superatticman

Hi All

Planning on changing my cabin filter and giving the air conditioning system a spray clean. Get a slight odour fairly regularly so thought I'd give it a go. The cabin filter change is documented on YouTube. The anti fungal spray clean is apparently straightforward although I couldn't find a video guide. Appears you run the AC on full and spray through the external and internal intakes?

Any other tips? Is it worth trying to hoover any leaves out etc? I remember having it done at a garage and there being a terrible noise when I picked up the car. Appears a leaf had got trapped somewhere in the system and they hadn't tested it fully on handover. Was quickly resolved with the inevitable apologies. 

Cheers.

21 hours ago, HensTeeth said:

Anywhere with birds, they do that... Worse, much worse, I've noticed, when the car is was spotlessly clean.

If you're planning to update the maps yourself, the guidance they provide is decent, but make sure you use a decent USB stick. Doesn't have to be fast - I've tried a faster one, and it made no difference to how long it takes, which is best part of 80 minutes. I've done it twice now, and the first time I did it just sat in the drive with the car in Ready mode; the second I went for a drive. 

Agreed. A branded USB stick is usually more reliable for prolonged software updates. Plus...some of the cheaper unbranded devices will fail to detect in non Windows based environments. 

I've always found putting a layer of Carnuba wax on every 3-4 months helps with stuff like bird poo. It won't stop them crapping on your car but it does make it easier to remove!

Am probably going to do the sat nav update myself courtesy the company recommended above. Mine is still very much in 2013 mode. 

Was pondering trading my GS along with my partners Juke for something newer that we could share. 

However test driving various newer cars, mostly SUV type vehicles, none of them felt as solid or well finished as my GS. A couple of the dealers even commented that I should really hold onto a 70k Lexus with a full dealer history. "Loads of life left in that' etc. 

I think they are right too...

On the motorway I tend to get between 38-42mpg depending on conditions. That driving at 70mph. 

The 2.5L V6 isn't a particularly economical engine for its size as its an early 2000's design. However its tried and tested and extremely reliable. Don't be slightly alarmed if it sounds slightly diesel like, especially when cold. That's how they all sound. Injectors apparently. 

Hi Lycan

Great choice of car there! Virtually identical to my GS250 Luxury with a tad over 70k on the clock. Gave mine a good wash, polish and wax today. Have to say the quality of paintwork on these cars is second to none. 

As far as maintenance goes, in 6 years of ownership all I've ever done is have it serviced by the main dealer. They actually aren't as expensive as you may initially believe. Only bits I've had to replace have been consumables like discs and pads. The electronics and mechanical aspects have been absolutely rock solid. 

They really are an extremely well built and superbly engineered car. 

I'd like to think both of our cars have plenty of life left in them without needing anything but standard servicing. 

Cheers.

Just had the sensor warning come on for about 30 seconds flashing and then mysteriously turned itself off. Was on a very slippery and bumpy road in Skye. Generally consensus is 'not to worry' and you can apparently disable this system until you get the sensors replaced?

On checking tyre pressure did find the front offside was inflated to 40psi (whoever repaired the puncture over inflated it) so now all are running at around 33. 

Hi All

2 years ago my gf managed to put petrol into her 2017 Nissan Juke 1.5 TDi. Drove for about a mile before she realised and just about made it home before it conked out. Car was drained etc and put back onto the road. She's only done 2-3000 miles since then as she's spent quite a lot of time away from home with me but what was once a very reliable runner is now a total liability. Only has 36,000 miles on now but since the wrong fuel incident, has needed the MAF sensor replaced, numerous running issues including injector faults. For me its too much of a coincidence and that 5 minutes of driving before realising may have made the difference. I know Juke's attract a bit of ridicule in the motoring community but if anything they should be fairly reliable. 

Currently in the garage having an injector replaced having broken down last weekend. Gut feeling is maybe they all need to be replaced after the episode. 

