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And a few more from Tim Vine, if I remember correctly. The Grim Reaper came for me last night, and I beat him off with a vacuum cleaner. Talk about Dyson with death. I went to the cemetery yesterday to lay some flowers on a grave. As I was standing there I noticed 4 grave diggers walking about with a coffin, 3 hours later and they're still walking about with it. I thought to myself, they've lost the plot!! My daughter asked me for a pet spider for her birthday, so I went to our local pet shop and they were £70!!! Blow this, I thought, I can get one cheaper off the web. I was at an ATM yesterday when a little old lady asked if I could check her balance, so I pushed her over. I start a new job in Seoul next week. I thought it was a good Korea move. I was driving this morning when I saw a parked RAC van. The driver was sobbing uncontrollably and looked very miserable. I thought to myself, that guy's heading for a breakdown.

I have bought many new cars over the years from different manufactures and dealers but my latest purchase the new Lexus ES 300 Takumi from Lexus Preston put a car purchase and handover experience up,to another level completely for customer satisfaction . If I may indulge in my experience….. Since retiring last year I had the 2018 variant of the Lexus ES300 the Premium model dark blue and was quite happy with the car, I learnt that in 2021 a new variant had been introduced with significant improvements so I thought Id just pop into my local Lexus dealer to have a look and see if they had one in the showroom. I was met and welcomed to the showroom by the senior sales executive James who went out of his way to show me the new model features without any pressure of sale, it was a fact finding visit of 2 hours but I left impressed with the possibility that this might be a worth while purchase if the deal was right; and the approval of my dear lady wife. On my next visit along my wife and I were warmly welcomed and greeted by personal name offered refreshments and allowed to take our time and closely inspect the new ES 300. As long I chose dark blue again I had my wife’s approval! So off to the big Display screens of model configuration to choose The Takumi version Color dark blue , cream upholstery grey interior with walnut inlays drop dead gorgeous …….to cut a long story short I had such a significant amount of positive equity in my current car a deal was struck and the car was ordered in November 2021. Lexus link and the dealer kept me fully informed from the ordering stage, to build, to transit, to dealer delivery and we finally collected the car yesterday. ( 22/03/2022) At handover we were welcomed by name by the centre reception and waiting for us in the handover booth was James with all the final paper work ready to sign. After a personalised presentation of the car and it’s features and fuelled by several cups of their superb coffee and biscuits the time had come for the big reveal in the handover bay, and there bathed in soft white light in the middle of the, floor stood our brand new ES 300 car sparkling with its flawless deep blue paint., perfectly prepared waiting for us …….James went through the new features of the car, maps radio media , set up Apple phone and Lexus link so they all talked to each other and we completed a rather longer test of the superb Mark Levenson sound system. I was introduced to all the team members at Preston and was treated not just as customer but as a new family member at the centre. We were genuinely thanked for choosing them to purchase our Lexus. I cannot praise the whole team at Preston high enough for their tireless dedication to a wonderful customer experience and to the personal and friendly welcomes we were given at all our visits. From my experience if you you want a purchase experience par excellance Preston Lexus is definitely the place to visit.

I recently called an old engineering friend and asked him what he was working on these days. He replied that he was working on "Aqua-thermal treatment of ceramics, aluminium and steel under a constrained environment." I was impressed until, upon further enquiry, I learned that he was washing dishes with hot water under his wife's supervision.

I've had quite a few offers of £35K and have politely guided them to earlier cars for their sort of budget. My polite way of saying **** off

Now the sun is shining... I've had a pair of front bushes in the cupboard for ages now and it was time to fit the new anti-roll bar bushes. It's a simple task but can be fiddly. I removed the front under cover and it didn't take long to realise the small side covers would need come out too. This is simple but essential to get full access to the bushes. Releasing the bushes needed some persuasion as the bracket was not going to pop out, I was beginning to wonder whether the bushes were fine after all. I levered them out with a long screwdriver. Fitting them and the bracket and then getting them to align with the bolt holes was a swear and jiggle. I realised that I'd have to work on them as a pair and not do one side up as this left zero room for the other. More swearing and jiggling and added taps with my heavy mallet and extension rod to tap things home in addition to pushing the things. The passenger side: the second to be fitted was a real squish and push to get the bush around the bar and seemed to take ages. I tightened all up bit by bit and finished off with a torque wrench at 28 NM. It was a job worth doing for sure as the old bushes felt and looked on the thin side and showed 22 years and 98K miles of wear. Unless mistaken, the front feels better and sounds quieter, less vibration etc. Might as well look at doing the rears too. Next job though is the Transmission mount replacement. I've ordered one via Ayamara, Lexus part 12371-50060 at £36.52 including postage. These kind of jobs are definitely cheap quick wins.

