McShmoopy

Hi Sean,

Congrats on picking up an IS250! The facelift ones were particularly good as they came with Bluetooth music streaming, auto folding wing mirrors with the indicators, as well as addressing some engine issues the car had pre facelift. I've had the car for over a year and I've enjoyed every second of it and have not had any issues aside from regassing my air con and changing my worn out boot struts. 

The cars do look eye catching but what always ruins it for me with these international folk (mainly Americans) is the choice in alloys, they just look awful to me almost like something out of need for speed underground! 

HI Graeme, 

The good news is as youre a 2008 vehicle owner most head units will be compatible with your vehicle. Will need some specifics though, do you have the factory touchscreen navi or is it the non touchscreen version? I assume based on the unit you've selected you've got a Navi so youve got quite a few options. 

First is a similar android head unit like the one you have linked, from what I have seen this should work fine. You can find some much nicer ones on the webs such as the Teyes CC3 but your mileage may vary.  The second is a GROM VLINE2 which would integrate into the existing infotainment system (hijacking the DVD / CD disc section to access it) and retain all OEM controls while also providing a full android experience including Wireless apple Carplay / Android auto. 

Now for pros and cons, the cheaper android head units like you have linked will work absolutely fine but there sometimes can be an issue with climate control and the audio quality can be seriously degraded due to cheaper Chinese components such as DACs and DSP. The GROM VLINE however is something I myself own, it is incredibly expensive for what it is but especially for pre facelift vehicles, it works wonderfully and is a quality product that does receive regular software updates and my main thing is that the audio quality of the OEM system is preserved and sounds great. 

Whichever route you chose to go will still radically improve the car infotainment but it comes down to what you put most importance on. 

Hi Guys

I've just done a DIY retrofit of Illuminated door sills for my 2010 F Sports so I no longer require these Lexus scuff plates. They're in decent condition with no noticeable dents or dings. The illuminated sills I got only came with 2 / 4 of the plastic trim clips so I've used mine to fit the new sills. You will only get 2/4 trim clips however when you pull out your existing ones you can reuse those as I have done.  They could do with a clean but I'll clean these up for you before I post them out. 

Open to reasonable offers on these and if you are local you are welcome to collect them instead. 

￡320.49  48％ Off | TEYES CC3 For Lexus IS250 XE20 2005 - 2013 Car Radio Multimedia Video Player Navigation stereo GPS Android 10 No 2din 2 din dvd
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mKOGdTI
 

Here’s a review and link to purchase the Teyes CC3 for our IS250s. 

17 hours ago, Francis.duk said:

That's great cheers! I'm hoping to be purchasing an IS250 soon so I've been researching anything and everything I can aha. Very interested in getting a GROM VLine LEX5 for the car. I've just gone through your thread and read through everything. You mentioned about the unit not having full functionality with the facelift aisin model stereos? Can you elaborate on this a bit so I fully understand?! The car I'm hoping to get isn't a facelift, does that mean it'll work just as well or even better? The car is also a manual. I don't know if that interferes with the reverse camera issue that was present at some point aha

Hi mate, if you’re planning on getting a pre facelift car the GROM VLINE (LEX5) works without any issues from what I’ve seen. Thankfully for myself I’ve been working with grom for the last few months and for my UK LEX6 it seems to be working wonderfully now, not 100% perfect but well enough for my needs so if you want an easy way to get a fully android experience or carplay / android auto while retaining OEM functions then the GROM is the way. I should make you aware that with GROM they do push our regular updates but their customer support can be hit or miss and sometimes a firmware update can break the unit for you and would need to be restored or a software update introduce a new bug. 

Now some of the guys have mentioned aftermarket android head units, the good thing is there are quite a few which would work wonderfully particularly for the pre facelift Lexus IS250s.At the time when I was shopping around none seemed to be compatible with facelift versions but they seem to be now compatible apparently. As much as I may have preferred these types of units, the caveat of them is that air conditioning controls will be done solely by the units touch screen and buttons and there can be a degradation of audio quality depending on the type of unit you purchase. For me as a musician audio quality was extremely important to me especially with mark Levinson audio.

