nelmo

I'll bow to your superior knowledge, although I still think these are all exceptional scenarios; if its raining hard enough to risk aqua-planing, I wouldn't be doing 70mph and I've driven on a grassy field but I'll never be anywhere worse than that (not on purpose, at least). If I get a puncture in one tyre (which is how I ended up with 3 brands), I'm far too miserly to spend £150 to replace a perfectly good tyre just to keep them matched 😁

Yes, true, I should do. I've been to Toyotec before and he was good - I wanted him to just check the suspension bushes because I had an MOT advisory but he was honest enough to say they were OK, which was nice. However, he seemed a little annoyed that I had 3 different brands of tyre on the car, which was a strange reaction IMO. Sure, mention it, but I felt like he thought I was some sort of mechanical simpleton for doing that (I was going to tell him about the kit car in my garage that I built myself but I shouldn't have had to). If you're racing (as he does) and need to get 0.5sec off your lap time, tyres are important but, on the road, I have never noticed any difference between tyre brands or felt any difference when mixed. I have since replaced all 4 tyres for the same brand and, surprise, surprise, it feels no different to when I had 3 brands on - it's just a marketing ploy by tyre companies IMO.

I've put sealant on but I doubt it will stop the leak. However, got a solution - dehumidifiers. Bought a 5 pack of one-use dehumidifiers for about £7 and one reusable one. Got 2 of the one-use things in the car, one in the boot, the other in the centre console, with the reusable one on the dash. Since I put them in, no condensation on the windows, which is all I care about. I've decided not to change the car, it's just too good to give away for the £2k the dealer will give me as part-ex. A bit of water I can live with 😉

Can't watch that - I'd love the mk 4 but can't afford it...

I have a good satnav on my phone as well but the problem with phones is you need a clamp on the dash to hold it, then a wire to charge it. Looks messy and takes time to setup - I much prefer a built-in system.

I'm considering changing my '07 RX400 for a 2014 RX450 (so not the latest version) but there are a couple of interesting reviews on Auto Trader from owners who say they regretted doing this and I wondered if anyone has an opinion? The reviews said that the turning circle was worse, car seemed a bit slower and the sat-nav was no longer a touchscreen but had to be entered using the little joystick down by the gear lever?

Took the boot apart and found a nice puddle in the left rear section. After staring at it for a while (and with the heavy snow we've got, I had a convenient stream of water), I saw the drip coming from under the side bodywork. I couldn't face trying to take all that off but I can only assume it is coming through the seam just above the left door strut. I've bought some sealant but no point putting it on now - I'll have to wait until the snow/rain stops and its all dry. Weirdly, I've been think about changing the car recently - I've always said I'd change when things start going wrong and with this leak and the heater not working, now seems the time. Obviously, it will be an RX450 - seen a potential option which is a good price and from a dealer which is strange, I normally buy privately. Obviously, he is going to screw me on the p/x but I'll see what I can do (sadly, I'm rubbish at haggling).

I did have a strange issue back in August - we went to France on holiday (remember those? 🙂 ) and the temperature gauge moved above halfway for the first time in the 7 years I've owned the car. I couldn't see any obvious issue although the coolant level had dropped a little. I added more coolant and I've not had the issue since. It was hot in France, so I assumed the coolant had just escaped somehow (is there some sort of overflow?). I guess a coolant change may be a good idea anyway, not been done for a long time (I'm not very kind to the old dear)... So on another trip out, I get heat if the engine is running but nothing when it goes off and I'm on electric - has it always worked like that maybe? I really haven't noticed that before but....

Urgh, false dawn - just been on first drive for a few days and heating back to rubbish. Must have been wishful thinking.... I guess the question now is "why is my heating not working?" Engine temp is fine, fan blows air out so it's not blocked ducts...

Over the last couple of months, the heater in my car just hasn't worked properly; it would get warm but as soon as you turned the fan on, it went cool again. Was wondering what to do when the 12v battery died (incredibly suddenly - working one day, 2 days later, absolutely dead). It looked like the original 13 year old battery, so it did well 🙂 Bought a new one and, shazam, the heater is working properly! 😮 Can anyone explain to me how the 12v battery affects the heating system?

