LenT

Depending on usage, reformat the SD Card on a regular basis. Say, every 4 to 6 weeks. It’s what the manufacturers recommend to prevent rewriting errors corrupting the video files.

As that was my initial response too, I’m equally puzzled. Although the tread pattern of the tyres photographed is not as obviously asymmetrical as, for example, the Goodyear F1 Eagles, the sipe pattern could be ambiguous. But the impression is re-enforced by moulding ‘Outside’ - and apparently ‘Inside’ - on the tyre walls! Why do it if the tyre can be fitted either way round? But this page on the Michelin site definitely identifies a Primacy 4 as a symmetrical tread! And, as the inventors of the radial tyre, they do know a bit about them after all! https://www.michelin.co.uk/auto/advice/tyre-care/tyre-rotation?utm_source=LexusOwnersClubUK&utm_medium=ForumLinks The alternative possibilities are that either All Tyre Tests has got it wrong - or it’s another example of French idiosyncrasies! Either way, I think you summed the matter up quite neatly earlier on. 😊

Probably the same era when a friend of mine took his Thames van in for an MOT. The test procedure consisted solely of the mechanic saying “ I need to go and pick something up. Give us a loan of your van for half an hour and I’ll write out the certificate when I get back.”

Essentially, yes…I think you’re right! But I think now that that’s an illusion caused by the staggered effect of the sipes. If Michelin states they are symmetrical that’s good enough for me. But in that case, why could I find an image of the Michelin Primary 4 with ‘Outside’ moulded on the tyre wall? If they’re symmetrical then they can be fitted either way on the wheel - unless there’s something within the tyre’s construction that they’re not revealing. What I now find confusing is that it is there at all! And even more so now that you’ve found the word ‘Inside’ on the other tyre wall! Why? If it’s symmetrical then it doesn’t matter which way it’s mounted on the wheel. And surely you’d only put ‘Inside’ on the inner wall - as well as ‘Outside’ on the outer wall - if it was really, really critical to get right. Unfortunately these are questions Michelin doesn’t actually address in their response. But the bottom line seems to be that as there appears to be no excessive wear across the tread on the tyres you’ve photographed, then they are unlikely to be the cause of any drifting. Our cars have Michelin CrossClimate and Goodyear Eagle F1 - respectively Directional and Asymmetric. You know where you are with them! 😊

No, only one side of the tyre has the word Outside moulded on it - and that’s the side that should be outside! So if you can see it on the outside of both front wheels, then the tyres are correctly fitted. In which case, I misinterpreted your photos. 🙁

Tyre pressure certainly drops with a decrease in temperature. It can be enough to activate the TPMS warning light - I’ve had it myself. But 5C is not that cold and 2.3 bar to 0.9 bar is surely a slow leak. If you know what wheel it is, I’d examine the tread for a small nail - or similar - and the valve for an air leak. Another possibility is wheel rim damage.

Couldn’t have put it better myself! 👍

I would suggest that it means you should be seeing the word “Outside” on the outside of both tyres! They appear to be asymmetric so it would seem that you’ve got one ‘Outside’ on the inside. The tyre has been incorrectly mounted on the wheel. Not the sort of mistake a professional tyre fitter should make! PS: Just found this image of a Michelin Primacy 4. The word Outside is clearly apparent on the sidewall. https://www.tyrereviews.com/Tyre/Michelin/Primacy-4.htm/view_media/Michelin-Primacy-4.png

I don’t understand his comment. The V-shaped tread pattern of the Michelins makes them directional tyres, not asymmetrical. The Michelins will have an arrow on the outer wall indicating the forward direction of rotation. The block pattern is symmetrical.and therefore neutral in its effect across the tread , so will not of itself cause drifting. If a tyre shows uneven wear across the tread pattern - perhaps due to tracking error - then that could cause drifting. An asymmetrical tyre has different block sizes across the width of the tread to optimise different tread characteristics in the one tyre. For example, the outer blocks will be larger and will provide better grip when cornering. The smaller inner blocks are designed to provide more effective performance in the wet. This means the tyre has a definite outer and inner wall, which will be so marked on the outer wall. I suppose it’s possible that mounting asymmetrical tyres incorrectly on the front wheels might cause drifting in some circumstances. But first one has to eliminate all the other possible factors - such as incorrect tyre pressures, tracking errors and wheel alignment. Or perhaps simply a significant degree of road camber?

No need to apologise for this, Stephen. You are restoring your Lexus to the standard it enjoyed when new. It will once again be able to park proudly amongst its contemporaries. That you are not personally doing this work is irrelevant. In fact, it is to your credit that you recognise that others are better suited to achieving the results you require. And who says it’s easy to sign a cheque? 😊

Correct! If the tyre has deflated to the point where the wheel rim is running on the tyre wall, then the tyre cannot be repaired. Despite the tyre wall being reinforced, there is no way for a repairer to determine how much damage has been done and the chance of the tyre failing completely in further use. The main point is that Run Flat is something of a misnomer. It is only designed to enable a short, slow journey either to a safe situation or a tyre retailer. This article by Kwik-Fit gives a good explanation. https://www.kwik-fit.com/blog/can-a-run-flat-tyre-be-repaired#

Quite right, James. It simply reinforces the impression that they are inundated with the same complaints - compounded by the lack of an effective response in the first place! Of course it maybe the case that the individual(s) responding on behalf of Lexus simply don’t have any effective answers. It may even be that the sudden rise of new Lexus models up the stolen vehicle theft chart is not that they are more vulnerable than other makes, but that they are more desirable as cars! No consolation to the victims, of course. In such circumstances, buying a replacement Lexus seems to be a triumph of hope over experience - a description once applied to divorce!

The Manuals do seem to be a touch idiosyncratic when it comes to indexing. You also have to watch out for American spellings when using the Search facility!

