Notamech

If youve had your pads changed at Lexus they should have re-used the old shims. Mine used to squeal when braking and turns out the previous owner changed the brakes and didnt use the shim kits. So i bought it and got it fit but the brakes still squeal when applied. So ive learnt to ignore it and assume its the pads . Also if you can wait a bit its cheaper here https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/166687780944?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338365712&toolid=20006&customid=EB211510275&

Yes will definitely do a guide or a video. Just waiting for the weather to be more conducive. Its just been so cold lately. I seem to have figured out how to do it in theory at least. When i actually go to do it, as is often the case, new hurdles show up. This engine just seems so DIY friendly that im tempted to keep it forever.

Yeah i did a lot of research on this and sounds like its normal. The ECU deliberately decides to run the engine lean to generate more heat faster. This made no sense to me as i always thought more fuel=more energy and hence more heat. But apparently that is not the case. A lean mixture generates more heat because there is a more complete burning of fuel taking place vs a rich mixture where relatively speaking more fuel is wasted also in a rich mixture the unburnt fuel conducts some of the heat away. So i guess it makes sense that under certain situations where power demand is low e.g in traffic and when the engine wants to warm up fast that the ecu decides to run it lean. Strangely i was in the same situation today but it didn't do it and everything was smooth as always. Sometime in the next few weeks I'll still clean the throttle body, MAF sensor and replace the PCV valve just for good measure. Its also strange that cars these days dont come with replaceable fuel filters. Ive seen videos of people opening up the pump assembly to get at these "lifetime" filters and what comes out is nasty.

So yesterday I started my car drove on to the road and immediately got stuck in traffic. Given the engine was cold it was running as the car was trying to warm up. While sat in traffic I noticed something strange, at idle I could feel vibrations of the running engine in the cabin intermittently. The best way to describe it would be as if the car is running lean and was close to cutting out except it wouldn't cut out. when the car is moving its fine. Which got me thinking that given it has run 94k now perhaps as good practice it might be worth cleaning the MAF sensor and throttle body but couldnt find any info on anyone having done it on the IS300H. The maf sensor should be straight forward and i found videos for how to do it for the 2ar engine but for the Throttle body it seems like a bit more of an involved job and disconnecting the intake hose doesnt seem like a straightforward easy job. Any tips if anyone has done it would be appreciated. Also when researching i found that this lean running when cold might actually be normal for hybrids as they do all sorts of weird stuff including running lean to heat up faster. But strangely I never noticed it before. Any thoughts?

The UAE could be an option. Heard they dont have taxes in Dubai.

Honestly given its a lexus i feel like the odds of it being something simple are quite high. As someone above suggested it could just be the steering shaft or components on or around the shaft rubbing against something. But on the flip side it could be anything from CV joints to steering or suspension components failing too. I would recommend getting it investigated as whatever it is its definitely not normal.

That might be a good idea frankly as dirt can indeed get trapped in between the mudflap and the body in some areas and scratch the paint which might be visible if you remove the mudflaps. I didn't do this though as i plan to keep the mudflaps on for as long as i own the car. If they fall off il replace them.

Not an owner but i havent heard many owners complain much about the 200t in the UK at least. I know that since the 2.5l V6 has only direct injection it is prone to carboning up at higher mileages. Also i think most people are skeptical because it was viewed as not a very reliable engine in the US probably due to many people running it on regular fuel when it needed premium fuel (in the US). In the UK even non premium fuel is already good quality and 95octane so not as many issues with it in the UK from what i understand but perhaps people avoid it just because other arguably better options are available like the 300h for the IS and the 300h/450h for the GS.

Steering wheels dont make that sound normally. Maybe check to see if something is fouling between the steering and dash i.e change the position of the steering wheel if its that you should not hear the sound after changing the position. Else its better to get the dealer to investigate. From what i understand even though you might want to claim warranty they charge an hour or so of labour to diagnose the fault and if there is no fault you have to pay else if there is a fault and you're covered then they sort it out with the warranty without you having to pay

I think it should be. Its very unusual for Toyota axles to fail like this. Maybe open the window turn the wheel completely to one side and drive the car slowly on full lock if it clicks and pops then ita most likely your axle has failed.

Check to see if your engine has D4S i.e direct and port injection. I had this on my is300h a while ago it sounded like a lifter tick on cold starts and lasted more than a few seconds and would not be present when the engine was warm. Was told that its normal and is because of the engine switching to direct injection under certain conditions. The noise was most likely the high pressure fuel pump or the injectors themselves.