That being said, the Teyes CC3 seems to be the most high quality one I’ve seen, and like the guys have mentioned Saab unleashed did a very good review for this product. It does seem to include high quality components such as a DAC so perhaps the audio quality could be even better once you play around with the DSP and EQ. At this point you can’t go wrong with either but if you can I’d definitely try out the Teyes because not only is it cheaper, you will encounter less issues than with the GROM.

1 hour ago, Francis.duk said:

End up making a page? 🙂

 

Yes mate I did end up making a page, it’s not been updated in a while but I’ve got a lot of things to update it with but just have had a crazy few months! Expect some updates in the next 2 weeks 

9 minutes ago, Linas.P said:

These are not standard mirrors - only aftermarket, so breakers won't have any. There is no difference between LHD/RHD covers.

Ah I've only just realised he was referring to the covers, my mistake haha 

Best bet would be breakers, facelift vehicles are a little harder to find but scouring breaker yards or Facebook marketplace may be a good place to start! I can’t imagine it being much different between left and right when models perhaps different wiring looms

Good effort Ahmed! Looks great as always, I was actually thinking about doing a mod to the OEM IS steering wheel in order to make it heated, is that a mod you would consider doing in general? 

15 minutes ago, Gaurav Bhandari said:

My Lexus has built in Nav and I mentioned it to GROM team as well, but the GROM said as I have a knob (and not Joystick ) so, I should use this 

Ah fair enough, yes it will vary depending on what you have in terms of that. Should be absolutely fine then 

20 hours ago, Gaurav Bhandari said:

Hey, quick one, GROM team recommended me this one, do you think it should be good enough? https://gromaudio.com/store/vline/lexus-2014-2018-no-nav-vline-android-navigation-system-with-carplay-and-android-auto-for-lexus-without-nav.html

Yes that looks about right, I assume your IS300h is the one without built in navigation? 

3 hours ago, Herbie said:

I think I can answer that Gaurav but it'll be good if anyone can confirm.

1. It's possible, although I don't know for sure, that the warranty may be voided on the infotainment unit but certainly not the whole car.

2. Like you, I watched a few videos and like them, I didn't disconnect the battery. I don't know if it's 'good practice' to do so but they didn't and neither did I.

I can imagine that it would seem off-putting to anyone without some electrical knowledge but honestly, you won't go wrong. All you're doing is disconnecting things from the multimedia haed unit, diverting them to the new unit (be it Grom or something else) and then from the new unit back again. All the connectors are either shaped, keyed or coloured so you can't get them mixed up.

I'm inclined to agree with the above, I myself didnt disconnect my Battery when installing my GROM. I believe the rationale was to ensure you dont accidentally set off the airbags but if you're using the correct prying tools and are being fairly delicate that shouldn't be a concern. The warranty if you asked Lexus they would almost certainly say yes that it is voided at least infotainment wise, however I suppose if you keep it all stock / OEM looking with a unit like the GROM no one would be none the wiser.

The units you by should be plug and play so all you will need to do is plug in and remove certain connectors so no electrical knowledge should be needed. It is worth buying a good vehicle trim removal set to ensure you dont scuff or scratch anything during the removal process. 

3 hours ago, Gaurav Bhandari said:

No worries at all. I looked at a few videos but was worried that I will be unconscious watching all these wires 😄 so, wanted some help with someone who can sit and watch me dismantle and assemble it again. I am at Farnborough and about 4 hours away from you ... but if it comes to a point I will check with you if you are available and if we can do it together... Just a few points I wanted to check, if you can please help:

1. Do I void the warranty in any case from Lexus? If the warranty voided only for infotainment then I am ok, but not the full car 😞 

2. Do I need to remove the negative terminal of the battery before installation? All the videos I saw did not remove the battery terminal but I was not sure if airbags can be triggered by any issue?

Haha yes you do seem far out but any help you do need I am happy to help 

How recently did you get the 220D? Unless you were planning on doing some serious miles you may have been better off getting an IS250 as the 220D's while not awful cars were very unreliable and have a number of issues that are well documented on the forum. The IS250 seems to achieve very comparable MPG to the Diesel without any of the associated issues so I'd consider taking the car back if that is an option at all. 

