My Poor Car :(

[adam1989]

Hi guys am new here been reading a while but only posted a couple of times! I have a v reg is200, have wanted one of these badly since i was younger and finally got one at the end of last year :) but i am not having much luck with it! the problem is that basically i was conned, since ive had it ive noticed loads of things wrong with it and its starting to take the p$ss now! dont know wether its worth just getting another one! right, well here goes lol :

the car was in a crash (front) but has been fixed up badly, looks fine from the outside but there is no headlamp washers, no fog lamp holders to put bulbs in, the covers for inside the wheel arches are missing, inside the engine bay some of the covers have cracked and fallen off, the back wheel makes a scraping noise when i reverse (loose brake plate?) the clutch went (have just replaced it), the radiator is on its way out, the bumper is not bolted in properly as the screws are broke, the motor on the drivers seat is broke, theres a crack on the wind screen, the engine floor looks broken,

think you get the picture now lol

anyway the main reason why ive posted is because i broke down the other day because there was no coolent left at all, and the traction control light started flashing on and off?!? the coolent was dripping out the bottom of the car so i had to wait for it to cool and topped it up again, the drove it home slowly. the weird thing is since then it seems to be driving normally again, and the coolant hasnt leaked, but the traction control just keeps constantly turning off and on, i wa just wondering if anyone else had experienced this? apart from this the car seems to drive fine apart from a loud grinding noise that i get when i have changed gear, which used to happen but stopped when the clutch was breaking, then started again when the new one was in?

i think my money was burning a hole in my pocket and should of checked it over better nstead of being so exited as apparently its had 7 owners before me, the last one was a painter and probably used it as a work horse because there is paint stains in the boot, which is minus a spare wheel i might add :P

I know im waffling on a bit now so will stop am just getting annoyed with it now,love it to bits but it needs sorting out! so if anyone can can point me in the right direction with the grinding noise when changing gear, the traction control problem, the back wheel's scraping noise, and whether it would be worth just getting another one it would be much appreciated,

also i have been shunted in the rear twice in the last 5 months which has turned out to be a plus i suppose as the back is all shiny and new now apart from a rattle noise when i go over bumps sometimes :D lol i'll shut up now!

thanks

adam

[Steviewevie]

That grinding noise doesn't sound good, I suspect that the flywheel might have been damaged too when your clutch went. An OEM flywheel is very expensive, you'd be better off getting either a used one from a breaker's or a new lightweight aftermarket one. You could get a garage to have a look at it to see if it really is damaged (something that you'd have thought the people changing your clutch would have spotted). Does it only happen when changing gear ? Where does it sound like it's coming from ?

The noise when reversing might just be the dust plate on the back of the brake disc catching on the disc. It's a metal plate which you can try bending backwards slightly to see if it helps.

Where was the coolant dripping out of the car from, could you tell ? You say the radiator is on its way out, is it from there ? You really don't want a problem where you're running out of coolant, you could soon end up with a damaged engine if it overheats. When you say there was no coolant left at all, where did you look, in the expansion tank or the radiator itself ?

Which traction control light is it that's flashing ? Is it the TRC OFF light or the light with the car skidding ? Do you have any other lights, e.g. the engine check light (the one that looks like an engine) ?

[adam1989]

That grinding noise doesn't sound good, I suspect that the flywheel might have been damaged too when your clutch went. An OEM flywheel is very expensive, you'd be better off getting either a used one from a breaker's or a new lightweight aftermarket one. You could get a garage to have a look at it to see if it really is damaged (something that you'd have thought the people changing your clutch would have spotted). Does it only happen when changing gear ? Where does it sound like it's coming from ?

The noise when reversing might just be the dust plate on the back of the brake disc catching on the disc. It's a metal plate which you can try bending backwards slightly to see if it helps.

Where was the coolant dripping out of the car from, could you tell ? You say the radiator is on its way out, is it from there ? You really don't want a problem where you're running out of coolant, you could soon end up with a damaged engine if it overheats. When you say there was no coolant left at all, where did you look, in the expansion tank or the radiator itself ?

