Mouser

It's not an easy job, and you will break some of the fasteners, so get the tools and fresh clips.

You'll need a hook type puller to pull off the panel behind the interior door handle, a phillips screwdriver and a strong pry to unclip the rest of the door.

High 30s to low 40s on a run, low 30s for commuting and town IME.

UK magazines and sites heavily favour their sponsors. It's a good idea to look at reviews from the US as well to get a better idea of reality. UK reviewers also seem obsessed with how well a car handles at the limit / can they drift it, but never mention how it deals with poor road conditions & potholes. Quite frankly they're embarrassing.

What's going on with the front tow hook area?

Check the area behind the radiator for any pinkish salty looking deposits - water pumps can need replacing, which isn't crazy expensive (~£300).

Check wheels for corrosion, tyres for tread etc. There are plenty of what to look for when buying threads on here which are IS specific. It's good news that the spark plugs have been done at least.

This sounds quite odd. I'd try disconnecting the Battery for a couple of minutes - sometimes this can resolve weird computer gremlins, for the same reason that turning your computer off and on again can. My next step would be to start pulling and testing fuses on the assumption that no lights means no power.

Assuming you've replaced the buttons in the key fob as well, Dean's comment is what you're looking for.

Yes, front & rear. Installation isn't something I'd DIY, as it's run underneath the header which can be quite tricky.

Mine is an miwitness, but honestly the performance in the dark isn't good. I'd recommend against the cheap Chinese ones on eBay - bad performance in anything less than perfect light and don't expect any software updates. Installation, done properly can cost as much as the dashcam itself if you go for front & rear.

Example night time comparison:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ciDBb2wBT3w#t=120

Even from a single manufacturer, there can be a lot of variation between models:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=HSlzoYoir4g#t=112

And don't bother with the 'night time' images/videos that are in reality fairly well lit.

Something like this should be a decent starting point for a summer tyre:

http://www.tyreleader.co.uk/car-tyres/goodyear/efficientgrip-performance/225-50-r17-94w-270932

Sounds like an alignment issue to be honest. Have a look at this:

http://www.procarcare.com/includes/content/resourcecenter/encyclopedia/ch25/25readtirewear.html

Thanks for your reply mouser. Low mileage to me means 5-7,000 a year. My current 220d is 27000 on an 09.

So 40-56 for a 2008 and 45-63 for 2007. Mine's at 67, so no interest I'm sure.

Obviously the nearer to 60k it is, the more the spark plug work becomes of interest. The job is quite pricey if you don't DIY, so that's why prices are flat between 55 and ~70k... if buying from a dealer you should try to negotiate it into the price. Since you're looking at lower mileage ones, they will almost certainly have spent more time with the choke engaged (running rich when cold to warm up on a short journey), so this is something I'd advise paying more attention to than normal. Another thing with low mileage cars is to check the age of the tyres, if the car was garaged then it's slightly less of a problem, but I'd not want to be driving around on the original tyres :D. Brake fluid should also have been changed given the age of the vehicle, as water will still be absorbed even if the car is not driven.

Testing for slide pin binding can be done by hand easily enough at the front by turning the wheels to full lock to gain access and feeling for proper movement by hand (check your own for a reference point). The rears are difficult to test without the car being raised, but a mechanical inspection should include this, especially if you ask for it to be included. With brake pads in it's not the most obvious motion, so if you're not comfortable then ask for a mechanics inspection prior to purchase as it is a known issue (although easy to remedy if caught early as it's ~1hr labour).

Be sure to check for whether any coolant has leaked, since that's quite common and I'd expect it to be more age than mileage related. The usual car buying advice of checking for working lights, non-stinky oil, good tyres, tidy panel gaps and no glass cracks apply. Also check the leather seats feel supple with functioning heating/cooling, spare tyre & tools are properly inflated and present, no noises at full lock when maneuvering. It's a very reliable car, but not idiot proof!

What sort of mileage are you looking for? Low mileage means different things to different people, but there are things to look out for based on mileage - for example the spark plugs should be changed at 60k. I'll be selling mine soon, so I'm interested to hear a buyer's point of view.

Regarding the brakes, the calipers need disassembling, the slide pins need to be cleaned of any corrosion and old grease, regreasing and re-inserting. Once a car is old enough to require an MOT I would advise this be checked every year and done anyway every other year or 20,000 miles. The previous owner of mine took it to Lexus and they replaced one caliper, I took all mine apart and did the work as per the TSB last year and had them checked at my MOT a few weeks back.

Stats wise you're correct - performance, efficiency & tax are unchanged.

