Kbeardy

Update: car failed MoT on emissions. Passed on things I thought it might fail on and failed on only one thing, that it should have passed on (LPG = cleaner fuel), lol. Lambda/HC passed on all tests, but CO was 0.76 on idle, 0.69 2nd fast idle. Pass level is 0.3 JEM reckon it's the catalytic converter. OEM part/fit = £1025, confirming pricey suspicions. Harrier has only one cat (centre box). Non-OEM on eBay is £134 (for Camry 2.2, which my engine is), plus gasket kit (£35). Second opinion from a national chain garage: analyser showed lower readings but still above pass level. They said it could be the O2 sensor or could just flush some fuel cleaner through and re-test. I opted for fuel cleaner: needs a couple of days to burn through and can then re-test. Online search reveals that Harrier/RX300 cats can give up at 100k miles, which mine has just ticked over. However, I have no dash warning lights, no sulphur smells, no cat noises, car runs fine. Anyone had to replace an exhaust/cat? Fail an emissions test? If so, what was your solution? Thoughts/advice welcome, thanks.

That's reassuring, thanks. I'm also in Herts, a few minutes from Lexus Hatfield, but a main dealer won't touch an import, not that I expect them to have the Toyota ECU adapter for diagnostics. I booked my RX300 Harrier in with JEM in a fortnight's time for service/MOT. I'm fortunate that the car came with comprehensive service history, both previous owners using JEM, with receipts back to 2004. I tried to find an independent in Herts who services imports, but no dice. I'd heard that JEM can be pricey and some of the prior receipts are eye-watering in evidence. I relented as they do know the car (even sold it on to the last owner). However, as you say, a quick visit confirmed that a fixed-price menu operates: great to get the feedback on the outcome, though :) I'll let you know how it goes :crosses fingers:

Well, as a new member who was faced with much the same dilemma, if it helps any, I can offer a perspective after recently buying a converted RX300 (albeit an older imported Harrier). My experience so far - based on being an LPG newbie and having a pretty rare 2.2 model - is that you need to factor in more than just aspects of fuel saving. I've no doubt there are far more knowledgeable members (and qualified technicians) than I, but I hope that my view is fair and reasonably objective. So, having been camped out on the LOC site for about a month and on pretty much every LPG-related forum, installer site and those in officialdom, together with lots of phone conversations and pints being bought for people, you can tell I take my research seriously :) Much of your choice will depend on whether you want to get your hands dirty or would prefer to be a chequebook motorist (as they used to say before Chip & Pin) or somewhere in between. Assuming you want to buy an RX that has already been converted (which means someone else has already stumped up the install costs) run the number plate through the UKLPG site to see if it is registered. That will tell you if the system was installed/certified in the UK. Mine wasn't as it was done in Poland. An overseas install may be fine (with a cert from the specific country's jobsworth's) - usually done for a fraction of the UK cost - or it may be dodgy. The next step - apart from knowing where the local/usual route planning autogas pumps are - is to locate a local approved installer who undertakes servicing. Most if not all systems should be serviced annually. Bear in mind that there at least a dozen different system manufacturers. A bit of headache for me was finding out that the nearest approved guys don't have the software plug for my system. This means that you may have to go further afield every time something needs checking and possibly at greater costs. Servicing seems to be about the £150 - £300 mark, depending on how many cylinders/cc you have and type of system (single point, multi-point, sequential, etc.) and how long it has been since last serviced. Another important factor is that your insurance premiums will likely jump by some margin, compared with a non-LPG vehicle. Most want evidence of your car being on the UK register, but not all do. Okay, in terms of actual day-to-day running costs, bear in mind that the car should start on petrol and be warmed up before switching to LPG (a separate gauge/switchgear somewhere on your dash). So, you need to keep at least a 1/4 tank of petrol in the tank as standby (and maybe a carry can in the boot if you're a nervous type). And you may need a valve lubricant - £2-£10 depending on branding, but may be needed to stop your valves burning out due to the cleaner fuel not containing the sort of lubricants that come with petrol/diesel. Bear in mind that there is also the cost of plugs and plug leads - they take quite a bit more hammering in higher temperatures than in non-LPG cars. Make sure the plug gap is set right (or, remind your garage to use the same type of plugs as the ones that came with your car, assuming it was running right in the first place). If you're a nervous type, this next bit won't fill with you confidence. I can confirm the assertions found hither and yon that there is absolutely no point relying on your petrol gauge/LPG gauge. After an LPG install, they become controlled by unknown forces, behaving as if you've just entered the Bermuda Triangle. Some say that one or the other or both reset after driving 150 miles. Some say otherwise. Some say relax, forget it, they are now redundant bits of kit. Either deliberately fill both tanks and run them dry (not a good idea, really) to find out how accurate they are, or, learn to fly by your tripmeter(s). On the plus side, it harks back to yesteryear, before driver aids, when it was down to skill, terror and the driver gods moods...ah the open road...so much more fun. Oh...and you better renew your roadside assistance membership....another hidden cost :) You'll find a bunch of folk on here querying actual real world mpg figures. If you're opting for the 3.0 V6, most seem to get about 18mpg in mixed driving. I do better than that - a theoretical 25-28mpg with mine (2.2). It's only still on the first tankloads, so yet to be confirmed. I am hugely entertained by the hilarious 'cruise information readout which challenges my maths: average 4.4km/l. At first I nearly had a heart attack when seeing those figures but by all accounts, forget the computer, as it is still under the impression that you're using petrol in one tank. My tripmeters prove that hopelessly (fortunately) wrong - but again, depends on your driving style, route planning, payload and, as some clever wag said....what colour underwear...you get the drift... You might also find this link useful: http://www.go-lpg.co.uk/hints.html Overall, the following analogy might help your decision. If you run a business, you know that there is a big difference between gross profit and net profit. When people talk about the fuel savings of switching to LPG, it correlates with gross profit. Much of the stuff I mention are the overheads, not always fixed costs....but after that, you can consider a true net profit as well worth the effort. I'm glad that I bought an LPG converted vehicle. Even more delighted that it is the RX300. Sort of. Well, yeah, it IS :) I await your decision with interest: perhaps we'll see you around here telling us all about it! Good luck! PS don't worry about quoting this post in any reply: a long one and hope I haven't upset the natives...

