LenT

5 hours ago, Jamie Brookes said:

I did see a previous thread that suggested this socket might be isolated when the ignition is off but couldn't see a definitive answer.

I think you’ll find that the power outlet (as it’s now known!) is only live when the engine switch is in Accessory or Ignition On mode.

If you don’t have an OBD connector then you’ll probably need to use crocodile clips to connect directly to the Battery.

On 4/11/2024 at 4:18 PM, izzywashe said:

So my question is, do I bother with wider wheels at the back? I don't want to pay out for a full new set just to find out it doesn't solve my problem. Also, there are a lot of 17s around but I just don't think it'll look right after buying it with 18s on.  Thoughts?

Well my IS250 is the later model which came with the staggered 18s, low profile tyres.  The option would have been the 17 inch with the same tyres fore and aft.

It depends on what you’re after in driving style.  The larger wheels with the low profile, more rigid tyres are supposed to provide better handling at speed; the 17 inchers should give a softer, more comfortable ride due to the greater flexibility of the sidewalls.  Also it’s easier to buy four new tyres if they’re all the same!

Had I bought the car from new, I would probably have opted for the 17 inch setup - prioritising ride comfort.

13 hours ago, dutchie01 said:

Remember Jamie Oliver some years ago? He published his Paella recipe and the highest diplomatic circles were working overtime to prevent Spain from declaring war! 

I also recall his mentor, Genaro Contaldo, attracting considerable opprobrium for demonstrating various different recipes for spaghetti carbonara on YouTube!

9 hours ago, VFR said:

Like anything, it might be great there but never the 

same here. (Wherever that may be)

I feel the same about ouzo.

I’ve enjoyed many a bottle in Greece, but have rarely drunk it in Northamptonshire.  🙁

24 minutes ago, Rabbers said:

Tut-tut, Len.  Paella should never be stirred but, as any (pedantic) valenciano will tell you, merely shaken using the paellera’s side-handles.

You’re quite right Renato.  I confused it with risotto for the sake of a joke!  🙁

Paella - like the best martinis - should be shaken, not stirred.

So what I invariably end up occasionally making is a risotto.  Primarily because I don’t have the right paella rice or - more significantly - a paella pan.

The latter omission is due to MrsT’s forceful observation that at our age one thing we don’t need is a new pan in the kitchen that’ll be used once and end up in the back of a cupboard!😡

19 minutes ago, steve2006 said:

Anything except Paella again, it’s the Spanish equivalent of a bag of chips, every mouthful tastes the same, you always get to much and you end up leaving some

 

I always think that paella is just for people who like stirring things up.  😊

8 minutes ago, Rabbers said:

Whatever happened to good old traditional British fare?

Quite right, Renato!

Nothing wrong with our traditional chicken tikka masala…or a four seasons pizza!  😊

22 minutes ago, Linas.P said:

Highly recommended for front bumper…

Completely agree!

When I had my car Detailed and ceramic coated, the one thing I now regret is that I didn’t have PPF applied to the front bumper.

It’s the most vulnerable area of the car to be exposed to road chips.  Although the few that exist are mere pin pricks, they could have been avoided completely.  In hindsight, I now consider that the saving I made has proved to be a false economy.

On 3/19/2024 at 3:59 PM, Dibo201 said:

Any best practices or specific cleaning products would be much appreciated

Unless you know what has already been done to the car, I’d be inclined to start with the finish.  Find a good local Detailer and have the car professionally Detailed with a ceramic coating. That involves baking on the ceramic coating with infrared heaters - and with the best will in the world, no home applied product is going to match that.

That ceramic coat is an upfront investment that should last for many years and all you need do then is:

a.  Avoid car washes and the guys that work in supermarket car parks.

b.  Invest in the products listed by Linas in his first post and follow the snow foam, pressure washer, two bucket, microfibre mitt and towel wash routine.  Ideally, using the maintenance products that match the ceramic coating.

Of course, if you really want the best possible exterior protection, you could consider the application of Paint Protection Film - but that’s a whole new level of investment.

https://www.huntsmiths.co.uk

We’ll be finishing off the Chicken Noodle, Lemon Grass broth that I made yesterday, with its added carrots, red pepper, red chillies, ginger, star anise, celery, leeks, pak choi, spring onions, mushrooms, garlic and soy sauce….. before it combusts spontaneously.

