LenT

I appreciate that, Ronnie. Despite the fact that you’ve just cost me £80! It was your enthusiastic recommendation of the Milenco steering wheel lock that finally decided me to buy one. It arrived an hour ago. I wasn’t going to bother for an eight year old car, but it’s coming up to my Birthday so I thought - what the heck - let’s celebrate! 🥳

Thanks for your interesting reply, but I'm not sure there's much more I can add. Of course, much depends on your driving style. At 10K miles I would expect to see hardly any wear, for example. But I wonder if you are worrying unnecessarily? Drifting to one side on notably cambered roads is what wheels tend to do - especially at higher speeds. I can sometimes get the same effect if I take my hands off the wheel. I suppose it can be mitigated by adjusting the toe-in, for example, but that might create other problems. I don't really understand this comment. No tyre, once at operating temperature, should be even slightly concave. What would be the point? Tyres are designed to be flat across the tread and so present the maximum amount of rubber to the road surface. After all, it's the only contact your car has with the road! If the tread is concave, the tyre's underinflated. I had a look at this article and I wonder if your confidence might be misplaced? It seems to me that his 'research' primarily consists of trawling social media sites eg Reddit for comments about tyres. As a scientific analysis, this is a non-starter! He's simply cherry-picking comments by posters about whom he knows nothing. He doesn't know how they drive, how well they maintain their cars, how knowledgeable they are? Or even, come to that, if they work for Yokohama or Goodyear! Nevertheless, his conclusions are definitive:. Customers have reported numerous Michelin CrossClimate 2 problems in product reviews and ratings – most notably, the tires are noisy... But two paragraphs earlier he states: While some customers experienced very loud road noises when driving with CrossClimate 2 tires (especially at high speeds), other customers were pleasantly surprised by the low noise output they experienced while driving. So is 'some' customers more or less numerically greater than 'other' customers? Is the claimed difference in road noise due to underinflation, road surface, tracking errors - he has no way of knowing! So on what basis has he decided to feature the negatives in his summary and ignore a significant positive? I respectfully suggest that without that data, the mere fact that you personally identify with one criticism does not mean that it was a substantial verdict of them all! These kinds of totally contradictory comments are typical of virtually all such 'expert' comparative sites, irrespective of the product. For a more reliable and considered approach, this is a good example. https://www.tyrereviews.com/Article/2022-Tyre-Reviews-All-Season-Tyre-Test.htm Here, one professional driver takes a selection of comparable tyres around the same test track on the same car in the same weather conditions, evaluating each tyre's performance against set criteria. True, there is still a degree of subjectivity involved, but it is that of an experienced tester in circumstances in which he can make direct and immediate comparisons. Consider your driving style and priorities in terms of tyre performance. If they're more accurately reflected in professional tests like these, then that's the guidance I would be inclined to follow. But just to throw a little spanner into your selection...another poster has just ordered his new UX with....Goodyear Vector All Season Gen3. So there's a thought! 🙂

How many miles have you done on these tyres? The general recommendation is to change the tyre at 3mm tread depth. If there’s no signs of uneven wear and the pressures, tracking and wheel geometry are all correct, as you say, then when did these problems first become obvious? Did they develop over time? Not something I’ve heard myself! Have you tried swapping the wheels from front to back, to see if that makes a difference? The best tyres should be on the rears anyway. The Michelin CC is a directional tyre and an arrow on the outside tyre wall indicates the direction of forward rotation. So they can’t be changed from side to side, but maybe this has been done in the past? We have the Michelins on another car, and the Goodyears on the Lexus. They’re both excellent tyres - as the tyre reviews confirm. Subjectively the blocky tread of the Michelins looks to me like it would be the more effective in very wet and snowy conditions - but differences in tyre compound would also have an effect. So I’m very satisfied with the Goodyears on the Lexus. Frankly, if you fit a new set of Goodyears correctly - or Michelins, come to that - and still have the problems you describe, then I can’t see how it can be anything to do with the tyres! Maybe someone else has some other ideas? Still, all the best!

The Michelins are excellent tyres and the problems you describe would not be characteristic. The first thought that occurs to me is that you should check the tyre pressures. If you’re not sure what they should be, you’ll find a plate listing the pressures fixed to the driver’s door frame - from memory! Another possibility is that the tracking is incorrect, which would also contribute to the pulling effect. One clue is that the tyre wear across the tread will be uneven and you may even see ‘feathering’ on the tyre blocks. I’d be inclined to take the car to a good tyre retailer and have the tyres and steering/suspension geometry checked.

If you’re referring to the OP, I wouldn’t hold your breath. It was posted almost exactly three years ago! In fact the Asymmetric 5s referred to have now been superseded by the Asymmetric 6s. I have the 5s and they have proved to be an excellent choice, especially concerning their wet weather performance, I suggest you look at the many tyre reviews which compare the Goodyears with, for example, the Michelin CrossClimate. Mind you, one recent poster spoke very favourably of another, even newer Goodyear All Season tyre.

That’s the way to do it, Ed. But it was in the day when the English way was…Larn-seea. And probably still is! Oh how we laughed! 😊

In its defence, I had one as a Company car for, I think, a couple of years. Perhaps I didn’t have it long enough, but my recollection is of a very comfortable car that was a pleasure to drive and proved faultless during my ownership. I particularly recall an Italian neighbour commenting approvingly about it - and being especially impressed at my correct pronunciation of the name ‘Lancia’! 😊

This is very sad news indeed, Steve. It’s a modern evil with which every car owner can empathise. The infuriating reality is that the security standards built in to a 2018 car are easily defeated by 2023 technology. Other than the car’s immobiliser, did you have any other, more visible deterrents? A steering wheel lock, for example? MInd you, I recently had a conversation with one manufacturer claiming a high standard of resistance for their lock, who nevertheless conceded that given sufficient time, privacy and the right tools, any mechanical lock can be defeated. The trick is to make the effort and risk not worth the trouble it takes! Did you place your key into a Faraday Pouch to prevent the signal being cloned? This is a favourite method of access in supermarket thefts as the thief knows the car owner is going to be away for some time. Have you checked with the car park operator to see if your car was covered by CCTV? At the very least, try to find out when the car actually left the car park. The area you mention is - I suspect - well monitored by cameras and while the Police may not like it, it is possible to track the car’s progress from the car park. If the thief thought that it might have a Tracker, then the usual practice is to park it up somewhere secluded for a few days to see if it’s collected. So having an idea where it went could narrow the search area. The Police may claim it’s not worth the man hours for one car, but your car was probably stolen to order and represents the tip of a profitable organised crime business. I hope it all turns out alright for you.

Are you planning to remove the tyre and replace the valve yourself? Because you require professional equipment to do that. The best people to do this kind of work would be a good tyre retailer who does it on a daily basis. When I had a broken TPMS valve replaced, it was by just such a local company who supplied, fitted and registered a compatible valve for £65. Whether they would have done the job using a customer-supplied valve, I don’t know. If you have a good, local tyre retailer you could check with them first. But if they don’t supply the valve then I can’t see them taking any responsibility for it. I rarely buy anything off eBay because I don’t trust the provenance of the products. If you have a good, local tyre retailer who can supply and fit an OEM valve, is it really going to cost significantly more than buying a cheap valve - and then have the problem of fitting it?

And that’s understandable when you’re trying to economise and standardise the production of a printed Manual. But if a Company is trying to switch all its customers to pdfs, then there’s less of a case for it. After all, to do a ‘Search & Replace’ across pages of digitised text takes very little time at all.

Interesting, Paul. ’Tire’ brings up 200 references. But ‘Tire pressures’ and ‘tyre’ both bring up ‘Search complete. Nothing found’. Curious! if you know what you’re looking for, I can see that this can be helpful - if the battery lasts. If you’re trying to track the cause of a strange effect - and considering how information is scattered across sections - I find it easier to have a printed Manual to hand and simply flip across the sections and all the additional notes. I really don’t want to also have to worry about spelling idiosyncrasies when I’ve bought a UK version of the Lexus, which may differ in significant respects to the US version anyway. Presuming that in non-English speaking countries where Lexus is sold, they get a pdf in their native language, I would prefer the UK to get a digitally corrected pdf in English English.

I think you’ve just identified the problem, Peter. On my iPad I create and keep all the pdfs in ‘Book’. I’ve just opened ‘Book’ and selected the Lexus Manual. By dint of various tappings, I get a page opened which has a search panel in the top right. I tap the search panel, bringing up a keyboard - but no button marked ‘Ctrl’. I type in ‘tyre pressures’ and hit ‘enter’. Moments later the screen tells me: ‘ Search complete. Nothing found. ‘ I type in ‘Ignition’ and 72 matches pop up! Now I’m not suggesting that the Manual shouldn’t be available digitally, just that the digital version should still be available in printed form. After all, the really difficult part - namely creating the page artwork - has already been done.

Maybe I’m doing it all wrong, but that’s certainly not my experience. I have both volumes - and over 1100 pages - on my iPad. But for ease of searching and reading, I flick open the printed Manual every time. It also has the advantage that the print is not likely to suddenly disappear as the battery runs out!

Yes!

If you’re referring to the Goodyear Asymmetric 6, then I think you’ll be very satisfied with them. I have an earlier version - only because the Michelin CrossClimates were not available at the time - and they have proved to be excellent performers, especially in the wet.

My Father was a London taxi driver. So growing up this was the only family transport I knew. I recall the outside bulb horn, the open area for passengers’ luggage - which meant that in winter he drove with a blanket around his knees (no heater!) - and the convertible back - which I don’t recall ever being opened up! Holidays generally involved chugging down from Tottenham to Southend at about 40mph. In winter, when the windscreen was iced over in the mornings, he would boil up a kettle of water and throw it over the screen! Why it never shattered into pieces, I have never worked out. Sadly, he died a taxi driver and my Mother had to wait until I was eighteen and got a car of my own before she could again enjoy the luxury of being driven around! The actual taxi was a 1940s model, pretty much like this one: https://images.app.goo.gl/LCv98PN8i8K2G1XY8

If your battery is only a few months old, then it will be under warranty. Take the car back to where you bought the battery and ask them to check it. It’s always possible that it has a fault, and you probably don’t know how long it’s been standing around before you bought it. The seller should be able to check the battery condition and the charging rate, to see if it’s a fault with the car’s electrical system. They should also be able to detect if you have a drain on the electric system. Remember, it’s a brand new battery. Presumably, you didn’t have this problem with your previous battery, so the problem is theirs not yours.

My IS250 has a system whereby if you have the ignition switched to Accessories in order to just listen to the audio system, it will switch off after a set time specifically in order to avoid flattening the battery - which can be very annoying in the middle of a programme! I would have thought that your Lexus would have had such a system. Is there not also some procedure that will enable you to escape from the car if the battery is flattened? After all, you presumably had a phone with which to call for assistance. If that hadn’t been the case, how long before you were discovered - presumably unable even to sound the horn to attract attention! As it’s a new car still under warranty, I would call the selling Dealer and require them to investigate the problem. It could be a faulty battery or charging system., or a constant drain somewhere. Incidentally, I carry a NOCO Power Pack in my boot in order to jump start engines. I haven’t yet had to use it myself, but it has come to the aid of others!

I suspect that may be because fish don’t yet have a vote. 😊

She sounds like a very wise woman indeed, Linas! 😀

I have long argued that dashcam systems should be available fitted on new cars. And indeed Lexus does offer a perfectly good Nextbase system. Installing during the build is obviously the most efficient course. I take your point, Herbie, that it may not offer the features - or the cost benefits - that you might independently choose. But Lexus also offers audio systems that are either Mark Lawrence or Pioneer, depending on the model you choose. But do they offer a Lexus without any audio system at all so that the buyer can fit a cheaper system of their choice? So in effect, that principle has already been established. I expect that Lexus could offer a wider choice, but I suspect they would argue that they would only supply equipment that reflected their own values - and that they could buy in at advantageous prices, as they do with tyres! An alternative could be that your new Lexus is supplied ready for the dealer fitting of a customer provided system, although that may produce warranty problems or disputes in the event of failure. The really encouraging feature is that the argument has now moved on from why fit one at all!

I’ve had a couple of these and they’re pretty much the Gold Standard in steering wheel locks. But as Milenco recently wrote to me, given time, equipment and a quiet location, any lock can be eventually defeated. But using powerful cutting tools in a confined space is both noisy and dangerous - and every extra minute increases the risks. Personally, I’m now looking at the Milenco bar, which claims to be as resistant as the Disklok but more convenient to use. I like the concept of the Ghost-like systems. But I think the mistake is to advertise their installation. Ideally, the thief only discovers the possibility that the car has one after defeating the door and steering wheel locks and jumping the ignition lock. Faced with an engine that just turns over, or stops after a few seconds, that’s when the possibility of a Ghost Immobiliser might occur - but that means starting all over again. Many will give up at that point - and maybe come back at a later date! Thieves go for the direct CANbus attack when they know such a system is already installed. As I have posted elsewhere, for a competent DIYer the fitting of a ‘Kill Switch’ to the fuel pump seems an attractive proposition. It produces the same result as a Ghost Immobiliser but is harder to bypass. Ultimately, your car can always be loaded on to a trailer! So security gates and Rising Posts come in to consideration. And then your car disappears from the supermarket car park because you forgot to put the keys in the Faraday Pouch! Best solution - get something like an old Austin Allegro. No-one ever wants to steal one of them!

If you’re a competent DIYer, this might appeal. It’s a simple hidden kill switch that isolates the fuel pump. So the engine will churn over but will never fire up. It’s highly unlikely that any car thief is going to hang around to try and diagnose the problem. Or call out the AA. This, in conjunction with a visible deterrent - a Stoplock or a Milenco - really only leaves putting the car onto a trailer.

Yummy! Do they deliver?

Bark Bells! Really? Lucky I didn’t post my joke about the Parallel Barks! Oh, drat! 🙁