Maxz

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!

Thanks all for your advice, especially interesting to learn no alternator, makes sense about the regenerative braking/energy system charging the battery. 👍 I will check the model for my particular Ctek charger model but in summary, for trickle charging with one of these, appears I am safe to connect directly to the battery terminals and whilst the battery is still connected to the vehicle (and it's electronic systems). Time for a top up!....

Mine also drew a blank on the gov.uk site but did flag for recall on the Lexus recall website: https://forms.toyota.co.uk/recall-checker?lexus=true

Hi, Anyone with experience of an intermittent front speaker? One of mine seems to randomly kick in and out, changing the dynamics of the sound in the car as it does. I am assuming a loose connection at the speaker as if I am paying attention correctly, seems to happen, only sometimes, if I hit a bumpy bit of road / speed hump. Before I consider popping off speaker covers and checking connections, anyone else with a similar experience or quick fix? Would be good to know how to get the front speaker covers off without bending or snapping any securing pins. Too small a thing to consider a special trip to the garage, when probably just a metal connector needs tightening to secure better. Thanks Max

Hi, There are several other posts on this but nothing clear in regards to a guide. Does anyone have actual experience of charging the 12v battery that powers the ancillaries on a IS300h? I have a Ctek charger, so can I attach this without having to disconnect the battery? If so what have others used as the grounding post in the boot area, with the live connected to the battery? OR Has anyone actually disconnected it, charged, then reconnected? If so were there are reboot issues or settings/data lost when the battery was reconnected? Remove the ground first then the live, reverse order to reconnect if doing this method? Reason I ask is lots of stories of these failing. Aware life of these can be improved by keeping the charge topped up, not necessarily relying on the alternator to keep it at tip-top charge, especially at this time of year. Thanks Max

Paul @bookings in Lexus Croydon stated it is not a critical item and only impacts cars "at less than 3k or over 60k miles" or maybe he said between those miles, whatever that may mean. He stated it could be related to a software update and could wait until the next service was due. Let me know is any of you get a similar response? IS300h Advance 15 reg, 18k miles.

If you believe just the window stickers and marking the cat serve as a sufficient enough deterrent, a Catloc refit kit is a cheap option, even cheaper resold on eBay for £10 or less. Use the stickers and marking kit, ignore/discard the refit bolts...

I consider myself to have decent hearing but on my IS300h the mechanical signal cancellation itself is not great and I find myself checking the dash for the light to have stopped. Not great for safety, would be good if Lexus fixed via a firmware update. Seems across the range this is a “problem”.

Based on what I see so far, it seems the cat is in a position where it’s near impossible to remove from the vehicle underside or secure a Catloc to it. Twinned with the tilt sensor on the alarm mentioned by other members, maybe explains why we are yet to find an example of cat theft from an IS. However, what you can do is buy a Catloc Refit kit. This includes the window stickers and the cat marking + registration kit, which you could still potentially stick on the windows and the bottom of the cat respectively. Might put someone off jacking up the car to have a go, but if the crooks have done their homework, I don’t believe they even bother with IS’s.

F-sport seems to have the Cats and whatever the "UE6" part is (hopefully just a muffler/silencer) in the same locations, just you have two of each due to twin exhaust runs. I'm still considering a Catloc kit even just for the marking kit, window stickers and ISR registration, just to deter anyone from even having a go at jacking it up, potentially damaging the chassis or suspension in the process.

Images attached as promised. The service I used is "12cm by 12cm White Inside-Glass Car Window Decal" with Vistaprint, using the image with 9 decals but if you can find a better/cheaper printer let everyone know by all means. RF Blocked.bmp

So it looks like the non F-Sport just has a single exhaust pipe that runs down the passenger side of the car. I'm no mechanic and my photos aren't great but from what I can see and found online, is it appears the Cat is part of the manifold assembly. Bad news if you genuinely need to replace one but I am thinking great news in regards to theft. This is because someone would need to get under the bonnet to release or cut the top section near the manifold. The Cat also seems to sit at 45 degrees half way between the engine bay and underside of the car. If this is correct, looks to me almost impossible to remove with only access to the underside of the car. The only part I am unsure on is this "UE6" unit that is roughly under the rear passenger area. Is this another Cat or just a muffler? If so this is very exposed, would be great if any mechanics/experts out there could advise?

