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Cheers Mikey, Its also on tomorrow morning 9am so have got it to record that one. Already recording Real Madrid V Barcelona and watching Man City V Liverpool so cant record anymore. Thanks for the heads up. Mike. Ah, that's more like ITV4, they're not usually shy of repeats! I must say I much prefer 5th Gear to TG, and given my intense dislike of Chris Evans, thats very unlikely to change. Pity Plato is missing though.

I just thought I'd document my experiences with the evaporator drain on my 2006 GS450h. Apologies in advance for the long post... I first noticed the issue when I found that condensation was appearing on the inside of the windows of the car. This is always a sure sign that there is water in the interior of the car. Initial searches failed to find anything until I decided to lift the rear carpets of the car. When I did so I found the sound deadening foam and underside of the carpet completely saturated. This is a common enough phenonmen due to the waterproof nature of the carpets preventing such water reaching up. There was probably 1.5 litres of water in total in each side. Having researched the issue through the web, I found that the air-con evaporator drain on the 2006 GS models is a known issue, with the drain becoming blocked and the condensate, which would normally puddle under the car, instead drains directly into the car interior. In hindsight, I don't recall ever seeing a pool of condensate under the car in the past. I was lucky (I think) that only the rear carpets were wet. The carpets and underlay under the front seats was mostly dry. There are many great posts on the various Lexus sites describing the issue and detailing how it can be addressed. The evaporator drain is on the "roof" of the transmission tunnel and is designed to allow the water to drain onto the gearbox and run down to the ground. There are a number of TSBs from Toyota and the latest ones describe how to remove the offending drain grommet by yanking it out with a pliers from below the car. I think the most recent TSB for this issue is the following: http://st.club-lexus(blocked word)/attach/u/7cff5226.pdf While this can be done for the IS and GS300 and GS350 models, it seems the fix for the GS450h remains to remove the evaporator unit and replace the drain grommet with a new one. This requires complete removal of the dash and console and was not an option for me. The method recommended in the TSBs for the IS and GS models is to disconnect the exhausts, loosen the rear gearbox crossmember and lower the rear of the gearbox until the grommet can be accessed and removed with a set of long pliers. Some people have commented that it is possible to remove the grommet without lowering the gearbox or loosening the exhaust. Having worked on the GS450h, I believe this option of lowering the transmission will probably not work for the 450h. The "gearbox" on the 450h appears to almost completely fill the transmission tunnel. In addition, the GS450h has a cladding on the interior of the tunnel, further restricting access. This cladding is about 10mm thick and is bonded to the tunnel and does not appear to be fitted to the IS or other GS models. There is about 15mm of clearance along the sides of the gearbox. Even if the gearbox was lowered and the heatshields removed, I don't think it would be possible to reach around the gearbox to access the grommet as the gearbox on the GS450h is very tall. Here's what I did. I was lucky to have access to a pit to do this work, but a 4-post lift of some kind would be even better. I removed the lower tray under the gearbox (2 nuts, 4 screws). The first challenge is to locate the position of the grommet. It is not possible to see it directly at all from under the car. I used the "endoscope" I bought from Lidl some time ago to locate the grommet. The position as detailed in the TSBs is confusing and I was eventually able to find two photographs on the web which helped me locate the position. For reference, the grommet is in the roof of the tunnel, roughly in line with the support bar providing support to the exhausts. In the attached photos, you can see the flexible portion of the boroscope taped to the support bar for the exhausts. If this sounds easy, it took me one day to locate the grommet with the endoscope! Part of this was because I did not know where to look and partly to the quality of the Lidl endoscope (I think it was €75 a couple of years ago). The Lidl boroscope requires that the camera is about 10mm from the area you want to look at. I imagine a better quality scope would provide better lighting and have a camera that would allow a wider view. I believe the cladding on the transmission tunnel also makes it more difficult as the grommet is further recessed in a cutout of this cladding compared to cars without the cladding. I taped the scope in position when I had the grommet in view as even the smallest move meant the grommet disappeared from view! Once I had the grommet in view, I then had to access it. I first used a long gas welding rod to create a tool I could use to probe for the grommet. To access the grommet, it was easier to come from the front of the gearbox, coming from the alloy crossmember, and feeding the wire across the top of the gearbox. I don't think it would be possible to do this from the side of the gearbox. When I located the grommet with the wire (quick to say, but it took at least an hour to even see the end of the rod in the boroscope screen...), I touched the grommet and about 1/2 cup of water came out! I don't think the grommet was blocked with debris, but had just sealed itself, perhaps due to little use of the car over a period of weeks. It might be the case that closing all the vents, stopping the heater channels under the front seats and turning the fan up full might have opened the drain.... Even given the access and means to reach it, it would be still impossible to remove the grommet. I just needed to rip it up as much as possible. To do this I created another tool using copper brake pipe I have from other projects. I basically replicated the shape of the initial tool and flattened and created a barb on the end of the tool to rip the grommet. The copper piping allowed the tool to be stiffer than the welding row, but with enough flexibility to allow it to be manvoured into place. With practice, I could locate the grommet first time, almost! Coming from the front of the gearbox allowed me to use my hand higher up to brace the piping as I moved the end of the pipe to rip the grommet. I think I was able to rip the grommet sufficiently so that it won't be a problem again. After I did all this, I ran the air-con at full cooling and was pleased to see a stream of water from the drain.

In another thread, Spacewagon52 says 'Personally, I like the LS 460 but members on here say they are not as good as the 400'. As far as I know, there is only one member on the forum who has ACTUALLY OWNED a 460 and thought it inferior to the 400. I had a Mk3 for 15 years before changing to the 460 so I thought I would give you my observations on owning both. My Mk3 was RHD but, in 2012, we decided to move to Holland. Getting the Mk3 registered here would have been crazily expensive so we disposed of it and looked around for another car. We had a 2009 RX 400h for a few months but, as my wife said, 'It's not an LS' .....so we went back to the garage and swapped it for a 2007 LS 460. The 460 had 60,000 kms (40,000 miles) on the clock and had been used first, as the garage demonstrator then, as the personal transport of the franchise managing director. As you can imagine, it was immaculate. Like the 400, the 460 is the main car in the family........used to go to the shops, pick up cement at the builder's merchants, and to enjoy on long trips. People sometimes ask if I find the 460 superior to the 400. I don't consider that a valid question........ALL LS models are superior automobiles. Do I think the 460 is an improvement on the 400? My answer to that is 'Yes, in nearly all aspects'. Things I really like: The automatic parking brake The 'Brake Hold' facility. The heated AND cooled seats The 'looking round corners' headlights The Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) 8-speed auto gearbox Lots of electronic toys Lack of timing belt - it has a timing chain. Although there is no servicing time, I do realise that it will have to be checked eventually. On the US forum, there are 460s with 300k on the clock and no timing chain problems. Things I miss: The 'secret' storage box under the driver's seat The cassette player (I'm an old sod) My 460 is noisier than the 400 - but there is a reason for it. When I bought it, it had the optional 19" tyres fitted. I've been in one with the standard 18" wheels and, in my opinion, it was as quiet as my 400. I'm, actively, trying to source a set of 18"wheels and tyres. There is much talk about 'all those electronics - they're bound to go wrong'. Well. back in '97, when I bought the Mk3, I was amazed at all the electronics and thought 'they're bound to go wrong'. :) In 15 years, the only problem I had in that department, was the lighting behind the radio. Let's face it......things have moved on from the days of semaphore arms which, if you remember, hardly ever worked! I was in a 2014 Ford Focus the other day and was amazed at the amount of electronics which are fitted as standard. I've been commuting between Holland and Scotland for 3 months (selling our Scottish house) and this week I came back with the car because it needed its Dutch MOT (at 90,000 kms - 60,000 miles) This is the 'Big' service and includes changing the plugs. Because of the problems reported on the US forum (upper and lower control arms, air suspension) I asked the garage to pay particular attention to these and let me know. They found nothing untoward.....what they did find was worn wiper blades and low battery voltage. Since the battery was only 2 years old (and supplied by Lexus), they replaced it under warranty. Like most responsible car owners, I check the oil and water every week. Now, this amazes me.......since the last service, a year ago, the only fluids I have had to top-up are the fuel and windscreen wash. The engine and hydraulic oils have remained absolutely steady, as has the radiator water. I check the tyre pressures on the TPMS and they have remained at 2.6 bar (cold) all year. This is a VERY easy car to own and monitor. In an ideal world, I would have bought the 460 for 'everyday' and kept the 400 for nostalgia :) Prices for the 460 are falling and are (or soon will be) in the affordable range. For what it's worth, I thoroughly recommend it. And.....for those of you still awake......thanks for sticking with me :)

I'd advise being a bit more forceful in your mission to purchase Tim. Ask the vendor for a totally accurate description, "warts and all". A dealer will always be as honest as possible in my experience. Based upon the description, decide whether you think the car is right for you and make an appointment to view at your earliest opportunity. Offer a refundable holding deposit of say £250 to show good faith so that you have first refusal. I did this just a fortnight ago on my IS250C. My old car was for sale on eBay and a guy contacted me over the weekend arrange to see it on the Tuesday, with a view to driving away on the day if he wanted it. I was confident I had described my vehicle accurately so expected a sale. I contacted the dealer with the 250C on the Monday morning and after discussing condition etc. he accepted a holding deposit from me. On the Tuesday lunchtime, after a successful sale, I was able to agree a purchase in principle based on description. I travelled on the Friday to view and finalise the deal. Even at that point I was able to walk away with my deposit refunded if I didn't like the car. My previous four car purchases have been concluded in a similar fashion. It's about trust and asking very relevant questions of the seller. Don't see why similar circumstances can exist with a private seller. It's all about achieving first refusal status for yourself. Good luck and let us know what you get please.

Nice one, been in many RR's and even a ragged old knackered RR is a machine worth driving. If I had to leave Lexus it would be for a nice V8, as they are comfortable and fairly quite, but I think it'll be the LS only for a while. Enjoy the winter and not getting stuck when the white stuff arrives.

mine was build by GOD himself as his own personal motor hahahahahahahaha now owned by the devil (me) lol

The extra noise should only be apparent on hard acceleration. I'm not against them, I just don't think they make the difference they claim to, certainly not on a Toyota engine with a genuine Toyota filter, and this is based on me using them on a couple of cars in the past and other people's feedback. I also don't think they represent value for money once you factor in the oil you need to purchase and your time in performing the cleaning etc. Even if you are careful, and even when they are new pre-oiled, they do coat the MAF sensor with oil so over time your engine will run less efficient - you should clean your MAF every couple of years anyway but maybe every year with an filter than uses oil. Let's hope my experience isn't the same with the RX300 engine. If it makes a positive difference then everybody here stands to benefit. :)

Talking about our 'glorious V8 engines'.......... When my car was in for servicing, they gave me a CT 200h to run around in. Not a bad car, definitely a Lexus and with lots of goodies. Compared to the LS, though, it was pretty gutless and the throttle needed to be pressed on to get any performance. When I got my LS back, I just breathed on the accelerator and let the V8 do its thing. I was 'home' :)

Would certainly try to get it working. I find mine INVALUABLE with such a big car!

Brings back memories of my old E plate Rangie I had a few years ago. Paid £300 for it,so you can tell it was a good one!. It was fine until you hit 44 mph,then it would make a beeline for the other side of the road in quite dramatic fashion. Kept it a few months,then sold it for what I paid for it to a guy who was starting up an offroading school. Those were the days.

The key for my RX300 cracked so I bought one of the cheap key cases from the bay with the blank blade, and just used the back only to strengthen the original. That didn't last long. A bit more searching and I found this guy http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LEXUS-TOYOTA-2-3-BUTTON-REMOTE-KEY-CASE-SNAPPED-BROKEN-CUT-TO-CODE-PHOTOGRAPH-/262128351566?hash=item3d0811394e I was sceptical, but I took a photo of the original key for cutting (unless you have the code, but send both) and sent it to him, and the cut key that came back in only a couple of days, and was of very good quality, and it worked first time in the ignition. Just had to transfer over the button capsule, and it has shown no signs of deteriation in 9 months, and for only £15 delivered from the UK, you don't have much to lose. I have no links with this guy except as a satisfied customer, but I would endorse his description of his product.

Changed the battery on my 400h and had to reset the reverse camera guide line by turning the steering from one lock to another when prompted. This worked for me!

Just taken the valet key apart and the blade is fixed into one half of the plastic case, the screw secures only the two halves together, if you try to remove the blade from the plastic you'll brake it!

It's not smart key it's normal key u have to transfer inside bits and get blade cut you can only transfer blade if it's smart key as I done that on my is220d bought key from lexus got it programmed from lexus use old blade but it did come with blank blade lexus wanted silly money to cut it so left it blank I read it too can't see any where it says u can transfer blade over

I've just bought a vogue too but mine's for the summer. [emoji6] Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk

That part code is correct if you have a generation 2 vehicle with a 5 speed transmission? Euro car parts list a Denso direct fit for £94. The rear sensor isn't anything special, unlike the front ones, so ones not directly listed as compatible should work, it is just lead length, connector, and any rubber grommet that needs to match. An alternative would be to import from the US. I believe the RX330 uses the same sensor as the RX300 (the RX300 was never available in the US). Please be aware that a suspected rear sensor or more often than not actually another issue, such as a front sensor, exhaust air leak or Cat. convertor problem. What error code(s) are being triggered?

This is what the drains look like:

That's even worse for Lexus. Servicing is as expensive as MB, if not more, and it has to be done twice as often! Factor in your wasted time and effort in getting your car serviced twice as often and it is even worse.

Photograph the project as you go. I sure many would find it interesting.

Good question, cant see why not as their the same car up to the rear doors, so imo i'd say yes. *stands back and waits for someone to blow that theory out the water!*

If u cant do the swap urself then Thor Racing are experienced doing this sort of thing but will set u back 4.5-5.5k, which is the figure I was given recently as I was curious ;-)

Removing the cats on the manifold will not bring the EML on. Those cats are known as Precats and a lot of members who have theirs supercharged will remove them as they break up under high temperature and clog the main cat. Easy job is to cut open a flap, gut it and weld the flap closed. All I know about a sports cat as the main cat is that anyone who I know who has fitted one it has failed and had to be replaced. That's two people and it's enough to put me off fitting one.

any news on cost do you know? thinking base cost bolt on with no internals as yet