Maybe watch out for a Post by the owner of a white LC complaining about being held up this morning by a slowly driven ES300 around the A1 this morning? 😊

Possibly not the ultimate solution, Brian, but maybe almost as good as it’s going to get? I did consider a Ghost 2 myself, but in the end decided that an eight year old IS250 was not high on any car thieves shopping list. But I expect your newer LC500H is a different proposition in terms of current value! As I said, I liked the principle: from being able to create a simple, interactive, personalised code to the production of a variety of perplexing effects. In your circumstances I might be inclined to approach Ghost / CAN Phantom directly with any concerns about vulnerabilities and ‘Guarantees’ and see what they say. For example, this YT installer has quite a lot to say…in defence of the Ghost! One interesting question is to sticker or not to sticker? Whether it’s better to announce the fitting of a Ghost and thus to deter thieves. Or let them try to drive the car off and find they’re wasting time on a problem car. I would combine this with a visible device, such as a Disklok or - as I have - a Milenco steering wheel lock. I hope this helps while we wait for someone with some real world experience to turn up!

Well, I have no experience of it but it looks like a copy of the Ghost system. In fact, were I marketing it, I might even be tempted to do a comparative analysis if it actually had any competitive benefits over the Ghost. And if it hasn’t, then what’s the point of it? I actually like the premise of the Ghost system, but its detractors claim it is vulnerable to CanBUS attack. The Can Phantom doesn’t appear to address this problem at all. I can find no mention of how it defeats this method of bypassing its security. The other point that occurs to me is the repeated claim that they will ‘Guarantee’ your car against theft. What form does this ‘Guarantee’ take? What conditions do they apply? Will they replace a customer’s stolen car with a like-for-like equivalent? Or compensate the loss with a cash payment? I also think some costing examples would be useful. PS: Since writing the above, I have discovered a comparison in the blog section: https://www.can-phantom.com/post/can-phantom-vs-ghost-immobiliser-which-is-the-best-aftermarket-immobiliser-for-your-car-2023-2024 But it still doesn’t clarify how it is superior to the Ghost, merely claiming that it is. As it happens, they don’t have an Installer anywhere near me - and don’t appear to offer mobile installation.

Very wise, Vladimir. Let someone else stress over it! As we all know, the initial offer is just to test the waters and see how ‘difficult’ you’re going to be. If your solicitor can marshal any comparable cases that will obviously strengthen yours. Hopefully, you’re now pretty much back to full mobility and looking to enjoy a less dramatic Christmas!

Well, if that’s what you like doing - and you’re able to invest in two sets of premium tyres - then there’s probably no reason to change your habit. But if your driving style is such that you’re not inclined to test the performance limits of a tyre - and the weather conditions are not extreme - then you should certainly consider the Michelin CrossClimate 2. https://www.michelin.co.uk/auto/tyres/michelin-crossclimate-2

A suggestion I’ve made a couple of times - which I believe achieves this - is to fit a ‘Kill Switch’. When I had a Lotus Elan it was a simple switch that broke the low tension lead to the distributor. I don’t know if this can be done with modern ignition systems. But what I have seen is a ‘Kill Switch’ to the fuel pump. This achieves the same effect, in that the engine will churn over but fail to fire up. I can’t imagine that attacking the Canbus will reveal this cause - but I may be wrong! Short of running through a spark/fuel diagnostic analysis - or calling out the AA - I can’t imagine the average chummy hanging around to sort out the problem! This one video installation- others are available…. .

This is information from the Michelin website. https://www.michelin.co.uk/auto/advice/change-tyres/tyre-repair The gist appears to be that only small punctures - a nail in the centre tread causing a slow leak, for example - might be repaired. And then only by removing the tyre and inserting a mushroom plug from the inside. Deflated tyres and deflated Run Flats may all suffer potential sidewall damage that is not visible, which is why replacement is considered the only option. I think the problem is that Run Flat is a misnomer. It only means that the tyre wall is sufficiently reinforced to allow continued slow progress to a place of safety or replacement. Incidentally, this Michelin page also makes the point that RFs should be matched to a suitable rim.

Lexus has not made that an easy problem to solve! I’m not familiar with the NX450 but I take it that there’s nowhere to store a SpaceSaver - which would be the best option. You can certainly buy a magic gloop inflatable kit as an accessory, but be aware that they have their limitations. If the damage is more of a rip than a hole - especially in the sidewall - or the problem is a damaged valve, then they have limited, or no, effect. If it’s to deal with a small penetration - a small nail, for example - that you would hope to get repaired, you’ll find most repairers won’t touch it. They feel that the time and effort taken to remove the sealant isn’t cost effective. Apart from which they may say that running the tyre deflated could have damaged its structure and that will be impossible for them to detect. The option I would consider is to subscribe to a national motoring organisation, have a cell phone on you and download the ‘What three words ‘ app. That way you’ll be able to give them your precise location - accurate to one square metre!

You’re quite right, Carl. I was thinking of the original versions, of which I still have one example. Not for us yer fancy wheel protector and yer smart carry bag! But that’s progress! 😊

I would agree. I’ve had a couple and as I recall it’s just a matter of dropping it over the steering wheel and turning the key. Importantly, removal was just as easy. I’m now using a Milenco - although I do find it a little more difficult. However, it passed the same 5-minute resistance test and I always found the Disklok more awkward to store in the car simply because of its size. But if that’s not a problem, then I doubt there’s a simpler, more secure steering wheel lock on the market.

A simple extra precaution that I also used to do as a lad. I still do even if simply taking a wheel off. After all, it has to go somewhere - might as well be somewhere useful!.

Any chance that the criminals might have been caught on your neighbours’ CCTV or doorbell cameras while cruising the village?