Difficult to assess from afar but do you reckon persist or chop it in at a main dealer and let the warranty company deal with it in its next life?

Cheers. 

On 5/21/2022 at 10:33 PM, No Comment said:

Accept it. Brand new or 10 years old...doesnt matter. The noise will always be there eventually. I learnt this after several years of fights with unwanted noises. 

Disagree with this. I'm with you when it comes to trying to get rid of unwanted noises....they drive me up the wall too! but certainly not from a brand new or newish vehicle. Should go back to the dealer. 

Once a vehicle gets to around 6-8 years old then some minor rattles are to be expected. However for what you pay for  a Lexus of that age, these should be (and usually are) at a minimum. 

Overall my Lexus is extremely quiet. There's a slight intermittent buzz that comes from the left hand size of the dash when running on rough roads but only when the car is cold. 

Best way to get to the bottom of interior noises is to have someone else drive the car over a rougher piece of road whilst you probe about to try and find the offender. They aren't always easy to track down and can sometimes be coming from a totally different area as to where you think!

About the same headroom in an NX and RX that there is in my GS. Providing they have a standard roof. Anything else is a no go. 

The 'feel' in the NX very similar to my GS so thats a good thing. 

Yes I think a trip to Edgware Road Lexus is the order of the day. Need to get a recall issue resolved on my GS so will have a play then.

What's the spec range for the 3-5 year old NX? Probably want a softer riding model due to some of the roads it's going to be used on. 

Hi All

Speculative posting here really. Am going to be heading up to Skye to live in the very near future. I have a GS250, my gf has a Nissan Juke (actually like more than I thought I would!).

No real need for us to have two cars between us so looking at getting something that can handle the terrain in the Highlands (not looking at true off road, just potentially bumpy minor roads and well laid gravel tracks) but whilst giving me my luxury car feel that I've got used to. 

I'm 6'4 and long in the back, gf is 5'10 and probably has slightly longer legs than me. Both fine in the Gs250......how does the NX compare?

Cheers

Adam 

Far milder temperatures recently have seen a fair increase in my MPG. 

Around town in heavy traffic inc periods of stationary 18-21mpg.

Taking it easy on a motorway run recently cruising at just above 60mph was getting around 45mpg. Pretty good for a standard 2.5 V6.

Isn't the 'Hunter' wheel alignment machine the most accurate?

Might look at getting mine done when I get new rubber on the back. 

How about this then. EVs for those in towns and cities who don't venture far? ICEs for the rest of us. 

Trust me, there's plenty of wealthy types in and around London whos cars barely make it out of their own borough let alone the M25 zone! EVs work for them.

I'm happy to accept the days of me purring around in a V6 are going to be over sooner than I think. A quick glance at the autotrader reveals petrol cars are now sticking out 220+ hp from a puny sounding 1.4. So we've now got to the stage where a 2 litre is now a BIG engine. If that's what it takes to keep the zealots at bay then so be it.

2 hours ago, Linas.P said:

Lexus service is good, but it isn't magic - so I would not count on them to pick-up everything. I have broken down 11 miles from Lexus dealer after the service, well not exactly broken down, just my A/C pump seized, but that is example of Lexus not checking everything. They work from checklist and they check what is in checklist, if something obviously very wrong then they may pick-up on that, but otherwise it could be easily missed.

Like that heat shield which fell off about two weeks after the service and MOT....

54 minutes ago, Mr Vlad said:

Well Adam I'd suggest either once a fortnight take your car for a 50 mile run with the occasional 'Italian tune'. To me you are strangling your car and probably coking it up. I also suggest you use E5, if you're not already, and I find adding a dose of Millers petrol ecomax helps a lot. I've  been using it in all my cars for decades. 

My journeys are short like yours but I take my is250 for a blast once a week to clear the cobwebs and its fun also lol. 

