Do A Dvla Check - Now!

[scythe]

I'm hoping for a car that drives itself when I'm too doddery to drive!

<lights blue touch paper

Me too. But have you wondered what it will do to road congestion - keeping an extra generation on the road?

Well, I'm hoping that there will be less of an issue with congestion if cars are driving themselves - junctions being more efficient as cars talk and negotiate with each other, motorways having 'trains' of closely spaced co-operating cars, and optimum routes being negotiated as well - plus fewer motorways closed for hours because of serious accidents ...

I'm hoping for a car that drives itself when I'm too doddery to drive!

<lights blue touch paper

This may be a real life saver in the future for people who for medical reasons or other are unable to drive. BUT ........ for people on this forum, I feel, driving is a bit more than just getting from A to B and having independent transport..

I realise that there is pleasure in driving - I enjoy it very much - but isn't comfortable safe independent travel from A to B the real reason most people would own an LS? If you want something showoffy, then you'd not get an LS, and if you want to push your driving skills, surely that's what track days are for?

I think the future is coming faster than we think!

: o )

[Spacewagon52]

I'm hoping for a car that drives itself when I'm too doddery to drive!

<lights blue touch paper

Me too. But have you wondered what it will do to road congestion - keeping an extra generation on the road?

Well, I'm hoping that there will be less of an issue with congestion if cars are driving themselves - junctions being more efficient as cars talk and negotiate with each other, motorways having 'trains' of closely spaced co-operating cars, and optimum routes being negotiated as well - plus fewer motorways closed for hours because of serious accidents ...

I'm hoping for a car that drives itself when I'm too doddery to drive!

<lights blue touch paper

This may be a real life saver in the future for people who for medical reasons or other are unable to drive. BUT ........ for people on this forum, I feel, driving is a bit more than just getting from A to B and having independent transport..

I realise that there is pleasure in driving - I enjoy it very much - but isn't comfortable safe independent travel from A to B the real reason most people would own an LS? If you want something showoffy, then you'd not get an LS, and if you want to push your driving skills, surely that's what track days are for?

I think the future is coming faster than we think!

: o )

I am afraid I must disagree with you Scythe. I don't think it is always about showing off or testing your driving skills. I bought my Lexus because it gives me great pleasure to drive it and at an affordable price (at the moment!). I have not bought the LS to show off, in fact the opposite. I really like the fact that few people realise that it is car that can stand alongside S Class Mercedes, BMW, Jags etc. without being noticed. Do I need a 4.0 V8 to do over 140 mph? Did I buy a Lexus LS just to get me from A to B? No is the simple answer to both questions. I find I drive my Lexus very sedately and I really enjoy the smoothness and quiet refinement. It is also nice to have that power if you want a quick blast. But, to me, owning a Lexus is more than just owning a car ............. it is hard to describe ........... it is something special. I have a BIG grin on my face everytime I put the key in and start that wonderful engine. No other car comes close to my idea of motoring Navana. I go out in my Lexus just to enjoy it!.

[scythe]

Sorry, you've got me back to front on the show off thing - I agree that no one has a LS for that reason - it's because it's well camouflaged that many people have one. And I agree about the comfort. But does it matter ultimately if you are driving, or the car is driving itself?

[Malc]

............. I just so really enjoy the Grand Touring I know I can safely, amazingly comfortably and if necessary powerfully do around Europe and the UK on mindlessly wandering holidays

( bugger the mpg stuff )

Malc

[Bluesman]

Sorry, you've got me back to front on the show off thing - I agree that no one has a LS for that reason - it's because it's well camouflaged that many people have one. And I agree about the comfort. But does it matter ultimately if you are driving, or the car is driving itself?

I agree with the anonymity the LS car gives you but I must be driving that's 80% of the fun in owning one. Mike.

[scythe]

Well, yes, I enjoy driving an LS, but that's because it's such an obedient car. It stops, goes, and turns exactly when I want it to, with no anxiety - so, a perfect car. (yes, apart from the mpg!)