Which traction control light is it that's flashing ? Is it the TRC OFF light or the light with the car skidding ? Do you have any other lights, e.g. the engine check light (the one that looks like an engine) ?

Hi, thanks for the reply, the sound comes from the front of the car when changing gear and sort of vibrates aswell! it may well be the fly wheel, didnt think of that, dont really know my stuff when it comes to cars yet but am learning :) ! , how much am i looking at if it is the fly wheel? also i think it is the dust plate but think it may be loose as when i push it back it stops for a bit then makes a loud panging noise then starts scraping again?

the coolant was dripping out of the bottom of the car at the side of the rad, could tell it was definately coolant! It was leaking slightly months ago so i put some of that filler stuff in and it was fine, but mustve finally gone! the strange thing about it is that if i take it easy and fill it up a tiny bit now and then it seems fine again! will get it replaced anyway dont want a replay of what happened last time, when i broke down the engine sounded like a diesel! sounded fine after it was topped up and cooled down again, and drives normally.

and its the "TRC OFF" light that keeps flashing on and off, and there is no other lights showing, it only started flashing a few minutes before i broke down! :(

also does anyone know of anywhere i would be able to get a new door pin because one is missing from mine for some reason so its a bit wonky when open,

thanks for your help!

Adam

[kam05]

so i put some of that filler stuff in

Do you mean you put Radweld into the radiator? Sorry to give you a scare, but I have been told that you should not used Radweld in modern/IS200 engines as they can seize the waterpump- basically Radweld can cause more harm than good.

Edit: When my radiator sprung a leak back in 2007 I was advised to replace the radiator and not to bother with Radweld (reason is given above). I bought a new radiator for United Autoparts Distribution for £120.

[Steviewevie]

If you're got a rad problem then you definitely want to get that fixed, you don't want to end up needing a new engine because it overheated ! Perhaps something to do with your front-end damage that wasn't repaired properly ?

For the doors, which part exactly, for which door ? You will be able to get a new part from Toyota/Lexus, or of course a breaker's.

If the TRC OFF light flashes then that indicates a problem with the TRC system. Given that it's had some front end damage, it might be one of the ABS speed sensors for the front wheels, which can be quite easily damaged. They are located as shown here.

[Andy-R]

Aright mate, sounds like you bought yourself a bit of a pig there but don't worry that's what where all here for to help, your story sounds a bit like mine when I got my car it'd been in a bump and had a terrible home repair done on it but after a couple of years hard work and TLC i'm now very happy with my car and i'm sure you will be too.

Does the noise off the back brakes sound like a metallic clinking noise when you go over bumps and stuff? if so it could be the clip that holds the rear pads down mine was missing and it used to drive me barmy when I had the windows down, also i'm pretty sure there's a drain plug on the bottom of the rad that's where you could be loosing fluid from so check that before you change the whole thing.

I see your in Southport mate i'm only in Skem so if you get stuck or want me to have a look at it for you gis a shout an we can sort something out.

Andy.

[norlec]

Don't beat yourself down adam.

I have been there so know how you feel because I wanted a GS300 sport so bad I did the same as you and rushed it.

When I had a good look at my car I had things I should have checked before handing the rest of my money over.

1. Only one key but before I handed my money over he knocked off £100.

2.Nearside mirror the silver behind the glass was damaged (I did not notice that.)

3.Drivers side headlight washer broken and I need a new actuator £211.00.

4.Both fog lights not working but this was an easy fix (Phew)

5.Arial broken.

6.Offside rear door actuator not working so I have to lock door manualy.

This is things I have had happen since I bought it first week of buying the pipe for the power steering sprung a leak (bad bodge up repair from previous owner).

Auto headlight leveling warning light kept coming on (easy fix)

And the best one 3 weeks ago brake master cylinder packed up (common fault on the early Mk11)but usually after 100000 miles my went at 88675 miles costing me over £1000.

My car is now running great and when I had it serviced the garage said what a great car it was.

