StueyD

I have a new job (woo-hoo!). Unfortunately it comes with a "car allowance" which states the car I drive must be no more than 7 years old. Gutted. LOVE my SX but i'll need to sell it to fund a newer car :-( So advance warning mine will be shortly up for grabs. PM me for details. I'm in Solihull, West Midlands. Also have an identical car for spares.

I think you've covered the main items - Battery, Tyres, Fluids, Brakes and check / replace the state of any hoses or grommets that may have perished with time. If the car has air-con, budget for a service or repairs (or live with no air-con) as aircon rubbers can harden if it's not regularly used and gas escapes. If you're lucky a re-gas might work but chances are it will need repairs. I'm not aware of anything specifc you need to check for a Sportcross. Google is your friend :) and there are plenty of articles and discussions about re-commissioning cars that have been stood for a few years. Eg: http://mechanics.stackexchange.com/questions/3357/what-happens-to-a-car-when-it-hasnt-been-driven-for-12-years

Thanks! I read that as 3043 though :-) I zoomed in on the original hi-res image and it definately looks like "3"s and not "B"s to me.

Sorry to be a bit thick but what am I looking for? Which is the relevant bit of the VIN in this picture?

I believe some markets got the IS300 Sportcross with an LSD as standard, was the UK one? Is there an easy way to check if you have one or not?

Hi All, You may have noticed my post from a few weeks ago when my tailpipe decided to detach itself and go exploring the hedgerows. When it became loose, because it was still attached at the bumper end bracket to some rubber rings it didn't immeadiately just let go and tried to take the bumper with it as it flailed around and the bumper became partially detached. I finally had time to look at it today and try and sort it out and although I can pop the sides back in it appears that rear end has partially become detached too by about 8mm. Hopefully what i'm on about is a bit clearer in the photo. So my question is how the hell do I ge tthe rear bit of the bumper by the lights to push back? I've tried just pushing it with my hands but it doesn't want to move. I'm guessing it might require a piece of wood and a mallet but i'm a little wary of causing further damage. Got any top tips?

Or how about trying to get a used one from Ricky Smith?

It just fell of today. Looks like a clean break. Is this a known problem or am I just unlucky?

Dunno what the hell I was doing wrong but I just tried it again this evening and it just slid straight out!

It's got to be worth a go for £5 ! OEM item is £95. But do you get what you pay for....?

What am I doing wrong....? I'm trying to remove the luggage cover as I need to fit some big items into the SX this weekend. The instructions state "While pushing the button, slide the knob and release the lock on both sides". I'm doing this (I think) but it doesn't want to budge. Any top tips?

Is it possible the tube going to the drivers side has been dislodged? Either becoming partially detached or the tube becoming crushed somehow and restricting flow?

Not yet. Mine isn't too bad so it's not on my critical todo list :) I checked it out on the donor car so I know where it is (easy when part of the wing is missing). Looks like it might be a bit of a git to change which I guess is why Lexus would charge over £100 for labour to do it. Plan to have a go at it sometime in the next couple of weeks and I will photograph and describe steps just in case anyone else needs to have a go at it. Watch this space!

Guys! Thank you both.

Hi All, My IS300 Sportcross just went in for a major service and came out with a clean bill of health.... Except for the windscreen washer pump. I thought the washer was a bit pathetic but assumed they were all like that! As I have a complete spare Sportcross in my driveway (as you do...) it seems a sensible idea to rob the washer pump from that and save the £200 odd that Lexus want to charge to replace it. So.... As there doesn't appear to be appear to be a Haynes Manual (of lies and inadequate information) available does anyone have a pdf of a service manual that contains info about windscreen washer pump replacement? Or has anyone here done it and have a few tips? I don't even know what it looks like or where it's located! :)

I have NO idea how the snow mode button works in the IS, but in previous cars i've had of a similar age, switching to "snow" meant that your were starting off in second gear. Agree with previous posters, there is no substitue for winter tyres. It makes a huge difference.

Over the last week or so with all the rain we've been having i'd noticed a couple of times i'd jump in the car in the morning and as I pulled away a few drips of water would fall on me from the sunroof area. Happened to mention this to a fellow IS owner (who's not on the forum) earlier in the week and he'd previously had a similar issue. He reckons the rubber around the sunroof glass can start to "harden" over time and recommend applying some silicone grease to the rubber to "bring it back to life". I did exactly that and i've had no problems since and it's rained solid for the last 3 days. Add this "tip" to all the other fixes like ublocking the drains, etc....

Re: The title.... I tried to get my IS serviced at the local Toyota garage (which is 1 mile down the road) and they wouldn't do it and pointed me in the direction of Lexus 10 miles away :(

Spoke to the previous owner. Apparently it is standard and fits into the topmost right hand socket! It was unplugged because when the unit failed the disc continually "clicked" as it re-tried to read it and the sound was annoying. Solves that mystery :D In some ways it would be nice to have the old unit working, but as the tech is now 13 old years and apparently didn't accept full postcodes and according to the previous owner was a bit clunky to use, I think i'll just scrap it and fit a modern unit into the housing.

Hmmmm.... There are 3 empty sockets to the rear of my unit and it doesn't appear to fit any of them! Any idea what the empty ones might be used for? Had a bit of a google but can't find anything useful...

Yes it's got the Sat Nav and no it doesn't work :-)

Hi All, Just had a quick look at what I think is the SatNav unit in the boot to the right of the spare wheel and under a couple of brackets (could they make it anymore inaccessible?) and I see a cable is disconnected. There is a corresponding socket for it to plug into. Is this a standard cable for the SatNav that should be connected or something redundent a previous owner had fitted?

Were front parking sensors ever offered as an option on the IS300 ? I had them on my old car and i've kinda got used to them. Just wondering how much effort there is retro fitting some some original (if they exist) or non-Lexus front sensors?

I'd be interested in the 2 x drivers side electric seat adjustment knobs if they're black. And the alloy wheels, but I guess you need them to move it! :-)

Yup, very happy. I bought it from member JaneT (see early in the thread). It appears to have been well looked after and apart from the usual stone chips and car park dings you'd expect on a car of this age, it seems to drive really well. I've got it booked into Lexus Birmingham in a couple of weeks (soonest they could fit me in!) for the 100,000 mile service and to sort out faulty reversing sensors. SatNav has an issue (can't see disk) and eventually i'll consider replacing the innards with a TomTom, Garmin or such like as it's easier and cheaper to keep the maps up to date (unless anyone has a good reason to keep the original working?). I've found a few articles on the net from people who've done this and it looks relatively easy. Other than that it all seems very rosey! Wife and kids love it too and I discovered last night I can fit all my band stuff (guitars, amps and PA) in it with no problem.