LS400: Did you know?

[Stanwithaplan]

There have been a number of occasions over the years, that the LS400 has surprised me with a feature I was unaware of, today was another.

Forgive me if this is already common knowledge and I'm a dumbass.

If you put the climate control onto recirculate, then press and hold auto for a few seconds a menu pops up on the main screen, giving you the ability to change the sensitivity of the air quality detection used to activate the switch from fresh air to recirculate. Well I never knew! 

[Malc1]

Ah, but on your Mk4 you actually have a screen …….. us earlier owners don’t have that “ luxury “  😄

Malc 

[Stanwithaplan]

Sorry Malc my bad, nobody likes a show off. My first 400 was screenless too.

[Cotswold Pete]

It took me over 5 years of owning a Mk3 and then a few years of Mk4 before I reckon I knew all the hidden secrets, some I found on my own, but quite a few via this forum.

The luxury barge that keeps giving

[cruisermark]

I have a Mark 4 in 2012 - but never knew this feature

[Malc1]

I haven’t worn out my Mk1 nor Mk3 yet …….. I couldn’t possibly graduate to a Mk4 😄

Malc 

[steve2006]

But the 1994 Celsior C-F spec I had did have a screen, OK it was really bad but never the less had one.

Other extras include 

A fender pole, a windscreen washer rinse reservoir, a flare tube, a sat nav that constantly tries to take you to Tokyo and wool seats that bleat when you sit on them

[Malc1]

I'm intrigued by the  " flare tube  "  .........  for an emergency at sea 🤣

Malc

[steve2006]

Not sure if it still applies today but in Japan if you break down on a busy road you are required to ignite it and place it behind the car to warn other drivers.

Both mine had them removed before export but the holder is still there.

[Malc1]

Amazing. 👍

Malc 

[BigBoomer]

We have to carry the warning triangle but I haven't seen one used for a broken down vehicle in years. I guess people are too stupid to keep themselves and their passengers safe. Every time I see a broken down car on the motorway, the occupants are either still in the car, or are out but are downstream right where the wreckage is going to go after their car is hit by a truck. Suicidal dumb****s!

[Stanwithaplan]

On 3/28/2024 at 10:44 PM, steve2006 said:

But the 1994 Celsior C-F spec I had did have a screen, OK it was really bad but never the less had one.

Other extras include 

A fender pole, a windscreen washer rinse reservoir, a flare tube, a sat nav that constantly tries to take you to Tokyo and wool seats that bleat when you sit on them

Steve, I am officially jealous. I would love wool seats. The ultimate in comfort and much better for hot weather.  I didn't know I needed a flare tube but do feel I'm missing out.

 

[Chris Skelton]

On 3/31/2024 at 9:30 PM, BigBoomer said:

We have to carry the warning triangle but I haven't seen one used for a broken down vehicle in years. I guess people are too stupid to keep themselves and their passengers safe. Every time I see a broken down car on the motorway, the occupants are either still in the car, or are out but are downstream right where the wreckage is going to go after their car is hit by a truck. Suicidal dumb****s!

Saw one in use only yesterday! On the apogee of the bridge over the Avon on M5! WHAT a place to break down! No way to escape….

[Malc1]

16 minutes ago, Chris Skelton said:

Saw one in use only yesterday! On the apogee of the bridge over the Avon on M5! WHAT a place to break down! No way to escape….

A Lexus ??

Malc 

[BigBoomer]

25 minutes ago, Chris Skelton said:

Saw one in use only yesterday! On the apogee of the bridge over the Avon on M5! WHAT a place to break down! No way to escape….

He means a Warning Triangle Malc 😁

At least he had the sense to use his triangle and can vault over the barrier to the footpath. Nice scenic place to break down 
Also, cameras will have seen him so the Police/Traffic Office should be on-scene fairly quickly.
They are always pretty quick on bridges as the potential for structural damage is high.

[Chris Skelton]

It was on south-wards side.Vaulting over the fence is definitely not a good idea; there IS a separate footpath/roadway there, for maintenance and cycles, but there is a gap with potential drop into the Avon or the nature reserve along the river! 
No it wasn’t a Lex.Just a triangle plus a worried driver.

[BigBoomer]

You don't want to vault the fence on the northbound side 🤿 but I can't see any gap on the southbound side Google StreetView.
There is a dark shadow on the satellite view but that is due to the low sun angle and the mesh fence.

I've only ever broken down on a motorway twice.
Once on a motorcycle in France(snapped throttle cable). Pushed it to a gap in the Armco and waited for the breakdown recovery van.
Second time was in my Honda Legend in lane 3 of the A13 between the M25 and the A128 (fuel pump relay died). Luckily the traffic was slow so all I got was abuse from knobheads who seemed incapable of understanding that it was not deliberate. 🙄

[Chris Skelton]

Yes,I always drive in the ‘middle’ lane coming home (Bristol) from Portishead,not wanting to be SO close to the rail and a plunge!!

