AntC

I'm going to attempt rotating the LED bulbs in a different direction to see if this will help with the aim, even though I'm pretty sure they are currently set properly. Will also stick in the original halogen bulbs to see the results. I would have fitted an HID kit by now, however, the HID warmup period means that they aren't really viable when you have to constantly turn them on and off. I'll make sure to post an update when I've had the chance to do this.

Well, as Linas said before, better to just buy an ISF for the kind of money that you would spend upgrading the IS250 😁 Keep in mind that the 4GR-FSE engine has a 12:1 compression ratio which is quite high. For reference, anything above 10.5:1 is considered high compression. This completely eliminates the possibility of installing any turbo or supercharger kit without significant modification. Imagine introducing even more compressed air into this system. You'd likely need to replace the entire engine block to ensure it can handle it. While the IS250 does look sporty, and handles as such with 17 and 18 rims, its still mainly a luxury car and not a sports car. Plenty of options out there for tuneable cars if you're looking for speed. As for the IS, I think its best to drive it as intended by the manufacturer.

I did previously test out upgraded halogen bulbs, however, there was barely any improvement in brightness. As for the adjustment screws, there are only two of them available that move the entire headlight assembly vertically or horizontally. This is what prompted my initial question, in case there is a not-so-obvious way.

An update. I changed my pads and rotors, greased guide pins and no more thud in reverse. My guess is the handbrake shoes were sticking to the inside of the old rotors, since my rear calipers weren't seized.

I'm not from the UK so no MOT issues here. Blinding is not an issue as well since high beams are off when cars are in front anyway. I tend to travel at night and good bulbs that can light up long roads make everything easier. Still, will try to rotate the bulbs and see if there is any improvement. Will update if I manage to make this work.

Hey everyone, Just wondering if anyone is aware of a method of adjusting the high beams only on a 2IS. I replaced the high beam halogen bulbs with LEDs some time ago and while they do light up nicely, they seem to be pointing quite low in front of the car, as opposed to pointing high up and lighting up long roads when driving at night. Output is still great since they are about 10,000 lumens each which is miles better than the stock halogen bulbs. Weird thing is that low beams are fine. The only thing I can think of is the difference between the two bulbs, since a regular halogen bulb will light up in a 360 degree radius, while the LEDs that I have fitted have two opposing diodes. Google did not yield any results on adjusting high beams only and I don't even know if that's possible. Would appreciate any tips if anyone is aware of how to adjust high beam only. Cheers

The only thing I can think of is that this may be an additional feature that you can purchase when ordering the car, however, I'm not sure if that's the case. I can confirm that the feature is present in my 2IS. The only one that is not even available in Techstream is the Headlight delay function that allows you to keep headlights on for some time when leaving the car. Mine is currently set to turn of headlights when you turn off the car and open the driver side door and there is no option to change this. Would appreciate if anyone knows anything about this.

Mine is a 07 make and has the autolock feature. I've programmed it both via the gear knob and lock button, as well as Techstream. Current setting is lock at 15 mph and unlock when in park or when opening driver side door.

Just changed my pads and rotors last night and would like to share a tip. I didn't have my piston compression tool at the time, so what you can do is put a medical tube on the bleeder screw, then loosen it and push the piston in with your thumbs. The tube prevents any air from getting in if you were to slightly release the piston, since it will just suck in some of the fluid that's already in the tube. It also has the added benefit of not making a mess.l as you can just stick the tube in a bottle. Make sure to check your brake fluid level after starting the car and depressing the brake a few times. Also, add clean fluid only, not the one that was drained during the piston compression. Note: This is much easier with two people.

I think this is normal behavior since in ignition mode, the car drains the battery but does not charge it. At least this is the case with all cars I've owned so far. Turn the key/button to the last section before actually starting the car and the battery light should stay on.

This happens if the old pads are worn out, thus, requiring the piston to be pushed further out so that they can make contact with the rotor. If that is the case, you need to either get a piston compression tool or bleed the system a bit so that you can push it back with your hands. Since you're replacing the pads anyway, it's also recommended to regrease the guide pins. You can also grab a metal brush to clean surface rust from the caliper in any places that come in contact with the pads. You can also apply some anti seize on said contact points, as well as the back of the pads. This will help ensure that the caliper is working smoothly and there is no noise due to vibrations or surface rust.

I've also researched this and believe that fitting LPG on an IS250 is either: a) Not possible due to the direct injection. b) Not worth the potential direct injection solution. I've been told there are some ways of using a 30/70 petrol/gas ratio, but the installation price would be quite high and you would still be burning petrol. I think fitting LPG on an IS350 is possible, shame it's only for the US market.

