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Evening fellow LS'ers! Some time ago I posted about keys for the LS and if I could get a replacement remote key somehow and it's been a bit of a saga but I DID IT!! I thought you'd be interested to know and tell me I went too far to get there... lol My car came with 2 keys, the valet key and the skeleton key in the card. Unfortunately the master and remote were lost along with the service book when the last owner passed away (the car was laid up in a garage for 7 years). I initially tried local locksmiths and even the AA to try source a remote key to link up and of course they couldn't. I didn't know at this point about the receiver in the boot and the paired chip but neither did they. I managed to get a blank Lexus master key from the USA and brought it back and had it cut at a local auto locksmith. I was slightly happier at this point being able to get into the boot without the interior button. A donor car arrived for some bits and bobs I needed for my car and I was amazed that it came with a remote key and all was working; so I reached out and got some advice from (steve2006 - what a guy). I looked into if I could swap the key blade as it would leave me with one complete key. This isn't possible as the blade is set into the plastic and it would mean absolutely destroying it to even start. Coding the chip in the car to the key is also not possible and swapping all the locks etc didn't seem wise as they were iffy and worn on the donor. I tracked down the part numbers with Steve's help for the remote key sets and found both 1, 2 & 3 key sets with transponder. Lexus Chester point blank said it was very doubtful I'd get one but there was confusion about pre-cut/blank sets with a suffix to the part number and also and if the receiving chip was definitely part of the set. The dealer prices didn't seem too horrific as Amayama were looking to be several hundred before shipping and import duty. Lexus Stoke seemed to be able to supply it and at a cheaper price to Chester, so I ordered. I called 3 weeks later as I had heard nothing. They looked into it and nobody placed an order, they shouldn't have without prepayment anyway and actually they couldn't get the part (poor service). At this point I was giving up... In the end I swapped over the donor car chip into my boot and then used 2 keys for unlocking and then starting the car. I know the remote distance is pants but I wanted the car to have all it's features working and be complete! I left it for a bit longer and used the 2 keys until I went back searching on eBay. I was always searching for LS but one of the similar items was a key for a GS300 95-96 which there was a decent stock of. I compared the photo in detail and it looked identical, the dealer was kind enough to open it up and send photos and the inside also looked identical so I ordered at £130 delivered. The key arrived and I took it apart, yes it was going to work!! Started by pulling out the cover plate with brute force as it's glued in, removing the circuit board after breaking the solder link to the key blade. Mock fitted the circuit board from the donor car and everything lined up, took the blade to Timpson's for cutting which was a big mistake. Timpson's don't guarantee their work if they don't provide the key. I stressed to the guy to make sure he thought he could do it and he said he could, he couldn't and he cut straight through the blade... £130 down the drain. I remembered that when I had the master key cut the shop had a proper laser guided machine and they didn't have an issue with me supplying the key or cutting it. So I ordered another key from the USA and waited another few weeks. The local locksmith had no issue cutting the blade, the machine even read back the code from the key card after it had measured up from the key; which I find fascinating. I should have gone back here initially and have now lost trust in Timpson's antiquated machinery now. It was also half the price. Bought myself a soldering Iron and had a practice, soldered the wire connection to the key blade and put everything back together. Patted myself on the back for the fact it worked on first press!!! I have gone from a valet key and the card to a remote master, master, valet, skeleton and two generic keys I had cut from the master as emergency spares. I'm glad I kept persevering with it, some things for the LS400 are difficult to get hold of but it proves if you keep at it, you can find a solution!

I’ll try for some action clips this weekend, it’s pretty aggressive sounding when pushed 😎😎😎

Hey all! I just signed up today but have been following this thread for some days now. Just to let you know that this morning I took the plunge and updated my UX250h with the stuff being talked about here. I searched using my VIN to be sure I was eligible for it. All went buttery smooth, there was just a moment where it did seem to stall for a couple of minutes, that was at 50% of the last sub-phase (USB3, "Pre Install" phase), but then it completed succesfully and after one last autostart and some seconds I reached the final confirmation page. Used an 8GB stick as USB1, a 256GB Kingston SD card as USB2 and a 128GB SD card as USB3, both cards used with a Lexar card reader. Everything formatted with SD Card Formatter on Windows 10. Basically: USB1, procedure starts by itself after some seconds --> Reboot when asked WITHOUT removing the stick --> Remove USB1 when told so and insert USB2 --> Manually start the update and allow it to proceed --> Turn engine off and back on when told so --> Remove USB2 and insert USB1 again, wait several seconds (30-40) until it starts by itself --> Remove USB1 when told so, turn engine off and back on --> Insert USB3 --> Manually start the update --> This one involves several autostarts and phases, just wait --> Remove USB3 when told so --> Turn engine off and back on --> Insert USB2 --> Manually start the update --> This will update audio to the latest 1075 release --> Turn engine off, wait 1 minute, turn it on and wait 2 minutes --> Done! I had to reconfigure settings (language, time, ...) and to recouple my phone, but link to MyLexus was kept, it wasn't necessary to reconfigure the account. As soon as the unit succeeds in connecting to internet, you'll get a message about you having succesfully migrated to MM19. Only thing left if you want is to update Navigation software from the installed 1120 release to the latest 1140. Has to be downloaded separately as it's not included in the packages.

