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LenT

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  1. If this is a new vehicle, Tim, I would have expected the Sales Staff to have given you a detailed handover that would cover such questions. And then to remain in contact so that they can deal with the new queries that become apparent after a few days driving. After all, it takes time to discover what you don’t know that you don’t know! For many drivers it’s a journey of discovery that’s all part of the pleasure of ownership. And much as I am an advocate of reading the Manual, it can be a dry old tome, totally devoid of even the odd chuckle.
  2. Yes, I was reading about this in the D Telegraph this morning. As well as investing several millions on improving vehicle security, he claimed that JRL were donating several hundred thousands to persuade dock security to do their job more efficiently. As he rightly states: “We’ve got to make it more difficult for gangs and people to operate. We’re partly funding police security at the ports because there isn’t enough. The containers are not being checked, and they get out of the country.” It would be interesting to know who knew about these failings and did nothing about them! Sounds like the Post Office debacle all over again!
  3. So starts The Wiper Wars! As I mentioned earlier, I’ve just replaced Bosch Aerotwin with Bosch Aerotwin. And I actually noticed how much smoother and quieter the replacements were. Which really just demonstrates how wiper blades can deteriorate so gradually that it’s only after replacement that you become aware of it. On other cars I have used Michelin, Wipac and Lucas but wouldn’t say that any of them were dramatically inferior. I do like the Bosch fitting system - which is remarkably easy once I remember how to do it! But before I did get my new Bosch, I had a little check around and discovered that Autoexpress had conducted a little test - albeit in 2022 - which confirmed their recommendation for Bosch. Unfortunately, they didn’t test Dentso. https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/product-group-tests/36172/best-wiper-blades-2022 PS. Problems with skipping and squealing can often be due to contaminates on the screen. This can be solved by using an effective screen cleaner directly on the glass - and ensuring that the blades themselves are clean.
  4. That does seem to be the way of it these days. The medical professionals present the options and it’s then a matter of ‘Patient Choice’. Which can be fine - especially if you have the same degree of knowledge as the Consultant! My attitude is to prefer the least invasive option initially. I have also found that asking the Consultant directly the question “If it was your heart condition, what would you do?” allows them to give a less guarded response. I appreciate the dilemma. If the medical advice is that you should have physically recovered from the effects of surgery after twelve weeks, then the medication should then reduce the chances of further heart problems on a par with simply staying at home. As has been mentioned, let everyone know about the heart bypass, that you’re still recovering from it and that if there’s anything even slightly strenuous to be done, you’ll be watching them do it! I suspect that you’ll regret not meeting up with your Son - and I expect he’ll particularly appreciate you making the effort after such a serious operation. Finally, if you do meet up, be disciplined enough not to celebrate too enthusiastically. I’m sure everyone will be understanding if you decline the usual glasses of alcohol consumed at such events! 😊
  5. This must be a very encouraging read for any younger members, knowing that some of its most prolific contributors and Lexus owners could pop their clogs at any min
  6. All the very best wishes with that, Neil. Many years ago I was assured by the Head of Heart Surgery at the John Radcliffe, Oxford that a heart bypass was as near to routine as modern surgery gets. I take it that stents were not an option in your case, but as Stephen has eloquently described, this bypass is literally the gift of a new lease of Life. Apart from that, how are you getting on with the Ghost? It’s something I considered but in the end didn’t think my eight year old Lexus was a prime target for the local thievery. But I thought it an impressive piece of kit.
  7. This is really the key to the whole setup. I’ve had BlackVue cameras almost since they came on the market, but they are among the pricier of options. But it all depends on how much technology you think will be really useful to you. No point in paying for facilities you might never use - such as being able to sit in a restaurant and check the live camera feed while you eat! BlackVue has the Power Magic Pro which connects to the fuse box and provides a monitored power supply when the ignition is off so that the camera is always on standby when parked. Another feature that attracted me to the BlackVue is that it’s a small cylinder that sits between the screen and mirror - and is generally invisible from outside the car. You can check out the range at www.blackvue.com As regards fitting, I used a local auto electrician on the basis that they’re probably installing more - and on a regular basis- than anyone at Lexus.
  8. Coincidentally, I put a new set of Bosch on this morning. The one good tip I would support is placing a substantial cloth pad on the windscreen just where the wiper arm would hit it if it dropped down. Because some times it does! 🙁
  9. Well, that could be one answer - a wipe over with a damp cloth might sort it out. But considering the age of the car, I would have thought that years of damp may be the cause. It may be that the sensor connections have rusted or possibly even the selector switch operated by the gear lever when selecting reverse?
