Barry14UK

One final point which I noted when I submitted my quarterly claim today reads as follows, so ensure your meter reading is on time! "We can only accept, validate and make payment for meter readings submitted within your meter reading month, so please remember to submit your readings on time. It's important to remember that the Feed-in Tariff payment will be made within 90 days of the last day of your meter reading month. If you have any questions on your Feed-in Tariff readings or payments please contact our Green Energy Team at feedintariffs@edfenergy.com."

Yes, the solar meter would have been installed as part of the system some eleven years ago, so I am sure would now be beyond any warranty provided. It seems likely that my daughter will have to pay for a replacement and hopefully will be able to get this done soon as possible as we are now in the most productive period for generating electricity. Incidentally, apart from the panels which have a very long life, the inverter is quite expensive and may need replacing any time onwards now. It seems the monitor my daughter has records from the inverter. I have a very similar system to my daughter's. It was installed by the same firm within a week of hers by the same firm, so this is of potential concern to me. However, I have purchased a device that is fixed to the digital meter and then into a box containing 3, AA batteries and a transmitter which is paired to a monitor in the kitchen. Were it not for this, I would not know whether the solar meter was working as it is in the garage along with the inverter so not convenient to check on. The two types of monitor were offered at extra cost and not everybody would have opted for them or would have chosen the more expensive but less helpful one like my daughter did. (There are doubtless other devices that can be bought nowadays. Not material to the above but of possible interest is that the FIT alone repaid the total cost of our respective systems in 6.75 years, although we did have systems installed before the Government started reducing the FIT on subsequent installations. Then we have benefitted from a lot of our own generated electricity to reduce our electricity bills, with years more of benefit to come.

Hi those those with Solar Panels. Appreciate this is outside the realm of motor subjects, unless you use generated power to fuel your car. However, I thought some here might take a lesson from my daughter's experience regarding quarterly return on FIT and generation to Grid. She has a monitor which enables her to calculate her return and was expecting a good quarter of some £900. But as owners will know, the figures used are as recorded by the meter and neither a separate monitor not the the inverter is accepted. So today she checked the digital meter and found it had hardly moved from the previous reading. So instead of getting the expected nine hundred or so pounds she will only receive about six pounds. She contacted EON who told her they have about two meters a day go faulty so system owners miss lose out, and this is only one energy company. So you need to check this digital meter every day or two to see it is still working (properly). Alternatively, you need a device that records from the digital meter to a handy monitor you can conveniently check.

I also used a spare battery when I did a battery change over as I was a bit concerned about losing settings. However, when I needed to disconnect for another reason I just did so aaccepting I would need to reset some things. From memory this radio programme resets, windows and rear hatch, all pretty easy with instructions found on line. One thing I would suggest if this method is used is to ensure the battery is well charged up before it is reconnected. It might allow faults to occur if battery is refitted where voltage has fallen excessively.

Would be useful if there was a section covering modifications and Lexus workarounds.

Did this also happen after a battery change or after a battery had been allowed to go flat?

would have expected it to be so. It is on my 2015 RX450h and the button for this is beside/below steering wheel. The degree of illumination of the HUD is also variable on mine. If nobody replies that has the exact model, you could always ring the dealer.

That is really excellent Nigel but I see you are in Norfolk which is comparatively flat, certainly compared to Devon where I am which is very hilly. Then there are so many other factors that can make a difference among them, rolling resistance of tyres and tyre pressures, passenger and cargo load, length of journeys and particularly frequency of cold starts, ambient temperatures and weather conditions, percentage of time you are in optimum speed efficiency range, octane rating and how hard you drive. So it's inevitable that drivers with get variable results. When I bought mine with just under 40K miles on it, the mpg was showing 31.2mpg in the Cheltenham area from memory and this was in winter. Down in Devon I usually get about 27 in the winter and about 29 in the summer but this includes quite a number of short journeys. Best I had was in the summer on a long journey where I got 38mpg. I do drive up to speed limits (road conditions permitting) and almost as hard as on my 3 litre Beamer but making allowing a small degree of moderation for the hybrid RX. This is well worth it for the comfort the car gives but I would not make a great compromise to achieve maximum mpg all the time at the expense of driving satisfaction., especially as I only have low annual mileage these days. I am sure I could improve significantly on MPG with an NX which would be fine for short and moderate length journeys. (I did test one for a day). However, the extra comfort of the RX on the occasional long journeys makes for just a little less strain on my problematic back, so I will probably stay with my 3 Gen RX450h for quite some time yet.

Solvo Autosol can be used on metal or paint which provides a slight abrasive. First used it to polish alloy on old motor cycles and last used to remove grinding dust marks on paint from welding shop where they omitted to cover my BMW car. Finish with good quality wax protection as you want to avoid doing this too often. Solvo Autosol is like a very mild T cut paste in a tube and a little goes a long way. Don't do too much at a time and renew part of rag used. I find that small circles best. Use at your risk.

Seems a bit unusual to find 3 Lexus cars grouped together. Let's hope cat not removed.

