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A broken piston ring usually makes a characteristic noise and soon degenerates into the sound of an anvil being hit with all the hammers of hell. Black smoke is a sign that it is not fully burning fuel. Thinnish white smoke is usually actually steam and if there all the time suggests water is getting into the combustion-chamber(s) ie. Head Gasket. Thick fluffy white/blue smoke is usually incompletely burnt excess oil in the combustion-chambers. Blue smoke or haze is oil fumes getting past everything and reaching the exhaust. If the car has been standing for a while, the rings could be bit sticky - take the plugs out & squirt a good blast of WD40 down each hole, LEAVE OVERNIGHT for it to soak through. When it starts it will smoke a lot until the excess burns off. Leaking valve-stems show up best if you find a long hill, take your foot off altogether half-way down, then accelerate near the bottom. If the stems are leaking, a small (or a big one if severe) cloud of smoke will then come out of the exhaust. Also note that if it has been standing some time, the petrol in the tank absorbs water/moisture & make it steam/"smoke" more. This will disappear if you use most of it up & then refill. Again, if it has been standing a while and you only start and run it until warm from time to time, it will not boil off all the moisture in the sound-absorbing material in the silencers. This will clear in regular use. If after all that it still smokes (that is smoke, not steam) slightly only when cold and runs well; it is probably an indication the engine is just a bit worn and no big worry unless you have to keep topping up the oil.

If no luck, try checking that power is reaching the amp with a multimeter. Then carefully checking ALL the relevant fuses are ok and seated properly. Chances are strong that if it sometimes works, the Amp & head unit are fine and either power or signal is getting lost in the wiring or connectors at each end; so finding, unplugging, inspecting for corrosion & replugging them may clear the problem. A bit time-consuming, but at least cheap, and a good chance effective.

None of them. Sainsburys/Tesco's "cooking or super" petrol is fine and certainly will make no difference to an IS200 in terms of economy, performance or engine life and can't detect any difference with the ISF except extra cost & inconvenience finding them. If you strip away the wordy advertising hype for superfuels; they don't even claim to do much and generally suggest things like you CAN get a few more miles per tank. Probably in an obscure temperamental Italian sports car driven in the scorching high Andes when there is an "R" in the month.

True - but removing the precats will scarcely make any performance difference anyway, so maybe best to leave them.

If only it was as simple as a that. I think you would have to have a chip upgrade or a piggy-back ECU because just like the IS200, the IS300 ECU cannot be remapped as far as I know. So more power needs a turbo/charger or nitrous.

The ECU will quickly adapt to the overall effect of all your modifications, particularly after the suggested reset - because sadly they can never have much effect on performance whatever people try to claim. The sort of performance gain (or just possibly performance loss) is in the same league as shutting the driver's window if you had been driving with it open. Yes, they would all improve breathing except that the OEM bits breathe so much better than is necessary that freer breathing can't add anything much. It isn't like doing much the same to an old Mini which had an ancient design and the manufacturers simply hadn't really bothered so they could use up all their old bits. To get efficieny and hence emissions within a sensible range meant that Lexus has already done all that is necessary in terms of breathing and if these nick-nacks had been any advantage they would have easily spotted it and adopted them at no extra cost. They don't use any New or Patented technology. What you have gained is the satisfaction of doing the jobs and making sure everything is in good order in the process - plus maybe a nicer-sounding exhaust note & a nice look to under the bonnet.

The oil level on the dip stick also appears to be alarmingly low and never pushed the car as I stick to the speed limits always. and there are no signs of leaks because i always park at the same place. and I always got the car serviced at the lexus dealership so I doubt if they used wrong type of oil, it might need to go in again for a check up. I hope that there is nothing alarming (unbelievably expensive) wrong - but that would be very unusual. However, if you are followed by a blue haze from the exhaust that would be an alarming sign. Are you sure there is no sign of overheating or maybe loss of coolant?The least expensive option is that the servicing workshop just failed to completely refill the oil when it was changed - simple human error. The only thing is that your oil level seems to have always dropped unusually fast - I would not expect to need oil (or at least no more than a very small top-up) in 8000 miles.