I run Dunlop SP Sportmaxx RTs, which are very grippy and quiet. My winter tyres are Pirellis, and noticeably noisier & less grippy in dry / warmish conditions.

http://www.tyreleader.co.uk/car-tyres-245-45-17/?m=1

They are summer tyres though, you didn't state whether you're looking for summer/winter or all-season.

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?

LED fading is simple enough to achieve. I can connect up my arduino to do it smoothly, or use a pot and hamfist the same result. If, however, there's a voltage stepper which has gaps between v1 and v2 then it's essentially the same challenge as debouncing, even if it occurs over the course of a few seconds rather than a few hundredths. Scoping the wires would tell you exactly what's going on, but generally speaking even a cap in parallel with the legs of the LED would solve an issue like this adequately - still behind the current limiting resistor so that you don't get a spike, and enough to power the LED for 1/10th of a second or so without obvious droop.

Would be very interested to see more detail of the failed junction box assemblies.

In my experience, most of the modern ECUs like this are heavily protected internally. I've only ever seen two or 3 catastrophic failures like this, and they have always been short circuits in the loom.

I can't match the photo of the failed PCB up with the outside of the ECU, so I assume it is some sort of internal intermediate control, though given the fault description, it does sound like the problem was the locking circuit. The switch issue could be a reflection of the fact that the body ECU sends the door switch signal to the dash, and that the ECU was malfunctioning at that time.

The locking motors are reversible - the ECU connects them one way round to lock, and the other way to unlock, and disconnects when idle. A short to ground or 12V on one of the lock control wires could certainly cause this type of burn out. Ashpoint has posted an extract of the wiring diagram with these wires highlighted. I'd check these wires very carefully, as they are my prime suspect. Being unable to lock the door, suggests that the lock motor might have been jammed on in unlock mode.

The other thing is that the body ECU doesn't do very much high power stuff, except for the door locks and the windscreen wipers. Most of what it does is sensors, controls and interior lighting.

I don't know what a P0-40 is, but I guess it is something to do with the mirrors. The mirror retract circuits are nothing to do with the body control ECU. So I doubt it's that.

This is my view as well. The components are clearly destroyed by overcurrent. The causes of overcurrent are either a short to ground in a wire or a fault to ground in the component being driven. That the door fails to unlock properly suggests this is a prime area to look.

The scientific approach would be to measure the current draw of each connected device on the passenger and driver's side and identify where one side is anomalous. You may find something peaking at 100A+, even with a 10A fuse. Fuses blow quite slowly, wherease ICs / diodes and other components can suffer serious damage in a very short amount of time. If you're not comfortable testing current draw, resistance testing can be indicative, but should really be confirmed prior to announcing a diagnosis. My suspicion is that a wire has worn through, or a connection has shorted out. Given connections and wires can comfortably handly such current for 1/10 of a second, you may see no burn damage.

2 x pirelli on the back, 2 michelen on the front, they are not nanyak deluxe from china. :P

I have not thought about the plate tbh., its not a 10 year old car btw.

Ah, that would explain the 08 in your profile. That'll teach me to read a plate properly rather than just the numbers

Good to see you're not running Nankang ditchfinders... which many were when I was searching for mine.

Have you got led bulbs? The two outer bulbs are brightened gradually, I think by feeding them with a gradually increasing voltage. This seems to cause led bulbs to flicker.

But if they flicker continually it might be because the bulb contacts are a bit weak and need tightening up, or the contacts are dirty.

Look for a guide here or elsewhere on line to check how to access them - and use plastic trim removal levers if you don't want to mark the housings.

My theory, anyway!

Odd, although other posts support you.

A capacitor & resistor in the right place would be the obvious way to resolve this. LEDs respond to variations in input voltage much more quickly than incandescent lights. If there is a serious debouncing issue with the switch then it's fixable, but it would be good to scope what's going on first. The switch debouncer circuing in that link should give you a good start for a few pence in parts.

We have just, in the past year, gone to petrol from two large diesel cars. I loved the MPG, but the bloody EGR, MAP, MAF, DPF, etc etc etc are a bloody nuisance.

I am mechanically minded and can clean, replace, repair most things on my car but I would not go back to a diesel, and certainly don't like the way the witch hunt club is forming regarding diesels and their polluting issues. Doh, as if this is news to us.