2 hours ago, Linas.P said:

my first quote at 19 was £36,000 (thousand, not hundred) 

Was that third party only Linus?

Could be a Guinness Book of Records entry….  😊

2 hours ago, stepppy said:

Ha ha, I thought I was getting confused 🤔. 

We are on a cruise taking in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. We are currently making our way to Keelung so I am sat having a coffee on the ship at 11:30 am, hence the time difference 😆

Yes, that’s cleared that up.  😀

Sounds like a great cruise!  I guess you’ve left the Lexus at home…

No doubt you’ll be enjoying the many delights of the Keelong Night Market - if they let you off the ship.
 

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g13806823-d1383207-Reviews-Keelung_Miaokou_Night_Market-Ren_ai_District_Keelung.html

13 minutes ago, stepppy said:

I naively thought all cars for sale would be presented in their best condition. 

I would have thought so too - if selling cars was your business!

But I understand why you opted for new rather than ‘Pre-Owned’.  My previous car was a Honda Accord.  So my sensible head said buy a low mileage one a year or two old and avoid the instant depreciation as you drive off the forecourt.

But sitting in such vehicles I couldn’t help noticing the odd scratch and scuff.  So I too bought new - did a deal with my Prelude - and enjoyed owning a brand new car.

With the Lexus it was different.  Lexus had stopped marketing the IS250 when I had to replace the Accord.  But Lexus Milton Keynes had this one example barely two years old and immaculately presented.  So I snapped it up!

PS.  It’s not even three o’clock in the morning Stephen!  It’s not that I think so highly of my posts that I repeat them, but you’re replying while I’m still editing them!

57 minutes ago, stepppy said:

The salesman was very upfront about the damage and said it was their policy to not prepare cars until they are sold, just wash and hoover which seemed madness to me

Me too!  More like Arthur Daley than Lexus Main Dealer… 

If you - or indeed anyone else - is looking for a used Lexus, then maybe search for Lexus Select vehicles from the ‘Pre-Owned’ offerings?  These are supposedly subjected to a 150 point check before being presented for sale - the implication being that they are properly prepared and warranted for sale.

There’s more information about these vehicles here:

https://www.lexus.co.uk/pre-owned/lexus-select

34 minutes ago, stepppy said:

The salesman was very upfront about the damage and said it was their policy to not prepare cars until they are sold, just wash and hoover which seemed madness to me

Me too!  More like Arthur Daley than Lexus Main Dealer… 

Have you searched for Lexus Select vehicles from the ‘Pre-Owned’ offerings?  These are supposedly subjected to a 150 point check before being presented for sale - the implication being that they are properly prepared and warranted for sale.

There’s more information about these vehicles here:

https://www.lexus.co.uk/pre-owned/lexus-select

38 minutes ago, LutonChris said:

With the end of the first quarter coming up just thought he would be wanting to make a sale. But the state of the car on its own was shocking. 

I also agree with Ken.  Write a detailed letter to the Dealer Principal (unless of course it was the Dealer Principal!)

After all, that attitude and the state of the car is losing the business sales - probably to another Lexus Dealer.  In your mind it was also damaging the Lexus brand - which would interest Lexus UK even more.  

55 minutes ago, AJ450H said:

Thanks Len, found a tpms service centre who said they could, they fitted a new sensor and then could not program it in. The've given up after 2 seperate attempts and say go to Lexus. Lexus say they will only program sensors they install. 

I am contemplating.........!

I feel annoyed on your behalf Alan!

Did they charge you for the new valve?  If they sold it to you on the basis that they could program it, then the failure to do so is surely down to them.

You originally mentioned that you were looking to buy a set but you’ve just had one replaced. Did they check the other sensors?  If they’re all original then it’s unlikely that just one has run out of Battery life. So the problem could be with the whole system.

It’s certainly the case that a Lexus dealer might only get involved if they’re fitting a ‘Lexus’ part.  Maybe see if a Lexus dealer will check the whole system for you?  Maybe it’s as simple as a fuse that’s failed.  Are you still getting the TPMS warnings?

