gs450h Hunting for a GS 450H

[Farqui]

I can't see any reference to a neat 'option connector' for the GS 

So it looks like I may have to use a piggy back fuse connection.

Fuses appear to be mini type right?

I'd check myself IF I had a car to look at, so I apologize for the basic questions.

[Farqui]

On Saturday we not only managed to move on my old Civic privately and also pick up a GS450H, both within the same town. Very fortunate 

Before committing to the Lexus we took it for a good test drive and it appears to be in good condition, mechanically.  The interior is spotless but the exterior needs some TLC, which is to be expected on a car of it's age.

It's a joy to drive, comfy and very quiet. Coasting thru villages at 30mph on the Battery still seems weird atm tho!

I think I've got a grasp of all the controls/toys now and I'm just looking around to see how I can update the OEM gen 5 satnag from 07-08 (E10) - any tips folks?  I defo need Western Europe as we often trip over to Belgium but I'd rather not spend loads on the carnav as Sygic on my phone works pretty well with live traffic updates/regular map updates.  

Oh and I'm struggling to send over contacts from my Android LG G5, I've tried a couple of apps (ContactsXchange, TransferContacts) but nowt works thus far. 

I had hoped to get her washed at the weekend and some pic's online but a Sunday roast with the folks got the better of me LOL.  I'll get some photo's up soon.

[Shahpor]

Excellent news.

What did you get in the end?  Was it one of the ones mentioned previously?

[Farqui]

It was the £7,777 car and I meant to double check the spec earlier but then got sidetrack with the phonebook.  

It's an '08 face lift model and all the panels are nice and straight.  It has plenty of toys so I'm happy.

It needs a service so I'll be contacting Lexus Lincoln pretty soon, reckon I'll soon be a LOC Supporter too 

[Shahpor]

The black one, MW57?  I hope you didn't pay £7777 since the ad now says £7644

I like the service history on that one, looks like it was well looked after.

[Farqui]

That's the one and no, they dropped the price after our visit and I got a bit more off too. Good spot btw.

[Farqui]

I haven't managed to wash the car yet (man flu) but thought I'd upload a couple of dealer pic's for you.

Just got off the phone with Lexus Lincoln and booked in for an service next week.  At the moment I've chosen an essential/major to cover it's due major/100k service. 

Looking at the online service plan checklists, the essential/major covers all the checks of the full.  Yet there is no essential/major+100, does anyone know what extras are included within full+100 for £200 extra?  

On a similar note, none of the plans list spark plugs...maybe they're in the full+100? 

[Shahpor]

Nice looking car there Lee

Hope you feel better soon.

I have just had a browse of the service checklist documents, and it seems to break down like this:

Lexus-Service-Checklists_tcm-3066-418952.pdf

So, according to this, it says the Full+100 adds:

Clean airflow meter, check valve clearances, replace hybrid inverter coolant.

As for the spark plugs, if you have a look at the Full+60 in the same document, you will see it mentioned since they need changing every 60k, so they wouldn't be required for the 100k service.

[Farqui]

Thanks, she's not missed a beat (long may that continue).  I'm still trying to work out a comfortable driving position, there are too many adjustments!.

Excellent, thanks for highlighting that document...it clears up my queries  

Hmmm, hybrid inverter coolant is in the full+100 along valve clearances. Both would be a good to get done. 

[hybridbatterysolutions]

Looks Lovely Lee

 

Mine is Canterbury Blue with perfect cream interior - just had some paint done & now looking at wheels, they really are a lovely car & looks like you got a good one.

Hybrid Battery Performance & Life can be extended substantially  PM me & i will tell you more (dont want to fall shy of rules on advertising)

 

Richard

[Farqui]

Thanks, I'll take another look at your website Richard.

Blue is a great colour.

Think I'll be getting my bonnet painted at some point.

[Farqui]

A new CR 1632 has restored life into the dead key fob #phew

After seeing the extra work on a full+100 service, I've changed my booking for next week. Better to get the belts, valve clearances and hybrid cooling fluid changed and know the car is in good working order. I'd better get signed up so I can benefit from the discount 😁

 

I finally got around to checking the drivers b pillar to find, it's an SE spec! Clearly there are plenty of toys in a GS already, so I wasn't that fussed about the number of extra toys LOL

 

[Farqui]

My OEM sat nav disks are 07/08 and I'd like new maps with the last firmware to allow full postcodes and searches on the move, etc.

Has anybody used http://http://satnavdiscs.co.uk/?

I ask this company about firmware and they only replied that they are compatible with my vehicle #facepalm

I've checked eBay and I'd need 2 OEM disks to cover the UK and Belgium, which then gets expensive at £70 a pop.

The most expensive option seems to be http://www.lexus-mapupdates.eu/ and get a full set of disks for around £110.

[Farqui]

How long does it usually take to get your LOC membership?

I've a service booked for Tuesday and paid my subs last week...

[Farqui]

My membership is being fast tracked 👍

Had a TPMS warning at the weekend and it seems that my OSF has a slow leak 🤔 I've just checked pressures and reset the psi to clear the warning.

