Tony-Bones

That print out "please" can you post it...

get the battery tested, then the starter motor. ← I changed the battery. How do you get the SM tested - take it a Lexus dealer or independant ? It seems to spin over fine after it has warmed up and is not damp so I suspected a solenoid / electrical problem - any thoughts ? Thanks SD ← if the cars an manual put it into gear let the hand brake off and rock the car back and forth, knock it out of gear and try starting it again, you may need to try this a few times but if then it starts its a fair bet the starter is nacked, if the car is an auto since you are in Watord i would try Bennits or Russells, damp for a "no start" does'nt make sence, missfire yes. ← Thanks for the advise. I will take it to Russels, don't know Bennits - are they good ? ← Yes, feed back over the years has always been honest.

get the battery tested, then the starter motor. ← I changed the battery. How do you get the SM tested - take it a Lexus dealer or independant ? It seems to spin over fine after it has warmed up and is not damp so I suspected a solenoid / electrical problem - any thoughts ? Thanks SD ← if the cars an manual put it into gear let the hand brake off and rock the car back and forth, knock it out of gear and try starting it again, you may need to try this a few times but if then it starts its a fair bet the starter is nacked, if the car is an auto since you are in Watord i would try Bennits or Russells, damp for a "no start" does'nt make sence, missfire yes.

get the battery tested, then the starter motor.

If Lexus and the mechanic have checked the car then i think we can assume the shocks/ abs and so on are ok? i feel you must eliminate the geometry, there are so many reasons why the geometry can cause problems like yours i think you need to read for yourself [url=http://wheels-inmotion.co.uk hit the site map and read toe/ camber/ castor/ kpi this may help in advance of your geometry test and its free.

whenever a customer leaves a car with me the first thing i "have to do" is check the bodywork for damage and document this on a job ticket, if the damage looks new then the customer must view and accept the damage before the car is moved, if i fail to document the damage then the company are unable to deny responsibility, i would assume Lexus would follow this ISO procedure.

As with all handling problems mechanical wear is the first point of attack, tyre wear next, since both are visible, next must be the geometry! you say you had the alignment done, was that basic alignment or full geometry? if full can you display the readings...

i would say "no" i think you could open up a can of worms if you move up to 7x17

True.. once fuel is measured in cubic $ the IS200 will become some what more visable me thinks...

be sure which area you mean? if the bolts are for the strut then fine, if thay are for the lower arm then i dont know??? no listing for the lower arm exists so i contacted specprod for advice they wern't conclusive and i rejected the possibility of useing the bolts since there is a chance they may come loose, no adjustment is worth someones life.. and "why" is'nt the IS200 sold in the US! ← Tony, the IS200 isn't sold in US, but the IS300 is! Same car just 3ltr lump instead of 2.5ltr.. ← ← OK,OK 3ltr not a 2.5ltr, my question still stands? "why" world wide the IS200 has a healthy market but not in the USA??? is this down to pure horse power or is there a more underlying reason.

be sure which area you mean? if the bolts are for the strut then fine, if thay are for the lower arm then i dont know??? no listing for the lower arm exists so i contacted specprod for advice they wern't conclusive and i rejected the possibility of useing the bolts since there is a chance they may come loose, no adjustment is worth someones life.. and "why" is'nt the IS200 sold in the US! ← Tony, the IS200 isn't sold in US, but the IS300 is! Same car just 3ltr lump instead of 2.5ltr.. ← Thanks for that, now things make perfect sense, but i still wonder "why"

be sure which area you mean? if the bolts are for the strut then fine, if thay are for the lower arm then i dont know??? no listing for the lower arm exists so i contacted specprod for advice they wern't conclusive and i rejected the possibility of useing the bolts since there is a chance they may come loose, no adjustment is worth someones life.. and "why" is'nt the IS200 sold in the US!

You say the "problems wont go away" what happend between the time when thinge were ok and when the problems started?

there wont be any play? best test is get the bearing hot ( short drive ) jack up the nsf hold the coil spring and spin the wheel if you can feel a rumble then the bearing is worn, if not move on...

