What did you do to your Lexus today.

steve2006 · December 20, 2022

Can you see me waving to you from Tenerife John? Noticed petrol had dropped since our last visit. 😀

Vlady · December 20, 2022

19 minutes ago, steve2006 said:

Can you see me waving to you from Tenerife John? Noticed petrol had dropped since our last visit. 😀

Hi Steve/John, I am waving you from Puerto Rico Gran Canaria, I can see Tenerife from here! 😉

Spottedlaurel · January 2, 2023

Too early to have done much today, but yesterday I taxed the fresly MoTed LS400 and started driving it again.

I doubt the £50 of V-Power I put in will last me long, but it's great to be behind the wheel of it again not just looking at it on the driveway.

Now to start on the list of things it needs to keep it going as longer-term proposition.....

Spottedlaurel · March 5, 2023

First step taken today on the list of repairs/improvements - I replaced the interior light bulb!

Otherwise had a rather enoyable day out in it, on my own with a few things to do but no particular time pressures.

Loaded up the CD player.

Found a friend.

Took it to where I lived when the car was brand new - I was living in a cheap, not especially smart rented house here and the concept of me one day owning a car that would then have cost over £35,000 new when I was doing 20k a year in a tatty Datsun Sunny that I bought for £750 is not something I could have comprehended back in 1992.

Wafted around town for a bit then drove home the back way, enjoying the quiet, dry B-roads and good visibility before the hedges get their leaves. Haven't had a drive like that in the LS for a long while, it really is a remarkable thing.

Malc1 · March 6, 2023

11 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Wafted around town for a bit then drove home the back way, enjoying the quiet, dry B-roads and good visibility before the hedges get their leaves. Haven't had a drive like that in the LS for a long while, it really is a remarkable thing.

Much of what i do most times these days in mine .......... ain't it brilliant eh ! 🤩

Malc

Spottedlaurel · March 6, 2023

12 hours ago, Malc1 said:

Much of what i do most times these days in mine .......... ain't it brilliant eh ! 🤩

I'm not yet at the point where it's a regular occurence, but certainly much appreciated it when it does happen....

LenT · March 9, 2023

Today, I gave the alloys a special treat - I renewed the Alloygator rim protectors.

Well, after four years they were looking a bit scuffed! Which is rather the point of them!

Of course, some folk reckon it’s cheaper not to hit a kerb in the first place. Which is reasonable if you can see the kerb - which you can’t if it’s a snow-covered narrow country lane. Or, worse still, a water-filled pothole.

Our local ChipsAway guy does an excellent alloy wheel repair job. But at £60 a wheel it makes £160 for a set of Alloygators - spread over four years - one of my better accessory choices!

hockeyedwards · March 14, 2023

It has been all go for me, all 5 DHP wheels are off for refurb alongside new rubber, have dismantled the 2 front corners aside one corroded bolt which will get cut and replacement already ordered. Full bush kit has been ordered and the car goes for a full repaint and Artisan Spirits lip kit at the end of the month, subframe due for powdercoating end of the week, so that came out today. Captain crusty!

Will spend tomorrow taking diff and control arms etc all off. I can already forsee some bolts needing cut! Have to say it really didnt fight me aside the support bracket nuts had all but disintegrated, no impact gun needed, all done by hand, the dog enjoyed watching me have near aneurysm on one bolt though 🤣

hockeyedwards · March 31, 2023

Was all a bit of a rush to get the car back to rolling, so didn't stop to take pictures of the subframe all freshly powder coated with its new polybushes. Did everything up hand tight for now as I need to replace the rear upper control arm ball joints as they seem a bit worn out and as they didn't arrive in time, sadly, have to do some dismantling upon its return from paint. Thankfully most of the bolts got replaced as they were seized in place and needed cutting out and a generous lube before putting everything back together should ensure a simple dismantle!

The only picture I got was of the car sitting on fresh DHP wheels and rubber, but missing front n rear lights, grill and under the wheels, all 4 callipers that are currently being painted. I had aftermarket wheels as a temporary solution, which were nice, but my god the DHP wheels look sexy!

Interior is all out in the garage for a thorough scrub and maybe I'll have a bash at some DIY leather repairs.

Malc1 · March 31, 2023

rather admire the Pearlescent White ..... my first Ls400 was that colour J 54 DAP

Of course i had all the amber lenses then too ......... which I think I prefer 🤫

Malc

hockeyedwards · April 2, 2023

On 3/31/2023 at 4:42 PM, Malc1 said:

rather admire the Pearlescent White ..... my first Ls400 was that colour J 54 DAP

Of course i had all the amber lenses then too ......... which I think I prefer 🤫

Malc

I have the OEM amber lights in the garage still, once the car is all buttoned up I will decide whether i prefer the clear or ambers, spoilt for choice 😛

donkmeister · April 7, 2023

Today I replaced an entire front door on my LS460.

Recently Mrs D had a bollard run into the side of the car when she was in a supermarket car park... She took it to a well-respected bodyshop nearby who (being a well-respected bodyshop) couldn't fit it in for 3 months, and couldn't give a full quote due to not being able to get Lexus to quote for a door. So, with a quote for several £k plus an unknown amount for the parts, I went on eBay and found a breaker had a door in the right colour for under £200. Yes, it will be only 99% the right colour when I look at it in certain light, if I find it noticeable I'll have it blown over to match.

It took me about 8 hours to strip the old door, remove it from the car, refit the new door and get everything back together. The biggest ball-ache was the exterior door handle and lock/softclose actuator... That seems to be a common issue with cars I've worked on, so may be down to my sausage fingers.

