Harrier Man

You're very welcome Steve, glad it helped and I hope it helps others too. Thank you for posting an update.

I can't be sure about the accuracy of what I'm about to say but true or half true, the wording used in the Lexus Link app is misleading. If it were changed, I think there would be a huge improvement in the perception of the communication with Lexus. What do I mean? Well the first step is 'order in progress', not too misleading but it would be better if this period was split with the second phase being, 'awaiting build'. Next is 'build in progress' before it moves to 'left the factory'. I believe that the reality is that the app doesn't change until its on a ship. Hence the reason why some cars are 'in build' for a few days and others for 2-3 weeks. Best if 'build in progress' was split into, 'your vehicle is being built' and 'your car is awaiting shipment'. Once the ship has left port, it should say, 'your vehicle is at sea en route to you'. 'Left the factory' is misleading/incomplete information. The next step, 'In transit' is a terrible phrase because the car has been in transit since it left the port in Japan. Far better to say something like, 'Your vehicle has arrived in UK and is on its way to your dealer'. You probably get the idea by now. Would be nice if Lexus UK could make some simple wording changes to reduce the confusion experienced by many customers. That's my two penny worth.

As someone who hates the subscription model, I hereby give notice to all manufacturers that I will not buy any car from them that is not complete and fully transferable to a new owner in the form I purchased it in. Having said that, I'm not sure that I will ever be buying a new car outright in the future. My vision is that by the time my Lexus needs replacing, if I need to get from A to B, I will just call up a self-driving box that will appear at my front door and take me to where I want to go. I expect that I will have to pay a monthly retainer ( a subscription) but I think I could live with that as it wouldn't be 'my' vehicle. What I'll probably do though is keep my beloved Lexus because its mine, all mine, and I need something to polish, cherish and feel nostalgic about in my dying years.

How true is this? in today's sad world of fake news, the first question to ask is how reliable is this report or is it another conspiracy theory from, perhaps, a disgruntled individual? I'm not saying it is not true but I hope that I am a healthy sceptic.

That's excellent. I thought your car was on the Viking Adventure but as that's still at sea (off the coast of Cornwall so getting closer) I presume your car was on an earlier boat? Maybe the same one as RXtoNX as he picks his car up on Monday. Really heartening that several people are receiving their cars very soon. I feel for those still waiting but I'm sure it will be worth the wait. The excitement having waited so long is a great adrenalin rush!

How sure are you about the OBD2 connector? When I google the wiring plan I see 16 pins including an earth (pin 4) and permanent (ie unswitched) live (pin 16) but I don't see a switched supply. Seven pins are designated make/model specific so I presume a switched supply is therefore possible but is this true for the Lexus? Both the Nextbase and Thinkware dash cams appear to offer shut down if battery voltage drops below a pre-set level but the Nextbase still recommends connecting to a switched supply; thereby ruling out the OBD2 connector.

Looks fabulous Paul, love the interior.

Here's what I did ... From the Lexus Link notifications I worked out a 3 day window of departure dates from Nagoya, the port Lexus use in Japan. I used, https://www.myshiptracking.com/ports-arrivals-departures to search for ships leaving the port on these dates. This includes all ships but I could ignore the tugs, high speed vessels, passenger ships, tankers and yachts (teal, brown, blue, red and purple dots respectively). I picked out the ships classed as vehicle carriers; reducing the number of ships from 204 to 14. Over a couple of days, I plotted the positions of all 14 and eliminated the ones heading in the wrong direction. This left zero ships! Vaguely possible, one ship. Then, fortunately, somebody put up a post naming the Viking Adventure, which he had been given by his dealer. I checked my original list again and the Viking Adventure was listed but as a cargo ship, not a vehicle carrier. Hence why I had missed it. My dealer, several days later, was able to confirm that my vehicle was indeed on the Viking Adventure. Hope that helps. Good luck.

