Maxz

Nice one! F Sport defo the best looking version 🏎

Yeah I would ask / check service history or invoice. Unless you are super good with electrics and can check battery condition with a voltmeter. £13k is cheap/good as the f-sport I saw 60k miles last year at dealer was £20k (but dealer charges top end). Another tip, open both back doors check the original scuff stickers are still on the rear arch sills. If either side or both missing then it has had rear quarter damage repair. Saying that you would not know if major/minor shunt without looking underneath for misaligned/damaged suspensions arms (or new ones that show repair has been done). Hopefully both stickers still there and you don’t have to look any further. Other forum members also say listen for brake light grinding / rough noise at low speed which could indicate sticking brake pins. Which reminds me I need to check mine! If caught early pins just need removal and regrease but if left brake pads and discs will get ruined and need replacement too.

Check if it still has the original 12v ancillary battery in it as they seem to have a limited life if not maintained (I.e. topped up on trickle charger) regularly. Other posts out there by other members detailing costs on those if it might need replacing soon. I viewed a 60k black f sport at Lexus Sidcup and passed it up because 1) the salesperson has to jump start it due to knackered battery and 2) it had crash damage repair on the rear left hand quarter panel.

In my case Lexus Sidcup sourcing from Lexus Edgware. In fairness this is a reflection on the individual salesperson not Lexus as a whole, but just so people are aware you still need to pay attention if you are buying direct from Lexus. It is luck if you get one with integrity or one acting in self interest (i.e. doing anything possible to squeeze extra commissions out of a customer, even with morally questionable practices). Anyway, not to take the post off track given it was originally vehicle focused, just added given buying from Lexus versus an independent/private seller was mentioned. To add to point 5, maybe a pseudo effect, but once the 12v was fully charged, I noticed the hybrid charge indicator appearing more frequently and in turn electric drive kicking in a bit more given the 12v no longer needed to be charged. Average mpg went up a few decimals too. Would need a Lexus boffin to confirm if that is really true though! The 12v is defo a watch point, especially right now with cars sitting unused for extended periods.

From my experience: 1) If buying from Lexus dealership check service history if being offered Supagard, as I was sold it even though it had already been paid for and applied by first owner (it is sold as lasting for life of the car so does not need reapplying). Make sure you get the care satchel and guarantee cards to register too if opting for this. 2) If dealer sources you a car to your spec from another branch, check the price online, as my salesperson marked up the list price to slip in and pass off products as “free”/“discounts”. 3) check rear arches have scuff stickers on. If either side missing means a repair has been done to rear arches. 4) Pay for a laser wheel alignment check after purchase, my tracking and alignment were out on 3/4 wheels, dealer didn’t do prior to sale. Will help avoid excessive tyre wear. 5) trickle charge the 12v battery regularly as they are prone to failure and don’t seem to be charged so well by the vehicle (I assume the hybrid battery steals most of the charge from regeneration). First time I charged mine took 3 days to get back up to full charge. Otherwise great car to own and drive, can’t go wrong!

Is 300h on ctek for past week, no issues so far. It’s an older / basic model though. Cables run such that vehicle can be locked and alarm armed.

It is possible to switch off keyless entry on the vehicle permanently per post below on a 2015 is300h, not sure if 2017 model has the same firmware and therefore options? Please also see my recent post on trickle charging, whacked mine on as soon as lockdown started and even then (after regular use over winter) ctek charger still took 3 days of charge mode (orange LED) before it finally flipped over to conditioning (green LED) mode. These small 12v definitely need regular topping up to avoid them dying prematurely.

If anyone is able to advise what system I have and if it is current much appreciated? It includes navigation in a 15 plate Is300h advance. Tried the various codes on Google and nothing conclusive came back. Thanks.

If your IS is not getting as many miles due to the lockdown, don’t forget to keep the 12v ancillary topped up. Avoid any nasty surprises when you do happen to want to go out! If you lay the clips out as in the image, you can still latch the bonnet and keep the alarm armed 👍🏻

Great write up, I’ve been waiting for a post like this. Different reason though, one of my front speakers cuts in and out (probably loose connector). Question, what is the technique and/or tools best suited to prise the plastic speaker grilles off without snapping anything or leaving gouge marks in the dash or grilles? Nice one!

Lexus Sidcup hogging the limelight for all the wrong reasons again I see 🤣 Looks like they do have the ability to rectify issues 👏Glad to see they look after some of their customers, at the expense of others...