Let's face it, most drivers are just interested in getting from A to B and there are a lot of drivers on the roads now but many brands as for example before WW11 no longer exist or have been consolidated into other makes. So we have larger numbers of fewer makes now. Those getting a wave are usually driving a model which is a bit of a small run rarity, or because there are not many left of a particular make/model. Then certain sporty brands like for instance MG seem to have more enthusiasts and you see many at car meets and they can get waves. Also, there used to be more interaction between motorists, so you found more of them stopping to help whether the were punctures or other things that were not too difficult to rectify en route. Today cars are more reliable but far more complicated, so you call the emergency services to deal with what they can and have a low loaded take the car to appropriate garage, where rectification is beyond their ability to fix which is increasingly the case. So perhaps other than help change a wheel or jump start a car, it is rare to see motorists help each other now and many wouldn't want an unqualified person fiddling with their car. The relationship between drivers has therefore changed and this is evidenced in waves being much less often given.

I had an extended warranty on my car at the time Relax was initiated on 1sr June 2021. My extended warranty included free AA recovery and MOT that Relax did not provide. Furthermore, the Relax warranty only covered up to 10K miles per annum. I took this up with my Lexus dealer who was quite prepared to refund me proportionately for the unexpired period of my extended warranty but advised me to keep it in place as it provided better cover, notwithstanding the fact that I had Relax cover with the service. (Actually, Lexus put their service prices up to cover the potential claims so it's free at a price you could say!) I remember there were a number of posts on the forum at the time which went into more detail. However, there is a link here that suggests you carefully read the terms and conditions and also relates a post from somebody who was in a similar position to me. https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/askhj/answer/159610/is-the-cover-of-the-toyota-lexus-relax-warranty-better-or-worse-than-an-extended-warranty-

Relax does not provide very comprehensive cover, certainly not as good as the old cover that could be taken out with Lexus. If a really good RX450h with an excellent history came up at a very competitive price, I wouldn't rule it out because of the mileage. However, I would have the annual traction battery cover and maybe general cover from another provider. There are so many factors to be taken into account, particularly if you are on a limited budget. Setting aside the cover for repairs, you have to consider how many miles you might put on it and how long would you likely wish to keep it and how you view depreciation for example. How much more would you be prepared to pay for a similar model with fewer miles or perhaps a slightly older model with lower miles if budget is tight and mileage a concern? The car will do well over 125K miles if you get a well cared for one but naturally as the miles increase so does the likely cost of maintenance ,although this is likely to be partly offset by lower insurance. So different people are likely to take a different approach when presented with the sort car you have found.

When you buy new you get all parts you need (including longer bolts) together with pictorial instructions. The latter are not brilliant tbh, for example, Figure 6 shows an exclamation mark inside a triangle and beside it x4 so I didn't work out the significance of this. Shown are parts to be binned but I suggest are kept in case next buyer prefers to remove rails. It's not difficult to add rails when you have parts and instructions. Torque wrench is needed to tighten bolts to 34 Nm shown. Maximum roof weight is given as 75 Kg.

Sorry, I can't remember but the rails were under the going rate Lexus dealers were advertising at the time which if I correctly recall was £350. As I bought the cross bars too, Lexus Parts Direct did me a special deal which included free postage. This was at the time when Lexus Parts Direct gave a better discount. I don't know whether this was just for Gold Members. In any event in due course I subsequently received a general notification from Lexus Parts Direct saying they were reducing the amount of discount they were giving us on parts. The reason given for this was that Trade Accounts complained we were getting the same prices as them. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Lexus Parts Direct do have promotions for certain parts/accessories at specially reduced prices occasionally, so always worth a check. Rails easy to fit if you have the longer bolts (assume silicon would serve as gasket but needs to be done well). If the Plastic caps are stressed I think they would suffer damage but can be snapped into place easily.

I bought Roof rails and Cross bars for my RX450h from Parts Direct which means Lexus Swindon. The instructions that came with both types are pictorial. The roof rail details are headed ;- Roof Rails INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS RX 350/450h Model year 2008 Vehicle code G*L15*-AW*GKW Part number 08301-48800 Manual reference number: AIM001 657-0 The cross bars are shown as:- RX 450h / RX 350 Cross Bars Installation instructions Model year 2009 Vehicle code G*L15-AW*GKW Part number PZ403-K0622-00 Weight 5.0kg Manual reference number AIM 001 259-1 Interesting that the year for the Roof rails is shown as 2008 whereas the Cross bars is 2009, yet both show the same vehicle code. I made the following notes . Do NOT dispose of removed fittings as Lexus suggest but store these as next buyer may not want roof rails. Replacement bolts that come with rail are longer with 12 bolt heads rather than original 10's. New gaskets are included. It's not clear from Instructions that closures only for plastic end caps should be in place before rail is bolted onto roof. The top covers can then be snapped into place. NB. I don't think these are suitable for the 4th Generation

I think it fair to say that the poor Satnav/infotainment in the RX cars has been widely reported on going back for considerable time so this should not be a surprise for anybody who has done some research before laying out a considerable sum on the model. I personally prefer and use a large TomTom for the Satnav. There are some pretty steep hills in Devon and I have found my Cruise Control exceeds the set speed slightly on my 3rd generation but speedo reads 2-3 mph fast anyway (as on most cars), so this has to be factored in too and speed limits usually allow a small excess. I don't really need such a large car and have tried others but the RX feels so much more comfortable that I am always glad to back into it and that is before you take the overall reliability of the car into account.

purity of the lead and quality of separation of plates are also less easily determinable factors. 'Battery Megastore' is usually another competitive source for a wide range batteries.

