Barry14UK

Hi John, Well the RX450h has quite a high compression engine which means that with a higher RON petrol it can run with more advance without pinking, thereby producing more power. Conversely, if you lower the RON the engine will (automatically be retarded and produce less power). I once had a fuel injected Mercedes where you could manually retard the ignition to help cope with lower octane fuel, higher octane not being available in some countries. I remember on a BMW forum some years ago there was an in depth discussion on fuels and it was considered that the Shell V3 high octane gave slightly more power and ran cleaner and many members ran it from time to time due to the better ability of the additives. Clearly, there is greater advantage in using higher octane fuel in cars with higher compression engines. I think this puts it reasonably without being technical - https://www.moneysupermarket.com/car-insurance/articles/is-it-worth-paying-more-for-premium-unleaded/ "Higher-octane fuels suit high-performance engines where pressures and temperatures are greater and it can therefore be used to boost the amount of available horsepower and improve performance." From what I have read the RX400 had cam belt but the RX450h chain. Not aware of the method of fuelling the RX models but happy to learn.

Maybe it depends on the year but I am under the impression that the later 3rd Generation RX450h cars are chain rather than belt drive. The Wiki ref seems to infer that the Lexus do their rating with 91 octane fuel whereas most of us use 95 or 97/8 fuel which should produce more power. BHP for the 4th generation seems to have been increased along with improved petrol consumption (possibly a lower drag coefficient could have helped the latter?) but acceleration and top speed don't seem to be much different. With the shape and weight of an suv it would be necessary to obtain a huge increase in power to gain a really significant increase in speed and acceleration and you are looking at diminishing returns.

Great result. It's surprising that so much stuff is available as spares in a comparatively small country. I bought a later version of a BMW satnav from there some years ago which had recorded extensive journeys throughout Europe. I didn't think much about it at the time and I am not casting aspersions now but one does wonder why/how so many parts become available for sale in Lithuania. Interested to learn what dashcam you go for and how satisfied you are with it.

If you find the advanced auto dip/high beam system works satisfactorily in all respects other than the speed of initiation, you could get a more definitive reply from Lexus on whether it can be coded to the way you would like.

Yes 2 drains at front corners of sunroof and 2 at rear ends, The rears are obscured when screen is retracted on mine so screen needs to be tilted. Ideally, you need to wipe tray dry as much as possible and park on incline so you can then in turn direct water to each drain gravity directs. Clearly, if water builds up in the tray you have a blockage that needs clearing. If water leaves the tray but can't be seen leaving the car (there are pictures of this on a recent thread), a water carrying tube may have split or become disconnected, assuming it is the sunroof drains that are your problem.

Best possible result! My brief experience with Lexus Dealership so far is that they will be as 'helpful' as they can because they want you to go back to them for servicing. However, it does seem from response that this armrest component is a potential weakness and extra care needs to be taken with it.

On at least some BMW's there is a membrane beneath the door cards that can and sometimes does fail (as i can testify), so water finds its way into footwells. I note that the external seal along the base of the window on my Lexus is not a tight fit - raindrops on the side screens are not cleared as the windows are lowered and raised. This would indicate that there is space for a lot of rain to enter the door and presumably come out of drain holes at the bottom but I assume there would be some sort of membrane to stop any rain leaking into the car. Is this a possibility with Alex's car? Is this a known area for water ingress into this model?

Well if it is just trim dependent, I would assume that my car being a Premium it should of had one which begs the question that being a one owner car why was it not provided when I bought the car, something I will ask Lexus?

Bad luck. Is there a possibility you could contest the refusal of your insurance company to pay? Presumably they would have paid up if the entire car been stolen so why not a component if this was above the cost of your compulsory contribution in the case of a claim.

Hi Mike, I suppose it becomes more likely that the traction battery may need to be rebuilt or replaced unless this has been already done with a hybrid of that age. Also, there is more to go wrong on the hybrid model, although they seem to be generally reliable. Another important factor is the mileage the car has covered already and how many miles you are likely to do a year. Perhaps you could say a little about your intended use and what the respective price range is of the models in the Netherlands and the sort of mileages you would be looking at.

Does anyone know if this was an option just from new? I was not given one when I bought my used car from Lexus and have never heard it mentioned previously.

After an 11 mile run today I listened to the radio while my daughter did some shopping. The radio cut out to conserve power after it had been on at moderate level for about 12-14 minutes. (I have noted that this has happened even after a much longer run). My RX450h was first registered in May 2015 . Car has yet to reach 40K miles. Is this typical or an indication that a new battery will be required before long.?

Glad you got to cause of problem. It's really a matter of degree as to how much the discs and pads were affected and whether these should be replaced which can be necessary in some cases. Many years ago I had a Fiat 2300 saloon. I bought another for spares and towed it home for perhaps 10 or so miles. I don't know whether my friend in the towed car kept his foot on the brake pedal most of the time to help keep the tow rope taut or if the rear brakes were seized in the calipers but when we got to my house I found the rear discs (rotors) were glowing red on the towed car. I examined these in due course and there was plenty of material on the pads but they were cooked rather like charcoal and of course beyond further use as were the rotors.

My car is a 2015 RX450h but I would think the set up is similar to yours. I have found that on my Lexus, (I don't know if this is how it should be), the sun roof does not retract sufficiently to allow easy access to the rear drains in the tray. It might be possible to do this by upwardly tilting the sunroof although there is not a lot of room to work. You need a good light and some strimmer nylon or something similar to to find and gently feed the line though until any water in the tray empties. Compressed air at lowish pressure through a small connector could also help. You don't want to uncouple the tube from it's connection to the tray or rupture it. I suppose one way to pass the responsibility for this would be to have the job done professionally. If either of the two methods described fails it is likely that trim will need to be removed to locate and clean out the drains more easily with better access.I think cleaning out the sunroof channels should be part of planned maintenance whether the sun roof is normally opened or not because dirt will accumulate regardless and eventually lead to blockages with potential water damage. We should all take a lesson from this.