Good point, there are the inevitables that can’t be prevented. Was strange though the whole of the exhaust system was in very good condition bar this joint/gasket at the base of the cat, looking much more older/weathered than it’s years.

Have access to a pit so made sense to do. Did the same to a previous vehicle I owned when it got a corrosion warning at 10 years 85k. Needed more extensive rejuvenation as the rust had set in. Doing the IS at 5 years 18k miles, much less initial work plus stops any damaging levels of rust setting in or annual touch-ups being required. I’d say the two critical watch points are the front shocks and the joint/gasket at the base of the Catalytic converter. If either were to go (and obviously wouldn’t until much later in the life of the vehicle) big jobs to get repaired. Anyone with a new(er) vehicle can obviously avoid tinkering altogether by occasional jet washing of inner wheel arches, wheels and underside during winter months to keep the salt and grime off those vital parts.

Hey red-lex, love the grill upgrade, would love to do the same with mine but not as brave as you! Have you had a go at the speakers? Not sure if your issue is the same as mine, but I seem to have a speaker at the front that kicks in and out at random. Very annoying as the sound “shifts” across the car. I’m assuming a loose connection but have not dared to try and pry up the speaker covers just yet to check...

Anyone who believes prevention is better than cure, some watch points and suggested maintenance points for exhaust, subframes, bushes etc. Only worth the work for anyone planning on running their car for the long term. As the exhaust and cat run along the nearside, these also get additional exposure to salt and other grime from gutters as due road camber, it all flows to the left. Process: Wash all rusted or salt/ grime covered subframe, exhaust, pipe work with ph neutral car shampoo. Rinse with clean water and leave to dry. Use sandpaper and wire brushes to take off all loose rust down to the clean metal, usual Kurust or similar for any thick bits. Spray treated exhaust parts and joints with high temperature paint only. Undercoat and gloss black spray subframe parts. Lightly slicone spray bushes, pipework and exhaust hangers (do not overdo it and mop up any excess near exhaust as potentially flammable in high quantities). This slows down the ageing process keeping rubbers flexible and less chance of cracking. Listed in priority order (of what was showing most corrosion): 1) Exhaust gasket/joint at Cat. 2) Subframe just above exhausts (that holds the differential in place. 3) Hubs that are on the diff (that the inner boots are clamped to). 4) Base of the front shock absorbers. 5) The brackets holding up the rear exhaust boxes. 6) The differential itself and driveshafts (not really a concern as the block and driveshafts so thick would never rust through) 7) various other weld points as shown below It’s a mucky job but either a one time or every 5 years or so task to keep the MOT warnings at bay, have fun! Before and after pics below, should be clear which is which. Best to catch it whilst it is still surface rust 🙂

Cat now marked and registered just for good measure, only the very end of it is visible under the vehicle. Per this and the “Hybrid Badge Removal” post, Cat on an IS is essentially impossible to remove with only underside access to the vehicle. Most of it sits up in the engine bay, with the top half securely bolted to the manifold under the bonnet.

Yup overflow car parks are good for space but bad for Cat theft. Per my earlier post, the theft at Foots Cray Tesco was around the back in the “overflow” section of the car park.

It’s either fabulous or fortunate design on the part of Lexus/Toyota and a touch for IS owners. I have still even Catloc marked and registered mine (not that that is effective really anyway if the metal were to be scrapped). The Cat location is a good selling point for the car too in the current climate of Cat thievery.

Fortunately bad sales experience is something that is generally short term and typically comes to a close, good or bad. Per stevetees I am curious about what burnt and stung means in regards to technician work. For me long term damage to a vehicle due to mechanical negligence, there would be absolutely no excuse for this from a dealership. If there is no follow up from the top of the business in regards to questionable practices at the front and back of house, not only does this damage the brand as a whole but customers will vote with their feet + share their experiences with others.

I’d still take precautions. A longtime friend of mine’s mum had her RX one cut out at Morrison’s (Wood Green area - London) and an ex-colleague I bumped into on a train had his nicked off a 15 year old Honda Civic (Foots Cray Tesco - Sidcup) last month. It happens.

Hi Mincey, I originally asked the same question in my original post, yet to hear from anyone. Doesn't surprise me because if the research is correct, the crooks would have to get the bonnet open and cut just below the manifold and under the car to get it out. Pain to nick, but also a pain to replace if you get a fault in one!

