twolexii

Thank you Neil, now in touch with Peter, who's getting back with ideas. Manuel

Thank you Neil, now in touch with Peter, who's getting back with ideas. Manuel

Thank you Neil, I’ll call Huets at Hove, a pleasant ride from me via Amberley. Huets Car Audio Shoreham-by-Sea 01273-441845. I’m happy with my older SC430, its ride, handling and rare colour combination. Having owned a sportier ‘05 MB SLK280 for 5 years, the SC’s quiet, better suspension over my poor local roads and large torque suit me better. I average 24.7mpg so I guess not by spirited driving, more by the relaxed open-top long-distance cruising it was designed for. Do you know what watt-output the SC’s ML amplifier delivers? The ML system on my GS450h is the best Audio I’ve had - no idea what its power output is. I believe that with large amps, lower volume equals less distortion, as long as the speakers and their housing are of high quality. As for the lack of built-in DAB tuning on older cars, the bandwidth on those channels is poor compared to FM, for classical music Thanks again, Neil.

Squeaks behind me in my ‘03 SC430... Looks from Youtube like I need to thoroughly clean the boot and rubber seals of any vegetation, dust & debris, then apply very light smears of silicone lubricant to the operational metalwork, then have a nice long, quiet (?) test drive. Next project: find a simple way to replace the crackling nearside bass door-speaker. I get around the problem with the audio-balance control... BTW, have now done 11k miles since buying my dark blue/white leather/bird’s eye maple car in early 2018. Tip: American Once A Year wax really does work. Has anyone driven both an early version like my ‘03 and a 2006 onwards model? Is it worth the extra money? And is it simplest to just fit to mine better/newer shock absorbers? I put on the quietest quality non-run-flat tyres in 2018.

Hi, In the last few weeks, the odd hard-top squeak from behind the driver’s seat, with the TOP UP, caused I assume, by our terrible West Sussex roads, have increased to spoil an otherwise lovely Grand Tourer. Any thoughts? I thought the more humid weather would solve the problem - but no. TOP DOWN, the problem does lessen. On quality dual carriageways, there’s no noise, top up or down. BTW, MoT just passed with no advisories at 80k miles. Thank you

My ambiguous English, John: he re-installed the sample plug because it did not need replacing.

My local engineer did a full service on my ‘08 104k LS600h L RSR last summer. Reasonable cost, I liked that he took out and replaced one of the 8 titanium spark plugs to check wear, rather than simply replace all, expensive, 8. Engineers who repair rather than replace show their confidence in their craft.

“I’ve decided to get my local independent engineer (who’s been very helpful since 2016) to service the GS450h.” Will do John. GS450h service due 5 November. And am getting Lexus to run a hybrid Health Check.

I’ve decided to get my local independent engineer (who’s been very helpful since 2016) to service the GS450h.

Hello John, Am trying Lex Tech of So’ton this week, for a check-up and full service for my ‘07 / 94k GS450h SE-L acquired 3 October. They collect/deliver in W.Sussex, and am impressed with the handling of my enquiry and the quotation. Will document my actual experience. Have driven the car 500 miles to “warm it up” as it had done almost no miles this year. Average so far 35mpg, using the torque as necessary. What a marvellous, quiet, machine. ‘03 SC430 has its MoT this week: a superb grand tourer.

Excellent LV= claim experience after minor car park damage, when the other party first accepted our goodwill cheque to settle, then claimed for the same event on his policy, which then pursued us via LV=. LV=‘s sale to Allianz does not seem to have harmed their service level and premiums. My experience with Adrian Flux has been terminal: they reneged on an LS600h quote by raising it substantially, when I arrived by train to collect the car. Fortunately the seller placed me on his fleet policy so I could drive 250 miles South then insure with LV= after the week-end. Marketxxx: the feedback is dreadful.

Hello AshGS450h re your Hymas replacement battery. It’s pleasing to read that you’re happy with your purchase. I have a concern: the supplier’s 3 years warranty can only be as good as the continuing life of the supplying Company. Did you consider that before spending nearly £2,400? Or was extending the life of your nice car more important? My related thought: a GS450h owner told me last month that Lexus had only charged him around £1,600 to supply and fit their replacement hybrid battery, presumably covered by their 15 years warranty - if it’s checked every year for £59. Implication: one CAN negotiate w/Lexus, particularly for an older car. You’re probably aware of their discounted “essentials” maintenance fixed charge. BTW that deal does NOT apply to the older LS600h. One reason I sold my LS600h L RSR and replaced it with my (more fun) ‘07/94k GS450h SE-L. The other thought: Youtube shows USA reconditioned GS batteries at very good prices. Has any one imported one? With what outcome? BTW, driving with care, using its 450 horses sparingly to overtake, my ‘07/94k car is delivering 37+ mpg; whilst the battery generally only shows 2 missing bars. So my questions are - currently - academic. Thanks for reading.