On 12/12/2021 at 11:50 AM, Gaurav Bhandari said:

Thanks Bilal,

Sorry for ghosting on the reply. I did go through some videos on the installation and I am still not very confident on the installation of it, so I am hoping to give it to someone who have more hands on.

Do you believe Halfords will be able to support or any other alternative?

 

Regards

Gaurav

15 hours ago, Gaurav Bhandari said:

Quick update, after having a word with Halfords.

As per Halfords, one would need to install a 2-Din system. To install 2-DIN system a facia needs to be installed, costing around  40-50 GBP. Plus a bunch of harness. You will need to buy a 2-Din from Halfords too for the installation. The 2 din installed will not support the steering wheels control and will also not support reverse camera. Not sure the person who interacted with me was experienced or not, but made me believe that Halfords cannot perform the installation. I might have to try it myself... If successful, will let everyone know  

Apologies for the late response Gaurav, I missed out on your first message unfortunately! I would steer clear from Halfords in general, they're absolutely fine for older cars with generic single din and double din radios however for vehicles such as ours with bespoke infotainment systems they wouldn't know the first place to start! You'd be better suited trying to do it yourself. or ask someone from the forum locally to assist. I can try sending you a few videos to help but I believe you're quite far out from me haha. 

15 hours ago, Herbie said:

Have a look at this post I made earlier today:

 

I've just taken a look at Herbie's video and thats a very good example and demo of the GROM for the 3rd gen+ vehicles. 

I ended up getting my mum a 2009 SE-L IS250C for an absolute bargain as a cat d write off, car had very minimal issues to address and I have driven it a fair amount as well as my IS250 F sport so I can provide a few insights. 

Doors are definitely longer in the 250C, and the car seems a wee bit longer but still just as easy to drive and just as easy to park.

Comparing my F Sport the extra weight of the hard top and mechanism makes this car a little more sluggish compared to the saloon but it’s still plenty fast enough for daily driving. Shame they didn’t have 350s in the Uk As well as the 350C as that would be perfect speed wise for the hard top!

With the roof tray packed away in the boot, you do get an adequately usable sized boot. I did manage to fit a few suitcases in there to take to the airport but with the roof tray expect only a few shopping bags at best to fit in the car.

interstingly the IS250C is the only car that I’m aware that came with the built in TPMS, I don’t think our standard 250 Saloons come with that. They don’t come with a spare tire as standard so that could be the reason why I suppose. 
 

The back seats are only really usable for storage, and Small children and the occasional short journey and if you’re over 6ft it is very unsuitable for passengers however’ I’m only 5ft7 and thr passengers I’ve had aren’t moaning too much haha .

that being said, if you can pick one up at a good price and practicality isn’t an issue I think it’s very much worth it and it’s a lovely car to drive!

E10 should be suitable for cars after 2010 but if the E10 does linger for a while in the car I have heard it can mess with fuel lines. That being said I’ve noticed the economy on E10 is significantly worse than E5 so I know what I’ll be sticking with!

On 12/10/2021 at 7:07 PM, LIJO151 said:

Thanks Dec, I think it's just me needing to get use to opening the boot. Is your boot heavy to open? 

My mums IS250C has some issue with lifting the boot, the gas struts have worn out so I'll need to get these regassed or changed, haven't found a straight swap as a replacement and the dealer want £100 per strut 🙄

I had a very similar thing with my IS250 F Sport when I first got it. The MOT stated something to the effect of corrosion or grease substance covering brake pipes. See my post belpw

After showing fellow members, they advised my vehicle looked absolutely fine and because its a high mileage motorway miles car this seemed fairly normal. After taking it to a Lexus specialist local to me I asked them about this and they just told me its oil or grease on it and the brake pipes are absolutely fine, some MOTs can be quite over zealous but mine cleared absolutely fine. I've attached my latest MOTs and notice the third one mentions corroded brake pipes but this has been cleared now as of my latest MOT under my ownership. 