Thanks for that, seemingly the adjuster bolts are a no go... shame since i know a few members here that need that extra bit of adjustment, there was talk of replacing the bolt on the inner lower arm but specprod usa could'nt validate the tensile strength since its through a bush and active rather then through the strut which is inert, i tend to find that most cars with natural adjusters are unsupported and to be fair the market would be small for the manufacture. on a different note "why" is there no listings for the IS200 in the USA even in the LOC USA forum there is no IS200?...

OK, in most cases the main problem with recovery is the rear, do you know has the strut got one or two pinch bolts at the hub?

I agree, do you have a print out from the alignment that you can display??

"YES" but only if the strut has two lower pinch bolts, and i must admit i cant remember if the lex has one or two! ( little help needed ) if it is two then the force adjuster bolts allow 1 degree 30' +- add the natural adjuster to this and the toe adjuster then recovery is possible in the most desperate of cases. i use the bolts on a daily basis and never connected there use for the lexus, since the lex has built in adjusters, when they max out it has been a tail of "well thats it" i feel embarrassed. the adjuster bolt procedure would be.. REAR: zero the natural camber adjuster : zero the natural toe adjuster : fit the force adjuster and max it out : tune the geometry with the natural adjusters FRONT: is much more complex due to the castor and no one procedure will cover all.

i use them here in the UK? £15 per adjuster inc labour + adjustment fee £16.50.

Camber is adjustable and castor is indirectly adjustable.These should be aligned correctly not just the toe. ← I had my tracking done by the agent on the 10/2/05 took 2.5 hrs to do all four wheels and cost £60.00+vat but hey guys worth ever penny, no more twitching about at any speed now. ← Hey there. do you have the settings they set the wheels to on the car? The before and afters??? I need those settings. Do you know I have had a LS400 for 3 years, then traded it in on my GS400 which i have had for 3 years....i have had over 22 alignments done on the two cars over the 6 years. 4 by lexus, and the rest under the life time alignment by firestone. These f-in cars wander all over the damn road, on the fwy at 60+ mph. I feel like i am steering 24/7....i HATE driving either car because of that problem. 6 years of driftin'............... Such a shame for such nice cars. I really hate driving the things. My GS has H&R lowering springs with 18" wheels on it, i thinbk 9.5" wide. This thing keeps burning up the inside of the tires after like 12000 miles. to the steel! It handles like a 72 cadillac that has two flat tires. Totally ****ty handling. Almost feels like you are about to lose control if you swerve left to right at 60mph+ gently. anyone help me????????????????????????????????????????? I am in the US. In california. Email me direct at rescom@megapathdsl.net i wrote lexus on it directly. They are molasses getting anything done. then they are saying i have to convert it back to the orig rims & tires. (didnt say anything about the lowering though.....) ← Welcome to LOC UK, geometry holds 15 or so angles all with various effects and consequences, add wider wheels, lower the suspension then now the geometry recovery is theoretical and will need to be manufactured, there are so many things to ask that i feel you need to refine the problem a little so we can help, go to www.wheels-inmotion.co.uk hit the site map and read camber/ castor/ kpi basics and if you feel up to it also the theory, the explanations of the angles should give a better insight of the problem from you... in addition do you have any geometry reports that you can display? or email to me @ wheels-inmotion AT ntlworld DOT com

if it's a ball joint there will be play at the wheel? i feel your problem is the "metabalistic" bush on the strut, at low speed you can turn the steering on a full lock, the bush on top of the strut if worn will not allow the coil spring to rotate at the same pace as the wheel, so the "full lock" will load the coil spring and force the bush to rotate with a knock...best test, jack up the front, start the engine and turn the steering left/ right, if the bearings are worn the steering will go tight at one point..

ALOT of the altezza i bring over from Japan have this set up too ← i admit i was a bit slow with this one? the rim diametre 17/ 18 is permissable so long as the tyre aspect ratio is off-set, in that case the rolling radius should be held within 3% p/m and not effect the ABS...

i'm no expert in this area but? 17' front and 18' rear won't this cause problems with the "ABS"....

Be "wise", if the tyres do wear? you have a print out from the geometry to calculate corrective measures, if the time comes let me know and i "will!" be able to help without you needing to travel to me.....

"cause and effect" if the tyre is subject to uneven wear, like in your case on the inside, the initial wheel balance will be lost, since now the tread wear is no longer symmetrical, "cause" alignment will not wear the tyre in the manner you discribe, camber is the most likely crimminal, "effect" once the uneven wear is established, vibration.......