Replying to The-Acre "I'm glad it's not just me who spends/loses money on cars! And as you say, we've been very lucky so far here in Sussex re the virus!" Jazz now sold: pays for 55% of the latest '07 GS450h SE-L. Who am I kidding...

Lots has happened, to all of us, since late January. I sold my GS450h SE w/sunroof and Mark Levinson in February, for a fair price, at mid-70k's on an '08/08. I felt I was making a mistake and should have kept it as it's the best saloon I've owned. So that left the '03 SC430 and our '13 VW Touareg 3L diesel. In late March 2020, the front n/s calliper on the '03 SC430 froze. My indie engineer couldn't help as 23 March was Lockdown day. That week-end of 21 March I bought a nice '09 52k 1.4L Jazz as temporary fuel-efficient transport. It wasn't until Lexus' Belgian warehouse opened in July that Lexus Jemca could supply, by personal delivery by their General Manager, the parts, including both front discs and pads: £650. Fitting by my engineer left little from £1k all-in. But it transformed the convertible. I decided that much as I liked Mr Bean's car, the '07 102k LS600h L RSR, there was too much to go wrong expensively and the ride and handling didn't measure up to the GS450h I'd reluctantly sold. So the General Manager bought the LS600h and the total experience cost me £2k. A lot to lose in 7 months but what would a similar lwb limo have cost to rent, if even feasible? Try renting a Merc S 500L or a modern Bentley for less than £2k a week. Last Saturday i bought, for a modest sum, an '07 GS450 SE-L w/94k miles, again with sunroof & stupendous ML audio - its 8-year old tyres had passed the recent MoT. It's being Full-Serviced next week then the tyres replaced. The Jazz is for sale at Autodrader's valuation. So back to twolexii. And everyone I know in Sussex has not caught the dreaded Virus. Yet. PS: How do I update my profile?

Hi Hybrid Battery Solutions, I sold my ‘08/74k Windsor Blue/Grey GS450h that I had bought in Feb2019 (after first speaking to you), late in Feb20. Why? It was a superb, quality, car to drive AND the Tesla Model S-like mid-range acceleration convinced me I’d soon lose my License. Why? Too many other drivers wanted to use me as a rolling benchmark chassis (Bavarians with tiny appendages?). There’s nothing like the GS450h for speeedy-value-for-money. I bought in early January 2020 an ‘07/99k LS600h L RSR dark grey/white leather. Outstanding ride and comfort, huge acceleration - except that I love that it’s totally anonymous. What Bavarians? I replaced the 11years-old stiff Pirelli Zeros immediately with the same tyres, and the ride then manifestly improved. After a couple small body/interior issues, the best £10k I’ve ever spent. My ‘03/(now 76.5k) SC430 in dark blue & white leather with bird’s eye maple wood cost me, privately, £6.2k in Feb18, with 72k & a full Lexus serv-history. It is a Grand Tourer par excellence, a Continent crosser. Yes the Torque takes a couple of seconds to appear, but then you’re driving a silent steam engine and 100+miles per hour are suddenly there, with lithe handling and Lincoln Town Car ride - without the mortgages required to own AND run VW Bentleys and Bavarian Rollers. The front nearside brake calliper has just seized - the 1st fault since a TPMS and a blown brake light - in 2 years and c. 5k miles. Lexus parts are in lockdown so I have to make do with the LS600h L RSR to collect our meds. And an ‘09 Jazz with its watch-like i-Vtech jewel of a 60pmg engine. Moral? Wait for a LFSH SC: DO NOT MESS WITH IT. Don’t buy from a dealer: they fettle these old cars like ancient nags. And paying a bit more to a careful long-term owner IS worth it.

2003 SC430 in otherwise very good order; PO20; nearside front calliper.

On balance, as I sometime help out with a charity wedding-drives venture, a well-loved black or grey Chrysler Sebring automatic convertible, V6 2.7L or 2.0L VW diesel, up to 80k miles and up to £4k, is a lot less hassle, with my independents servicing the rhd Yank.

