell it too - hopefully a good sign. I'd priced up tyres and was ready to get new Dunlop Sport RT Maxx 2s on but will postpone for now as I bought some winter wheels for the Merc last week so that's got 16 inch Michelin Alpins to go on. The Dunlops were coming out at £153 a corner fitted so I might just get them done while out of season as that seemed a good price. The emissions sailed through too. Fuel wise I've only ever used super, the majority being either Shell V-Power or Costco Premium, with this last tank being BP Super. Not bad for such a big engine! I'll get another can of BG 44 K run through soon and then get it serviced. It's got full main dealer service history but I wasn't too impressed with the last one so may break that tradition and get it to a specialist - still debating that one.
  4. Fingers crossed it all goes well as I'm guessing it must be getting close now. Hope all goes well and here's to a quick recovery so you can get out on the road and enjoy your new toy! There's a similar one in the village, I think he works for Lexus or he's just a huge fan of the brand and it certainly looks fantastic every time I see it 🙂
  5. A truly stunning car and I hope you're making good progress on the health side of things!
  6. With the LS you want to be checking the suspension side of things as most I looked at were pending MoT failures needing work done (the one I bought needed some parts replacing). From the top of my head for the LS460: See if it's had a radiator replacement as I believe that can be a weak point Check for service history to ensure it's been looked after, ie oil changes & ATF changes etc Check the adaptive cruise control works - my radar sensor failed after a few weeks while in for a service and it cost over £2k to fix (that was after haggling down - initially the quote was over £5k!) If possible try and get an extended test drive as TPMS issues won't show for a minimum of 15 minutes (it may be even higher than that) - in my case the spare had been removed so I had to buy another spare and code the new sensor in. There's a video on Youtube showing how to access a hidden menu with error codes on the Mark Levinson system - luckily the only errors on mine were when unreadable disks were inserted but there have been reports of owners with faulty ML systems. May be this one If possible try and connect with Techstream or an Intelligent Tester 2 to read any active codes and see a list of faults the car may not be reporting on the dash Check the Nav and ensure it's functioning - newer disks are quite cheap on eBay. Check the HID lights are working ok - I usually replace the bulbs in mine anyway but there's a chance on an older car they've dimmed or have failed and will be flashing etc. There's probably plenty more but that's the first things I can think of!
  7. Wow that's an introduction! I hope you're recovering - my stepfather had similar a few years ago while in Germany and the aftercare there is very different to the UK. They sent him to a recuperation centre near Lake Constance and he had to spend a few months there with walks every day and eating healthier etc (to be fair he was healthy before but now even more so). All the best on your recovery and there aren't many more serene places to spend time on the road these days than an LS - a beautiful car that you have there to enjoy!
  8. Don't scare me but I did take out a 3 year warranty on it just in case. I bought the MB Xentry full diags and so far (touch wood) it's ok. I think it does possibly need a new accessory battery as the start / stop doesn't always kick in and that can be the battery getting weak. Saying that I haven't had the CTEK on it yet so that's a job for another day and if that doesn't fully solve it then I may replace it (it's just a bike sized battery in the boot used for when the car is stopped in start / stop mode). The MB system for working out when the engine can be cut involves something like 17 parameters so it may just be one of those isn't passing, ie if the aircon is set too cold then it will not let the engine cut out, similar if the AC is on and the passenger window is open. The maddest thing is auto hold. In my Passat it was fully auto. In the Lexus you just press the hold button on the wheel and it's auto. In the Mercs it turns out you come to a stop with a gentle press of the brakes and then when stopped fully press it and it turns hold on. I had to watch a few Youtube videos to finally master it and everytime someone mentions in on the MB forums loads of posters don't even know their car can do it 😄
  9. Interestingly while looking for that picture I noticed one of the other LS460s I went to look at near me in Halifax is showing as taxed, but with no MoT since Jan 2018 and no insurance so suggests they're still waiting to find someone to buy it and fix the suspension on that one almost one year one! Oh yes, it was refilled just before I bought it and still works brilliantly - when I moved the car earlier it had cooled down in the time I move it between two spaces on the drive. I just had the MB refilled last week actually as part of the GroupOn deal at ATS but tbh it was almost still full anyway. That's a 2015 on 120k now so thought it may have lost a bit more.
  10. This took some finding but it was the yellow headlight unit before the 3M process - the plastic is still like new now and I did these last October not long after having the car.