[runsgrateasanut]

Being completely grounded I can tell you what you guys are missing. Having to lug a Flight bag full of tools and drills to my Sons by Train and then over cobbled paving rattling like a Snake inTexas, My wife and I left before 9pm to catch the Train home only to be accosted on the deserted Platform by a Smackhead looking like Jimmy Sommerv.. who when told we didn't have any money walked away F'ing angrily under his breath within earshot. We boarded the Train for London even though it was not the Train we wanted. Got off and waited for correct Train home and when it arrived who should get off but Birthday Boy who didn't have enough Dough to get to Saff-end. Still trying to tap people for cash.

Monday its a Bus journey to the Dentist to check this toothache. Great week I'm having.
What a pleasure being without a Car is - courtesy of DVLA's ineptitude!

[Spacewagon52]

I do feel for you. My son (28) tries not to use buses (he does not have a car) because they always have a nutter on them. I disagreed. When I next went on a local bus ........... yes ...... there on the front seat was a man dressed as a pirate with a parrot in a cage. On the back seat was a transvestite, who kept shouting "Do you think I'm sexy?" My 7 year old was transfixed! I fully understand why he tries not to use buses!

This is a TRUE story!

[lex - eleven]

Thought I'd check mine and it has my "valid from" date as 18/8/89. Odd as I passed my car test in 1980 and my motorcycle test around 1981 or 1983 before my son was born in 1984?? Although it's obviously valid I might still give them a call about it. Also I only have the paper licence. I suppose when I move next year I will have to apply for a new licence and end up being ripped off like everyone else!

[Tulpen]

Mark,

I don't know if you travel overseas much, or hire cars when you are there but, you will find it MUCH easier to rent a car in some parts of the world if you have one of the 'picture' type licences.

[lex - eleven]

Hi. We never go abroad for holidays we love caravanning in our own tourer here in the UK. It will be an inevitability when we move next year though I suppose.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk

[runsgrateasanut]

I hired a Car at Nice in September on my paper licence . The guy said he had never seen one before. I think I must have been lucky as not only to have been given the Car, but also not to have had any sort of prang in it. I would have seen the inside of a French Cell if I had!

The below link is in stark contract to the assertions of DVLA that errors are rare. Wasting valuable Police time by a Public department is unforgiveable.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/a-third-of-driving-licences-incorrect-wrong-dvla-data-wasting-police-time-1469036.html

I have to contact my MP if I want it to get looked at. Apparantly I've read that the PM wrote three times on behalf of a disgruntled Constituent Licence holder, and got nowhere!

[Spacewagon52]

Hi. We never go abroad for holidays we love caravanning in our own tourer here in the UK. It will be an inevitability when we move next year though I suppose.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk

Mark, do you tow with the Lexus LS 430? If so do you have any extra cooling (oil cooler) for the auto box?

[lex - eleven]

Hi yes I tow with the lexus. I didn't know anything about extra gearbox cooling. We've been to kings lynn twice and devon twice and mersea Island this year without it missing a beat. Perhaps theres something I should know that I'm unaware of?

[messi]

Well regarding the extra oil cooler for the gearbox, I actually asked a lexus trained tech today about putting an extra oil cooler on my ls430 due to the horror stories regarding the gearbox failure, and his words were you can put as many oil coolers on the ls430, if the radiator is going to leak water into the gearbox, it will do regardless. He said best thing to do was fit a new radiator and that's all you need to do.

[Spacewagon52]

From other posts I would say this was sound advice! I was not sure if a suplimentary cooler had to be fitted or not.

[runsgrateasanut]

Mark,

I don't know if you travel overseas much, or hire cars when you are there but, you will find it MUCH easier to rent a car in some parts of the world if you have one of the 'picture' type licences.

After the events in Paris the hiring of a Car in Europe will be much harder and need to comply to the EU rules - doing a DVLA Licence check for all potential British hirers and similar where such databases exist for other Europeans who want to hire vehicles. Quite how that works with some Countries I haven't a clue. Tracing hirers details was seen as essential to intelligence in finding the source of the situation.

[mikeyv]

Well regarding the extra oil cooler for the gearbox, I actually asked a lexus trained tech today about putting an extra oil cooler on my ls430 due to the horror stories regarding the gearbox failure, and his words were you can put as many oil coolers on the ls430, if the radiator is going to leak water into the gearbox, it will do regardless. He said best thing to do was fit a new radiator and that's all you need to do.

I think there are two separate issues there though, the additional radiator required for towing will just give extra cooling, but still have a risk of water and trans fluid coming together if there's a leak.