Sacrilege I know, but I have this dream of creating a soft-drop-top LS600h L RSR. I’ve now done nearly a thousand miles since 2 Jan 20 in my Mr Bean-mobile. So much for my 4k/yr insurance, but who cares, for the ride and the sound and the music. The ’08 GS450h just passed its MoT with one new tyre and is accepted as the 3rd (breathtaking acceleration with un-Tesla quality) Lexus in the household, as long as I never replace the Lady’s ‘13 Touareg 245 diesel, non-ULEZ not relevant. The ’03 SC430’s being full-serviced this week, at my independent, coming into its own as the daffs and cherry blossom are out. Excellent heated seats, heater and rear wind-deflector. Bootiful V8. I’d buy a donor LS600h L RSR as mine’s been too loved. And is still loved. Just added L600 xxx plates. Anyone know of a rural coach-builder who’d not see me as their pension fund? The idea came to me as I saw a South Florida Chrysler 300C conversion, black and cream. I know I can buy a used Arnage dhc privately for £60+k, utterly silly money for a few miles a year, NOT reliable, yet another mechanic’s pension fund. And Rollers are poseurs (to me). Funnily enough the Chrysler Sebring ‘09 V6 2.7L is a reasonable, though unreliable and crude, 4-seater solution, a rhd open yank for c.£4k. Until I realise my LS600 L dhc dream...And the Saab 9-3 convertible’s cheap for a reason. I won’t touch an Audi A5 or Merc E-class soft-top, a soft-top roving-specialist I’ve been told about curses them. And of course benefits from them...And Beemers make me drive badly.

My '08 73k GS450h may have a hybrid battery issue. It starts without a problem. initially the battery meter shows 2 bars below maximum. If i stay in Park with the engine on, say waiting for someone to get in, the battery meter drops to only 2 bars remaining. The LS600h does not have the same symptom. Is the GS450h battery due for a reconditioning soon?

New Pirelli Zeros today £670 total. The ride has materially improved: more composed on our rough Sussex B roads and quieter: feels like the car's driving on shag carpet. This texted to me by the previous owner, from Cannes (!) Probably known to most LS forum readers... https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/magazine/lexus-ls400-engineered-like-no-other/ ---- I like the iPod socket in the glove box of my '07 LS600h L. I think it also has a hard disk? Bought an £80 160Gb iPod to store my iTunes library of nostalgia: goes with the 20th century unhurried regal feel of the car. Until you blow off a pesky BMW-Mini...

New Pirelli Zeros today £670 total. The ride has materially improved: more composed on our rough Sussex B roads and quieter: feels like the car's driving on shag carpet. This texted to me by the previous owner, from Cannes (!) Probably known to most LS forum readers... https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/magazine/lexus-ls400-engineered-like-no-other/

Hi Herbie, Hi Malc My trusted tyre man agreed with you and Lexus today: the Pirelli Zeros' sides are now hard and they're almost illegal so I'm getting a new set tomorrow for £670 all-in. These are the quietest tyres for the LS600h, he advises, and is also a Lexus fan. I certainly find the Zeros very quiet on A-roads. Malc, my local independent is servicing the car next week, 15 months and 3k miles since the last oil change service. He'll remove a spark-plug to see if they need replacing; and says that I should stay with the front discs and pads for this year, given my planned 4k useage. I do find the car very quiet on the Zeros, on A- & M-roads. To be fair to Lexus, they suggested the best way to sell the GS450h is privately on Autotrader, at £5,995. Not tempted. Thanks again. --- The '07 100k LS600h L RSR was serviced yesterday by my independent, without needing the new spark plugs recommended by Lexus, and with filters for the 2 aircon units. The expensive item was the 9 litres of synthetic oil. For such a complex car not serviced since Nov18 and 3k miles ago, quite acceptable. Today 4 new Pirelli Zeros. Next week the bonnet resprayed to get rid properly of a few bubbles. Then full valet with American Once A Year Wax, Autoglym leather cleaner and care cream.

Hi Herbie, Hi Malc My trusted tyre man agreed with you and Lexus today: the Pirelli Zeros' sides are now hard and they're almost illegal so I'm getting a new set tomorrow for £670 all-in. These are the quietest tyres for the LS600h, he advises, and is also a Lexus fan. I certainly find the Zeros very quiet on A-roads. Malc, my local independent is servicing the car next week, 15 months and 3k miles since the last oil change service. He'll remove a spark-plug to see if they need replacing; and says that I should stay with the front discs and pads for this year, given my planned 4k useage. I do find the car very quiet on the Zeros, on A- & M-roads. To be fair to Lexus, they suggested the best way to sell the GS450h is privately on Autotrader, at £5,995. Not tempted. Thanks again.