LenT

I have a neighbour who only occasionally runs his E-Type Jaguar, so the battery is constantly running flat. He used to borrow my mains powered booster, but I retired that some time ago. Recently he popped round to borrow it again, but he was a bit surprised when instead I produced a small box from my car boot. As we walked to his garage, he said that he thought he might borrow the big booster but I suggested we could try this first. As I connected the considerably smaller NOCO to his battery, he was clearly unimpressed and said “It’s a big engine, you know!” So his look of astonishment when the Jag’s engine turned over once before roaring into life, was something to behold. Astonishingly, three weeks later he turned up again accompanied by a friend. Apparently he was going to give him a run in the Jag but the battery was flat again - and could he borrow the NOCO! This time he couldn’t stop telling his friend about this amazing device I had. Fortunately, although I hadn’t recharged it, the NOCO performed its magic again. This time my neighbour took a photo of it on the basis that he would get his own! Whether he has I shall no doubt discover as winter approaches. 😊

May I ask…did you also remove the tyre, fit the valve and then replace the tyre? Because I would have thought that this requires equipment the usual DIYer doesn’t have. The days when all I needed were a couple of tyre levers, a rubber faced mallet, a foot pump and washing up liquid are long gone! Mind you, buying from Lexus is a sound move if you can find a Dealer or tyre retailer to fit it for you. But Damian didn’t want to do that!

In my case, it was an emergency replacement but from an established specialist retailer that I had used before. It was a branded product but not one I was familiar with as I hadn’t needed to replace such a valve before. In Damian’s case he has the opportunity to call the retailer first and check the availability of a suitable valve and then do some research on it. In common with a lot of such products, it could be to OEM spec anyway.

When I had to replace a snapped valve immediately, I was able to get to a large, local tyre retailer who had a suitable replacement in stock. They charged me £65 to remove the tyre, replace the valve and tyre and then register the new valve to the system.

You’re right to be concerned and cautious, Stephen. Good friends of ours suffered a front tyre blowout with their BMW on a motorway, and were very lucky to survive the ensuing crash!

Possibly a badly scratched rear bumper section? Mind you, it would be interesting to know if the driver faced any prosecution or might instead claim that being so traumatised by the threat to life that, in trying to escape, inadvertently selected reverse. This recent news item demonstrates the sometimes unappreciated and fatal risks that thieves face while just trying to earn a dishonest living. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-02-15/catalytic-converter-theft-death-los-angeles-county

At the risk of sounding pedantic, Stephen, I would have thought that arch contact on the tyre would have been not only more obvious, but rather more serious. I once had a large tyre retailer recommend a set of new Avon tyres for my Lotus Elan, despite them being slightly over wide. He claimed he had already fitted such tyres without any problems. The results were indeed amazing, improving the already impressive handling to a significant degree. Some weeks later I happened to be inspecting the front of the car and - to my disbelief - noticed a deep groove had been cut in to the inside sidewall of both front tyres. When the suspension was unloaded there was plenty of clearance between the tyre and the top of the suspension leg. Once back on the ground a cover topping the suspension leg was rubbing the inside tyre wall. I guess I was within days of having both front tyres blow out!

I think our village has only recently stopped paying Danegeld!

Is this because it’s an auto and he needs to take his test on a manual?

I can’t see a downside for you either, Herbs! I wish you both every happiness in your new Home for many years to come.

1865? Introduction of Red Flag act.

Sign spotted in Setem …Spetmen…Stempeb… August 2014…

I think you’re right! I had it applied to a new car ‘FOC’ as a special treat by the Dealer. I certainly wouldn’t have paid extra for it. These days there are much better, proven systems for superior paint protection.

Not an unreasonable expectation, Steve. Probably too late now, but I do believe some car park operators will allow the recognised owner of a stolen vehicle access to the video if it will help to track the thieves. After all, it’s in their interests to catch car thieves as it’s not good for business! Crude but effective Steve. The only problem with it, that I can see, is that it’s only when the thief has already damaged the car that they encounter the plate. Same with something like a Ghost Immobiliser - or a simple Kill Switch that isolates the fuel pump. It’s the principle of a layered defence. The thief overcomes the obvious devices but is then faced with wondering why the engine turns over but won’t start. Short of calling out the AA, or putting the car on a trailer, it becomes easier to look for another target. And of course being presented with all these barriers to overcome increases the possibility of a Tracker! And if you can provide evidence that you’ve taken all these precautions, it seems reasonable that you should see a reduction in your premium as you’re reducing the risk of theft. Well, you can but ask!

I would emphasise again that the car does have a very good quality baked on ceramic finish. One of the benefits is that it makes the removal of bird droppings very much easier and the paint surface much harder to stain or scratch. Something to consider if you live under highly incontinent birds!