I think you need to check your dipstick to find if you really are low on oil or the sensor that suggests it is faulty. If the level really is low, I would think you have something to worry about unless you have been really pushing the car to its maximum every day, every inch of the 2500 miles or using an entirely wrong type of oil.

Just an irrelevant question - has anything other than an old DAF ever had a Continuously Variable Transmission??

Possibly true. You should have all four wheels rebalanced as a starting point. Once had similar problems when wheel alignment was needed and was put off for far too long, causing that sort of wear/problem with tyres. But it is still necessary to eliminate worn/loose: engine mounts, wheel-bearings, bits of suspension or steering etc. A shame you couldn't temporarily swap a set of tyres or wheels to prove the point.

I think the reasons major brands sell petrol for more (a lot more than a couple of pence more round here) are twofold.(1) Because they can (2) It is their only income-stream and they really struggle to sell enough fuel to keep going. The articles you quote are not exactly substantiated or unbiassed although I am sure they are true but tend to strike fear of problems that don't generally apply - similar to statements that certain contaminants in our water supply can cause sterility or rot your teeth. They could; but they don't or so rarely that the causal connection is unclear. The case for Premium Fuels is not proven; nor equally is it for Cheap Fuels. With such cases & arguments, this usually means that there isn't enough of a difference to matter and it is just down to the preference we are all entitled to have.

Replacing pulleys and flywheels will contribute nothing except allow you to blip the throttle better out of gear. The rotating mass of these is nothing compared with with the rotating mass of the rest of the transmission and wheels. Similarly a panel filter can NEVER contribute any more than be gained from simply removing the existing air-filter which can be done as an experiment. Similarly, induction kits and free-flowing exhaust systems can't provide significant improvements in performance because the OEM bits are very much more than adequate to deal with the air & gas-flows.The standard IS200 ECU CANNOT be remapped (although iffy piggy-backs do exist and maybe your specific engine/ECU could be remapped with enormous difficulty to increase power and still maintain emission requirements). So, without changing the engine, the only effective options are forced induction or losing a huge lot of weight, which means stripping out or lightening everything that isn't absolutely essential to the car moving quickly, plus losing any cosmetic gizmos like air-dams or spoilers that might worsen the aerodynamics - but this involves turning the car into one that nobody would want to be in for quite a modest gain in performance.

There is some truth in what you say but with oils and tyres there is a huge range of what can be done to alter their characteristics with new materials and technologies although less so with oils than tyres. Different oils can vary from offering more protection than is needed to many times more than is needed and this can certainly be significant in engines which are highly stressed and/or used hard. But Petrol is a different matter. It is a more basic material and not a lot can be done with it. The most significant change/additive that has ever been applied to it was the now defunct addition of lead. No modern additive or reformulation has so far had anything like as much influence, and generally speaking can now just tinker around the edges.Yes, maybe some can keep the engine cleaner - but I would suggest that nearer to clinical cleanliness than with standard fuels has no useful effect. Others have subtle effects on combustion that benefit some engine-types, do nothing for others & reduce effecieny for a few. For the average engine the effects are barely detectable; so whether an enhancement or otherwise hardly matters. The really important issue is that we are all free to make our own choices and one day they could include a brand or type that really did offer a significant advantage. For me, until then, I will stick to my handy Sainsburys & others will choose differently.

IS 200 auto is a bit thirstier than the manual. The IS200 Auto box is good but a relatively ancient, not very efficient design and is not particularly well integrated with the ECU. Both respond to driving in a way that respects the characteristics of the silky-smooth 6-cylinder engine. If you do not drive like an Olympic sprinter, the difference between the two is not huge - but mpg is unlikely to often exceed the lowish 30's. If you fancy an auto, and can afford it; you should consider the IS250. Despite its 2.5 litre engine it is more economical that the IS200 and actually more economical than the IS250 Manual to the extent that it is in a lower emissions & road-tax category. Like the IS200, the IS250 Auto is a 6, but in a Vee and is also smooth, durable and reliable. Earlier ones (2004/5 on) should be available at fairly reasonable prices. If you go this route, aim for those with the multi-media (MM) pack for better sound plus a few extra toys.

