NeilS

Thanks for all the replies. Beamish, you nailed it! I hadn't thought about the lock switch - it had been inadvertently pressed and therefore locked the operation of the other windows. Haven't been quite myself lately, and was thinking that the issue was something more complicated. Now that I think about it, the same thing happened on another car I had. Thanks again!

Hi guys, I haven't driven the car for over 2 weeks due to illness, but the missus has been out & about in it every few days or so in that time. Last weekend she told me that only the driver's window works fine and that the passenger windows have stopped working, which seems to be the case. However, all the windows work as they should when the roof is opened, but only the driver's window will go up and down, the passenger windows stay down until the roof is closed again. Any ideas? I hope I've explained the fault appropriately. Logic kind of tells me it's not a fuse, otherwise there'd be no movement whatsoever. Is there some 'secret' button pressing sequence that has to be performed to reset the windows? Bear in mind that wifey has been the kiss of death to most of the cars we've owned, and I'm not kidding. Any tips/hacks/help will be massively appreciated, cheers.

Hmm. That being the case, sadly I will have to sell much sooner that I had intended. Or try to find work that is much nearer to home. 😞

I agree with most of what Linas.P said - now starting to get a little long in the tooth, lacking performance, practicality issues - all compared to alternative and newer stuff. However, I feel that that running costs (high fuel prices) is one of the major factors. For example, when I got my 250C over a year ago fuel was costing me £30 to £35 per week. Right now (June 2022) it's costing £50. Per week. I'm driving like grandma on the daily and just managing to squeeze 34mpg out of it, plus some doodling about at the weekend, shopping etc. Now, I happen to think that 34mpg is quite reasonable for a 2.5L V6, but nevertheless there are more economical cars around, and this could be a big reason why some owners are getting rid. Car sharing isn't really an option for me and I'm even considering getting an old oil burning banger for the time being and SORN-ing the 250 until petrol cost returns to a reasonable price. That being said, I had planned to keep the 250 for at least another 2 - 3 years, as it's a lovely, dependable and comfortable car and it's also in good nick. Finally, and I wasn't going to mention this, but hey ho. Weapon of choice these days is the SUV and the traditional 'family saloon' is seen by some as being a bit dated. I also think that some private IS250 sellers may be doing so sadly to downgrade and get a small pot of cash to supplement their incomes. Times are indeed hard at the moment.

USB

Hi Duncan, I guess this isn't much help, but: I looked into this very issue last year and found that my model is similar to yours in that any updates are done via the USB port, and apparently can only be carried out by Lexus. So big bucks I'm afraid. It's a bit of a shame on one hand, as it would be nice to have an integrated nav system. On the other, as comprehensive as the system is I find it rather fiddly, un-intuitive and overly complex to set up. Mind you, I don't have much patience at the best of times. So as I mentioned, it's been a while since I last dug around for cheap updates so by now there maybe someone out there offering reasonably priced updates on a USB stick, or to download. But I somehow doubt it, as there doesn't seem to be much call for it. Try checking all the usual sites and see what might be available, good luck!

It wasn't the original filter, it was a third party one which I'd sourced online and installed just over a year ago, and was identical to the replacement filter I bought a few days ago.

Cardiff 😧😷😆

Uh, no. The used filter was as pristine as the new one shown, when I installed it just over a year ago. I reckon the dirtyness is dust and possibly diesel soot. I was quite surprised by the condition of the filter after just a year of use. But it shows that it has done its job.

I wasn't sure whether to put this in the General Maintenance forum, so mods please feel free to move the post as necessary. Just a quick post, I inspected the cabin/pollen filter last weekend and was surprised at the condition of it in just over a year of use, so I decided to replace it. So here's a side-by-side comparison of new and used.

Congratulations John, I hope you enjoy your new car as much as enjoy mine. Yours is exactly the same spec as mine, but with significantly less miles! Great car, great choice.

