LenT

Not seen this before, but it does seem an excellent idea - if it works. It eliminates both the need to drill fixing holes for the sensors and one of the weak points of conventional sensors. Namely, damp can get inside the sensor and it stops working - a particular problem in winter, I’ve found, with an aftermarket system I had fitted to our Suzuki 4x4.

What Goodyears are you used to? The Goodyear F1 Asymmetric 6 is regarded as a direct competitor to the CC2 and some test comparisons would even have it edging the Michelin. I put the original CCs on our Suzuki 4x4 and was very pleased with the noise levels, ride comfort and wet weather handling. I would have had them on the Lexus but mine required two different sizes in the front/rear axles - one of which Michelin didn’t make. So I opted for the Goodyear Asymmetric 5 which again proved an excellent choice. But much depends on your driving style. My prime concern is wet weather performance and ride comfort. If I was to find myself exploring the limits of its dry road grip, then something has gone seriously wrong! There are quite a few comparative tyre reviews for the Michelin CC2 - including against the Goodyear. It’s well worth looking them up. Incidentally, if you have a Costco account, they do have regular discount offers for both brands. Another thought that may surprise you, is that it’s been my experience that my Lexus dealer has matched a price from a tyre Wharehouse - which may be of interest if you can couple it with a Service and perhaps new TPMS valves if appropriate.

I think Rowley has got this right, Scott. There may - or may not - be a significant colour mismatch. But only when it’s in front of you can you really determine if it’s a deal breaker for you. Looking at the images of the other ‘imperfections’, I would have thought that they might be of more interest - especially what seems to be a small crease. Mind you, nothing a good panel beater couldn’t deal with in minutes. And overall - I would have thought - nothing unexpected for the mileage. I don’t know about this sales outfit, but I presume you can always make them an offer? If you do that during the test period, I suspect it’s more likely to be accepted as it saves the cost of recovering the car!

Yes indeed, Ian. Most - if not all - dashcams are impact sensitive. Most - if not all - are also motion sensitive. My query was whether powering your NextBase via the accessory socket fuse will work if the fuse is not live when the ignition is off? If there is a permanently live side to the fuse, then I presume that will piggy-back your power supply. The NextBase may have a small reserve battery that will take over if ‘standby mode’ is enabled. I’m really only familiar with BlackVue, so just querying the NextBase setup.

Good luck with your new Lexus, Ian. And full marks for installing a dashcam! Just one thought: is the cig. lighter fuse controlled by the ignition? That is, is it live when the ignition is off? Assuming your dashcam has a ‘stand-by’ mode, it’s much better to wire it to a fuse that is permanently live so that the dashcam is still functional when the car’s parked. My BlackVue is wired to a live supply via a controller that regulates the supply and ensures that the camera can never drop the battery voltage below a preset level. https://blackvue.co.uk/products/power-magic-pro/ I see no reason why this won’t work with any dashcam - or maybe your own make has something similar.

I can’t help thinking that if ‘you have no idea about these things’ then the answer is probably ….no! The aircon system is not something that should demand frequent attention, so this may be a one-off as far as you’re concerned. An aircon specialist may give you the best price, but a Lexus dealer - or any good Independent - should be able to sort it out. The fact that it appears to have stopped working after only three years may well suggest a leak, as has already been suggested. And as far as I’m aware, re-gassing is not a DIY job as I think the sale of the refrigerant gas is restricted - or at least, it should be! Plus, of course, it requires specialist equipment!

Were I Lexus CFO, I’d be a bit annoyed if they didn’t! 😡 Mind you, I would have thought that Yokohamas would have been the more natural choice. I’ve never bought a new Lexus, so I wonder if it’s at all possible to specify the brand/type of tyre - within a limited selection, no doubt.

That’s exactly what I found when buying my last set of Goodyears. I’d called to arrange a Service and casually asked if they’d like to quote for a set of tyres at the same time. They did and - somewhat to my surprise - matched the price my regular local tyre specialist had offered. As it happens, I didn’t take up the offer - but only because my local tyre shop were also Agents for Alloygators and they would fit a set at the same time. But were I getting new tyres and having a Service, I would have gone with Lexus.

My first suggestion would be to establish your budget. That will probably determine which year/condition/spec of GS300 could make your short list.

My IS250 Premier has TPMS but doesn’t display pressure readings. In fact it only indicates that one - or more - of the wheels has suffered a drop in the preset pressure. The Manual doesn’t indicate that it can do any more than that. Do you have a Manual you can check - or download from the Lexus site?

The Lexus is the first car I’ve had with DLRs, so I still maintain my habit of many decades of driving in daylight with dipped beams. Mind you, I started this in the days when many drivers made do with sidelights - or parking lights as they were more accurately described! I recall an advertising campaign that tried to demonstrate how much more visible cars with dipped beam were in daylight. At the time much was made of the fact that this was common practice in Stockholm but rare in Glasgow - despite both cities being on the same latitude! Frankly, anything I can do to help make me more visible to a fellow motorist driving towards me, sounds like a good plan to me.

Well a directional tyre incorrectly fitted will pose a greater risk of aquaplaning, will have a generally reduced level of road holding and will be noisier. It might even be an MOT fail. Fortunately, it’s not something I’ve personally experienced but - as I suspect reflects your own opinion - if driven with restraint, especially on a wet road, should get you to a tyre shop. If anything, this scenario rather promotes the cause of the SpaceSaver!!