  11. I've dug the steam cleaner out so at some point I'm going to have a stab at those creases in the front seats as that's what Lexus have in the service manual to get rid of them 😉 IMHO it's in great nick for 146k miles and a 56 plate and still has more options that probably 80% of cars on the road today. That 3M headlight restoration kit made a big difference to the headlights as well, they really let the car down when I picked it up as they were yellowed but since I used the 3M kit along with 3M UV coating they've seemed much better. It's a shame the sun wasn't in the right angle today as I noticed that when it hits the front L badge you get a really nice rainbow effect (not sure if that's because it had the new badge and radar fitted last year). The B pillar seems to be a weak point on these, it's wearing the same on my Merc. I didn't get through much of the todo list - it had the full valet done but tbh I can do a better job given the time. Ironically the solar sensor in my MB is the same as the LS - it seems that at some point it's had a dealer sticker in the window and someone has taken something sharp to it so cut one of the bars, on the MB it was literally either side of the sticker 😕 The one thing the LS can't compete with is the MB headlights - the LS ones are potentially brighter as I fitted the best (at the time) bulbs, but the MB has intelligent LED lighting and it's bonkers and you can leave it on full beam and it decides when to activate / deactivate and will even turn off LEDs to black out the area of an oncoming car. I've only ever used them once due to summer but quite literally game changing and all cars will have them in ten years (or at least an option on the higher spec models).
  12. I never did get around to updating this thread - I had a bit of time so gave it a good cleaning today. I never did have any more issues after the first post and it's been the perfect motorway cruiser, I've never had a car drive so well and easily on the motorway or in fact in general. I've sold the Volvo and replaced that with a 2016 E Class estate (I've never tried an MB so figured I'd give them a go) and found one in a colour similar to my first ever IS (dark grey). Unfortunately as much as I love the LS it can't cope with a trip to Costco with a pram in the boot and then all the shopping the wife does along with the two kids (to be fair it was a squeeze in the Volvo and still tight in the E Class estate!) The sound system in the LS460 is better than the MB E Class Harmon Kardon system, you really notice it on the radio for some reason - I guess FM was much more of an in thing back in the day vs nowadays where everything seems streaming orientated. DAB where we live is always dropping out and FM sounds really weak in the MB. I think for whatever reason it doesn't go through all the DSP. Media from USB or SD or decent quality streaming all sound good and I've tried some 5.1 demo disks but they're a bit of a gimmick. The E Class is nice but you can definitely tell the LS is the next level up (I'll have to try an S Class at some point now!) So pic wise let me finally get some up many months later 🙂
  13. If it's ever been to a Lexus dealer it should - has to be worth a go 🙂
  14. It's straight off http://www.lexus.co.uk - click the small icon at the top right of the head and shoulders and it will get you to register if you haven't already. You may be able to go straight to https://www.lexus.co.uk/my-lexus Once in just add your vehicle details (I had to do it via the VIN from memory) and then it will add the car. Once it's on you go to Vehicle Information and then there will be a Service History tab with everything listed under there. If you click each item it will expand with more detail.
  15. That is a pain - when I had the Aristo that was on the V5 purely as Toyota Saloon, which used to cause no end of bother at MoT tests and so on as they couldn't look it up on their systems as they moved to computerised. Maybe Lexus could help if you dropped them an email? I've got a similar issue with the engine power on an E Class I picked up recently in that what's on the V5 is different power output than the Mercedes Me system so I don't actually know what it is. You'd think Mercedes would have the correct info from the VIN. It's not a big difference, 125kw vs 130kw, but they sneaked in a spec change to go from twin turbo to single turbo and it's a pain to get remapped as the mappers have files for the twin version which drives like a dogs dinner on my car. It's only a 2.2L diesel but these days you'd think info like that is key for emissions purposes (I'll have to check if they're charging me too much tax thinking of it although even at 130kw it's £135 from memory - unlike the LS :D)
  16. Have you checked the My Lexus area of the website - if you register your VIN there it will let you see everything that ever happened when the car was at a dealers? You may find some surprises in there - I got more info from there than the stack of paperwork that came with my car with some good bonuses like the radiator having been replaced etc which I understand can be a weak point.
  17. Funny you should say that - we moved into a new build estate a few years ago made by Bellway and not a single house on the estate can get their car into the garage easily and literally almost every one has been converted to a room (while mine is full of junk!) It all looked good on the plans - every house had a garage and a parking spot but in reality they all had two cars so every frontage over time has converted the front from grass to extra parking. They build them like doll houses. I'm on the 4th car now since I've lived here - if I managed to squeeze them in the garage I wouldn't be able to get out of the car! Most houses around here have SUVs as is the current fashion - we got rid of the Volvo XC90 a month back as although it was the best family car I've ever driven it was just hard work finding spaces big enough. It literally picked up three parking dings in the first few weeks I had it although they all stopped right away when I added the metal side steps. They were the best thing I've ever had for stopping people damaging the side of the car.
