WSandME

Thanks, Paul. I 3D printed a Go-Pro camera mount to stick to the wheel arch... ... It Verks! Lexus DRS 1.mov

I have a '14 F-Sport with DRS. I just watched your video (Thanks!) and I'm dismayed that it appears my steeing is not working - there is no rear-wheel movement when exercising the steering wheel in park, engine running. There are no error codes listed. I checked the 80A link on the battery and it appears OK. Am I missing something? I'm assuming it needs Techstream to force the movement? How can I check if the DRS on my car is actually working, without techstream?

I'm in the same position as Boris - haven't done anything yet, but considering selling (I would like to change to RX450h - yes, I'm getting old!) 2014 GS450h F-Sport with 4-wheeel steering, approx. 45k miles. Red, Cream leather. Some (!) Lexus service history. Still under warranty, Eligible for another year's warranty after next service due before July 2024. MOT due Feb '25

Will do. However, given the state of today's roads, traffic and legal restrictions, I doubt I'll be able to provide any meaningful info 🤣 In my previous GS450h, I failed to notice any difference between normal and sports modes - maybe they were faulty or maybe I just didn't "work" the car enough to bring the difference to the fore.

Just shy of £21k 😥 It'll have to do me for a few years - but I'm used to that, I've had only three cars in 31 years and over 1/2 million miles.

Hi, folks, Just an update: I hve put a deposit on a 2014 F-Sport GS450h, <40k miles. https://www.globalautomobiles.co.uk/used-lexus-gs-blackburn-lancashire-4932965 on condition it goes for service to Lexus and gets the Hybrid Health check / warranty. Wish me luck - it's quite a bit over the budget I'd set myself.

@steve2006 - just seen your post - yup, that's the one I saw. I'm still really struggling to find a replacement for my dearly departed GS450h - any which are remotely attractive are 200 miles away and being offered by outfits which have apparently less-then-stellar reputations. What would the panel suggest as an alternative marque / model. I'm looking for Hybrid petrol, same size, sub 6 second, pale leather interior, super quiet and transmission as seamless as the GS. I'm tentatively considering an IS300h (too small, too slow) or an RX450h (too big, too agricultural in comparison to the GS). Alternatively, anyone considering selling their GS450h (fourth generation) ??

Funnily, where I looked at the GS450h in Manchester - the dealer had imported a Celsior (~ 1999 LS400) but was expecting £7k!!! Not a very appealing (to me) colour scheme either - white over grey.

Thanks, Robert. In the end, I called a local dealer to see how they would react to a car being ex-Jersey and they didn't seem worried. I went back to see the GS450h in daylight, but the seller unfortunately hadn't had the time (inclination?) to prepare (scrape the mud off, empty the boot and passenger footwell!) the car and wouldn't budge on a price I thought was too high so I left it. Still looking, but beginning to think I may be being too closed-minded and might have to look at alternatives 😞

Sadly no. It had to go to scrap. It had been left on the drive too long, damp had got in and mould appeared on the leather. That plus all the other things wrong with it meant it was a no-hoper 😞

My car was written off last week (other party has accepted fullliability, insurance has settled). I've been trying to source a replacement for my 2008, 56k miles previously great condition GS450h. Just come back to Wigan from a trip to Leicester where I found the car I went to see (very nice red exterior with cream over black interior) wasn't comparable spec. On the way back, I called at a garage in Manchester who have, I think, just what I'm looking for (except for exterior colour). It was dark and raining so I'll go back tomorrow, but the only thing I'm concerned about is that the car was originally from Jersey. I have no idea whether this fact is relevant (on a 2012 car). Also advert has no mention of service history. Any comments, advice?

Dammit - I posted the wrong link, should have been... https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106053510893?advertising-location=at_cars&make=LEXUS&model=LS 600H&radius=1501&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=Used&postcode=wn48sl&include-delivery-option=on&sort=relevance&page=1 which is, indeed, a 600hl

This came up today... https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106053510893?include-delivery-option=on&make=LEXUS&model=LS 600H&radius=1501&advertising-location=at_cars&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=Used&postcode=wn48sl&sort=relevance&page=1 Any comments???

I saw the recent one for sale here - predated my decision 😒. One of the main reasons I'm opting for a post '10 model is that I believe the front suspension was beefed up after concerns of poor life expectancy - If this isn't teh case, I think I prefer the "old" styling. I'll keep looking.

I recently had to scrap my '96 LS400- too many things wrong to be viable for me to renovate (I'd had it since 2001, and 250,000 miles). I had replaced it a couple of years ago with my current '08 GS450h (currently ~ 44,000 miles) but sorely miss the sophistication of the LS. I have seen numerous reviews of the LS600h recently and as it's effectively the big brother of my GS450h (at least in terms of the drivetrain) I am extremely interested in changing to a ~2011 LS600h. The reviews lead me to believe I should be able to acquire one for approx. £12000 but I haven't even seen any younger than '09 for sale at all. Is there some sort of secret society I should join in order to track one down??? 😀😀😀

That would do the job perfectly (though the spec doesn't mention what output it is capable of) On this occasion, I'll disconnect the 12v battery. Keys will be safely locked away, so would need a low-loader to extricate it! Of course, when I get back, I'll have time to sort out a more "professional" solution - yeah, right: I didn't do it the last three trips, what are the chances I'll find one of those elusive "Round Tuits"? Again, thanks all.

Thanks for the solar charger suggestions - I've probably run out of time now, but how would you connect the charger to the battery - 12v sockets are generally only active when "ACC" or "IGN" on - I don't think I can arrange that while I'm away? I don't have time this time to run the wires from the charger to the 12v battery, but I'll consider it for next trip. I wonder what would happen if I just left it? Would it actually trigger the alarm on low voltage as my LS would?