Just keep in mind that modifying the emission control systems in any way technically renders the car illegal on UK roads, with knock on consequences for ones insurance should the unfortunate happen and the insurance company takes a closer interest in the car.

The person I dealt with at Cheltenham on this occasion was Matthew Hughes. I found him sympathetic and he did come back with the reduced price. I have since received a video which seems to show the rubber gaiters (outer air bag covers ?) not looking great but not possible to ascertain extent of problem from this. However, I think from the slight knocking previously they are right that the struts needed replacing. Certainly, the noise I heard was no longer there after the replacements had been fitted. My car was sold to the original owner by Lexus Cheltenham, from whom I bought it when it was traded in for a later car. All services have been done by them on behalf of the first owner and myself and I think from this and my previous visits they are competent and fair. I just need them to confirm details to Lexus UK to support a Goodwill claim. I will let you guys know what response I receive. I am sure that regular members of the club are aware of the potential cost and possible need for replacement of air struts on earlier models but this shows the problem may well apply to the 3rd Gen Premier too and even at relatively low mileage. So any new members or guests that are unaware, may find this of interest if considering buying a pre 4th Generation Premier.

Feast your eyes... 🤪🤣

What a tale. But what a result! I'm in a similar situation. I have the master key but nothing else and I'm just starting on my spare + transmitter journey!

Hi Barry. Who did you deal with in Cheltenham Service. I have always found them very fair to deal with and on more than one occasion when the technician has recommended work the service advisor has recommended waiting. On my last car the technician recommended front brakes but the advisor said to pop in after a further 5000 miles to check them. Sorry to hear you had such a nasty shock.

Here. Excuse the weeds on the drive.

Hello folks. I am wondering, is it possible to set the tailgate operation in such a way that the rest of the doors don't unlock when you open it. Or alternatively, because the doors were all locked prior to opening the tailgate, as soon as you close it again, all the doors automatically lock again. Hope you can make sense of the question😜 Next, is it possible to turn off the noise you get when you accelerate, I'm not much of a fan of that I'm afraid. Hope you're all enjoying this bit of Indian Summer we are getting, plus of course, staying safe.

Lol

thanks. A job for Sunday.

I did consider that, but there really is nothing that would affect it. We're pretty much isolated and no babies or garage.

Hi after 7/8 years driving Infiniti's I am back in the Lexus Fold, and collected my CT200H last week. I got my first Lexus 18 years ago, an IS200 S, then had an IS200 SE, then an RX300. As the family has all grown up and pretty much moved out, changes in work means I don't need a large car. Before getting the CT I test drove the NX, but it was just too large for my needs, so hopefully I have made a good choice.

Not so, Bart. Lexus merely have to approve the service history,which does not always have to have been a Lexus service. If you get an SE-L Premier you really must budget to take out the Lexus Extended Warranty.

Hi Damer picked my CT up just before the lockdown which as it turns out I was very lucky to do so, its my first Lexus I had a Audi A3 before this, For me I can confidently say you will not be disappointed a very well built car with a touch of luxury and to top it all I'm managing 55-56mpg around town which I'm highly delighted with my Audi only two years old Diesel was only manging 44-45mpg, enjoy.

the lower front trim at the bottom of the main bumper is so so fragile and a tad too low for most kerbs or anything for that matter I had mine surgically removed years ago. I was fed up constantly catching it and the breaks in it Malc

There is also an Executive trim (which I have) which had leather as standard (only pre-facelift but not post-facelift) but was with manually adjustable seats (leather otherwise I think always came with electrically adjustable seats). As above, I found when buying mine that leather was one thing that you have to double check on a car by car basis as if it wasn't standard it was I believe optional on all trims.

I updated my nx300h last night and as @Fafner described its was pretty simple. @AtomAnt and to everyone else that is worried about bricking their system. The only way it will happen is if you decide to turn the car off or remove the USB drives while it's in the middle of an update. I'm sure most people are more than competent to follow simple ikea style instructions.

I'm sure this sequence has already appeared above but, for the avoidance of all doubt, the following screenshots have been taken directly from the RX400h workshop manual and so they should be the definitive guide. If this doesn't work then it's either (most likely) a timing issue or there's something wrong somewhere. Just a thought - we know that local interference can play havoc with the operation of the key fobs so it may be worth giving it a try in a different street.