So there you go I am sure we are not the only ones to rush into buying a car that we wanted badly but did not check as we should have, I bought mine off eBay and he had 100% feedback but he did not list any of the faults from 1-6 so I put my trust in the guy.

[adam1989]

thanks for the replies, it wasnt radweld but something similar , think it was called k seal? the guy in the garage put it in for me as a temporary fix then i forgot about the problem for a while

does anyone know how easy / expensive it would be to fit the new rad if i were to get one?

will have to get it to a garage to find out the problem with the TRC, would like to start sorting the car myself and learning as i go but think that would be a bit difficult to figure out for me untill i know a bit more!

its the drivers door that is missing a pin, there is meant to be one at the top and one at the bottom of the hinge like the others but there is only the top one!

andy r - there is a clicking noise coming from it aswell yeah but its mainly a scraping noise as the wheel goes round, wouldnt know where to find the drainage plug have had a look before under the car but could only see the engine floor lol! i'll have another look tonite, if i dont get anywhere though i might take you up on that offer can always do with some tips thanks mate!

i was looking into the grinding noise last night aswell and it appears to be happening as soon as i change gear and accelerate - the harder i accelerate the louder it is untill i hit a few revs and the sound goes??

norlec - thanks for that, gives me a bit more confidence to know i could get it all sorted eventually, will need a big bank balance though!

you reminded me of more things that are broke lol, i only got one key and the plastic has snapped so need a new one, my aerial is also broke (snapped off inside and dont know how the hell to get another one on as i cant screw it in now!) , the wing mirror and case is smashed, and there is a big scratch down the side. looks like ive got a big project on my hands! oh well, i like a challenge :D

[kam05]

thanks for the replies, it wasnt radweld but something similar , think it was called k seal? the guy in the garage put it in for me as a temporary fix then i forgot about the problem for a while

does anyone know how easy / expensive it would be to fit the new rad if i were to get one?

Radweld/K Seal- same thing.

Its easy to change a radiator on a IS200- I managed it and I'm no mechanic.

You need to remove the cooling fans (held onto the rad with 10mm bolts (drain the coolant first!), then unbolt and remove the radiator brackets on the top. Undo the hoses/clips and the rad should lift out.

You should be able to get a replacement rad online/ebay/local motor factors for about £120.

[TigerFish]

I would get a garage to read your fault codes which should tell you why the TRC light is flashing. I don't own an IS, but do read most of the IS posts, and it does seem that the TRC light comes on a lot for stuff that isn't always traction control related. Does the "check engine" light come on at all?

The rad is a piece of p*ss to change, you should be able to get one for around £100 give or take. I think the rads for a GS are around £100-£120 sometimes cheaper, the IS ones would be the same or very similar. eBay can be a good source for them. FWIW, I have never had any problems using radweld or similar and never had a water pump failure due to it. Never seen it on any car to be honest. There could be some substance to it, but it could just be rad manufacturers wanting to sell rads instead, who knows. Rad weld mustn't be used in the honda v6 engine (as used in Hondas and Rovers), that's the only thing I know of for definate.

Might be worth bleeding your clutch hydraulics, just in case you are just crunching through the gears because the clutch is not releasing fully due to air in the system maybe. Does it improve once warmed up, or if you pump the clutch pedal a few times?

[reganlives]

Dont give up hope mate. I bought my car as a project, with it being a CAT D write off and well...I had a nightmare getting it on the road but finally did it and am enjoying it so much now. I've got a few bits n bobs which I still need to deal with but overall u'll be happy once u get it running ok. As for the radiator...go to www.discount-cooling.co.uk. I got mine from there for £125 and couldnt complain one little bit with the service of the company. IIRC the rad I got was an AVA cooling one which is a good quality rad and for the price I couldnt complain either.

[kam05]

Oh yeah, mine is also made by AVA cooling systems.

@Reganlives: Do you know what core thickness your rad is? Mine is 16mm (the OEM rad is 26mm). When I bought my rad I got told that core thickness should not make a difference. Done 30k on this rad- had no problems with it.

[Steviewevie]

The door pin thing sounds like something you should be able to get pretty easily from a breaker's.