If this thread is still going my two pence worth below... Lexus Sidcup They managed to end their relationship with me before it even had a chance to start, first time buying a Lexus last year. This is based on my experience with one of the most highly decorated salespersons if you go by Google reviews. Key points that resulted in me losing all trust with the dealership: 1) There was not a car on site to match my specs. Instead one was located on list at Edgware and a price was quoted. There was no negotiating on this price but instead two of the extra products/services were "thrown in" after the salesperson left the room to reportedly secure this with the manager over the phone. After returning home to check out photos of the vehicle on the Edgware website, it's advertised price was actually lower, by exactly the value of the two products that were purportedly "free". All blamed on a system error... 2) Sold and charged for Supagard even though per point 1 it was mis-sold due to the vehicle pricing "discrepancy". Was not refunded as the product had to quote "already been applied to the vehicle". This was technically true, in that Supagard had been applied already (and original customer charged) when the vehicle was first sold in 2015 and has a lifetime guarantee. In summary a lifetime product already on the vehicle, was charged for. Further to this, it then took over a month for the Supargard cleaning kit, guarantee card and then interior guarantee card to be located and provided by the dealership. At one point an invalid card for a fabric interior was passed to me for my leather interior car!? So if the product had just been applied in 2019 just shortly after I paid for the vehicle (and not 2015 per the service history), why would it take a month to locate the kit and (correct) cards? Surely they would be right there with the newly applied product? Not to infer anything here... 3) The vehicle had failed it's previous MOT, conducted by Edgware Lexus, due to severe and dangerous tyre wear/failure. Tyres wear out so not a deal breaker for me. Nice of them to replace the tyres, however leaving nothing to chance had the alignments checked and three wheels were all well out. So Lexus replaced the tyres and left the tracking off, so they new tyres were more likely to meet the same fate. Manager offered to refund me the cost of the tracking alignment, refund never arrived. I'm not what you typify as a fussy customer or complainer. The issue I have is with what looks like dishonesty and disrespect for the customer, assuming we do not have the intellect to identify or the nerve to call out this type of behavior (mainly point 1). I'm aware others have had a great time with this dealer, I'm hoping it was just my bad luck. PS. Just to also note, I used to work for Toyoyta engineering, got trained in all the principles of the firm and how it does business the "Toyota Way". This is also influenced to an extent by the Japanese culture of respect for others too. My experience of the firm diligently building these quality cars versus the sales at the end of the chain, two very different things. I didn't complain to the top (Toyota Tsusho a subsidiary of Toyota who run the sales and supplies chains) but doubt the aforementioned fits with their organisational ethics. I appreciate organisations need to turn profits but I believe there are limits to what is acceptable behavior. Off to Toyota Bromley when then service is due 👍

Rather than removing badges/stickers and risking paint damage, why not add some instead as a deterrent...

Smart little gadget. I think the clamp could fit to the jump start point horizontally instead of vertically so the bonnet could be closed. Will look into one of these. Next time around might also try the existing charger via the boot direct to the battery instead, as the clamp cables should be thin enough to run between the boot rubbers whilst it is closed. So can charge and arm alarm at the same time 👍🏻

Just hooked up my Ctek xs800 using the under bonnet connections, positive on the jump start terminal and negative connected to the chrome bar on the side of the engine block (thanks to Montimar for the guidance). All seems to be working fine with the amber charge indicator lit. I have extra logistics at play because the car is parked outside on the driveway leading to some additional questions/thoughts: 1) To keep the car secure I used the button in the headlining light cluster to switch off the alarm sensor so I could leave the bonnet slightly open and still lock the doors and boot. This is because with a clamp secured to the positive jump start terminal, it is not possible to fully close and latch the bonnet. 2) I also opened the battery compartment cover in the boot, put down a folding rear seat and left a window slightly ajar. Batteries can give off gas when charged or is this OTT overkill because during normal operation, doesn’t this battery get charged in it’s confined compartment anyway? And last one related to 1): 3) Is there a bonnet alarm switch/sensor? The idea being, if I leave the bonnet and window(s) slightly ajar, can I still arm the alarm for complete peace of mind when charging the car out on the driveway, without the bonnet (unlatched) triggering false alarms? Aware a fly could get in and set off a sensor but unlikely at this time of year so not concerned about that part. Thanks all for your thoughts and tips as always!