I went with Pirelli Pzero PZ4. Had to spend about 500£ since my wheels are 18" but the tyres are well worth it. Great grip on wet roads and you can really feel it when turning at higher speeds. I'd say stick to premium brands and find the best deal. Check websites with tyre performance comparisons for grip, noise, and economy.

Definitely have it checked out like Linas said. Id you plan on purchasing, I would also suggest taking it to a Lexus dealership just in case. The start/stop button looks like someone was hired to press it all day 😁

Actually, the IS350 uses the A760E transmission. While still a 6-speed automatic transmission, it is a different one that can hold under higher torque. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_A_transmission So that would be a very expensive build, assuming that the 350 tranny will have the same mounting points as the 4GR engine. Would be cheaper to import a 350 from the US.

Keep in mind that the IS250 auto uses the A960E transmission which can handle up to 300nm of torque per specs. So I'm not sure if supercharging it with the stock transmission is a good idea. I did recently look at some turbo charged IS250s, however, they were using the 2JZ engine and R154 transmission from the Supra MK3. I would also love to get some more power out of the car, but I believe any noticeable improvement will be very expensive and won't be done in a local garage.

Mine came with the Spyder 18" alloys and they look great on the car. Only issue was that they were oxidized and bruised all over the place. I had them repainted and they now look awesome. You can zoom in on the first photo to see how bad they were. Second photo is after repaint. Edit: 2nd photo is before repaint.

To my understanding, this is completely normal behavior. I also recently drove a 2003 Subaru Impreza and it does the same thing when shifting into drive. As mentioned before, I believe it's like how the RPM drops when releasing the clutch on a manual transmission. For example, if driving a diesel engine, you can release the clutch slowly and the car will move without any gas at all. Obviously, the Impreza is not anywhere near the sound proof and comfort level of the IS250, so you can feel the vibrations on neutral as well. My point being that it is normal for the RPM to drop slightly in drive. The vibration is a little annoying, considering you can't even hear or feel the engine working when in neutral/park and operating temperature. I would assume that this is simply caused by the lower RPM, since you can't really feel any vibrations even when running at 3000+ RPM.

Out of curiosity, is this what you are referring to when shifting into gear? RPM drops a little when in drive and you can feel a slight vibration in the steering wheel until you take off. When idling in neutral or park, no vibration can be felt. VID_20220113_161643.mp4

Hey Neil, yes, its great in theory, however, I'm also questioning whether its working correctly or if its correctly implemented. For example, I'll sometimes notice that the recirculation changes when I'm between multiple cars at a traffic light, other times, I'm seeing black smoke come out of a diesel in front of me and can even smell it, but the AC still draws air from the outside. Not sure if it's because the sponge thingy is dirty. Will take up your advice on washing it with warm water and letting it dry when I get the chance and will update to tell if there's any difference in how the automatic recirculation works. Cheers

Well, I change mine at 5k miles or 1 year, whichever comes first. Generally, oil manufacturers will say that you can change it at 10-12k miles, but it's always better to change it often. I don't think there's been a recorded case of a mechanical component that has failed due to frequent oil changes 😁

Hey there, I took out the snog sensor today and most of its is clean except for the piece that's made out of some sort of fabric which is quite dirty. I did get any dust out of it but it's still quite discoloured. Anyone know if it's safe to simply wash it with water and soap? Also, would it be a good idea to clean the entire sensor with a MAF cleaner?

Indeed. So folks, keep your oil at the recommended level and make sure to change it often.

Another update, no rattle today. I purposefully let the car sit warm for 20-30-40 minutes several times and haven't heard a rattle. The day of the oil change there was one rattle, and then another very short one that usually doesn't happen. Will keep looking out for it of course but hopefully it's gone for good.

An update as promised, though quite a bit later 😁 I did try out a lubricating oil additive, however, it did not have any effect. Just yesterday I changed my oil again at 5k miles and was at the garage during the time. So I had the mechanics top up the oil fully. The engine takes up to 6.3 litres of oil, so I had them put 6.3 litres with 0.7 leftover for top ups. (Note: 6.3 is when changing the oil filter as well.) After driving for some time and starting the car when warm, so far it doesn't rattle under the same circumstances that would previously almost certainly cause a rattle. I used Toyota OE fully synthetic 5w30 oil. Last time I used Amsoil 5w30 signature series, and the first time I used Toyota OE 5w30. It is possible that during previous oil changes the mechanics did not use the full 6.3 litres. I mean, the engine is probably fine with 6 litres. I will try not to get my hopes up for now (doubt it) and will update if the rattle comes back. In case it doesn't, the plan is to keep some oil at hand and top it up when necessary, since the car does burn a bit of oil, especially when you floor it.