Good suggestion from TigerFish about checking the clutch fluid. I'm still concerned it might be the flywheel though.

[Andy-R]

No prob matey just gis a shout if you want to pop down or need any help.

Just a thought on the TRC light have you tried re-setting the ECU? the light may have come on because you where about to brake down and now the cars running again the computer might not have re-set the light, so that may fix it.

[reganlives]

Kam05, the core thickness of mine is the same as urs mate...16mm. I've been told the same that it doesnt make a difference. Lexus wanted £255 for the standard 26mm one! I've covered 5k miles already in my car since putting it on the road and had no issues with it. One issue I noticed with the rad tho is that it is offset slightly more to the right if looking from the front of the car IIRC compared to the standard rads so therefore the clamps at the top dont fit properly. I'm not sure exactly why this is but I'm guessing its the design of the rad itself as I pulled up the bodyshop about this and they showed me it was the rad itself as it only fits in some holes at the bottom so is therefore offset. Bit weird but otherwise I got no issues with it.

[TigerFish]

Might be worth bleeding your clutch hydraulics, just in case you are just crunching through the gears because the clutch is not releasing fully due to air in the system maybe. Does it improve once warmed up, or if you pump the clutch pedal a few times?

In regards to the clutch issue, been thinking about it while I was at lunch (sad bast*rd ). Did the clutch place say whether they had topped up the fluid? As you mention it was making the noise, then the clutch was changed and it wasn't but is now coming back, it does sound to me like you may have a leak in the clutch hydraulics somewhere. If so, check it over quickly because if it is the slave cylinder leaking into the bell housing, it could contaminate the clutch plate and ruin it, meaning you will need another one. If the leak is minor at the moment, it may just trickle round the bell housing and miss the clutch. I would check it out sooner rather than later, a few quid for a seal kit could save hundreds on another clutch if it is a leak.

[adam1989]

does anyone know if there is any walk through's on here for changing the rad? suppose i could give it a go!

the engine light isnt coming on, and i know this is a thick question lol but how would you reset the ecu? just disconnect the Battery for a bit?

about the clutch, how would i go about bleeding the hydraulics? its a new clutch so shouldnt that be fine? its hard to explain what it is really, getting it in gear is fine and it engages ok, if i accelerate gently its fine, its when i put my foot down a bit for the first few seconds it grinds and everythihng sort of vibrates!?! if i get the revs up a bit though before changing gear and accelerating then its fine , doesnt improve if its heated up or if i pump the gas a few times though,

anyone got any ideas on how i can get a new aerial on then? or will i have to replace the black thing aswell because theres still metal in it so i cant screw a new one in!

also if the rear dust plate is damaged or loose is that easy to replace or fix up? im going to get the wheel off in a bit to see if i can see what's wrong with it,

thanks for the help everyone! :)

[Andy-R]

To re-set the ECU matey you need to take out the EFI and ECTS fuses from the fuse box under the bonnet for about a minute, make sure the ignition is off when you do this tho best to have the keys in your pocket that way there's no chance of leaving it on, might still be worth getting the codes read tho mate even if doing this turns the light off.

I'm pretty certain there's a bleed on the bottom of the Rad just undo all the bolts from the front bottom engine tray drop it down and have a look 5min job and could save you a few quid if that's the problem.

Like I said mate if your unsure about anything pop round an i'll take a look at it with you.

[Steviewevie]

The online workshop manual shows you how to remove the radiator here and reinstalling it http://www.bahamutcars.com/workshop/IS_98-...e/m_co_0021.pdf.

[sparkystav]

The rad really is an easy job to do only a few bolt and out it comes.

make sure the system is bled after you fill it back up though.

[TigerFish]

about the clutch, how would i go about bleeding the hydraulics? its a new clutch so shouldnt that be fine? its hard to explain what it is really, getting it in gear is fine and it engages ok, if i accelerate gently its fine, its when i put my foot down a bit for the first few seconds it grinds and everythihng sort of vibrates!?! if i get the revs up a bit though before changing gear and accelerating then its fine , doesnt improve if its heated up or if i pump the gas a few times though,

hmmm, that sounds really odd. When you say "its when i put my foot down a bit for the first few seconds", is that with clutch fully released?