I think the s-bound side either has a gap,OR the wall is a bit high. Can’t say I want to stop en route to check! Though you can walk over/cycle over the river there. 
There’s a nice river walk below called locally, “The yellow brick road’ -its yellow enough though not brick.

River has been very high lately,flooded the train line.

[BigBoomer]

There are gaps at either end where the footpath joins the bridge, but in the middle there is just the fence.
Here is a Google Streetview from the footpath mid-bridge.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.4893043,-2.692232,3a,75y,4.05h,67.89t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sAF1QipMz1PHtxGdAms96-lNHyNRwoLzCiHUzJjhGkPM9!2e10!3e11!7i5760!8i2880?entry=ttu

Driving in lanes 2/3 changes nothing w.r.t. chance of going off the side, except maybe in your head. 🤣
Those 4 bar crash barriers are pretty solid though. They will stop any car but a fully loaded HGV is going right through. 😱

[Chris Skelton]

I guess the thought of just how fast the traffic goes as well? I recall seeing a car doing a spin on the m5 about 100 metres ahead and all hell broke out! At 70+ there’s no room to stop given how close people drive….the ‘two chevrons thing doesn’t apply to me’ mentality?

Combine the chance of a front wheel blow-out with a multiple shunt from a few trucks and THEN test the railings strength?

The Avon bridge was closed completely a few years back after a fatality/shunt there. Meant a 12 mile detour for weeks after,mostly going past our house!

I may be over cautious but I always try to keep a good space ahead when crossing the Avon bridge now.

[BigBoomer]

2 hours ago, Chris Skelton said:

I guess the thought of just how fast the traffic goes as well? I recall seeing a car doing a spin on the m5 about 100 metres ahead and all hell broke out! At 70+ there’s no room to stop given how close people drive….the ‘two chevrons thing doesn’t apply to me’ mentality?

Combine the chance of a front wheel blow-out with a multiple shunt from a few trucks and THEN test the railings strength?

The Avon bridge was closed completely a few years back after a fatality/shunt there. Meant a 12 mile detour for weeks after,mostly going past our house!

I may be over cautious but I always try to keep a good space ahead when crossing the Avon bridge now.

People mostly drive too close because if you don't then someone just pulls out into the space in front of you and you still end up too close. I once decided to back off every time someone pulled out into my 2 second gap on the M25. I ended up getting undertaken by the car behind and badly cut up by him. Yes, he was an a*** but I can understand his frustration at me constantly braking and just letting anyone who wanted to pull out. Now I drive just close enough to prevent people from pulling out but I always look as far ahead as I can so I can drive smoother and not end up constantly braking.
The 2 second rule works well on quieter stretches of motorway and dual carriageway, but once it gets busy it is useless, and yes not observing it does result in more accidents, but that changes nothing since we have decided not to increase the capacity of overloaded roads.

As for the Avon bridge, in a car you are more at risk of going over that barrier than through it. To my knowledge there have been no instances of vehicles going through or over the crash barrier since it opened in 1974, so the risk is no higher than any other stretch of motorway. However, I fully understand the feeling of vulnerability.

[Cotswold Pete]

19 hours ago, Chris Skelton said:

I may be over cautious but I always try to keep a good space ahead when crossing the Avon bridge now.

I am off to Bristol Airport later to pick up my son and will traverse the bridge twice.  Always cautious on it these days, but 40 years ago quite normal for me to storm it at over 90.

In 1979 I cycled over it, traffic was a lot less, but still not a pleasant experience, but the view up the river towards Pill were worth it, shame you cannot spy over the other side towards Avonmouth docks.

[Chris Skelton]

Luckily,the AA says that the average motorist gets a flat tyre every 97,000 miles. (I think it was). So fingers crossed…..but not whilst driving!

 

Avon bridge can be seen from our garden.

Chris, (hoping to sell RAV4 so I can be back in a Lexus again)

[Malc1]

97,000 miles 🤣

my average is about 7 x that. i.e about 14k miles on RAC call-outs over the last 25 years driving my Lexuss’ and assorted 2nd cars too 

Probably rather more of late with deteriorating roads and people discarding screws, nails whatever indiscriminately 

i ALWAYS pick up these weapons of tyre destruction when I see them 👌

Malc 

[GMB]

2 punctures in the last 6 months. Both were screws. The punctures coincided with some people on our street having re-roofs or work done on their houses.😔 Luckily they could both be repaired.