The other scenario is fitting an extra rad, then disconnecting the transmission fluid feed to the main radiator, so no risk of water being mixed, as the trans fluid is now air cooled only.

Whether extra cooling for towing is still required, I'm not sure, it certainly used to be best practice, but things have moved on a bit since the old three speed slush boxes, I guess.

[GrahamG]

Looking at replacement radiators for sale in the USA there is a 'with towing' option. That amounts to a slightly thicker core of the radiator and nothing else I can see.

When I asked on the USA owners site about the radiator failing in such a way as to allow contamination of the ATF there was no reaction to this danger. That does not of course establish there is no likelihood of it happening but I was surprised at such little response.

[ambermarine]

With regard to the cooling requirement for towing on the Ls400/430 I would assume it depends on the weight being towed as to weather extra cooling would be needed.

The provision for extra cooling would have been stated by Lexus at the full towing capacity of the car for obvious reasons.

Anything less than that would be by definition degrees lower both in effort required and temperature reached in the box.

If you are towing a caravan with kerb weight at its maximum as against a light two wheeled trailer there will be significant differences in the effort required.

Personally the Lexus I have would not be used for towing for two reasons, when towing the best form of transmission is manual it gives quicker response time in emergencys such as control during turbulence and the fuel consumption would be excessive Diesel engined manual gearbox everytime for towing.

[runsgrateasanut]

My Licence is back on the DVLA register.

Only after chasing on the phone was I on the 8th told that it would be restored and given a reference number.

Despite having received no acknowledgement of my letter I checked their site to find it up on the 15th December 2015.

Meantime I'd written to Dougie Carswell my MP and his acknowledgement and copy letter of complaint he wrote to DVLA on the 9th, was received by me on the 16th.

On the same day I received a call from DVLA asking if I'd received their letter - No? It arrived on the 17th dated the 9th December.

The Woman asked if I'd received their letter and I pointed out that I had not and that as a courtesy I expected to receive a letter before now. Then after discussing the inconvenience and the cost with her she said the letter enclosed a D1 Form to apply for a new plastic Driving Licence as they did not issue paper ones anymore. Can you believe it, she clearly had not seen my letter enclosing a photocopy of my watermarked driving licence WHICH CLEARLY I STILL HAD IN MY POSSESSION!! "Oh, Ok ignore the last paragraph" was her reply.! The left hand not knowing etc ??? Dougie's asked them to explain - but I bet "human error" will be the extent of their explanation.

[Rupert Dubreaux]

At least that will be a change from the usual "sorry its a computer error sir" ,glad to hear you have finally got your license reinstated Stuart .

[soundchaser100]

Just seen this. On 3rd December I received a letter from DVLA to inform me that the Direct Debit for my Tax had not been taken out and so, my car was not taxed. The Road Tax should have been taken out on 1st of October ! So I had been driving around for 2 months, blissfully unaware that my car was not taxed. The letter blamed the oversight on "a system failure" and advised me to tax my car ASAP which I did. They did at least apologise for the error, but , when I phoned the automated system to tax my car, I was warned that as I had let the tax run out, I might be liable for prosecution. What a cheek! I hadn't noticed that the Direct Debit had not been taken out, but it took DVLA 2 months to spot the error. I assume it hadn't flagged up on the system, otherwise I could have had Plod pulling me over.

As the OP suggests, don't rely on DVLA getting it right all the time.

Paul

[runsgrateasanut]

Does no harm to remind people to check their licence is in order.

The reason why my Licence was removed from the Register was explained that I had written to DVLA informing them in 2003 of my Brothers death in a car accident, and they

mistakenly deleted my Licence.

As the names are entirely different, it shows the lack of care (or ability) by the staff they employ to do the job.

I have received no recompence for the inconvenience, worry or costs this error has caused me.

 

 

[bigjap]

when they issue you with new licence at age 70,you need to start checking your driving entitlements,are still on there,my father in law went to hire 7.5 ton van to help someone move ,and found his licence did'nt cover it anymore,apparently,you have to apply to have it ,perhaps they don't expect older people to want to drive larger vehicles.lucky enough i was at home and was able to help.he is an ex traffic cop ,but he had'nt checked,when he got his new licence just automatically assumed it was the same