Over many years and many cars I have found the single important factor in choosing petrols is to simply use a trusted supplier that sells a regular large volume so that what you buy is clean, the fuel as described and not water, sediment or contamination from forecourt tanks or what is left after evaporation of the more volatile components. Personally, I have never found the slightest genuinely provable difference in performance or mpg with different fuel-types or brands. Most engine ECUs automatically and effectively adjust parameters to compensate for variations in RON ratings between brands etc. to make this increasingly less likely. The clever additives in the "high-end" specialist (expensive) fuels tend to need clever equipment to substantiate the very minor improvements claimed underneath all the hype to persuade you to pay more. They might even be better for engines in a way that only shows right at the very end of their life; but at least are pretty sure to be harmless. As to the laying down of carbon, this is really down to how efficiently the engine burns the stuff which has radically improved over the years so that it just doesn't build up significantly now. Those with long memories will recall that at one time it was necessary as a matter of routine to decoke engines. With petrol engines, this is definitely no longer the case. With diesel, maybe another matter perhaps because of the waxy solids in the heavier fractions of the original oil. As far as I can see, cheaper petrol is fine and not at all like cheap own-brands containing beans that Heinz won't buy. Both with my IS200LE and now ISF, I choose to buy from a nearby busy Sainsburys and have never had any issues. The choice is not for technical reasons or brand loyalty or even price but because it is convenient. My second choice would be an even busier Tesco forecourt which could as easily be my first choice if it wasn't less convenient. I don't choose the main petrol brands both because they are inconveniently situated locally and primarily because they sell negligible amounts of fuel. Also Supermarkets are very careful with their fuels because to do otherwise drives people to also do their food-shopping with the competition.

Probably not if it passes emission tests. There are all sorts of upcoming regulations about modifications, but if everything looks more or less normal; trouble is less likely.As to the sense in doing it. Replacing a system that will handle at least twice the available gas-flow with one that could handle three times the available gas-flow just isn't going to do much. The only way to get more power that you will really notice is a charger. Even a piggy-back for the ECU can only move the shape of the power curve to gain here, lose there without compromising emissions - like moving lumps in a pillow. The (probably cheaper) alternative is to sell your IS200, get an IS300 which gets you 212BHP over 153 BHP with better low-end grunt and keeping bullet-proof reliability - less power than a charged IS200 but better mpg, lower insurance & more toys. Don't be put off by the IS300 only being available with an Auto gearbox; nobody who has gone that route is disappointed.

My Insurance (Direct Line) specifically excludes Nurburgring by name. Most UK insurances do too but do not make it as obvious as Direct Line, so you need to be wary about that.Otherwise - ISF. Enjoy!

Just to clarify. Torque is just the twisting force from the engine output shaft which is needed to overcome the initial inertia of the car at the lowest revs in each gear. At anywhere far from the lowest revs, Torque mathematically equates to Power as effectively the RATE at which Torque is applied and converted to increasing speed. In simple terms Torque provides only low-rev acceleration and is largely down to engine capacity - above that Power predominates and is more or less proportional to revs.At low revs where Torque is demanded, gas flow is at its lowest so that is the last place that any change in exhaust system will have any effect - except that the engine design may require slight back-pressure achieved through resonances to optimise Torque. It is only at Max- Power near max revs - hence maximum gas-flow - that a more free-flowing exhaust could have any effect, and only if the unmodified system imposed any significant restriction. A "better" system can't help if there aint no more gas available to flow.

I suspect that statements that the ISF's exhaust system is restrictive are just rumours from the aftermarket fuelled by the fact that the ISF does not make a lot of noise - particularly from the US where legislation to prevent exaggerated claims for products is very lax.Of all the things that Lexus could have done to improve performance, a non-restricting exhaust is at the top of the list because it is easy-peasy, costs virtually nothing and is blindingly obvious. So they would have done it. In addition it is now routine and very straightforward to produce Cats that offer no detectable restriction (unless you are burning a frightening amount of oil) so that a decat system is simply pointless. Stainless steel could possibly offer a longer life although the OEM system which is made from a form of Austenitic steel which already has an expected life nearly as long as the car's. That said, the ISF's exhaust-note may strike people as too subdued and aftermarket systems could offer a richer sound. The term richer mainly applies to the aftermarket suppliers.