Unless it’s a fresh deposit - for which I find that kitchen roll and plenty of water is perfectly adequate - I using a method recommended by a professional Detailer. I have a couple of maintenance sprays for my ceramic finish. I spray the avian gift and allow it to soften until it easily wipes off. The spray then also reinforces the ceramic coating.

I may have misread this, but you appear to say that you replaced the two front Nokias with new Michelin CCs. This may have contributed to the aquaplaning you experience. Firstly, it’s not a good idea to mix tyres with different tread and compounds because they will react differently under challenging conditions. It’s also the recommendation that the newer tyres always go on to the rear axles, irrespective of which axle is the driven one. If you still have this arrangement, you may find it beneficial to swap the wheels - bearing in mind that the Michelins are directional and the correct direction of rotation is indicated by an arrow on the outer wall.

Possibly you are…but it’s still a significant sum of money that you’re risking on what I would call a ‘pig in a poke’! At this end of the market, buying a car you cannot test drive - especially from a private seller - may well be a risk too far! Perhaps a test drive and/or an inspection should be your minimum requirement? So your search should be confined to respected local Dealers, where you’ll have a degree of legal protection; local private sellers you can check on; or better sources such as Autotrader (not necessarily Auto Car, as I absentmindedly typed in an earlier post!) It may also be the case that your model spec is too restrictive. These cars were not big sellers in the first place, so you may be waiting quite some time for the ‘right one’ to come on the market. There’s always the risk that you’ll compromise on your ideal purchase - only to have it turn up once you’ve bought what was available!. But thinking like that could mean you’re never going to make a decision! Once I buy something that suits, I stop looking!

I don’t know enough about this model to comment, but I’m sure someone will come along who does! But I would say that most sellers expect a buyer to negotiate down, so that may help you - as may all the comments already made. As for the ML audio, as far as I’m aware it was only available on the top spec models. Otherwise you got the Pioneer system - which was perfectly acceptable for most people. Good luck in your search….

If you’re saying that the registered owner is a garage that bought it less than a month ago, but you’re dealing with a ‘Private’ seller, then you could well be right that this is a ruse by the Dealer to avoid their legal responsibility. I can’t see the point as, according to the Ownership History you’ve already acquired, the Garage is the registered owner so it should be their Agent selling the car - so they are liable anyway. If the seller is operating without the Garage’s knowledge, then they’re stealing it! You also make a good point about any upcoming Service requirements that you may have to cover. As for price, have you looked on the Auto Car website and searched for similar cars for sale near you? It might even turn up there! At the very least, you might find another Lexus that’s less problematic.

This is an excellent suggestion - especially considering the considerably higher than average annual mileage. An alternative would be to take it to a Lexus dealer. Tom mentions the ‘paperwork’…ideally this means all the Service Records, Parts Receipts and MoT Reports. Armed with the reg. number, you can also check the MoT reports on the DVLA website. Check to see if it has all the original equipment / tools / spare wheel / manual that it was sold with. Things like jacks tend to go missing over the years and can offer a negotiating point as you will want to replace them.

Sound advice as ever, Ronnie. 🙂 (Hard to explain to my accountant, however.) The box illustration shows it horizontally across the top of the wheel - which didn't seem to work for me no matter how much fumbling went on in the driver's seat. (Stop that sniggering at the back there!) But as you rightly say, placing it vertically and near the passenger side, meant it embraced the top of the wheel, the centre spoke and the bottom of the wheel. Removal - given that the sturdy lock itself lived up to its claims - would require cutting through the top and bottom of the wheel and the spoke in-between. Probably generating enough noise for a long enough time to put off the opportunist thief. Yes, indeed. Otherwise I'd probably just fritter it away on non-essentials! 😄

Of course it could be a sensor detecting vehicle or pedestrian movement near the car. However, in a cluster next to the steering wheel, you may have a button with a large P on it, which appears to be transmitting to a small cone! This switches the parking assist sensor system on and off. Personally, I find the system very useful. Considering the age of the car, you may well find one or more of the sensors have corroded so they operate erratically. I expect a good auto electrician can check the sensors to see if this is the case.

In the ‘Old Days’ removing the rotor arm from the distributor served the same function. You just had to make sure you didn’t lose it!

If that’s the case, and presuming it’s the Bridgestone Potenza you refer to, then you might be interested in this Review. Among others, it compares the Potenza with the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6. It’s also a good demonstration of how to analyse the performance of different tyres. But again I think it’s important to apply comments to your own driving style and road conditions. There may well be negative observations that you feel will not really apply in your circumstances. Still, do let us know what you finally decide! 👍