Quick question: I'm going away on Sunday for up to three months. My LS 400 under these circumstances would gradually drain the battery until a low-voltage signal set the alarm off - which kept going until battery completely drained (and neighbours uppity!). I solved this on subsequent occasions by disconnecting the battery. No problems. My GS450h will suffer the same fate, so I called Lexus to enquire whether it was "safe" to disconnect the 12v battery for the duration. After a couple of attempts to get them to understand the situation, their immediate response was "It will invalidate your insurance, because the alarm won't work" !!! After a few more attempts, they said it "should not pose any electro-mechanical problems". Does anyone have any insight into this? What would you do?

More info? I have a 250k '96 Mk3 which I think is beyond my capacity / willingness to bring up to scratch, but I think the Mk 4 is my ideal - so I may find more willingness (if not capacity!) to work on something like that?

My LS400 dates from 1st Aug 1996 and currently has around 224,000 miles on it. It's currently SORN (or will be at end Jan) and sadly is not in very good condition. I'll need to do quite a bit of work to it to make it tolerable for me: Ugly crease on o/s passenger door (caused by wife reversing into low bollard next to trolley shed at supermarket!). A couple of envy scratches. Some gravel rash. Boot seal needs replacing - leak has caused some corrosion to spare wheel, tools. Soft furnishings in boot will need deep clean. Rubber boot on lower ball joint needs replacing (split) But I have both sides lower wishbones and both sides lower ball joints ready to install. Has the "stall at end of long fast run" syndrome - which I see from this forum is probably due to the capacitors? Bit of an exhaust leak - but not MOT fail. Aircon needs recharging, but I don't know if it will hold pressure. Drivers seat heater no go. Everything else works fine. Probably sounds too far gone? Well, I've had it since 2001 and have had an utter ball with it, I still love it - in the way people love their dogs even when they're about to put them down :~( I admit to negligence - it's overdue a service - but in my defence, I was for the last few years constantly expecting it to fail catastrophically, so it would have been uneconomic to spend relatively large amounts on regular maintenance. But the thing would not lay down and die. I'll put up some photos when I get a round tuit.

Yeah - did it. It's a bit of "brinksmanship" - Do I hit the reset now? Or will it get better in a few miles? Currently, Overall best is locked at 25.7 mpg, while running average is 25.3 mpg. Just after I locked in the 25.7, it reached 25.9, but I thought - "B*gger it. They way it's going, I'll soon be over 30mpg - don't shoot just yet!" That's when we hit the traffic :~( BTW, I put these less than stellar figures down to short trips which needed engine on to bring us out of the Ice Age!

Sorry - that wasn't obvious from the photo

Assuming there are just light scratches on the plastic, I would go for a deep clean with standard car cleaning products, then use plastic window scratch remover. I have used this sort of stuff on the plastic windows of my motorhome (damn those branches on narrow country lanes!) to great effect. I use this: Meguiars Plast RX

I have to tell you about my experience with my ’96 LS400. Long story alert. I bought it in 2001 with about 50k miles on it and in August 2002, I decided we’d do a Grand Tour of Europe, with the intention of exercising my LS on the Autobahns. That year had torrential rain during our passage through Germany - we were limited to practically walking pace on the Autobahn, and that’s where I learned of the eminently sensible practice of traffic parting between the lanes to create a clear lane for the emergency services - they were needed due to the number of aquaplaing accidents. We witnessed some epic flooding and cut short our stay in Germany to head over the Alps to some better weather. It was there, on the Autostrada that I got up to 140mph with my wife videoing the road and speedo. To quote: “You’re not doing that again!” Just as she said that, we went under a gantry festooned with cameras and other gadgets which could well have been speed cameras!! A few days later (21Aug2002) we were on another autostrada which was so clear and inviting - but SWMBO declined to hold the camera. Those were the good old days, when it was in no way dangerous or irresponsible to hold a video camera while edging up to 150mph! I still remember just how quickly your intended exit looms up - and goes past - when you’re travelling at that speed. Here (hopefully) is a screen shot... Another story - I hope that the statute of limitations applies here. Nov. 2013 and my wife and I, my daughter and her partner were going from Oop North to that there London to see my new-born grandson. We were hooning down the M1 at about 8pm, 70 - 85 ish depending on traffic when we were overtaken by a car which settled down in front of us at a slower rate, causing me to overtake them. This was repeated twice more, and on the third time we all made eye contact with the people in the other car and smiles ensued (!). They overtook again, and I said those fateful words to my crew: “I’ll show him who’s boss..!” and floored it. Went past him at about 130mph and slowed right down again to (I think) about 110 when I saw the shape behind me. No lights as yet but I hurriedly coasted to 69mph and watched downhearted as the shape settled in behind me then put on the lights. In the back of the police car, I was abjectly apologetic, and they showed me the video: “We clocked you at 110mph…” Now, we had a “full and frank discussion” at the end of which the officer said: “We’re going to recommend you for driver education”. Wow, what a relief and surprise. I found out later that they could not have recommended if they reported a speed greater than - I can’t remember without looking it up - but say 82mph. They were adamant that driver training was a good result as “you won’t have any record, or penalty other than the cost of the course”. I complained that this was not true - the insurance comnpanies insist on being informed, and act accordingly… Many weeks pass by, with me doing extensive research on what the possible outcomes were, but still no contact from the Police. My research leads me to believe that, as the offence was reported by an officer, there is no time limit to prosecution, so I’m hoping that the reason I’ve heard nothing is that the police somehow screwed up the paperwork - they did not give me a copy of the ticket! Here we are, four years on, and I still have the Traffic Offence Report on my desk as a reminder. These days I very rarely do those sorts of speeds :~)

Blue-Tac on the end of a curtain wire?