When I had to replace a TPMS valve it was because a helpful lad had sheared it off while trying to remove the dust cap for me!  Fortunately there was a tyre retailer just four minutes away and fitting a replacement didn’t seem to be a problem at all - and only cost £65.

Perhaps someone else has some better ideas?  

1 hour ago, LutonChris said:

So walked away.

Wise move Chris, by the sound of it!

1 hour ago, LutonChris said:

Still not written off Lexus however overall not a great advert for the brand. 

Don’t despair Chris. It’s much more a reflection on the Dealer.  Anyone in car sales who can’t be bothered to properly prepare a vehicle for presentation doesn’t deserve to stay in business.

I always maintain that if they can’t even be bothered about the bits you can see, then always walk away.  Are there no other recognised Lexus dealerships within a reasonable distance?  I do believe that outfits such as Carwow might be worth looking at - but I’ve no personal experience.

Good luck!

On 4/7/2024 at 11:16 AM, LutonChris said:

There were two advisories in the last MOT for tyre wear front.  So making sure I hold them to the sword to replace those tyres. 

Just to point out, Chris, that if they’re replacing the two front tyres then they should go on the rear wheels.

And they should be the same as the current rear tyres ie you have the same brand and type of tyre on all four wheels!

12 hours ago, Sundance said:

constant use of A/C (turn off when not necessary to noticeably improve mpg)

True…but deciding when it’s not necessary is going to vary from driver to driver.  It’s also a balance of benefits.

One aircon systems maker has these observations:

“Regular operation ensures its functionality and significantly increases its service life.  If the air con system is idle for too long, moving parts and seals can become porous, the risk of losing refrigerant increases and the oil in the compressor can degrade.

This can lead to costly repairs and shorter maintenance intervals. 

However, short time operations of less than ten minutes should be avoided.”

So, I should turn it off to pop up to our village shop and then remember to turn it on again for a drive to the next town.  I - or more likely MrsT - in the absence of a/c will then decide on the internal temperature while not bearing in mind that this can be individually selected between passenger and driver.

As I do a low mileage anyway, the potential mpg saving is outweighed by the maintained system efficiency and marital calm achieved by keeping the system switched on!

But that’s just me! 

14 hours ago, GMB said:

I don't even care if the chinese or our gov't thought police know that I am reading the guardian newspaper website or ordering stuff from amazon.

Hmm…..veeeery interesting!!   🤔

5 hours ago, wheelysteve said:

Had it taken out and had a Shadow system fitted. No issues since,

Just out of interest, Steve, was the Shadow system fitted using the same electrical connections as the Ghost?  Was it fitted by the same auto electrician as fitted - and removed - the Ghost?

On 4/17/2022 at 5:53 PM, PCM said:

A little late in the day, but just to say...Happy Easter.

Happy, safe, content, healthy, peaceful.

I see that this old Post has been resurrected.

How appropriate.

1 hour ago, Rodd said:

With buffered mode as soon as it detects a move near your car it starts recording but will only save 30 seconds before and after the incidents to the sd card and if no incident happens it won’t save anything. 

I’ve always had BlackVue cameras. In the event of an impact, the camera automatically saves a few seconds prior to the impact.  The total length of the recoding can be set by the user.

There is no limit to the number of recordings that can be made in such circumstances.  So in a busy car park you do get quite a few videos of shoppers parking!  Still, if one decided to take exception to your nice Lexus you’d know who to look for!

In standby mode the activation can be by impact or by movement detected by infrared sensors eg someone walking in front or behind the car.  In some cars I’ve returned to find that an impact has been recorded only to find, on examination, that it was me shutting the door on leaving the car!

9 hours ago, Rodd said:

I cancelled the appointment with Lexus to have their dash cam as they told me it doesn’t have parking mode.

Wise decision!

Your car is just as likely to be attacked or damaged when it’s parked - if not more so!

As a general rule, I think this is the kind of equipment best installed by a busy auto electrician - who may be doing it on a regular basis - than a dealer’s mechanic who does it occasionally.

And if this Dealer keeps offering outdated cameras, then they won’t be selling many of them.