  18. I had a TPMS issue when I got the car (the spare wheel had been removed) so did some digging then into TPMS sensors - are you getting the TPMS warning every 20 minutes or so when driving then? In my 2006 LS460 the sensors are PMV-107J sensors - TPMS Warehouse list the Huf below as a compatible part: https://tpmswarehouse.co.uk/shop/lexus-tpms/lexus-ls-tpms/lexus-ls-460-2007-2017-replacement-tpms-sensor/ Each sensor has a battery status and unlike the sensors in the Merc I picked up recently they don't go to sleep when the car is stopped meaning they're always broadcasting every 62 seconds or so. Each sensor has a unique ID and these are programmed into the TPMS computer in the car, this can be done cheaply with something like the Carista OBD-2 dongle and their accompanying phone app. The TPMS ECU stores 5 sensors from memory - the 4 on the car and then the spare. You can also check the status of your TPMS sensors very cheaply using what is called a Software Defined RAdio (SDR) USB stick and software such as RTL_433 (https://github.com/merbanan/rtl_433). With the prices they're quoting you may be better off with the above to work out how many sensors are showing a battery status of Low and then replace those as needed, the link below is the adaptor I used: https://www.amazon.co.uk/NooElec-NESDR-SMArTee-Bundle-R820T2-Based/dp/B079C4S2BT/ref=sr_1_5?crid=33K3SSUZVWCDR&keywords=nooelec+smartee&qid=1560584764&s=gateway&sprefix=noolec+sm%2Caps%2C144&sr=8-5 I'm currently playing with an RTL-SDR v3 and that will also do the job: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RTL-SDR-Blog-V3-RTL2832-1PPM-TCXO-HF-BiasT-SMA-Software-Defined-Radio-Antennas/283144516411?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649
  19. I can't edit that post but I just remembered the full numberplate and it is listed as bronze - I'd definitely have that colour!
  20. Funny you say that, as I was walking home after the school run a brand new 19 plate dark coloured LS with LEX as the last three letters and it did look lovely.
  21. I don't think mine has ever been fast but I have the same disk - I just tend to use my TomTom Go app on the phone as it has the traffic etc and drive around with the map on the screen. Silly question but did they send you a copy or the genuine disk? This was the buyer I went for: https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/163327855213?ul_noapp=true I'll have to test mine out and see how it fares and I can always pop a video up so you can compare. Maybe it's a laser wear issue in the unit, although it must be caching it somewhere. The US cars had the HDD for music as well but I don't think that came to the UK unit a year or two after yours but I'm not 100% sure on the year. If you insert a CD Audio does it offer to rip it or allow you to copy MP3s from a CD-R locally as if so you do have the HDD. If you go into the service menu of the headunit that will give you some error codes and maybe one of those may help. Maybe it's worth trying the original disk again to see if it suddenly speeds up. I'm guessing you've checked for scratches and cleaned the new disk? I have had my battery disconnected a few times though, as I swapped it over when fault finding back when I got the car.
  22. Enjoy the new car - for reference it may be worth investing in a Carista OBD dongle and then with their paid app you can reset TPMS issues and / or register new sensors yourself for much less than the dealer charge 🙂 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Carista-Bluetooth-OBD2-Adapter-App/dp/B00YVHGTBM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1551466442&sr=8-1&keywords=carista
  23. I bought mine on the proviso it would get through an MoT and the cloudy headlights were flagged up on there even when it passed. I used the 3M headlight restoration kit on mine which I did a while ago and then ordered the 3M clear coat wipes which I finally got around to doing yesterday and they have really finished the job off nicely. The headlight restoration kits are great for just sprucing older cars up a bit
  24. My stepdad is German and he's never really been a fan of Lexus either - he did used to love and drive Ford's like the Sierra Cosworth back in the day and then had a VW Golf estate for years through his work which went all over Europe with minimal fuss. A few years after I had the IS and then the Aristo I bought a Passat as a stopgap and at the time he went through a couple of 320ds and he was impressed by the Passat. He did comment at the time that a lot of German's drive VWs and that it's seen as the national brand of Germany - he does have an E class at his place in Germany though for when he's there but says he prefers the VW and only bought the Merc as it was sold via the family to him for a low price. Fast forward a bit, I had a Passat CC GT that I did 110k in and really loved and he's a few Passat Estates in and mostly loves them but they certainly have had their own quirks. After the CC I went down the Volvo XC90 D5 route which is about as good a family car as you'll ever find (it's just a pain in the arse in most car parks due to it's large size) but otherwise it's brilliant in all weathers. My stepdad really doesn't like the Volvo though. I'm 40 now with 2 kids and that's one car you can easily fill with prams, changing bags, and yet still go to Costco and fit a full shop in the boot with cubby holes for wine bottles etc in the back 😄 I got a high milage LS460 as a motorway cruiser with comfort in mind and to keep the miles down on the Volvo. I had a few shocks initially when the radar cruise module failed after it was serviced and that cost me a lot to get sorted but I've got to admit I've cleaned it today and love it in a different way to the Volvo - it just wafts along and you have the great Mark Levinson system in there. 70km a day is going to cost a fair whack compared to what you would be spending in say a 2 litre modern diesel but no car of any brand is perfect and the LS is a very nice place to spend that time. My commute is a 160 mile round trip so I just tend to drive down one day, spend a night in a hotel and then drive back the next day when I'm done. I'm carrying a couple of injuries these days so wanted something easy to drive and the LS ticks those boxes nicely - at the end of the day you'll be the one driving it so spend the time in whatever makes you happy.
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