Ever since I saw the concave design of the newest style start buttons, i've been on a mission looking for it secondhand. I prefer the hybrid blue version as the colour on that is really nice and goes with my blue theme. I really like the amount of depth the new design button has. It's really hard to find these buttons second hand as they are very new. The non-hybrid version is silver in colour and also looks really nice. I was lucky enough to be able to source 2 second hand hybrid ones from Lithuania for just under £50 GBP and with a very light polish made them look brand new. Unfortunately the buttons are not direct plug and play. The new design button has completely different connector and number of pins. The PCB design is also different. So, since I really wanted this, I set out to convert my 2is button and below are some pics of my end product that I wanted to share. There is also a video demo which shows the backlight and colour sequence. Really pleased with how it turned out. Button looks, feels and works exactly like OEM

A few years ago, my Toyota HiAce van insurance was up for renewal and as per normal I had a renewal price from my existing insurer. I can't remember why I phoned them up, but in the ensuing conversation the chap on the end of the phone was going through the usual questions including the one about modifications. I then joking said yes, my van had some carpet on the floor in the back, which I put there to help cut down noise and stop the floor getting roughed up etc. He asked if I could hang on for a couple of minutes then came back and to my utter disbelief pronounced that there would be an increase in premium of £17 for said modification. Yes. I politely told him where to go and got my insurance elsewhere.

Tim Vine's two Edinburgh fringe festival wins: I decided to sell my Hoover... well it was just collecting dust. I've just been on a once-in-a-lifetime holiday. I'll tell you what, never again. and his two runner up years: Crime in multi-storey car parks. That is wrong on so many different levels. Last night me and my girlfriend watched three DVDs back to back. Luckily I was the one facing the telly.

I find it difficult to understand how the car passes the health check but looses so much charge overnight. I can leave mine for 2 weeks and no change in traction battery charge level. Once the car is out off the traction battery is completely isolated..

It could be an issue as I wouldn't expect the traction battery to lose that much of its charge being left a few days but can't see I've ever checked mine. I don't see why being a taxi should kill the traction battery more than any other driving - my car is now on 115k miles and others have done much more than that without battery issues. However if you can get it checked worth a look. If you have had the Hybrid health check in the past 10k miles / 12 months the battery can be kept in warranty by doing the hybrid health check every 10k miles / 12 months for up to 15 years of age with no mileage limitation.

The dashboard gauge doesn't represent the actual charge of the battery. On the IS300h, the car's computer keeps the charge level no lower than 40%, at which point the engine will start to boost it to 50% and then the engine will stop if the car is stationary. The 40% level is shown as two bars on the dashboard and 50% is shown as three bars. In average use, the IS300h battery stays in the range 50-60% most of the time and from memory, this range is represented on the dashboard as between three and six bars. The battery will go higher on a long down-hill run but the maximum is 80% (eight bars) and at this point the car will start to spin the engine without fuel as a load to prevent the battery charge going any higher or even to reduce the battery charge. It rather looks from this video of the Hybrid Assistant app that the Auris (and maybe the CT?) aims to keep the battery in the 60% range rather than the 50s that I tend to see on the IS but I don't know if that's so or just what was happening on this video. On the video the battery percentage appears at the bottom right of the app's panel. Initially, most people have the instinct that a full battery must be good, like a fuel tank, and a low battery is bad, like an empty fuel tank. But that isn't the point of the battery. The battery is there to store the regenerated electricity produced when braking. If the battery was full, there would be nowhere to store it. Instead, the computer aims to have the battery about half full. Then there's room to store any regenerated electricity but also a reasonable amount of power available to briefly help with acceleration. This is not a purely electric car so the aim is not to have a full battery. As a hybrid, its aim is to recapture energy that the petrol engine produces and then reuse it to improve the mpg.