  10. Is there some reason why you didn’t think it worthwhile to investigate this option? After all, you’ve nothing to lose…apart from your Lexus, of course. 😊
  11. Well you clearly don’t want to go to a Lexus dealer! When I had to replace one urgently as a result of it being sheared off (that’s another story!) I happened to know that there was a large tyre retailer just minutes away. They were able to supply, fit and register a compatible valve for about £65. So rather than looking for a store, as such, you might do better ringing around the local tyre retailers. I’ll probably replace all four when I get the next set of tyres and look for a discount by bundling valves and tyres together.
  12. If there’s nothing in the Manual - and my Manual was ambiguous and misleading when I was replacing my main bulbs - I would take it to a convenient Lexus dealer and ask them to confirm what bulb / bulbs were in place. Mine were D4S specification and I replaced them - just one in each unit - with Osram Nightbreaker Laser, which were a considerable improvement. I didn’t think that LED units were fitted in 2016 models, but I could well be wrong about that!
  13. It rather depends on why the tyre is cheap! Presenting it with a combination of adverse road conditions - such as cold, snow and ice - is no time to discover that the manufacturer used inferior materials and poor design technology. It may sound obvious, but I avoid anything that’s merely cheap if my life depends on it! However, there are many alternatives to Premium priced tyres. For example, many major manufacturers produce lower cost ranges simply by offering a more restricted range of sizes - but still applying the sophisticated tyre design and materials development that they’ve invested in. If it helps, here’s a website that claims to list the lesser known brands owned by the major tyre manufacturers. I think it’s reasonable to presume that they maintain their standards while reducing the price. https://tyres.rezulteo.co.uk/expert-advice/before-buying/brands-products/leading-tyre-manufacturers-which-brand-belongs-to-which-group
  14. LenT

    Tyres

    My IS came with 18” wheels and low profile tyres. But it was also available with 17” wheels and higher profile tyres - which I might have preferred. They would have given it a more comfortable ride, due to the greater flexion of the outside wall, and reduced the chance of kerbing the alloys! I think your age of IS250 might have been supplied with a choice of 16” or 17” alloys with the larger wheel having the low profile tyre. So if you want a higher profile tyre for comfort reasons, then you’ll have to match it with the smaller size alloy in order to keep the rolling radius of the wheel the same - otherwise the speed and mileage will be incorrect.
  15. Thanks for your reply. I’ll keep my comments on ‘genocide’ brief rather than meander too far from the original topic of China (has anyone mentioned the Uyghur or Hmong?) On a small point of detail: You’re slightly out of date. The latest estimate from the Central Bureau of Statistics, December 2023, is 21.1%. In other words, there are an increasing number of citizens of Israel who you name as Palestinian. I still fail to see how that qualifies as ‘genocide’. What I believe is actually irrelevant. However, anyone interested in a detailed analysis of both reports might benefit from this appraisal by an American academic Cary Nelson: https://fathomjournal.org/amnesty-international-israel-and-race-baiting/ And here’s another backgrounder! https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-status-of-arabs-in-israel When it comes to discrimination, I can’t help feeling that should you happen to be, Arabic and, say, female or homosexual – or possibly both – you might well prefer your status in Israel. Yes, my error! I should have written ‘required’ not ‘allowed’. Apparently this is the current situation. The sole legal distinction between Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel is that the latter are not required to serve in the Israeli army. This was to spare Arab citizens the need to bear arms against their brethren. Nevertheless, many Arabs have volunteered for military duty – more than 1,000 in 2020 – and the Druze and Circassian communities are subject to the draft.
  16. The latest demographics of Israel show that of its 9.8M population, 7.2M (73%) are Jews and 2.1M (21%) Arab - the majority of the latter apparently preferring to describe themselves as ‘Palestinians in Israel’ or ‘Israeli Palestinians’. They have full voting rights as Citizens of Israel - and I believe they are discriminated against in only one respect: they are not allowed to join the IDF. It was considered invidious to ask them to face possible military action against other Palestinians. So if the definition of ‘genocide’ is ‘the systematic and deliberate extermination of a national and racial group’ ( eg driving all Jews into the Sea) I don’t really see how giving full citizenship to another racial group achieves its extermination. In fact it’s further complicated by the fact that the birth rate for the Muslim population of Israel - although it has considerably reduced - is still greater than that of the Jewish population. Which suggests that there will be more Palestinian Arabs becoming Israeli citizens in years to come than fewer - the antithesis of genocide, I would have thought.