Hi Roy Thanks for your reply. My winter tyres were budget tyres Triangle i think and even as a budget tyre they were excellent in snow. I am decided now definitely going with Michelin

I'm not much of a caravan expert, but I've towed a few boats around on big trailers behind 4x4s before (not the RX I hasten to add). If the noseweight has been checked and is within the car's limits, My first instinct would be to double-check whatever you use to check the noseweight to make sure that's calibrated correctly, just in case you're reading the weight wrong. The other thing is if the caravan is a twin axle job, make sure the tow ball on the car and the tow hitch on the trailer are at a compatible height. If for some reason the tow ball is higher, then a twin axle trailer can exert more pressure on the towbar as the axles don't support the weight evenly. So there is a risk of overloading the tow hitch if that's the case. I'm not saying that's the case here, but I've seen a few mad nose-up trailers at slipways with the back end of the car almost dragging on the floor. The trailer's front axle with no weight on it and the back axle compressed trying to force the nose back down. If a twin wheel trailer isn't level then the trailer's own suspension will be adding forces to the towbar on the car that you don't want. Single axle trailers just pivot about the axle, so the noseweight tends to stay the same, there's no way the suspension can add forces to the towbar. If a single axle trailer is nose down and the suspension of the car compressed, then the noseweight is wrong (for whatever reason) or the car has issues supporting even moderate noseweights. If for instance the typical noseweight is around 70-100Kg that's the weight of an average person or two. The easy test is for a person to stand on the ball of the towbar. If the car's suspension compresses then the car has an issue. If it doesn't compress the same as with the trailer, there's an issue with the noseweight of the trailer. When you've got a couple of tons on the back you tend to make sure everything works because a fraction of that weight can cause serious suspension damage. If that all checks out, I'm at a loss as to why a trailer and tow hitch set up correctly would cause suspension damage on a car, unless it was run over a petty lumpy bit of tarmac.

Give these people a call http://www.mintrepairs.co.uk/ and google leather auto repairs near Manchester too

Sounds ominous...

I thought it was the switch for the tanning lamp 🙂

@jbi507 I suppose it could be a setting issue... there was a setting issue illustrated earlier in this thread by another user... granted it would have been an apple setting.. (and I'm Android) e.g.. Hi Ed659 - see my post on siri being quiet - turns out carplay sets the voice volume to 1 by default. Not really had chance to play with it much yet - but initial impressions are it seems easier, apart from the audio level from siri which now seems ok.

Find your F-Sport that you can afford & negotiate Michelin Tyres @ c.£500 fitted. Many Forum Members across all models in the range have changed O/E Tyres & report significant benefits. Tel

If emissions aren't tested on hybrids then it sounds to me that we'd all be better off getting the cats cut off ourselves and replaced with exhaust pipe. They could be stored in our garages ( or on the mantelpiece ) and sold with the car when the time comes. Has anyone done a comparison test to see how much effect they have on overall emissions ? I can't imagine how horrible it must be to start your Lexus up and find you are now driving a tractor. Alan

Have a look at this thread for ideas. I've just fitted the Vline, which is a fiddle to set up after a fairly easy installation, but gives much better navigation options plus streaming audio.

here is a video of an installation from DTUK you put the pedal box into perfect tune mode and press your pedal all the way to the floor and thats it all done. its the reverse to remove it and leaves no trace once removed click on the link then scroll down to see a graph showing the response https://www.chiptuning.com/en/pedalbox.html

I decided to take the plunge and upgrade. All went without a hitch and its pretty straight forward (even though there are lots of steps) . Here are some pics, I thought I took a pic of the main map screen, but clearly didn't.

OK,Barry many thanks for your response.You must proceed as you think best having regard to the circumstances which are best known by you. As an aside, I have had my GS on Extended Warranty for the last 6 years and will continue to do so until July 2023. I have averaged 7000 miles annually and 2 claims have been made on my behalf by Lexus Chester. Both were successful and I wasn`t aware that there was a problem on either occasion! Best wishes and good luck.

Appreciated, but they said it "shouldn't be driven". That seems to imply unsafe. MOT checks are to ensure the car is safe to drive. Something doesn't add up here.

Speed camera warning works even without being on the satnav screen, at least it does in mine 🙂

Just had my 40k/6yr service at Ipswich. Didn't bother with Essentials as the cost difference wasn't significant, MoT was free as I have the extended warranty, total cost just a few pence short of £470 - not cheap, but exactly as quoted. 6yr service would usualy require plug replacement, but there was no need for them to be done at 40,000 miles. Ended up with a 20-reg Yaris Hybrid loan car - not really an issue as there was just me and I wasn't doing a large mileage in the day, but still a bit odd I thought. It'd only done 50 miles when I started, easy to get 55-60mpg+ out of it. We talked about the fact they don't have so many gen 3 RXs go through the forecourt now, as they're getting a bit older. The receptionist expressed interest in buying mine, not that I have any plans to get rid of it and I'm hoping to buy it outright when the PCP has finished.