TBH, sensors are better in the dark than the camera anyway. Unless there are streetlights, the camera is almost useless...

Filter a bit clogged up but dry? I cleared it out and, car has been sat undriven for a week (great time for the battery to die 😕) and the condensation has returned (after I dried it all up). Carpets dry so maybe there is a puddle in the boot? Urgh, I'll have to take it all apart...

Ah interesting, I just read the thread 'Titanic' and someone suggested the heater matrix drain as a possible source of water. My heater hasn't been working well recently (I was literally about to put another post up about that), so maybe the 2 issues are linked? Will check later...

I've read all the other threads on water ingress and I don't seem to have quite the same thing - I cannot see any obvious leaks, my carpets seem dry BUT my windows (all of them), nav screen, sunroof, are dripping. I haven't gone as far as removing the rear tray and looking for the bungs or puddles of water but the fact that all my windows (windscreen and sunroof are the worst) get covered suggests it isn't a leak from one point? Or does it? I dunno... It actually looks like condensation but I'm not dogging in the car 🙂 so I can't imagine it's just that... I've looked at the sunroof drain holes and they look clear at the top, although I'm not sure where they come out, so maybe blocked at the other end? Any ideas?

Ah yes, that sounds plausible, although I haven't noticed any puddles (but I wasn't specifically looking either before)... I used to have the service manual but lost it when I changed laptop - is there any way to get a copy from someone?

I just got back from a 10-day trip to France. My RX400 was doing fine all trip until the long slog back on the autoroute. The temp gauge, which normally never moves from the centre of the dial, was all over the place. At times, it came perilously close to the H symbol, at other times, it dropped to just below it's normal central position. I had checked the coolant level before we left - it seemed to be around halfway between 'low' and 'high' (difficult to see), so I stopped and topped it up with water (didn't have any proper coolant with me) but it made no difference, the gauge was still up and down for the rest of the trip. Now, the fact that I could physically see the needle move up and down suggests that maybe the sensor is dying? The needle position seemed to be speed/rev dependent - at lower speeds, the needle stayed in it's normal position but at higher speeds or when accelerating, that's when it moved nearer the top of the range (although it still kept moving around). I can't believe the coolant temperature was changing that quickly so I'm inclined to think it is the sensor - anyone have any other ideas?

After 150k miles, my steering wheel is looking pretty crud. Is there anything I can do to improve it without just getting a new one or using an aftermarket cover? Are there any companies that can re-cover it? Edit: doh! Why do I not think to just do a Google search first? Sorry, ignore me - load of companies online who do this....

Ah interesting, that suggests the nav just needs the power from the unit...thanks for that link 😁

As many posts show, I'm also trying to replace my whole CD/cassette unit with a standard double DIN unit. However, I've just watched a YouTube video where someone mentioned that the existing unit also handles the navigation, which means I cannot lose that unit? Can anyone confirm that?

Thanks - I searched for other things but didn't think to use the garage name 😳

Any recommendations for an independent in Surrey (or Sussex etc)? My 07 Rx400 is approaching 150k miles and the suspension is toast, no way I'm paying main dealer prices 🤪 There was a really good guy in Sidcup who did my timing belt years ago but he's not on my way to work anymore, so bit awkward to get to him... Edit: aha, just found this guy - anyone ever heard/used them?

I can confirm that those magic pens are rubbish... ;-)

Darn, ok thanks all.

Does the 450h satnav system have full postcode search yet? If so, is that available to buy for the 400? I have a fairly recent disc (I can enter satnav destinations on the move) but the fact I can only enter the first 4 characters of a postcode is proving irritating on an otherwise very good system. Problem is worst with campsites and family attractions (as I found out on holiday over Easter) - they tend to have only a postcode for an address and no street name. If they're not in the POI list, it's difficult to enter them.

Was this the same dealer who found £900 of brake work? But missed a loose battery? Great safety check! Wonder what they actually checked in their rush to find something nice and expensive to tell you about? :-) With a relatively old car like mine, I've decided to do the same as I do with the dentist - don't go until something is actually wrong. :-) In this case, I'd try trickle charge the battery and see how it goes. If you get starting problems in the near future, battery is fried and worth changing it. Happened to me recently - new battery fixed it all.