Did mine last weekend, same issues as you and more or less used the same method/s. I used a pry bar with a pointed end to line up the holes but still a pain under the car. As you say, you have to do them in tandem but it takes a while for the penny to drop, I should have remembered from the last time I did them on another LS400 a couple of years ago. Good write up by the way and better than mine👍

Yeah I was planning to change them next month as they are scary in the wet when going round the roundabout lol time for wheel spins to burn them out 🤪

Had front bushes done just before covid and rear a few weeks ago (along with new drop links all round), and it make the car a lot quieter (way less background rumble), and also rolls a heck of a lot less. Still got a slight knock on front, but not sure if that is upper or lower control arms needing a look at. Need o get my service records out and see when the control arms last replaced, but car is on 215,000, and not as 'tight' as my wifes 4 year old Mazda 2 By the way be interested to hear whether transmission mount makes that much difference when you fit, as I cannot detect any difference in creaks and rumbles from being in gear or coasting, so assume mounts okay(ish) for now

It's this crap fuel. Ive noticed on the C200 it's getting almost 2-3mpg less than it was on E5 in town and up to 5mpg on a good run.

You may well have checked all these things but if not maybe worth a look at: - brakes - are any wheels getting unusually warm - if so could be a sticking brake caliper - wheel alignment - is the car running true and straight as any issues may be scrubbing tyres losing efficiency - tyres - some tyres (as I think you have mentioned) are not so good for economy - and make sure you check tyre pressures with a good quality tyre pressure gauge when cold (not at a fuel station as they are invariably inaccurate) - under inflation seems to have a significant effect on mpg - if anything go a touch over (I go to 3.6 bar instead of the quoted 3.5 bar) - oil - was the car last serviced by Lexus or a 3rd party - if the latter and heavier oil than spec was used this can increase fuel consumption - air filter - worth a look as it's not always replaced at a service and see if it's particular dirty - 12V battery - have you had any issues there leaving it for a few days - if the 12V battery is weak the traction battery will be constantly recharging it leaving less power from the traction battery to help economy via the hybrid sysyem - you said the last hybrid healthcheck was all clear and plugs have been replaced as per schedule - I saw you posted in the thread about the battery filter and cleaned that so shouldn't be a problem there - there are mixed reports on the E10 fuel impacting mpg - I am still trying to decide what the impact is - sometimes I seem to see better mpg with E10 over what I had previously (though can't explain that) especially after just refueling but then at other times it seems worse like when it's been in the tank a couple of weeks - you could try E5 for a few fills and see what that does As a benchmark - if the weather is warmish (let's say 15C), the car is unladen (so just you and maybe one passenger max) the road is level, speed is reasonably constant at around 70mph such as on a motorway then you should easily get 45mpg+ (I can get to around 50mpg+ like this) and on A roads at say 50-60mph constant speed you should be seeing 50mpg and maybe more. Around town in similar conditions high 40s mpg is also quite achievable depending on how much stop start and how quick you need to accelerate. If you aren't getting these sort of mpg after the above checks then it may be worth also getting a full service done (not sure when your last one was done or who did it) possibly at a Lexus dealer? NB: All my mpg is measured on the car computer

Get some matt clear paint protection film. Wont need much and itll be cheap - worth giving it a go

Its not about the height its the amount of room you need when you go over a humpback bridge at speed that you didn't see the warning sign for 😳🤣

I think if I remember correctly the fan is under the rear passenger seats on the RX450h.. if you look at the bottom front of the rear seat you should see cooling vents.

The worst is that Lexus / Toyota, know how important it is to keep the hybrid battery cool and there is an easy way to keep the battery cool and the filter clean (though filter is not needed if they lead dry, clean and cool air to the hybrid battery) and Lexus / Toyota are not doing that. All the cars have AC and the air coming from AC is dry, clean and cool and it would be easy to have a tube going to the hybrid battery from the AC.

