MLW

Oil is simple. Use what Lexus say. They spent millions choosing the oil. It is usually 5w-30 fully synthetic at SJ standard or better. These days I use Shell or even ASDA oil at £16 for 5 litters as it all exceeds the original SJ standard. Always use a Toyota, or Bosch, or Mann, or Hengst oil filter. Change the oil at least ever 10,000 miles. 5,000 is even better. A DIY oil change is £25-30, do not get in a tiss about something so easy and simple.

I have been doing car key fobs and watch batteries for years using £1 shop batteries. Never had a problem. Takes 3-4 minutes every 18-24 months or so. Most batteries are made in China anyway. Once got charged £9.50p at a Toyota dealer for a Prius key battery. Could have done it for 25p myself but I thought batteries were included in the big service programme. They are sir, the desk said. We mean battery, not batteries, i.e. we charge for the spare key!

Had a big drain down on my 430 recently. Had a brake fluid change and wanted to check they had done it correctly. Opened the bonnet and accidently opened the boot. The latches are close. Two days later the battery was really really dead.....nothing. I also could not close the boot. Had to disconnect the battery from the car and charge it. It look days on a trickle charger, but then all OK. The boot then closed when electrical power was sorted out.

I took 2.2 litres out of my gearbox at 80,000 miles and put the same in again. Always use genuine Toyota oil. Mine has a dipstick so can be sucked out. No issues. Probably changing a little ever 1-2 years is best. On my old Mercedes E class 124 I changed the oil ever 15k and oil and filter ever 30k. When I sold it at 148, 000 miles the gearbox was still silky smooth. It also used Dexron 111 so the oil was cheap. Filter and oil seal was about £10 at Eurocar parts. You could even drainn the torque convertor easily. Then they all went 'sealed for life', i.e. might go at 80k but then it is not our problem.

One key is always dangerous. You can obviously open the boot from the inside button, but what if you loose that key or it fails to work? These cars, I think, were once voted as the most difficult car to steal, because of all laminated glass and the double locking system.

I had a 3-4 year old battery that would drain after about 2-3 weeks of non use. The virus has made it even worse. In May I bought a Halfords Yuasa with a FIVE year guarantee for £99. I paid £90 as I had a discount voucher. It was a 75 amp, as opposed to 70 amp on the old one. It starts on the button. However, I find these 430s with all the electrics need a good run or trickle charge regularly. For me, the five year guarantee swung it. Took 25 mins to fit. They do need a trickle charge during the virus. On my AA trickle charger of 1-1.25 amps it takes about 40 hours, but as it is sitting there, it is no hardship. I do want to preserve the battery. This is a good charger. https://www.amazon.co.uk/AA-Battery-Charger-Maintainer-Batteries/dp/B00DW6RHN2/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=AA+trickle+car+battery+charger&qid=1613082858&quartzVehicle=29-405&replacementKeywords=aa+trickle+car+battery&sr=8-5

According to Denso: Denso Spark plugs torque = 22 Nm dry

A bit high but OK I think. I am amazed how You Tube mechanics put in the specified amount. I like to put in 4.5 litres and slowly add until it is 3-4mm below max. Always go lower and you can always add in the morning. You cannot easily take away.

It is a poor system Garmin or Tom tom knock spots off it. It works best I find on the 'take me home' button.

That is what happened to me exactly. Lambda sensor was faulty. After a while the VSC came on. Fixed lambda sensor and VSC was also extinguished and all OK. Check the OB2 and a fault should reveal itself.

Wondered if a cheaper make like Bosch or Mann would be OK. I must say, the Denso filter really looks top quality.

2002 LS430, 80,000 mile service. Using this suction extractor, £28.49 p when I bought it. It does suck well. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07C21X1D9/ref=pe_3187911_189395841_TE_3p_dp_1 I got 2.1 litres of old gearbox AFT out. I then replaced it with 2.1 litres of new Toyota type-IV via the small dipstick hole. What is interesting is the oil condition after 80,000 miles. On the dipstick it actually says 'not necessary to replace under normal conditions'. Two samples, old and new oil colour. The old was dark reddish in colour but smelt OK, and smelt just of oil! The new is pink/cherry red. I would love to drain it all and the torque converter as on my old Mercedes E class. Oil for life is crazy. It must deteriorate. I'll do it again next service as i have 2.9 litres left. Can't say the gearbox change is any different as it changes in perceptively anyway. Tried it on the power-steering reservoir but could only get about .25 of a litre out. Replaced with Dextron 111. Any other way of easily getting more out?

Did a big 80,000 service today on my 2002 430. As with last year the 10,000 mile air filter was pretty bad (or is it me). Most literature says 30,000 miles for an air filter, yet mine (in Suffolk) seem always to be dirty at the next service. Is it that these Genuine Denso filters do do such a good job that they get dirty, or 8 big cylinders suck in a huge amount of air? My thinking is I spend about £1,800 a year on fuel at at £32 the filter is only 1.72% of the fuel cost. If a new filter gives 1-2% better fuel economy, it pays for itself. Crude numbers but that's the thinking. How often do others replace theirs?

You can check it was replaced in about 3 mins by pulling it out from behind the glove box. On my old Prius, Toyota said it needed replacing at about £47. Are you sure I said. Oh yes, our 'technician' has checked it. Oh, I said, that's odd as I replaced it yesterday with a new Bosch one! (£13). We checked it and I showed him it was pure white. Some apologies, but that is why at a main dealer you are always nervous.

I put in ASDA, Salisbury's, Tesco's, plus other stuff and have done for 40 years. No problems. I put a pot of Red-X fuel cleaner in when it is £2 at ASDA and it is fine.

My LS 430 at 70,000 miles needed a oxygen lambda sensor at £295 supplied and fitted. It also needed petrol, and some new tyres after 44,000 miles of me driving it. My previous Toyota Prius need a headlight bulb and a side light bulb after 70,000 miles. There is a serious point here. Are we 'old', 1995-2005 drivers going through a 'golden' period when stuff was well made and very little plastic used. I fear a new Lexus LS is a shadow of the past.

A spark plug that lasts 60,000 miles or more is amazing to us 'older gentlemen' who changed every 10,000 miles and cleaned and gaped ever 5,000 miles just 30 years ago.

Having done this job, I agree. Only fit iridium plugs. It is such a faff to do, once in 6 years is more than enough. Anyway, iridium plugs give such better performance. If they only give a 2-3% improvement in mpg, that is a lot of fuel in 6 years.

They look a mess. But that is the past. We need to look to the future. I changed mine at 60,000 miles as they should be. ONLY buy Denso iridium plugs. Opie oils do genuine (be careful on Ebay) ones for about £58 for 8. I was so worried about cross threading and torque specs I bought a low torque wrench. Being very thorougher, it took me just under 2 hours to do all 8 plugs. Would have been 15 minutes on a Mercedes W124. This is a difficult but rewarding job you do every 6 years. DO NOT snap off any of the small soft wires.

From whom and how much?

Easy job to do, takes about 7-10 minutes in total.

Gave them a ring. Very good service and high level of cover but 33% higher quote.

A financial organisation looking after customers????? Actually, my new quote is 3.78% more! I am going to call them and say as the car will not have moved for 8 weeks, I want a reduction.

Japanese manufactures seem to use the 'strap down' method which is good if both rods are open and exposed and you can see where they hook in. Here it was about a 4 mm slot, buried way down in a crowded battery tray. Mercedes seem to use a 13 mm clamp bolt at the bottom which is far easier and very solid. Took me over an hour to lock this 430 down.

UPDATE. New Yuasa battery from Halfords now in. I went for the biggest 5 year battery I could get. £98 minus 10% from a Shell Go+ voucher that gives 10% off till the end of October, which Halfords accepted. So £88.20p. https://www.halfords.com/motoring/batteries/car-batteries/yuasa-hsb030-silver-12v-car-battery-5-year-guarantee-257748.html I asked Lexus by email for a price but nothing forthcoming. These batteries are tricky to fit as the two clamps keep slipping down or popping out. Plus this battery has the positive and negative at the back near the windscreen, not at the front. Bit of a squeeze re-positioning the positive clamp. The negative is easier. Instantly all went back to normal. Ignition lock was simple and easy to disengage, as usual. No forcing it all. All the lights on the dash lit up, and the steering wheel moved out and down as normal. Interior light very bright. Lots of pumps and motors whirling but then all bog standard normal. It reconfirms my experience that modern cars must have a good strong 12 volts. Anything less and it all goes iffy. I charged the new 75 ah battery and it took about 15-12 amps till my trickle charger said full. The old battery read 5.5 volts, so that is well knackered, which in a way was reassuring. It was never really a 'strong' battery, or maybe this car is so demanding. I will charge it and see how long it takes to discharge off the car. I have switched off the smart system which I don't like anyway.