You definitely need a second impression, I wouldn't take what the LEXUS dealer say at their word as they want to make some money! Take it to a toyota / lexus specialist closest to you and see what they have to say. 

4 hours ago, Beamish said:

 

The TPMS was only fitted to the IS250C and was not available in the saloons but I am open to correction on this.

Dec.

5 hours ago, LIJO151 said:

Hi Bilal, 

Not sure if this was included in the trim level, however to be honest I rather not have this feature. I did a bit of research and found that TPMS was made mandatory from 2016.

Thanks for the info guys, I've just checked in the 2009 IS250C SE-L I have available and my personal saloon 2010 IS250 F sport and only he IS250C had the tyre pressure monitoring. It is strange they only introduced it in the convertible but could it be because there is no spare tyre with the convertible compared to the saloon? 

47 minutes ago, Gaurav Bhandari said:

Thanks Bilal,

 

This was very informative for me, I liked the idea of GROM audio as I still want to retain all my controls and want a good audio quality. Do you know who can install it?

 

Regards

Gaurav

I wouldn’t bother paying anyone to install it for you, it’s better to DIY it as you have access to everything and know where it all is. If you need some help i don’t mind helping out if you’re fairly local or a fellow forum member closer to you if yoh prefer! 

Hi Gaurav, if you're wanting apple CarPlay the best way to go about it is an android unit to integrate or replace your existing infotainment. 

You have two major options, the first being a generic option to provide android / apple CarPlay or you can spend a bit more money and invest in a GROM VLINE or a similar other system which fully integrates into the OEM system and retains all original controls. I'll provide some examples for your below.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000904190972.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.df0873ccE7xh8h&algo_pvid=27c3d093-d010-43a2-91ff-6ea823411bcd&algo_exp_id=27c3d093-d010-43a2-91ff-6ea823411bcd-0&pdp_ext_f={"sku_id"%3A"10000010481521254"}

https://gromaudio.co.uk/select-lexus-2013-2018-grom-vline-vl2-infotainment-system-upgrade-video-interface-lex8.html#Description_0

If you don't care for audio quality (Or lack a Mark Levinson system) a cheapo android head unit may be the way to go. If you do however care about your audio quality or retaining the original OEM controls such as climate control I'd steer in the direction of the GROM. I personally have a 2nd Gen IS250 F sport and because audio quality was very important to me I shelled out for a GROM and while it wasn't at all cheap, it was certainly worth it at least in my case. 

I was under the impression the IS250 2nd Gen didnt have a tyre pressure monitoring system! Was this included in all trim levels or only a few of them? 

11 minutes ago, BeepBeep said:

I recently bought an IS250 with 50k on the clock and full Lexus service history, but I've been seeing lots of horror stories about carbon build up on the valves although they tend to be only coming mostly from american forums. Should I be worried about this?

I don't think it's something to get too worried about. The Americans have lower quality fuel than what is the lowest grade in the UK (95 Octane) so if it is a point of concern you could be using Shel V power occasionally or add an engine cleaning additive to stave off carbon build up. I know this was addressed with the 2009 facelifts but I don't think there are very many horror story cases in the UK for carbon build up. Doing that combined with regular servicing either yearly or every 5k to 10k miles the car shouldn't give you any major issues. 

5 hours ago, true blue said:

Hi I have just noticed the drivers side window on my IS250C is not fully closing ; normally when I open and close the door there is a slight final movement which drops the window when opening and goes up again when closing ( about 5-6 m/m ) ,this is not now happening on the drivers side only ;the passenger side is OK ,thus leaving a gap,I have done numerous window resets ,the hood mechanism works perfectly  the central locking works I am vainly looking for some switch related problem ,any ideas gratefully received .Does the normal saloon have this function ? or is it just on this model because of the hood retraction.

I have both a 2010 F sport and access to my mums 2009 IS250C, there is no window movement with any of the standard saloons so there could be a mechanical or electrical issue with your drivers side. Might be worth taking it to a Lexus dealer and see if they can diagnose it, otherwise hopefully someone else on the forum has experienced this issue and can help you resolve it!