Maxz

For horn sabotage defence/deterrent. Stainless steel grille fitted to IS300h, imagine similar possible on a CT200h. Reciprocating saw teeth get stuck in mesh, as that tool only cuts smooth rounded surfaces i.e. pipes.There are bolted fixing points on the rad bulkhead and on top of the front bumper reinforcement bar that can be used so it is nice and secure, especially if you replace OEM bolts with security ones👏 Not all details in shot because no doubt these low life’s monitoring the forums for workarounds. Overkill for IS as cat is located inside the engine bay as part of manifold fitting, but did for the fun of it should some half-wit have a try at any point.

Hi Matt, Best way to see them without having to remove anything is through the lower grille on the LH and RH side as below. Otherwise unclip the cool air intake duct seal/panel and look down towards the bottom of the rad on either side. I treated mine with Kurust (or Rustins), then painted with Hammerite. Best to mask up and not get either substance on the rubber hose itself. Probably overkill, but ran my last car to 15years/110k+ miles and had pipe clips like these snap in half upon removal due to corrosion. Luckily seems these are the only two exposed to the elements as at the front end.

Again the IS design comes up trumps, both cables for the horns run behind the metal brackets holding the horns in place and inside the radiator bulkhead. The horns also sit high up so trying to cut cables behind brackets and through the grille would be a long fiddly job. Also cutting one would likely short the circuit and in turn set off the alarm or other horn in the process. In the end the corrosion on the rad/aircon hoseclips was of more concern. Guess the water and salt splash from the road gets to these. Worth protecting and/or monitoring for replacement before they fail and leak coolant out the system (most likely way off when the vehicle is lot older/longer mileage though).

Mo, thanks for the valuable info on the horn, guess I need to do some follow up work beyond cat marking and the window stickers, as originally had some reassurance that the tilt alarm would make the IS less of a target. I was also under the impression the IS only had the one cat connected safely in the engine bay to the manifold. Other members seem to be suggesting what I thought were mufflers at the rear ( as there are no oxygen sensors on them) are also cats. Either way some tw@t might still have a go for them anyway. Will have a look tomorrow if the horn and/or it’s wires can also be obscured/protected without impacting operation of the horn itself. In fact looks like there might be two of them - high and low pitched.

I previously noticed light condensation on my battery also. So where the water ingresses through the boot seam crack, it runs down between the boot trim and the inner boot lid, dripping onto the lower boot threshold carpet. If there is sufficient water it drips down between the gap around the hybrid cover trim ( the tray that holds the tools). This water then evaporates (especially if the hybrid battery is used and warms the surrounding air). This moist air rises, including into the quarter area on the left as it is linked. The coldest surface is the outer quarter panel skin, so condenses there (ie the compartment where the battery is). In another post a member mentioned there was sufficient moisture to damage their amplifier located in the space around the hybrid battery. Maybe remove the tray covering the hybrid battery check there is no water collecting in this area around the hybrid cell and is the carpet damp near the boot opening or on the LH side? As you say, get some dehumidification on the go in the interim.

If you remove the internal boot lid liner /trim, is the condensation in there too? You might have the same issue myself and Stuart had. Guide to removing the trim in the post (easy to do, 2 screws and 14 pegs to remove only).

Thanks for sharing the details/photos Stuart. This weld line splitting at various locations along it’s length may be the explanation of the various historic posts on rear screen condensation and damp patches in boots. My rear condensation problem went from bad to zero simply by sealing the crack. If anyone else wants to investigate for themselves, diagrams below to assist with the dismantle process. My advice is be gentle on your boot lids IS owners!

Hi Mark, best way is to pull all the boot trim clips out (fingers are sufficient for the job), then you need something thin and flat to pop open the interior boot handle/grip, where there are two crosshead screws inside to remove, before the trim fully comes away. Then drop the rear seats and squeeze into the boot area with a torch when it’s raining or have someone douse the boot with water for you to observe the boot innards for ingress. Sounds like a faff but easiest first step to pinpoint the source. If you have a weld seem crack like mine or something else, let us know. Since I siliconed the crack in the weld/seem, my carpet is no longer getting damp (on LH side) and my condensation is completely gone, even on wet, damp and cold days. Silicone the ends of the number plate screw holes for good measure too, as they are not sealed/capped.

Hi Stuart, if you still have the water ingress try this. Remove both boot lid light clusters and the exterior trim that houses the reverse camera and number plate lights. See if you have any weld joint cracks along the seem that runs along this ridge. I only had a crack on the LH side but your ingress looks worse so maybe check the whole length of the seem to be sure.

****SOLVED! 👍🏻 So, in making the boot lid as light as possible (probably due to the added weight of the hybrid battery), it’s easy for people not in the know to assume it is a normal weight boot lid and slam it shut. So slamming over a period of years + thin panels and weld joints = cracks. At first I found a drop of water on the back of the light enclosure, the light fitting nuts were a bit loose plus water marks clearly showing on the top of the light fitting and foam pad. Then the crack caught my eye, problem spotted. Good old bit of silicone in the cracked joint, think my condensation issue finally done and dusted now.

Just found this existing thread, I have the exact same issue, on the LH (passenger) side of the boot lid, water/moisture is seeping in somewhere between the boot panel itself and the boot trim. I have siliconed the ends of the number plate screw holes and the bottom row of trim clip holes, but still have a slight leak. I will take the boot trim off again and as suggested maybe get back in the boot with a torch next time it rains (forecast for Tuesday!).

