chr15gb

You can buy fairly cheap testers for use at home. They range from about £7 on Ebay (search for Head Gasket Tester). I think anyone with an IS220 should have one inthe garage just in case. Principle of operation can be seen on this Youtube clip

Mine only shows track titles when the car is stopped. As soon as I start moving they disappear. Stupid safety feature I've assumed.

I changed my plugs myself on the drive. It is a bit of a faff but it simply takes longer than an average plug change. It's only nuts and bolts after all. The manifold is just a big plastic lump, nothing to be concerned with, I didn't even change the seals as they looked perfectly fine and have been fine for the last 30k miles. I would suggest if the receipts or history do not specifically say the plugs have been changed, I would assume they haven't. My old plugs looked good to be fair after 100k and no evidence they had been changed before. I can't say I noticed any difference to the drive after changing them.

When i turn up the bass on my mark levinson the rearview mirror vibrates like crazy, i can hardly see what's going on behind. Not sure a further sub is needed unless you're a proper audiophile

I fitted an aftermarket aerial, the same as this one https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174224912722 I'm not in any way recommending that one, mine was less than 2 quid but looks identical. I only got it to check the connector would fit although Beamish confirmed it above. Looking from the front of the head unit, the connector is at the bottom left corner of the head unit. I ended up disconnecting everything to give me enough room to see the connections, would have saved some time if I knew in advance where it was. I don't know what connection you refer to in the centre console, mine only has an aux in and a usb, nothing you could fit that connector to. I may look at removing the glove box and see if it can drag it across and up to the pillar to get it in the open as opposed to under the dash. It does have a 3m backing to stick to the windscreen.

Well I did it and can confirm it works. The difference in mine is vast, i pick up a lot more stations but I didn't think too much about siting the aerial, I just stuffed it up above the cluster. For the first time ever I can turn on the rear window demister without losing the radio reception. Those top vents, holy moly that was a swine, I knew what I had to do but it was trying my patience.

Thanks guys, thats good to know. I did think there was an amp up there somewhere but I couldn't find it by pulling out the rear cabin light out and pulling on the headlining. I'm too scared to pull the headlining any further as it looks like it will crease easily. Herbies post shows quite well the breaks I am seeing, I can now look at the right part of the element.

I've tried glass cleaner. I've also gone right back to soapy water for a proper wash and finishing with glass cleaner. Its difficult to identify breaks on the element, it seems there are loads of breaks but they look designed that way, the edges are too sharp for it to be through wear. I might have to just drag the head unit out to see if this aerial connector will fit the back of the unit. I've looked at the Grom VLine install posts but can't see a clear picture of it.

My FM reception is woeful. Hardly works and goes completely when switching on the rear window demister. I've resorted to using a blutooth device which links to my phone and listening to TuneIn Radio. To be fair, it works well but I do have to open the app each time I get in the car. I was thinking that rather than try to repair the rear element or replace the rear windscreen I could use an external FM Aerial and mount it somewhere discreet. Does anyone know what the connector looks like on the back of the Mark Levinson nav unit on a 2008 SE-L Would this fit (before I start dismantling things only to find it doesn't fit)?

Reminds me of the makers names we used to joke about: FORD - Fix Or Repair Daily LOTUS - Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious.

My 2008 SE-L is on 112,500 miles and runs fine. Only ever had one MOT issue which was classed as a Major Fail... passenger wiper blade was worn!! Other than that, not had a single advisory even. As above, mine comes up with an online valuation of 2.5k. It's a lot of car for that pitiful sum.

I just put my hand behind the front handle to unlock, then opened the back door, threw my bag on the backseat, closed the back door and within a second, the car locked. There is no way the time-out had long enough, I can only assume my keys squashed and pressed the button as it hit the rear seat but even that seems unlikely, I could see the keys in the side netting of my bag. What also confusesd me, my keys were right there behind the drivers seat well within the proximity of the drivers door. It was plenty close enough to allow me to open the door by sliding my hand behind the handle or pushing the button but it didn't.

Thanks for that. Mine isn't working. I managed to lock myself out with the keys inside a few weeks ago. Now I know what to look at. Any idea if this is the only one or another for the cabin?