 

Cheers. It does seem a little excessive, even with the constant stop start stop driving. Isn't E10 petrol known to cause slightly lower MPG? Tyres are all well inflated. Maybe worth looking at the tracking. 

Did have the dreaded Lexus dealer full £££ service and MOT recently. They should have picked up on anything that's badly out of kilter. 

Am driving up to Halifax this weekend. As you suggested...rather than drive like Granny all the time....lets unleash it where appropriate. Being mindful of the conditions of course. 

51 minutes ago, Mr Vlad said:

How often are your long runs Adam? What is a long run for you in your car? What was your car getting in mpg before the cold spell? 

Greater London to Skye. About 630 miles. About twice a year. 

Before cold weather got around 20 in very heavy Greater London traffic. 22-23 in what most people consider regular urban driving. 

At the end of the day you don't choose a big auto with a NA V6 if you are worried about economy. 

10 hours ago, J Henderson said:

I reckon I'm about 10-15% worse off. Which, I would mostly attribute to the engine & gearbox taking longer to warm up. Plus, more time being spent idling whilst I scrape windows and wait for them to demist.

I guess having a layer of hardened frost on the roof, bonnet etc is also affecting things.

Long-term average is 32-33MPG, but last couple of tankfuls have been in the high 20's. (Dashboard readings).

Yep...the engine is on for around 5 minutes before I even move an inch. Basically drinking fuel for the sake of it! Its also revving at about 1300rpm when it gets below freezing. This does settle down to around 800 when everything is warmed up though. 

Loads of stop start though in the heavy Greater London traffic. Can be periods of 1-2 minutes of stationary even. 

Get around 38-39 on a long run sticking to the speed limit. Tops is around 43mpg if cruising at 60. 

Hi All

We had that cold period before Xmas, now we're having another short blast.

Any alarming mpg figures to report?!

Am averaging 15.5 in my slow 6 mile stop and start crawl to work. Takes on average 45 minutes to give you an idea of the pace. Usually get around 20 in similar traffic of which is about right for this car.

Some diesel owners mind are reporting an even more drastic drop.

On 1/7/2023 at 9:48 PM, John Walker said:

Are you sure the 2016 is a 450h and not the 300h? Had a 2012 gs450h Premier and at that time i went to test drive a 2017 facelift F Sport at Lexus, both had similar fuel consumption on the dash and both felt as powerful. Apart from improving the steering, tuning a bit the suspension and adding more options as standard the 2016 model didn’t have any improvements. 
 

 

This has happened before!

An incorrectly badged Toyota Soarer 3.0L was sold as a 2.5TT

Only became apparent when the new owner quickly took it to a specialist re the lack of performance. Within a second of opening the bonnet the 'problem' became apparent!

2 hours ago, KayCee said:

Yes the Heat Shield if you don't repair it the remaining bits will rattle like hell

Cheers. Interested as to why this would be the case?

17 minutes ago, steve2006 said:

If you can get the nuts off (soak with WD40 overnight) you can normally reattach the shield by using large “penny” washers to bridge the enlarged holes.

Not having it fitted shouldn’t create any hazards as underbody airflow whilst driving keeps things cooler.

Cheers. Yes will give that a go at some point. 

Guess if it was in the engine bay above the manifold then it may be a little more pressing to replace. Then again, my previous E60 did away with a manifold heat shield on the last year of the model. Was well known amongst the community that  it caused the rocker cover to warp...as mine ended up doing.

25 minutes ago, DavidCM said:

It could be part of a heat shield.

Is it very light and tinny?

 

Yes...very much so. 

Hi All

Have had a strange minor rattle the last few days coming from the rear. Managed to take a look just now and found the thin strip of metal balancing on the rear exhaust pipe. Pulled it out and its very likely sheared/corroded from the two bolts circled in yellow. Cant see any damage there and it is mounted above the rear exhaust so doubt anything has hit it. 

Any ideas? Wonder if it needs to be replaced with any level of urgency?

Cheers