Thanks. I believe a Catloc for the RX450H is in development, but not yet to market. Other garages have been mentioned on this forum, who provide their own bespoke welded plate solution. However, I am nervous of altering the car in this way and hoped someone may have feedback on this. Because the converters are being targeted on the RX, we are reluctant to pay for a replacement and expose ourselves to likely future theft. It is prevalent in our area. I am in touch with Lexus customer services who have been wonderful, but are currently unable to provide a solution like they have developed for the RX400. With thanks, Emily

The cat from my RX400h was stolen in October last year. Insurance company stumped up for new cat + lock after much haggling and convincing them that Lexus supply & fit new cat for £750. First catloc was rubbish, it enclosed the exhaust pipe and was attached to the chassis with a chain that rattled continuously. Due to COVID nothing happened but in the middle of August Lexus fitted for free version 2 which is a steel cage bolted to the chassis with snap off bolts. Nothing is 100% but this will deter most of the crims. BTW Lexus Customer Relations were amazing throughout, and this with a 12 year old car. BTW2 my RX400h is the best car by far in over 50 years of driving and owning about 30 cars. Just did a 2k round trip to France and averaged 40+ mpg not driving particularly slowly.

You might have a Lex addiction 🙂

Find a trusted independent to do the work?

You could have your caliper rebuilt, and save considerably. Try contacting "Big Red" at Worcester. John.

Definitely get your brake calipers from somewhere else not lexus, but still get good quality ones not the cheapest possible. Your car is quite old with quite a few miles so the shocks weeping is not unexpected. Eurocarparts sell pagid brake calipers for your car which are very good quality and will last just as well as lexus ones, you wont know the difference. These are for the sc430 rear

All CT grades have a tilt alarm, not just the Takumi.

I just got fed up with drving around dodging potholes and being super sensitive about where I parked it. Over 18 months of ownership I had two bird strikes which amounted to £550 worth of damage - the car is very low at the front. Then a buckled alloy wheel costing £80 to repair - a soaking wet country road and a water filled pothole. Then a cracked windscreen - seems that an unseen chip developed into a crack instantaneously in very hot weather as the windscreen rapidly cooled after startup. Then, and this was the last straw, I drove over a raised manhole cover and caused £800 of damage to the underside. Didn't see the manhole and the front wheels went neatly either side of the cover which then smacked the underside of the car at the lowest point. A smashed in floor support and torn underfloor tray ensued. I loved the car but it had to go. I'll post up some photos of the underside of the car. It was in a new housing development but at least the housebuilder coughed up the money to have the damage repaired. Now back in an NX which is better suited to the roads around where I live. The IS is a very low car.

My 3rd Gen RX450h passed it's MOT test here in Devon on 3rd September without any advisories, so I felt confident to visit my daughter in Surrey and after a few days stop at Lexus Cheltenham en route home for a minor service on 14th September. That was about 550 miles after the MOT and with the mileage at 41,202 miles. I mentioned to Lexus Cheltenham that I felt there was a slight fluttering of the suspension which I could hear as well as sense so asked if all was as well as it should be. I had just arrived at Stroud in a new loan car I had been provided with and was about to collect my sister and her husband for lunch when I had mobile call advising me that one of the front struts needed replacement and the other was almost as bad so both needed to be replaced. I was told that the car should not be driven without these struts being replaced - just what I needed to put the dampeners on my lunch! I expressed my surprise and disappointment that this should happen on a top spec Premier with only 41K miles, particularly as the car had been well cared for and serviced by them for the from new previous lady owner. I had also taken care of it , especially over speed humps and the car had continued to be serviced by them. I mentioned this was a known problem with air struts on earlier generations but believed 41K miles would be early replacement even for them. I was told that replacing with coil overs would detract from the superior ride being provided by the air suspension of the 'Premier' model and that a car so modified would become less valuable. I was told that the rears were OK (at present) but that I could get a 2 year extended warranty which would include replacing these for just shy of £1,000. In the circumstances, I was told the struts were provided at cost and I got various rates of discount on different things being a 'Gold Member' (and probably sympathy!) which they reckon saved me just over £400. The all in cost including the minor service was £2273.94. I think Cheltenham have been fair with me but feel one should not have to pay for new air struts at this sort of mileage. Maybe this is why they were dropped for the 4th Gen cars. Since the new struts were fitted, I noticed on the drive home that the car seems to pitch more from front to rear as evidenced by the the head lights tending to cover shorter and longer distances. I really wished I had sampled an RX with normal coil springs before going for the Premier model and suggest anybody else looking for an RX does this. It's just that I have always bought the top model of previous cars although these have always been a few years old.