[Shahpor]

Nice one!

I wish I had a TPMS on mine considering the woes I have had with tyres.

[Farqui]

Reading the forums I get the impression that the TPMS is more trouble than it's worth.  I'm glad the TPMS appears to be working tho as repairs don't look cheap.

The satnav is getting on my wick now, having to stop to adjust the destination sucks.  Before I take the plunge, does anyone have any feedback on my earlier queries?

[Shahpor]

I suppose TPMS can be a pain in the arse.  Although it would have saved me from needing a new tyre after I didn't realise it was low on air whilst driving on it.

As for the sat nav, I didn't comment since I am not sure the system in the GS is the same as my IS.  On mine, the update from 2008 to 2016 changed the firmware, which in turn allows the sat nav to be adjusted on the move.  Perhaps it is the same on yours?

I got my discs from eBay for about £75 for the Western Europe one only.

[Farqui]

Car went into Lexus for a Full+100 service today and the Lincoln dealership seemed like a nice bunch and gave me a good discount. I also got to drive a new CT200H for the day.

Nothing urgent has come up on the health check but they've flagged these non urgent items;

• both front tyre valves leaking (they've priced up cost to attempt to re-seat the TPMS valves, but they may also be seized and need replacing)  I know for sure that the OSF has a slow puncture before it's flagged on the dash, so will keep an eye on the NSF now too.
• rear brake pipe corroded
• front shocks leaking from body
• exhaust blowing at 'Y' section (price quoted for a welded repair)
• exhaust also has a slight leak from the mid section (couldn't see properly for heat shields/etc)

I'm a bit gutted that the car appears to have all the typical/main issues you might expect on this particular model :( 

It's also odd that the car passed an MOT 260 miles ago at the start of December with non of these advisories.  The MOT was in a different part of the country and not whilst in my ownership, so I think I'll need to check the car myself to confirm what's going on.  Once I see for myself then I may well be having a word with the dealer who sold me the vehicle.

The dealer couldn't perform a hybrid health check either as the ECU has been cleared recently and needs to cover another 300 miles or so. They have offered to re-do this in a few weeks time tho and then warranty the hybrid system.

Has anyone used Lincoln Lexus before and how has your experience been with them?

[Shahpor]

Well, that is no good.

Although, like you say, they are common faults, so if you do get them fixed, at least you know they won't be an issue for the time being.

It is strange that the MOT didn't flag them up.  Corroded brake pipes might be a matter of opinion, but a leaking exhaust and dampers should be obvious.

Have you talked to the dealer about getting these things fixed?  Apart from the tyres, the rest should have been in good working order before he sold the car.

[Farqui]

Yeah, I agree that it's odd these items weren't flagged on the MOT. They should be pretty obvious and the car hasn't covered many miles since.

Before I contact the vendor, I first want to double check these 'advisories'. I need to crack on tho to keep within the 30 day limit. At least the Lexus report is dated just a week after the sale.

I guess feedback from Lexus should be sufficient for the dealer to decide how to proceed. The vendor isn't local, so I guess we'd need to agree to some form of compensation.

[Farqui]

Right, I've just spent a few hours jacking the car up to investigate the dealers comments;

• both front tyre valves leaking - the OSF definitely is, around the base of the TPMS sensor. I can't see any leaks on the NSF
• rear brake pipe corroded - all I can see is a small rub on each side, looks like the inner arch has rubbed the pipes slightly
• front shocks leaking from body - all four dampers are bone dry! - I look forward to hearing what Lexus have to say about this
• exhaust blowing at 'Y' section - agreed, I'll discuss this with the dealer that sold me the vehicle
• exhaust also has a slight leak from the mid section - I couldn't get underneath the vehicle sufficiently today to check this

It's a good job I took the time to pop off all the wheels and crack the wheels nuts as some were crazy tight, so much so that I doubt you'd shift them at the road side.  They've all been cleaned up, lubed and torqued down nicely now.

[Farqui]

Can a TPMS valve leak be easily sealed against the alloy rim?

[Shahpor]

Good job investigating.  Strange that Lexus would mention the dampers leaking since it shouldn't be difficult to see a leak.  Did you have a look above the spring base to see if there is any fluid leaking from the top?

Otherwise, barring the exhaust, it is looking pretty good under there.

You are not the first to mention really tight wheel nuts either.  I wonder if the newer impact drivers are now torqueing up the bolts too tight?  I was always under the impression that they used a torque wrench to tighten them up to the correct amount.

Hopefully you will hear back from both dealers with some positive results soon.

[doog442]

40 minutes ago, Shahpor said:

Good job investigating.  Strange that Lexus would mention the dampers leaking since it shouldn't be difficult to see a leak.  Did you have a look above the spring base to see if there is any fluid leaking from the top?

 

It's gutting though isnt it....the hunt for an honest main dealer continues. 

Perhaps Lexus should introduce video recording of these mystery finds , like BMW do..or at least photograph the alleged problem. Things like this actively drive people away from dealership servicing.