Halfords did have a reputation for it's batteries not being the best but at least some of their better batteries are now in reality now Yuasa which have a good reputation for batteries, possibly better known for being the major supplier of motor cycle batteries. I have a Halfords/Yuasa AGM I fitted to my car (as I detailed in a thread some way back). This was on offer at the time and I used my 'Gold' discount. It also came with a 5 year warranty which I expect Halfords to honour in the event that it fails due to a fault for which I am not responsible. If you allow it to go flat a number of times or for an extended period you may not be reimbursed. This is quite common and Hankook say this on their equivalent battery for example. Varta, (not Vatra) batteries have a very good reputation. I have used them for years in my cars. They are made in the same factory as Bosch and are owned by Johnson Controls, thought to be the largest lead acid battery manufacturer in the world. I think the way a battery is maintained likely accounts for it's lifespan more than the difference between major makes but one easy indicator is to check the weight as lead is expensive and some use more than others.

When we had cats invade our garden somebody suggested human urine spread round the periphery would do the job and indeed it did work. However, not perhaps what you would wish to use on the ground around the car!

I have never known UK roads as bad as they currently are and likely to be for years to come. When you consider this situation coupled with low profile tyres, it is not surprising that damage to these and often to rims also is more prevalent. Many years ago when I had my first car, a Morris 1000, which I ran on a very limited budget, I found a bulge larger than than the one pictured in two of the tyres, and this was when the roads were comparatively good. I had not long previously fitted cross ply retreads not knowing better at the time. I am fairly certain that retreads were banned for cars years ago (along with the greater adoption of radials), although lorries seem permitted to use them still. Lesson learnt and thereafter always fitted premium tyres. Had a few punctures but never a bulge since, although I did have a blow out once due to hitting a rock on snow covered road.

Hi Peter, Sorry I am not going to be a lot of help. Lexus Cheltenham did show the slipped cover in a video they supplied post service but I have just checked and the video is no longer there. From memory, it was at the top of that convoluted part. I didn't handle it. Lexus didn't want to let me leave having done the service with the strut as it was, so I gave them the go ahead to change it and the other front which hadn't slipped but was also on it's way out they said. Had I been at home I would have investigated alternative options. I am not sure how the component's work (maybe Colin will see and comment as he seems well versed in the model). It could be seen with the car jacked up without removing the wheel liner.

Of course, careful use and appropriate good maintenance can make a difference but regardless of make, some cars are going to be lemons. Things can go wrong even on or before a production line. Consider the many components that comprise a car and how invariably a small number of these will fail prematurely even if well screwed to cars and even this can vary. You can only say that overall, certain models/makes show better reliability than others. Cars are being loaded with ever more equipment for the convenience of drivers and to meet obligatory safety and environmental standards, which adds to complexity and potential problems, particularly as there is a pressure to achieve this at minimal cost. So it will be interesting to learn what replacement is found for the Lexus and how reliable this proves to be.

It just makes you concerned about what might have led to this occurrence and whether it could be the beginning of electrical problems ,so many components that have to work perfectly and having a severe shaking on potholed roads these days. Going back two cars I had a Mercedes W124 Coupe being MOT'd. I had just previously checked everything was working but during the test the wipers failed to operate. First thing that came to mind was the fuse. Got the MOT tester to pull this and push it back in and low and behold wipers working again and Certificate pass issued. Meanwhile, it had started to rain and I had not gone 100 yards from the MOT Centre when the wipers stopped working again. So I pulled the fuse which was the old type with a strip (that normally melts with fault) connected to a bullet like cap at each end. This appeared to be in order but on closer examination I could see that corrosion at one end of the strip had caused it to break from the end and only connect intermittently. So replacement fuse fitted and all good. I do like it when you can find a reason for a problem! My last car, a BMW E39 I still have but that suffered a number of electrical problems, not all of which I have been able to resolve. One of them was that when a button was pressed the radio face would electronically lower to reveal a slot to insert a cassette. At one point this began to continuously open and close by itself. I think I stopped it by disconnecting and reconnecting the battery. Never did get to the bottom of that one which never happened again. I was hoping I had left all these electrical gremlins behind with change to Lexus and that the unexplained situation here does not reoccur. It will be interesting to learn whether this recorded a fault code which I will ask about at the next service.