Thanks for the advice Ant. How often should the oil be changed? I did an oil & filter change on my car last September, and I drive about 9k miles per year.

Hi Ant, avoid getting any water/fluid or moisture in the sensor component. However, the spongey filter bit is easily cleaned with mild washing up liquid & warm water. Make sure that it is completely dry before refitting. HTH👍 Out of interest, I'd like to see the manufacturer's logic flowchart or operational truth table for this device. As I mentioned earlier in the thread it's a great idea for a gadget, but apparently in my case at least, somewhat questionably implemented.

Hi Sundance, if it helps as a guide my 250C cost £7500 back last February, on 87k miles with a full service and 4 new daps (OK they're budget tyres, but hey).

Hi, I did a similar job on my 250, replacing the bi-colour leds with more appropriate colours. It's a straightforward job, but I would caution that when you remove the control module take extra care as the plastic clips are quite fragile, and can be easily snapped and broken. You'll see what I mean when you do it. Also, make sure you insert and solder the replacement blue / red leds at the correct polarity. You can check polarity beforehand by selecting diode test on a dvm and putting the test probes on the leads of the led, and observing which lead lights the blue or red respectively. Note that both will be very dim, but don't worry about that. It's probably best to do this test in a darkened environment. I'll put up a couple of pics of the end result, so you get the idea. Warning: rubbish pics! Hth and good luck!

I once had to attend a meeting to discuss the agenda for an upcoming meeting! Unbelievable.

Many a truth is told in jest . . .

I think it's a 'scene' thing. (scene = hip/cool/trendy etc) For example, 10 years ago it was considered cool to carry a bottle of water around when you were out. In the 50s, 60s & 70s it was cool to smoke a fag in public, and so on. Nowadays, as you have recently witnessed, you need a memory like a New York lawyer to even decide which variant of the simple cup of coffee you wish to buy. I too, share your mild frustration. 🤨

I won't make any witty comments about dual airbags being deployed. 🤭🤔

Well, my first post on this particular board and here goes! Today, I'll be moaning about: Cars driving during darkness with the rear lights switched off. There are many around here. I can't believe that people are so stupid that they don't realise this, so my blame theory is that these drivers are just too thick / lazy to check if the side lights are on at least, or they think that 'if the front drl's are on, then the rear tail lights must be on', or like my car when the engine is started, the instrument lights come on, so seeing this they assume that the external lights magically come on at the same time. Now if the latter is the case, then the manufacturer has a responsibility and duty of care to include some sort of warning to alert the driver that the lights are in fact off, during darkness. Maybe these numpties are also completely unaware that their car also has an Auto lights setting. I'd go step further and guess that these are the same drivers who hate cars and hate driving. Rant over. Discuss. (I'm a nice person really and I shouldn't allow such things to wind me up.) 😉

Because there are all sorts of nutters out there in internet land who with nous and determination, can unwantedly find out lots of information about your car and you. Maybe I'm cynical and paranoid, but why make it easy. And I have no past criminal activities and my car is paid for, with a genuine previous ownership record. Sorry, but I don't buy this 'done nothing wrong, got nothing to worry about' bs.

Hi I was about to suggest something but saw that true blue had beaten me to it! Agree the boot lid is unusually heavy. I'm OK with it, but the missus struggles with it sometimes. I'm no fan of electrically operated boot lids or tailgate (bit gimmicky), but I reckon the 250C could well do with one.

It's all about power to weight ratio. 😉

I agree with all of your excellent points there Linas. Might I also point out that on pretty much all of the US reviews of the 250 and 350 on the tube of you, all the reviewers recommend the IS350. Someone quoted a fuel consumption figure of 19mpg 😯 I understand that the cost of petrol over there is waaay cheaper than it is in the UK. BTW, apologies for going off topic but didn't Mazda experiment with the Atkinson cycle? Or was it the Miller cycle?

I think it depends on what cars have been owned previously, as the tendancy is to compare them to your latest purchase. Also, expectation v reality can sometimes be two different entities.