My new (07) IS 220d Sport - snag list

Chris_G · July 25, 2017

Hi all -

Thanks for words of welcome to the Forum.

So, I've now had the IS 220d for a couple of months, and just thought I'd share my personal "snag-list" of things that are bothering me, in case anyone with more experience of this lovely vehicle might care to say "Normal... Normal... Oh Dear!..." etc :-)

So here it is -

1/ Temperamental rear boot-catch - sometimes opens the boot, sometimes doesn't.. can't see any patterns as to when and why (ie - car unlocked with key fob versus unlocked by proximity...)

2/ Really bad FM radio reception on all stations

3/ VERY annoying on-screen Health and Safety message and "I Agree" prompt, seemingly pops up whenever it feels like it, does not seem to recognise that you already "Agreed" ?!

4/ Really bad fuel economy even after a long run on Cruise - around 32-ish mpg average ?

5/ Sometimes temperamental starting - always starts first-pull in the morning, but thereafter, starter sometimes seems to "bog down" after a single turn.. almost as if there's a starter motor or Battery issue - but then, a couple of tries later, it starts perfectly ?

6/ Wing mirrors usually fail to return to their "normal" position after auto-dipping for Reverse

7/ Can't seem to find any way to use Bluetooth for playing music - only for the phone. This may well be normal, but seems a bit daft... (clearly, I don't have the Audio System manual.... :-( )

8/ Audible / actually "feel-able" CLUNK from the front (definitely not the rear, ie Diff...) when changing gear sometimes, especially in low gears / at low speed

And finally - is there any way at all to get the car to auto-retract the wing mirrors when I stop it / lock it, rather than requiring me to press the button manually, which I ALWAYS forget to do lol ?!

Thanks in advance to all !!

Cheers - Chris.

Shahpor · July 25, 2017

Ok, let see:

1. Not normal, so could be a sticky catch.

2. Not that I have noticed.

3. Normal and very annoying. Although it should only appear when you first turn the car on.

4. Not normal. On a long motorway run, I would be somewhere in the 40's depending on how fast I was going.

5. Not normal. It should start easily every time. Like you say, perhaps starter motor or Battery.

6. Sort of. Mine seems to sag a little over time, but it generally returns to the same place every time. Is it both mirrors? Do you have the seat memory option?

7. Normal I am afraid. Bluetooth only used for making phone calls.

8. Difficult to say without more info.

For the mirrors, see here:

I think that is about it for now.

Farqui · July 26, 2017

Hi Chris, how are you getting on with the car?

For point 4) take a peek at this;

paulrnx · August 5, 2017

Re the auto-fodling mirrors, you'll have to check with a dealer. I'm thinking this one is a manual folding setup only, ie press the button on the armrest to fold them. Even the current generation IS has 'manual' folding mirrors with some models (Executive was one).

Sandy42 · August 5, 2017

For point 4.

I just sold my 2010 IS220D SE-I a month ago after 7 happy years with the car.

My average consumption over the time I had the car was 34.5mpg.

Yes, you should get 40mpg+ on the motorway but 32mpg average seems about right for the 2007 car (which had a slightly poorer official consumption compared to the version I had).

Chris_G · August 10, 2017

Hi all -

Many thanks for comments received on my post above - and particular apologies to those of you who replied a while ago, but whom I have not yet acknowledged / thanked - I've been away a lot recently.... but, I know how annoying it is when you bother to respond to a post, and then the OP disappears ! :-)

Anyhoo - thanks Shahpor for your comprehensive reply. The temperamental rear boot catch (rubber-covered button above number plate on boot) continues to frustrate me. I did some more methodical testing - and the ONLY circumstance in which it will open the boot, is if I have the key in my pocket - ie, via the proximity sensor. EVEN IF THE CAR IS UNLOCKED - if I do not have the key on me, then the rear button refuses to open the boot. Bring the key near - hey presto, button opens boot. So - a sticky catch seems unlikely (since it works, predictably, when "conditions" are met...). I remain baffled by this... surely the rear boot catch should open the boot, when the car is unlocked, whether you have the key on you or not ??.