  17. A very good choice. Generally regarded as even being a very good all-season tyre which in comparative tyre tests has performed as well as the Michelin CrossClimate.
  18. You’d think ‘Going equipped’ would include a can of fuel!
  19. Very interesting, Colin. So if I’ve understood you correctly, the CANbus vulnerability was introduced from October 2016 as a result of what was probably sold to IS buyers as an upgrade at the time. As mine is an IS250 registered in February 2015, I suppose I should find this reassuring. Incidentally, I have been led to believe that that was also the last month in which my particular V6 Premier variant was sold in the UK. Do you have any sales stats that might confirm this?
  20. Oooops! 😧 My apologies for the typo Linas. My tipping is not what it used to be! But as I may also be confusing you with Linus Pauling - currently the only person to be awarded two Nobel Prizes - I hope you'll forgive me!
  21. As an owner of just such a Lexus, my thinking is that the value and demand for my eight year-old vehicle makes it less attractive to a thief aiming to sell it on as a legitimate used car. They may also presume it to be of a high mileage, which rules out breaking for parts. I was concerned about catalytic converter theft - of which it has three. But on checking with my local Lexus Dealer about fitting appropriate shields, I was advised that ‘they were unaware of cat thefts from IS250s.’ This they attributed to the main cat being inaccessible in the engine bay and the other two being so small that they contained comparatively so little of the rare earth elements that theft is not worth the risk.
  22. Thanks for your comments, Linus, but I’m not sure that it really contradicts my admittedly somewhat ‘tongue in cheek’ observation. The majority of car theft is now targeted vehicles stolen to order - either to be sold on or broken for parts. So it’s driven by demand. As you rightly say: Now what contributes to the fact that Lexus cars ‘are genuinely sought after’ is their much lauded reliability - as promoted by the likes of ‘Which’! It’s certainly the case that some stolen vehicles are bought by unsuspecting buyers, but I doubt the majority can be unaware of the history of their new, remarkably cheap motor - especially if, as I suppose, such attractive features as the famed Lexus Warranty appear difficult to enforce! It thus follows that if a Warranty claim is difficult to enforce, then its reliability becomes an important factor in the relationship between car thief and car buyer. I suspect that this type of buyer is not generally one who seeks redress through the Courts, but will be more inclined to take direct and personal action. 👊 The CANBUS vulnerability also strikes me as a ‘two-edged sword’. Unless the vehicle is being broken for parts, then the thieves have to repair the damage before anyone is going to buy the car - whether it stays in the UK or is shipped abroad. Clearly, it can be just as easily stolen again by another set of thieves using the same method - only this time the ‘owner’ may be less inclined to report it! Worse still, they may come looking for a replacement from their original supplier - and not in the best of moods. So my advice to car thieves attempting to sell on a stolen Lexus is that it is in their own interests to fit an effective shield to foil further CANBUS attacks in the future. 😊
  23. An interesting thought, Malcolm. I bought some shares when they went public - and they plummeted almost immediately! I did think that being a shareholder might bring some benefits but if there are, they’ve passed me by! Mind you, MrsT’s Suzuki 4x4 has always had good quotes from Saga and is currently on a three-year fixed price deal. And I notice that they seem to have enough funds to finance very large cruise ships. Pity we avoid large cruise ships like the plague! On the very few occasions I’ve had to contact Saga, it’s been a very simple process and the individuals involved have been very pleasant to deal with. Apparently that type of customer service costs a little extra these days!
  24. Car thieves obviously get ‘Which Car Reports’. I note that in the Feb 24 edition the Lexus brand yet again tops the Reliability Table of 29 brands in all three car age groups. In two car age groups (0-4, 10-15) it gets four stars, and in the 5-9 it gets five. In fact Lexus is the only brand awarded five stars for its reliability in any category. I suspect it’s partly due to Which that car thieves are now increasingly attracted to Lexus. After all, if you’ve sold a stolen car to someone, you don’t want them to come looking for you when it keeps breaking down!
  25. Not quite sure why you wouldn’t want to do that, Jon. Presumably you’re familiar with the use of Dinitrol and it’s the right product for treating the rust? Do it while you have access, I would have thought. Perhaps it might also be useful to see if you can detect how the water causing the rusting is getting there? Meanwhile, all the best with the dashcam - one of the best extras you can fit to a car, in my opinion!
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