Yes you're right - after all the miles in my IS 300h I forget how bad the mpg was on my ICE cars on short journeys when cold! However short journeys from a cold start in cold weather do still negatively hit the hybrid mpg but it is still performing better than an equivalent ICE only car.

A man wakes up in the hospital, bandaged from head to foot. The doctor comes in and says, "Ah, I see you've regained consciousness. Now, you probably won't remember, but you were in a pile-up on the motorway. You're going to be okay, you'll walk again and everything but I'm trying to break this to you gently, the fact is, your willy was chopped off in the wreck and we were unable to find it." The man groans, but the doctor goes on, "You've got £9,000 in insurance compensation coming and we have the technology now to build you a new willy that will work as well as your old one did - better in fact! But the thing is, it doesn't come cheap. It's £1,000 an inch." The man perks up at this. "So," the doctor says, "It's for you to decide how many inches you want. But it's something you'd better discuss with your wife. I mean, if you had a five inch one before, and you decide to go for a nine incher, she might be a bit put out. But if you had a nine inch one before, and you decide only to invest in a five incher this time, she might be disappointed. So it's important that she plays a role in helping you make the decision." The man agrees to talk with his wife. The doctor comes back the next day. "So," says the doctor, "have you spoken with your wife?" "I have," says the man. "And what is the decision?" asks the doctor. "We're having granite worktops"

The photos are still there you just need to use a little workaround to get them. Its Photobuckets fault they changed everything and as a result there are boards out there with photos that just dont show up without the original poster going back in and relinking and in some cases that runs to thousands of photos (dont ask me how I know) 😭 Anyway - you need to be on a computer and if you "hover" your mouse over the dead photo link and right click on it then copy the text - you will see the photo link in there - starts with http:// and ends in .jpg just copy that bit in to another browser window and you can see the photo.

Hi all back in one piece. It was a two hours journey on the train from newcastle and a three hours drive back from Grantham. Managed to get 32mpg so pretty pleased with that despite how fast i was going. Aside from wear and tear on the paintwork and interior, so far so good. Full lexus service history, cambelt done when it should in 2016. New shocks and springs when recently serviced at lexus lincoln. I even saw the typical lexus video when it was recently serviced which commented on the underside which is holding well but the stock exhaust is having some corrosion but no leaks so will keep an eye on that. Matching pirelli all four corners. Have noticed the wind noise coming from the nearside wing mirror. Normal? Or the cabin is too quiet. Dun think there is much i can do about that. it gets up to speed much quicker than i anticipated. The lack of noise from the engine probably plays a part in this. roof wise, it works. Not sure on leaks yet, will find out eventually. The audio/speakers are working and somehow my amazon cassette bluetooth converter is operational too. Barry

Nine years ago, when I replaced my 400 with a 460, I realised that servicing and component replacement on the newer machine would be more expensive than on the 400. The added complexity of the 460 was another factor I considered but decided that, for me, the 460 was the way to go. One of the differences in the 460 (and the 430) is that it has a conventional exhaust system (unlike the stainless steel system fitted on the 400, which is virtually bombproof - except for the odd flange which can rust badly.) Over the years, I've wondered how long my exhaust would last and was pleased to note that I hadn't read of any 430's with exhaust problems. With my car at 15 years old and 120,000 miles I was a happy bunny! Ever since I've had the car, after a 'full to the brim' refuel, the CRUISING RANGE display on the dash has indicated between 710 and 725kms. About 6 weeks ago, I noticed that number was dropping and eventually, after a refuel, it was reading 650kms. I suspected a sensor problem somewhere and determined to take it into the dealer at some point. Then I started to hear an exhaust 'burble'. Obviously, not in the car......the soundproofing is too good for that......but with a window open. I took it to the dealer, who told me that the front left silencer box was split. To fit a replacement would cost about £450. I have to admit that the price was a pleasant surprise; I'd checked on the internet and the prices were eye-watering. When they removed the split box, they found that the cause of the split was damage to the front of the box. I had, obviously, hit something while driving which had weakened the box. Eventually, the weakness led to the split. The only possible explanation I can think of is when I drove into the water-filled bomb crater (large pot hole) on a visit to Scotland, This was the same pot hole which destroyed one of my front wheel bearings. The servicing guys did a complete check on the rest of the exhaust and said there are no problems whatsoever. So I still don't know how long an LS460 exhaust will last under normal circumstances. The only preventative measure I can think of is to NOT visit Scotland.....but that could be awkward, as our families live there.😀 And the CRUISING RANGE reading is back to normal.