The Viking Adventure has had a good head of steam since leaving Livorno and is making good progress. Already passed Lisbon. Forecast on FleetMon is still to arrive at 16:00 on the 29th (the same as it's been showing since leaving Livorno). Any shipping experts out there? Do ships have a docking slot that is pre-allocated and they have to aim for, or do they try and get there as soon as possible and hope the port takes them early? If it does arrive at 4 o'clock on Friday, will unloading start over the weekend or do the docks work only from Monday to Friday?

I'm not sure. My sales contact told me that cars only went to Derby if they needed to and that they (the dealers) would carry out the PDI. However, he has been wrong (in minor ways) a couple of times so Paul (RXtoNX) might be correct.

Hope you enjoy the car Paul and keep us all updated on how it goes. I hope to pick my 450h+ in September and then straight into some long runs with plenty of motorway so I'm not expecting great consumption until I settle into the daily commute, which I hope will all be on electric.

That's encouraging. Hope it remains a useful work-around until Lexus sort the problem.

I would be interested to know what happens if the passenger switches off their key before approaching the vehicle (Press and hold the lock button on the key fob and press the unlock button twice). Does this help the car 'see' the right profile? ie the person who is going to drive it.

Please don't try this Bill. With respect, you don't sound too technical and the potential for things to go wrong isn't worth the risk. Even if you can minimise the time your head is under the wheel arch, other body parts will be there much longer and I'm guessing you'd like to keep them all! As VFR says, "Never ever !!!!", it really isn't worth the risk to go down this route.

Ha ha. You're right, there is nothing worse than driving a Morris Marina! 😉 I hope you got on better with yours than I did with the one that I drove.

Thanks Andy, helpful to me too. Any chance of a photo of where the power supply is taken please. CarbonCopy in a post yesterday (NX 2022 Delivery Date thread) said his dealer had had to leave the cover off to accommodate the piggy-back connector. He also said they took supply from two places, one permanent live and one switched. I think this is to cover parked mode and driving mode respectively.

As a former observer for the Institute of Advanced Motorists, I would say go for it and enrol yourself on a course. A few trips out with an observer will boost your confidence and will, if nothing else, give you a refresher on the Highway Code 2022 version. The course is not designed to teach you the ins and outs of your particular car but the observer should be able to provide general advice and reassurance that takes into account your car's general characteristics.

Definitely interesting. I admit that I was surprised that the Protection Pack would be fitted in the factory; the information you received would seem more logical. I opted to fit the dash cam myself (when the car arrives) but admit to some trepidation over my decision. Do you know what fuse they took the power from?

I think the biggest issue will be insurance. You should tell your insurance company because it will considered a modification and they may chose not to insure the car as a result, or charge a higher premium. I seem to recall a similar discussion on another thread recently where people with more expertise than I offered their advice and experience.

It's also described 35 minutes in to the Deep Dive Part 1 tutorial. Not sure if it's the same clip but of course both Deep Dives originate in the States. I wouldn't be surprised if its a US only feature as all recent European cars have to a feature that stops the engine after 1.5 seconds if, for example, stopped at traffic lights. To me, a remote engine start that runs the engine for 10 minutes with nobody in it doesn't fit with this ethos.

Care Care Nut on YouTube is a Toyota/Lexus Master Technician who has several videos worth watching, including some on how to look after you car and keep it going for 300,000 plus miles. The main thing I took away was making sure oil changes using the correct oil is carried out frequently.

I hope that is a pleasant surprise for you 🙂

My dealer told me that the protection pack was factory fitted; so, hopefully, that's one off the list. Tow bars are still not being listed as an option; have you had confirmation that one is available? They would normally be fitted at Derby but I recall one contributer saying his dealer was going to fit his. Keeping my fingers crossed for you, the 29th is a Friday but hopefully it being the start of the weekend won't slow things down.

Those lucky enough to have their car on the Viking Adventure, that left Japan on 28th June, may like to know that the ship is currently at anchor, awaiting its turn to go through the Suez Canal. Next stop is Livorno in Italy.

My Lexus Link app was updated on 15th July. Has anyone noticed any changes and, dare I hope, improvements?