No you do not have to remove the wheels. I did it myself without removing the wheels. For the front you can just turn the wheels to one side to make space. On the rear they do recommend drilling the wheel arch liner to fit one of the screws ( the middle one). If you want to do this then you do need to remove the wheel. I only fit one screw in the hole already in the wheel arch liner ( the top one) using a ratchet ( you can use a spanner too) and the pastic rivet on the underside of the bumper. Its held perfectly well with just these 2 fittings on the rear. I did not drill so didnt need to remove the wheel and i have 18 inch wheels with not much space but still managed it.

So much so that people are actively avoiding cars like the RX as insurance prices on those are crazy. I seen a forum post from a member where his RX got stolen so he bought another one and the insurance companies wanted £5k to insure this one. However now Lexus have a solution for the RX and said that for other models a solution would be available by end of April. Would be interesting to see what they come up with as the issue is unencrypted communication between modules on the CANbus

I agree...i wonder how people with SUVs manage daily driving. Everytime we go to the supermarket i see people with SUVs struggling to park between 2 cars. It always seems to be a tight fit. At times even the IS feels long and sticks out of parking spaces. For supermarket trips or around the city we always use the wifes jazz - its got all the features youd expect in a city car like dents, scratches, curbed wheels etc. Enough for me to not care if there is small new damage that doesnt impede its running.

Yes the is300h does not have a belt tensioner. Its just a stretch belt that drives the water pump. Its super simple and easy to replace the waterpump and belt if needed. Full thread here

Gald you found the right one but wow! £2.5 for 1 clip. Lexus have insane margins i imagine if they want £2.5 for 1 plastic clip thats probably made in china just like the generic ones anyway.

Add mudflaps to that list if you dont have them already. Its such a life saver in the UK. I havent washed my car since December 😋 and it looks nice and shiny still. From a distance at least. Before the mudflaps the doors would have a much thicker buld up that needed to be washed off more frequently. And it only cost me some £15/20 from Aliexpress fitted them myself.

Either way hope it serves you well and provides trouble free motoring.

With a budget of 20k perhaps consider the ES 300h. Its more modern than the GS and is more comfort oriented than the GS that was meant to be a mid sized sports sedan.

Not sure about the noise as i dont hear it. But the vapour blowing from the vents could just be a clogged drain tube causing moisture to build up around the cooling coils. This should dissipate after some time. The dealer should be able to clean the evaporator drain. Does the vapour feom the vents have a sweet smell? If it smells like coolant then you probably have a big problem i.e leaking heater core which in a lexus is generally rare but not unheard of.

Just my opinion but generally speaking i think the IS is very sports oriented and IS owners typically tend to appreciate those sporty aspects like the driving dynamics & rear wheel drive of the IS. The ES on the other hand is more of a luxury saloon, more comfort oriented and hence some IS owners might miss the sporty feel if they switch to a FWD ES. The GS on the other hand was meant to be a sports sedan competing with the 5 series. I have even watched reviews comparing its driving dynamics to the porsche panamera. Also, the IS is based on the GS platform but the GS was a larger more luxurious sedan in the lexus line up and offers a good blend of luxury and sportiness and hence I would argue would be a better choice for an IS owner looking for something more luxury but without compromisingon driving dynamics. That being said there are definite advantages to picking the ES over the GS depending on what one is looking for. For example the ES is a more modern car and provides a more refined driving experience.

Full thread is here. I did this too but your car needs to have the factory camera connector.

By the time im done with the IS - probably 3 years from now. I will mostly look for a GS450h or maybe the GS300h - premier depending on what i feel like then. Hopefully they will be quite reasonably priced by then. The 450h is more expensive to run and maintain but hear its a great blend of luxury and sportiness.

I see this with most car manufacturers these days. Their entry level cars are a disfigured "SUV" they're killing off all the sedans and compact hatchbacks and pushing these ugly small SUVs. But to be fair its probably what most of the market wants. Most people arent car enthusiasts they want a functional comfortable car and dont care so much about "sportiness". Despite me choosing an IS because personally i like sedans and i like reliablity more. I see the impracticality everytime i try strapping my kid to the child seat and her head hits the ceiling when getting her in. At those times i feel like a taller car would make sense. Also while i love the IS for what it is. It honestly isnt the best sporty compact sedan out there and those looking for a compact sporty sedan probably buy BMWs

In my experience the biggest thing affecting MPG on motorways is speed unfortunately. On motorways i easily manage anywhere between 45-53 but i keep my speed between 60-65. On trips where ive gone faster i.e 70+ its similar to what you are seeing. Most of my daily driving is short city driving and because for most of my 2 -3 mile trips the engine is constantly running trying to warm itself and the cabin i get an abysmal 24-34 depending on the weather. So in this case despite low speeds other factors such as the trip being short saps my MPG. So your MPG on B road journeys would also depend on factors like weather, your climate control temp, length of the trip, terrain type e.g. hilly vs flat and your speed.