😂 It was tipping it down that hard opening the boot would have let the rain in, too many false positives. Going in from the rear seating area, any visible moisture around the boot area was only going to be what had seeped/leaked in. I’m sure the neighbours thought lockdown had finally driven me crazy 🤪

So the condensation is gone. It’s been raining heavily for the past two nights and is tipping it down right now. Took the opportunity to squeeze myself into the boot with a torch via the fold down back seats. The LH side boot carpet remains dry but feeling around there is a still a very slight dampness around the edge of the trim where the lowest LH boot trim clip is. Given I just bunged it with silicone and pushed the existing toothed clip back in, probably not 100% watertight. When it’s better weather i’ll replace the clip with a rubber one or get a rubber washer to completely seal the hole. Also pics of the silicone pouches in place, although maybe not really needed now the leak will be fixed!

Seals were ok, no water globules between the body and seals on the interior side. The leak was defo at the lower LH boot trim hole ( or at very least collected at that point where the peg is inserted). Again might not normally be an ingress point for others, given the fact my car is parked on an incline. Just to add I also checked for any weld seam leaks along the lower rear boot threshold (another fault on my previous vehicle that contributed to it’s condensation issues), no problems showing in that respect either.

So siliconing the bottom level of boot lid trim clip holes prior to reinserting the clips + siliconing the ends of the number plate fixing holes appears to have resolved my LH side water ingress problem. Small damp patch on the boot carpet now dry. For good measure I checked the bottom of the battery compartment well and hybrid battery compartment, both bone dry. Silicone pouches have arrived and inserted behind the rear headrests, sort of get away with them looking like small cushions in the back ( well if you use a bit of imagination!). i went for these in the end, most competitively priced and recognise the brand from other products I have used in the past: Prem-i-air Eco-friendly... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01EJLTOKW?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share Will update on how effective they are and post a pic to show how they look in due course. If anyone else who is having rear condensation issues despite running AC and no known window seal/bonding problems spots the same leak as mine or a new one, please share 👍🏻 Always looking to plug any holes before there are rust or electrical issues setting in.

I found a bit of damp inside the boot on the LH side. Seems that the number plate screws go right through the outer boot skin into the interior airspace and so do the corner punch-holes for the boot trim pegs(which are fine toothed so not air/water tight). The lower left boot trim peg was a bit wet, so was the inside of the trim and the plastic boot hinge surround. Given my drive is on an incline probably doesn’t help matters. I’m pained to park the other way (nose) up as had to fix the CCM on my previous vehicle due to water ingress through the pollen/cabin filter housing. photos below, siliconed the trim clip and number plate holes, plus rubber washers added between the number plate and screw holes for good measure. When the pouches arrive the testing starts...

Thanks all, just put my order in for two 1kg weight dark/black pouches to try and blend in, will see how effective they are 👍🏻

I like the fact it is black rather than the usual white pouch so more discrete on my dark grey parcel shelf. As Nemesis advises, no point fixing under grille if it takes a decent temperature to regenerate the pouches. Will go for one of these, thanks! what would be really good is if there was a long thin rectangular version in the same finish as the parcel shelf, could fit in the ridge pointed out and blend in perfectly!

Hi all, I’m starting to tire of the visibility issues caused by the is300’s inclination to hold condensation on the rear screen overnight. From other posts seems like a common complaint solved in transit by constantly running the AC. There are no obvious signs of water ingress around rear doors or boot, so appears to be just general moisture retention. I’d like to minimise the impact first thing, so looking for somewhere suitable to house some silica pouches. Theory is they absorb the moisture whilst vehicle is stationary, then get regenerated by the AC when car is in operation. Is anyone aware of what is under the plastic grille shown and how to get it off without damaging clips? I’m hoping there is some space to hide the pouches under here to see if they are effective. thanks!

For anyone interested in saving a few mA by switching off the smart entry (and/or for security reasons). Menus shown for a 2015 standard nav system I believe.

Still doing the monthly charge since the original post in April, always plenty of juice in the 12v. When lockdown is lifted and you’re off on that long awaited holiday, always pays to do that extra recharge the day before heading off to the airport. Charging via the engine bracket and jump start positive means you can still close the bonnet and arm the alarm whilst charging if the car is parked outside. I wouldn’t risk it when raining as the fuse box cover is off but in theory the water should still not ingress to this part of the engine bay anyway.

Thanks that is reassuring to know. I did wonder why when I came to shift from S to D, why it was in 2nd and not 1st, which it would have been when I first set off. Good to know they build these things to be idiot proof!!🤪

Hi, came back to this post because in my haste to get out and pick up a takeaway, I unwittingly knocked the shifter into “S” (paddle) mode. With the radio on fairly loud and not paying attention, I noticed the car was a bit sluggish but didn’t hear the higher reviving engine (given it is typically so quiet and refined anyway). Part way through the journey noticed the “S” instead of “D” on the dash and rectified my error. Question is per Thackeray’s response, other than ruining my average mpg, am I safe to assume the software will have prevented me from doing any damage (I.e. overevving the engine)? All seems fine after my little oversight to be honest. I also now have the tachometer permanently on so any future mishaps are noticed earlier (plus not blaring the music so loud anymore!).🙉

Thank you both for the confirmation. 👍

Hi, Some “youngers” just decided to tip my poor neighbours Fiesta over onto it’s side into the middle of the street tonight. Car is wrecked. First question, does an IS300h have a tilt sensor on the alarm as factory standard (15 plate)? And anyway, with the 2.5 litre block under the bonnet and big hybrid battery in the boot, surely you’d need a lot of individuals and muscle to even get close to tipping an IS over right!? Thanks for answering my rather unusual questions. Max