They also drive very differently. A high revving petrol can easily feel lazy until you hit the powerband, then the noise and excitement wind up. A turbodiesel can give a lot of shove in the back when you floor it, but that fades away as the revs rise, it shifts up before any interesting noises happen and that is about it. I find petrol stops me being silly, since I get a moment to consider if I really want to floor it as the revs build, whereas diesel I've already built up the speed. Sure, you can use the paddles to keep a petrol engine in the power band and leave the diesel behind, but it's not the standard way of driving, only when you're out for a spirited drive, the engine is warmed up and the road ahead is clear. To me, this feels a lot more special and when the v6 sound comes alive my grin is from ear to ear - try saying that about a 4 pot turbodiesel... or perhaps just sit in the pub mumbling about 'up to 45 mpg'...

Looks a lot better from that angle tread wise. I'd still advise getting winter tyres, but I'm a bit biased having been stuck once and living on a road that is crazily icy right now.

What tyres are you running on the rears?

Also, if you care, it's often a good idea to blank out your number plate. See this thread for how problems can arise.

Still, doesn't looks like a ten year old car! :)

who needs it.............

Americans, due to regulations.

A lot of states have no annual checks at all. Others only have smog tests. If owners don't take the car in for a service, and don't maintain it, they never notice that the tyres are running at 10PSI until they plough right into a line of pedestrians / flip over and catch on fire.

This forum is entirely populated by people who actually care... those who don't often really couldn't care less about something as minor as tyre pressure unless their car is making annoying noises.

If I might be so bold.... how about getting a bike? 3 miles is precious little, and a motorbike (or pedal if so inclined) would cost you very little, and avoid the hassle, while leaving you something larger for longer journeys. I know this isn't a biking forum, but that sounds like a fairly manageable compromise to me which would fulful what you're asking. Even if it's pouring with rain you can still take the car.

Your front tyre looks nearly bald, and ill suited to winter! I find it easy to break traction even on winter tyres... I'd end up stuck / breaking a wheel if I ran my summers around here at the moment. Having said that, we had sheet ice at the end of the road this morning, so perhaps I'm being unfair on the car.

Back on topic, Rayaans is right, it's the prep work that really determines how the car ends up looking. Properly cleaned dried, clayed, polished and waxed my car looks better than new, but this time of year I'm usually only doing a jetwash 1-2x per week to remove the salt and grime, with a monthly proper wash.

Best forum for this is probably a local one. PM me here if you don't have any luck and I'll see if my friend in Milton Keynes can help you out, or I'm happy to help if you can bear the drive down.

The cost to repair that to a good standard would be £150-200, but make sure you get the repairer to include orange peel removal in the quote else it'll be obvious where it's been repaired.

Thanks guys, feel a bit more reassured.

I dont do many miles a year but dont fancy the tax/insurance of the petrol.

I'm currently driving an Alfa GT so I'm used to having a few little problems here and there.

It seem 5k gets a really nice 57 plate Lexus these days which seems great value.

I'm in no hurry so will be keeping my eyes open for one I think.

I've not seen any decent petrol ones for £5k. That the same year as mine, and the ones which come up that cheap have been a bit rough IMO. I'd ballpark 6-6.5k depending on condition, more with some toys. I took a quick look on Autotrader, and £5k buys you a Cat D, or a high mileage example, although the 220D is a fair amount cheaper.

When I was looking I was amazed how many had super cheap chinese tyres on. Quite what the owners were thinking I have no idea, but I walked away from a few like that. If you are so cheap / poor that you make that decision I don't want to waste my time fixing what you've ruined on the rest of the car. It's a really easy thing to check, and tells you a lot about the owner.

If you take a look at one, check the avg mpg it's done. Dealers may have disconnected the Battery in which case it'll not be helpful, but if not then look for 30+ from the IS250 and 35+ from the IS220D for a start. Check other threads for how much other people are seeing and you'll soon get a feeling for when you're looking at a car with problems.

That's very shallow, and fortunately in the middle of the panel. I'd be confident saying I could make that unnoticeable without careful inspection with:

IPA / Panel wipe

touch up paint

wet & dry paper

DA polisher, compound, polish & wax

I can link you to how to videos, or I can offer to help you out if you drop by Sussex. The former requires you having some of the above tools. You're looking at about half a day to fix that up, mostly waiting for the paint to dry properly.

If you post on detailing world UK then you will probably find someone local to you who'll give it a go for free. Worst case scenario you end up where you are now and the door is repainted.

I've also got darker alloys and the car looks a lot better for it. I'm surprised that it's not offered as an option from the factory.

Also, make sure you blank out your number plate when you post photos online (see my profile image). That's one of the easiest ways to get a suitable plate with a colour match, which would be all that ANPR and related systems would normally be able to verify.