Thanks for the welcome and consoling, Steve... Adrian Flux tried hard and they are good. I have my buildings/contents with them and they settled a small claim earlier this year very easily and promptly. In the end I went with Zenith via moneysupermarket.com at £535 fully comp. A good 'saving' (if you can call daylight robbery and extortion a saving...) over some frankly ridiculous four-figure quotes, but it's still a hike of over £130 in relation to my former ride, which was 3 years newer and twice the value. Interestingly, AF said that premiums jump for vehicles valued at less than £3500. The number of Cat C and Cat D vehicles I encountered on my search (especially IS200's) suggests that insurers have become rather trigger-happy when it comes to 'beyond economic repair.'....

Hi all....nice place you've got here :) After five years of Mercedes E-class estate ownership, I almost joined the LOC this weekend as the proud owner of an IS200. Due to a dodgy trader and a last minute panic about giving up 5 doors, I am here instead as a proud owner (two days) of what I now gather is probably the rarest and oldest orphan outside of Japan. Okay, the skinny: 1999 Toyota Harrier Four, 2164cc auto. Imported in 2000. 96k, FSH, Silver, 2 former keepers, timing belt kit changed at 40k and 75k. Came with a spare set of 4 Lexus alloys/tyres. Original in almost every respect - no Lexus rebadging, other than a replacement Lexus RX300 windscreen - apart from having been converted to LPG. The bodywork and wheels have seen better days and both the exterior and interior trim were on the verge of being designated as an organic vegetable patch, given the layers of dirt. But you know what? I don't care :) So, the bank holiday and cleaning products/elbow grease put to good use, underneath I found a really impressive, honest vehicle that drives like a dream, even though the Camry unit is no 3.0 V6 or match for my former Merc. The latter was simply depreciating on my driveway while I commute by train most days, so in downsizing (misnomer of sorts), I still wanted a degree of luxury and carrying capacity, but with improved running costs. Almost a full set of ticked boxes: got good cash back after sale/purchase and the LPG is a winner but the insurance premiums for a modded import got hijacked and held for ransom....(sorry AF, even with the prospect of a Gold discount, no dice, went elsewhere). The H came with the original Japanese language manuals and original labels under the bonnet and elsewhere, which is nice, except I can't read Japanese. I've sussed the screen computer/stereo/aircon/clock combo, though. Anyhoo, after a trawl to find an English version of the repair manual and owner manual over yonder eBay, I found some US suppliers at varying prices and eventually downloaded a free version, but it is for the '99 V6 RX300. Then, I wound up here. Long story short: I'll save the detailed queries for the Harrier Club forum, but just a quickie here: Any Harrier/99-03 LX300 owners in Herts and if so, where do you get yours serviced? Thanks :-)

Google hit after trying to source a 1999 Harrier Four 2.2 owners/repair manual - snagged a few posts in the LOC Harrier and Lexus Import Clubs :)