If the decat could provide 10 - 15 BHP more you would scarcely notice it anyway; but it will not and could even reduce power slightly. It will make the car a bit louder so provide a couple of completely imaginary extra BHP. The only route to extra power on the IS200 is by forced induction ie a charger. Nothing you do to inlet-pipes, filters or exhaust-sytems will make the slightest difference because the OEM items can already provide more than enough gas-flow anyway. A better solution is the IS300 which is also better equipped - even though it is Auto only. Later this year or early next year warning lights that do not come on during the start-up sequence or remain permanently lit are set to become MOT failures as in most of the EU, but testers are hard-pressed by all the many regulatory requirements so perhaps may not notice.

They are probably not as deep as they seem. Try Duraglit wadding metal polish & a soft cloth which should gently "smooth" the scratches and remove the embedded fingernail scrapings which make the scratches look deeper.

Aside from from what others have said - don't expect particularly "sporty" performance & it also can seem slower than it actually is because it is so quiet & silky smooth, particularly after a Focus. It needs a completely different driving-style or it will be thirstier than you would believe possible. Don't imagine the version labelled "Sport" is in any way sporty either. The performance is completely identical for ALL variants of the IS200 and essentially cannot be improved by chipping, re-mapping or after-market bits and pieces. The "Sport" version is just marginally lowered, has a few cosmetic differences & goodies. Later ones have a limited-slip differential. The LE version is the most fully equipped but isn't lowered and comes in one colour only - Granite Sky, a darkish metallic silver. The SE is the bog-standard version - but still very good. The auto versions are fine but seem maybe a bit less exciting to drive and are very slightly thirstier. They are just as reliable - perhaps because the auto box prevents the driver from doing anything stupid engine-wise. The OEM Audio system can be problematic - spitting out CDs &/or giving error codes. It is seldom repairable. Badly replaced windscreens can sometimes lead to a host of strange electrical problems. Avoid IS200s with damp footwells or any sign at all of screen leakage. Yes, parts are expensive but reliability is so excellent that the cost of ownership (EXCLUDING FUEL) is second to none. IS200s usually manage huge mileages with nothing replaced except normal service parts. The only note of caution is that the first ones are 13 years old now. Most are still fine but there are some that have had very hard lives.

I am sure there will be endless arguments about achieved consumptions and the prices paid for fuel. At the end of it all the IS220D will surely work out to be cheaper to run in terms of fuel. This is only fair - there has to be some compensation for having to drive one.........

Hello Paul, You seem to be endorsing all that is good about Lexus (they're not perfect....but who is!) and as i said in my reply to Exiled, I am leaning heavily towards taking out the warranty with Lexus so it seems that that will almost certainly be my final choice. It is very helpful to get input from people like yourself and other members of the LOC, it is useful to hear of good experiences like your own and others that I have read on the forum, I haven't seen too many adverse comments, so it seems that the good outweighs the bad in respect of Lexus warranties. Thank you. I agree with your sentiments. Lexus seem to operate their Warranty as an aspect of their overall customer care & to enhance their reputation. Lexus Warranty repairs seem to be promptly dealt with in a fuss-free way - with no superhuman effort to seek exceptions to avoid payment. Nevertheless it is an insurance, and not a cheap one. But weighing it all up, I recently extended my already extended warranty on my ISF to 7 years recently even though it is unlikely to go wrong - because if it did, and it was more than something minor; the cost would be in mortgage territory. With the IS220, the chances of problems do seem to be greater; so extended warranty seems even more worthwhile - and it might as well be the costlier Lexus one to keep things hassle-free, and being transferrable, could be a selling-point when the time comes. The only thing is; if you never have to make a claim - will it still seem worth it and how come they can't include 5 or 7 year warranties in the price as some lesser Korean brands (which I cannot imagine to be any more reliable) manage to do?

To be honest, the IS220D isn't a bad car. The trouble is that it is always open to comparison to the IS250 - particularly Auto - which really is a very good car - better in every conceivable way except mpg. As a personal view, it is a similar situation to decaffeinated coffee: Like the real thing but with the best of it taken out.In terms of reliabilty it certainly seems that the IS220D does not suit occasional use & just shortish town journeys - but if you were only doing these you would not need to be considering the IS220D.