So before I get around to checking myself, found this: It's an F-Sport whereas mine is an advance, so exhaust system could be different. So are the Cats at 1:14 or 1:24 in the video? If the latter we all might be in luck as this would mean the Cats appear to be part way tucked up into the engine bay. Crooks could cut the lower section of pipe but from what I see could not get a cutter in above. Can't wait to check for myself now!

Hi Shada, exact steps below. Switch "Entry and start system" to "off". The thing you then need to get used to is to start, depress brake, hold key (buttons side) over power/start button, listen for beep, then press to start.

At the moment when I go out I try to park between two other cars, which of course you'd normally not do to avoid door dings, catch 22! Then again a ding is less of a headache than a missing Cat which due to the current theft rates take months for Toyota to supply and obviously aren't cheap to replace. If and when I get more info or some good suggestions to protect, will update. Will get under the car myself at some point, see exactly how exposed a Cat is on an IS.

Hi ganzoom, Sounds like you may have owned your IS from new and you are are good careful driver. My advice is more for those buying a used vehicle, that may not have been so well looked after. In my example, that MOT fail for dangerous tyre fails is at 15k miles on a 15 plate car. If a previous owner has abused the vehicle or neglected tracking and/or tyres, from my experience it was worthwhile checking and rectifying the mis-alignment. From my experience the dealer did not check or rectify this prior to resale, so can be a worthwhile check.

Last post from me for now. Anyone with experience of Catalytic Convertor theft from their IS or anyone who has successfully had a Catloc fitted to an IS300h, would love to hear details. Aware RX's typically get targeted and now Prius and Hondas recently on the hit list. My driveway has a steep incline so anyone using a trolley jack is quickly going to get squished when it rolls (good!). However, want to make sure mine is not at risk of going missing when the car is parked away from home. Thanks in advance for any advice!

Penultimate post for now, this time for anyone considering Supagard. Key points: 1) The dealer sold this product to me on a used vehicle, even though I later found from a service history print out, it was already treated with this "lifetime" product when first registered. Check for this unless you see value in having a lifetime product reapplied. 2) Only after speaking to Supagard in regards to correct aftercare, did it come to light the aftercare kit (cleaning fluids, brushes and registration card) had not been supplied. Took the dealer a week to locate this kit. 3) When attempting to register for the Supagard lifetime guarantee, another code was missing, as a secondary code is required if you have a leather interior. Dealer initially advised they did not provide leather treatment so would refund the product. A couple of days later this information changed and they advised leather was treated and another card appeared again about a week later. Product finally registered! 4) Almost done. So read the terms of the guarantee. Any undocumented repairs invalidate it. So if per my quarter damage post you have been sold a vehicle with undisclosed and undocumented repairs, you then have to ensure you get a letter proving the repair is Lexus authorised and retreated with Supagard. I don't have any issues with Supagard as a product, in fact historically Lexus have had a reputation for not the best paintwork longevity, so this product may have tangible benefits. The objective of the post is to ensure Lexus customers are provided with the product they have paid for in it's entirety and from the outset are not unknowingly holding a guarantee that due to existing repairs, is instantly invalidated.

As you can tell, have worked through a number of issues since purchasing my IS in May, hence the glut of posts. More advice this time. If you buy a used IS check the MOT history online for any fails in relation to tyres and/or you spot uneven wear, paying special attention to the inner tyre rim/edge, especially on the rears. IS by design have slight -ve camber and casters are not adjustable. This makes keeping tracking aligned all the more important so you don't chew through tyres at an excessive rate. In my case I intended to have the tracking checked anyway, as the dealer themselves conducted the tyre fail MOT, replaced the tyres but had not fixed the tracking. Per the Hunter laser alignment results posted, tracking was well out and 3 wheels had to be adjusted (cost £50 or up to around £70 for all four wheels). I'm now happy the current tyres are less likely to meet the same fate and will have the tracking checked at least annually. Handling at high speed also improved post adjustment.