I'm going to be somewhat wary of these systems being installed by 3rd parties in the future Like EVs and charging locators I'm just thinking that " big brother " be it Govt or simply Big Corp tracking might not for always be in our best interests Maybe I'm being overly cautious BUT I don't really want any of my personal life to be checked-out Malc

Stunning looking car ..well done 😎

Thanks guy - happy to report I have brought the beastie home! Apart from a rubber refresh in the passenger speaker (rattles when played loud)! - it seems pretty much perfect!

Thank you all for your replies and your views on this subject. Aviva stated "If the vehicle has been modified after it has left the factory then you will need to include these modifications on your policy." So I would need to inform them if I changed the make/type of tyre? The good news is that LV= have covered me for just under £250 which I can't grumble about. I have taken on board your comments so I will be approaching my renewal in a different way in 12 months time. Very grateful for all of your help. David.

just don't drink it eh ! Malc

So a quick update on my original post above, I ordered and have had fitted a new H&S cat back X-pipe exhaust and the difference is night and day over the old one, just wish I had done this before. The exhaust the car came with was also H&S but was just 'wrong' - it was probably an early one and may have been a dud, or got second hand a bit bashed about and fitted to the car, but certainly it had been installed badly and was blowing from the joints where the different parts were connected. Like I say the other one was just crap, so glad it has restored by confidence in H&S exhausts. Anyway, now with a properly connected and sealed exhaust, the wonderful melodic feel base sound the car omits is fantastic, so glad I had this done! 😀

Got bored... 52107-53010 and 52106-53010 seem to be what you are after and are available from amayama - Japan and UAE warehouses. Referred to as 'bumper extensions' or 'bumper ends' Enjoy 🙂

My go to sites are in order: megazip - to find the OEM part number. it can list Jap/ UAE warehouse prices but I have never used them to order rockauto - great selection of OEM parts and list numbers to check against, US warehouses. Have ordered from several times (for my LS400 to be clear). amayama - great selection of OEM parts and has diagrams to check your part numbers against, Jap warehouses. whack the OEM part number into ebay or google and see where the internet takes you! 🤣

Like I said you should be able to get better mpg than you are seeing and certainly on like for like journeys compared to your IS 250. The old figures that car makers quoted for mpg were never achievable in real world driving but the new WLTP figures are and for The IS 300h Lexus quoted around 48mpg which is what I have been achieving. Something does seem amiss with what you are seeing.

I am seeing individuals in other forums with RX400h and CT report their catalytic converters being stolen. So perhaps it may not necessarily be RX450h or newer models, I've not looked into this, but would want to go back to newer RX models if the issue of having an exposed secondary catalytic converter has been sorted. The main dealer service and reliability alone, for me, beats beats other manufacturer. Yes, other manufacturers may be targeted too, but not on a scale as TX400h/Jazz/Prius and Auris are. Haven't even thought about it until I became a victim and I'm sure some owners have their cars for centuries without being a victim of such crime. However, keeping this RX wasn't an option after the crime as lots of victims reported their catalytic converters being stolen again only after a few weeks of fitting a new one! On that bombshell, I've decided to go back to diesels for the time being and already booked a vieweing for a V70 Se Lux. Would love the welcome back once I get another Lexus. Some of the cars are still on my bucket list while im young and full of energy (30), like the ISF and the LC. I hope no one faces this issue and the government can finally put a stop to all of this by getting 40k+ police officers back (their manifesto of 20k hasn't been fulfilled yet and the inspector who I spoke to said that even 20k won't balance the fact they cut 40k jobs in the first place). Have a good one everyone! Has been great to be a member for so many years on here (this is a newer account, but you can see my blue IS200 on here somewhere from 2012).