The clutch is seperate from the clutch hydraulics. There will be a bleed nipple on the slave cylinder bolted onto the bell housing. Bleed in the same way you would the brakes. Having said that, the way you describe the symptoms, it doesn't sound like the hydraulics anymore, but I would still double check it just in case fluid contamination is an issue. If there is a leak, your clutch fluid level will be low, so a pretty easy check. It almost sounds like your engine mounts are shot or something. Maybe the removal of the gearbox to do the clutch settled the mounts but they have now come loose again. Sounds odd. If the clutch isn't slipping, then I can't see the flywheel being the cause of the noise, but I guess anything is possible. If it was doing it before, and then started after, I would expect the clutch people to spot any flywheel damage, but then again, they should've spotted fluid leakage too if it was happening.

[Andy-R]

about the clutch, how would i go about bleeding the hydraulics? its a new clutch so shouldnt that be fine? its hard to explain what it is really, getting it in gear is fine and it engages ok, if i accelerate gently its fine, its when i put my foot down a bit for the first few seconds it grinds and everythihng sort of vibrates!?! if i get the revs up a bit though before changing gear and accelerating then its fine , doesnt improve if its heated up or if i pump the gas a few times though,

hmmm, that sounds really odd. When you say "its when i put my foot down a bit for the first few seconds", is that with clutch fully released?

The clutch is seperate from the clutch hydraulics. There will be a bleed nipple on the slave cylinder bolted onto the bell housing. Bleed in the same way you would the brakes. Having said that, the way you describe the symptoms, it doesn't sound like the hydraulics anymore, but I would still double check it just in case fluid contamination is an issue. If there is a leak, your clutch fluid level will be low, so a pretty easy check. It almost sounds like your engine mounts are shot or something. Maybe the removal of the gearbox to do the clutch settled the mounts but they have now come loose again. Sounds odd. If the clutch isn't slipping, then I can't see the flywheel being the cause of the noise, but I guess anything is possible. If it was doing it before, and then started after, I would expect the clutch people to spot any flywheel damage, but then again, they should've spotted fluid leakage too if it was happening.

May be a mile off here but could this be a brake issue? and your just assuming it's clutch related because of the work done try jacking the car up and spinning the wheels to see if there's any grinding it may be a slightly sticky caliper or I could be talking S :tsktsk: T which is more likely

[Steviewevie]

Remember that the IS200 has a dual-mass flywheel, so it's not just like it's one solid piece of metal, that's why I'm still suspicious about what state it's in.

[adam1989]

I'll try resetting the ecu tonight then andy thanks for that :) ,

tfk yeah its when the clutch is released, and i do not know what a bleed nipple is or a slave cylinder or bell housing sorry lol not that good yet! and dont even know how to bleed the brakes! only know a few things but will learn all this in time hopefully!

i'll ring up the garage to check if they spotted anything when doing it though or if they checked the fluids and fly wheel just to make sure.

the old clutch had started slipping badly thats why i replaced it, but i also drove round for a bit with it like this which i read somewhere can damage the fly wheel? but that doesnt explain why it stopped grinding when it was breaking ,

the sound is definately not coming from the wheels its coming from the engine some where or under the car at the front! its not terrible at the moment more annoying but i would still like to get what ever it is sorted before it causes any more damage!

stevie thanks for those guides will come in usefull, looks like a trip to the breakers soon, have made a list of things i need lol,

any ideas on the aerial anyone? can you just buy a new unit and get it fitted or something, and also what about the rear dust plate?

thanks again!

adam

[adam1989]

ok so ive tried to reset the ecu but cant see anything in there that says EFI or ECTS?? think i need a little help lol does this look normal or is there some missing?

edit: ok so i didnt see the diagram inside the lid, how embarrasin lol!

i have reset the ecu now and the traction control light isnt flashing anymore! :D