Has nobody else honestly noticed poor radio reception ? I mean - it is really bad... I'm an old git now so listen to Radio 4 quite a bit.. it's more or less un-usable, dropping in and out... but even Radio 2 is crackly. I am thinking of getting the HU out and seeing if there's any way to fit an RF booster - does anyone have any experience of this, please ?

I think I've realised that my economy is probably "normal" - or at least, normal for the car, and my style of driving, and the fact that I have had air-con on pretty much constantly since taking ownership of it. It does seem to get quite stuffy, quite quickly, in the cabin, without air-con ?. I think perhaps I was spoiled by my previous Diesel, an Insignia, which was giving me 50MPG+ on average (even when towing) and 550 miles on a 60L tank. The Lexi offers me a Range of around 350 miles, just after a fill-up, which seems quite tragic by comparison. However - there is some hope - thanks to Farqui for EGR cleaning and ECU reset tips. Is the EGR cleaning a Dealer job, I wonder ? And - I have to say, I'm always very nervous about disconnecting batteries from modern cars, having had some (in particular a Toyota GT86) go into a total dead sulk and Immobilise themselves, thereafter...)... do we definitely think it's OK, on the Lexus, please ?

I also think I have got to the bottom of the "sporadic" starting. The car always seemed to start perfectly first time, but after a run, having been stopped and parked, it would invariably take 3 tries... the green light would come on... then go amber as soon as I pressed the button. It then might stay green, the car would try one turn, then bog down as if for a flat Battery. However - I think this is as simple (and annoying) as - I have short legs. Unless the Clutch pedal is FIRMLY planted to the floor... I get the above symptoms..when I grind it into the carpet, everything is fine. So - maybe I need to adjust the clutch pedal travel, or grow a bit, or alter the seat :-)

For the sometimes-not-returning folding mirrors; I have concluded that this is simply a matter of age, and bearings drying out. If I (manually) take both mirrors (Yes, Shahpor, it is both mirrors.. and I DO have memory seats...) in a full 360* orbit, as far left and right, and up and down, as possible - then the problem goes away, for a while. I think I need to get inside the mirror housings and throw some WD-40 around. I wonder - are there any "How-To's" on this site, that might help me get in there without breaking anything please, folks ? Also - Shahpor - thank for the link re the Po-40 kit. I will look into that. I did check out my Satellite Switch, though, in the vain hope of seeing an option (I do realise that an '07 car is too old for that anyway, though...) and - interestingly - I seem to have a "Priming" option, in the menu. NO idea what that might be ... does anyone know ? Thanks Paulrnx for comments re contacting the Dealer. On my Insignia - the Dealer could wake up ALL KINDS of funky stuff, via the OBD11 port and their specialised unit (called "Tech2") for a Vauxhall...) - I remember finding something on a Vauxhall forum.. a set of keypresses in Tech2 (something like "Press 1, then 2, then "A", then type "40c")... which I took it down to the Dealer and got them to do - and lo and behold, suddenly I had two Trip computers not one, and a "Range" display for my mileage-to-empty... which I did not have before. Do we know if similar stuff exists for the Lexus, please, and if there's any guides to codes, on this site ?

Other than that - LOVING this car. Bit gutless at low revs, massive turbo lag, but looks the business, and pleases me every day. One other thing to add to my snag list, though - the little flappy plastic catch on the front of the arm-rest trinket box, came off in my hand the other day, and I can't see any way to properly fix it back in... it will stick back in, and work, but then of course just comes out again... has anyone else suffered from this ?

Anyway - apologies for the long post, and the new set of questions - and thanks again for all kind welcomes to the Forum, and replies received so far :-)

Cheers all-

Chris.