One way of helping people who have had their cats stolen might be a short term dispensation for a straight through pipe to be permitted to be fitted for a specific time so that this would enable the car to be driven legally until a replacement cat could be fitted. However, it's unlikely that with so much pressure on reducing emissions this would be officially condoned. With the increasing number of cats being stolen it's going to be a wait even to get a suitable aftermarket cat yet alone a genuine one , at least until an increase in the number of cats available can catch up with demand. So what can be done to discourage this crime which I note has also become a big problem in the USA? There are a number of devices on the market designed to make it more difficult and add to the time it takes to removing cats, Catlock, Catsafeand Catsecure amoung them. Perhaps their respective ability to protect could be assessed by a UK testing authority. It's interesting that one device includes stainless rods encapsulated in Kevlar and also incorporates an alarm connected to a high decibel sounder if the strap is cut as in https://www.catstrap.net/ These are some of several possibilities. In the long term I feel a better way of protection has to be provided by manufacturers. Perhaps this could be by what is essentially a box section with ends partly cut away to allow sufficient movement of the exhaust. This could be made as part of the floor pan. The box would be completed from underneath by a lid with short ends recessed to allow sufficient movement of the exhaust system The two parts of the box could be bolted together from inside the car, Done as a retro operation this would require internal trim /fitments to be removed in order to bolt through from within the car onto threaded sleeves welded within the upside down lid closing off the box. The box would have holes as water drains and for venting heat. I might take the Lexus out of use and rely on my BMW for a time to check how feasible this is but I have too much else to do before pursuing this for quite some time.and it would be a major project for me. This would make it much more difficult to steal but would need more stripping out if the exhaust had to be replaced at any time.

This very short clip plays sound as now boosted by two sounders with radio on and shows the small amount of cable from Tomtom now visible when the TT screen is not in place. IMG_0202.MOV

I would be careful about poking bits of rigid wire which could perforate tube in drainage system or dislodge it (I am assuming it's similar to the arrangement on other cars where rubber or plastic tube is push fit. Also, compressed air at too great a pressure/volume could cause the tube to blow off. I am not familiar with what is involved on your Lexus and how long the drain tubes are but on another car I used an old flexible speedo drive to gradually feed and turn it to clear debris. whilst adding warm but not hot water, A flexible wire of the type used to hold muslin curtains might do but make sure nothing on the end (you don't want to add to blockage) and that the end is ground not to be sharp. Drains on some cars are made of more rigid plastic and tend to become brittle.and split, also a build up of trapped water in a drain tube can freeze when temperatures fall causing tubes to split, so worth ensuring unblocked as we approach winter.

My thinking would be the same as other responders on this.

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Hi Herbie, I called in at the electrical place where the sounders were fitted yesterday and was told the ones they had fitted to my car they had found in a draw. They said they come with tow bar kits (it being a legal requirement that either a warning indicator by a light or by sound is installed for towing.) They showed me a sample but when I popped the small panel that caps the end of the dash on the drivers side, I found they had fitted a slightly different type. The two sounders don't incorporate any fixings (as some do) but have been coupled together by a tie looped round the Lexus fabrication. They are black without any markings each with 2 black wires coming out of a common cable or sleeve for the 4 wires. I made the diameter 11.5mm and the length 9.5mm of each sounder. I will try to upload pic and video with sound in due course but nearest I can find to mine https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Miniature-Electronic-Buzzer-Sounder-5v-or-12v-Subminiature/113895625290?hash=item1a84b5524a:m:mvAUe7q7vXMNrwO6cCNQUNQare these. They are of course 12v and there are a number of variations on ebay.

Takes away the 'floating roof ' effect which not every body likes but only you can decide if you like this better. Why not do a poll on it if you want the views of others to help you come to a decision. My opinion for the little that it is worth, is that the car as shown in the pictures looks rather 'funerial' at the rear end, and is not to my taste but undeniably it does stand out!

Seems Toyotec favourably reported on here https://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/search/?q=Toyotec Found using the Search facility

Fitting a suitable alarm would be challenging because of the effects of heat and spray but perhaps not insurmountable - will further investigate. Meanwhile, it has been suggested to me that having a stainless steel bar welded along each side of the exhaust pipe where is could be cut, terminating in a cage round the cat bolted to the underside of the car would discourage thieves due to the additional time they would have to spend and be at risk of discovery. Unfortunately, this crime not only costs a lot in money and inconvenience but because a number of those affected will claim on their insurance companies, will result in increased premiums for everybody.

Black would be complementary to other features of your car. Have you photoshopped it to get more of an idea? Is it easy to remove wrap in due course before selling as may put off potential new owners? If wrap was removed in due course, would ageing of unwrapped areas result in a mismatch with the covered area? These are some of the questions I would want to satisfy myself on. Another thing is that a light colour reflects the sun more than dark which to maintain the same level of comfort in hot weather might make bigger demands on the air con system. But your car, your decision

Agree with what others have said. However, on one occasion I had a similar problem and when I disconnected the battery I found a build up of corrosion on the battery terminals. With this cleaned off along with the posts, after reconnecting all was good again - no need for a new battery at that stage - always worth checking. True about batteries just dying these days rather than fading. Can apply to motor cycle batteries too as I have experienced. Batteries are not always cheap but are normally accessible and it could have been worse!