The door itself is lighter than I thought it would be. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't about to start juggling with it, but I was surprised that I could hold it with one hand while getting the bolts in from the hinges with the other. One interesting detail was that there are small plastic structures bolted to the door that appear to be there to prevent resonance... At first I was looking for the cables to detach as they looked like electronics units!

Malc1 · April 8, 2023

9 hours ago, donkmeister said:

It took me about 8 hours to strip the old door, remove it from the car, refit the new door and get everything back together.

well done

Malc

Bluemarlin · April 8, 2023

Today I did my spring wash. It included rinsing the underside, snow foam and then washing the car with a mitt. That was followed by decontamination with Korrosol, and then a wipe over with a clay mitt. Then I washed the wheels and applied some wheel protector.

After drying everything I applied a coat of Autoglym Lifeshine, as well as their glass treatment, and then buffed off.

Five hours of that and I'm exhausted.

Illogan · April 8, 2023

Today: - - - - -

I ignored the Lexus, and worked in our allotment!

Rabbers · April 9, 2023

10 hours ago, Bluemarlin said:

….Five hours of that and I'm exhausted.

… but happy, I hope!

Bluemarlin · April 9, 2023

5 hours ago, Rabbers said:

… but happy, I hope!

More satisfied, but yes. I'll be even happier when the aches subside 🙂

Happy Easter!

Las Palmas · May 12, 2023

Not today. Yesterday:

4 new tyres, though there still was 5mm left on the rear tyres. If Lexus had not written that the CT needs W speed rating I could have bought V rated tyres with 69db noise instead of the Y rated with 70db, and cheaper. Why a CT needs W rated tyres is not for me to understand when the car will never be able to drive 270km/h and why V rated that are to 240km/h should not be enough. First time ever I have had tyres approved to driving 300km/h.

Continental UltraContact UC6 91XL Y

The Continental UltraContact UC6 91XL Y is a Premium Touring Summer tyre designed to be fitted to Passenger Cars.

Dry Grip 87%

Wet Grip 82%

Road Feedback 73%

Handling 76%

Wear 80%

Comfort 83%

Buy again 78%

Wife said now car is quiet.

My little one said now music sounds much better.

I say that car handles a lot better and believe that inside noise is about half compared to the old tyres (OEM from Lexus Pirelli P7)

Pirelli CINTURA/TO P7

The Pirelli CINTURATO P7 is a Premium Touring Summer tyre designed to be fitted to Passenger Cars.

Dry Grip 83%

Wet Grip 73%

Road Feedback 73%

Handling 75%

Wear 70%

Comfort 73%

Buy again 63%

I have been told that in UK the CT come with these that are even worse than the Pirelli:

Yokohama BluEarth E70

The Yokohama BluEarth E70 is a Premium Touring Summer tyre designed to be fitted to Passenger Cars.

Dry Grip 73%

Wet Grip 63%

Road Feedback 59%

Handling 69%

Wear 67%

Comfort 45%

Buy again 22%

Now I just have to see if fuel consume will be much better with the Continental that are rated B in fuel consume where the Pirelli were rated C.

Braking in rain is A rated. May not be much needed here. Rain is not something we get much.

DJT · May 16, 2023

Had fun trying to fit bosch flat wipers as my old ones where useless and wrong size (too small). Couldn't work out how to get wiper arms 90 degrees to windscreen. Must be an easier way than i did them. They are now fitted and work fantastically.

BigBoomer · May 17, 2023

7 hours ago, DJT said:

Had fun trying to fit bosch flat wipers as my old ones where useless and wrong size (too small). Couldn't work out how to get wiper arms 90 degrees to windscreen. Must be an easier way than i did them. They are now fitted and work fantastically.

If you are talking about the Bosch AeroTwin wipers, you don't need to get the wiper arms to 90° (I don't think you can with the driver side).
You just lift the clip/cover on the wiper, lift the arm a little, slide the arm through the cover and then back onto the U-shaped clip and push until it clicks.
On the drivers side wiper, you do need to cut away one side of the cover to clear the wiper arm because that side uses a cantilevered system, but the cover still clicks into place and holds well.

Supafly · May 19, 2023

The method I've used in the past on most cars is to put the ignition and wipers on, then wait for them to be at 90° before switching the ignition off. This normally leaves them in a position to easily change the wipers.

I do seem to remember it not working on some cars as they 'park' the wipers even after switching the ignition off. Can't remember which car though..

BMCWP · May 19, 2023

Through the MOT again with no advisories once more and all it cost me this year was the test fee and £40 for service bits. Re the wipers as mentioned I usually use the washers and turn the ignition off when they are at full arc and they will stay there. (my old XJ40 would park the wipers and I had to open the bonnet any time I needed to change them. not as issue as it was front hinged anyway)

DJT · June 4, 2023

See post under brakes. A step forward in resolving brake issue. Off the Lexus Edinburgh next Tuesday. See how my LS430 eats the miles up between me and Edinburgh.

BMCWP · June 4, 2023

Found a temporary solution to my drivers seat issue (needs refoamed nobody around me can do it) bought a "Big Ant" aftermarket car seat cushion cover thing from amazon - unlike previous versions of these things its easy to fit and (so far) is actually comfortable, sits well and does not slide all over the show. Yes it means my cooled seat is pointless but I can live with that as the aircon works well anyway. Not perfect but until I can find somebody within a reasonable distance to me (I'm in Northern Ireland) it will have to do.

hockeyedwards · June 7, 2023

Full spiel on my leather seat thread, but finished effort from myself and my dad DIY'ing repair/ paint of rear seat back/ bench. Front seats next week!