The problem with this argument, I suggest, is that Service periods are determined by either mileage covered or time past - which ever is the greater. So the stipulated Service Intervals and Schedules for your Lexus are either 10,000 miles or 12 months - which ever comes first. Now you may choose to ignore that, but the resulting unstamped Service Record will affect the car’s value should you decide to sell it. As it happens, it’s a situation I face myself, having covered less than 40K miles in eight years. But as Norman points out above, cars deteriorate even just standing still, so I don’t really have a problem with it.

Confusingly, retailers will use both forms even on the same page! https://cartheftsolutions.co.uk/autowatch-ghost-immobiliser-fitting/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvNeDz8Gs_wIV1drtCh3i6QE5EAAYAyAAEgIPefD_BwE It’s rather like knowing that WW11 didn’t come after WW10…

Excellent move with a new car, Steven. When I had mine done I did also consider having Paint Protection Film also applied just to the front of the car as an additional stone chip protection. In the end, I didn’t because although it was very low mileage there was still little evidence of any such damage. However, had it been brand new and with a larger, more vulnerable frontal area, I would probably have done it. The only downside of the Detailing was having to get out the buckets and snow foam and take up car washing again! 🙁

At the very least Steven. 😊 And hopefully you’ll return to let us know all about it. But looking back at the OP - and irritating though some elements may have been - I doubt that I would have castigated a Dealer because of, for example, the careless parking of a van driver. So perhaps I have a generally more relaxed attitude. As an example, at the last Service I asked that the usual complementary valeting should NOT include being taken through the car wash at MK on account of the car having been professionally detailed with a ceramic finish. I had used the.collection and delivery service, so was surprised when I got a call from the Service Manager to say that, unfortunately, that message hadn’t got to the young mechanic so the car had gone through the car wash. The Manager apologised and asked if I would examine the car and if I saw any new damage they would deal with it. Needless to say, there was none. But he needn’t have made the call at all. How would I have known about it? If any marks had been there, how could I prove they were not there when they picked the car up? What that told me about Lexus MK is that they were more concerned about having a satisfied customer than being embarrassed by a small oversight.

And where did you hear that, Steven? Not from me, that’s for sure. I bought my IS250 from them when it was a couple of years old and its had a regular annual service there ever since. So far the service I’ve received has been exemplary. I have three year service plans so that everything is organised for me. At the last MOT I had a video tour of the car to report on its condition and to identify the very few area that might - just might - need attention in the future. The few items I’ve ever asked them to attend to have never been a problem Every six months they contact me - possibly to see if I’m still alive - and if they can interest me in a new Lexus (they can’t). But should Lexus suddenly offer something that suits me better than the one I already have, I would have no hesitation about getting it from Lexus MK. Of course, that’s just based on my experience. Why do you think yours might be different?

Of course that could be because there appears to be only 37 Austin Allegros currently registered in the UK - and 22 of those are on a SORN. 😊

I think that’s still an excellent idea. When I had a Lotus Elan convertible, I often had to leave it parked around London. So as well as a bright yellow Disklok, I fitted an immobilising kill switch in the low tension line to the distributor. It actually consisted of a small threaded rod that screwed into a concealed tube and completed the circuit. I’ve not seen anything like it since, so I don’t know if they’re still available. But it was extremely effective. Whether anything as simple could be fitted to the advanced electronics of modern cars, I have no idea. But it was very effective because the engine would turn over enthusiastically without ever producing a spark!

The most surprising aspect of this information, John, is that we might expect VW to have engineers whose sole job was to steal the cars. And defeat the security systems designed by the other engineers. In much the same way that large enterprises use professional hackers to test their computer systems. As has already been suggested, no car is unstealable. if a car can be lifted onto a trailer without activating any sensors, it can be stolen. Which is when trackers prove their worth. Perhaps what’s needed is a Security Standard for the Motor Industry that defines a minimum level of Theft Prevention by built-in systems. Although, of course, if someone knows how to build them, then - rather like safes and bank vaults- someone else can work out how to break them!

You did well, Alex. I was actually looking for the TPMS reset button and my Manual told me it was under the dash and I still had to lie on my back with a torch to find it! P

The company that supplied my Blackview dashcam (Boros Technology) has just emailed me with details of the Ampire immobiliser - fully fitted for £379. This is claimed to be a worthwhile alternative to even the Ghost ll. Does anyone have experience of Ampire? https://security4vehicles.co.uk/shop/immobilisers/

Well, that could be you, Damian. I presume you’ve been paid out on your Policy, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make the Insurers an offer to buy it back. The Insurers will probably get it checked for roadworthiness and then put it out to an Auction. You’re in a position to save them a lot of time and money. After all, they are not in the car sales business!

I’ve had two Service Plans and am of an age when renewing for a third time gives me something to look forward to. I’m sure it much depends on your relationship with your local Lexus dealer, but I appreciate the fact that they now take responsibility for remembering and arranging services- even to the extent of collecting the car. I pay the lump sum - which offers an additional saving - and of course the Plan itself provides a hedge against price increases. As I understand it, should I sell the car before the Plan is finished, there is a pro rata refund. Finally, it ensures that the car has a complete Dealer Service Record, which also helps to maintain its value.

I think Herbs has the answer. The working life of the sensors is reckoned to be 5 - 10 years, depending on usage. So if these are the originals then they have done well. I suggest you get a replacement quote from a good tyre retailer, to compare with a Lexus dealer. When I had one replaced, it cost me £65 including fitting. You could just find out if it’s only one that is failing, but it’s more effective to replace the set if they’re the same vintage. Maybe consider the state of the tyres if you’re getting this done, as they have to be removed anyway so refitting new ones could be a good move.