Shahpor · August 10, 2017

Hi Chris,

I thought the boot was supposed to be like that cause mine is the same? Even with the car unlocked, the only two ways to open the boot are either with the keys next to it or from the boot release button on the lower right of the dash. I am not sure if this a user configurable option or not, but it seems that the boot lock is not connected to the door ones.

You can't pick up Radio 2?!? This is certainly serious! But seriously, the only obvious thing you can do is check the antenna wire on the rear window, like so:

EGR cleaning is quite straightforward and only requires basic tools. You can see the procedure here:

The only thing I do differently is I don't disconnect the metal pipe. All I do is loosen the bottom bolt and remove the top one, and that allows you to swing the pipe out of the way enough for it to clear the valve. It also means you don't need to remove the Battery.

Speaking of batteries, it is perfectly fine to disconnect yours. The only thing that will need resetting is the auto open/closure of the windows. To reset those, you need to lower the windows and then pull the switch all the way up for about 10 second for each door. So, with the exception of the drivers door, you need to use the switch on the door itself instead of the one on the drivers panel.

Personally, I have never had a problem with the clutch pedal, but I can imagine it is quite frustrating if it requires a lot of force. You could check the switch, which is located here:

Perhaps you could unbolt the switch and jam something between it and the bracket on the pedal? As long as the clutch still engages cleanly it shouldn't be a problem.

For the wing mirrors, @is200 Newbie wrote an excellent guide here:

The priming option on the satellite switch is used whenever you drain the fuel system. It is used to build up pressure and remove air from the system before you try and start the car. Basically, it runs the fuel pump for a while.

There is also some software that can do funky stuff with your Lexus In our case, it is Toyota's TechStream software. It is cheap and easy to get a copy from eBay, along with the cable required to connect it to your car.

I am afraid I have no clue regarding the console lid.

Your assessment is pretty accurate with regards to how it drives. You are also correct on how pleased I am to drive it every day.

C Andrew Green · August 11, 2017

On 25/07/2017 at 6:13 PM, Chris_G said:

Hi all -

Thanks for words of welcome to the Forum.

So, I've now had the IS 220d for a couple of months, and just thought I'd share my personal "snag-list" of things that are bothering me, in case anyone with more experience of this lovely vehicle might care to say "Normal... Normal... Oh Dear!..." etc :-)

So here it is -

1/ Temperamental rear boot-catch - sometimes opens the boot, sometimes doesn't.. can't see any patterns as to when and why (ie - car unlocked with key fob versus unlocked by proximity...)

2/ Really bad FM radio reception on all stations

3/ VERY annoying on-screen Health and Safety message and "I Agree" prompt, seemingly pops up whenever it feels like it, does not seem to recognise that you already "Agreed" ?!

4/ Really bad fuel economy even after a long run on Cruise - around 32-ish mpg average ?

5/ Sometimes temperamental starting - always starts first-pull in the morning, but thereafter, starter sometimes seems to "bog down" after a single turn.. almost as if there's a starter motor or battery issue - but then, a couple of tries later, it starts perfectly ?

6/ Wing mirrors usually fail to return to their "normal" position after auto-dipping for Reverse

7/ Can't seem to find any way to use Bluetooth for playing music - only for the phone. This may well be normal, but seems a bit daft... (clearly, I don't have the Audio System manual.... :-( )

8/ Audible / actually "feel-able" CLUNK from the front (definitely not the rear, ie Diff...) when changing gear sometimes, especially in low gears / at low speed

And finally - is there any way at all to get the car to auto-retract the wing mirrors when I stop it / lock it, rather than requiring me to press the button manually, which I ALWAYS forget to do lol ?!

Thanks in advance to all !!

Cheers - Chris.

1/ As far as I can see the boot latch is not connected to the door locking process at all.... it has it's own receiver for the key, approximate range shown in green in the attached extract from the manual: