Leaderboard

It's not quite what I had in mind, but I have used an old vacuum cleaner extension hose to duct one of the two footwell outlets under the driver's seat into the seat back void. It's a flexible hose so moves with the seat. There are a few cables to be aware of when pushing the hose through the gap between the seat and seat cover at the back but otherwise it slots in without any drama. The car has been sat baking in the sun all afternoon. Seat temperature was about 30c after I got the sun off it with a silver windscreen shade thing. I had the AC on Lo which recirculated, doors and windows closed, still with a lot of residual heat in the car. I had my right hand measuring the temperature of the same point on the seat, my hand resting on the seat to minimise any movement. My left hand holding my phone (excuse the closeups while changing CC mode). With the climate control on Auto Mode, AC On, S-Flow off and temp set to Lo, all air was coming from the face vents, directed up to the roof. No air hitting the seat directly. I measured a fairly steady 28c and turning on the ventilated seat to 3 it was still steady at 28c. Then I set the air mode to face + floor, still Lo and still AC On. The temperature of the seat back started dropping. Set it back to 'auto' mode, still Lo and still AC On. All air is now from the face vents only. The seat back temperature stopped dropping and stayed steady, rising slightly. Then I set the air mode to face + floor, still Lo and still AC On. The temperature of the seat back started dropping. So it seems that ducting into the seat back works well. I'll be out for a couple of hours on Saturday so that will be the test. Video of testing: Start with seat fans on full, no air to floor 0:50 - set mode to face + floor 2:15 - back to auto (face only) 3:45 - back to face + floor

Well I'm finally back after Lexus Woodford opened up (who were very busy with cars being dropped of for a service), picked the RX up this morning. Can't quite decide if the truncated handover process is a good thing or not, given I've already read the manuals while waiting, basically handover the old car, pay and go. So far impressions are good, the HUD is an amazing piece of technology, well worth the money. Integration with Android Auto is nice, although the voice control seems a bit sluggish (I'm guessing it's sent off to a server somewhere). The infotainment system does seem a little awkward compared to the BMW/Mercedes versions which I've played with in hire cars. Spent a happy twenty minutes or so setting Android Auto up and playing with voice commands in my local Lidls carpark. . Bit of a squeeze getting between the gate posts at home, definitely know the parking radar is working. It feels much wider than the BMW X3 I've been driving (only 11mm according to wikipedia) which is a bit stressing on the first attempt at parking. I'm sure I'll get used to it and find out where the corners are (although I still miss the LS400 which was 66mm narrower). Can't quite decide if I want to turn off the keyless entry yet, going to see how I get on with a Faraday box and turning on battery saver mode.

How about my custom made (patent pending) spark plug fitting tool. Made from an old electricians screwdriver (1000V rating) and 30mm of suitably sized rubber tubing glued onto the screwdriver. Simply insert plug into other end of tube, drop down the plug tube and start the plug threading, tighten up as much as possible then pull the tool (patent pending) off and tighten to specified torque. Hi, I’m Victor Kiam...forget the Remington Microscreen that shaves as close as a blade, you need one of these! Prevents cross threading, gives improved engine performance and 20 MPG better economy. Guaranteed savings or your money back. 😀

It wouldn't be the first time we've had to call the Police because a customer has left a dog in their car. Even after store announcements, no one shows up, so the constable will smash a window to release the poor creature. We tried calling the AA/RAC but they take too long to arrive. We were advised that should a member of the public or store staff break the window it could be construed as criminal damage. The Police are very prompt..

This one has possibilities..... https://www.acesautomall.co.uk/email.php?book_test_drive=2703368 sorry dead link ..look up their Lexus cars . plus side is it’s a 55 reg and will be the cheaper road tax think it’s £320 but sc430’s after March 2006 changed band to £555 ! downside ..colour of the wheels, headlamps are heavily faded and going yellow at the top and the rear exhaust chrome tailpipes have corroded off . The grey was a colour I looked at before buying my blue one and looks nice with the Ivory interior and dark wood. chrome tailpipes are several hundred pound each and to replace the headlamps like I recently did with my car and cost almost £1200.00 ! But could all be bargaining power 👍🏻

Thank you...... I think patience is the answer!

That diagram was really useful @ColinBarber. I ran some bog roll tests and found that there was no obvious suction for the seat back in the seat back perforations. Even right at the top there was positive pressure outwards when turning the fan on. I next tried blocking the seat cushion intake and confirmed that there was no effect on the seat back, so it appears that intake doesn't pipe over to the back. Lastly, I unzipped the left zip on the drivers seat back and saw the seat back ducting. There's actually a lot of room in there and with my hand near the fan itself confirmed that the air intake for the seat back is taken from the seat back void. The void itself when zipped up is fairly tight so I'm thinking perhaps a slight gap introduced at the bottom of the seat back might be enough to suck up some of the cold air from the foot vents. Now to think of something that will do the job, needs to be quite narrow but wide...

https://good-garage-guide.honestjohn.co.uk/wales/cardiff/cardiff ?

Is it not the plastic cover for the emergency release for the park mode on the box?

Update. The surgical clamps arrived today so i could crack on and get the job finished, managed to get them on the metal remains of the plug cap, clamp them shut and pull them off. Got the dizzy caps and rotor arms in yesterday, bolts on the lower belt covers are an absolute pain. Routed all the new leads, you can immediately see the difference in quality to the crap ones I did have on and they slot onto the plugs with a reassuring click. Got most of the plastics back on, coolant back in and vacuum pipes refitted. Started immediately, smoother idle and much more responsive on the test drive. Bit more to fit back but it’s moving again.

I've done the listerine bottle mod for the seat cushion intake and with the AC on, it gets nice and cold. Does anyone know where the intake is located for the seat back?

Looks very nice 👍 Is it really 15+ years old? Amazing alloys if it is OEM finish. A second hand car is only worth what someone will pay for it and as you now own this car then I guess you were happy ( ish) to pay what you did so don't beat yourself up and enjoy your new wheels! Excellent result on the key front as well, losing the only key just doesn't bear thinking about ! As for the wheel alignment then if you stress that you want the steering wheel to be 'Centred' after the alignment has been done then they should't fob you off with any excuses or such. paul m.

Beautiful interior. A class act.

A quick follow up with more pictures: Bought an "unlocked" used key, and a cable with software. Three days of trying to pull hair out (helps if you have some), and £110 later I have a working spare, right in the middle of Steve's estimate above 😉 Just ordered a new fob case with uncut blank to finish off. The price of the car was (deep breath), £7200, down from £8k (holds arms before face as shield from incoming!) Yeah, I know, I know; way too much, but after 6 months of watching GSs I just couldn't let this one pass me by, and with only 17262 on the clock and good service history I thought I'd have a punt. The exterior you've already seen, but I've given the interior a good scrub and despite sticky stuff still on top of the dash (why do people do that?), here are the results:

Many thanks Peter and set in a nice historical perspective too. Gosh `d forgotten those days when we had to achieve 2000 miles--might have been early 80`s? But I can still remember vividly being at Wembley Stadium in 1974 when Wolves beat Man City 2-1 in the League Cup Final.The mind is a funny thing. Anyway, do enjoy the RX and welcome back to the fold. Happy Motoring.

Your mechanical key will fit in there and allow you to press the button which, as Paul has stated, will allow the gear selector to be moved out of Park if the electric lock mechanism fails or you have a flat battery.

TBH I'm not sure how to figure that out, I'll try and look up what the rates are. However, I've just sent them a message to see if UK members will be able to order from the UK site or if they'll all have to come from the US. Hopefully we can and avoid any import duty. I'll update the thread once I've heard back.

Hi all, thought I'd follow up on this now, a 3 year-old original post with my own recent experiences with fitting a new battery to replace my old, failing Panasonic S42B24L. I already knew the Panasonic S42B24L was on it's last legs by doing multiple jump starts to it when the it's voltage dropped bellow 12 V. Due to the lockdown however I was driving less and less which finally killed it. After years of research and stubbornness to source and fork out for the Yuasa I was finally seeing vendors that had reasonable Toyota branded OEM S42B24L 12 volt batteries. Yesterday I received and successfully fitted the Toyota S42B24L (Lexus part number: 2880-YZZQX) currently under £100 from Lexus Parts Direct. They are not a Lexus site but looks to be an authorized parts dealer and was very impressed by a sales exec who I was constantly emailing to check on all the details: https://www.lexuspartsdirect.co.uk/parts/lexus-is/lexus-is-phase-iii-2013-present/lexus-is-3-engine-service-kits/lexus-is-phase-3-12v-starter-battery/ Size and fitting was exactly the same as the Panasonic. It's also a AGM battery with the same vent holes. Ultimately it's a Toyota branded replacement of exactly the same battery which seems to suggest Toyota were aware of an issue with the Panasonic so manufactured a battery for Lexus service teams to install. It was dead easy to install, like any modern car battery just need to take off the clamps holding the battery in, then negative and positive terminals then the the vent tube plug. The only few things that puzzled me were the vent's plug which just took some pulling out and reattaching the negative terminals clamp which were a bit tight so the Panasonic must have just been slightly smaller. Pictures showing both side by side for reference:

Hello Chris and welcome to the LOC. With a full service history and hybrid health checks these cars just keep on going, I think once again Lexus top the reliability leagues. In the USA there is a Lexus LS400 which has covered over 1,000,000 miles, yes 1 million and still going so at 125,000 miles the one you are considering isn’t even “run in” yet. Have you done an MOT history check? Simply put in the registration number and it will show you all the past MOT details including advisories. If you wish you can even post a link if available of the car you are considering ( I’ve never known another LOC member jump in and buy it). We can then give opinions good or bad. Obviously these are a big heavy car so apart from wear and tear items like brake pads the suspension can wear but generally rubber bushes but this is common on all cars particularly with UK potholed roads. Check that the cam belt has been replaced at the correct time and haggle the price if a replacement is due. Regarding servicing if you are sticking to Lexus they have a discounted fixed price system for older models which is quite reasonable. Good luck I’m pretty sure you won’t be disappointed with an RX400h.

Absolutely right 'Comedian'. Every summer we see news of animals (mostly dogs) being left in cars and either dying or suffering extreme heat exhaustion. I cannot believe that anyone would ever consider doing such a thing, and if I ever witnessed it, would summon the local constabulary.

Patience is indeed required. Don`t jump, seek advice here first--I am not an expert on the subject,but there are others who will be very supportive

Great, helpful post Bob.

Hi Lucille, I watch all the SC430’s for sale on Auto Trader some have been up for more than a year ! Sadly not much about if you don’t want silver or black. My favourite colours are blue or red in a facelift model but not seen one for many months. There was a gold one at Lexus Sidcup Kent, a rare colour and does look very striking ....update ..that sold over the last week 🙁

Ive had the same QTP valve fitted to my ISF for over a year in exactly the same way (in fact Wellsey sold me the spare valve he had). No issues at all for me, tbh the only times I've closed it are for the MOT.

Just to add on the subject of re-gassing - if the side that works is sufficiently cold then there's no point in re-gassing because the system is working and has enough refrigerant.

Very possibly, I can’t think of anything else in that area tbh Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It’s not that it doesn’t work in Eco mode, it’s just not as good at dealing with high outside temps in my experience Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I actually was in Eco mode now that you say it. I just tried it there in normal mode and it does feel cooler but its night time now so could be just pulling in cool air from outside. I will try again tomorrow when its warm, hopefully that was it!! Never knew the AC wouldn't work in Eco Mode

i have just made the modification from some small bass port ducting i tried it on the drivers seat first and then turned both seats on the drivers seat is noticeably better , i will see how good it is tomorrow when i go to work mid morning.

my opinion of the IS's heated seats is they are rubbish the seats get warm and not much hotter than that, the heated seats in the CT are fab you can cook on those seats and the IS's ventilated seats are poor so if you dont have this feature your not missing out on much.

Normally if there is a major issue with the AC the light would flash or not come on, that and the fact that the air is being cooled at least a little implies it is just low on refrigerant but not low enough for the system to shutdown. Did you set the temp all the way end to low and allow enough time for the system to fully cool? I'm not aware of any initialisation that is required to make the system work after a disruption to the 12v supply. Also make sure it isn't in ECO mode.

To retrofit the OEM system would probably be more expensive than selling your vehicle and purchasing one with ventilated seats. New wiring, switch gear, electronics, ducting etc. You may be able to do something non OEM. e.g. the blower assemblies are around £250 each - you need 4 of those and the seats are probably different so wouldn't just bolt in.

The fact that it blows cold out of one side means it's not an issue with the core components of the AC system (eg compressor, low refrigerant, etc). If there were an issue there then it wouldn't blow cold at all. When the AC is on its always cooling to its max capacity, the air is then re-heated on its way to the vents according to the climate control settings. So the chances are its a vent or a thermostat, I doubt it will be very expensive to fix.

Just had a look at my front seats, they are indeed perforated which I never considered. I also checked under the seat and there are a couple of channels which appear to run to the top of the seat ie where I sit... Just wondering how difficult it would be to retro fit the ventilated cooling part? If it's just a fan how hard can it be..... Got plenty of space on the dash to fit a switch.... Anyone retro fitted the ventilated parts? Sent from my G8142 using Tapatalk

Thanks for the reply Piers! Can any one in Cardiff recommend a local specialist? Jack

From what I remember of cars from those days a lot of cars did not require anything to "introduce" rust to them, they had it built in from new, especially anything from Fiat or from Japan (Datsun 120Y)… and Triumph (my old TR7)

Agreed it is in fact quite noticable and needs to be 'turned down' after a long while, I have read that if used constantly then the fan blades can get covered in crap and reduce efficiency, just like the fans on desk top computers! Yuk. good, easy mod to try without any actual intervention into the car's operating systems. Well worth a try but it may be a placebo effect if you do it yourself! paul m.

The seat cushion is pretty effective by virtue of the air flow being mainly towards the front half where air can escape between your legs. Ducting the foot vent up to the seat cushion and putting the AC on makes it really quite cold indeed but it's by no means essential. The seat back is different. I feel little effect but it depends on what you're wearing and your build. I'm 6' and 14st and fill the seat fairly well and I find it's not enough ventilation for a long journey. The air gets trapped and after a while it still feels very warm. I've added a mesh lumbar support thing which puts a little distance between my back and the seat without compromising comfort. I removed the central nobbly part which was just stitched in place. With this mesh support on the seat back, I can feel the warm air escaping from my sides and the ventilation is reasonably effective and good enough. I'd still like to duct cold air from the AC to it if I can figure out roughly where the intake is.

reading earlier about the RX300 early one's having a prone under section that rots out .......... maybe check all that out to prevent anything untoward leaping up and causing grief Malc

Spelling was never my strong point. Come to think of it I do not think I ever had a strong point. John.

Or to avoid any new fangled dance music type thing I would consider a vinyl wrap 🎶🎶🎶😎

Thanks @i-s and I wish I knew how to select part of your reply to respond to.. All a bit Tesla techy now but I don't think MCU1 to MCU2 upgrade is available in the UK yet but I agree with your point, normally it's buy a whole new car. Thanks also for the correction on the dashcam/sentry. I have AP2 with EAP so not seeing all the visualisations and I resisted upgrading to the full FSD unicorn at £2.9k. However what I have done is just decided to buy a new Model S and have gone for the FSD package, partly because I use Summon a fair bit, partly because I do see the functionality of it improving over the next few years, and partly because I need my head examined As for Lexus, I so wish they had a proper EV offering, it was the IS300h that first introduced my to the electric drivetrain. Also agree about the UX and hydrogen.

As a model 3 and Lexus GS owner, that all sounds fair and familiar. One thing to note though is that you can pay Tesla to upgrade MCU1 to MCU2 - it's $2500 in the USA, not sure on UK price. The point here is that Tesla are allowing owners of older car access to some of the hardware upgrades without buying a whole new car. No other car manufacturer offers upgrades to keep older cars relevant. A minor correction - MCU2/AP3 uses 4 of the 8 cameras for dashcam/sentry. It does not use two of 3 front facing cameras and doesn't use the B-pillar cameras - it uses one front, the rear and the two side repeater cameras. Again, I'll just echo your comments - our Model 3SR+ is a great car and in the time we've owned it it has got more powerful, able to charge faster, added the dashcam/sentry mode features, added the dashcam viewer, added new functionality (netflix, youtube), etv. AP3 visualisations now include stop lights and lane markings, so it's possible you're not seeing the full extent of what will become FSD if you're on AP2 or AP2.5? I certainly don't think that L5 autonomy is less than 2-3 years off, and then only for USA - different road rules and marking standards in different places mean different requirements, as well as regulatory conditions. I certainly wouldn't (and didn't) pay for the FSD option at this point in time. Lexus - hurry up and make a proper EV. A good electric GS or LS would be an amazing vehicle, as the 2nd gen mirai proves (basically an electric LS, but with hydrogen rather than battery - ditch the hydrogen nonsense and put a battery in it!). Don't make silly compliance cars like the UX300e with its comically outdated 50kW charge rate. Compete!

Yes, a lot trickier than I excepted... but luckily I don't need the car right now, so there was plenty of time 😉 Here is list of parts I used: Rear Wheel Hub 42410-30020: Stark from Autodoc Bushings on axle carrier (no separate OEM numbers, not sold by Toyota/Lexus. Whole axle carrier is 42304-30090): Febest TAB-245 Febest TAB-238 Febest TAB-244Z 48710-53020 Arm Assy, Rear Suspension, No.1 Rh: MOOG RK641828 48770-30090 Arm Assy, Upper Control, Rear No.1: MOOG RK641830 89546-30070 Sensor, Speed, Rear Lh: Stark from Autodoc Bolts and nuts from local Lexus dealer: Bolt 91672-G1265 Nut 94151-21200 Bolt 91556-11475 (90105-14200) Nut 94151-21401 Washer 94622-51400 I also changed the parking brake springs and taps: 47447-10020 Pin, Shoe Hold Down Spring(For Front Brake) 90501-16118 Spring, Compression(For Parking Brake Shoe Hold Down) 47449-30030 Cup, Brake Shoe Hold Down Febest parts bought from http://shop.febest.eu MOOG parts from Rockauto https://www.rockauto.com/ BR.Sami

So with the new mani and fuel setup pretty much sorted i decided i no longer want air con🤣🤦‍♂️. I know it was 1 of the comforts i wanted to keep but this has made life so much easier!!!!! Again i cant post pictures the site sucks! I was then able to shift the intercooler back loads to the point the crash bar now fits back on adding that rigidity back to the front and also fitment of a standaed bumper with no cutting needed. To get this to work though i had to attack the frame work with the grinder, cutting the end pieces off to allow the intercooler pipework to be fitted! Treated all the cut metal work to some dinitrol to protect it. i then measured cut and mocked up all the intercooler piping then had it all welded. BOV also fitted, that thing is huge!!

The current tank of fuel is 8 or maybe even 10 weeks old, I really can't remember now and all it's done in that time is a few shopping trips - 38.2 miles, averaging 18.8 mpg according to the on board system. 😭 4.3l V8s weren't really designed as shopping cars. Shame we're not allowed to go anywhere more interetsing.