That's exactly what mine used to do. When I first got it I had my keys in my jacket pocket on the back seat. I filled up with fuel and tried locking with the door button before going to pay. The car beeped but wouldn't lock. I've repeated it now and i can indeed lock it using the key fob whilst sitting inside the car. Something must be broken somewhere, however the car detects which side of the door the key is

I didn't do anything differently than normal. I have my keys in my rucksack side pocket, I grab the drivers door handle to unlock Open the rear door, place my rucksack on the rear seat, close rear door, open drivers and get in. Today, I unlocked using the drivers door handle as usual, opened the rear door, put my rucksack on the rear seat and as soon as I closed the rear door, CLUNK, doors locked. The keys were not pressing on anything, I could clearly see them in my rucksack side pocket but the doors were locked. Pressing the button on the door handle just gave a long beeping tone, then nothing. I ended up getting a friend to drive me to my other halves Aunties to pick up a spare door key, drive me home to collect my spare, then drive me into work with my spare. I've tried locking the door using the fob from inside before and it doesn't (didn't) work, just the long beep. What happpened? battery low on the key but even so, why did it lock in the first place and why did it lock with the keys inside? Weird and frutrating. Glad I had someone to call on.

Thanks guys. I couldn't source a new sensor on it's own but found a 2008 is220 being broken up with this bracket attached, minus the ball joint. Coming from Latvia though so may take a little while. Worth a punt for £30

My AFS hasn't worked for years so I thought I'd have a go. There are two bolts holding the bracket in the wheel arch behind the front passenger wheel, one holding the lower hinge part and one holding the bracket to the sensor wiper arm. For the life of me I cannot release the 10mm bolt holding the sensor wiper, the whole shaft spins (probably why it is broken). The only way I think I can release it is to use a hacksaw and cut through the shaft. Anyway, I bought a Lexus IS250 Front AFS Sensor from fleabay but after getting the assembly out, I find out it is the wrong part. The one I bought has a much larger electrical plug, must by 50% larger than the one fitted. The only part numbers on the original one draw a blank from any search (see image of the fitted part). Anhyone come across this before? I suspect if I go to Lexus they will want to sell the whole assembly, which as far as I can see is about £400. Madness. I found a picture showing the location, and circled in red the bolt I cannot undo This thread show the part I have bought, seems it is for an LS430, not an IS250 as advertised. You can also see the rusty bolt on the shaft I'm struggling with. https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-3rd-gen-2001-2006/799790-headlight-auto-leveling-sensors-help.html

Happened on mine about a year ago. I spent a whole afternoon tapping it back and forth with a hammer but it refused to give. Ended up giving it to a garage who didn't even bother trying to free it, they just changed the whole caliper.

A couple of images work but most give me this, and wants me a pay 79p to download the right codec to see it.

Must be the season of power problems. I'm just having a power problem in my IS250. I have a wireless charger like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/audbos-Automatic-Clamping-Accessories-Qi-Enabled/dp/B07HGR5HXX/ref=sr_1_22?keywords=wireless+car+charger&qid=1561497160&s=gateway&sr=8-22 I noticed the arms opening and closing (and charging pulsing on and off). I turned everything electical off I could, Air Con, seats, lights etc and the regular pulsing of the wireless charger stopped and charged as normal. As sooon as I turned evertthing else back on it started playing up again. This is all with the engine running, no battery lights on the dash at all. I'm trying not to think of alternator, my Battery is on my Ctek MXS5.0 charger on a regeneration cycle overnight. fingers crossed.

When my Airbag recall was booked they offered a collect and return from home or work service or a Courtesy car for the day. They also told me not to fill it as they would put £20 worth of fuel in and a wash & valet.

I was driving along the M25 this week, early evening, heavy traffic with a HGV behind me. His lights were dazzling in my mirror and in these cases, I find the rear sunshade helps to diffuse the headlights. I looked down for the button to raise the sunshade but couldn't see it. I may be going mad, it is a sunshade after all but is that button supposed to be illuminated? i have used it like this many times before but I can't remember. If it is supposed to be illuminated, any idea how to change the lamp?

Have a read of this https://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/107893-ac-light-flashing-and-rpm-jumping-when-on/

My boot light was out for Months until I finally got around to taking it out to see what replacement bulb I needed. Once I removed it I realised there was an On/Off switch on it, whcih was switched to off. Doh!

Mine doesn't have a door lock as such in that place so I assume you mean keyhole in the drivers door. You can see at the 3.00 mark the clip being fitted around the keyhole (but worth watching it from the start just for fun)